S01.E02: Brother, Can You Spare A Brain?

[Cranberry]

After an artist is murdered, Liv not only picks up his visions, she picks up traces of his passion and begins to see things in a more inspired way. Meanwhile, Blaine connects with Liv, and Liv tries to connect with Major.

 

[Watcher0363]

This Rose is a very good actor. Damn this woman does sexy well.

[Primetimer]

David Anders sinks his teeth into iZombie.

Read the story

[enlightenedbum]

So I'm enjoying her performance, but during some of the voiceovers does it sound to anyone like she's trying to channel Kristen Bell as Veronica?  Because her American accent sounds suspiciously like her.  Or at least very Michigan-y (I'm a native) which is not usually the American accent non-Americans go with.

 

Anyway, mystery wasn't super great or anything, but the show is amusing and all of the protagonists range from likable to kind of awesome.  And I know Thomas/Ruggiero can write compelling mystery stories, so I'm willing to bet that kind of thing will happen.

[Actionmage]

Borrowed talents: painting technique, appreciation for beauty in all forms, horniness

A pretty solid second outing! 

I hope that Liv and Major can figure out how to be friends, whether she tells him the truth or not.  Yes, being a zombie is a big thing to not tell someone, but her circle of family and friends seem to be a bit dense. Excepting Ravi  (and possibly her brother.) 

David Anders! You keep doing cool parts and I will follow. I am glad Liv has someone else she can talk to about the zombie stuff. Frenemies to this degree will be interesting. Also, no shame in Liv's protective game.  I guess we will find some answers as to what is the zombifying component through Blaine?  I don'tcare, just talk and don't eat Ravi or Clive.

I was glad to see Judy Reyes! I love her voice. I was sad it was her, but I totally get why she killed Javier. He was a pig.  I actually felt bad for the agent/Fiss; to hear about how a friend of his not only impregnated his 18 year old daughter, but that another friend and spouse of the father of his grandchild was the one who murdered the pigfriend. That's some hard shit to deal with in such a short time. I feel worse for the girl and Lola, but this was generally a sad-feeling episode.

Liv's painting was nice, and the ending VO was nice as well.

I hope Blaine went to a good detailer to get the inside of the car clean. That was a sweet ride.

I'm ready for next week!

[ParadoxLost]

I'm trying to imagine my reaction if in the early 2000's someone told me they were going to take Sark and mash him up with Spike and stick him on a show by the creators Veronica Mars.  I'm pretty sure my mind would have imploded at the brilliance of that idea.  David Anders was fabulous.

[KarateKate]

Ohhh, Blaine. You total zombie DICK.

Or genius businessman who has figured out a very niche market? And the ability to grow it?

Oh, and, let's not forget the historic chin.

[Sakura12]

ZombieSark is going to turn people into zombie then sell them brains. I guess that's what happens when a drug dealer becomes a zombie, they start the Apocalypse because they wanted to make some quick cash.  

 

Horny Liv was hilarious. Bad cop, horny cop maybe law enforcement should try that out. I really have to wonder what Clive thinks of her with all the different personalities she's showing him, to him it must look like she's a smart, really pale psychic Goth/Emo Doctor that speaks multiple languages and might be Bi.  

 

I'm happy that Major showed some personality when he threw Liv out. Her family and friends are having a hard enough time dealing with her sudden personality change, to have another change added on top of that has to got be weirding them out. I did like her painting. Does she get to keep the skills? Or do they disappear when she eats the next brain? 

[Chicago Redshirt]

Did I miss Blaine being referred to as "Blaine"? Or any explanation of how Blaine found out that Liv was looking for him?

 

I kind of want to watch a show about Blaine being evil and putting together a zombie army more than I want to watch Liv solve mysteries.

[tennisgurl]

Ah, the many roles of David Anders. Last time I saw him, he was Victor Frankenstein. Now he is a zombie army leader. I love everything about this show so far.

[Delwyn]

I am either ashamed or delighted to admit that I jumped on board for this show based entirely on the promise of ZombieSark, but ended up really enjoying the Dead Like Me vibe - it fills that gap very nicely.

[dohe]

Blaine seems like a cliché.  The bad boy who will no doubt be shown to later have a sensitive heart for Liv.  Hard not to stifle a yawn when he is on screen.  I guess he is the Logan just as Major is the Duncan.  Liv's sequences with Clive and Ravi are far more fun even if the mystery was weak tonight.  How much fun would it be if Liv fell for Clive or Ravi or Peyton.  The show is a nice diversion but wish they would lose the Blaine and Major stuff.  That has a been there, done that feel.  On the other hand, if they did no doubt it would hurt ratings.  What a catch 22. 

 

The best part of the show is Rose McIver.  Loved her on Masters of Sex playing a very different character and she is nailing this role.

Edited March 25, 2015 by dohe

[seamusk]

I think i'm ready to comment. Does it seem ultra fast to other folks? Sometimes I have trouble keeping up. And I know I have attention/focus issues, but sometimes I find myself wanting the show to slow down a little. I don't usually have trouble keeping up with tv shows.

 

With that said, I really like this show! I liked the pilot more, but I enjoyed this episode as well. I wasn't totally digging on Anders. He had some good dialogue, but i'm sure he'll grow on me (ala Spike) as time goes. I really think Rose is a great actress.  She did a great job last week with Liv's quirks, which adjust post eating, and then did a good job this week being Liv but also taking on the new quirks. Yet she is always consistently Liv thus far. Only two episodes but I appreciated that.

 

I'll watch again tomorrow and i'm sure i'll take it all in a bit better. I hope the ratings were solid tonight.

[90 Day Pinochet]

I'm trying to imagine my reaction if in the early 2000's someone told me they were going to take Sark and mash him up with Spike and stick him on a show by the creators Veronica Mars.  I'm pretty sure my mind would have imploded at the brilliance of that idea.  David Anders was fabulous.

 

I'm trying to imagine my reaction if someone told me they were going to take Veronica Mars and mash it up Tru Calling/Ghost Whisperer and Being Human. I'm pretty sure my mind would have imploded just trying to conceive of such an idea. However, it is just another example of 'beware of loglines'. [Note: this warning may apply to me more than the average bear as my logline judgment isn't always sound: I was convinced "John Malkovich IS Blackbeard" was the greatest idea I ever heard.]

 

Anyway, I already love this show and it brings me one step closer to the grim reality of my life revolving around the CW's schedule. 

Edited March 25, 2015 by 90 Day Pinochet

[Anela]

haha, her flirting was hilarious. 

 

I'm still getting my head around the feel-good ending on a zombie show. It's nice to have something that doesn't involve losing our main characters every few episodes. 

[GaT]

Second episode in & I'm still enjoying it. 

 

Did I miss Blaine being referred to as "Blaine"? 

 

I must have missed it too, because I didn't know that was his name until I came here. I'm a little confused as to whether or not he's a bad guy, I was hoping that the whole thing with him not realizing he turned Liv was true. I think she needs a zombie friend. Also, who was that other woman zombie? Did we see her before?

 

I hope she eventually tells one of the people in her life about being a zombie.

[thuganomics85]

Glad we got some high quality David Anders this time.  He was so much fun as Blaine.  Loving the idea that his big plan is turning people into zombies and then selling brains to them, at high prices.  Oh, you sneaky bastard.  Can't wait to see more of him and Liv facing off.

 

Against my better judgment, I actually went the opposite direction of my normal "The famailar face did it!" prediction with the case, and figured it was the art director,  But, nope!  It was totally Lola a.k.a. Judy Reyes.  That's what I get.  I did like that it meant Clive was actually right, even though his original motive was completely wrong.

 

Enjoyed Liv this time acquiring the victim's art abilities and, I'm guessing, the appreciation for attractive humans: both male and female.  Are these permanent?

 

Glad they still have the comic-like cards for each opening segment.

 

Still not a huge fan of The Major stuff.  I'm sure it will be important for Liv going forward, but I still vastly prefer her scenes with Ravi and Clive.  Both of them are in a battle over being the most entertaining sidekick.

 

Really starting to dig this show. Rose McIver is really standing out in this.

[90 Day Pinochet]

Does she get to keep the skills? Or do they disappear when she eats the next brain? 

 

Since its a procedural I'm assuming they disappear at the end of the episode/when she eats the next brain. If she kept some random skills along the way I think it could be fun but if she retained them all it might be a bit... Sylar-y? Actually, now that I think about it, Sylar was originally supposed to collect superhero powers on Heroes by eating their brains... I would go on but it is not good for my constitution to dwell on Heroes for too long.

 

Anyway, given the playfulness of the scripts and Ravi's gee whiz attitude to the intricacies of zombiehood, I'd be surprised if they didn't explore the mechanics of her skill acquisition further. I also think there will be some fun episodes where they start to delve into the personality trait acquisition stuff further. For example, I am looking forward to an episode where she eats a mixture of multiple brains by accident.

Edited March 25, 2015 by 90 Day Pinochet

[Minneapple]

Rose McIver is cute as hell. I'm totally in love with her. I love how they've put a twist on the procedural element by giving her the characteristics of the dead person. Liv's flirting with pretty much everyone was hilarious in this episode.

Enjoyed Liv this time acquiring the victim's art abilities and, I'm guessing, the appreciation for attractive humans: both male and female. Are these permanent?

I don't think so. She ate the brains before going to see Major at the end because she needed to feel that passion again. I think the brain high kind of fades after a bit.

The writers had to know that a bleached blond black-clad bad boy would invite Spike comparisons. I mean the only thing he was missing was a British accent.

[BooBear]

I think i'm ready to comment. Does it seem ultra fast to other folks? Sometimes I have trouble keeping up. And I know I have attention/focus issues, but sometimes I find myself wanting the show to slow down a little. I don't usually have trouble keeping up with tv shows.

I thought the same thing. It was choppy tonight. It felt like the episode had bad flow and too much in it.  I loved that Major threw her out. I instantly thought more of him. But something I thought was strange.. why did everyone still think she was sexy? She is a zombie .. at the very least pretty pasty.  I didn't buy that guy who wanted to respond to the flirting, I thought that was odd.

 

I was disappointed in Zombie Sark. It is just so cliche that he would be a bad guy. But more than that it felt like they expanded the universe too much here.  With the potential of many zombies being created. It kind of takes away from the quirkiness of Liv being pretty much the only one.

 

But with the bad "sire", medical examiner friend / searching for a cure, I am starting to see this as more like "Forever Knight" than anything VM.

[NotBothered]

I agree with everyone else that they're still struggling with pacing.  I kept getting distracted and then was totally lost.  I think part of this is that Rob Thomas has never done a procedural before.  Trying to establish the guest cast and the mystery while still giving Liv time to build relationships with the supporting cast, in addition to Rob Thomas's usual packed-dialogue, is a lot to do in 42 minutes. And while Veronica had a bit of a case-of-the-week structure, it really relied on the arc plot to drive it.  I think iZombie still needs to find what's driving it.

 

That being said, I am generally liking this show and hope they give it time to find its feet.  Rose McIver is really starting to settle in and I am always happy to have more David Anders on my screen. 

 

 

I guess he is the Logan just as Major is the Duncan.

My sister texted me "Is that Logan?" about 30 seconds after he arrived on screen.  And because we are watching a show on the CW, I keep wondering just who we're working up to the be romantic interest.  While I think Liv and Blaine (I also missed that name) seem to have more chemistry than anyone else, it's really going feel even more like Veronica Mars paint-by-numbers if they go that route. 

[Morrigan2575]

I thought this episode was better than the first.  I like procedural so i enjoyed the investigation part of the story.  I also liked seeing more personality from Liv and the other characters.  I watched episode 2 for David Anders, I can't quite say that I'm hooked but I'm really curious about his character.  I guess they're going with the fact that their pre-zombie personalities determine their Zombie behavior?  Liv was a Doctor and wanted to save lives, now she's trying to help save lives by catching killers?  With David Anders he was a drug dealing DBag before becoming a Zombie and now he's creating his own Zombie Drug Market.

[Sakura12]

I'm really liking this show, I think Rose McIver is really selling it for me. While Liv is Veronica Marsesque she's still different enough for me. The really really passionate painter personality was great, especially when some of them were weirded out (Clive, sketch artist, Major) and others were into it (the model and the models boyfriend).

 

But because I like it, it's probably not going to last. This show is like "Forever" where the case of the week is lame, but the character interactions are what draws me in every week. 

[Eneya]

The episode was really, really nice. :) The way she described stuff was amazing. Exactly the type of obnoxious and over-the-top sleaze the dead guy was.

Buttery skin. Ew.

 

I WAS really pissed by the yet again "if they are poly, one of them is incredibly jealous and would kill the other person", also, the wife was a doormat and it irked me quite a lot. Seriously, would it KILL them to write a happy poly couple/triade in which ALL of the members are happy adults who have dalliances (or a third person) AND be respectable to each other, be friends and care for each other? Not everyone thinks monogamy is all the rage nor is monogamous and I have always thought that poly-dinamic with be quite interesting to analyze. Ah, well.

 

The roommate is that chick from Hellcats? Damn, I knew I have seen home somewhere, the fact that her hair is dark and not curly threw me off. :)

Major is... well... boring. He did right by kicking her out while being able to almost put me to sleep.

I do agree, the pacing was a bit choppy.

 

Why did the ex-boydriend was all... well... aggressibe with Liv? She CLEARLY flirted with him, if someone is flirty, I will flirt back, not assault them.

It was simply bizzare.

 

Overall, I liked and enjoyed it quite a lot and I can't wait for the next portion. :)

[Sakura12]

The roommate is that chick from Hellcats? Damn, I knew I have seen home somewhere, the fact that her hair is dark and not curly threw me off. :)

 

I remember Aly Michalka from Phil of the Future, which IMO was one of the most creative shows on the Disney Channel. The brown hair threw me off too. 

 

Why did the ex-boydriend was all... well... aggressibe with Liv? She CLEARLY flirted with him, if someone is flirty, I will flirt back, not assault them.

It was simply bizzare.

 

It's Rob Thomas he has to throw in some weird rapey vibes for some reason. 

 

The wife wasn't upset that her husband had lovers, she was fine with that. She was upset that he told her he didn't want children and then went an knocked up an 18 year old and was going to leave her to start a family with her. 

[dubbel zout]

the historic chin

 

I really want this to become a running joke. It's hilarious. I loved Ravi's reaction to the chin when he saw Blaine in person for the first time. Hee.

 

Still not a huge fan of The Major stuff.

 

Me, neither, though Robert Buckley showed more oomph in this episode. He has a rather thankless role, but he's his usual bland but pretty self.

 

Also, who was that other woman zombie? Did we see her before?

 

She was the woman Blaine picked up in the bar.

Edited March 25, 2015 by dubbel zout

[Morgan of Hed]

But something I thought was strange.. why did everyone still think she was sexy? She is a zombie .. at the very least pretty pasty.  I didn't buy that guy who wanted to respond to the flirting, I thought that was odd.

Seriously?  Just look at her - there were at least a half-dozen posts in the Ep1 thread (including mine) from people who thought zombie Liv was way more attractive than normal Liv.

 

I thought Rose McIvor did infatuated/lusty extremely well.  I'll be in my bunk.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Morgan of Hed

[Eneya]

No, she was presented as someone COMPLETELY devoted to someone, that is NOT an equal relationship. She put up with his affairs... this is not a happy couple and is usually how poly relationships are portrayed, one of the partners is gritting his/her teeth due to love and the other is doing whatever his/her heart desires. Also, she wanted family... the fact that the person, her partner didn't want any and she didn't move over plus the fact that she didn't want to be in an open relationship screamed imbalance to me.

 

I despise relationships in which one of the partners is a silent martyr... it's so... bad to see it as something that is happening and is normal while simultaniously showing poly people as cheating freaks who are also immoral (ahem, teeanged daughter of the artist dealer).

[KarateKate]

[...] The roommate is that chick from Hellcats? Damn, I knew I have seen home somewhere, the fact that her hair is dark and not curly threw me off. [...]

[...] I remember Aly Michalka from Phil of the Future, which IMO was one of the most creative shows on the Disney Channel. The brown hair threw me off too. [...]

 

It may say a lot of unfortunate things about me that I skimmed right on through when people were making the connection to Hellcats, but that a Phil of the Future reference is what stuck out and made me say "Wait, she IS?!" 

[Sakura12]

It may say a lot of unfortunate things about me that I skimmed right on through when people were making the connection to Hellcats, but that a Phil of the Future reference is what stuck out and made me say "Wait, she IS?!" 

 

When I saw her on Hellcats, I was like Hey, it's Keely from the Phil of the Future. 

[FurryFury]

This episode was much funnier than the pilot! The whole scene with Babineaux questioning Judy Reyes and Liv overcome with passion over the victim's lover had me in stitches (and then she hit on the lover's ex-bf as well!). Lots of other funny lines, too ("He's using me for my brains!")

 

David Anders and his character Blaine are pretty much gold. Nice chemistry with Liv and his whole demeanor is just perfect. Definitely the character that interests me the most so far - I generally love trickster types AND the actor, though, so I'm not exactly hard to please. Too bad he's such a villain.

 

The case itself wasn't really riveting, it's common "The most famous guest star did it" cliche (and even if she were played by an unknown, it wouldn't hard to guess anyway). I did like that Liv's boss took part in the investigation and was useful. I still like his personality, too.

 

Less family/roommate = good.

 

Sad to say, I'm already bored by Liv/Major. Even if his blandness is kinda lampshaded, it still doesn't make him or the relationship interesting. Also, I predict he will hook up with the roommate, so more angst for Liv.

 

Overall verdict: still enjoying the show, but the Blaine parts were easily the most compelling.

[seamusk]

What's interesting is I don't find Major bland at all. I thought in both episodes he showed some personality. I think maybe people are confusing that he hasn't had much to do yet with blandness? I guess that's a blandness of a sort. But his dialogue isn't bland to me. Maybe that's just me though.

[FurryFury]

He just seems bland because he has had no characterization at all. It makes me feel/hope that he's set up for a major (pun totally intended) twist with either his death from some unexpected source or turning into some supernatural creature. Or maybe he'll be connected to the drug storyline.

[Ubiquitous]

I enjoyed this ep and the little things they revealed about Liv's zombie-state.

Since its a procedural I'm assuming they disappear at the end of the episode/when she eats the next brain. If she kept some random skills along the way I think it could be fun but if she retained them all it might be a bit... Sylar-y? Actually, now that I think about it, Sylar was originally supposed to collect superhero powers on Heroes by eating their brains...

Liv said something about the new talents and memories she got THIS time shge ate someone's brain, so yeah, it's a temporary thing and the reason she wolfed down the rest before visiting her ex-bf.

[John Ramos]

Did I miss Blaine being referred to as "Blaine"? Or any explanation of how Blaine found out that Liv was looking for him?

 

I kind of want to watch a show about Blaine being evil and putting together a zombie army more than I want to watch Liv solve mysteries.

IIRC, in the pilot, he introduced himself to Liv on the boat in the very brief moments before the zombies attacked.

[FurryFury]

His name was mentioned in this episode as well - by his drug-dealing former buddies.

[Sakura12]

I don't care what his name is. He's ZombieSark. 

[FurryFury]

Of course his name matters. You just know that somebody out there is already trying to figure out a way to mash it with Liv's in order to create a shipping portmanteau.

[Sakura12]

Then they can go with ZombieLark.

 

I loathe mushedshipper names. I only use them if it's easier to type that out over their full names.  

[GaT]

Also, who was that other woman zombie? Did we see her before?

 

She was the woman Blaine picked up in the bar.

Ahhhh, thanks, I somehow forgot about her.

[John Ramos]

Of course his name matters. You just know that somebody out there is already trying to figure out a way to mash it with Liv's in order to create a shipping portmanteau.

Bliv?

[90 Day Pinochet]

What's interesting is I don't find Major bland at all. I thought in both episodes he showed some personality. I think maybe people are confusing that he hasn't had much to do yet with blandness? I guess that's a blandness of a sort. But his dialogue isn't bland to me. Maybe that's just me though.

 

I agree that his dialogue has been interesting, if recited with a mild case of Bledel-syndrome: on-paper funny dialogue recited by a character as though it is being Cyrano de Bergerac-ed in via an earpiece. IMO, I think people are reacting to the fact that so far (other than the flash he showed when throwing her out) the show has made Major the model of domestic happiness just out of reach by portraying him a a stock version of a supportive, approachable, and charming dude. However, I don't think he is destined to have the character depth of a block of wood with all the burrs sanded off. Rather, I think Major will be more fleshed out as Liv comes to realize that the whole "undead doesn't mean dead" thing will involve her 'old' life bleeding into her new one.

 

Two episodes is not a lot of time to add depth to secondary characters, especially when juggling as many balls as this show has so far. The show had a world to establish, Liv's new world, and in order to do so the show treated her old, idealized life as window dressing. But that makes structural sense because, after Liv's less-than-pleasant lake cruise, she has left that idealized life on the shelf, treating it as though it is so fragile that by merely dusting it off she might break it. But I thought it was not only really smart to have that fight with Major at the end, bit promising for the future. It showed that they have both been hiding their true feelings for what they perceive as the well-being of someone they care about and capped it off with a VO about the selfishness of passion.

 

Side Note: Well, he at least has a great name going for him: Major Lilywhite. Given that Rob Thomas is an Austin guy I figured, and later internet research confirms, that the character was named after the platonic ideal of Texas-ass quarterback names: Major Applewhite (followed closely by Clint McCoy). I will know whether Rob Thomas is too invested in UT football if Major loses Liv's affections to a romantic rival with a named derived from Chris Simms, only for Liv to realize that she can't trust Chris Schmimms in big moments and Major is there for her when it counts.

 

Side-r Note: At first I felt bad that the inevitable Liv-Blaine shippers will have a lot to overcome... Blaine making Liv a Zombie and possibly creating a Zombie outbreak via dealing Utopium is an inauspicious start to a ship. Then I remembered it could be worse (see: Logan's Bum Fights).

Edited March 25, 2015 by 90 Day Pinochet

[Sakura12]

I think Major has some promise depending on how it's handled. That spark of a personality when he got mad and threw Liv out was a start. He was trying to be supportive of her decision to break up and her sudden personality change while also trying to stay in her life. But having Liv throw herself at him after months of being cold and indifferent was too much for him. I get it. He was pushing down his feelings because he was worried about her. I know nothing about the actor, so I hope he can inject some more personality in the character even if Rob Thomas doesn't. 

Edited March 25, 2015 by Sakura12

[dcalley]

Given that Rob Thomas is an Austin guy I figured, and later internet research confirms, that the character was named after ...

And then there's Mutt Bowl Surfers, the cafe where Blaine and Liv were to meet. (Butthole Surfers is a band with an Austin connection.)

[FurryFury]

Jokes aside, I don't think the show will go there with Liv and Blaine. Him zombifying her isn't the deal-breaker, him being a murderer is (she probably wouldn't mind the drug dealers, but I've thought it was heavily implied he was lying about the robbery). I really don't want another Spuffy, although he's definitely not as far gone as Vampire!Spike.

I just wish Major didn't make me fall asleep every time he's on screen.

[dohe]

But if we are talking possible romances for Liv why not Clive or Ravi or Peyton.  Instead we are getting a Veronica Mars redux with the decision coming down to the same old story.  It would be far more interesting if say Blaine was unredeemable and Liv, never showing any romantic interest at all, fell in love with someone unpredictable.   The show runner has already gone down this clichéd role.  Something new is all I ask. 

[Destiny007]

I'm not really digging the roommate at this point.  She doesn't seem to be worried about Liv and what she went through.  We learned this episode that they have been friends since at least high school.  You would think she would be more concerned for Liv.  To me, it seems to be an inconvenience to her that Liv isn't exactly like she was before the accident.  She is always huffing or rolling her eyes.  Maybe she will get better, but at this point I wouldn't want a friend like her.

[BooBear]

I think Major has some promise depending on how it's handled. That spark of a personality when he got mad and threw Liv out was a start. He was trying to be supportive of her decision to break up and her sudden personality change while also trying to stay in her life. But having Liv throw herself at him after months of being cold and indifferent was too much for him. I get it.

Yes that was what I was thinking. As someone said above, I think Major does have a great personality / characterization. The problem is that his character has no role in Liv's new life - right now.  I see him completely different than Duncan who had very little personality at all but had a big place in the story. Hopefully they have a plan. Do we know what Major does for a living? It could be interesting if he somehow got involved (maybe a lawyer) in the occasional procedural investigation.

 

I don't think that Liv or Blaine are attractive as Zombies. I took the older lady sleeping with Blaine as more of a statement about a younger man interested in her. And even if they are to some people I have to believe they aren't really supposed to be.

 

I suppose I think Liv and Blaine have a good chance of getting involved simply because they can have sex and kiss without infecting others (not such a concern for Blaine) but even Blaine would have to realize that if too many zombies start showing up that wouldn't be good.

 

[Lila82]

It doesn't matter how many roles he plays post-Sark, it is never anything but weird to hear David Anders speaking in his native accent.  So another point in the "reminds me of Spike" category, only I loved Spike from the moment he appeared on screen and I'm still warming up to Blaine.  Probably because he's named Blaine, but also because his dialogue is just a little too pithy and self-congratulatory, which is a Rob Thomas trait, but usually wears off in a couple episodes. 

 

..I think Major does have a great personality / characterization. The problem is that his character has no role in Liv's new life - right now.  I see him completely different than Duncan who had very little personality at all but had a big place in the story.

 

My problem with Duncan was Thomas' tunnel vision when it came to him.  Most of the time, he was completely under developed, and when the writers did try, it felt like they threw darts at a character board and went with what stuck.  Duncan's motivations were rarely, if ever, explained, and he mostly floated in and out of other characters' lives, causing destruction without any insight towards whatever was happening in his head.  I'm not a big fan of Robert Buckley's acting (although I did once see him into a comic book store in NYC where he was browsing like a huge dork and it endeared me to him personally) but I like Major, especially when he sent Liv packing.  It was an obvious parallel to Tasha's jerky boyfriend, but also showed who he is as a person.  Maybe not a hero, but has some self-respect.

[90 Day Pinochet]

Do we know what Major does for a living? It could be interesting if he somehow got involved (maybe a lawyer) in the occasional procedural investigation.

 

Environmental Engineer, so.... maybe cases could involve a surprising amount of soil sample analysis? Someone starts dumping Utopium into the water supply and there is only one hunk that knows the municipal water treatment infrastructure well enough to stop the imminent disaster?