iZombie Review: Filleted to Rest (Season 5 Episode 7)
If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen because iZombie is on fire this season!
iZombie Season 5 Episode 7, “Filleted to Rest,” steals our hearts with its brains and keeps us hungry for more as the undead drama continues to operate at a level of success one could only dream of seeing in a show’s final season.
This season has built momentum and is steamrolling its way to a satisfying conclusion with a determination and humour that has been missing from this show in recent years.
Liv is still very much dead but her story has never felt more alive.
What aids greatly in the success of “Filleted to Rest” is the investigation into the murder of a monster chef.
The investigation itself isn’t much different from the dozens of similarly formatted murder cases iZombie has done in the past. However, it is that familiarity that works so great for Liv and Clive as they fall back into a comfortable pattern of banter and tolerating one another.
What makes this murder case memorable is the show’s ability to integrate the more prominent zombie elements from the show into the investigation in innovative new ways.
Having Clive joke about remembering Liv as she is before she’s under the influence of an angry chef is such a cute nod to their strange partnership. Plus, having the brain personas play such a prominent role in solving the murder puts a unique spin on the undead crime genre iZombie has cultivated for itself.
And while not zombie related, I love the scene with Clive as Lieutenant joking with the detectives in his office. Clive started this series as a lone wolf who was disliked and mocked by his colleagues. So to see him cracking jokes with them and genuinely happy to be surrounded by supportive co-workers feels so right.
Welp, it’s official. Major is the last man on earth to date Olivia Moore and live to tell the tale.
Sorry Justin, but we always liked Major better — I mean he’s Major freaking Lilywhite.
Unfortunately for Liv, Justin’s turn to the dark side and death is not good for her already terrible track record with men. Fortunately for us, the running boyfriend gag continues to go strong and you got to respect iZombie for giving us that.
More importantly, Justin’s character has had enough time to develop on this show that his betrayal does hold some emotional weight and shock value to it. Justin and Major have developed a strong connection to one another and the significance of that relationship is what pulls this twist off. Not to mention, his surprise turn on Major gives Fillmore-Graves some material with some actual meat to it.
Major’s character arc has always been one of the most fascinating aspects of this show, from the Meat Cute murders to his time as the Chaos Killer. So to see Major strapped to his role as commander and finally finding ways to play with his moral compass again is exciting.
Yes, for once the Fillmore-Graves content looks just as promising.
Liv’s mother showing back up just in time to see her daughter slapping a coffee machine is such a perfect reintroduction to their relationship.
McIver originally teased the return of Liv’s mother at Fan Expo Canada last year, but that doesn’t mean her appearance was any less of a shock to finally see.
I appreciate the sneaky set up as Liv accompanies Clive to the hospital, which happens to be where Liv’s mother works. Sure enough, the two run into each other and their immediate discomfort makes for some very exciting tv.
It feels cathartic to finally see Liv confront her mother about being a zombie and touch base on how her brother still feels towards her.
The scene feels final for Liv as she says goodbye to her birth family and embraces her new one as Renegade, but I hope this isn’t the last we see of her mother (or brother) this season.
I will say the urgency to know the identity of Liv’s father seems forced into the conversation as set up for this mysterious drug dealer Stacey Boss mentioned earlier. Liv’s father has never been a topic of discussion, so to devote an entire scene with her mother to him seems bizarre.
We soon find out this information does set up for a meeting between Liv and her father, who happens to be that creepy van guy pushing a villainous pro-zombie agenda.
I’m all for Liv reconnecting with her father but with forced set up and zero build-up to this reunion, I hope this new character doesn’t end up hindering Liv’s story.
Saying goodbye to this glorious show becomes harder to do with every new episode.
“Filleted to Rest” feels like a continuation of the great story iZombie is setting out to tell this season and while I never want to see the good times stop I am excited to see how Liv’s journey will come to an end.
Something tells me it’s going to be good.
Top Lines from “Filleted to Rest”:
Ravi: More like someone wanted her “to go.”
Chef: It’s hard to prepare gourmet meals when your taste buds are shot.
Liv: Beethoven was deaf. Suck it up.
Liv: Do those spoons look right to you? DO YOU EVEN KNOW SPOONS?
Ms. Moore: How are you doing?
Liv: Is that rhetorical? You haven’t cared enough how I’m doing to return my calls, my letters…
Liv: Tell Evan I miss him.
Ms. Moore: He’s not interested.
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What did you think of this episode of iZombie? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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iZombie airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic and a Critics Choice Association member. She credits her passion for TV to workplace sitcoms, paranormal dramedies, and coming-of-age stories. In her free time, Alicia loves to curl up with a good book and lose herself in a cozy game. Keep a lookout for her coverage of Ghosts. You can also find her work on Eulalie Magazine and Cool Girl Critiques. Follow Alicia on social media: @aliciagilstorf