S01.E03: The Exterminator

[Cranberry]

Liv and Babineaux investigate a hit-and-run case and discover the victim was a hit man responsible for the murder of a tech entrepreneur, a case that Peyton is prosecuting. Meanwhile, Liv makes a surprising discovery about someone from her past, and Peyton is shocked by Liv's reaction when Major moves on with his life.

 

[Sakura12]

Liv as a hitman should be fun. Is Clive going to see her have perfect aim with a gun? 

[FurryFury]

Yeah I'm really enjoying this aspect of the show, her taking on some of the victim's qualities. Although I think they are only scratching the surface of this idea's potential, I hope to see it developed more (and to see less generic crime of the week stuff).

[Primetimer]

Liv unexpectedly meets an old friend who's MAYBE seen better days.

Read the story

[Actionmage]

This  was a very cool episode.  I am liking the brains/weekly situation link; it's sort of like Buffy's supernatural/high school metaphor. So far, so good, imo.

 

Ravi is one of the coolest dudes on TV, next to Darryl and Glenn on The Walking Dead. I was anticipating his fall and actually yelped when he did.

 

As for Liv and poor Marcy? Damn. It was very thoughtful to return the necklace. Unfortunately, I got an update on a relative's health and didn't see the note. Was it signed Anonymous? (Also, Too bad Liv couldn't save the brain for when she needs to police health menaces, like Blaine.)

 

I did chuckle at "Piggy & the Brain" for the team name.  "Jeanie" looked familiar, but I don't think you get Jennifer Ferrin in for such a teeny part.

 

I actually liked Peyton in the episode and started to see the friend chemistry. I hope Peyton continues to grow on me.

 

edited for technical glitch.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Actionmage

[Bort]

I liked Liv's trivia nerding. Reminds me of me. But just that part, not the hitman persona.

"Jeanie" looked familiar, but I don't think you get Jennifer Ferrin in for such a teeny part.

That wasn't Jennifer Ferrin.

[tennisgurl]

Much improved from last week! And I liked last week! 

 

I thought the brains of a sociopath thing was really interesting, and I really want to see where all they go with Liv getting parts of the personalities of the people who`s brains she eats. I feel like they can take it to some really cool, interesting places.

 

Ravi is the best. He is the best friend a zombie can have! I really like his friendship with Liv. I thought it was nice that it was him being in danger that got her out of sociopath mode. 

 

The killer was seriously smug as hell. It was REALLY satisfying to watch him go to jail. 

 

The Marcy stuff was sad. Her poor mom. It was sweet that Liv gave her the peals. I have always liked Liv, but I thought she was a great protagonist this episode. 

 

David Anders guy really does not seem like a future love interest. I cant see them trying to get us to root for him too much after taking that poor kid off to be either eaten or zombied. 

[Sakura12]

Anti-social Liv with useless trivia knowledge was great. I really want to know what Clive thinks of her. He doesn't know her that well but you'd think he'd question her 100 different skills. I guess she does retain some of the skills, she can still draw well from the artist. 

 

I loved Piggy and the Brain. "You didn't tell me you were marrying Siri" was funny as well. 

 

It was scary watching her just looking at Ravi almost getting eaten by Marcie. Then she went into full on Zombie mode. I wonder if Ravi's going to look at her a little differently know that he's seen what she can become when she's angry. Before he's only seen her as really pale looking person. I think it should be more real to him now. I'm sure he'll want to help her even more now. 

 

I'm glad they gave the roommate something to do. If she's the Asst. D.A. then they can work together on a few cases. 

Edited April 1, 2015 by Sakura12

[bilgistic]

Wig Cop needs to pay Liv a visit, like, yesterday. That blonde helmet with the "wisp" is all I can concentrate on, so I'm missing major plot points.

[GaT]

I like that Liv gets different characteristics every week depending on the brains she eats. I think it will help the show from feeling too much of the same thing every week. 

[tennisgurl]

So when I heard the name of the episode was "The Exterminator", I swear I thought this would be some pro-wresting thing. Does that not sound like a guy who would fight Hulk Hogan in the 80s?  

[possibilities]

I was gutted when the kid was taken away by Blaine. They really upped the stakes there. When the dead people are already beyond recognition like Marcy, or hitmen who might have it coming, or anonymous, it's easier to watch it go by. But they made that kid a real character, and totally lovable and innocent. So this one really hurts. It's a good way to bring Major and the roommate into the proceedings, too. You know he will come looking for the missing kid, and then she'll want to prosecute the hell out of whoever did it. Of course, Blaine being the one responsible will make him hard to kill, but it may also make Liv reconsider her position of letting him go his own way.

 

Ravi is great.

 

"I know Kung Fu" is a direct Chuck reference, and I am taking it to be deliberate, and awesome.

[Eneya]

I know Kung Fu in Chuck was a reference to the Matrix (which I eyerolled so bad... so... both of them know a skill? Really? Because this is what the phrase means.)

It was an interesting trivia... if you go for months without eating brains... you will lose your personality. So for Liv it is a really important find, she mustn't miss too many meals. Or else.

 

Major looked more fleshed out, which is good. The roommate was weird. I mean... "do whatever you have to do, just feel bad about it"? Really? Liv was wrong to go through her file but the jump that Liv did it so she can prove the roomie wrong was a... very sudden and out of nowhere conclusion. "How could you go behind my back, backtrack my career, instead of ignoring it and leave an innocent person go to jail? It is clearly a feud between the two of us, especially since we work in totes different areas and in no way it has been shown that there is a competition between us before.". They are sucking in regards to their supposed friendship... and how they are presenting it (they being the show and the writers).

 

Blaine is developed more and more to be a bad guy. Nice. :)

[Sakura12]

We don't know how long they've known each other. Did they meet in college? Or were they friends growing up? If it was growing up I could see them competing for academic accolades in high school. That would be the only thing that would make me understand her sudden jump to "You are just trying to prove me wrong". 

 

Liv was anti-social at the point, but she was trying to catch the real killer. Even if she was herself, it still would've had nothing to do with Peyton. Maybe it would've worked better if she yelled at Liv for acting like she doesn't care about anything, her family, her friends, the fact that her ex moved on. I actually would've liked her to scream "It's like you're dead". 

[Julia]

Does it matter why Liv did it? Peyton found out that she was about to put an innocent man in prison for a crime he didn't commit and let a murderer go free, possibly to kill again, and her only reaction was to be really pissed that she didn't get away with it because it would have been good for her career. Hey, way to be an officer of the court, narcissist princess. Seriously, hope you go far in our justice system.

 

I'm starting to think Payton is the show's way of showing us who striver Liv was before she was turned, and how in some ways her current condition is an improvement.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Julia

[Sakura12]

I think that's the premise of the show. Liv was living before but she really wasn't alive. Now that she's undead she's figuring out what that really means. 

 

I sort of get Peyton getting a little upset at her career setback, but she was going to put an innocent man in prison. Liv found proof with the gun, that's what she should've been looking at. Building a case with the right guy is much better for her career. I suppose that's what happened in the end. Then she also doesn't know that Liv isn't getting any credit for any of it. That goes to Clive and her. 

 

I like that show is going for a mix of comedy and drama, those are the shows/movies I enjoy. Liv killing someone is dark even though it was a zombie. She has to live with that now. 

[dubbel zout]

I was gutted when the kid was taken away by Blaine. They really upped the stakes there.

 

I KNOW. It was heartbreaking and awful.

 

I think that's the premise of the show. Liv was living before but she really wasn't alive.

 

I hope we see more of her pre-zombie life, because that's not the impression I'm getting. I don't doubt she's looking at life differently now, though.

 

I sort of get Peyton getting a little upset at her career setback

 

I get it, too. Liv has been unresponsive for six months, and the thing that finally gets her interest up is her roommate's first big case, which Liv throws a giant monkey wrench into. I think they could have handled the innocence of the guy a little better with Peyton (maybe she could have thanked Liv privately at the end or something), but I don't blame Peyton for being irked. Liv couldn't have decided to clean her room instead?

Edited April 1, 2015 by dubbel zout

[Sakura12]

I hope we see more of her pre-zombie life, because that's not the impression I'm getting. I don't doubt she's looking at life differently now, though.

 

I meant more she planned out her life of what she was going do to, how she was going to do it and when she was going to do it and because of that she wasn't really living a life, she was marking of check boxes.  She wasn't just experiencing things like art and jazz. Now she is. She's not doing thing because they are part of her plan, she's doing them because she's giving new and different things a chance. and she's basically walking a mile in other people shoes every time she eats a brain. She's experiencing multiple lives now.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Sakura12

[possibilities]

I know Kung Fu in Chuck was a reference to the Matrix (which I eyerolled so bad... so... both of them know a skill? Really? Because this is what the phrase means.)

I think it's just excitement that you suddenly know the skill. I mean, if I suddenly knew kung fu, I'd be excited. It's different than if you study it, practice a long time, and gradually acquired the ability.

 

I think what Peyton was saying is that, ok, Liv had to do what she thought was right, which was to look over the case and discover the problems with it and then find the correct suspect. But since it blew up Peyton's work, she could have said something like: "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have the wrong suspect" rather than just coldly doing it, and not even giving her the sympathy you'd give a friend who had failed publicly while doing her best, and who had been anticipating a big win. Especially when Liv has been apathetic about everything, for her to get motivated about something that undercut Peyton's efforts-- it makes it seem like she was being deliberately provocative in their relationship, because Peyton has no way of knowing the info just randomly came to Liv, rather than that she decided to double check what Peyton was doing for some unknown reason. It's the sort of thing where a friend might do it, but take you out to dinner as a consolation and to let you know they didn't mean to hurt you, the info just fell into their lap.

 

I agree about the mix of comedy and drama. I really like that mix.

Edited April 1, 2015 by possibilities

[FurryFury]

Hated the crime of the week, the most boring one so far. But everything else was great! Liv and Ravei against ZombieMarcy was the most suspenseful scene on the show and showed it can go pretty dark if it wants. And I continue to think that the idea of Liv taking on the victim's personality traits is great and has a lot of potential that's only starting to be realized.

Still think that she has very good chemistry with Blaine, but holy shit, this guy's a slime.

Roommate (still don't know her name or care) is kinda annoying me, and feels too generic and boring, too. Not sure if i like the actress.

Edited April 1, 2015 by FurryFury

[thuganomics85]

Called the killer as soon as I saw him on the TV screen that Peyton was showing Liv (it was brief, but even then, he just had an air of smugness to him, that was just asking to get knocked back), but I enjoyed seeing the brains make Liv into an anti-social sociopath, with a knack for trivia.  I do think this is going to play an important part in my enjoyment of the show, because the cases themselves aren't grabbing me, but it's seeing Liv acting different in each one of them.  And, I think Rose McIver is doing a great job at showing these differences, but not coming off too over-the-top or hammy.

 

The stuff with Marcie was good.  I knew it would probably end with Liv having to kill her, but I liked how it freaked her out that 1) the sociopath brain made her almost let Ravi die and b) going full-zombie in front of Ravi, and him having to talk her down.  A good way to show that this isn't just fun and games for her.  I'm glad Ravi talked her down and he is awesome, but is there going to be a time she can't be stopped?  If so, then that is troubling.

 

Mixed on the Peyton stuff.  It was kind of annoying, but I do understand that she was frustrating not because the guy ended up being innocent, but she was probably going to take a hit for it, and Liv just didn't seem to give a damn.  Had Liv been her normal self (either pre-zombie or normal zombie), she probably would have been more sympathetic, and Peyton would have been more understanding. 

 

Not much Blaine in this one, but as soon as the kid talked about his disappearing friend in the skate-park, I knew he was involved.  Sucks to be the kid, but I hope this means they are going to do more with Major because of this.  I'm sure he is going to wonder now where that kid ran off too.  I did like him a bit better here; it helped that he wasn't just with Liv, but the let him briefly play opposite of Clive and Ravi, so he doesn't feel as isolated from the main story.

 

Still enjoying the show.  The cast (especially McIver) and snappy dialogue are winning me over episode by episode.

[dcalley]

Too bad Liv couldn't save the brain for when she needs to police health menaces, like Blaine.

Do you mean Marcy's brain? I would think Liv wouldn't want to eat zombie brains, especially ones that are so far gone. Poor Marcy.

 

Please don't put brains down the garbage disposal.

[BooBear]

I enjoyed it but it felt too fast again. I really didn't get all of the case of the week or really care to much about it while it was going on. Then add what was going on with Major and then add in Marcie and I felt like the show was overstuffed.

 

I knew someone was going to be a lawyer.

 

I am disappointed that Blaine is turning out to be a bad guy. If that is all he is going to be I wish Liv would take a hammer to his head.

[Actionmage]

Do you mean Marcy's brain?

 

No, I meant The Exterminator's brain.  For the times Liv would actually better off not feeling something- like criminal zombies.  It's not a perfect solution, but the world isn't listening to Ravi and regular cops and prison aren't going to be effective. Not until everyone believes in zombies.

[MisterGlass]

You know, put a pair of mirrored sunglasses on David Anders and he'd be the Corinthian.

Enjoyed this ep, and the chance the supporting characters are getting to fill out a bit. Ravi in particular demonstrated that he has real charity toward other living(ish) beings, and that's a nice balance to his snark.

Giving Liv a chance to be afraid of herself was a good idea.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPX7hq1JeI4

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Damn it, I knew Brian Krakow was going to end up being the bad guy as soon as I saw his name in the credits! But I was laughing at the irony of Jordan Catalano calling him Brain and then Brain showing up on a zombie show.

 

I really love Ravi. He is the best friend ever. He totally accepts Liv, zombie lumps and all, and is totally supportive even when she temporarily turns into a sociopath (and hee for bringing up the DSM-V reclassification).

 

The case of the week wasn't my favorite (I know, I know, this is only the third episode) but I watch for the humor and the Ravi/Liv friendship so I'm okay with the case being just okay.

[Eneya]

I think it's just excitement that you suddenly know the skill. I mean, if I suddenly knew kung fu, I'd be excited. It's different than if you study it, practice a long time, and gradually acquired the ability.

No, I mean... kung-fu literally means "having a skill", if you say "I know a skill!!!!", you will be looked patiently and somebody would aks "ok... WHAT kind of a skill do you know?", kung-fu does not mean martial arts is not the name of a type of martial arts or anything like that. :)

[Julia]

Well, perhaps Liv is as challenged as the rest of us are about the etymology of the name popularly used to designate chinese martial arts and was excited anyway. It's the simple joys. Probably even more so when you're undead :)

Edited April 2, 2015 by Julia

[FurryFury]

Damn it, I knew Brian Krakow was going to end up being the bad guy as soon as I saw his name in the credits!

 

That was Brian Krakow? I didn't recognize him at all! Wow, do people change with age.

[jhlipton]

This was fun.  I liked how she got cold and emotionless, and realized that she was cold and emotionless.  I was hoping Marcy could be spared, but that was harsh and very effective.

 

This is a fun show!

[lezlers]

Does it matter why Liv did it? Peyton found out that she was about to put an innocent man in prison for a crime he didn't commit and let a murderer go free, possibly to kill again, and her only reaction was to be really pissed that she didn't get away with it because it would have been good for her career. Hey, way to be an officer of the court, narcissist princess. Seriously, hope you go far in our justice system.

 

I'm starting to think Payton is the show's way of showing us who striver Liv was before she was turned, and how in some ways her current condition is an improvement.

 

Sadly, in the ten years I've worked in the criminal justice system, I've seen my fair share of prosecutors with this exact attitude.  I've seen judges have to shame them in open court before they'll let go of a case when it's been more than proven that the person being prosecuted did not commit the crime.

[beatrixkiddo1]

Rob Thomas just knows how to reel me in...even though it isn't gut wrenching like season 1 of VM, the show still has me geeking out and it's only 3 episodes in. I hope it gets super complex and more hurty. I want to be crushed by a tv show again.

[seamusk]

Rob Thomas just knows how to reel me in...even though it isn't gut wrenching like season 1 of VM, the show still has me geeking out and it's only 3 episodes in. I hope it gets super complex and more hurty. I want to be crushed by a tv show again.

Precisely what i'm going for! I'm actually not as invested in the overall arch quite yet. I like the characters. I like the dialogue. But not fully caught up in the overall arc which is still taking shape. I know I will be though.

[Check Sanity]

Damn it, I knew Brian Krakow was going to end up being the bad guy as soon as I saw his name in the credits! But I was laughing at the irony of Jordan Catalano calling him Brain and then Brain showing up on a zombie show.

 

I really love Ravi. He is the best friend ever. He totally accepts Liv, zombie lumps and all, and is totally supportive even when she temporarily turns into a sociopath (and hee for bringing up the DSM-V reclassification).

AHA! I was wondering why that guy seemed vaguely familiar. Wow, this is one case where I didn't recognize someone simply because of their hair, or lack thereof. And yeah with all that irony, plus the fact that Liv refers to herself as the Brain in episode too. Ha. 

Ditto on the love for Ravi and that friendship. 

I liked the comment upthread someone made suggesting that Peyton may be an example of what Liv was like as a pre zombie. I think that's probably true, but I don't see that as a bad thing. She worked hard and didn't have as much fun outside of that, but she wasn't having much for the 6 months before Ravi found out about her and that she started working with Clive either. I think it's being able to talk to someone like Ravi, as well as being pushed out of her self imposed barriers that are leading her to "living". Sure the brains give her new skills, but it's Ravi's motivation and cheerleading that's giving her the confidence to try something completely different.

[FurryFury]

Rob Thomas just knows how to reel me in...even though it isn't gut wrenching like season 1 of VM, the show still has me geeking out and it's only 3 episodes in. I hope it gets super complex and more hurty. I want to be crushed by a tv show again.

I doubt the show is ever going to reach the heights of Veronica Mars. That show was RT's baby - he had created everything in it, and it was a story he really, really wanted to tell. This is, OTOH, is fun, but the fact that this is based on another property and that the show feels... pretty lightweight so far make me think it would only be something to pass the time. Of course, there are shows that are pretty meh in the beginning but start to really shine later on, and I'd love for it to happen - I'm just not counting on this. Part of this is because I just don't really like any characters except Liv and Blaine (the latter in a love to hate sense), while after 3 episodes of Veronica Mars I basically adored everyone except Duncan, including minor recurring characters and a dead character.

[beatrixkiddo1]

I doubt the show is ever going to reach the heights of Veronica Mars. That show was RT's baby - he had created everything in it, and it was a story he really, really wanted to tell. This is, OTOH, is fun, but the fact that this is based on another property and that the show feels... pretty lightweight so far make me think it would only be something to pass the time. Of course, there are shows that are pretty meh in the beginning but start to really shine later on, and I'd love for it to happen - I'm just not counting on this. Part of this is because I just don't really like any characters except Liv and Blaine (the latter in a love to hate sense), while after 3 episodes of Veronica Mars I basically adored everyone except Duncan, including minor recurring characters and a dead character.

I actually really like all the characters so far and personally although I enjoyed VM in the first 3 episodes I wasn't obsessed until episode 9 or so. Also This might not be his baby from inception but it's still his first major tv project in awhile. He's not Sorkin. He can't just get new projects when he snaps his fingers. He has to make each of them count in a big way. I'm hoping he just keeps the tone/humor similar but builds up the stakes and seasons long arc. Procedural stuff will keep the show squarely in "cute".

[Sakura12]

I didn't really start loving VMars until later episodes. Just like this show I loved the main character from the start which is rare for me. That alone makes me want to continue with it. I love Liv and Ravi growing friendship and Clive's okay. I'm not really feeling Blaine quite yet despite my love of David Anders. I'll need to see him a bit more to reach a love to hate feeling. 

[ferretrick]

I like that Liv gets different characteristics every week depending on the brains she eats. I think it will help the show from feeling too much of the same thing every week.

I feel like they REALLY need to clarify the rules about how long she keeps the skills. For example, she could still draw the car very well after eating the painter last week, and I remember they clearly said she couldn't draw at all before that. Yet the negative traits (the first episode girl's kleptomania, tonight's sociopath) conveniently go away by episode's end. So right now, it seems like the rule is she gets to keep a skill if it serves the plot for her to have it. That's a huge crutch for the writers that's going to majorly bug if they continue using it without limitation.

[BPOX]

OK, but how would they clarify? She doesn't have a big book of zombie lore she can exposition from. They can only show us and have the character and the audience draw conclusions about the rules over time.

 

This may verge on fan wank, but I'm going to suggest that it's a use it or lose it thing. What she likes and does a lot of she'll keep longer, maybe permanently. What she rejects will fade. She really loved the painting. She paid attention to it and explored it in her free time, not just on the case. So maybe it was like having a really great art teacher and an intensive art course for a couple weeks. She went from beginner to not bad. Further some basic ability to show what she sees is probably something that will be handy, so I bet she keeps practicing that one and keeps some skill.

 

The trivia, kleptomania, and was it Romanian? Those things didn't interest her that much or she actively rejected them. Nor does the polyamory seem like her bag so I doubt we'll see alot of them.

 

 

[seamusk]

I feel like they REALLY need to clarify the rules about how long she keeps the skills. For example, she could still draw the car very well after eating the painter last week, and I remember they clearly said she couldn't draw at all before that. Yet the negative traits (the first episode girl's kleptomania, tonight's sociopath) conveniently go away by episode's end. So right now, it seems like the rule is she gets to keep a skill if it serves the plot for her to have it. That's a huge crutch for the writers that's going to majorly bug if they continue using it without limitation.

I thought that she explicitly ate more brain towards the end up the second episode with the specific goal of taking advantage of that sensual/artistic trait. So at the end of the second episode, those skills were freshly re-earned via brains.  Whereas, the pointedly showed her considering eating more sociopathic brains towards the ends of this episode, and choosing not to in the end. Therefore, her lack of empathy wore off.  Maybe i'm wrong but that's how I remember it.

[FurryFury]

They did say her abilities are not permanent. Which makes sense (otherwise she'd become way too powerful AND it would be a nightmare for the writers to remember everything while writing new episodes without people asking afterwards why didn't she use this or that).

[shapeshifter]

I just watched this. I put it off because of, well, y'know: Bra-a-ains!

I don't suppose she could discreetly inject herself with them? Nah. Most of the audience would be whining about: Where's the fun in that? Right?

Who knew that Brian Krakow could pass for Jeremy Piven's twin?

About the soap opera/CW portion of the story: When the soon-to-have-his-brains-eaten-by-!Not-Spike kid asked Liv's ex, "Seriously? You think you can do better than that?" was that supposed to be a hint that the Facebook video was just a one-off thing at a party and that the ex-fiancé really hasn't quite "moved on?"

[ketose]

If she's a zombie with a brain who eats brains, do the brains reinforce her brain or start to replace it? Is she going to keep being Liv or is she going to start losing her personality the longer she's a zombie? If she did, it would definitely put an element of urgency to the series.

[KAOS Agent]

 

About the soap opera/CW portion of the story: When the soon-to-have-his-brains-eaten-by-!Not-Spike kid asked Liv's ex, "Seriously? You think you can do better than that?" was that supposed to be a hint that the Facebook video was just a one-off thing at a party and that the ex-fiancé really hasn't quite "moved on?"

 

I thought the kid was addressing Liv with this question. Like what the hell was she doing dumping this awesome guy who was helping so many? Which seemed rude in the extreme since he knows nothing about their relationship and Liv was actively helping by connecting them with someone who could move the process of finding his friend forward.

[DittyDotDot]

Okay, I think this one was even better yet. They are starting to find their footing, IMO. I'm not sure I really follow the logic on the sociopathic tendencies, but I can roll with it. However, I was a bit annoyed that Liv just cut Blaine off. She knows he has no source of brains, and she doesn't trust him, why would she let him wander around hungry. That's only gonna be a set up for future angst, right? Especially after she learns Blaine just ate her ex-fiancé's friend.

 

Anyway, I didn't have Veronica Mars flashbacks this episode...kudos show!!

 

I feel like they REALLY need to clarify the rules about how long she keeps the skills. For example, she could still draw the car very well after eating the painter last week, and I remember they clearly said she couldn't draw at all before that. Yet the negative traits (the first episode girl's kleptomania, tonight's sociopath) conveniently go away by episode's end. So right now, it seems like the rule is she gets to keep a skill if it serves the plot for her to have it. That's a huge crutch for the writers that's going to majorly bug if they continue using it without limitation.

 

Perhaps, the sociopathic assassin could also draw? He was very detail oriented. I know they didn't specifically say it, but I could buy it. I'm actually thinking this gag will run thin quickly for me. It seems like it's gonna be the easy way out of everything, only time will tell though.

[seamusk]

I'm actually thinking this gag will run thin quickly for me. It seems like it's gonna be the easy way out of everything, only time will tell though.

I sort of had this thought. I miss that Veronica solved things largely due to her own abilities. Not that these aren't Liv's abilities, but they are more or less zombie abilities. And sure, what Liv does with them is all hers, so it's not zero empowerment here. But for some reason it hasn't felt entirely the same for me.

[Conan Troutman]

I feel like they REALLY need to clarify the rules about how long she keeps the skills. For example, she could still draw the car very well after eating the painter last week, and I remember they clearly said she couldn't draw at all before that.

 

Maybe she simply practiced? That drawing of the car looked somewhat competent, but hardly something only a professional painter could do. Plus she might have learned a lot faster while still in possession of the skills, so if she decides to pick up some of the skills or traits she experienced, her getting a head start over a total beginner wouldn't seem unreasonable. The major theme of the show seems to be how she's starting to live now that she's dead, so I guess she'll keep trying out things she finds out she likes (or sees as potentially useful), which she wouldn't have in her old life. And if she doesn't like something, well, no reason to "keep" it. To me, this reads more like character development than a crutch to fill plot holes.

[Izeinwinter]

It seems like practicing with a brain in her system would be the equivalent of having that person walk her through the skill in very exhaustive detail - You can learn to throw a correct uppercut *very* quickly if a professional boxer is standing there correcting your posture stance and form the entire time. That wont make you a boxer, but it will make you able to throw an uppercut. In this case, her drawing got better, if not actually good because she spent a good deal of time *using* that skill with the brain in her system. 

That said, an episode where she solves a crime because she, in her own person, was a complete overachiever all the way through college and medschool would be a nice change- She presumably has a degree in biology or chemistry or something along those lines, yes? And it can be confidently assumed she mastered the heck out of that stuff. So, I dunno. "Liv mcguyvers her way out of a drug lab by manufacturing explosives, a battery and detonators all from scratch" only to then at the end to reveal that the brain she is currently on was an english literature professor would be very funny. To me.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Izeinwinter

[Sakura12]

It's not a gag. It's the point of the show. Liv eats the brain of the victim, takes on part of the victims personality allowing her to help solve their murder. 

 

I think it's fun to see what traits and personality quirks Liv will have each week. It will be even more fun if more than one person died and she eats both brains, will she have both at the same time and how will they interact with each other. Will they argue with each other making her seem like she's crazy.