In the seventh episode of the second season of iZombie, the team works a magic convention to find a vengeful killer, while everyone also deals with personal relationships. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch iZombie.Â
Trigger Warning: For brief discussion of depression and PTSD.
Well, this was a nice emotional break after the last batch of episodes, though I’m not saying this wasn’t a significant story. MUCH HAPPENED. “Abra Cadaver” is jam-packed with character development and serialization; it’s just that it wasn’t as overtly intense as the other episodes this season.
Which means everything’s going to be awful in like an episode or two. I MUST PREPARE MYSELF.
An Unlikely Pairing
If anything, this episode is full of awkward and uncomfortable scenarios. FULL OF THEM. So let’s start with one that will inevitably have disastrous consequences: Blaine has learned that his clients are being killed off, so he goes to the GIRLFRIEND OF THE KILLER to ask for help, and both of them stumble unknowingly through all the evidence they need to figure out who is responsible. Most of their scenes are played for humor, but that humor is laced with an inevitable tragedy. Yes, it’s entertaining to watch these two characters interact with one another when they wouldn’t otherwise do so. It’s that whole trope of enemies being forced to unite for a common threat, and I LOVE IT 99.99% OF THE TIME. (Which means I love it here, too.)
But there’s a terrible end here. Nothing good can come from the truth. It’s only a matter of time before it comes out, and then what? Blaine is going to want to kill Major, and we all know he’s certainly willing to do it. What of Liv? She’ll feel betrayed because honesty was a requirement for the reconciliation. Yes, Major is being honest about everything else, but this is a huge thing to just casually leave out of conversation. THIS WILL ONLY END IN DISASTER.
I also think that the Liv/Major relationship counts as another unlikely pairing in “Abra Cadaver.” That whole honesty thing is a fantastic idea, but it means that Major has to be honest about how strange Liv’s behavior is when she’s being affected by the brains she’s eaten. Granted, her reaction to Syd’s brains is a lot more extreme than is the usual case, but still. It’s a lot for Major to deal with because he’s never spent this much time with her and known that she was a zombie. So how can he tolerate? Can he get past the strangeness of their relationship? I don’t think it was intentional, but this all reminded me of the challenges of being in a relationship while having a mental illness. Because lord, trust me: some days, I am a completely different person due to my depression. If my PTSD is trigger, it’s like I’m a third version of myself. And it’s important for me to be with someone who understands that this is who I am, that I can’t necessarily change myself.
And there is a third unlikely pairing here: Steph and Ravi. My god, THAT “BRIT” PARTY WAS ABSOLUTELY A NIGHTMARE. Steph might mean well, but y’all, that was all the evidence I needed that she and Ravi were not well-suited to one another. Just… holy shit. NO. NO. It’s unfortunate (and awkward) that Ravi misread that moment with Peyton, but at least those two have proper chemistry! Good lord.
PS: DON’T DATE BLAINE, PEYTON. DON’T DO IT.
Covering Tracks
WHO WAS THAT WOMAN WHO WATCHED LIV REPLACE DALE’S LAB RESULTS. WHY DID SHE LEAVE HER OWN ENVELOPE. WHAT IS HAPPENING.
Just like it’s inevitable that Major’s actions will come to light, it’s inevitable at this point that Dale or Babineaux (or both, really!) will discover the truth about Suzuki and Meat Cute and the missing persons, and lord. That’s not going to be a pretty day, especially for Babineaux. How is he going to deal with being lied to so often??? Liv has lied to him more times than he could possibly recall, and now she can add evidence tampering to that list. (Well, this wasn’t even the first time she’s done that, so OH WELL.) I both desire him to know the truth, and I also dread it.
Do You Believe in Magic?
On a less serious note: I loved that the show went back to parodying something ridiculous, and that ridiculous thing: professional magicians. I kept expecting Gob from Arrested Development to show up at some point. As usual, Rose McIver is perfect, and I never tire of getting to see her be so many different versions of Liv. Death-obsessed magician may have been her at her most ridiculous. Bravo for that!
The video for “Abra Cadaver” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
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