2015 has been another terrific year of television, particularly for first-year shows, such as Better Call Saul, Daredevil, and UnREAL. However, when it comes to freshman series that debuted this year, I still believe iZombie was the most impressive of them all. Smart, funny, and heartfelt, iZombie was the perfect mix of everything I love about TV, whirled into one incredibly entertaining drama, a show I still think could be called the best series on The CW. If you’re not watching iZombie yet (and you should be), here are five reasons to catch up before Season 2 premieres in October.
Blending of Genres
When anyone asks me to describe iZombie to them, it’s always a difficult question to answer. Not because I can’t think of anything great to say about the show, but because the series is just so unique, a wonderful blend of different TV genres. It’s part sci-fi, part supernatural, part cop procedural, part coming-of-age, and iZombie embraces and utilizes these different aspects to create something that feels fresh, vibrant, and new. Whether you’re more interested in the “cases of the week,” the zombie mythology, or Liv’s ever-evolving relationships with Ravi, Major, and her family, there’s something for everyone to enjoy when watching iZombie.
Sense of Fun
While iZombie certainly takes time and care with its characters’ journeys and the story it’s telling, the show isn’t as dour or serious as other zombie shows you’ll find on television. Thanks in large part to the fact that each brain that Liv eats gives her a new type of personality and abilities every week, the series is able to produce great comedic moments. Sometimes, the laughs are a result of how ridiculous Liv is behaving, while other times, they come from the hilarious reactions of her friends and family. The point is, unlike the many “too serious” television series out there today, iZombie still has a sense of fun about it, allowing the audience to empathize with Liv’s condition but to also smile and laugh at the awkward and uncomfortable situations she finds herself in due to the fact that she is a zombie. This lighter, breezier attitude doesn’t lessen the impact of the series’ more dramatic moments, but instead injects a bit of new life (if you’ll excuse the pun) into a genre that has become somewhat repetitive and tired in recent years.
Rose McIver
In addition to its infectious and unique style and tone, iZombie also boasts one of the best leading performances on any TV series right now. Rose McIver is absolutely sensational as Liv Moore, providing many of the show’s biggest laughs (seriously, just watch as McIver transforms from a peppy cheerleader to a lazy stoner in the penultimate episode of Season 1) but also its most heart-breaking moments (when Liv witnesses the death of a loved one, or the look on McIver’s face in the final scene of the Season 1 finale). However, what’s most impressive about the work that McIver is doing on iZombie is how she’s able to pull of the insanely tricky balancing act that is portraying multiple different personalities from week to week without ever losing the character, the real Liv, underneath it all. Somehow, no matter how big or small she’s asked to play, McIver ensures each new “person” that she’s become is still totally and completely Liv. It’s an incredible performance that elevates an already fantastic show to new heights.
Authentic and Complex Female Protagonist
Unlike some networks, The CW has a surplus of series centered around dynamic female protagonists. From The 100 to Reign to Jane the Virgin, there’s no shortage of female-led CW shows, and iZombie adds yet another terrific character to those ranks with Liv Moore. While a good bit of credit for why Liv is such a great female protagonist should go to Rose McIver’s performance, which, as I mentioned above, is absolutely wonderful, a lot of what makes Liv special is due to iZombie‘s writing for the character, which turned Liv into a rich and captivating individual in the span of just a few episodes. And what truly makes Liv stand out, even among the many other awesome females that populate The CW, is that the iZombie creative team makes her so much more than just the typical “strong female character.” Liv is smart, snarky, funny, creative, damaged, and a whole host of other qualities. She’s complex and authentic, and those are the two best things that can be said about any character on television, no matter his or her gender.
Terrific Cast of Supporting Characters
While iZombie would most certainly fall apart without such a well-defined main character as Liv, the show has also done a marvelous job at crafting supporting characters that don’t only fill up space or crack jokes but that are vitally important to the show’s DNA. iZombie would not be the same without Liv and Ravi’s (Rahul Kohli) banter and, more importantly, their strong friendship, or if it was missing Liv and Clive’s (Malcolm Goodwin) rapid exchanging of ideas about the case they are working on together. Furthermore, Liv’s ex-boyfriend Major (Robert Buckley) had one of the best (if not the best) storyline of Season 1, one that, for the most part, emotionally intersected with Liv’s arc, even if they weren’t always related plot-wise. And Blaine (David Anders) became one of the most entertaining villains on television and also served as a mirror opposite of Liv, a formidable antagonist and a cautionary tale of what certain people could transform into when they became zombies. All of these characters and relationships worked together like a well-oiled machine by the end of iZombie‘s first season, creating a world that feels grounded and real, even with the countless zombies that exist in it.
iZombie Season 2 premieres on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 9 p.m. on The CW. Select Season 1 episodes of the series can be viewed on Hulu and The CW’s website, and you can watch the entire first season when it’s released on DVD on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
[Photos via The CW]
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