First rule of brain club...
So, I have just watched the second episode of iZombie.
First, a few things you need to know about me:
- Zombies have never worked for me. I've never engaged with them as a proper horror threat. Even the good stuff (Shaun of the Dead)is good despite the undead not because of it.
- I don't do iStuff. In fairness that is to do with the Apple religion and not ascii 105.
- I'm hype averse, so when the NZ Herald did a big write up about the show because the lead is a Kiwi actress, then that is a significant turn off.
Given all that, iZombie I think is very very good indeed. It is clever and sweet and funny and just a little dark. If it helps you place it, it is a kind of mix of Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies with a little Tru Calling thrown in. A post-living medical examiner eats the brains of the corpses in a morgue so as to find their killer.
One note - if you read and love the iZombie comics and expect a literal live action version, then perhaps best that you don't watch. If you haven't read the comics, then give the series a few episodes to sink in first.
And because somebody complained (nicely) that I don't do my regular round up of new season shows any more, a mention of a few recent shows that I am finding worthy of further watching:
Backstrom: Offensive cop show. Imagine if Jeremy Clarkson had worse personal hygiene and was a homicide cop in Portland. Shouldn't work, shouldn't be entertaining and yet is.
Raised by Wolves Dysfunctionally funny family life in low-rent Wolverhampton - The Independent's review covers it nicely.
Powers is a superhero drama available only on the Playstation Network (WTF!). The acting is seriously awful (blame the director I think) and the effects a bit dodgy, but the story/writing is brilliant. It reminds me of my favourite Garth Ennis comics.
First, a few things you need to know about me:
- Zombies have never worked for me. I've never engaged with them as a proper horror threat. Even the good stuff (Shaun of the Dead)is good despite the undead not because of it.
- I don't do iStuff. In fairness that is to do with the Apple religion and not ascii 105.
- I'm hype averse, so when the NZ Herald did a big write up about the show because the lead is a Kiwi actress, then that is a significant turn off.
Given all that, iZombie I think is very very good indeed. It is clever and sweet and funny and just a little dark. If it helps you place it, it is a kind of mix of Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies with a little Tru Calling thrown in. A post-living medical examiner eats the brains of the corpses in a morgue so as to find their killer.
One note - if you read and love the iZombie comics and expect a literal live action version, then perhaps best that you don't watch. If you haven't read the comics, then give the series a few episodes to sink in first.
And because somebody complained (nicely) that I don't do my regular round up of new season shows any more, a mention of a few recent shows that I am finding worthy of further watching:
Backstrom: Offensive cop show. Imagine if Jeremy Clarkson had worse personal hygiene and was a homicide cop in Portland. Shouldn't work, shouldn't be entertaining and yet is.
Raised by Wolves Dysfunctionally funny family life in low-rent Wolverhampton - The Independent's review covers it nicely.
Powers is a superhero drama available only on the Playstation Network (WTF!). The acting is seriously awful (blame the director I think) and the effects a bit dodgy, but the story/writing is brilliant. It reminds me of my favourite Garth Ennis comics.