iZombie 2×2 Review: Zombie Bro

I have to admit that last week’s season premiere of iZombie was a little underwhelming, and I was afraid that it was a sign of what was to come for the entirety of season two. I have become all too familiar with the sophomore slump in television, and I really want iZombie to succeed. Luckily, the second episode, “Zombie Bro” brought me back to all the reasons I love the show, and I need to learn to trust that the people who breathe life into it know what they are doing.

Although “Zombie Bro” had its share of flaws, it reminded me a lot of a season one episode: the procedural aspect, adorable Ravi, Clive solving the mystery, and a good blend of Liv being her own personality along with the Brain-of-the-Week character sprinkled in. And frankly, I thought I was going to hate the prospect of having Liv take on the characteristics of a typical frat boy, but it kind of actually worked for me. The best part was that we could tell how much fun Rose McIver was having, and her smile completely changed the dynamic of the episode. And I never would have imagined how amazing a police tape dress would look on someone!

The best part of the “bro” storyline was clearly Rose McIver, but the best scenes of the episode were those containing my fave bromance between Ravi and Major. Seriously, these two are SO much fun! And even though I think Major is the weakest character on the show (more on that later), Robert Buckley and Rahul Kohli have such great chemistry that their friendship is completely believable. I didn’t really like that the boys had to take drugs to have such fun scenes in the bar, but goodness, I wanted to be there dancing with them! It was also awesome to see Buckley smiling and having a blast which is something he does not get to do often enough playing Major.

That brings me to the flaw in this episode: Major’s arc. I personally feel like Major has so much potential to be an awesome character, but the writers don’t know what to do with him. Buckley clearly has great offscreen relationships with the rest of the cast, and even though I wish he had better onscreen chemistry with McIver, they do alright together. I love their sweet moments. But seriously, I am so tired of Major always being so bummed! He never gets a break, and he always looks like a neglected puppy. I HATE that the writers are insinuating that he may be the perpetrator for the murders of the Utopium dealers, and I greatly dislike that they are seemingly turning him into a drug addict. These things just seem so out-of-character for him that I hope the writers have an endgame for his arc.

The other part that I had a problem with in “Zombie Bro” was everything involving Blaine. I loved Blaine in season one, but I am super confused at pretty much everything he is doing so far this season. I don’t understand his Utopium dealings, I am really confused at his business plan, and the introduction of his father was completely out of left field. I don’t understand what is going on! Every time that Blaine was on this screen in this episode, I kind of zoned out, and that is really sad because I like his character so much. I suppose I am a bit intrigued to find out more about what makes him tick, though, so hopefully it will pick up next week.

This was a much stronger and more entertaining episode than the season opener, and I am so grateful for that! As long as the writers are able to keep all the arcs tight and with purpose, I will wish that this show would go on forever because frankly, Rose McIver and the rest of the cast can pull it off.

Author: Erin

Erin has reviewed many shows over the years including Orphan Black, iZombie, Penny Dreadful, and Killing Eve. She has a keen eye for on-screen chemistry, and loves to tackle the subject of casting. She is also our horror aficionado. She live tweets shows, and loves to share her feelings. Erin has a BA in History, and likes to analyze the lore behind historical fiction. She attends San Diego Comic Con every year and has also attended C2E2 and WonderCon.

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