Sunday, April 26, 2015

I'm Hot For Zombie

We've been watching the new show iZombie. We got hooked with the first episode and have enjoyed everything that has followed. I have not read any of the comic books, so I will only be talking about the TV series here.

After the first episode I had to ask my wife "Shouldn't it feel wrong for me to be attracted to a zombie?" One aspect of the show that really does stand out is the main character, Liv (Played by Rose McIver), being actually attractive for dead chick. I also know I am not the only one who feels this way. I would not think I would find such a pale complexion attractive, let along sexy. This may be a high compliment to the actress, but there is something about Liv that is highly appealing.

At a recent convention my wife cosplayed as Liv and that look worked for her as well.

In giving the issue some  real thought, it came to me that we are now sexualizing zombies much the same way we did vampires a few decades ago. The idea of taking what is supposed to be a frightening, inhuman monstrosity and giving it sex appeal seems to be something we as a society are obsessed with. I am not saying that is good or bad, it just is. I have no problem with it myself, but I know there were those out there disliking the attractive vampires. Yet we keep seeing it done and done successfully. Like it or not, it will keep happening.

I do like the unique zombie concept being used in iZombie. These zombies are only mindless if they do not feed and are for the most part able to blend in. Of course our main character, thanks to her medical career, has found a moral way to have access to brains(She works in a morgue). Liv is a very likable, believable character who you really feel for. She is a young woman dealing with a unique problem and  trying to keep her life working.

So far the series is doing well with creating an interesting world and setting up some good storylines that do not feel forced or out of place.Too many shows end up putting in dramatic ideas that are forced and just don't belong (Which is one reason I cannot get into most medical dramas) yet so far iZombie looks to be able to avoid that, in no small part due to the already in place morality conflicts that comes with the  idea of intelligent zombies.

We still have the rest of season 1 to go and I am sure it will be renewed, as it has a following as well as a lot of potential.