iZombie Review: 2.3: Real Dead Housewife of Seattle

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iZombie is always a solid show but this week’s episode really stood out for its emotional resonance. Early on, Liv Moore is eager to make dinner plans with Ravi Chakrabarti and Clive Babineaux. She’s going through enough stuff that the need for companionship doesn’t jump out as odd, but when someone casually looks at her ID and wishes her a happy birthday, the significance of her desire to be with the few acquaintances she has becomes more focused.

The sense of Liv’s loneliness was so strong, I found myself truly rooting for her friendship with Bethany Miller. Looking back, it was naive, but I was caught up in being happy that Liv at least had someone and I found myself really hoping their bond would continue and she might be a new recurring character. When Bethany turned out to be the killer and Liv was once again alone, it was devastating. The bit of hope that the birthday cake Peyton Charles left her provided was the perfect emotional button.

“Real Dead Housewife of Seattle” walked an emotional line with a rare subtly. It showcased Liv’s isolation in a way that we really haven’t seen since iZombie‘s incredibly strong pilot. It served as a reminder that beyond all the villains and murders, we’re rooting for a very lonely and damaged person to find connections in this world.

The one moment in this otherwise excellent episode that I didn’t understand was Major Lilywhite’s hook up with Gilda. Obviously, Major is in an unstable place and Gilda doesn’t seem entirely evil, but it still seemed strange he would jump into something with someone who works at Max Rager with so little hesitance or regret.

It’s also noteworthy that Blaine DeBeers wasn’t in this episode at all. I enjoy Blaine, but I didn’t mind his absence. I wouldn’t want him to be shoe-horned into every episode and the show works without him.

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Pop Culture Spin Managing Editor Lenny Burnham is a writer/comedian in New York City. He hosts the podcast The Filmographers.

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