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S01.E08: Dead Air


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(edited)

But why are any of them afraid of repercussions from Blaine is my point? They don't need him, they don't need to pay him. They can get brains other ways, from the morgue, from a funeral home or just kill people themselves. I don't get why they are all following or listening to him. I need that explained. It's not like vampires where most lore shows that there is a bond between maker and fledgling and the maker teaches the young vampire what to do. There is no such bond here, Liv was made by Blaine and feels no connection to him at all. If there is no bond, I don't get why the other zomibes are protecting him or need him.

Edited by Sakura12
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(edited)

I think the show really needs to explain Blaine's motivations (and hopefully hint at his backstory). I really would prefer to get a few episodes without a murder of the week formula, considering we're nearing the end of the season.

 

Yes, this. As it stands, Blaine makes very little sense to me right now. 

 

Shallow complaint: they really need to get some consistency with the zombie look. I get that we have different zombies taking different approaches to their aesthetic, including Liv choosing to wear an old Party City wig for some reason, but how exactly is that wooden police lieutenant guy attaining his salt-and-pepper effect?

 

If they wanted to play the who's-a-cylon game they should have started out with a more subtle zombie look, especially for their lead. 

 

I'd also like it if they would lose the VMVO.

Edited by kieyra
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(edited)

Because he recruits muscle bound morons as direct minions, and his client list mostly consists of people unlikely to jump to "Put a rifle bullet through Blaines head, loot his accounts, buy a crematorium" from a standing start. The police captain is really the one that needs explaining. Dead man switch life-insurance? 

Edited by Izeinwinter
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But why are any of them afraid of reparations for Blaine is my point? They don't need him, they don't need to pay him.

 

What Blaine has over them is the fact that they are zombies. 

 

Look at how the  US reacted to ebola. Now think of how the real life US would react to actual, really real zombies. It would not be pretty. Discussions over whether the zombies are should even be considered human anymore. Whether it's okay to just shoot one on sight. Easily grabbed zombies would disappear to be medically studies, supposedly for the cure, but we can't honestly rule out someone trying to find a way  to weaponize the virus even more.

 

Would you have any faith in a chief of detectives that was a zombie?  As we saw last week, there are real concerns about them full-on zombie-ing. Would you automatically be fine if your social worker, for example, was a zombie? What about your butcher?  Your regular babysitter?

 

Exposure is why folks like Suzuki and Jackie were obviously unhappy but went along.  I imagine some folks are largely squeamish about killing/removing brains, so those folks find Blaine because he's easy to find. ( Whether he has a sliding scale based on his clientele's income, I am curious about.) Plus, there are only so many funeral homes to try to get as "your" spot.

 

I am also curious about animal brains and how they affect zombies? Are they not filling enough? Does Mad Cow Disease affect zombies negatively? Do other animal-only diseases affect zombies?

 

I can only speak for me, but one of the reasons I enjoy coming to these boards is for the range of responses, whether I agree with someone or not. Sometimes, reading how someone else saw a scene or took a line of dialogue is expanding, in that I might not have thought of the scene or dialogue in that light. It gives me food for thought.

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how exactly is that wooden police lieutenant guy attaining his salt-and-pepper effect?

Highlights. (Or in this case, lowlights.) He obviously has a lot of time on his hands. And a really good colorist.

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(edited)

With talking about women not liking the nice guy. I love Eddie on the Flash and he's a nice guy. The actor has managed to make him likeable and funny. He gave him a personality beyond a list of nice guy qualities. I will be upset if they ruin him so the hero can get the girl. 

 

The actor playing Major is nice to look at, but that's about it. I don't see a personality that would interest me or Liv. He's trying and his storyline should interest me because on paper it should be interesting. But I'm just not. Like I said before, he's just there. A better actor may have been able to do more with the character. 

Edited by Sakura12
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With talking about women not liking the nice guy. I love Eddie on the Flash and he's a nice guy. The actor has managed to make him likeable and funny. He gave him a personality beyond a list of nice guy qualities. I will be upset if they ruin him so the hero can get the girl. 

 

The Nice Guy argument is MRA boilerplate. Essentially, men are justified in behaving shabbily towards women because women as a group (categorical statement based on anecdata alert) mistreat men who behave well towards them. 

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(edited)

That's "nice guy". I meant Eddie is a nice guy and I like him. Major is a nice guy but I find him boring. Barry on the Flash is a "nice guy" meaning he gets mad that Iris doesn't like him back when he is always trying to help her because that's what's supposed to happen in his mind. 

Edited by Sakura12
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(edited)

Yes, with The Flash, it's funny, because Barry is also a Nice Guy (capital letters, even) who behaves in a very stereotypical way (friendzoned, etc.) - but Eddie is a genuine one, yet Barry's the hero and the show wants us to root for him simply because. It's all very off-putting. But yeah, I definitely like Eddie too, the actor's doing a much better job than Robert Buckley, they really should have done a chem-test, it's telling how many people have embraced Lowell and "Livwell" simply on the basis of chemistry (imho).

Edited by FurryFury
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(edited)

What Blaine has over them is the fact that they are zombies. 

 

Look at how the  US reacted to ebola. Now think of how the real life US would react to actual, really real zombies. It would not be pretty. Discussions over whether the zombies are should even be considered human anymore. Whether it's okay to just shoot one on sight. Easily grabbed zombies would disappear to be medically studies, supposedly for the cure, but we can't honestly rule out someone trying to find a way  to weaponize the virus even more.

 

Would you have any faith in a chief of detectives that was a zombie?  As we saw last week, there are real concerns about them full-on zombie-ing. Would you automatically be fine if your social worker, for example, was a zombie? What about your butcher?  Your regular babysitter?

 

Have we actually seen him threaten to out them? If so I missed or forgot it.

 

It seems like it would be mutually assured destruction if he did threaten it. 

 

As distressed as I am that this show is already being eaten alive by shipper-related factions, I'm kind of surprised anyone holds up the Lowell relationship as an example of any point whatsoever. It seems pretty clear to me that he's temporary; they didn't throw them nearly enough obstacles for anything else. RT was probably having to fulfill some shirtless-dude CW quota. 

Edited by kieyra
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The fact that Liv could hook up the police captain with brains is what makes me think Blaine doesn't actually have a plan for Liv-he was bluffing to keep the captain from trying to reach out to Liv separately. If the captain is under Blaine's thumb and he thinks Liv is too, then he won't try to team up with Liv for fear of reparations from Blaine.

I'm getting confused. Reparations are repairs, amends, compensation for damages. Is "repercussions" meant?

 

 

how exactly is that wooden police lieutenant guy attaining his salt-and-pepper effect?

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Touch of Gray from Just for Zombies?

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Naturally gray hair is a little different texture from regular hair and to the frustrationof many trying to die can be resistant to dye. So if we assume zombie gray is a distinct phenomenon then maybe the hair is differeent in terms of dye resistance. Fanwank out.

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(edited)
to the frustrationof many trying to die can be resistant to dye.

 

I'm really really sorry for nitpicking, but this typo is all sorts of awesome.

Edited by FurryFury
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I like Lowell, and like them together. I caught up last night, and can't remember what was in this last episode, and what was in the others  - I'm not feeling well. I hope they don't make her boss a zombie, though.

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Have we actually seen him threaten to out them? If so I missed or forgot it.

 

 

There actually has been no threat of outing. That is an option, though. Like in Major's case, the henchman was able to walk away due to a combo of a) the plot said so and b) Blaine had set up just enough plausible deniability in their covers for the cops to decide to go ahead with arresting the obviously vendetta-driven Major who had actually and clearly committed a crime. If Blaine, who's had time to think and plan, decides to out someone, there could be minimal, if any, blowback. Except from Liv and Co., who he already sees as a potential problem.

 

  As we saw with Jackie, though, another  threat is Blaine just killing whoever is bothering him. Jackie allowed him into her apartment after seeing him holding a drill

 

Yet I am supposed to believe that the Chief of Ds ( NYPD Blue!) is supposed to just let low-level scum get away with serial murder because he gets food easier through Blaine?  Here is the scene from the last episode ( about 20 minutes in, just after Major is dumped):

 

Blaine: "( slow-clapping as Suzuki approaches) Enter the hero. Why so glum, chum? "

Suzuki: "I can't do this anymore. Moving those kids' bodies; it's too much." 

Blaine:" Emotionally? Or...? Because physically, it shouldn't have been that hard, your bones-"

Suzuki: "Damn it, listen to me. You're not even trying to be careful anymore. The bodies are piling up and you just expect me to make them disappear."

Blaine: "What part of me having you by the short and curlies don't you understand? I am literally your meal ticket. "

Suzuki:" I understand that. But you-"

Blaine: "What are you going to do? Hmm? You gonna go down to holding and pop open a couple of craniums and hope no one gets wise? Stop acting like you have options and just do what I tell you to do."

Suzuki: "There's a girl in the M.E.'s office- pale. Looks like she plays for Team Z."

Blaine: "Yeah. I know all about her. She has her own special role in all of this.

Suzuki: " It would have been nice to get a heads up."

Blaine: "I'm sorry dear. You know how I struggle with my communications skills.Now, run off and do your job- protect and serve... me."

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There actually has been no threat of outing. That is an option, though. Like in Major's case, the henchman was able to walk away due to a combo of a) the plot said so and b) Blaine had set up just enough plausible deniability in their covers for the cops to decide to go ahead with arresting the obviously vendetta-driven Major who had actually and clearly committed a crime. If Blaine, who's had time to think and plan, decides to out someone, there could be minimal, if any, blowback. Except from Liv and Co., who he already sees as a potential problem.

 

  As we saw with Jackie, though, another  threat is Blaine just killing whoever is bothering him. Jackie allowed him into her apartment after seeing him holding a drill

 

Yet I am supposed to believe that the Chief of Ds ( NYPD Blue!) is supposed to just let low-level scum get away with serial murder because he gets food easier through Blaine?  Here is the scene from the last episode ( about 20 minutes in, just after Major is dumped):

 

Blaine: "( slow-clapping as Suzuki approaches) Enter the hero. Why so glum, chum? "

Suzuki: "I can't do this anymore. Moving those kids' bodies; it's too much." 

Blaine:" Emotionally? Or...? Because physically, it shouldn't have been that hard, your bones-"

Suzuki: "Damn it, listen to me. You're not even trying to be careful anymore. The bodies are piling up and you just expect me to make them disappear."

Blaine: "What part of me having you by the short and curlies don't you understand? I am literally your meal ticket. "

Suzuki:" I understand that. But you-"

Blaine: "What are you going to do? Hmm? You gonna go down to holding and pop open a couple of craniums and hope no one gets wise? Stop acting like you have options and just do what I tell you to do."

Suzuki: "There's a girl in the M.E.'s office- pale. Looks like she plays for Team Z."

Blaine: "Yeah. I know all about her. She has her own special role in all of this.

Suzuki: " It would have been nice to get a heads up."

Blaine: "I'm sorry dear. You know how I struggle with my communications skills.Now, run off and do your job- protect and serve... me."

 

Yeah, that grates. I'm guessing that sooner rather than later his minions are going to act up, and most likely Blaine won't know how to handle it.

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Yeah, that grates. I'm guessing that sooner rather than later his minions are going to act up, and most likely Blaine won't know how to handle it.

We've seen his thugs and his customer act up. He clearly expects it and thinks he has a plan. I must say though, I would have assumed that Suzuki would be more worth cultivating, rather than threatening. I would have liked it better if he was saving him something special. I don't know, Pollyanna brains or something.

 

I'm really really sorry for nitpicking, but this typo is all sorts of awesome.

It is a challenge typing on a tiny mobile phone, but the results speak for themselves.

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I think part of the reason Blaine keeps everyone in line is that these characters don't have unlimited resources. Liv seems like an outlier who has the medical background and temperament to work around corpses, but if she were an accountant before being zombie-fied she would be as dependent on Blaine as the others.

The more I think about it, more I think Blaine counts on the fact that most of his victims are generally good people. They may be desperate, but they don't want to get their hands dirty or go digging in skulls.

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Veronica Mars Voice Over? (just guessing)

Blech. Now not only are VM references scattered liberally about, but they're in code?!? And we non-VM watchers are supposed to know what that means... how? I'm out. It's been real. I'll continue to watch the show, but I just can't with this.

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(edited)

Erm. Sorry, it was just a commonly-used acronym during VM. Believe it or not, I myself often do not get other people's pop-culture shorthand when discussing shows, because I haven't seen everything ever. I look it up and/or move on. For example, this week in GoT, there's the phrase "R+L=J" being tossed around. Had to google. Didn't get mad.

Also not my fault: RT creating two shows where actresses with similar voices and cadences do very on-the-nose voiceovers.

ETA: Sorry, RT is Rob Thomas, the showrunner. GoT = Game of Thrones. ETA = edited to add.

Edited by kieyra
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Blech. Now not only are VM references scattered liberally about, but they're in code?!? And we non-VM watchers are supposed to know what that means... how? I'm out. It's been real. I'll continue to watch the show, but I just can't with this.

 

Wow, that's really overreacting. I get it, acronyms are annoying, but is it that hard to simply ask what they mean? It's just a small remark, not the end of the world. I think TWOP had a strict anti-acronym policy, but these boards aren't as heavily moderated (which makes sense, because unlike TWOP, they don't get the same amount of posters simply because of recaps so they need to keep their forum posters happy - that's my theory, of course).

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(edited)

The VMVO acronym was used/allowed at TWoP (probably because it was in the recaps). I watch Arrow and Agents of Shield but I have never seen any of the MCU movies or read the comics so when I see abbreviations or references in those forums that I don't know about, I either google them, ask what they stand for, or just skip past them. When a show runner has a big fan base, there are bound to be comparisons between their shows. I never watched Gilmore Girls but there were tons of references/comparisons to the show in the Bunheads forum, but it didn't bother me. I thought maybe I would get around to watching GG one day, but Bunheads got canceled before that happened.

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
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(edited)

Honestly, I find it exclusionary and offputting myself, as if people who aren't fans of the earlier show aren't in the ingroup of the current one. More to the point, as was mentioned earlier in a different context, people who make references to the earlier show without explaining them and why they're relevant are asking everyone else to take their word about a conversation we're not privy to. If something about VM illuminates the current show, absolutely, share with the class if you're inclined to. If it's fandom-specific grouptalk, though, it's common courtesy to explain it. JMO, of course.

Edited by Julia
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I seem to be unable to successfully navigate the strange minefield that is this show's subforum, so I will also bow out. Sorry for earlier acronym offense. 

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(edited)

I guess this subforum has brought here some posters unused to the culture of communication most of us are accostumed to (like people who came from TWOP). I'd say "don't let it bring you down", but that's your choice, kieyra :(

Edited by FurryFury
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I seem to be unable to successfully navigate the strange minefield that is this show's subforum, so I will also bow out. Sorry for earlier acronym offense. 

 

I don't think anyone's asking for that. I'm certainly not. I think it's like any other conversation. If someone doesn't know the history, tell them. 

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I'm a big fan of Lowell and Liv together, but now I wonder if the "attraction" is really real since now Lowell, too, takes on characteristics of the brain owner, like the week he was gay so he and Liv just hung out. Liv reacts to Major (and Lowell) depending on what brain she eats. Relationships are hard enough without the people changing personalities after every meal.

 

So Major's girlfriend ... she's still with him regardless of Major now having a roommate? I thought that was part of Liv's plan to get rid of her, having her boss move in with Major.

 

Major still has no personality. *yawn*

 

As for Liv's dead-head wig hair, I figure her scalp and hair are dead too, so I cut her some slack for the mop top. Until they come out with Revitalizing Zombie Restorative Shampoo, that is.

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(edited)
but now I wonder if the "attraction" is really real since now Lowell, too, takes on characteristics of the brain owner, like the week he was gay so he and Liv just hung out. Liv reacts to Major (and Lowell) depending on what brain she eats. Relationships are hard enough without the people changing personalities after every meal.

 

I doubt that the brains influence her that much. It's possible the brain she ate before meeting him (her sorority sister who liked him) influenced the initial attraction, but it's been 3 episodes and she still likes him, so it's probably genuine (and why not, he's hot and they have great chemistry). I can't say I love the pairing too much, but I really appreciate that it doesn't get the "OTP treatment" that I'm sick of, it's simply a part of her life and now probably of the plot too. I don't feel like I'm supposed to root for them to get together or anything. I'm just enjoying the ride (and eye candy, yep).

Edited by FurryFury
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(edited)

OTP is "one true pairing" (apologies, I thought it's a common enough term to not require explanation). Basically, it's when shows force-feed us a romance and expect us to root for them to get together for good without trying to really develop the characters and their relationship first. Iris and Barry on The Flash are a good example, and Oliver and Laurel before them on Arrow (although the fan reaction for the latter was so bad they had to back out of it after season one). On Veronica Mars, Duncan and Veronica were a milder example. I prefer a more natural, subtle development of a romance, something that doesn't feel forced.

Edited by FurryFury
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(edited)

I prefer a more natural, subtle development of a romance, something that doesn't feel forced.

 

 

I like that Lowell and Liv are attracted to each other with no commitment or gobble-de-gook about what their relationship, if any, means or what being together today means they have to do tomorrow. They just enjoy each other. Plus Lowell is one cool drink who says pretty much all the right things, things that Liv needed to hear. I find them hot together, Lowell is nice EC (eye candy, I just made that up!), and I am enjoying their ride.

 

I just hope Lowell doesn't turn out to be some jerk or bad guy. I like him just the way he is, nothing more, nothing less. Please, show, do not ruin this good character.

Edited by saber5055
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I think TWOP had a strict anti-acronym policy, but these boards aren't as heavily moderated (which makes sense, because unlike TWOP, they don't get the same amount of posters simply because of recaps so they need to keep their forum posters happy - that's my theory, of course).

 

It's simpler than that. We just find that having too many rules restricts conversation and takes up too much of the moderators' time. Also, some of TWoP's rules (like "boards on boards") were difficult to define, let alone enforce.

 

As for the acronyms, would it help if we had a list of them someplace? If someone wants to compile that, I could add it to the first post of the iZombie vs. other shows thread. As I've said before, I can't outlaw all VMars talk and wouldn't want to moderate that heavily even if I could. I don't think there's been quite as much of it lately, though, and I expect it will peter out even more once we hit season two of this show.

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As for Liv's dead-head wig hair, I figure her scalp and hair are dead too, so I cut her some slack for the mop top. Until they come out with Revitalizing Zombie Restorative Shampoo, that is.

Look, another zombie specific product that Blaine could monopolize! I wonder why he isn't offering a lunch and spray tan/hair color touchup package to his clients.

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I thought the spray tan person was hers and he was getting one at her house and having her pay for it. Since he is charging his rich clients an arm and a leg for their meals, I thought he would add this as another service! Did Liv ask Lowell about his tan/hair when they first met? I can't remember.

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I THINK Lowell volunteered his tan/hair fixing when he told Liv he was a zombie too. Then this week, when she came to his apartment as he was obviously just out of the shower, he said he had been "retouching" his white roots, redoing the dye job.

 

I think a spa that caters to a certain Z clientele is a fantastic business idea! It could be next door to the Meat Cute shop.

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Maybe after killing Jackie Blaine scratched the aesthetician so he could keep his perks.

 

Part of me thinks Blaine is going to sell Meat Cute, move to another city, and start another zombie franchise.

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I hope the police chief puts a bullet in Blaine- I'm tired if his shit.

They made me like annoying Peyton by pairing her with Ravi. I hope she doesn't break his heart. He IS a catch, Liv- doctor, cute, hot accent. I'm glad she realized she was a bitch, though I wish she apologized.

Major is starting to grow on me the darker he gets. He is clearly on the path to zombification. Still sad those kids are dead.

I like Clive. He's not ugly at all, and I like his relationship with Liv and Ravi. I thought he was getting a love interest with the nosy reporter, but I'm hoping we get some backstory on him.

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(edited)

Different opinions here!

Major is interesting because he cares about something besides himself, not because he's starting to do weird stuff that has an uncertain relationship to his goals. 

Peyton isn't interesting, because all I've seen is that she enjoys berating underlings and would rather humiliate a guy than date him. 

Ravi, pleasant as his low-key humor is, doesn't make a lick of sense as an alleged human being. 

Babineau is not Liv's friend but Liv doesn't want to be his friend either, so I guess that's even. 

The only thing we know about Evan is that he's a creepy stalker but since we see him through Liv's eyes, and she doesn't care about him, it doesn't matter.

The dialogue on this show is by far the most consistently well-executed aspect of the show, and the heavy use fir the new personalities in the case of the week makes the show outstanding. 

The continuing story line isn't very well-executed so far. especially when they waste time on the continuing story line.

Lowell, being a rock musician, is no doubt cooler than Major, and when he comes on to Liv is sexier, but these make him eye candy, not interesting.

Edited by sjohnson
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Seeing Irene took me back to when I really enjoyed Ryan Reynolds. Good times.

Liv and Ravi are still the best things about this show. Screw Liv's advice though, Ravi is adorable and a catch. As for Lowell, I like him too. As others have said, it's nice to see a regular, non-angsty relationship play out in a normal way (well, except for the zombie part). Lowell seems like a decent person and while the relationship is likely temporary, I think that Liv needs this right now to develop and accept her new life. Plus, I have residual love for the actor from Merlin.

Ugh with Major. His storyline is at least getting more interesting, but the actor is all kinds of bland. I don't care how handsome he is. (And no, I don't give a flying fig that his character played football either. I'd rather have the ex-CDC doc with good hair and a British accent any day!)

I hope Ravi's interest in Peyton ends up making her more interesting. I want to like her, because I've liked the actress in other things, but she just doesn't feel like she fits this show to me. I don't know what it is.

As for Blaine, he's the antagonist and a driver of the season's arc and is played by one of the best actors in the show, but I just can't bring myself to care about him either.

Babineaux is growing on me though and bright side, at least we didn't have to suffer through any of Liv's family this episode.

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Yes thank you! I was wondering why the manager looked so familiar- I loved Two Guys and a Girl.

I really hope they keep Lowell around. Besides being super hot, he seems nice and has good chemistry with Liv. I hope he's not some bad guy.

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