Malcolm Goodwin, Rose McIver
iZombie, Season 1, Episode 7: “Maternity Liv”
Written by Bob Dearden
Directed by Patrick Norris
Airs Tuesdays at 9pm (ET) on The CW
While Liv has been trying to stay under the radar following her turn to the undead, the man who turned her, Blaine, has been quietly building a zombie empire of his own, using the patrons of a local skate park as food to keep his clients happy. Over the past few weeks, however, both Major and Clive have noticed the large number of missing children, a move forward that came with the revelation that Clive’s boss, Lieutenant Suzuki, was also a zombie, and possibly under Blaine’s control. This week’s episode sees Major continue to pursue the missing people’s case, roping the press into it, as Suzuki appears to be on track to discovering Liv’s current condition, in a compelling episode.
Major’s investigation into Blaine’s activities continues to be a fascinating storyline, not only helping to further flesh out the character, but also give a better look at how Blaine’s operation appears to someone on the outside. Major’s dogged pursuit of Julian, despite the latter’s physical superiority, is a great way to illustrate both Major’s dedication to his job and the children he takes care of, and his unwillingness to simply sit back or let things go. It’ll be intriguing to see how the discovery of the human brain, as well as the police pinning the missing children on the husband and wife cult. The discovery of the brain is likely to clue Major in on the fact that something is wrong with this whole operation, beyond what he can see, as will Julian’s apparent freedom even after the discovery of the cult and ostensible uncovering of the bodies. However, Major is unlikely to get any more help from the police in general and Clive in particular after his actions this week. With the police throwing the press off Blaine’s trail, this leaves Major without an ally in his fight against Julian. If he continues his investigation into Blaine’s operation in secret, he’s likely to end up in Blaine’s crosshairs and dead, or worse, before long. This leaves Ravi and Liv as the only two people who can help Major, but who will have to work clandestinely to do so. In addition, Liv may be interested in steering Major away from Blaine, as she’s aware of how dangerous the latter is, and what course of action both Major and Liv take from here on out is bound to affect the story.
Bradley James, Rose McIver
It’s also nice to see Lowell and Liv spend time together and get to know each other, particularly as it allows Liv to be free and open with someone in a way that she hasn’t been able to be since her zombification. While Ravi is aware of her condition, being around him isn’t as much of an option, lest something trigger Liv into turning to full-on zombie mode. However, as Lowell is a zombie himself, Liv doesn’t pose as much of a threat. With Liv working on repairing her relationship with her mother and Evan this week, it’ll be worth noting how others in Liv’s social circle react to Lowell. With both Peyton and Eva expressing concern over Liv’s dumping of Major, there’s a strong chance that they won’t give Lowell a chance. With Lowell and Liv not only sharing the secret of being zombies, but clearly getting along as people, this may leave Liv with a hard decision to make about whom she wants to associate with. It’ll also be intriguing to see how much she involves Lowell in her imminent fight against Blaine. Having already seen what happens to Ravi when he’s exposed to a zombie threat, she’ll be sure to keep him away from any potential danger posed by Blaine. Lowell, however, is different, and there’s not only the question of if he’ll want to be involved, there’s also the question of how much involvement will be safe. As Blaine has shown, he knows how to deal with other zombies as well, proving that’s no guarantee of safety. Liv thus has more to lose than Blaine, and will have to proceed very carefully against him going forward.
Overall, this is another compelling outing. It’s also good to note that getting shot triggers a zombie to go into full-on zombie mode, as both the Lieutenant and Liv display this week. Rebecca Hinton is an interesting addition to the show, and as a reporter, could prove to be an interesting ally. Hopefully the police’s fake notice about the bodies buried in the cult couple’s backyard doesn’t signal the end of her time on the series. Lowell and Ravi bonding over both being British is fun to watch. Ravi’s discovery of the mix of Utopium and Max Rager that causes zombification is an exciting development, and how he handles it will be worth following, especially if he is able to devise a cure. Lieutenant Suzuki noticing the bullet wound on Liv also opens the door for a potentially compelling story. While Liv still isn’t keeping her eye open for other zombies, it’s clear the Lieutenant has spotted her, or atleast has his suspicions. With the idea that he’s under Blaine’s thumb gaining traction this week with the knowledge that the police are throwing the press off his trail, whether Suzuki turns out to be friend or foe to Liv will be worth watching out for as the season continues.
– Deepayan Sengupta