iZombie 3.01: Heaven Just Got a Little Bit Smoother

iZombie’s third season starts with an episode that dives head first into some dark and impactful themes. There was no case of the week here, as we’re faced instead with the aftermath of everything that happened in season two, and the potentially devastating consequences of zombies becoming public knowledge. Though it lacks the familiar structure of standard iZombie fare, it feels like a necessary stepping block given where things left off in ‘Salivation Army’.

One of my very few issues with last season’s finale was that it felt a bit rushed, and as a result we never got to see much of what happened in the moments following Vaughn’s death. Picking up 2.8 minutes later (I’ve missed those inter titles), gave us a chance to see just how devastating and huge the entire incident was.

After Liv, Clive and Major escaped Max Rager with Vivian Stoll and her army, actions were taken to destroy the evidence of what happened to keep the events secret from the public. Unfortunately, as thorough as she was, Vivian failed to account for the security guard who witnessed what really happened that night and he spilled the beans about what he saw live on radio. Does this mean that D-Day (Discovery Day – when the world finds out that zombies exist) is around the corner, or has it already arrived?

Clive felt the first wave of retaliation when a family he once knew were killed for being zombies, one of whom was an innocent kid who was a pupil at Vivian Stoll’s zombie only school. It does seem at first glance like this is a hate crime, but given how little we know about Vivan and how off her reaction was to Clive’s attempt to re-establish contact with Wally and his family, I think there’s more to this than we saw here. It’s a dark and affecting loss, and one that believably pushes Liv into the world of Fillmore Graves.

Vivian Stoll’s zombie haven does seem a little too good to be true, though. We know very little about it right now, other than she’s preparing for the eventuality that the zombie population will face a huge backlash from the rest of the world when they find out they exist. What lengths will she go to in order to protect her kind?

Major doesn’t seem too suspicious about Vivian right now, though. Seattle hasn’t let him off easy for his role as the Chaos Killer, even if he’s technically been cleared, so his decision to join Vivian’s group of soldiers feels justified. Almost all doors have been closed to him right now, and along comes this opportunity to join a group that don’t care about what he is, and know the truth about what happened at Max Rager. Why wouldn’t he want to go somewhere that’s welcoming, where he can be sure to make a difference?

Plus

Still no sign of Natalie, the zombie Major saved who wasn’t among those rescued at Max Rager.

Liv spent as much time as she could on solider brain to avoid feeling the pain of having to kill Drake. I’m glad that was addressed. It would feel wrong if we moved on without addressing what Liv had to do to save everyone.

Ravi’s old boss Katty Kupps showed up to help examine one of the Max Rager victims. Not sure what to make of her yet, other than the fact that she annoys Ravi which is fun to watch.

The title sequence now includes a little nod to Peyton, “The Best Friend”, which is cute.

What was Blaine doing with that brain? Do we still believe he is without his memories, or does he know more than he’s letting on?

Blaine’s father is back in the picture and heading into business with Scott, which won’t end well for anyone.

He Said, She Said

Liv: “I propose that from this day forward, no big secrets between the five of us. From now on we’re all on the same team working in the same direction.”
I love having the core group all in the new. It’s a new dynamic, but it should only make for tighter more cohesive storytelling.

Peyton: “Calling Baline DeBeers for comfort and protection, huh?”
Blaine: “Yeah, it’s been made clear to me I wasn’t the nicest guy.”

Liv: “What if this is the slippery slope that takes us to D-Day?”

In ‘Salivation Army’, iZombie attempted something bigger and bolder. It worked out incredibly well, and it seems as though it was a jumping off point for a season which looks set to deal with the harsh realities of zombies in the real world. The series is no longer just about the zombies in Liv’s life, it’s about zombies everywhere, who are already facing persecution now that their existence is starting to become known.

7/10

Also posted at Doux Reviews.

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