iZombie - Goon Struck

 **½ / ****

Goon Struck might have some good fun with Liv occupying the persona of a hockey player (her on the rink, getting a tooth knocked out and dropping guys like a boss, while talking trash to them is hilarious), shot dead by Blaine and supporting Mama Leone in the Renegade role when moonlighting as a human smuggler and zombie-turner, but the end is anything but…the tragedy of Graves dropping the anvil on Leone’s head for crimes in turning humans into zombies (to only help them at request, along with smuggling humans in and out of Seattle) leaves the [done on purpose for effect] expected bad taste. With brains running low, zombie and human relations dwindling, accidents resulting in bad publicity for the movement of zombie/human integration, and fear of the bomb drop on Seattle in order to “purge” the country of the zombie threat; Chase Graves is under a lot of pressure to make a statement regarding anymore increase in the number of zombies polluting the city. He sends Major and Blaine’s partner, Don E, to fetch the country’s Secretary of Defense’s daughter in order to have leverage against a serious bombing of the city. Instead Don E and Major fuck it up, and she ends up ODing after they fall asleep. So Major turns her into a zombie, and because of who she is, Chase won’t hold it against him. And if there was a death knell in the shopworn Major-Liv up-and-down love affair/break up, the ending with Leone’s execution might finally prolong/lengthen their estrangement. She looks over at Major in his military gear and shakes her head. He could say nothing considering who he represents. Even before the execution, Major tells Graves he must do what he has to do…essentially supporting the execution. Yeah, Major’s stock is dropping big-time as far as I’m concerned. Credit to Dohring for displaying the turmoil at executing Leone, clearly debating it all behind his concerned eyes and tormented face, as his character must surmise that allowing her “crimes” to go unpunished would serve as weak in the presence of those who follow him. Even as orders her execution, it is clear Graves is unsettled by it.

Okay, so for four seasons Blaine continues to gloat at his abilities to escape punishment and arrest for a body count list that stretches quite long. How many interrogations has Blaine endured with wicked confidence, understanding that he’ll just get away with whatever he has done over and over and over? I admit I’m tiring of this. Even if he does get his just desserts eventually, after such elongated span of series time I am apathetic more than anything. He has what pro wrestling fans consider “go away heat”. He mocks Liv and Clive who are unable to use her visions to implicate him for the goon player’s murder, Peyton must release him at Graves’ French officer’s (John Emmet Tracy’s Tracy Lambert) orders (he found the real killer, he says), and Blaine goes on back to his restaurant to enjoy his freedom yet again. While Blaine is going to do what he does, Chase Graves tries to operate as close to the line as he can without losing his soul. I do like that Liv watches in horror as Leone is executed and will no longer just idly do nothing while this kind of nonsense is allowed to go on. With Blaine’s father congregating a steady growth in his zombie church, Graves trying to keep the zombies from “misbehaving”, and Blaine just operating his businesses, conducting himself despicably; Liv commissioning the dead goon’s fellow hockey teammate (Daniel Bonjour) to help her gather up the remaining Renegade allies might at least bring together a moral/ethical front to usurp all the dark forces building in Seattle. Ravi, Peyton, and Clive are supporting characters sort of caught in the middle of all of this. Liv does rightfully question the point of even operating as a functioning law enforcement if the Blaines of the city just continue to do whatever they please without consequence.