In the eighteenth and penultimate episode of the second season of iZombie, help me. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch iZombie.
I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t be ready.
Blaine
Remember when he was in this episode and did a nice thing? Remember how weird that felt? Remember that? I mean, it’s hard to when this episode contains THE SINGLE MOST DESIRED SCENE IN THE WHOLE SHOW, but it’s still important. I don’t know what iZombie is planning for Blaine, but I certainly don’t think they’re sticking him in the background without a reason. On the one hand, they’ve got a lot to deal with otherwise, so it makes sense to focus this recent batch of episodes on other characters and storylines. But I suspect that there’s a purpose behind his amnesia and that we’ll see what it is in the season finale. I worried during “Dead Beat†that he was foreshadowing for Major, but since that’s not the case… hmm. I have no real theories otherwise, which scares me. I am utterly unprepared.
Good vs Good
It took me until this episode to vocalize what’s so frustrating (in an entertaining way!) about the way that the conflict in season two of iZombie is designed. Once you take out Blaine, Mr. Boss, and Vaughn, most of these characters are good people trying to do what they think is best for the world. They’re people who have friction with one another, but I’d never consider any of them antagonists. Dale Bozzio is a great example of that; she’s at odds with Major, Ravi, and Liv, but she’s not their enemy. That’s what makes this so agonizing at times. I want the best for her, and I want her to succeed, but doing so is at the expense of other characters that I like. The same goes for the reverse, and thus, the audience is given a conflict that feels impossible. How can you resolve it without someone getting hurt?
And as “Dead Beat†unfolded, it became clear that this would have to end badly for someone. The whole time, though, I kept expecting it to be Major. Getting caught with so much incriminating evidence was bad enough. Yeah, maybe the sleazy lawyer Vaughn hired (HI, KEN MARINO, YOU’RE SO GOOD AT THIS TYPE OF CHARACTER, I SWEAR) would have gotten Major off, but then Major got pegged for the Meat Cute massacre, and IT WAS OVER. I knew it. How could Liv and Ravi get Major cleared of two crimes, both of them high-profile cases that he technically was responsible for, but for different reasons?
But hey, that’s a logistical nightmare for another time, given that the main concern everyone had was getting Major brains so he didn’t kickstart the zombie apocalypse. And oh, how Liv tried. Which I admire, first of all, and which demonstrated what a loyal person she’s been, even if sometimes her loyalty might be misguided. She sought out every literal resolution to this problem that did not involve giving him the cure that would have given him amnesia. And what answer did she finally come up with?
Babineaux
I’m still reeling from that scene, y’all. STILL. While the whole sequencing was shocking to me because I’ve been waiting for it for SO LONG, it’s not at all out of character for Liv to do that. Her solution is one that is partially self-sacrificing. She could have lost a friend, her job, her credibility, any number of things by revealing to Babineaux who she was and what was really going on. But she did it anyway because she saw it as the only option left to save Major without wiping out his memory.
I’m so satisfied with how it unfolded, especially since Babineaux did not initially believe her. Why should he? Not only was her story ridiculous, but it’s not like this would have been the first time she acted strange in his presence. Yet once he has the truth demonstrated to him, he does what he’s asked. And then I was reminded that for as much as I’ve been clamoring for the truth to come out, I forgot one thing.
Knowing the truth comes with a price.
Each person who has learned about zombies has had to pay some personal cost, and most of the show has demonstrated that to us through Ravi, Liv, Blaine, Peyton, and plenty of others. I didn’t expect Babineaux to have to pay it so soon, though. Yet it made sense. How could he free Major without pissing off and disappointing Dale? Thus, he’s initiated into the world of the knowing, and he learns right away what an awful thing it can be.
I desperately hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Dale, and I also really need to see Babineaux’s further take on everything. HE HAS A LOT OF CATCHING UP TO DO. But let me just state outright that I’m so happy that iZombie finally brought Babineaux into the fold. It’s an exciting choice, and I can’t wait to see what they do with it. SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
The video for “Dead Beat†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon! There are various levels of support, from $1 up to whatever you want! You’ll get to read a private blog, extra reviews, and other such rewards. I POST A LOT OF CUTE PHOTOS, OKAY. Think of it like a private Tumblr blog that only SPECIAL PEOPLE get to read.
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