The surprisingly quirky and entertaining show about the lives of zombies in Seattle, "iZombie," will be returning to airwaves on April 4. This will mark the start of its third season, and it has a lot to tackle after its finale last year. The latest teasers have defined new conflicts for Liv and her friends, along with a few new faces entering the bustling fray of living and undead in the show.
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Whether it be a shift in status quo, new friends or even worse enemies, there are more than a few questions viewers want answered in this latest batch of episodes. We at CBR have compiled just a few things we'd like to see fleshed out (pun intended) in this newest season of "iZombie."
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SEASONS ONE AND TWO OF "IZOMBIE"
15 NEW PLAYERS IN TOWN
At the conclusion of season two, Liv, Major and Clive had done their best to quell a zombie outbreak during a Max Rager corporate party. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to fully repel the rising horde on their own. Enter Vivian Stoll, and her mercenary forces, who had purchased the energy drink company earlier in the season. Stoll is seen in the midst of a bloody massacre, nomming on some human brains, asking Liv if she was ready for a new world order.
Stoll is certainly looking to be the next big character on "iZombie," with plenty of backstory to boot. Vaughn Du Clark was already dispatched in the finale, thus making room for a new baddie to enter the fray, so it stands to reason that Stoll's pro-zombie attitude might lead to some clashes with Liv Moore. With her militaristic mindset and forces behind her, Stoll could pose the biggest threat everyone on Team Z has faced yet.
14 ROSTER ADDITIONS TO TEAM Z
The second season saw a lot of progress for characters backing Liv. Major became a zombie (again), Peyton returned after Liv's shocking reveal that she was a zombie, and now detective Clive Babineaux is privy to all the undead insanity brewing right under his nose. There was also the part-time injection of Drake Holloway, but he was more of a love interest for Liv and was tragically killed during a Rager experiment. Given the appearance of a large force like Stoll, however, the current roster might not be enough to battle this new and powerful threat.
It's time for the team to get a new mainstay member with substance, rather than another new boyfriend for Liv that ends up getting killed terribly by the season's bad guy in some way, shape or form. Introducing a new person to the fold would help bolster the group, especially given that they operate within their own circles. While it is a good thing that "iZombie's" cast hasn't become completely bloated with good guys like "The Flash," it's definitely time to get some new blood to help fight the latest threat.
13 MORE INTERTWINING SECRETS
One of the biggest strengths of the second season for "iZombie" was certainly the amount of intricacies within its overarching plot. Vaughn Du Clark, CEO of Max Rager, is primed to cover up the boat party incident and create super-soldier energy drinks for the highest bidder. Du Clark was blackmailing Major while having his daughter Gilda spy on Liv, while Peyton worked with resident terrible guy Blaine DeBeers and romanced him, unaware of his real role in her best friend's season one struggles. Throw in the multiple close calls with Clive and law enforcement the group had, "iZombie" boasted a really well-executed intertwining plot.
In the early teasers, Liv tells her friends for there to be no more secrets between them. While that's all well and good, hopefully it doesn't last. There are plenty of new opportunities for each member of Team Z to hide things from each other, mostly in the form of protecting one another. So long as it continues to be backed with good reasoning, this is one trend we're hoping continues in season three.
12 CHANGE FOR RAVI
In the first two seasons, all of the characters so far have undergone incredible evolution. Beyond Liv's changes, Peyton has reemerged a strong prosecutor and friend. Clive fell in love and experienced a conundrum in choosing his friends over his romance. Major went off the deep end, thinking he was crazy and killing off zombie thugs like a total badass. Ravi so far however, has remained the plucky lab scientist that slings a few snarky comments here and there.
With the most recent finale, Ravi attempted to storm into an office filled with thugs in order to rescue Peyton, but she had already been seen to safely by Blaine. There was also the instance in which he accidentally killed a Max Rager henchmen. Both events have the power to really elicit a strong change for Ravi. Hopefully in this upcoming season, the beloved coroner will get more time to explore a character arc that isn't resigned to injecting rats every episode.
11 MAX RAGER LEGACY
Throughout both seasons of "iZombie" it is referenced that the Max Rager energy drink had a hand in causing the initial zombie outbreak. Last season, Vaughn Du Clark was at the helm of refining the beverage to give longer lasting benefits, uncaring of the violent side effects it presented in people. Now with its former CEO dead and Vivian Stoll in control of the company, the future for Team Z looks terribly murky.
It's unknown at this time what Stoll will do with the progress Max Rager left behind. Du Clark was fixated on eradicating errant zombies for good and crafting the drink into a super formula. However, Stoll appears set on using their research for her own means, which could mean militarized super zombies on the horizon. Hopefully the entire ripple effect Rager had on "iZombie's" world is utilized in the newer season, rather than be shuffled off within the first episode.
10 MAJOR AND LIV'S RELATIONSHIP
Liv and Major as a couple have been a big sticking point throughout the seasons so far. In the beginning, Major was struggling to understand his fiancé suddenly breaking up with him, but then felt betrayed when Liv revealed all that she had been hiding. The two both invested in different romances for a time, but remain with feelings for one another. The finale saw the two back on the same zombie page, fighting side by side in impressive fashion.
Once again, the "iZombie" power couple finds themselves at another crossroads. Major has turned back to being one of the undead and admits that his run as the Chaos Killer was to protect Liv from Du Clark. With the untimely demise of Rita and Drake, both main characters are now unattached. There's still a lot of secrets to be unveiled between the two, but season three is certainly looking like a light at the end of the tunnel for Liv and Major.
9 STATUS OF MR. BOSS
The run-ins with this villain were largely relegated to Peyton and Blaine last season, as the two were attempting to take the gangster down for good. Blaine acted as an informant to undermine Stacey Boss' operations and move into the Utopium drug trade himself. Boss did his best to eradicate any outside threats, seeing personally to Blaine getting his throat slit (only to rise as a zombie some time later). The crime boss also had Peyton, the assistant district attorney, kidnapped in order to draw Blaine out.
Mr. Boss remained a consistent threat to everyone's favorite blonde never-do-well, but now that he went after Peyton, things are likely going to change in the villain's status to Team Z. Regardless of the outbreak at Max Rager, Boss still retains a big grip on Seattle's drug trade. Stacey will more than likely be present in some way in the next season and hopefully remains the sinister threat he has been so far.
8 DALE BOZZIO RETURNS
Clive got a new partner of sorts in the form of FBI agent Dale Bozzio in season two. Bozzio was investigating a series of missing persons cases in Seattle and looked for Babineaux's help. The two became romantically involved and both were honing in on the Chaos Killer's true identity. Things came to a head when Clive decided to sink their case that pinned the disappearances (rightfully) on Major Lilywhite at the request of Liv's. Confused and heartbroken, Bozzio exited from Babineaux's life towards the end of the season.
As with many things in "iZombie," nothing stays dead forever and we're hoping this isn't the last we'll see of Dale in the show. Perhaps Bozzio gets wind of some evidence doctored by Liv earlier in the season or doesn't sit well with Major walking free. There are plenty of loose ends that a dedicated investigator like Dale would loathe to let sit. If she does make a return, it would be sure to stir up some delicious drama between her and now ex-boyfriend Clive.
7 WHEREABOUTS OF DON E.
As Blaine was killed off by Mr. Boss, his rising again as a zombie left him with little choice but to attempt taking the cure. It unfortunately appeared to give him memory loss. One of his lowly drug pushers, Don E., took it as an opportunity to rise through the ranks. The thug told the now amnesiac Blaine that he was the actual boss and took over the Shady Plots operations. Don E. also took the initiative to become zombified before it all came crashing down. Boss' thugs shook down the operation, shooting Don E. but it appeared as if he escaped afterwards.
Don E. was never anything more than a two-bit drug dealer, but surprisingly came into his own last season as a remorseless double-crosser. He enjoyed becoming a zombie and was intent on ousting Mr. Boss for good. With the latest setback, however, he has a bit of rebuilding to do. This probably isn't the last we've seen of Don E. and there's no telling what season three will bring for him.
6 ANSWER TO BLAINE'S AMNESIA
When Ravi concocted his zombie cure, he theorized a lot of different outcomes. One of the most unexpected however, was Blaine appearing to have amnesia after injecting it. Throughout the last handful of episodes during season two, all of the characters were cautious of this news. Had Blaine really lost his memory or was it all a part of some long con?
This sudden change of status for the long-established bad guy was an interesting one for sure. Blaine appeared to go along with Don E. as his boss and assist in the Shady Plots drug operation as an underling. When Peyton was kidnapped however, he sprang into action wielding nothing more than a pistol and a pair of night-vision goggles. Whether it be that Blaine is acting brilliantly for some grand scheme, genuinely brain-addled from the zombie antidote or once confused and now clear, season three should make it a priority to give some definitive answers.
5 MORE ON RAVI AND MAJOR'S BROMANCE
Perhaps one of the most surprising things audiences got with the debut of "iZombie" was the amazing bromance between Major and Ravi. The two became fast friends when introduced through Liv, and their friendship has shined throughout each episode. Last season experienced a bit of an obstacle to their bond, as Ravi felt betrayed by Major keeping his Max Rager activities a complete secret. The duo eventually reached an understanding, but it still came at the cost of Ravi's trust in his best friend being broken.
Now that everything is out in the open, it's time for this duo to get back on track. Major and Ravi riffing on each other, remarking on affection for one another or discussing their rankings in whatever R.P.G. they're playing served as a lot of great characterization for both. Their friendship has become a lighthearted reprieve from the more serious crime-fighting, drug-trade-stopping, brain-eating activities Liv is generally filling her days with. We hope that season three is even more packed with Ravi and Major's bromance.
4 LIV'S NEW DIRECTION
Obviously, the protagonist of the show is going to undergo some changes, but Liv went through a serious transformation last season. Sure, she was still eating brains and solving crimes, but she was dealing with some serious players. The conflicts with Mr. Boss and Blaine's crew emboldened her, and she was ever more stalwart in ensuring that no one else would fall victim to the dangerous Max Rager company. She also tested the mettle of her friendships, reunited with Peyton and revealed her true nature to Clive.
Liv definitely accomplished a lot in cementing her zombie status last season. Her focus has arguably shifted from the small fries to taking down bigger enemies. She dealt with a lot of betrayal (rather than committing some), but refused to back down. Whether she continues her role as a medical examiner and working alongside Clive is still unknown at this point, but she looks to be ready to face Stoll's new impending threat. Whatever direction she takes in the newest season, it's sure to be full of plenty of challenges for Liv to tackle anew.
3 CLIVE'S NEW KNOWLEDGE
Even though it remained hidden in the first season, detective Clive Babineaux was finally introduced into the fold of those who know zombies exist. In order to plead that Major was innocent of being the Chaos Killer, Liv admitted she was a zombie to Clive. Babineaux was understandably shocked at the notion, but acknowledged that it made sense given all the weird happenstances. Clive ended up siding with Liv and Major was released. The trio later teamed up at the Max Rager party where the detective chose not to be zombified to avoid the impending hoard.
There's a lot of unknowns for Clive at this point. Will he stay on the police force? Will he explain himself to Bozzio? Will he attempt to share the knowledge that zombies are, in fact, real? Babineaux lost a lot when it came to his decision to sink his case against Major, and the fallout of that decision will undoubtedly be felt within the newer season.
2 RAVI, PEYTON AND BLAINE LOVE TRIANGLE
So in the vein of intricate storylines, Peyton had a small fling with Blaine early on in season two. His role in Liv's plight was unknown to her (she had never seen him before) and she felt disgusted after learning his true identity. Peyton then rekindled her relationship for Ravi before being kidnapped, with her one-night stand with Blaine being revealed to him by a Mr. Boss thug. The amnesiac Blaine went with Ravi to rescue Peyton, dispatched the thugs and hugged her once the smoke cleared. Ravi followed shortly thereafter, witnessing the pair's tender moment and getting somewhat heartbroken (again).
This love triangle of sorts was certainly unexpected, but remains a juicy one. Ravi and Peyton seem like the perfect pair until the assistant district attorney retreated for a while following Liv's reveal. Now with Blaine's involvement, Chakrabarti is at a standstill. Whether it be a misunderstanding or if Peyton retains feelings for one of the two men, this is one of the bigger cliffhangers we want answers to in season three.
1 THE CURE RESULTS
Ravi thought he was onto something last season in trying to generate a cure. His first attempt resulted in an effective serum that turned zombies back into humans, but they would revert and die some time later. With information begotten from undercover cop Drake Holloway, Chakrabarti recovered an old package of tainted Utopium and brewed up a new version of the zombie antidote. All it's managed to do so far, though, is give Blaine apparent amnesia in its updated blend.
Obviously science is a process, but "iZombie" has been dancing around the prospect of a cure since the very first episode. For all of Ravi's toiling, the cure itself seems to have taken a back burner to all the big villains in town. If anything, the next season should see Chakrabarti creating a weaponized form of the cure to combat Stoll's military forces. There's been a lot of potential around the zombie antidote, and season three is the time to finally pull the trigger in getting it back to the forefront.
Be sure to chime in on what you want to see in the third season of "iZombie" in the comments section!