It seems like iZombie has been changing the game for its characters on an almost weekly basis in Season 3, and while not every twist and turn has been entirely successful, you have to admire the show’s ambition. The creative team behind the series obviously wanted to try to do some new things this year, and it’s led to an exciting, although somewhat uneven, season so far.
“Uneven” is definitely an appropriate word for tonight’s episode, “Some Like It Hot Mess,” which is an hour filled with many surprising developments for several different characters and one of the most obnoxious brains that Liv has ever eaten. It’s yet another episode in Season 3 in which the case of the week is treated as an afterthought, as Clive essentially solves the murder of Yvonne by himself over the course of two short scenes during the final act, and that’s because the rest of the show’s characters are tied up in the shocking (and yet predictable) cure storyline.
Just one week after iZombie broke all of our hearts with Major’s goodbyes to Liv and Ravi, the show makes the surprising move of returning his memories to him once it’s revealed that Blaine has been lying about having amnesia. Yes, if you are one of the many iZombie fans out there that thought Blaine had been faking his condition over the past couple of months, you were right. For the record, I was not one of those fans, which is why I found the reveal in tonight’s episode to be so shocking. I couldn’t see how the show would be able to have the cure be effective and not allow Liv to take it.
And that’s what leads me into the awfully predictable part of “Some Like It Hot Mess,” which is that, of course, someone steals the cure from Ravi’s desk before Liv can inject herself with it The unknown identity of that thief is definitely one of the mysteries that will propel the story forward as we head into the back half of Season 3, because it can’t be as easy of an answer as Blaine or Don E.; both of them are way too obvious of choices to actually be the culprits.
If I was a betting man, I’d say it’s Vivian and her people at Fillmore-Graves that are behind the theft. They want full zombie domination, and a working cure clearly threatens that. Plus, with all the money and technology that they have at their disposal, it’s not too hard to believe that they, like Max Rager before them, have found a way to bug Liv, Ravi, and Major’s phones, or maybe they’ve even planted a listening device in the morgue itself. The point is that if they learned about the effectiveness of the cure, they would certainly go after it.
So does the fact that the cure actually works and Major now has his memories rob last week’s episode of its power? No, not at all. Those scenes between Major, Liv, and Ravi at the end of “Spanking the Zombie” remain some of the most moving moments that iZombie has ever produced. Not to mention, Liv and Major confessing their feelings to each other and sleeping together plays a major role in tonight’s episode, as the two of them struggle to move on from their amazing time together, and I’m sure it will keep complicating their already oh-so complicated relationship as Season 3 continues.
Would I have liked to have seen one more episode of Major losing his memories and Liv and Ravi doing their best to emotionally handle it? Most definitely, but I also understand that iZombie is working with a 13-episode season this year and this is the quick pace at which the show has to burn through story. I just hope that little moments, such as Major reuniting with his mom in tonight’s episode, develop into something even bigger and better as the season moves forward. That can’t be the only time we’ll see her this year, can it? I need to know more about Major’s childhood and his obviously strained relationship with his parents.
Furthermore, Major isn’t the only one that has strong emotional moments in “Some Like It Hot Mess.” The most powerful exchange of the entire episode happens between Liv and Clive, when she believes she’s about to take the cure and thanks him for giving her life meaning over the past few years. Clive being his awesome self tells Liv that he didn’t give her life meaning because she did it all herself, and then he jokes that he just took advantage of it as the two of them hug. It’s a small but lovely scene, and it’s wonderfully acted by both Rose McIver and Malcolm Goodwin.
I only wish the comedic scenes between Liv and Clive had worked a little better in this episode, as the party girl brain that Liv eats ends up becoming pretty annoying by the end of the hour. The brain does lead to some truly funny moments, such as Liv leaving her phone inside a body she’s just stitched up in the morgue, or her dedicating her DJ routine to Clive after she gets buzzed on pepper vodka. However, similar to the life guru brain from “Eat, Pray, Liv,” it’s nothing too special, and it quickly wears out its welcome.
Overall, “Some Like It Hot Mess” pushes iZombie into unexpected territory yet again. I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about this new development with the cure, but I am curious to see which direction the writers take the show in next, especially with Liv being so heartbroken over having her chance at humanity stolen from her. You know that she’ll be seeking vengeance, and hell hath no fury like a zombie scorned.
Other thoughts:
- One development from tonight’s episode that makes me extremely happy: Blaine and Peyton are no more. For the first time all season, Peyton feels like herself in “Some Like It Hot Mess,” and I hope the writers won’t ever sacrifice the integrity of her character again for the sake of contrived, romantic drama.
- With his memory fully intact and his heart broken by Peyton, Blaine looks to be going back to his criminal ways, as we see him in the final moments of the episode cooking up his own version of Ravi’s memory-enhancing serum. I’m guessing he’ll try to sell this to his zombie customers, promising more intense visions and a more full-on personality takeover. No matter what, I can’t wait to see David Anders play Blaine at his most evil again.
- Who could have guessed that Major’s kind gesture of giving the cure to Natalie a couple weeks ago would have ended up costing Liv so much? That’s some sad, twisted stuff, but it also totally fits with the constant ups and downs of Liv and Major’s relationship.
- It’s such a simple scene, but Ravi and Major talking about Peyton and Liv while playing video games is one of my favorite scenes from the episode. I especially love Major commenting on how sad the state of their romantic lives are: “I remember girl talk being more fun.”
- Another small scene that really stands out from this episode: the “Good Old Major” conversation that Liv and Major have as he’s preparing the letters for his loved ones. The chemistry between Rose McIver and Robert Buckley is just dynamite. They’re so damn charming together.
- Check out this interview that Rob Thomas did with TVLine in which he previews what’s ahead for the rest of Season 3. It’s a very interesting read.
- Major’s reaction to eating ice cream is like me anytime I eat a cheese steak. There’s just nothing better.
What did everyone else think about this week’s episode of iZombie? Comment below and let me know.
[Photo credit: Jack Rowand/The CW]
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