Skip to Content

iZombie, Ep. 2.05, “Love & Basketball”

iZombie, Ep. 2.05, “Love & Basketball”

iZombie, Season 2, Episode 5: “Love & Basketball”
Written by Bob Dearden
Directed by Michael Fields
Airs Tuesdays at 9pm (ET) on The CW

Since the beginning of iZombie, numerous characters have found out about the existence of zombies, with a range of reactions, from Ravi to Peyton to Major. One character who continues to be in the dark, however, is Detective Clive Babineaux. This week’s episode, however, sees him begin to peel away the layers to find the truth in another strong episode that reveals more about the extent of Max Rager’s involvement with zombies.

Max Rager’s relationship with zombies continues to be a compelling aspect of the season. While Vaughn feeding the board member to his zombified researcher suggested that it was a isolated project, the presence and facilities of Dr. Irving this week suggest that not only does Vaughn have a team working with him, plenty of the company’s funds are being used, making this project far from secret. What their ultimate goal is, however, will be worth keeping an eye on. While Major’s role as Max Rager’s zombie hitman is still very much active, Dr. Irving’s presence and her desire for Liv’s blood suggest that there’s more going on than meets the eye. Whatever their ultimate plan is, it’s unlikely to bode well for zombies or humans. Max Rager researching zombies with ample funding also opens up the possibility of them courting Ravi. Regardless of whether or not their ultimate purpose is to find a cure, they have the resources to do much more than Ravi can accomplish alone in the morgue laboratory. Combined with the fact that Ravi’s research on Liv and Lowell has likely covered areas that Dr. Irving’s research hasn’t, and Ravi may end up working with Liv’s nemesis before long, perhaps even with her endorsement, as it would undoubtedly speed up the process of finding a cure. Ravi’s discovery this week of an instant zombie killer is likely to put him more firmly in Max Rager’s crosshairs, so how these two forces interact over the course of the season will be fun to watch.

iZombie s2e5

Clive’s ongoing investigation into the Meat Cute massacre and Suzuki’s death is also proving to be intriguing, particularly as it opens the door to him finding out about zombies. Clive has proven himself to be a very good detective over the course of the show, and it was only a matter of time before he came across their existence, so how he deals with this revelation will be exciting to watch. While his thoughts on zombies were made clear in the pilot, that was a hypothetical fantasy scenario, and Clive’s reaction in real life could be radically different. How Liv handles Clive approaching the truth should also be worth watching. Liv already made the mistake of hiding her true identity with Major and saw how that turned out. Outside of Ravi, Clive forms the biggest component of her new life, and she’s unlikely to give that up very easily, which means that she might have to make a decision at some point to actually tell Clive. If Clive comes to the realisation that Liv has been helpful despite her affliction, he has the potential to be a valuable ally in Liv’s fight against Max Rager or Blaine, as he proves even in this episode that he’s more than willing to stand up for the underdog. On the other hand, however, if he turns against Liv, he might come around to Major’s old line of thinking with regards to the Meat Cute and Blaine, especially depending on how the FBI investigation pans out. No matter what happens, a prominent character like Clive discovering a secret of this magnitude is sure to shake up the show’s dynamic in exciting ways.

Overall, this is another fun episode. While the security guard is once again not a forceful enough character to allow for an entertaining turn from Liv, it nonetheless speaks volumes to who Liv is as a person that she manages to find a positive in this situation and put Major in a position where he can feel wanted again. Major’s recovery also makes for an interesting watch, although his conversation with Gilda proves that he’s far from being free from the Max Rager grip. Gilda also continues to be a great new addition to the series, and her ruthlessness with regards to Liv bodes well for her position as a formidable enemy to Liv and the team. The accidental discovery by Ravi of an instant zombie killer is also a development that could affect a lot of things. Not only would it give Max Rager exactly what they’re looking for, it would also give Blaine more power over his zombie clientele and add another advantage that he’d have over Liv. If Blaine does duplicate the zombie killing serum, a strong possibility given that he has access to the city’s Utopium supply, it’ll be less a matter of if he uses it and more a matter of when. However, with both Max Rager on the lookout for zombies and Clive inching towards learning the truth about them, Blaine’s risk of exposure has never been higher. With him being unaware of both forces, if he gets reckless and exposes himself, how both Clive and Max Rager deal with him will be worth watching for as the season continues.

[wpchatai]