Round Two: iZombie

iZombie: Season 1, Episode 2 “Brother, Can You Spare a Brain?” (B+)

This was certainly an effective follow-up to this show’s surprisingly strong debut last week, and at the moment I’m confident that it’s the kind of series that I will enjoy watching but don’t feel like I absolutely need to if I end up with too much television on my plate. I think that the zombie aspects of Liv’s personality and life are far more intriguing and worthwhile than the actual cases featured, though I’m sure those will have their moments too. Her newfound skill and appreciation for art is great, especially because of just how casually she uses advanced terms and reacts to simple situations in which those around her are hopeless to react in a way that represents anything other than pure shock. It looks like David Anders’ Blaine will be a major character, and it’s hard for me to acclimate to his American accent and not being Sark, though it’s a similar role in that he’s not clearly a villain but also extorts newly turned zombies for brain provisions and kills those he deems to be a threat. It was good to see Judy Reyes of “Scrubs” fame as the wife of this episode’s main murder victim and eventually the one revealed to have done it thanks to some collaborate investigation by Liv, Clive, and, most crucially, Ravi. Liv’s attempt to reach out to Major at the end of the episode was sad in the resentment it provoked in him, but at least she’s started to return to the idea of what it’s like to be around another person.