iZombie Review: The Fresh Princess (Season 5 Episode 9)

The latest episode of iZombie is ironic in all the best ways.

With the help of vision boards, killer queens, and the Spice Girls, iZombie Season 5 Episode 9, “The Fresh Princess,” has no issue perfecting its winning formula once again.

Time travel may be a little too far fetch for this zombie show but the prospect of going back in time to solve a twenty-year-old mystery with the help of the victim’s brain is right in this show’s wheelhouse.

Yet this refreshing concept still manages to tread new ground in its final season with a murder case that truly is a blast from the past.

90s teen pageant girl brain looks like a brilliant concept on paper but it is iZombie’s clever way of fleshing the stereotype out on the screen that allows this idea to flourish so incredibly well.

The abundance of nineties references helps set the tone for the episode — with a Clueless shoutout that is very much appreciated. The soundtrack is another wonderful addition to the instalment with nineties throwback hits you are legally required to sing along to.

Of course, McIver nails her role as a pageant queen stuck in the nineties with poise, butterfly hair clips, and perfectly rehearsed answers. That is perhaps what makes this brain persona so original. Liv’s approach to the pageant queen persona is not just fixated on portraying a narcissistic princess with too much invested in a vain completion.

Much of Liv’s dialogue reads like a perfectly poised answer to a judge’s question. Her tireless devotion to looking on the bright side every negative situation is especially resourceful of the iZombie writing team given the girl works in a morgue.

iZombie’s ability to dig deeper and find more complex details to even the most cut and paste character stereotypes is what I have come to admire most about this series.

Clive’s role as Liv’s partner in crime is one we’ve come to expect great things from. But having the chance to see his attitude towards Liv’s drastic mood swings change and develop over the years is truly something to be grateful for.

Clive’s role as her partner often left him audibly annoyed with the zombie and he leaned heavily on sarcastic banter to ease the tension.

However, over the seasons Clive has come to embrace Liv’s different personalities. We see him begin to enjoy messing with Liv on certain brains and with a big grin on his face the entire time. Clive seems almost giddy when he gives Liv the news their murder victim is a teen pageant queen.

Clive’s enjoyment must be infectious because his time spent with Liv still continues to make us smile.

“The Fresh Princess” doesn’t focus solely on the murder mystery. Surprisingly, Liv’s family has a huge part in this latest installment — something I never thought we would get to see again after their swift departure in Season 1.

For the most part, this is a welcoming surprise. We see Liv reunite with Evan and then promptly introduce him to her evil zombie father. Their family reunion is awkward, to say the least, but bringing Evan and Eva back is a great catalyst for forgiveness.

Liv’s mother is still disgusted by the fact that Liv is a zombie but she knows her daughter is trying and so she welcomes Liv back into her life with a hug. Evan gives his forgiveness in the form of a quip about Liv rocking the zombie look and that seems like the perfect touch to what feels like the end of this chapter of Liv’s life.

This family reunion was imperative for iZombie to get right in its final season and it does as Liv is able to say a proper goodbye to these characters that feels much more organic than their original departure from the series.

Speaking of family, Liv’s father continues to worm his way back into his daughter’s life.

Liv’s storyline with Martin continues to grow stronger with each passing episode. That being said, his hidden agenda continues to hinder these scenes from hitting the mark.

Given that this episode has a murder case brimming with intriguing mystery, I only wish we had been given the same level of mystery when it came to Liv’s father.

Knowing he will ultimately lead to the downfall of some of our beloved human characters makes his time with Liv feel too transparent to resonate with this late in the game.

iZombie gives us a blast from the past that celebrates the Nineties and the people that made the earlier seasons of this show such a success.

Bringing Ravi’s search for the cure full circle to Scott E’s basement where Blaine is waiting in the shadows to be snarky is commendable. And that boat party inspired zombie attack at a pie fair certainly grabs our attention in all the best ways.

iZombie’s recent devotion to giving us new content that resonates with fans of the earlier seasons is what will allow this show to go out with a bang.

With TV this good, we’re all winners!

Top Lines From “The Fresh Princess”:

Liv: I take it Ravi hasn’t been feeding you.
Major: You know, when we first met, he’d cook for me, he’d buy me pretty things. But now that he knows that he has my heart, it’s like the bromance is gone.

Ravi: So what is this? She eat the cast of Clueless or something?

Liv: Ironic, right?
Clive: I think you’re using ironic wrong but–
Liv: I think I’m using it right.
Clive: Define ironic.
Liv: Well, you know, just ironic.

Clive: You said you had a vision, not a vision board.

Ravi: “Take care,” as in murder him?
A.J.: Did I say murder? I didn’t say–
Peyton: Off the record and I’ll get you up to a 28-inch tv.
A.J.: Yeah, as in murder.

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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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