S04.E11: Insane in the Germ Brain

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Liv does Clive a solid and agrees to consume germaphobe brain during flu season. Ravi continues his role as surrogate father to Isobel. Major finally gets to the bottom of things, and Chase continues to spiral out of control. Lastly, Peyton struggles with a very important decision.

Promo:

[ketose]

I guess we're supposed to feel sorry for Isobel because she's a kid and she died. She wasn't there long enough to get invested. I'm hoping Liv eats her brain and suddenly becomes unzombified.

[Free]

18 minutes ago, ketose said:

I guess we're supposed to feel sorry for Isobel because she's a kid and she died. She wasn't there long enough to get invested. I'm hoping Liv eats her brain and suddenly becomes unzombified.

Yeah, it would've been better if she was more fleshed out than being a walking plot device.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I still dislike Isobel, but I can't deny that the effect she had on Ravi and Liv packed an emotional punch. Isobel doesn't have to matter to me; her mattering to characters who matter to me is enough. When they all repeated how they were meat with a spark...it made up for the many, many missteps of the show this season.

Another episode that struck me as pretty good overall. Another episode where Liv was largely herself. Coincidence?

Liv: Her Peyton imitation was pretty funny. Seems like using her friends to carry on her smuggling is not cool. But at least Peyton a) sort of signed up for it and b) has plausible deniability. Her relationship with Levon is chemistry-free. One thing about the show is that the Victims of the Week are becoming way less important with all the other plot threads to deal with. In this case, with Crybaby Carl being the culprit, I wonder if he will try to cut a deal with FG. Perhaps he will hip them to Blaine being the culprit behind Mayor Baracus's murder (if he knows).

Ravi: I like how they wrote Ravi this episode. Funny, charming, and willing to sacrifice. I don't think Ravi of a season or two would have wanted Peyton to leave Seattle to never return. 

Peyton: I don't get what sort of quarantine it is that Peyton would need to leave Seattle. Even assuming she's 100 percent human and not a carrier (which is a big assumption given that she's been boning sometimes-zombie Ravi), anything that she could do in person could be done just as easily over Skype or probably a dozen other virtual meeting platforms. Why violate quarantine and do a, what 6 hour flight each way for some meetings? Her parents were all right. I wish they switched it up and had mom be the judge and the tough one and dad be the can't-we-just-get-along wallflower.

Major: It's going to be sad to see the bromance end between him and Chase. But killing Capt. Seattle is not something Chase can come back from. My unspoiled speculation is that Major is going to falsely confess to being Renegade and denounce FG pretty hardcore. Pretty much everything in that plot thread seemed pretty contrived. Like how did Russ Roche escape and take Jordan's weapon? It's hard for me to even picture it, especially without killing any of Major's squad. How did Chase not have the good sense to chill about Roche getting away momentarily? Like he himself said, Roche is a dolt. He can get captured soon. Freaking out in front of all the men and shooting Jordan just seems like a poor way to impose discipline. And then for Captain Seattle to try to shoot Chase...I know he was supposed to love her, but man, that's suicide. How is he going to expect to not get killed when there are a couple dozen FG guys right there? I imagine truth-serum brain might come in useful. Perhaps they will use it against Liv's coyote friend.

Clive: Needed more to do than to get broken up with. If either he or Bozzio had been honest with each other for a second, I might have been more moved. Also, the notion that zombies can't adopt doesn't mean that Clive can't adopt as a single parent who's dating a zombie. Or have a biological kid with a human that he raises with the human and Dale. 

Angus: Although Don E on director brain had its moments, I just want the Church of the Triple Cross to go away.

[Cthulhudrew]

I'm still trying to parse this "gym, tan, laundry" Liv thing that's been going on for several weeks now. I admit I don't remember what her rationale specifically was at the time, but I thought it was something along the lines of "I'm going to be going underground as the new Renegade, so I want some kind of secret identity." If I'm not completely mistaken about that, then wouldn't it make more sense for her to remain albino, white haired Liv in her regular day-to-day activities, and go blond and tan as Renegade instead of the reverse?

Y'know, seeing as how all the people she's trying to hide her renegade activities from know her as the girl who never tanned and dyed during all the years she was a zombie prior to the outbreak when it would have otherwise made her life easier?

Edited May 15, 2018 by Cthulhudrew

[mjc570]

The worst thing about this episode:  The short shrift they gave to Liv's preparing and eating the brain.  Watching those cooking segments has always been my favorite part, the brains look delicious and appropriate. 

[Anela]

Aw, Ravi. 

[Cthulhudrew]

That short scene with Chase and the security boxes. What exactly was that all about? It didn't factor into the episode at all, did it?

[ruby24]

This season has been so bad. I'm sorry, but I don't care about Isobel that much, she wasn't there long enough. Didn't we just meet her like two episodes ago or something? And what effect did she ultimately have anyway, just to make Ravi and Liv sad?

Chase Graves is a really terrible, bad, boring character. Jason Dohring can be great, but to waste him on this is a real shame. Also to waste Major on this storyline.

And this whole Clive/Dale thing-  I used to love them, but this season they seemed to decide that making Dale a zombie meant she could no longer be a character, she's just a person on the sidelines.

I don't understand any of the choices they made this season, I really don't.

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Cthulhudrew said:

That short scene with Chase and the security boxes. What exactly was that all about? It didn't factor into the episode at all, did it?

The introduction of the new security boxes and how to bypass them is what caused Russ to immediately bring Major to the head of the Blue Cobras.

[possibilities]

Wait... Did they say that the brain shortage is not an actual lack of sufficient supply; it's actually because of the stealing and selling on the underground market? So there's no longer a  brain shortage?

I thought Major said during his truth serum babble that there wasn't actually any real extra security stuff, that was just a fake out to get Crybaby Lieutenant to give bad advice to Captain Corruption? Unfortunately I was tired and major was talking a little too fast so I might have missed a detail.

Chase shooting like that was upsetting. Is he raging out? What the hell?

My speculation is that Isobel's brain will have an effect her blood did not. So when Liv eats it, it will maybe cure her and then they have to decide whether to dole it out a little at a time to cure others, or Ravi will try to replicate its properties in the lab and synthesize a reproducible cure. And then there will be the whole question of whether people want to be cured or not, because being a zombie has pros and cons (see also, Isobel dying).

If Chase was really all that concerned about law and order, the Angus cult would not be going around blatantly killing people and eating them, and generally causing havoc, and Chase wouldn't even know and then when he found out he wouldn't really care? I mean, come on, show!

I'm glad the show is coming back. I hope they use the opportunity well. There are story possibilities, if they don't waste them.

I would be more interested in Clive and Dale if they would actually talk honestly and if we saw them actually having a relationship. All the show does is tell us they love each other, but we almost never see them together at all. The other relationships on the show are much more developed with, you know, actual screen time.

[Cthulhudrew]

8 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

The introduction of the new security boxes and how to bypass them is what caused Russ to immediately bring Major to the head of the Blue Cobras.

Gotcha. I thought that might have been the tie-in (even if the "box" looked like the relatively cheap plastic toolbox I have in my closet), but the absence of Russ in the scene in question made it seem like a bit of misdirected theatre.

[AnimeMania]

7 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I thought Major said during his truth serum babble that there wasn't actually any real extra security stuff, that was just a fake out to get Crybaby Lieutenant to give bad advice to Captain Corruption?

Yes, the new security boxes were fake, they were too expensive to really use. They were used to draw out the brain thieves.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Inside the episode:

 

Clip:

[GaT]

So, so, SO bored. Why was this show renewed?

[thuganomics85]

Rose McIver and Rahul Kohli did their very best in the final scenes, but it feels like I only just met Isobel, but the episode was treating her like she has been here for numerous seasons, so it came off jarring and unearned.  And, frankly, she was kind of obnoxious for the majority of it, so I just couldn't get into the whole big cry-fest at the end.

So, while Peyton is heading off to D.C. to try and find a peaceful solution for humans and zombies, Don E. is filming clips of Angus going all "Brother Love" and down with the humans in this joint, and putting them online.  Yep, this is going to end well!

Clive and Dale are finally done, after Dale hears him admitting he wants to have children during the police video, so she pretends that she met someone else and ends their relationship.  Which leads to Clive already in bed with Michelle.  He moves on quickly!

I guess Chase losing his shit and killing Major's squad for the screw-up is suppose to be setting up Major betraying him?

I did like how Clive and a bunch of other humans were all sick because they refused to take a flu vaccine, due to the fear of them getting screwed over again.

[CCTC]

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

Rose McIver and Rahul Kohli did their very best in the final scenes, but it feels like I only just met Isobel, but the episode was treating her like she has been here for numerous seasons, so it came off jarring and unearned.  And, frankly, she was kind of obnoxious for the majority of it, so I just couldn't get into the whole big cry-fest at the end.

Yes- like was said earlier, she was not around long enough to care about.  The whole plot seemed especially manipulative, and while the acting of the last scene was not bad, the writing was cliche and music just added to that and made it almost seem like a spoof.  I agree it did not help that she was pretty obnoxious that episode.  She saw how upset her fake death scene made them, so she kept doing it?  I know it was a coping mechanism for her, but it just made her seem cruel and thoughtless.  It was also a big flag that there was going to be a scene later in the episode where she would actually be dead.  I would have been surprised if she had not been dead at the end of the episode.

I know it is probably a budget probably limits the number of extras, but it really cuts into the effectiveness that the cult has a ton of followers.  Hopefully that story line will end with the season finale.  I am hoping they can reset a few things with the finale.

[Chicago Redshirt]

8 hours ago, mjc570 said:

The worst thing about this episode:  The short shrift they gave to Liv's preparing and eating the brain.  Watching those cooking segments has always been my favorite part, the brains look delicious and appropriate. 

Yeah. I'm not sure what the tie-in was supposed to be between the VOW and the meal, which seemed to be a burger.

5 hours ago, possibilities said:

Wait... Did they say that the brain shortage is not an actual lack of sufficient supply; it's actually because of the stealing and selling on the underground market? So there's no longer a  brain shortage?

....

If Chase was really all that concerned about law and order, the Angus cult would not be going around blatantly killing people and eating them, and generally causing havoc, and Chase wouldn't even know and then when he found out he wouldn't really care? I mean, come on, show!

 

2 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

I guess Chase losing his shit and killing Major's squad for the screw-up is suppose to be setting up Major betraying him?

In response to Possibilities:

In an earlier episode, a FG employee said that they were both getting fewer brains donated than they expected, and of the brains they did get, many were finding their way off trucks. In this latest episode, they threw out the number that nearly 40 percent of brains were getting jacked between the FG processing center(s) and the distribution center. That number seems absurdly high and calls for controls than Major's undercover operation. Such as: video surveillance on all brain shipments, a squad of mercenaries accompanying each shipment to make sure that no outside people try to brainjack and to be held accountable if any internal people try. Or simply making it so the brains are distributed at or near the processing center 

But in any case, stopping the Blue Cobras doesn't address the brain donation end of things. It also doesn't mean that there are not other brainjackers out there or that others might not try to step into the vacuum caused by FG's shutting this ring down.

In terms of Angus's cult, we were told that someone removed mention of the group from one of Major's reports. Once Chase found out about the group, he put Inspector Enzo on it, which seems to have been a bad choice, since Enzo seems to be buying into Angus's BS, and probably has not reported that Angus has had his followers eat people. 

In response to Thuganomics:

I think we are to believe that Jordan is still undead -- she was shot a bunch of times in the torso but no head wounds. 

[cambridgeguy]

6 hours ago, possibilities said:

My speculation is that Isobel's brain will have an effect her blood did not. So when Liv eats it, it will maybe cure her and then they have to decide whether to dole it out a little at a time to cure others, or Ravi will try to replicate its properties in the lab and synthesize a reproducible cure. And then there will be the whole question of whether people want to be cured or not, because being a zombie has pros and cons (see also, Isobel dying).

I don't know if going from human to zombie to human eliminates a pre-existing terminal disease but we've already seen that you can survive fatal physical wounds if you're turned.  Therefore, if they ever find a reliable cure then every ambulance and ER on the planet would just have vials of the zombie virus and cure.  The same would be true for every army on the planet - just before you go into combat you zombify yourself, then take the cure when the battle is over.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Major on truth brain cracked me up. "Russ isn't exactly Ivy League material. Like, maybe Brown - if he's got connections." I wouldn't be surprised if his main motivation for busting the brain tube stealing operation was just so he could quit spending time with Russ.

Ravi was never hotter than when he firmly put the smack down on Peyton's dickhead of a dad. Too often we see people cowed by their spouse's or significant other's parents so it was awesome to see Ravi stand up for himself and tell the dad to quit acting like an ass.

I don't think that the show necessarily expects us to be all broken up that Isabel died because we knew from the beginning that she was going to die of the disease she had. Her death was supposed to show (1) the impact it had on Liv and Ravi and (2) remind Liv why she is so pro-turning humans into zombies, because in her mind becoming a zombie prevents death from illnesses like this. I'm hoping that the third thing that Isabel's death does is move the zombie cure research forward.

Good help is so hard to find, especially for Blaine and Don E. Once again they need to replace their muscle now that Crybaby Carl is in the FG freezer.

I was really hoping that Tucker's friend would succeed in killing Angus. I'm so bored of the zombie church storyline so it would have been great to end it before Angus could whip the zombies into even more of a fervor.

Chase shooting Jordan for a mistake is just asking to be deposed. Who wants to follow a commander who might shoot you or kill you? It was an especially dick move since she was part of the team who helped rescue Major/capture the Blue Cobras. Wasn't Jordan the one who said she wanted to take over FG one day? Maybe that will happen (much) sooner rather than later.

Edited May 15, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[dubbel zout]

13 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I just want the Church of the Triple Cross to go away.

Same here. I don't think it's adding anything to the show. Sorry, Robert Knepper.

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Major on truth brain cracked me up. "Russ isn't exactly Ivy League material. Like, maybe Brown - if he's got connections."

The face he made when he said that was great.

I knew as soon as we got the first death fake-out that Isobel was toast this episode. I think they overdid the gag, but when she really did die, the effect on everyone was extra hard, so success? I'm with you, @ElectricBoogaloo, that I hope it moves along the vaccine/cure story line.

Edited May 15, 2018 by dubbel zout
added crucial "I hope" that was missing

[Anela]

If her brain does cure Liv, and she left some in the fridge, maybe they can give some to Clive's now-ex, too. 

[jay741982]

15 hours ago, ketose said:

I guess we're supposed to feel sorry for Isobel because she's a kid and she died. She wasn't there long enough to get invested. I'm hoping Liv eats her brain and suddenly becomes unzombified.

I guess I'm a softie cause I shed a couple tears. Liv and Ravi cared about her and she cared enough to say She loved them at the end in that video. I'm just a sucker for kids dying 

[AudienceofOne]

Ah, iZombie. A total mess for most of the season but then somehow they bring it all together. This was a pretty awesome episode. 

A small thing I liked was Major yelling his lines during that interrogation scene. I was like "why is he yelling his lines?" and then it turns out it's because he's got his ears blocked. 

9 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ravi was never hotter than when he firmly put the smack down on Peyton's dickhead of a dad. Too often we see people cowed by their spouse's or significant other's parents so it was awesome to see Ravi stand up for himself and tell the dad to quit acting like an ass.

I watch a lot of Korean TV and Asian stuff generally and I get really frustrated that parents are endlessly allowed to get away with the most reprehensible stuff just because they're older and parents. So my cheer was extra double loud for Ravi putting Dad in his place. And of course being a TV douche, he respected Ravi for it.  

16 hours ago, possibilities said:

Wait... Did they say that the brain shortage is not an actual lack of sufficient supply; it's actually because of the stealing and selling on the underground market? So there's no longer a  brain shortage?

It's both. This just buys them more time. I don't know why they thought people would donate their brains. Organ donation rates are extremely low and that's to help actual living people. Once again, this just shows why people like Chase Graves shouldn't be making these kinds of decisions. Zombie Island was a much better plan.

Speaking of which: I know that everyone having a cold was just supposed to be a trigger for germaphobe Liv. But I've seen too many sci fantasy shows not to get concerned that suddenly everybody is sick. 

[LoneHaranguer]

18 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

I'm still trying to parse this "gym, tan, laundry" Liv thing that's been going on for several weeks now. I admit I don't remember what her rationale specifically was at the time, but I thought it was something along the lines of "I'm going to be going underground as the new Renegade, so I want some kind of secret identity." If I'm not completely mistaken about that, then wouldn't it make more sense for her to remain albino, white haired Liv in her regular day-to-day activities, and go blond and tan as Renegade instead of the reverse?

When you're engaged in illegal activity, the less you stand out in a crowd, the less likely you're going to be identified by an observer. She'd have trouble switching looks quickly when needed, so she's established that safer look as her new normal in her regular activities. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

You know what I would like to see? Someone's brain getting eaten that is not dominated by one or two personality traits. Like if the guy Liv ate in this episode was not a germaphobe, would that have been so hard?

Also, wasn't it established that Clive himself was a germaphobe? Seems like a missed opportunity for him and Liv to be sympathetic.

[Mr. Sparkle]

20 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

You know what I would like to see? Someone's brain getting eaten that is not dominated by one or two personality traits. Like if the guy Liv ate in this episode was not a germaphobe, would that have been so hard?

Like an ordinary person who was maybe good in math or enjoyed gardening?? Could you even imagine??? 

[ketose]

4 hours ago, AudienceofOne said:

Ah, iZombie. A total mess for most of the season but then somehow they bring it all together. This was a pretty awesome episode. 

A small thing I liked was Major yelling his lines during that interrogation scene. I was like "why is he yelling his lines?" and then it turns out it's because he's got his ears blocked. 

I watch a lot of Korean TV and Asian stuff generally and I get really frustrated that parents are endlessly allowed to get away with the most reprehensible stuff just because they're older and parents. So my cheer was extra double loud for Ravi putting Dad in his place. And of course being a TV douche, he respected Ravi for it.  

It's both. This just buys them more time. I don't know why they thought people would donate their brains. Organ donation rates are extremely low and that's to help actual living people. Once again, this just shows why people like Chase Graves shouldn't be making these kinds of decisions. Zombie Island was a much better plan.

Speaking of which: I know that everyone having a cold was just supposed to be a trigger for germaphobe Liv. But I've seen too many sci fantasy shows not to get concerned that suddenly everybody is sick. 

I think that was a look at the new reality where people don't trust vaccines. Clive didn't want to be turned into a werewolf with the current flu vaccine.

[Free]

11 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Same here. I don't think it's adding anything to the show. Sorry, Robert Knepper.

It's juggling too many subplots.

[CletusMusashi]

2 hours ago, ketose said:

I think that was a look at the new reality where people don't trust vaccines. Clive didn't want to be turned into a werewolf with the current flu vaccine.

But... now I totally need that to happen!

[tennisgurl]

Well, that was actually a better episode, if it actually got me invested in the story. I still miss the old days of just solving crimes, but at least things seem to be moving, even if they're moving into a massive clusterfuck. 

I never cared much about Isobel, and I thought her constantly faking her death was really annoying and rather cruel, but I was sad seeing how upset Ravi and Live were. They were attached to her, and it sucks that this is just one more crappy thing they have to deal with. 

Ravi telling Peytons dad to stop being a dick was awesome, especially when you so often get those scenes where parents get to be judgmental jerks and no one ever calls them out on it, especially their kids and their kids SOs, so it was nice to see him politely but firmly telling him to knock it off. Ravi is a likable dork, but he isnt a pushover. 

So this is all coming to ahead, with all the faction getting more and more violent, and basically, they all suck. You have the crazy religious fanatics who want to kill all humans, Fillmore Graves who run Seattle with an iron fist, and started this whole mess in the first place, and the more aggressive factions of humans, who hate all zombies, and want to wipe them all out. Really, I hope they all just take each other out, and if they insist on running with this, someone less dickheaded can take over. 

[Blakeston]

I flat-out hated this episode.

Others have pointed out some of the biggest flaws (such as, if they wanted to make Isobel's death to be such a gut-punch, shouldn't they have bothered to make her likable?). But there were plenty of other things that irritated me, too.

Funny how Isobel had one of those Hollywood diseases where, aside from a nosebleed here and there, you remain in peak physical condition until the day you die.

Captain Seattle's death didn't pack much of a punch, either, considering that we knew virtually nothing about him. Maybe some of the time that's been wasted on this miserable zombie church storyline could have been used to give him a personality.

Another stupid trope - the Fillmore Graves troops waiting to reveal themselves until Major had fully laid out his master plan. Lucky thing that the bad guys didn't just blow him away as soon as he acknowledged that he was working for the other side. 

Chase Graves shooting at Jordan was ridiculous. The writers really seemed to be pushing the idea that he was a fairly well-meaning person, who was being driven to the edge by the impossible situation he'd been placed in. But he's always seemed to me like a loose cannon with roid rage, and this just seemed like more of the same.

I hated the stupid "Ha ha, look, this person is dressed like a woman but has a penis!" gag in the beginning. I realize that the character wasn't actually supposed to be trans - but haven't we moved past that kind of "humor" in general?

And then there's Ravi and Peyton. Ravi springs on her that he wants her to abandon her position as acting mayor, defect from New Seattle, and presumably never see him again? I certainly hope that, given her responsibilities, she won't even consider that.

Finally - does anyone else think that Crybaby Carl looks too much like that Russ Roach guy? Then the guy who was shot at the Zombie Church when the bullet missed Angus bore a resemblance to both of them.

[dubbel zout]

14 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

does anyone else think that Crybaby Carl looks too much like that Russ Roach guy?

Yes! I kept having to think, Which one is this?

[ketose]

So, we met Peyton's parents and yet no update on Liv's mother and brother. Obviously, they know about zombies by now. They may even be zombies by now.

[Free]

6 minutes ago, ketose said:

So, we met Peyton's parents and yet no update on Liv's mother and brother. Obviously, they know about zombies by now. They may even be zombies by now.

Yeah, their rushed exit from the show has always been awkward.

[AudienceofOne]

12 minutes ago, Free said:

Yeah, their rushed exit from the show has always been awkward.

Actor's schedules blah de blah. But I'd like to hear Liv tell us something about them, even if they can't get them back on.

[Teitr Styrr]

Well, I liked it, but I was invested in Isabel, so that probably had a lot to do with it. What can I say I'm easy. 

My way out there prediction is that Isabel will now turn into a zombie after her death. However, most of you are probably right that Liv will be cured when she eats Isabel's brain. I suppose they wouldn't set that up this episode without some payoff.

The whole Chase thing was very jarring and I thought out of character. He seems pretty level headed and especially with such a big win to let something like that put him over the edge. 

Edited May 17, 2018 by Teitr Styrr

[Free]

1 hour ago, AudienceofOne said:

Actor's schedules blah de blah. But I'd like to hear Liv tell us something about them, even if they can't get them back on.

Agreed, there's not even a mention ever since, it's like they disappeared off the face of the Earth.

[Blakeston]

Have the powers that be actually blamed the actor's schedules? Because if they have, I really don't buy it.

The mother and brother weren't likable, and the stuff with Liv's family dragged. I strongly suspect that's the real reason they dropped the family storyline like a bag of rocks.

I agree that it would be nice for the writers to at least throw in a reference to what happened there.

[Chicago Redshirt]

12 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Another stupid trope - the Fillmore Graves troops waiting to reveal themselves until Major had fully laid out his master plan. Lucky thing that the bad guys didn't just blow him away as soon as he acknowledged that he was working for the other side. 

Chase Graves shooting at Jordan was ridiculous. The writers really seemed to be pushing the idea that he was a fairly well-meaning person, who was being driven to the edge by the impossible situation he'd been placed in. But he's always seemed to me like a loose cannon with roid rage, and this just seemed like more of the same.

...

And then there's Ravi and Peyton. Ravi springs on her that he wants her to abandon her position as acting mayor, defect from New Seattle, and presumably never see him again? I certainly hope that, given her responsibilities, she won't even consider that.

It was also lucky that the Cobras didn't shoot him after he said he was wearing a tracking device, just out of spite.

Chase has on-screen disciplined another zombie by shooting him a bunch. I think that's what he did to Justin when Justin admitted stealing some SuperMax. I don't know if that means we are supposed to see him as tightly controlled bad-ass or roid rage case.  

I'm of the mindset that given the huge cluster that Seattle has the potential to become, most sane people would/should try to defect if given the chance. I don't see what Peyton's responsibilities as acting mayor should keep her there. There are plenty of people who can step up and assume those responsibilities. Indeed, it is basically a fluke that she has them. Peyton is presumably only 5 years or so past law school and started off as a prosecutor. The only reason she was in the mayor's office was because Baracus went from D.A. to mayor and brought her along. I think it is a mark of maturity that Ravi was eager for her to try to escape.

[AudienceofOne]

16 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Have the powers that be actually blamed the actor's schedules? Because if they have, I really don't buy it.

Oh it won't have been the scheduling that got them dropped. But once an actor moves on it's often really difficult to get them back. 

[Affogato]

I just finished watching this, I've been busy.

If you don't want to cook you get fast food. Burgers.

I think French guy, like the hockey player, are Canadian stereotypes. The show is shot in Seacouver, right? So making fun of yourself. French guy shows up in the same show as Liv eats the hockey player brain and sticks around as a running joke. 

I believe the religion storyline. I believe that weird cults would form, maybe initially like familiar Christian evangelism and moving quickly into sweet zombie jesus territory. I think it is a necessary part of the story. 

Up until this episode I don't think Isobel was annoying, except that we knew she was going to die suddenly and expectedly, and it would be sad. Of course we withdraw and try to hate the character. Stupid puppy pissed on the carpet again. The fake your own death thing was annoying but it made sense to me. Someone hanging around a morgue would want to explore being dead, how people would act around her if they thought she was dead, that sort of thing. It was logical behavior as well as a lead in to the tearjerking final scene. 

23 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Chase has on-screen disciplined another zombie by shooting him a bunch. I think that's what he did to Justin when Justin admitted stealing some SuperMax. I don't know if that means we are supposed to see him as tightly controlled bad-ass or roid rage case.  

Yes, even to the party atmosphere it reminded me of his shooting Justin. I think we are supposed to think both. His shooting Jordan is his really annoying 'badass' method of supervision and that's why Major was trying to ask him to let him (Major) handle it.  His shooting Captain Seattle and killing him was him losing it and incidentally losing Major.

this makes me wonder how long zombies have been around and how long he has been in charge of a zombie squad. If you have zombies and are imposing discipline I imagine shooting them in the gut survivably would be a tool in your arsenal. You can even freeze instead of kill. Still zombies still get PTSD, I'd think, and that sort of atmosphere would be horrible long term. Is horrible. 

  I was surprisingly moved by Clive and Bozzio's breakup and I thought the actors pulled it off.  There wasn't as much background as I would have liked, but it is a familiar sort of story.  I think the FG stuff needed more detail, it isn't a story we can all plot in our sleep, like breaking up for the good of the other person.

23 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

 I'm of the mindset that given the huge cluster that Seattle has the potential to become, most sane people would/should try to defect if given the chance. I don't see what Peyton's responsibilities as acting mayor should keep her there. There are plenty of people who can step up and assume those responsibilities. Indeed, it is basically a fluke that she has them. Peyton is presumably only 5 years or so past law school and started off as a prosecutor. The only reason she was in the mayor's office was because Baracus went from D.A. to mayor and brought her along. I think it is a mark of maturity that Ravi was eager for her to try to escape.

I'm surprised more people aren't being smuggled out. However if for some reason Peyton has become the symbol of stability, which would make her trip to Washington seem plausible, then I can see the responsibilities she might have. 

Maybe the last episode this season we'll finally learn about Chase and then it will end with Liv eating Isobel's brain in a chocolate malt with fries on the side and saying "I'm human" as they fade to black. 

[Philip]

This might sound strange but I was glad The Girl Who Cried Zombie died at the end of the episode because that repetitive act was getting really annoying to no end. Only a few more episodes and this season's done.

Oh yeah, Chase killing the annoying teen couple was a great moment imo. I couldn't stand that teen drama, tbh.

 

I know, this is a CW show but even still it's better than most on the network and it's not as cheesy as others.

On 5/15/2018 at 5:16 PM, Anela said:

If her brain does cure Liv, and she left some in the fridge, maybe they can give some to Clive's now-ex, too. 

He's pretty much done with her as he moved on.

[Affogato]

The more I think about it the more I think Chase's arc is going to be PTSD. It fits with his increased angst and his attempt to 'soldier through' because he's the only one that can do the job. At least in retrospect it would have an arc, instead of being over in an episode, but still thin on the ground. 

[Anela]

3 hours ago, Philip said:

This might sound strange but I was glad The Girl Who Cried Zombie died at the end of the episode because that repetitive act was getting really annoying to no end. Only a few more episodes and this season's done.

Oh yeah, Chase killing the annoying teen couple was a great moment imo. I couldn't stand that teen drama, tbh.

 

I know, this is a CW show but even still it's better than most on the network and it's not as cheesy as others.

He's pretty much done with her as he moved on.

He didn't look that comfortable when he got out of the bed. He was torn up all episode, because they broke up. But due to the usual soapy timing of such things, I could see them giving some to his ex, or some kind of cure being made again, just as he tries to move on. 

[Philip]

20 minutes ago, Anela said:

He didn't look that comfortable when he got out of the bed. He was torn up all episode, because they broke up. But due to the usual soapy timing of such things, I could see them giving some to his ex, or some kind of cure being made again, just as he tries to move on. 

He's a guy sorta hard to read. Like for example, Babino was at a nerd game meeting and I never expected that to happen nor that he'd like to be part of it. Babino being somewhat short of height makes him a bit adorable and his character overall is really good.

 

P.S. Yes, I know his name isn't spelled like that but it sounds as such.

[AllyB]

On 5/15/2018 at 12:54 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Yeah. I'm not sure what the tie-in was supposed to be between the VOW and the meal, which seemed to be a burger.

I think that wasn't a burger so much as a large soft round bread roll, also known as a bap. Bap also being slang for breasts. So she had a big bap as part of her investigation of the murder of a man killed for denigrating a woman's big breasts.

[clyo22]

All I have to say is that I love Chase Graves... for very shallow reasons but I can't help it. I will not be happy to see him and Major as enemies. I disliked the teenagers since the day they appeared on the show. I could never "forgive" Jordan for not being even slightly sorry for turning that young man into a zombie or for being stupid enough for leaving her helmet loose despite repeated warnings. So now that it was her fault that Roche got away I wasn't feeling very sorry for her. Captain Seattle pretty much tried to kill Chase by shooting him in the neck (I assume he was aiming for the head). I get that Chase lost it and killed him. I know I'm defending the indefendable but Jason Dohring is so pretty and Major and Chase Graves bromance was cute.

I used to love this show. Now I watch for the pretty faces.

[AudienceofOne]

Never liked the muscles. It's an indicator of testosterone that I find a turn-off. I find it interesting as someone who isn't American that pre-911 representations of powerful men were wiry and cerebral but post-911 with the rise of a new type of aggressive masculinity, men are now portrayed as extremely large and muscular. It's to do with the militarisation of society generally.

Since this show does subtle optics so well (and since this is in many ways an anti-zombie-tv-show TV show), I don't think it's any surprise that Chase Graves is muscular, armed, white, violent and a villain while Ravi is un-muscled, intelligent, ironic, non-violent and a hero. Clive and Major are in the middle of that dichotomy but while Clive has chosen to stay on the 'right' side of violent aggression, Major has chosen the 'wrong' side and is about to see the error of his ways.

[aradia22]

What in the hell was that? Make Chase go crazy so it seems like Major has gone over to the dark side and Liv is right? Everyone's position still makes no sense. I mean, I guess Clive is fine. Ravi to some extent. But everyone else's plotlines are bonkers. 

Quote

Pretty much everything in that plot thread seemed pretty contrived. Like how did Russ Roche escape and take Jordan's weapon? It's hard for me to even picture it, especially without killing any of Major's squad. How did Chase not have the good sense to chill about Roche getting away momentarily? Like he himself said, Roche is a dolt. He can get captured soon. Freaking out in front of all the men and shooting Jordan just seems like a poor way to impose discipline. And then for Captain Seattle to try to shoot Chase...I know he was supposed to love her, but man, that's suicide. How is he going to expect to not get killed when there are a couple dozen FG guys right there?

So many excellent points. He might be a tough guy but it makes no sense for Russ to be the one in that gang to escape. AJ's a zombie now, right? Whatever, I can't think about this anymore. But like you said, so contrived. His rage outs are only going to make sense if they find a way to explain away his mood swings later. 

It took me a while to recognize long haired dude. It only made sense when I saw the gun and realized why they put that random actor who has been a useless character for the most part in the wings. It was his old buddy who also hated zombies. Why was he living in what seemed like a slum? When he was with that gang watching Brother Love I thought they were just more zombies. Also, more importantly, they were playing choral music to go over the choir but the audience seemed like they were jamming out to gospel. It would be real weird if they were jamming out to anything similar to what was playing over the attempted assassination scene.

Bringing Isobel's mom seemed irresponsible given that it makes sense for Peyton to stay in D.C. And just killing her all of a sudden was a really cheap choice. It held no weight after the rest of the drama. The actor playing Ravi was good in the scene but it's like the writers have no sense of pacing and tone anymore. Putting that after the stuff with Chase and thing with Angus robbed it of its potential emotional weight.