iZombie 5×1 Review: Thug Death

And so begins the bittersweet journey of the beginning of the end of iZombie. I am so happy that my favorite zombie show is back, but knowing this is the last season makes me so sad. Luckily, we had a pretty solid season five opener with “Thug Death” that made me remember why I love this show much: the politics, the friendships, and the laugh-out-loud humor.

“Thug Death” started six months after the season four finale, and things have unsurprisingly gotten dire in New Seattle. I was expecting us to jump right into the political fallout of Major becoming the head of Fillmore Graves, working directly with Blaine, and indeed that is right where we picked up. I loved that this episode was so Blaine-heavy–those always seem to be my favorites. He was back in his villain-best, but instead of being the self-serving baddie that he usually is, he seems to be doing it for the good of the zombie population by helping Major smuggle in brains. The scene of him intimidating the checkpoint guards in the Scratching Post was so classic Blaine…it literally brought a huge grin to my face. I am looking forward to seeing smug Blaine all season, but knowing him, he is likely to be self-serving in the long-run.

Speaking of grins, the best part of this episode was seeing Dale pregnant! Although it wasn’t very surprising, it made me so happy to see Dale and Clive happily married and expecting a bundle of joy, especially considering that Liv gave up her cure last season so that they could become parents. It was truly a small glimmer of hope in the increasingly dark New Seattle, and I hope it continues to be that. (Please no baby drama–happy only!)

Although we usually get to see Rose McIver in all her acting glory every week, Liv was actually pretty subdued in “Thug Death”, even though we got to see her in her Renegade glory for a bit. The fun brain-of-the-week went to Ravi this time, who, suffering from his “monthlies” chowed down on some really bad guy thug brain. I have always liked Ravi’s super positive and low-key self, but seeing him as a “thumb breaker” was actually really fun for me. I could’ve gone for a little less over-protection of Peyton, but the accent was hilarious, and the literal “in your face” argument with Crybaby Carl was intense and I loved it. Knowing how great of an actor Rahul Kohli is, I was glad that he was able to have some fun with this brain.

I really like seeing Major in his new role at Fillmore Graves, but I continue to be a little bored by that whole storyline. I am hoping that as he gets more screen time with Blaine he will loosen up a little. When Major tries too hard, he becomes un-fun. Bring back fun Major, please!

Although not a lot happened plot-wise in “Thug Death”, it was a fun season opener and we got to see all of our favorite characters right back where we left them. I am looking forward to the continued fallout from the zombie surveillance video and all that entails, Major and Blaine (and Don-E!) getting into trouble together, and I really need more Liv and Ravi doing their work thing. I missed this show so much, and I am excited to see what is in store next in New Seattle.

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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