iZombie - Mr. Berserk

The frothy fun of the show at the onset is taking a darker turn at this point with Blaine’s murderous activities linked to his restaurant, Major’s bouts with Candyman and no one’s believing he shot the guy, Liv losing her beloved musician due to freezing when she could have killed Blaine, Ravi’s experiments with the rats to develop a zombie cure leaving him with very little material left, and ingredients in an energy drink for a billion dollar company responsible for the zombie outbreak kept secret by its CEO, Vaughn Du Clark (Stephen Weber). Liv eats the brains of a reporter responsible for Major’s life altering ruination, having been involved in the disappearances of kids at the skate park. She was also involved in a big story involving the energy drink company, which included those in the know potentially holding damaging evidence that their product not only causes customers to turn psychotic and attack people but also contributes to zombie-ism. The death of the reporter, Liv seeing the killer in a ski mask pushing her down a flight of steps causing the neck to break, draws the investigation to Max Rager company, responsible for the boat party that started the entire show’s story arc involving Blaine.

Weber is just the absolute master at this kind of prick CEO corporate scumbag willing to sacrifice lives in favor of profits. It is right up his alley. He has been in the hero role before, but he just seems right at home in a part where he’s screwing somebody over and could give two shits about the results of his bad behavior. That he’s behind a series of murders, using a henchman named Sebastian (Matthew MacCaull) to do the dirty work, is no surprise. He hides behind a host of yes-men (and yes-women) and suits, but Liv does get a chance to confront him before being escorted out. Sebastian is then used to “hush her”, but being a superhuman zombie has its advantages. A headbutt cuts Sebastian so running across him with the boat he used to carry her unconscious body to a seclude spot out in the open water doesn’t do him in, and being a zombie makes this guy even scarier.

Major deciding to voluntarily go into a mental hospital “for help” torments Ravi because he knows that this guy isn’t crazy despite what Babineaux might think. Clive visited Candyman in the gym, seeing him alive and well despite Major’s claims he was shot in the chest three times and attempted to use a hammer on him. Major, of course, meets a fellow patient named Scott E, introducing him to the possibility of zombies. The show was bringing Major closer and closer to Blaine and zombies…Liv and Ravi have kept this concealed from Major, but how much longer can they?

Liv’s loss of Lowell is the ache pervasive during the entire episode. Liv has got to be rid of the PTSD influence from the sniper’s brains of the previous episode, but the reporter’s brains engross her with the assertive driven nature of a woman determined to get the story. That and alcoholism. Liv spends a lot of time boozing it up as she also bears the guilt of not killing Blaine when she has the chance. This burden is a weight Liv carries all the way to the end when she sobs over Lowell’s body in the morgue, needing a comforting hug from Ravi. Finally breaking down was important for Liv…she needed this moment to grieve properly. Blaine’s demise becomes of significant purpose, though. He has to die, she believes. While Blaine had spent the last episode waxing nostalgic about Nirvana and the loss of Kurt Cobain, or agreeing, with hesitation, to pursue the brains of an astronaut for a client, this episode wants to get closer to the main catalyst in Liv’s misery…the energy drink’s ingredients and the company willing to cover up any evidence they are related to tragedy, violence, and death.

McIver's performance cannot be overstated. She is really good here, showing the hurt, guilt, dramatic weight, and drive to hold accountable "MR" for their wrongdoing. I thoroughly admire this young woman's work on the show. The cast as a whole is just delightful, though. The casting of this show has really been a pleasure to see develop as I have been watching the first season.When the reporter comes out and she goes after "sources" tied to that woman's murder, McIver shows that personality emerge, while still holding on to Liv...it is a balance that I considered quite incredible. When the girlfriend of a colleague of that kid that went psychotic is trying to rid herself of Liv, it isn't so easy. When the reporter inside Liv blows off the colleague of the kid when he speaks with certain wordy comments, considering him pretentious, and Babineaux appears a bit irked by her, again that balance of personalities is just a hoot. I can't take for granted this kind of acting...it is special.