For a show that can be as light and funny as iZombie can be, it’s somewhat surprising that the series is actually at its best when dealing with Liv’s loneliness, which is at the center of “Real Dead Housewife,” even if it’s not made completely clear until the end of the hour. Although it’s not as hilarious as this season’s first two episodes, this week’s iZombie continues to showcase Liv’s constant struggle to find connection, just as her old best friend returns to town.
Much of “Real Dead Housewife” is devoted to the case of the week, as a rich, snobby housewife falls off her balcony when a murder-for-hire goes wrong. Liv, of course, ends up eating her brain and is transformed into the newest star of Real Housewives of Seattle: she wears fancy dresses, dons high heels, and gets a manicure, not to mention that her filter when it comes to talking about other women (or “skanks,” as she mostly refers to them as) is all but gone. It all leads to some pretty funny material, particularly Liv’s description of her “Sorry, Beyonce” nail polish and a recurring gag of her insisting that Clive wear a pocket square.
Additionally, even though it doesn’t seem too important at first, this week’s case also has some major implications moving forward, as we meet Terrance (the husband of Taylor, the woman who died) and discover that he’s on Max Rager’s board of directors. Not only does he hate Vaughn for sleeping with his wife (which Liv is forced to see in quite the disgusting vision), but he wants him gone as the company’s CEO, a mission that Vaughn doesn’t take lightly, which is why he ends up trapping Terrance in a room with a zombie doctor in the episode’s closing moments. Taylor’s death may not prove to be incredibly important in iZombie Season 2, but Terrance’s demise not only shows Vaughn’s insane lust for power but also may be one of the clues that leads to his downfall.
Ultimately, though, what makes “Real Dead Housewife of Seattle” stand out among many of the solid but forgettable procedural episodes of iZombie‘s first season is its emotional moments. Early on in the hour, we see Liv try to get Ravi and Clive to join her for dinner or drinks on Friday, not knowing exactly the reason why she’s asking or why she’s so disappointed when they both say that they’re busy. Eventually, we find out that it’s because Liv didn’t want to spend her birthday alone, as she has no family or friends that want to celebrate it with her, since her zombie condition has pushed everyone away.
As I mentioned above, iZombie does sadness incredibly well. It’s hard to not watch the sequence of Liv walking into the liquor store and buying the bottle of whiskey she plans to drink alone and not be affected by it. We’ve all had moments in our lives where we feel lonely or disconnected from those we love for unknown or unjustifiable reasons; that’s what’s so powerful about watching Liv go through this: we know she’s a good person, who goes out of her to help others, and the fact that she’s a zombie is totally out of her control.
iZombie has been able to mine a lot of rich emotional material from Liv’s condition throughout its first 16 episodes, and it continues to do so very well in “Dead Real Housewife”; however, it’s not only sadness or despair that the series gives us but, near the end of the episode, also hope. Liv and Peyton (guest star Aly Michalka, appearing on iZombie for the first time since last season’s penultimate episode) don’t share a single scene together in “Dead Real Housewife,” but that one moment of Liv finding the birthday cake in the fridge says more than any conversation between them could have. A friend doesn’t always have to say the right thing or perform some grand gesture to make our problems disappear; sometimes, all that matters is that they remind us that they care–that’s enough to make it through the day.
Other thoughts:
- I’m so happy that Aly Michalka is back, at least for a couple of episodes (she’s definitely in next week’s as well). Peyton’s scene with Ravi was terrific, and I can’t wait to see her interact with both him and Liv more.
- So Gilda and Major hooking up was…interesting? While that scene didn’t completely come out of nowhere, it could have used some follow-up later in the hour.
- Speaking of Major, we all knew that he didn’t kill that dog, right? Still, it was nice to have some confirmation when Ravi walked into the house after his date. Also, every Liv/Major scene this season has been pretty dynamite, and their exchange at Max Rager, where Liv discovers that he’s working for Vaughn, was another terrific moment between them.
- Steven Weber is having so much fun playing Vaughn Du Clarke, and I’m having even more fun watching him.
- Also, did this episode reveal that Gilda was Vaughn’s daughter, or did that I misinterpret that scene between them?
- As a country music fan, the promo for next week has me incredibly excited.
What did everyone else think of this week’s iZombie? Have you been enjoying this season as much as I have? Comment below and let me know.
[Photo via The CW]
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