Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
I have a confession. Even though I’ve aged past the acceptable range, I really enjoy CW shows. There’s something so addicting and delicious about the teen-centric quippy dialogue, constant drama, and insane premises. Most CW shows exist in a train wreck vacuum. Everything in these universes always goes wrong and will always continue to go wrong forever, but you can’t look away.
However, some of those train wrecks transcend the typical level of teen and young adult drama and become something truly amazing. Shows such as Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane the Virgin definitely fit that category, and so does the network’s exploration into the world of horror comedy, iZombie. The series follows Liv, a former medical student turned zombie who uses her newfound powers to become a detective. It’s an insane show that really takes the time to build out its characters’ relationships. Here’s why you need to join me in my binge.
It’s from Rob Thomas, so you already know it’s amazing.
iZombie comes with what is essentially a creative clout pedigree; it was created by Rob Thomas. Who is Thomas, you ask? Just the creative mastermind behind such critically and culturally beloved shows like Veronica Mars, 90210, and Party Down. I can understand if the series’ premise has you giving it the side eye. There’s a lot going on. It’s a comic book adaptation about the zombie apocalypse with a woman turned zombie, turned coroner’s assistant, turned detective as its protagonist. Forget all of those confusing plot details, and focus on all the delightfully well-timed snark you could be experiencing from Thomas’ work.
Liv is one badass zombie protagonist.
iZombie isn’t just about zombies; it’s main protagonist is a zombie. However, the most interesting thing about Liv (Rose McIver) is hardly the fact that she eats the occasional brain. Before the virus, Liv was a medical resident, and she was just as sassy and quick-witted then as she is now. McIver gives a performance that often swings from vulnerable to intentionally campy to just plain fun. She’s the zombie you want as your best friend. Also, Liv will give you hair goals.
It’s a series that pays homage to a trend while ruthlessly mocking it.
Between The Walking Dead, World War Z, and a thousand other undead-themed movies and shows that ranged from amazing to unremarkable, there was a time in the not-too-distant past when zombies were having a moment. That moment has passed (thank god), but iZombie still solidly stands in the teen horror comedy world, and it’s not afraid to twist every expectation you have. Let’s take something simple — the way Liv eats her brains. Other zombies may desperately claw at head meats, shoving them in their mouths, but Liv has class. Most of the brains she cooks are sautéed into pastas or cooked into stews. This is just one small example, but the whole series walks this line, sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly twisting your expectations.
There’s a fun intellectual twist ... sort of.
Every time Liv eats a brain, she gains flashes of that now-deceased person’s memory. One episode, Liv suddenly becomes amazing at martial arts. The next, she’s terrified of pigeons. It’s through these flashes that Liv is able to investigate and solve murders, but more than that, the show lightens a really disturbing aspect of zombie life. The more you watch, the more excited you get when Liv goes to eat other person’s brain. What’s she going to learn this time? What crazy skills is she going to get next? In this way, the show quickly departs from its horror roots. Basically if your only reason for not watching is because you hate zombies, you don’t have any excuse. If you likes Pushing Daisies, you’ll like this.
It’s young enough for you to feel cool, and smart enough for you to enjoy it.
This show makes no qualms about who its target audience is — Millennials. Young Millennials. However, it’s so well crafted, that hardly matters. Watching how casually Liv talks to her coroner buddy / boss, Ravi (who is smoking hot, by the way), about everything gross that comes with the zombie life is addicting. If you actually knew someone who was a zombie — and you had a team of smart writers crafting your every word and eliminating all your “um”s — this show is probably exactly what it would be like. Also? Sometimes teen stuff is just fun. Almost every character is hot, the jokes are well paced, and you can always count on a dramatic plot you never have to think about too much. Treat yourself to this fun watch. You deserve it.
