4. iZombie
Allyson Johnson: I’m still playing catch-up with this one, but so far, I think it’s a lot of fun. The style is distinct from the get-go and plays on familiar zombie tropes without it feeling redundant. The world is vibrant, and with a cast as charismatic as this one (I have a bias towards Ravi), it’s easy to forgive its sometimes meandering “case of the week” storylines. It’s a rare show where I like all of the lead characters, and I care about the entire lineup of iZombie.
Jose Cordova: iZombie shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s a procedural show with zombies. Who isn’t tired of both zombies and procedurals? Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero, of Veronica Mars fame, do a great job of mixing up both the procedural and zombie elements just enough to make them feel fresh. The strength of the show is using the central gimmick (lead character Liv Moore is a zombie and medical examiner that sees how people died when she eats their brains) to explore the characters and their relationships with each other. This makes it very easy to get to know Liv and the rest of the people in her life and establish a connection with them. Throw in some serialized mystery elements pertaining to the zombie storyline, and it all adds up to a fun little show. iZombie is a bit slight, but it’s entertaining and has a great cast of characters.
Jeremy Rodriguez: The mind of Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas plus zombies? The show’s premise already had my interest. iZombie has the potential to be a cult classic of this generation with its strong, sympathetic lead and equally likeable supporting characters. Fans of Veronica Mars or Buffy the Vampire Slayer will enjoy seeing a strong female character grace their televisions once again.
Diya Mishra: Charming as hell. Yeah, you may go into it thinking it’s a Veronica Mars derivative, I know I did, but from the first episode, the characters and world of iZombie have such a distinct voice it’s hard not to fall in love. There are strong performances across the board; an enthralling season-long conflict, and not a shaky episode amongst the ten episodes already aired this season. But most attractive is the sheer charm, which is not something commonly associated with the zombie genre! Every character is so fully formed and inhabited, the chemistry within the cast so natural, it’s an hour of pure fun escapism. Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero’s distinct irreverent wit can be seen in the deft handling of solid subject matter: the complexities of life, even when you’re undead.
The first season of iZombie is currently airing on The CW. New episodes can be purchased on Amazon Instant or iTunes.
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