Once again, iZombie managed to impress me with a coherent plot and an overall bearable episode. Aside from a few nitpicks here and there, I only had one major issue with the entire episode, but it didn’t take away from the experience. “Astroburger” kept me interested the whole time, and I’m very curious to see how it leads into next week’s episodes, as well as the season finale, which airs in just two weeks. (major spoilers ahead!)
Remember last episode when Major made friends with that Scott dude in the mental hospital who revealed the case of zombie-ism in Seattle? Guess who ends up dead this week? Yep, in an apparent case of suicide, Scott kicks the bucket, setting the plot for “Astroburger” in motion. I was a little disturbed at the overall situation regarding Scott; something about seeing his slit wrists sent chills down my spine and made me very uncomfortable. I think it’s because it’s one of the darker deaths in the entire series so far. They also did a great job with the makeup and effects to portray the scenario.
Liv finds that eating Scott’s brain causes her to have weird hallucinations and mental episodes. This part confused me a bit: I didn’t know Scott actually had mental issues. I thought he was just in the facility because he was in the same position as Major: he thought he was seeing things, but it ended up being true. So you mean to tell me that Scott really WAS suffering from some type of mental illness? Then why is his obsession with the Seattle zombie cases so coherent and stable? It’s like the plot conveniently lets that one aspect of the character stay sane for the sake of helping Liv in her case.
It takes more than Liv’s hallucinations to solve this case. She’s joined by returning character Johnny Frost, the weatherman from what I think was the first episode of the series. I honestly can’t tell where he made an earlier appearance – it’s hard for me to remember and I really don’t want to suffer through the beginning of the season again just to find him. All I know is that Frost is incredibly annoying in the way he talks. The overacting is unbearable. It’s like he’s a game-show host on speed. Granted, that may be intentional since he’s known for being such an animated character on TV, but there’s a point when it just needs to stop.
Throughout the episode, some major things happen in Liv’s life, mostly concerning Major. Not only has Major checked himself out of the mental facility, but he also plants a kiss on Liv, possibly reigniting their relationship. On top of that, Liv finally admits she’s a zombie to Major. You know how Major reacts? A hug. Yes, a hug. Liv was so worried about how he’d react and it turns out that he’s okay with it.
Except not really.
I applaud this episode’s twist because it legitimately made my jaw drop. As it turns out, Liv was having hallucinations about most of the things that were going on the entire episode. Johnny Frost was never with her. He just showed up randomly as a figment of her imagination to provide convenient clues to assist Liv in her detective work. In addition to this, most of that stuff with Major probably never happened. While I was impressed with the twist, it left me baffled to the very end. What part of the episode actually happened and what was just part of Scott’s brain side-effects? I’m sure they’ll reveal more on it next episode, but I’m a little frustrated at having the rug pulled out from under me. It’s okay if we found out Johnny Frost was entirely hallucination; however, I wish the Major stuff actually happened.
With all the other shows done for the season, I’ll probably be able to dedicate more of my time to TRYING to enjoy iZombie. A lot of people seem to like it, and I understand I’m just a black sheep who can’t get into the show. Maybe the last two episodes will convert me and turn me into a believer? If they’re on the same level as (or better than) “Astroburger”, then it’s a strong possibility!
Final Grade: B –
+ All of the actors (aside from the weatherman) did a great job.
+ The show took an interesting take on Scott’s hallucinations and mental illness.
+ The plot itself actually made sense (for the most part).
– So… what part of the episode actually happened and what didn’t?
– The weatherman annoyed the living hell out of me.
Extra Thoughts:
– I don’t think the season can end without one major death. I want to say Major is next to go, but Liv already lost one love interest. Blaine is definitely a goner, and maybe one of Liv’s family members?
What did you think of the latest episode of iZombie? Are you just as confused as I am as to what really happened? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!
