iZombie Review: Blue Bloody (Season 4 Episode 2)

Sadly, it would seem iZombie Season 4 Episode 2, “Blue Bloody,” is still struggling to adjust to Seattle’s new world.

The show enters its second episode of the season with a fresh agenda and dozens of possibilities to move the storyline forward, and yet we are greeted by the delirious and righteously dull Angus once again.

Yes, Angus: Blaine’s father and the only man that can truly make his son fear for his life. But Blaine is nowhere to be seen in this new world, and his father might as well be an entirely different person with his lifestyle change from a power-hungry corporate man to a delirious cult leader with a parade float.

Robert Knepper has proven himself to be a formidable foe, and his time as Angus on iZombie has rivaled that of his work as the wicked T-Bag on Prison Break. But giving him nearly as much screen time as Liv and Clive has proven ineffective when his motives are as unclear as the words coming out of his mouth at times.

It gives the audience nothing real to invest in. In a show about a fictional world full of zombies, there has to be some sense of reality.

This development for Angus would be far more enjoyable if it actually furthered one of the current arcs or at least made sense when looking to the future of this season. Instead, we are treated to the ramblings of a madman almost as much as the ramblings of Liv in “Blue Bloody,” which makes for a mystery far more puzzling than the murder this episode centers around.

Liv’s newest brain of the week, a despicable dowager, delivers a few good laughs.

Liv climbing into the back of Clive’s car and proceeding to tell him to drive sets the comedic tone for the episode. That tone proceeds into some of the snottiest foreplay between her and Major that you have ever seen.

When a new brain involves a wardrobe change, it is always a pleasant surprise. Each one of Liv’s outfits truly embodies the saying “I want to speak to the manager,” and her iconic zombie hair is styled just like a middle-aged reality housewife’s. It is fun little details like this that make the brain of the week format still worthwhile after all this time.

However, this brain seems to have a mind of its own, because Liv is barely present until the final moments of the episode.

Rarely does iZombie allow for their main character to fully commit to the brain of the week’s personality, to the point that she becomes that person. It is because of this that some of the jokes towards Clive come off as more ignorant than funny when they are used repeatedly to insult him.

But thankfully, real Liv begins to surface in the final moments of the episode as Mrs. Brinks’ brain begins to wear off.

Despite leaning heavily on comedy, most of “Blue Bloody” takes the joke too far. It is in the last several scenes that we are given some time with Ravi and Liv that is comforting, emotional, and reminiscent of the relationship that has been at the center of this show since the beginning.

Seeing them have a conversation not influenced by a brain and set out on a mission to save a sick child (despite the consequences) gives us a small glimpse of the iZombie that works so well.

While “Blue Bloody” may lose itself at times, it doesn’t completely lose the audience.

As far as Rose McIver’s character work goes, this is one of her best performances. Major is slightly less stoic, and Clive makes the brilliant decision to go to Ravi for advice on his sex life, so there are some positives that set this episode apart from the muddled premiere.

However, as Liv pointedly tells Major near the end of the episode, the old Major would have done anything to save a dying child and maybe that is where the problem lies with this new world order.

iZombie is a show about zombies, sure, but without its humanity, there are too many brains and just not enough heart.

Top Quotes From The Episode:

Clive: Dale and I, everything is great between us… But for obvious reasons, we can’t be intimate with each other, and it’s becoming a problem.
Ravi: Have you tried mutual masturbation? It’s like taking separate cars to the same fireworks show.

Clive: Liv, you’re going to need to dig deep and find a way to refrain from calling me funny or stupid.

Liv: I believe I’ll be saving that information for my driver.
Ravi: Liv, Clive is not your driver.

Liv: Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe it’s that I remember a Major Lilywhite who would stick by a sick child.

What did you think of this episode of iZombie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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

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