The Genius of Liv’s Brain Personas in iZombie

Pop culture has never been short of zombie tales, but the 2010s were a high point for the subgenre on television. We saw both megablockbusters (The Walking Dead, 2010–2022) and more experimental low-budget shows (Netflix’s horror-comedy The Santa Clarita Diet, 2017–2018). One show that fell into the latter category was The CW’s supernatural procedural dramedy iZombie, which ran for five seasons (2015–2020). It never approached The Walking Dead’s levels of success, but it did gain a cult following of fans who adored its razor-sharp humor, likeable characters, and unusual balance of a weekly crime-of-the-week case with a serialized zombie mythology.

The show was inspired by the Vertigo comic of the same name from writer Chris Roberson and artist Michael Allred. The comics follow a zombie gravedigger named Gwen Dylan, who lives in Eugene, Oregon, and eats a brain every 30 days to preserve her memories and keep her mentally sharp. Her two best friends are a 1960s ghost and a were-terrier named Scott “Spot,” and together they tackle various supernatural cases and adversaries, such as vampires and mummies. The CW’s adaptation, created by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright, kept this premise at a high level but changed almost everything else. The comics’ Eugene was changed to Seattle, and the only main visible sign of Allred’s influence was the comic-style title intro animation and musical opening with a cover of the song “Stop, I’m Already Dead” by Deadboy & The Elephant Men.

Brains, Baddies, and Just So Bizarre

Every good murder-of-the-week drama needs a consistent, evil villain, and iZombie has one in Blaine DeBeers (David Anders). The zombie that bit Liv at the boat party went from being a Utopium drug dealer to a full-fledged brain trafficker, infecting high society “clients” so he can ensure his constant supply and keep them addicted to zombies as well. Blaine has a unique mix of charm and cold-hearted ruthlessness, a tortured family backstory, and the times when he wants to help Liv and her friends, he’s one of the most effective, albeit accidental, allies the group has.

Romance was another running theme through the series. While Liv and Major’s relationship was intended as the show’s main love story, many fans preferred her season one relationship with Lowell Tracey (Bradley James), a British singer who was one of the few musicians willing to perform while a zombie. Liv and Lowell bonded over their shared secret and his friendship with Ravi, but sadly, Lowell died after he was killed while taking down Blaine, which sparked much fan ire.

Supporting characters were also added through the years. Jessica Harmon’s Dale Bozzio was an FBI agent who became Clive’s detective partner, while Bryce Hodgson was introduced in the role of Scott E., a memorable character in a mental hospital that Ravi interviewed, before he reprised his role for the show as Don E., Scott’s twin and a key cog in Blaine’s organization. The show also got a lot of mileage out of fun cameos, from Daran Norris as sleazy weatherman Johnny Frost to Steven Weber as Max Rager CEO Vaughan du Clark. Rita (Leanne Lapp), Vaughan’s daughter, also had a memorable and appropriately macabre end in the season two finale after eating her father’s brains, going “full Romero” and attacking Liv before she is killed.

iZombie did lose a bit of its way in the later seasons, and the finale, which happened at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, felt rushed and less satisfying than it should have been. It’s still a good show, and the first three seasons have aged quite well, thanks to its unique premise, strong writing, and an imaginative and consistent art direction. It’s a good reminder that the zombie genre had room for a show that mixed murder mysteries, good wordplay jokes, and some sincere emotions—all in one brain at a time.