iZombie Review: Heaven Just Got a Little Bit Smoother (Season 3 Episode 1)

It’s been nearly one year, but iZombie is back on our television screens!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve missed this witty, non-apocalyptic, living-dead series. Last we saw everyone, Max Rager was defeated, Clive was finally in the know, Blaine was an amnesiac, and Major was suspected of being the Chaos Killer.

Oh yeah, and we can’t forget watching singer Rob Thomas’ brains being chowed down on in a nod to the long-running joke of Rob Thomas (writer/showrunner) and Rob Thomas (musician) being confused.

Anyway, here were are. It’s iZombie Season 3 Episode 1, “Heaven Just Got a Little Bit Smoother.” Let’s dig in!

We pick up on the night of the Max Rager massacre, and Vivian Stoll wastes no time establishing her power. Liv, Major, and Clive are so focused on coming up with a story to explain all the dead bodies, but Vivian has her people blow up the place eliminating the problem.

Vivian is already a fascinating new addition. Vaughn Du Clark and Mr. Boss were villainous from day one. Vivian is still a mystery.

When Liv, Major, and Clive visit Fillmore Graves Enterprises (I still can’t get over how brilliantly silly that name is!), Vivian explains her mission. She wants to make sure that when humans inevitably find out about the existence of zombies, her kind is ready and able to protect themselves.

Vivian: You really should tan and dye. We’re trying to keep a secret here.

Liv likes to think better of humanity, but Vivian is ready for a war if the time comes. Fillmore Graves looks like a well-oiled machine with training their own militia and even teaching the youngest members of the zombie species.

Side note: Do zombie children stay zombie children? I assume since they’re dead, they can’t age. Let me know in the comments if this topic was ever discussed! End side note.

Vivian wants to protect her fellow zombies. But at what price? If push comes to shove, she could very well turn out to be a villain. I doubt Liv would want innocent people, humans and zombies, caught in the crossfire should war break out.

That war may happen sooner rather than later since more people are starting to suspect something amiss in Seattle. Sign of trouble #1: The security guard who was at the Max Rager massacre on the radio host’s conspiracy theory show shouting off what really happened that night.

Sign of trouble #2: Someone calls into the radio show talking about how they suspect their neighbors of being zombies. Sign of trouble #3: The zombie kid, Wally, and his family being murdered in their house.

Could their murders be from the same person who calls into the radio station? This can’t be a coincidence.

Sign of trouble #4: Ravi’s former boss, Katty, shows up and examines the body of someone found in a car at the Max Rager massacre. She notices undigested brains in the stomach.

Clive is officially on Team Z, and all is right in the world. Having Clive in the loop opens up a whole new side to his story and his relationships with the other characters.

Far too many times Clive looked like a fool for not being clued into Liv’s secret. While he may still be adjusting to his new reality, a lot of uncertainties and questions he had regarding Liv and Major are now resolved. I’m so glad we don’t have to watch Liv pretend to be psychic around him anymore.

Clive doesn’t seem happy about Vivian’s plans to keep the zombies safe at all costs, but seeing the bodies of Wally and his family changes his mind. I have no doubt Clive will be caught between protecting humans and zombies eventually.

As far as the zombie killer goes, who can it be? Is it someone we haven’t met yet? Is it someone who’s playing everyone? I wouldn’t be surprised if the person turns out to be Vivian for whatever nefarious, yet to be discovered reason.

Poor Major is still being looked at as the Chaos Killer despite having his name cleared. No one said being a pariah would be easy.

On the upside, Major has found his place at Fillmore Graves. I doubt anyone would want to hire him for a normal job, so zombie military seems like a good fit.

He seems eager to jump on the Fillmore Graves bandwagon. Before turning into a zombie himself, Major barely spoke to Liv when he first learned her secret.

Now he’s on the other side and has found himself being shunned by his fellow man. It makes sense he would reach out to a zombie family now for comfort.

The Ravi-Peyton-Blaine love triangle is still going strong, and I feel so conflicted about where I stand. Ravi is clearly the better man, but Peyton seems more drawn to Blaine despite knowing the horrible things he’s done.

We never got to see much of Ravi and Peyton’s romance, so it’s hard to be invested in them. Ravi deserves to have his affections returned, but the chemistry between Blaine and Peyton is more palpable right now.

Peyton’s feelings for Blaine will ultimately depend of whether or not his amnesia is real. I’m not convinced yet. We haven’t seen anyone else take the second cure yet. Blaine is a smart, cunning guy. I wouldn’t put it past him to be putting on this whole charade to get out of being the bad guy and into Peyton’s… heart.

Don E: You’re so convincing. You deserve an Emmy. I mean, you’re TV-good. Let’s not get carried away. Daniel Day-Lewis ain’t shakin’ in his boots.

He better watch his back now that his father is unfrozen and teaming up with Don E. If there’s anyone Blaine would drop his fake(?) amnesia with, it would be his father.

The premiere seems to indicate there will be a lot of moving parts this season. I’m okay with that as long as we don’t neglect plot lines for too long.

I enjoy the zombie brain/case of the week premise, but often times the overall narrative of the season can get put on the back-burner. Hopefully the writers can balance both in Season 3.

Extra Thoughts and Questions

• You have to the love the continued mourning of Rob Thomas as “Smooth” plays on the radio in his honor.

Radio DJ: This tweet just came in from Carlos Santana, “Heaven just got a little bit smoother. #stoptheviolence”

• Who is tweeting threatening messages to Peyton?
• Liv coming off her military brain and releasing her emotions over Drake’s death doesn’t feel as emotional as I would like.
• Major looks so sad after receiving the coffee cup with Chaos Killer written on it.
• Where is Mr. Boss?

What did you think of the Season 3 premiere of iZombie? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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iZombie airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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