It was only a few months ago that Netflix released its new original horror-comedy show, "Santa Clarita Diet," starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as a married couple who are forced to adapt following Barrymore's undead transformation.
Not long after, the show was lauded for breaking new, never-before-seen ground on the zombie television landscape: apparently, Barrymore, in her role as Sheila, is "the strong female zombie TV protagonist we deserve," because "there has yet to be [any major Western zombie franchise] that truly revolves around a female protagonist."
And while "Santa Clarita Diet" may be one to watch, it was almost as if someone was forgetting The CW's "iZombie," starring Rose McIver as an "Orphan Black"-esque zombie (more on that later), has been around since 2015, and the comic book series it was based upon has been ahead of the game since 2010.
To be fair, given that it shares a network with some big hitters like "The Flash," "Riverdale," and formerly "The Vampire Diaries," "iZombie" may not always get its day in the sun during promo season — but fan favorites like "Pushing Daisies" and "Veronica Mars" (which actually shares creator Rob Thomas with "iZombie") also suffered serious under appreciation among audiences to the point of cancellation, and yet years later they're still being applauded and praised, with those who have just gotten around to binge watching the series' often voicing regret for not giving the shows the ratings they deserved.
So, now that it's back on for its third season, save your future self some regret and watch "iZombie" — and if you're still skeptical about why you should, I implore you to keep scrolling.
1. She was the first.
Sorry, Drew Barrymore, but move over. Also, the mythology behind zombies here is much less mysterious and far more original than that of "Santa Clarita's." They're a very self-aware show (as can be seen above), which makes it so much more fun.
I'd say that's a nice pick-me-up after Sundays with Negan.
2. Rose McIver is the Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) of zombies.
If you aren't a fan of "Orphan Black" or you've never seen nor heard of it, the first thing you should know is that Tatiana Maslany deserves an Emmy. In her show, she seamlessly plays countless clones of herself, but on "iZombie," McIver's Liv works in a morgue, eats a new brain every week and adopts the personalities that come with them. To date, she's played a male painter, a stripper, a frat boy, and a country music singer (pictured above, she's a 'real housewife'). In other words: acting.
Also, the brains she eats happen to belong to murder victims, whose memories she uses to help Detective Clive Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin) solve the crimes that led to their deaths, so no big deal but she's a hero.
3. Ravi Chakrabarti is the hilarious genius of a best friend we all deserve.
Without a doubt, Ravi has some of the best lines. Rahul Koli can play comic relief so incredibly well, but he can also easily nail the drama when needed, and Ravi always comes through. Let him be happy already!
4. It isn't "The Walking Dead" levels of gory.
Disclaimer: this isn't to say there isn't some gore, but you could watch the show with your family. Probably. No, really, it's pretty PG-13, and that's coming from someone who was scarred for years after just watching "Zombieland."
5. Food porn.
Okay, you may be thinking, 'what? Ew, gross, no,' I know — but hear me out. As someone who has an unhealthy love for hot sauce, who is hungry at all times, and who doesn't know how to cook, the show just makes it look so easy (and worryingly appetizing). She takes the brains, th I'd buy a cookbook by Liv Moore — and in fact, we all can if we want to (better yet, the link is free, and obviously there are substitutes).
6. The pop culture references are actually amazing.
No offense to "Gilmore Girls," but I honestly can't name one funny pop culture reference that stayed with me because the most amusing part of it all was the sheer speed at which they managed to fire them off at. It kind of took away from the jokes, you know? Meanwhile, "iZombie" has mercy and "Game of Thrones" fans in their writers' room.
I've never wanted to be friends with fictional characters more.
7. Blaine makes for an interesting antagonist.
8. The love interest is more than just a pretty face.
In fact, you might not even see coming all the insane twists his character faces (no spoilers though, in case you haven't seen them). I admit, I was wary about Major (Robert Buckley) because the show seemed to immediately start off with Liv pining after him, but once everything is explained, the romance isn't insufferable and smothering. He and Liv actually come to have their own — gasp! — respective story lines before their plots come together.
Also, his full name is Major Lilywhite which will never not amuse me.
9. Everyone is amazingly relatable.
10. Not only does it have jokes, but it all actually leads somewhere.
Yes, "iZombie," you do. I can't recall a single episode that seemed convoluted or filler; this is a fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining show that puts a comedic spin on the same old tired zombie tropes, with a strong female lead at the helm and an entire cast that packs a punch.
Each episode may seem contained with regard to every new brain and respective crime, but they all add up to a huge story arc that is actually captivating. The show effortlessly weaves it all together and any cliffhangers aren't simply because the writers just glossed over something — they're the perfect nail-biters.
We live in the Golden Age of Television (yes, that's a thing), where we can hardly count the number of new streaming services on one hand, much less all the shows on them. (The early 2000s, such a simpler time.) But among all the noise of literally every other show clogging up our airwaves, "iZombie" is genuinely worth the watch and weekly wait, if you're looking for entertainment that does just that (with little to none of that heart-wrenching, gut-twisting pain "The Walking Dead" likes to reward you with at the end of a long, hard week. Here's to you, horribly depressing apocalypse people).
So, if you're not caught up to the current season, start binge watching seasons one and two on Netflix — and if you are, here's your friendly reminder that "iZombie" airs at 9 p.m. ET every Tuesday on The CW, right after "The Flash."
