iZombie Lives

Article originally published as iZombie Review on Seat42F.

iZombie Malcolm Goodwin as Clive Babineaux and Rose McIver as Olivia "Liv" Moore

The CW’s newest drama, premiering this week, is called iZombie. The show begins when Liv Moore (Rose McIver, Masters of Sex, Once Upon a Time) is accidentally turned into one of the undead at a party-gone-wrong. Not knowing if there’s anyone else like her out there, she decides to hide what she’s become from her family and friends, who just think she’s grown lazy and pale, and even break off her engagement. Blurting out a special gift she finds in front of the wrong person, though, may just give her a new purpose.

The first thing that strikes me about iZombie is that is feels remarkably similar to Veronica Mars. This isn’t surprising, given that the series is created by Mars’ Rob Thomas, but everything from the snarky main female who gives voiceover, to the types of guest characters that pop up, to the tone and music, are nearly cloned from Veronica. This is strange, given that iZombie is based on a comic book and not Thomas’ original creation, but his influence is felt very heavily throughout.

Now, I do not observe this as a complaint. As a big fan of Veronica Mars, one who misses it frequently and can’t get enough of the new books and movie, also by Thomas, that continue the story, I am happy to have a show just like it back on television. The format, one in which Liv helps the police department solve cases, is similar to Veronica’s role as a private investigator, so that makes sense, too.

The major difference, at least in the pilot, is that iZombie is far more procedural. While Veronica spends a season looking into a case, Liv helps Detective Clive Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin, Breakout Kings) catch the killer in a single hour. This is a disappointing departure, with the structure of the crime laid out in a predictable fashion. Liv’s ability to absorb skills and memories from the brains she eats, stolen from the victims in the morgue, could certainly help Clive with more cases. Should iZombie do this week after week, rather than developing any larger arcs, iZombie will quickly grow stale and lose its season pass status on my TiVo.

There are a few signs that iZombie could be serial. Liv lives with a roommate, Peyton (Aly Michalka, Hellcats), who wants to ‘fix’ Liv since she quit being a doctor to work in a morgue. Liv’s ex-fiancé, Major (Robert Buckley, One Tree Hill), is still in her life. Her boss, Ravi (Rahul Kohli), quickly figures out her secret and is dedicated to investigating the medical side of her situation. The man that made Liv who she is, Blaine (David Anders, Alias, The Vampire Diaries), is still out there and may have some answers. Each of these provide possible tales that can be explored in extended fashion.

I also like iZombie’s homage to its comic roots and its take on zombies. Liv is not like any other undead character I’ve ever seen, thus meaning viewers won’t immediately know what’s happening to her. The brain-eating aspect is not unique, but what happens to her after the meal is. She seems able to live a relatively normal life, as long as she consumes brains periodically, and her diet is light enough to not draw too much suspicion. The choice to make her condition a virus, which could one day be cured, makes sense and gives her motivation. I love The Walking Dead dearly, but I’m glad this is not that.

In short, iZombie seems poised to be one of the best made, most entertaining, boring procedurals out there. Hopefully it embraces its Thomas-DNA more fully and casts off the strict structure. If it does, I’m prepared to like it a lot.

iZombie premieres this Tuesday on the CW.

Hellcats should know "Don't Make Promises (You Can't Keep)"

     Usually when a show is about to take a month or so off, they offer some kind of big finale, often ending with a cliffhanger. Not so this time with the CW's Hellcats. I won't say that last night's episode is bad, but it certainly isn't one of the best. In fact, the episode I would have wanted going into the hiatus aired two weeks ago. It's a shame they couldn't have switched those around. Ah, well.

     Savannah (Ashley Tisdale) gets the most interesting, juiciest plot this week. While at her house, Kathy (Magda Apanowicz, Caprica) lets slip that Savannah's little sis, Charlotte (Emma Lahana), is pregnant with Noah's (Tom Stevens) baby. Noah is Savannah's ex, and he hooked up with Charlotte the night Savannah last rejected him. Now Charlotte and Noah are engaged. Noah admits to Savannah that he really has feelings for her, and asks her what she wants him to do. Savannah breaks the news to Charlotte, who denies it, but breaks off the engagement.

     I have found the stories about Savannah's family fascinating. I like that they are uber-religious, and that causes them issues, including teen pregnancy. I firmly believe that parents who are too strict risk their children rebelling. It's a shame that Noah is such a slime ball; he had seemed like a decent guy up until now. But there aren't any better adjectives for a guy who impregnates the sister of the girl he likes.

     It's great to see Savannah strength here. Right from the beginning, there has always been a force within her, especially evident when she is around her mother. Her character is not rebellious for rebellion's sake, but she has an inner passion that benefits herself and those around her; she stands up for what she believes when necessary. Her character may possibly be my current favorite in what has become a very large cast.

     I think we are supposed to have our heartstrings tugged by Marti's (Aly Michalka) search for information on her long-gone father. I am not feeling it. As Dan (Matt Barr) points out, if Marti really wants to know, she would have demanded it a long time ago. Wanda's (Gail O'Grady) refusal to cooperate with her isn't really a good excuse; that doesn't usually stop Marti. Wanda may have gone into a downward spiral once Marti pressed her years ago, but that is nothing new either, and should not have been enough to make Marti give up for the next however-many years.

     The competition between the cheerleading squads is much more satisfying. Likely because of Savannah's history, there is obviously great rivalry between Memphis Christian, who doesn't have a cool nickname, and the Hellcats, who don't either, but act like they do. That last line was not intendied to insult, but "Hellcats" is teeming with corniness, trying to insert drama where none exists. Anyway, watching them square off is wonderful, and I enjoyed how many of their moves match up, emphasizing that both are very good.

     I also like the hint at something brewing between Lewis (Robbie Jones) and Kathy. We don't know enough about Kathy yet to know if she is a good match for him or not, but the scene we get of her away from cheerleader feuds make her seem sweet. Lewis has been hurt by multiple girls, and doesn't deserve to have to put up with a high maintenance woman. Plus, I adore the actress who plays Kathy, so the more she is involved in the show, the better.

     The chemistry between Vanessa (Sharon Leal) and Derrick (D.B. Woodside, 24, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has been off for awhile, so it's no surprise that they broke up last week. I admire Woodside greatly, and hope the series sees fit to keep him coming around. That being said, Vanessa isn't having any better luck with Red (Jeff Hephner). Perhaps it is because she is sneaking around, ashamed of tossing aside Derrick, but so far, I'm not seeing this spark they supposedly have. Either go for it or don't, but if there isn't anything there, don't force or fake it.


     Overall, Hellcats is having a pretty good first season. I hope it hasn't peaked too early, with that wonderful take down of Bill Marsh (Aaron Douglas - also great) already having happened. A new major arc is needed fast to fill out the rest of the season when the show returns next month.

     Hellcats airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET on the CW.

Article first published as TV Review: Hellcats - "Don't Make Promises (You Can't Keep)" on Blogcritics.

 

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Hellcats about to raise some hell

   By now you've probably heard the bad reviews of the CW's Hellcats. I certainly had, and that's why I never got around to watching the preview DVD they sent me at the beginning of the summer. However, I got a second version of the pilot from them last week, and I'm happy to report, it was pretty good.

     The show stars Aly Michalka as Marti Perkins, a smart girl studying law who loses her scholarship. Desperately searching for a way to stay in school, Marti finds out that cheerleading offers a scholarship. Despite considering all cheerleaders brainless groupies, she decides to put her past gymnastic skills to work and tries out. She can't quite keep up with their routines, but with a little improvisation, she impresses the coach and captain enough to earn a place on the squad.

     Speaking of the captain, she is Savannah, played by Ashley Tisdale, star of the High School Musical series. The quote that best personifies her is, "If we're going to improvise, shouldn't we make some kind of plan?" She's uptight, but dedicated to her team, and willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if that means befriending Marti after the blond trash talked everything that she loves. This part shows that Tisdale does have acting chops beyond Disney movies, and she was my favorite part of the pilot.

     The cast also includes a love triangle, naturally. Robbie Jones (One Tree Hill) is Lewis Flynn, Marti's new cheerleading partner. Dan (Matt Barr) has been Marti's best friend since childhood, although she doesn't seem him as anything more. Both are definitely into her, and both would make a good pairing, although I'm learning towards Team Lewis. I also enjoyed Sharon Leal (Dreamgirls, Private Practice) as the coach and the always fantastic D.B. Woodside (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 24) as her boyfriend slash team doctor. Not so thrilled with the villain of the piece, Alice (Heather Hemmens), whom Marti replaces after her injury. But perhaps that's because she's doing a good job being unlikeable. Nor did I like, surprisingly, Gail O'Grady (Boston Legal, American Dreams) as Marti's alcoholic mess of a mother. But again, I'm not sure I was meant to.

      Hellcats premieres tomorrow night (Wednesday) on the CW at 9pm.



Article first published as TV Preview: Hellcats About to Raise Some Hell on Blogcritics.