iZombie 4×11 Review: Insane in the Germ Brain

Is someone cutting up onions? Because I have tears in my eyes. Who would have thought that a zombie dramedy would lead to crying? iZombie broke the hearts of all of their fans this week with “Insane in the Germ Brain”, and although the brain-of-the-week was lackluster, it’s just as well because it would have taken away from the very full episode and the amazingly talented cast.

So let’s talk about Isobel. She is one of the characters that I was hoping wouldn’t be a plot device, and she kind of was, but not in the way that I expected. I really thought that Ravi was going to find the zombie virus cure from her, and that she would fulfill the teenage angst that this show (luckily) seems to lack. Instead, she was an interesting character who brought out the best parts in Liv and Ravi in particular, and her death was shockingly sad. To be fair, the writers wound up her death throughout the episode, but I am glad that they revealed her “real” death in the way that they did: from Ravi’s perspective. The last thing I wanted was to have us encounter her dead on the floor with another “cry wolf” situation. It was unexpected, and I appreciate the way that the final scenes were written. And someone please get Rahul Kohli an Emmy or something, because his acting has not only grown since season one, but he is starting to give Rose McIver a run for the most talented castmember.

Speaking of Ravi, who was really the star of “Insane in the Germ Brain”, he was superb with Peyton’s parents. I am pretty nervous about what this whole Peyton leaving thing means for their relationship, but I am frankly okay with Peyton coming or going. I like her when she is around, but I don’t miss her when she is gone. I just really don’t want mopey Ravi back. As for the political fallout that will inevitably follow Peyton after the televised Angus massacre, I have a feeling that she will fall victim to something nefarious, I just don’t know what yet. The whole episode just had a feeling of dread all around.

The Fillmore Graves story was actually really good this week, and it was mostly due to the fact that Major made good-ish decisions, and it was Chase who failed miserably! That scene at the Scratching Post was weirdly shocking to me, and I think it might be the final push that Major needs to get the hell away from there. Then maybe we can get lovable and dumb Major back (the one we know and love). It will definitely be interesting to see what role Chase will play going forward, and more importantly in the short term. He is pretty irredeemable, so I am not sure what he will do or where he will go when we catch up with him again.

It was sad to see Dale dump Clive, and I know that it was hard for her, but she did the right thing. That’s what love is all about sometimes. I am not sure how much time actually lapsed during this episode though, because dang Clive got back in the saddle quickly. But I actually am really liking Michelle, and she seems to be really cute with Clive. Please let someone on this show end up happy!

I feel like I should revisit the brain-of-the-week, which was a germophobe, but it didn’t add anything to the story, and the whole murder this week was just boring. Not boring, I want to skip over this, but boring in that it didn’t add anything. I am confident that brain consumption stories will be much better next week.

I love iZombie so much, and “Insane in the Germ Brain” definitely took us on an emotional rollercoaster ride that ended in tears. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up before season four ends, but I am fully on board with whatever is thrown at us because frankly, Isobel’s death surely prepared us for what is yet to come.

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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