iZombie 2×6 Review: Max Wager

With the last couple of episodes under its belt, iZombie has finally found its groove in season two–even if it has taken a few extra episodes to get there. “Max Wager” was a fun episode, and I didn’t even mind the Brain-of-the-Week subplot. I really think it had to do with the continuation from last week’s episode, but Liv’s brain-eating personality traits were a bit subdued as well, which was a nice change for this season so far.

Let me first say that happy Major is the best Major! Even though I am still not entirely keen on Liv and Major getting back together, it was so so nice to both of them so happy. Major sulking is fine for an episode or two, but seeing him happy just put a huge grin on my face. Robert Buckley is charismatic, and he really seemed to be more in his element as the flirty and positive boyfriend. However, I was hoping that getting back together with Liv was going to have a bigger impact on his “job”–as in, he would quit. I can only see the zombie vigilante thing ending in more sulking Major–let’s not go there anymore.

Speaking of happy, Liv was so much fun this week. As I mentioned before, the Brain-of-the-Week gave her more just a personality trait rather than a whole personality, and it was a pleasure to see more of the “real” Liv shine through. She wasn’t super annoying, and the things that she did (gambling) were actually kind of fun to watch and didn’t seem to be exaggerated. I am hoping that the writers are able to replicate more of this in the future rather than caricatures of episodes past.

As for Blaine, still don’t care, and it still makes me sad that I don’t care. It is an interesting development, however, that it seems he wants to go back to being a zombie by enjoying his “last meal” and obtaining the brains of his grandfather. I wonder what sort of impact having his father killed by Major will have on his plans. I really am not sure what the endgame is here, but I am kind of glad that his father did not stick around longer. I need Blaine to be the big bad on the series!

Peyton, Ravi, and Clive continued to be cute in this episode as well. The awkward morning looks that Peyton and Ravi exchanged after seeing Major so uncharacteristically happy was really cute. And I totally felt the frustration along with Ravi when he discovered that the zombie virus is sexually transmitted no matter what type of condom. Sorry, Liv and Major, but only Skype sexy times for you for now. (Although, isn’t the kissing kind of a major plot hole? Or is zombie virus more like HIV and not transmitted through saliva? I am getting too scientific here.)

I really enjoyed this episode, and I also like that it was a continuation of the subplot from last week’s episode. It made me much more invested in the minor characters, and I can see this storyline staying put and progressing throughout the remainder of the season. But please, for all that I love in the world, keep Major happy! Because he is just adorable and I want him to smile more, but just not because he is with Liv.

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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