On the surface, tonight’s episode of iZombie seemed like a fun, goofy hour inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey. Liv eats the brains of a erotic fiction writer and suddenly becomes the horniest zombie in the world, hitting on Ravi, Major, and Clive; how could that not be a good time? And while the jokes and the hilarious situations were definitely present throughout “Fifty Shades of Grey Matter,” iZombie smartly used Liv’s struggle this week to not only emphasize a major problem that she faces on a daily basis but also to mirror her experience with Peyton’s in a powerful way, saying a lot about the importance of emotional intimacy and leaving viewers questioning a new character’s true motives in the process.
Throughout its first 24 episodes, iZombie has made it clear how difficult it is to have relationships, romantic or otherwise, when you’re a zombie. Being a zombie doesn’t allow you to be physically intimate with anyone else, unless they are a zombie, too, and that can cause some major emotional rifts, as we’ve seen in the past with Liv and Major.
All of this is why Liv, especially under the power of the brain she’s just eaten, is so drawn to Drake: it’s a way to have the physical intimacy she has been forced to deny herself without any of the emotional strings attached. Sure, she may like Drake and find him attractive, but this isn’t Major or even Lowell we’re talking about here; Liv wants to sleep with this guy for more carnal reasons, even as she does put in the effort to get to know him better. And the desire to have a fling doesn’t make Liv shallow or sex crazy; it makes perfect sense that she would want something simple and fun after the heartbreak she went through with Major.
However, as we seen with what happened to Peyton, “simple and fun” isn’t always the best option, especially when you don’t fully know the person. She finally discovers who Blaine truly is in this episode, and the fact that she slept with him causes her to break down and cry, apologizing to Liv that she allowed herself to get so close to a guy that caused Liv and her friends so much harm, a person who is responsible for at least a dozen murders. That’s then followed by Peyton delivering the line of the night: “You sleep with someone. You think you know them. They could be anybody.”
So what does this final exchange really mean? Should we interpret it as iZombie taking a stance on the importance of emotional intimacy? Is it simply a hint that Drake may not be all that he says he is (remember how Liv doubted his stories when they had dinner together)? Or is the show trying to say more about how the brains that Liv eats every week can transform her into an entirely different person, causing her to make impulsive decisions that she never would have made otherwise? Honestly, I think iZombie could be trying to say all three of those at once with Peyton’s words to Liv, and that’s what’s so great about that last line: there’s so much packed into it.
And really, there’s just a ton packed into this whole episode of iZombie, from Liv battling her lust to Ravi becoming suspicious of Major to Clive and Bozzio finally getting a chance to interrogate Blaine. There’s a lot going on here, arguably too much, but the stories advance in such exciting ways and come with such heavy emotional consequences that I can’t fault the show’s ambition. “Fifty Shades of Grey Matter” may not be a perfect episode of iZombie, but it’s certainly an important and entertaining hour of the CW series, one with consequences that should reverberate throughout the final seven episodes of the show’s second season.
Other thoughts:
- Kristen Bell’s voice cameo as the audiobook narrator of The Uptight Position was definitely short, but oh man, did she make the most out of the few words she got to say. “I’m going to show you why they call it a cockpit.”
- I’m really loving how all of this season’s separate storylines are beginning to come together in different ways than I expected. Clive and Bozzio catch Blaine, but Peyton has to let him go because he’s her star witness in the Boss case. Drake used to work for Boss, but now he’s working for Blaine. Blaine’s father was kidnapped by Major, who is the Chaos Killer that Bozzio is looking for. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.
- Although Liv never fully hits on Clive, the little moments between the two of them, from her hand on his back while they’re listening to the audiobook to him getting distracted by her cleavage to her saying that he “fills out those fitted shirts,” were absolutely hilarious.
- Also, great: Major and Ravi’s reactions to Liv suggesting that they wrestle.
- I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t start to tear up when Major had to leave Minor on the bus. I will miss that dog.
- I almost bumped this episode up to five stars purely because of the reveal about Blaine and Julian’s names. DeBeers and DeWeed…it’s just too good.
- “He’s got a scar on his face that speaks of sin.”
- “Go forth. Direct your lust elsewhere.”
What did everybody else think about tonight’s episode of iZombie? Comment below and let me know.
[Photo credit: Jack Rowand/The CW]
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