Warning: This recap contains spoilers, undead and otherwise, for the iZombie episode “Dirt Nap Time.” Go find some brains to eat if you haven’t watched yet.
Pretend I’m pulling out a sock puppet to tell you about the latest iZombie. Liv ate some preschool teacher brains, and the outlook she received from the snack put the world into black and white perspective in “Dirt Nap Time.”
But let’s catch up on non-Liv personality notes first. I have to give it to little Don E. His handling of the zombie speakeasy has been smart. The entry test, for example, is perfect. Those interested in gaining admission have to eat a ghost pepper. I have a hunch a human other than Major will eventually find his or her way in though, and that will be an interesting day. Anyway, it’s a cool new hangout spot, which every CW series needs in bar or coffee shop form. It would be cooler if Don E. would fess up to swiping the cure, which I still believe he was responsible for.
Another brewing mystery: the guy who confessed to killing the dominatrix was apparently forced to do so. When Peyton got close to getting the last piece of evidence, he killed himself. I can’t tell if it’s about zombies or the remnants of Mr. Boss’ organization, but I like having a B plot in play.
The Meal
Liv turned Jamie’s brain into the kind of snack you’d make for a small child or for an adult with the palate of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (no judgment–I am envious of the junk food diet on Gilmore Girls). She chopped the brain into slices and put it on bread with peanut butter and jelly. Then she squished the bread slightly and turned the combo into a sushi roll. PB&J sushi. If a food truck sold it, you know you’d try it, without the brains, obviously.
This meal is definitely an example of one fitting the personality of the former brain owner.
Liv
Being a teacher of young children (or any children, probably) means being patient. If you lose your temper, you make kids cry and end up with an unhappy parent asking for a parent-teacher conference. None of those results are ideal. Jamie was the king of patience. He was beloved by kids and his superiors; they thought he was their best teacher. Unfortunately, he was also a womanizer and had affairs with multiple mothers every school year. Eww. So, Liv ended up with a combo of patient, flirty brains.
She manifested more of the teacher aspects of the brain, and some of the traits were infuriating–probably because I’ve known teachers like this. Do you have any friends or relatives who are teachers for preschool to middle school? They can have a hard time turning off when they’re not in the classroom. This means clear, slow explanations about everything; it usually comes off as patronizing.
On Jamie’s brain, Liv was friendly and helpful. She distilled conflict to its basic components, which isn’t the worst thing. She wasn’t afraid to stop interrogations to call suspects out for being unkind and negative. I’d be okay picking up the quality to use in my own life, instead of only ignoring people who are jerks. If Liv thought the situation required a little help, she pulled out a sock puppet she made. Sock puppets make any information easier to digest. That’s just a fact.
In addition to being overenthusiastic (which was too much for me) and focused on learning, there was one especially positive trait Liv absorbed: she saw the best in everyone. She rewarded good behavior–I so hope Clive left her sticker system in his notebook–and uplifted those around her with compliments and encouragement. Those tendencies were especially charming when she went on a date with Justin while on teacher brain.
Side note: I thought Liv and Major were getting back together? Why is he hooking her up with his buddy?
Did teacher brain drive anyone else insane? If I were Clive I would have called in sick. Head to the comments and let me know your thoughts about the episode.
Images: The CW
