iZombie Season 2 Episode 12 Review: “Physician, Heal Thy Selfie”

iZombie

If there’s one minor complaint that could be lodged against iZombie‘s fantastic second season, it’s that there’s a little too much going on. Not only does the show features its typical cases of the week, with Liv eating a new brain in each episode, but it also has Major working for Max Rager, Blaine going up against Stacey Boss, Clive and Bozzio investigating their respective cases, and the up-and-down romances between Liv and Major and Peyton and Ravi. And while I could see how some viewers could be slightly overwhelmed with the various storylines and the shifting allegiances, when it all comes together, like it does in tonight’s “Physician, Heal Thy Selfie,” there’s no show that’s more exciting or entertaining than iZombie.

There’s a lot of moving parts in this episode, from Vaughn confronting Major about Baracus being a zombie to Liv becoming closer with Drake to Peyton and Ravi reconnecting to Boss meeting with Blaine. However, none of these stories truly stand on their own, completely separate from the rest of the episode; they all connect together in creative and sometimes even unexpected ways, and they’re beginning to converge in dramatic fashion as the show heads into its home stretch for Season 2 (only seven episodes remain after tonight’s installment).

Not to mention, there’s real emotion tied to each of these stories. Liv wants to believe that Drake is a good guy, and that he’s not getting himself into trouble, but her vision of Donny at the end of the hour could cause her to reconsider their relationship. Major hates working for Max Rager but understands that it’s his best way to keep tabs on what Vaughn and his allies are doing and to ensure Liv’s safety from their evil experiments. Peyton stands up and takes her spot as District Attorney, putting her right in Boss’ crosshairs, because it’s the right thing to do, but that doesn’t mean that Ravi or Liv won’t be worried about her.

There’s real stakes with everything that’s happening on iZombie right now; even something as light and fun as Peyton and Ravi getting drunk together is tinged with a bit of sadness, not only because you can see that Ravi is still in love with her but also because that could very well be the last time they get the chance to just have fun like that now that Peyton is in such a public and dangerous position. iZombie can be one of the funniest shows on television; but it never fails to remind viewers just how serious its characters’ situations are, and it’s a real testament to the talents of Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero-Wright, and the rest of iZombie‘s writing staff that the show can switch between these wildly different stories and tones and still feel so cohesive and whole, especially during an hour as jam-packed as “Physician, Heal Thy Selfie.”

Similar to how the final few episodes of the show’s first season set the stage for an epic conclusion, in which both Peyton and Major found out Liv’s secret, the Meat Cute was destroyed, Clive was more suspicious than ever before, and Liv destroyed her relationship with her family, the past couple episode of iZombie have begun to amp up the tension and raise Season 2’s already high stakes. Many of the show’s best characters are entangled in what appears to be a battle between Stacey Boss, Blaine, and the police, with Vaughn and Max Rager looming. It remains to be seen how it will all play out over the course of the next seven episodes, but “Physician, Heal Thy Selfie” is a terrific way for iZombie to start this final stretch.

Other thoughts:

Can we please have an episode of iZombie that is just Peyton and Ravi drinking together for the whole hour? Let’s make it happen, iZombie writers. Those two together are the best.
And speaking of Peyton, I love how much focus her character has gotten in recent episodes. Here’s hoping that she survives this season (I’ll be very upset if she dies), and then maybe Aly Michalka can be promoted to a series regular for Season 3.
Very grateful for that scene between Boss and Blaine. It did a nice job of filling in their history together, while also giving Blaine even more reason to want to take the crime boss down. Although, can we talk about how strange it was to see Blaine intimated of someone else for once?
Another fun Blaine scene: him realizing that Peyton and Liv are best friends. Can those three characters have more scenes together, please?
This episode was so action-packed that I didn’t even mention that the brain Liv ate caused her to be obsessed with social media, and it was very entertaining. What was your favorite hashtag that she used? Personally, I liked Peyton’s reaction to “Friendshipgoals” and “#Bootyhadmelikewhat.”
Also very entertaining: Liv meeting Drake’s mom. That was a really fun and light scene that not only made me laugh (loved Drake’s mom giving Liv a makeover and her terrible photography skills), but it also gave us some solid insight into Drake’s character (as did the story about how he beat up his mom’s abusive boyfriend). In an episode that was so focused on propelling the plot forward, that small bit of character development was very much appreciated.
One thing that I could have used more of in this episode was some curiosity or frustration from Clive about Liv not having visions. It seemed like a wasted opportunity, although I did like that this week’s case played a larger role in the season’s overall story.
Boss may be a more intimidating villain, but no one beats Vaughn’s one-liners: “I just love this guy’s comprehensive knowledge of how turtle a** tastes.”
“Nobody calls it that. Stop trying to make Team Z happen.”
“Looks like a no-brainer to me, Liv.”
“What kind of person doesn’t use Twitter or Facebook?” “Only a lunatic. How else would he disseminate inspirational quotes and latte art?”