iZombie 5×8 Review: ‘Death of a Car Salesman’

“Death of a Car Salesman” hit a lot of positive notes for me this week with a really fun brain-of-the-week that both Liv and Ravi got in on, we got some intel on how exactly the zombie virus got started (or I should say, who started it), and for those who love Don-E, we got a pretty heavy dose. This was a really fun episode, and we are moving right along in season five.

Picking up where we left off after “The Scratchmaker” from a couple of weeks ago, it looks like Don-E found his soul mate, just as matchmaker-brain Liv said that he would, complete with the skull shoulder tattoo. Unfortunately, the tattoo belongs to Darcy, the Freylich syndrome teen that Blaine is stowing away. It was actually pretty nice to see a softer side of Don-E, and also to see him so speechless–it was a nice touch. It makes me sad for both of them, though, because even though they got to do a little makeout action, Darcy’s death is inevitable. We already have to suffer through sad Major, can we please avoid sad Don-E?

Speaking of Don-E, how awesome was it to see Bryce Hodgson pulling double duty again with a little cameo from Scott-E? iZombie never forgets details, and it was a nice call-back to season one to have the twins and young Blaine peddling the tainted Utopium. It turns out that Liv’s newly found dad, Martin Roberts, created the zombie virus and was the first person to turn into a zombie. We all know what happens next: the Max Rager yacht party where Liv got turned. Even though I still don’t really understand what Martin is up to in the scheme of things, it was nice to see some additional backstory that got our entire show moving.

The most fun part of “Death of a Car Salesman” was definitely the brain-of-the week. Sure, the blood-thirsty car salesman persona was over-the-top, but it was so much fun to see Liv and Ravi compete for something as silly as selling raffle tickets. Hey, at least that money is going to a good cause. I always like it when it’s Ravi’s “time of the month” and he can join in on the brain action.

I can’t forget to the mention the premiere of “Hi, Zombie”…after all, Peyton’s career depends on it. Sure, it’s heavy-handed, but it is a lot of fun to see the show get meta and not be afraid to make fun of itself. I especially liked Blaine’s reaction to it, but I’m with him; I really don’t need to see any more of it. Let’s move on, please!

I am actually really intrigued by the zombie island idea that Major and Peyton presented to the diplomats visiting New Seattle from the government. It seems like islands are always a go-to solution in zombie lore, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that this type idea would come up as a solution to having Seattle be a walled city. It obviously won’t work, but I am weirdly eager to still hear more about this plan. But I am pretty sure we are going to have full-scale cure by the end of the series, so it won’t really matter anyway.

“Death of a Car Salesman” was a fun episode that was very focused on Don-E and the super dynamic that is Liv and Ravi on brains together. It just worked for me. I am looking forward to seeing Blaine’s plans hopefully fail soon, and I also want Don-E and Darcy to have a happy ending. And please get the cures going before we move to Zombie Island.

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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