The Side Characters Who Quietly Stole iZombie

Zombies never go out of fashion, but they had their moment in the 2010s. The decade gave us cult zombie phenom The Walking Dead on AMC (2010 6) and something a little less gory (but just as delicious): Netflixs deadpan horror-comedy The Santa Clarita Diet (2017 2018). Somewhere between these two hit shows was iZombie, a horror-comedy mash-up that combined crime-solving, zombie drama, and gross-out humor with some truly absurd storylines.

The CW ordered five seasons of iZombie, but it never cracked the ratings ceiling and always remained the little procedural that could. The show consistently exhibited a sense of spirit and cleverness, even if some of its storylines were less than its usual deadpan, dead brilliant. At its best, it combined sweetly earnest performances and inventive scenarios with a surprisingly fresh take on the undead. Although the series, from creator duo Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright, was inspired by Chris Roberson and Michael Allreds comic of the same name published by Vertigo, the adaptation took liberties with the source material, so much so that iZombies first-season finale involves the death of that series heroine.

Gwen Dylan (McKenzie Collins in the TV adaptation), the zombie protagonist of the original Vertigo comic, is a gravedigger in Eugene, Oregon, who must eat human brains every 30 days or her memories fade. In addition to the gravedigger and the awkward assistant, a ghost and a were-terrier show up in Gwens brain as part of her skull-sized inner circle. At times, the comic delved into identity in more fantastical and supernatural ways than its TV counterpart. But despite those sizable changes in direction, The CWs iZombie found its footing in spookily creepy Seattle.

Liv Moore, Played by Rose McIver, Is Dead-Set on Becoming a Doctor

The shows protagonist, Liv Moore, is a pre-med student who likes things her way 6organized and to a tee. When she gets scratched at a boat party with friends 6made even more volatile due to a Utopium/CBDX-11-based designer drug and the energizing effects of a caffeinated drink called Max Rager 6Liv finds herself waking up in a body bag. From there, as every iZombie fan will tell you, she is dead-set on becoming a doctor, albeit a zombie doctor.

Liv, played with spunky intelligence by Rose McIver, becomes a type-A medical student following her death and zombie transformation. The character is in many ways a natural for Thomas, a creator whose previous work, like Veronica Mars and House, often mined the lives of go-getter students and brainy high achievers. Liv ends her engagement to her human fiance9, Major (Robert Buckley), breaks things off with her best friend, roommate Peyton (Aly Michalka), and secures a position at the medical examiners office to feed discreetly on brains, of course. But her undead secret is not long for hiding from her soon-noticed by her eccentric, kind, and dedicated boss, Ravi (Rahul Kohli), a CDC scientist-turned-exterminator who became convinced his job was to hunt zombies after his wife was killed.

Brainstorming: Liv Remembers (and Becomes) Her New Victims

The protagonists food source leads to one of the shows most fun and memorable elements. Eating someones brain not only sustains Livs undead life, but it also gives her the hosts memories and personality characteristics. This scenario provides nearly an endless parade of characters, the type that a single actor cannot take on alone. But McIver proved a delight, whether she was rolling as the host as an abusive power-mad dominatrix, curmudgeonly senior citizen, gushy romance writer, trickster magician, anemic scientist, or a kooky pub trivia-loving Russian hitman.

The brains not only affect Liv but also solves the murders, which pairs her up with Det. Clive Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin), who is suspicious and protective and believes Liv is psychic. Ravi, with his gift for comic deadpan one-liners, served as the perfect counterpart to Liv, supporting her through her journey of the undead and experiencing all the odd aftereffects of her brain-hopping antics (except maybe his irritation with her when she eats the brain of the PhD scientist, but even that was hilarious).

Brains, Bad Guys, and Bittersweet Goodbyes

The premiere of any procedural or police show needs a villain, and iZombie came correct in Blaine DeBeers (David Anders), the surfer bro style unscrupulous drug dealer who scratches Liv at that fateful Utopium party. Over the years, Blaines evolution from self-serving dealer of tainted Utopium to full-blown brain trafficker enlists other characters in his orbit and leads to a collection of grisly murders to supply his influential and well-heeled zombie clientele. And despite his fairy godfather leanings, Blaines constant factor of an aristocratic sneer, daddy issues, and soap-opera-bad-boy magnetism made him so charismatic that it was hard to watch.

As for the always hit-or-miss beloved side characters, Jessica Harmons FBI agent Dale Brazzio would eventually become Clives boss and partner on the force, and Bryce Hodgsons comedic bit as Scott E. in season 1 was so beloved that the writers brought him back for season 3 as twin brother Don E. (its always twins) as a sidekick to Blaine. The rotating door of guest appearances also provided their bite-sized gold, including Daran Norris sleazy daytime-weatherman Johnny Frost and Steven Webers multi-episode series regular role as Max Rager CEO Vaughan Du Clark. Du Clark and his even more foul-mouthed zombie daughter Rita (Leanne Lapp) also served as one of the series through lines as a recurring serial bad guy and threat.

Sure, iZombie had zombies, murder, and gory dead body bits. But it also had heart.