This week we got to watch the iZombie pilot and it is full of fun! Here are 5 things we can tell you to get you pumped for this series premiere.
- Don’t go into it expecting traditional zombie lore
Honestly, iZombie is less concerned with traditional zombie lore beyond an initial framework to play audience expectations off of. Our protagonist, Olivia “Liv” Moore (Rose McIver) has less in common with the slow-moving, rotting corpses of The Walking Dead than your local apathetic 7th grader.
She is a zombie in the most basic of senses: she eats brains. Other than that, Liv spends her days like the rest of us: avoiding her ex and all responsibility. It’s an interesting twist on what we have grown to expect from traditional zombies and provides commentary that is less about death and more about life after death
- Veronica Mars BUT WITH ZOMBIES
What’s not to like here? If you’ve missed the snarky humor and sarcastic inner monologue of everyone’s favorite PI, you’re in luck. Liv has the same witty self-deprecating humor and with the liberal use of voiceover, we are allowed insight into the mundane musing of a part time psychic, full time zombie. Other similarities include an gang of unlikely compatriots and what’s shaping up to be a season long mystery arc on top of the episodic procedurals.
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- Ravi is a gem and has sweater style to die for
Rarely does a character stand out so immediately than Liv’s post-zombification boss, local police medical examiner, Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti. There is a lack of caricature and a genuine boyish joy that we know will make him a fan favorite!
A certified nerd, with a heart as big as his passion to unravel the mystery behind Liv’s current undead status, Ravi is integral in Liv’s rejoining the land if the living. He helps her find motivation in what she does and never fails to believe in her humanity, even when she doesn’t.
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- The possibilities (and brains) are endless
Here you have a character that eats the brains of murder victims and gains flashes of their memory. Masquerading as a physic, Liv is able to provide these services to the Seattle Police department and find some purpose in her zombie lifestyle. Due to the nebulous details of Liv’s “superpower” this essentially leaves the door wide open for more and more complex mysteries.
- Characters that you’ll root for (Even though they are alive)
Every character on this show feels real, fleshed out and with the potential for hilarity. Diane Ruggiero and Rob Thomas are very self aware of the kind of procedural they emulate and they subvert that by making the mystery secondary to the core character dynamics each episode explores.
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Major Lilywhite, though he has the most unfortunately douche-y name, proves to be more than a memory of Liv’s old life. It would be easy to play him as the constricting shackles of Liv’s prior existence before she realizes how much more fun and freedom her life as a zombie offers her. Instead, he is trying to be there for someone who doesn’t want him, while simultaneously getting out of her way. Similarly, Everyone, from Clive Babinaux the police detective who uses Liv’s “psychic” abilities to help him solve crimes, to Liv’s roommate Peyton has a life and character beyond service to Liv’s storyline.
The iZombie series premiere airs on Tuesday, March 17 on The CW.
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