TV Review: IZOMBIE: Season 3, Episode 5: Spanking the Zombie [The CW]

iZombie: Spanking the Zombie Review

The CW’s iZombie: Season 3, Episode 5: ‘Spanking the Zombie’ was about to possibly say goodbye to one character, but not in a death kind of way. Major (Robert Buckley) has been through so much in a short amount of time this season, so it’s bittersweet that he had to make a choice to save himself but risk losing the memories he has of his friends. It wasn’t all so sad as Liv (Rose McIver) took on the brains of a dominatrix, which ended up having to push everyone’s buttons for the case of the week. We basically had a mix of humor along with the drama that ran along with what could possibly be the end of Major’s character, as we know it.

The episode’s murder investigation was the perfect way for Liv to reach her inner dominatrix as she wore all black to get in character. We also had an interesting development in the whole zombie mythology of the show when Liv eats a preserved brain rather than one after the murder occurs. With Liv eating this particular type of brain, it allowed her to access visions of the person much longer than other times she’s done it. The memory serum that Ravi (Rahul Kohli) injected gave Liv more visions than normal and much more clearer. Maybe this could be a way for Blaine (David Anders) to regain his memories?

We learn that many of the dead dominatrix’s clients are those we’ve seen on the show, including Veronica Mars alumnus Daran Norris and Ken Marino. Reprising their roles as anchor Cliff McCormack and attorney Vinnie van Lowe, Norris and Marino continue to play off their characters just as good as when they debuted on the show.

Don E’s (Bryce Hodgson) story took an positive direction when he decides to find a friend who is willing to get turned into a zombie. All Don E has ever wanted was to share the happiness he had with someone else. Blaine was that person for him, but since his memory loss, Don E has been trying to fill that void that has plagued his heart after starting his own brain business. It’s good for him to find a new friend, but how will it affect his partnership with Blaine’s father?

The case was kept short, but all for a good reason. This gave the episode more invested time for Liv and Ravi to say goodbye to Major as he injects the cure into his system. Speaking of Ravi, it seemed like he has gotten over his affection for Peyton (Aly Michalka) pretty fast. He’s still pretty bummed about what went down between them, but he put that in the backseat in order to help his friend Major. The farewell was really emotional, especially since it brought Liv and Major closer again after their on-and-off romance. Both Rose McIver and Robert Buckley showed some amazing chemistry during that scene. They showed enough honesty and emotion on screen. It gives them some closure on their relationship as they leave things on a good note before Major forgets who he is.

‘Spanking the Zombie’ wrapped up what may be Major’s character arc on the series, and it felt pretty bittersweet. We don’t get to see Major lose his memories in the end as the episode finishes on a cliffhanger. We will know Major’s fate in the next episode, which leaves us wondering if perhaps the memory wipe from the cure won’t happen this time around. For one thing, we don’t know if Blaine is actually telling the truth about his memory loss. Maybe the latest development on Liv’s brain experience will give Ravi some ideas on refining the cure. We don’t know what’s in store for Major, but this week’s episode was a great send off for the character if that’s the case.

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