iZombie‘s ‘Some Like It Hot Mess’ had Liv doing a complete 180 with her personality of the week, Blaine finally revealing his treachery, and Peyton being…well, Peyton.
The sudden shift from controlling dominatrix to forgetful DJ was a shock to the system and a perfect match for last week’s episode. Rose McIver, who plays Liv Moore, continues to impress and wow with her ease at transforming her character into another person…but seems to be losing Liv and the journey she’s on (which I don’t know what it is) in the weekly gimmick of ‘eat a brain, solve a crime.’
On the bright side of things Major is going to be alright. Let’s hold onto that little bit of happy as we dive into iZombie‘s ‘Some Like It Hot Mess’!
Lost in Zombie Brains
Before we get into the juicy part of this review, Blaine lying to everyone and Peyton being surprised, let’s talk about Liv Moore. I thought I knew what I was signing up for when I started watching iZombie. Zombie detective eats brains, gets memory blasts, and solves crimes. Simple, right?
After this week’s episode I realized something shocking, I really don’t know who Liv is or what journey she’s going on week after week. And I understand that brains are the selling point of this show. It makes Liv different as a protagonist. But Liv Moore and her journey is getting lost in the fray of all these zombie brains.
I couldn’t stand watching her act so flippant when there were some really important things going on all around her and people needed her. And often when I watch Liv, I see two different people. One is the brain. And it’s funny, unique, and the actress kills it week after week. But I don’t see that as Liv. I see that as an extension of her and only get a real glimpse of who she is becoming for a brief moment in the beginning of the episode and at the end.
With Ravi now dipping brains in blue magic stuff to prolong visions, I’m afraid Liv Moore will dive deeper into the zombie detective rabbit hole and lose herself a bit more. I miss Liv of Season 1 & 2 who was discovering things about herself, fighting for a life with Major, and wasn’t solely defined by the brains she ate. Bring back that Liv. Better yet, bring back her family and give me some drama that is grounded with her. Anything other than the brains that continue to define her and not the other way around.
Blaine is a Liar, Shocker
There’s this GIF from Modern Family where Sofia Vergara is driving, face ecstatic as she screams, “I knewwwwww itttttt!” That was me when Blaine was telling Peyton the truth. I knew he was lying. Because that’s what Blaine DeBeers is best at, lying. He might be adorable, have a winning smile, and can sweep Peyton off her feet, but at his heart HE’S A LIAR!
Sure, amnesiac Blaine was cute. He was lost, alone, vulnerable, and that can pull the heart strings of any man or woman. But unlike Peyton, I never forgot what he did to those homeless kids, Lowell (Liv’s ex-boyfriend), Major, and Liv herself. He’s a con artist and he uses his face and other people’s vulnerabilities against them to secure his place in this world.
And I’ll admit there’s a part of me that wonders, “Maybe this is the man he’s always wanted to be! Give him a chance!” But that doesn’t absolve him of his crimes or excuse the fact that he lied to Peyton and slept with her/started a relationship under false pretenses, to be this man he’s always wanted to be. No matter how much I dislike Peyton right now, that was a violation of the trust she put in him, hell, that Liv put in him by allowing him to stay in her home.
For all we know, him stealing Ravi’s blue magic formula could’ve been his plan all along. Because if there’s one thing I know on this show, one certainty in life, is that Blaine DeBeers is a liar and a con-artist, who’s always up to something that benefits him.
I Should Feel Sad for Peyton, Right?
I’m trying to scrounge up sympathy for Peyton and finding it hard to even come up with a handful. She’s the victim of this lie of Blaine’s, hands down. Either way, I still can’t help but feeling contempt for her these past couple of week’s when it comes to her relationship with Blaine.
It’s not that she’s a district attorney and that she should’ve been smarter than that. If our current political system is anything to go by, everyone makes mistakes, is a liar, or is just clearly incapable of doing the job they were voted in for. But that’s another story for another day. Point is, just because Peyton’s a lawyer doesn’t mean that she should’ve caught Blaine lying.
It’s not even that she didn’t pay attention to Ravi’s warnings in this episode. Well technically she did, but she rebuffed him in his office and acted like her ex should’ve kept his mouth shut and not uttered a word to her about her current boyfriend. She made it seem like she didn’t care for warnings from any of her friends and that she wasn’t going to pay attention if they did warn her.
What really bugs me about Peyton is that she has no common courtesy for Liv Moore, her proclaimed best friend. This man changed Liv’s life, exposed her to so many horrors, and Peyton didn’t think that his face would be a traumatizing/uncomfortable thing for Liv to come home to or realize that her friend is in a relationship with? She just thought about herself and if she felt happy, because she was on a mission to save a changed man who was all alone, a beaten down trope of epic proportions.
And if we really thing about it…who is Peyton? What do we know about her besides the fact that she’s Liv’s supposed best friend and that she was first with Ravi and then Blaine? Because when I really think about it, I don’t know this woman and I think that Clive and Ravi have been better friends than she has been this entire show.
I’m not impressed by Peyton or care for her character. And if this version of her continues to be the norm I won’t care if she’s bitten, dies, or is simply phased out of the show completely.
Favorite Scene from ‘Some Like It Hot Mess’:
Major writing letters to all his friends and pouring out his feelings. Favorite was the tear stained letter to Ravi.
iZombie airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.