S02.E08: The Hurt Stalker

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Detective Babineaux arrives at the crime scene of a wedding planner who was shot to death, and is shocked to realize that he used to date the victim. To make matters worse, we learn that the murder victim was stalking Detective Babineaux, and that he is now the number one suspect in her murder. Liv and Ravi pose as an engaged couple in order to infiltrate the victim’s wedding planning business. Meanwhile, Major is having a tough time dealing with Liv on stalker brains.

 

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-g8QXi-MsI

[ElectricBoogaloo]

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Inside the episode:

[blugirlami21]

Great episode until the end. I love how much we learned about Clive. Ironically enough we discussed whether he sees Liv and Ravi as friends and I'm so happy that he does. He cooks for them, so adorable.

The case had a good amount of twists and turns. I'm officially over Gilda or Rita. She surprisingly comes across as desperate for Major of all people. I love Major but in her eyes he should be nothing more than a means to end. He has never shown any interest in her other than when he was high and her continued attempts to sleep with him makes her look kind of pathetic. Not what I was expected when she was first introduced.

I'm upset that Major while preaching to Liv about honesty continues to keep his real relationship with Rita a secret. If he had just told Liv the truth about who Rita was that scene at the end could have been completely avoided.

I'm really annoyed that Liv and Major's relationship is going to be derailed by an infidelity that's not even real.

[The Wild Sow]

 

If he had just told Liv the truth about who Rita was that scene at the end could have been completely avoided.

I don't think he knows who Rita is!  He hasn't met "Liv's new roommate, Gilda" yet, has he?

 

This whole time, I've been wondering how she's going to manage to stay out of sight when he comes over.  Could make for some hilarity, ducking in & out of bathrooms, closets, etc...!

[blugirlami21]

I meant that Rita is basically his handler at Max Rager. He needs to tell Liv about his job "killing" zombies for Max Rager. Liv only thinks that Major is still involved with Rita because he himself hasn't been honest.

I was really hoping that she would have took a picture of her face as well. Missed opportunity writers.

[HunterHunted]

I don't think he knows who Rita is!  He hasn't met "Liv's new roommate, Gilda" yet, has he?

 

This whole time, I've been wondering how she's going to manage to stay out of sight when he comes over.  Could make for some hilarity, ducking in & out of bathrooms, closets, etc...!

It's especially weird that Major is keeping the zombie killing a secret because he's not even killing zombies anymore. He's putting them on ice. He knows that Liv is suspicious of Max Rager too. The secret keeping is basically impediment plotting.

[GaT]

It's especially weird that Major is keeping the zombie killing a secret because he's not even killing zombies anymore. He's putting them on ice. He knows that Liv is suspicious of Max Rager too. The secret keeping is basically impediment plotting.

Yes, & it's annoying. IRL they would have figured out that both Major & Liv are connected to her, how long are they going to drag it out? And where is Peyton?

[Chicago Redshirt]

One of the things I liked must about this episode comes from the thought that Liv tailors her victim meals to say something about the victim. In this case, celery plus peanut butter didn't compute. But then it did -- it's a nutty stalker! :)

 

I also enjoyed the line about Regina taking NWA's hit (F--- the Police) literally.

 

Vaughn looks like an even bigger douche with short hair.

 

Anyone know what Ravi was teasing Clive with in whatever GOT language that was?

 

While a lot of little moments like that made me happy, I can't figure out why the writers so often fall flat.

 

I was pretty annoyed by the inmate complaining about racism and such. Not funny.

 

Seems like Stalker Liv should have easily figured out the Gilda/Rita secret, and it also seems like Gilda/Rita should have known better to mess with the bull. I mean in the best case scenario, she gets to hook up with Major. In the medium case, her cover is blown and she has to be spying on Liv from a distance. In the worst case, Liv goes full-on zombie mode and kills her.

 

I don't get how the killer got Clive's gun.

[dcalley]

One of the things I liked must about this episode comes from the thought that Liv tailors her victim meals to say something about the victim. In this case, celery plus peanut butter didn't compute. But then it did -- it's a nutty stalker! :)

 

I also enjoyed the line about Regina taking NWA's hit (F--- the Police) literally.

Thank you for these two things I wondered about!

 

It was so sweet for Clive to make Ravi and Liv sandwiches, and to make hers super spicy.

[Spooky Kitty]

I really enjoyed all of the bits involving Clive this episode.  It's about time we learned more about him, and it was so much fun seeing Ravi and Liv put what they learned into their interactions with him.  That bit where they were teasing him about the sandwiches was a really cute scene.  I also especially liked all of the "Game of Thrones" bits, possibly because I wouldn't have immediately pegged Clive as a George R.R. Martin fan, and picturing his reactions to the series cracked me up.

 

With all of Liv's snooping, I was really expecting Gilda/Rita's identity to be blown by the end of the episode, at least in terms of her being Major's lover.  It seemed like the perfect set-up, and I really hope we get some movement on that front soon.  I'm less surprised but still disappointed that Major hasn't come clean about Max Rager and the blackmail.  Given that his motivation for appearing to follow their orders is protecting Liv, it seems like admitting everything to her would give them the best chance to work together and get him out of it.  Even if taking orders from Max Rager was a viable plan for his future (it's clearly not), I don't see how Major thinks he can keep this to himself forever, what with all of those disappearances being investigated by the police.  I've got a bad feeling that this is the thing that is going to actually break up Major and Liv whenever it comes out.  I'd imagine that whenever Liv isn't on stalker brains, she'll be more rational about the texts, assuming that Major can forgive the invasion of privacy if he finds out about it.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Spooky Kitty

[Hollysdower]

I agree with everyone about how if all the characters just talked to each other honestly, pretty much everything would be solved. Just like last season, if Liv had just told her loved ones about her zombism, they would understand why she did the things she did. I dunno if it's intentional, but this show is making a statement about keeping secrets and not trusting your closest friends.

[Jack Kerouac]

I agree with everyone about how if all the characters just talked to each other honestly, pretty much everything would be solved. Just like last season, if Liv had just told her loved ones about her zombism, they would understand why she did the things she did. I dunno if it's intentional, but this show is making a statement about keeping secrets and not trusting your closest friends.

 

It's like Three's Company with zombies.

[dubbel zout]

The Clive information was great. I loved Ravi taunting him with GOT references and languages. I don't knock Clive for keeping a church and state line with his colleagues—everyone deserves privacy—but we needed to know more about him than he's a dedicated cop. Cooking for people was a really great way to show that he does think of Ravi and Liv as more than just work people. Especially because he made Liv's po'boy extra hot. Awwww.

 

I wish Liv had tried a little harder to resist the stalker brains, but then again, she didn't resist the racist brains much.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

It was nice to find out that Clive cooks cajun food, plays the piano, and loves Game of Thrones. But also hilarious to watch Ravi trying to taunt him with his secret knowledge of Clive's GoT love. "He knows." Ha!

 

I loved when Veronica and Logan pretended to be engaged on Veronica Mars and she whipped out that huge scrapbook, so I was laughing at Liv and Ravi pretending to be engaged, as well as the plethora of scrapbooks.

 

Totally love that Major has now accepted that the dog's name is Minor AND that he wants to buy him a tiny dog sweatshirt.

 

On a serious note, I respect Clive's desire to keep his personal and professional lives separate. I have lived on both ends of the spectrum as well as in between. I had more than one job where I was BFFs with my coworkers and spent a lot of my free time with them after work and on the weekends, but i have also had jobs where I kept it completely professional and chose not to socialize with my coworkers outside of work (not because I disliked them either - I just wanted to keep things separate at that point in my life). But as an audience member, I'm glad that we got to learn more about the enigma that is Clive. We are already in the second season and we know so little about him besides he's a cop who is sleeping with an FBI agent. I have to admit that even though I wasn't super crazy about him hooking up with Dale, I LOVE that it provided us with Dale sharing some personal info about Clive with Liv and Ravi because seeing them figure out ways to reveal their knowledge was hilarious.

 

I was really hoping that she would have took a picture of her face as well. Missed opportunity writers.

Rita knows (1) Liv and Major are back together (2) Liv knows Major slept with Rita because (3) Liv found Rita's earlier texts by snooping on Major's phone, which is exactly why Rita started texting Major again at the end of the episode in the hopes of fanning the flames of Liv's jealousy and breaking them up, but sent a picture without her face because she isn't about to blow her cover with Liv.

Edited December 2, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Julia]

One of the things I liked must about this episode comes from the thought that Liv tailors her victim meals to say something about the victim. In this case, celery plus peanut butter didn't compute. But then it did -- it's a nutty stalker! :)

 Oh, ouch. But you're probably right :)

 

I was pretty annoyed by the inmate complaining about racism and such. Not funny.

Yeah, that was unfortunate even before the Ferguson callout, which was something less savory than unfortunate. Also wasn't OK with the only other inmate being a hulking, grunting stereotype from a women in chains movie from the fifties.

 

Seems like Stalker Liv should have easily figured out the Gilda/Rita secret, and it also seems like Gilda/Rita should have known better to mess with the bull. I mean in the best case scenario, she gets to hook up with Major. In the medium case, her cover is blown and she has to be spying on Liv from a distance. In the worst case, Liv goes full-on zombie mode and kills her.

 

Yeah, not getting that at all. Granted she's asshole's daughter, so she's petty, selfish and not able to hear no, she what, figured that the guy she essentially blackmailed into having sex with her by threatening the woman he loved while she was forcing him to murder people on behalf of the people making the zombies who ate the kids he was trying to save was going to fall in love? Be faithful? Respect her in the morning?

 

It was so sweet for Clive to make Ravi and Liv sandwiches, and to make hers super spicy.

 

It was, although it shows a level of insight into Liv which makes me wonder why he hasn't noticed Other Things. I love that he cooks. I'm sad that Clive being awesome wasn't good enough to be treated like he belonged until he covered up his new boss' affair. And I'm not sure when they got Kavanaugh (which made me laugh, because that was the name of the obnoxious blonde coworker on Stargate: Atlantis) on board with Clive not being the murderer when they had to reveal that they were investigating to give him the evidence.

 

It's like Three's Company with zombies.

 

 snort.

 

Rita knows (1) Liv and Major are back together (2) Liv knows Major slept with Rita because (3) Liv found Rita's earlier texts by snooping on Major's phone, which is exactly why Rita started texting Major again at the end of the episode in the hopes of fanning the flames of Liv's jealousy and breaking them up, but sent a picture without her face because she isn't about to blow her cover with Liv.

Her behavior is counterproductive. Which I would write down to evil is stupid, but she somehow manages to stay on board while her evil overlord father makes it clear that he doesn't give a damn about her, and she can't keep it together when her chew toy sleeps with someone else? And she cares why?

Also, I know it's the law that every show that's not actually Ren and Stimpy has to use it eventually, but I don't think this week really earned "Everybody Hurts".

Edited December 2, 2015 by Julia

[Primetimer]

When stalker brain is on the menu, Liv ends up in the big house.

Read the story

[fastiller]

So glad that Ravi's "Clive's O-Face" screenshot was included in the recap.  Rahul Kohli is fast becoming a favourite of mine.

 

I'm thinking that Clive will soon find out that Liv is not, in fact, psychic but rather an undead.  I'm hoping he will anyway

 

Anyone else wonder if Ruggiero-Wright &/or Thomas is a Missing Persons fan?

[RachelKM]

Maybe this was explained, or I'm thinking about it too hard, but I was confused by the order of people Regina dated.  The scrapbooks original picture on which Clive and the Uma's husband's heads were photo-shopped was of the police chief, based on the white hand. That indicates the scrap books were made after she was with him.  But Regina was already wearing the Uma's super unique engagement ring which indicates that she'd already stolen it.  So did she date the Uma's husband, get dumped and date the chief, but steal the ring while dating him, then make a scrap book of the chief, then go back to harassing the murder and her husband?  

[blugirlami21]

 

Rita knows (1) Liv and Major are back together (2) Liv knows Major slept with Rita because (3) Liv found Rita's earlier texts by snooping on Major's phone, which is exactly why Rita started texting Major again at the end of the episode in the hopes of fanning the flames of Liv's jealousy and breaking them up, but sent a picture without her face because she isn't about to blow her cover with Liv.

 

It kind of looked like to me that she was actually really calling Major for a booty call.  Rita had no way of knowing how long Liv would be on stalker brain, Major didn't even know until she came home that night.  I would like to think Rita is a smart enough henchwoman to be so calculated but I think she is trying hard to get Major back in her bed.  She seemed really upset every time Liv talked about being with Major.  I wish Liv had told Rita that Major said their tyrst was meaningless. 

[possibilities]

Clive slept with Dale, didn't he? Did I imagine that? Because it means he doesn't really have a "church/state" separation (cooking revelations aside). Also, do you have to be blonde to be a sympathetic female on this show?

 

One of the things I liked must about this episode comes from the thought that Liv tailors her victim meals to say something about the victim. In this case, celery plus peanut butter didn't compute. But then it did -- it's a nutty stalker! :)

Hilarious!

Edited December 2, 2015 by possibilities

[tearbender]

That caricature woman chanting "Ferguson" was vile and perhaps one of the biggest missteps the writers have made in the series. Seriously, what the fuck? Was that supposed to be funny?

[dubbel zout]

Clive slept with Dale, didn't he?

He did. She's on loan from the FBI, though, and not a permanent staffer like Ravi and Liv. Or at least that's how I explain it to myself. And she's probably more age-appropriate than Liv would be—not that I'm saying the show should or would go there. 

[editorgrrl]

I enjoyed Liv's line about Regina taking N.W.A.'s hit (F--- tha Police) literally.

And when Vaughn du Clark told Rita, "I got the brains, we both got the looks. Let's make lots of money," he was quoting "Opportunities" by Pet Shop Boys.

Q: What is George R. R. Martin doing right now?

A: Not writing!

I flove Babineaux's WTF faces, but it was especially fun watching Ravi and Liv tease him about his cooking and fandom.

Edited December 2, 2015 by editorgrrl

[thuganomics85]

Classic Ravi, always asking the important stuff like if Liv couldn't up "having sex" with Clive in her visions and seeing his O-face.  That probably is something to be prepared for when the victim is his ex.

 

Clive being the suspect made this case a bit more interesting, since that made Liv and Ravi be the crime-solvers, and we got to learn more about Clive.  I actually don't mind him wanting to keep somethings separated from his work colleagues, but it was still awesome when Ravi found out Clive is a Game of Thrones fan.  And how Clive still couldn't stop himself from complaining about George R.R. Martin, even though he knew Ravi was needling him on purpose.  It also sounded like Clive has given them his Canjun food before (all under a guise of it being a fast food place), so that is kind of touching on some levels.  He might not tell them that it was actually him who cooked it, but he still went out of his way to make it for them.

 

That said, the case itself was obvious to me, as soon as I saw Natalie Brown (Kelly from The Strain), as the wife.  No way they wouldn't bother getting her and not have at least one big scene.

 

Liv on Stalker Brain started off funny, but quickly went into darker territory, by really putting friction on Major.  And now thanks to Rita/Gilda, she apparently still think Major might have something with her.  Great.

 

Oh, and Max Rager is making Vaughn even more stronger and more ill-tempered.  That can't be good.

 

Liv in prison was a bit of a miss, especially all the stereotyping with the fellow inmate.  The writers do seem to fall into that trap at times.

Edited December 2, 2015 by thuganomics85

[dcalley]

And when Vaughn du Clark told Rita, "I got the brains, we both got the looks. Let's make lots of money," he was quoting "Opportunities" by Pet Shop Boys.

I think the song played elsewhere in the episode, too.

[Actionmage]

Is it wrong that when I see ' Gilda/Rita', I get thirsty?

 

I enjoyed last night's episode and loved getting Clive bits ( Ravi actually asking Clive about Mr. Martin was fun!), but I was doing some cleaning as I watched/listened.

 

Steven Webber as Vaughn Du Clark is one, if not the, slimiest slimes  Mr. Webber has embodied. Kudos to a man that seems to enjoy his work, and allows us to hate him. 

 

Major? A) Do not dress the dog! and B) come clean to Ravi, if not Liv. Ravi might even help you figure out how to tell Liv the truth and save the nice zombies!

 

Professions I'd like Liv to try on:

* a cabbie

*a ballerina

*a forest ranger

*a pro athlete- like football or basketball

*Mr. Boss or Blaine's dad ( lawyers?)

*ice sculptor

[itainttippithebird]

 

The scrapbooks original picture on which Clive and the Uma's husband's heads were photo-shopped was of the police chief, based on the white hand. That indicates the scrap books were made after she was with him.  But Regina was already wearing the Uma's super unique engagement ring which indicates that she'd already stolen it.  So did she date the Uma's husband, get dumped and date the chief, but steal the ring while dating him, then make a scrap book of the chief, then go back to harassing the murder and her husband?

 

I had the same question!

[Anela]

I meant that Rita is basically his handler at Max Rager. He needs to tell Liv about his job "killing" zombies for Max Rager. Liv only thinks that Major is still involved with Rita because he himself hasn't been honest.

I was really hoping that she would have took a picture of her face as well. Missed opportunity writers.

I thought she was trying to wind Liv up, upset her, and make her think it's an ongoing relationship, even though it hasn't been (physically) since Major went back to Liv. 

 

The scene in front of the safe was sweet. I also loved that Major was buying something for Minor (and when I first heard what Ravi named him, when he met the dog, I didn't get the joke - I am much too slow these days). 

 

Clive's face whenever he heard the GoT references was hilarious. And it was sweet that he cooks for them. 

[tennisgurl]

There was a lot of really great stuff in this episode, but I`m still laughing at the NWA line. Thats took me a second, but as soon as I caught up, I had to turn off Hulu for a second, I laughed out loud so hard. 

 

I am disappointed that this fake infidelity is going to be a damper on Live/Major. Major and his secrets aside, they're really good together. Of course, Liv was the one with the millions of secrets last season, so maybe they really are just a perfect match?

[sjohnson]

No progress at all on the long term arc, except that Major's handler is mad at him. Doesn't seem to me this is an intensification of personal jeopardy we really need. The threat of prison for zombi snatching is quite enough I thought. 

 

Loved the Clive insights, of course. 

 

Boo hiss on making fun of Ferguson with that silly fat woman. 

 

The case of the week with the brother standing up for the sister then her trying to help him with a confession was affecting. The show doesn't take zombi apocalypse seriously regardless of how central the threat is supposed to be to the overall plot. So usually the real stakes are in the case. 

[FurryFury]

Great episode, other than the Liv/Major stuff, which I'm so fed up with, it's unreal.

 

Ravi and Liv investigating together was gold. G R R Martin jokes - hilarious. 

 

I wonder if the new cop boss being dirty is going to have consequences, and if the other cop, conveniently named Cavanaugh, is going to recur.

[fastiller]

I wonder if the new cop boss being dirty is going to have consequences, and if the other cop, conveniently named Cavanaugh, is going to recur.

What do you mean by "conveniently named Cavanaugh?"  Is there something to the name (other than that it sort of rhymes with Babineuax)?

[Bort]

I wonder if the new cop boss being dirty is going to have consequences, and if the other cop, conveniently named Cavanaugh, is going to recur.

I don't think the captain is dirty per se, I think he was just desperately trying to cover up the affair he had with the dead stalker girl.

And yeah, why is it convenient that Cavanaugh is the the other guy's name?

[Julia]

I don't think the captain is dirty per se, I think he was just desperately trying to cover up the affair he had with the dead stalker girl.

Well, yeah, but he was awfully anxious to get the investigation over by charging Clive, to the point where Cavanaugh was clearly not looking for any other suspects with his boss' backing. Not cool to railroad someone to cover up your zipper problems.

[dubbel zout]

The chief might not be dirty, but I think he'll cause further problems for Clive. Otherwise I don't think he'd have played such a big part in the episode. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Professions I'd like Liv to try on:

* a cabbie

*a ballerina

I would love to see Liv as a ballerina or other dancer! Rose McIver has a dance background and she rehearsed for months to play a ballerina in Petals on the Wind but we got to see very little of it in the final edit.

[FurryFury]

What do you mean by "conveniently named Cavanaugh?"  Is there something to the name (other than that it sort of rhymes with Babineuax)?

 

Yeah, the fact that it rhymes, plus, it starts with B and C (kinda waiting for a cop with "A").

 

I don't think the captain is dirty per se, I think he was just desperately trying to cover up the affair he had with the dead stalker girl.

 

I feel like the fact that he was willing to charge his own subordinate with murder he may not have committed makes him dirty automatically.

[Bort]

I feel like the fact that he was willing to charge his own subordinate with murder he may not have committed makes him dirty automatically.

True. I guess I was thinking "dirty" on a grander scale, like HR on Person of Interest, running a drug ring and various mob tendencies.

[Chicago Redshirt]

But as much as we like him, Clive seems like a reasonable suspect -- he knew the victim, he specifically threatened the victim, and she was shot with his gun. His explanation that his gun was stolen seems pretty suspicious.

[jhlipton]

I was pretty annoyed by the inmate complaining about racism and such. Not funny.

 

 

3 black women in this episode (not too many in any others, either) -- one was a crazy stalker who gets killed at the start and the other two are pretty much racist caricatures.  Not cool, show, not cool.  

 

Also, do you have to be blonde to be a sympathetic female on this show?

 

Definitely don't be a black woman! (Black men have become accepted, but black women, not so much.)

[AudienceofOne]

Catching up... wow Gilda/Rita is even more annoyingly one-dimensional now then before. Are they saying her character is basically spoiled brat? Because nobody (NOBODY) wants to watch more than 10 seconds of spoiled brat. There has to be more to her than this.

[DigitalCount]

Finally all caught up. I think this might have been one of my favorite episodes this season, simply because the potential perp is someone we care about, and also a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire, not just GoT--otherwise he wouldn't be sore about Martin's writing schedule. I choose to ignore the inmate in the same way that Clive chose to ignore Liv's racist comment a few episodes back; in a manner that makes it clear that it's behind me so long as it doesn't happen again. If it does, we're gonna have a problem here.

 

Clive is fantastic. I feel as if I would love to know him in real life. Of course, I'm an oversharer, so he probably wouldn't feel the same way. :P