We Need to Talk About the Final Season of iZombie

If zombies were a celebrity, they’d be George Burns. Sure, they go in and out of style a little, but they never truly disappear. The 2010s saw two major zombie shows. AMC had its mammoth and often brilliant The Walking Dead (2010–2022), and Netflix released its offbeat horror-comedy The Santa Clarita Diet (2017–2018). Somewhere in the middle was a strange blend of crime drama, undead soap opera, and absurdist comedy called iZombie. Running for five seasons on The CW, the show was a dark horse hit that developed a cult following.

While it may not have had Walking Dead numbers, iZombie gained a rabid fanbase thanks to its snappy writing, earnest performances, and a fresh approach to the tired genre. The series was created by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright, and was based on a comic series of the same name from Vertigo comic publisher, written by Chris Roberson with art by Michael Allred. The show took its premise, but got to expand and reshape it without adhering too closely to the source material.

In the comic series, a type-A medical student named Gwen Dylan is turned into a zombie after a bus accident. Set in Eugene, Oregon, Gwen is a gravedigger who works in an all-zombie crew and who needs to eat brains every 30 days or lose her memories. She is helped by a ghost friend and a were-terrier. The concept was something of a supernatural approach to the found family trope—searching for your identity and your place in the world.

In the CW series, iZombie took its story in a new direction. Transplanted to Seattle and moving away from the gravedigging angle, the new version centered on Liv Moore, played by Rose McIver, a neurotic type-A medical student. Liv’s story begins when she goes to a boat party that ends in a bloodbath and the discovery of a new designer drug called Utopium that, when paired with a popular energy drink called Max Rager, results in an unpredictable trip for those who take it.

Spoilers for iZombie Ahead

One of the show’s most defining changes to the concept is that Liv, once she eats a human brain, takes on their memories and persona for three days, completely immersing herself in that person’s way of thinking, dress, behavior, and more. Liv becomes the character that she eats, and since her brains often lead to a murder victim, this means that McIver spends each episode playing several people and showcasing her talent for making even a sassy dominatrix, a cranky old man, a young romance novelist, a magician, or a pub trivia champ into a sincere character.

Liv is also thrust into the world of crime-solving, as her brains provide clues to solving murder, teaming her with the detectives she is supposed to assist, led by Det. Clive Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin). Det. Babineaux, at least for most of the series, is under the impression that Liv is psychic. Ravi, on the other hand, is an often exasperated source of comic relief and scientific context for Liv, serving as a steadying presence, partner, and foil (save for when Liv eats PhD scientist brain and he has to deal with her). A few of the show’s most notable guest stars were used to show both Daran Norris as sleazy weatherman Johnny Frost and Steven Weber as the larger-than-life Max Rager CEO Vaughan Du Clark (who, as it turns out, is a zombie, played by Weber’s real-life daughter Leanne Lapp).

Brains, Bad Guys, and Bittersweet Endings

Like any good serialized show, iZombie needed a bad guy, and it found one in the form of Blaine DeBeers (David Anders)—a slick, greasy-haired slimeball of a zombie and the one who originally scratched Liv at that fateful boat party. Blaine starts as a small-time crook cutting and selling low-quality Utopium, but his operations grow from party drug to supplying brains for wealthy zombie clients who rely on him to help stave off their zombification. With his aristocratic sneer, daddy issues, cocky and often-chip-on-his-shoulder attitude, and twisted charm, he was pure catnip.

It’s worth noting that the show had an impressive roster of supporting characters as well, many of whom added depth to the show and became fan favorites. Jessica Harmon’s earnest FBI agent Dale Brazzio would eventually become Clive’s permanent partner, and Bryce Hodgson’s hysterically comic season-one turn as Scott E. was so popular, the writers eventually brought him back as his twin brother Don E., a bodyguard and loyal henchman to Blaine. Guest stars Daran Norris and Steven Weber made lasting impressions, with the former as sleazy weatherman Johnny Frost and the latter as larger-than-life Max Rager CEO Vaughan Du Clark (who, as it turns out, is also a zombie and played by Weber’s real-life daughter Leanne Lapp).

Seasons 4 and 5, especially, were where the show lost its steam; they culminated in a finale that left most fans frustrated and unsatisfied. The conclusion was largely rushed, and while it wrapped up some loose ends, it lacked the emotional catharsis that such a journey deserved. Despite this, it is worth noting that iZombie did something that a lot of shows that attempt humor and absurdity rarely pull off: it did it with heart. The jokes were snappy, the pop culture and science puns were unabashed (Major Lillywhite, The Scratching Post bar, Ravi’s dog Minor), and the tasteless dishes Liv would make from brains (be it stir fry, hush puppies, protein shakes) were delightful in their grotesqueness.