The main character Liv Moore dies and comes back as a zombie. She changes her entire way of life and starts to work in a morgue where she can get all the brains she needs. Every time she eats a brain, she gets visions and abilities or properties from the deceased and with those she helps a detective solve cases where those original brain owners were involved in.
Pretty straightforward synopsis and if you can accept the "eat brain, get visions/abilities" premise of this show you're in for a great treat.
Most of all the writing is consistent. The plots aren't stupidity driven as they are on major network shows these days, nor are the plots dragged out with nonsense you don't care about.
The acting is believable, the actors play likable characters and those have depth. They aren't cardboard characters or dull stereotypes, they all have their backstory and purpose. While this is an adaption of a comic there are apparently issues to overcome.
For example filling the time that you have in a TV format with dialogues. I haven't read the comics and can't comment on how faithful the series is overall but it definitely delivers the concept very well without having to know the comic.
Comedy is rather subtle here but usually very sweet. The humour comes often from the brains Liv eats and are situational.
Matching that comedy you get here and there fitting popculture references, like a very dark humorous, self ironic and absolutely brilliant Fight Club reference.
Especially shows with zombies are more and more frowned up on these days. People are slowly fed up with stories involving zombies. But this one takes a different approach.
As of yet (S01E10) there is no humans vs zombies, no apocalypse, just a how does a zombie try to live a normal, daily live kind of situation. Spiced up with brain induced antics, murder cases and a plot involving the commercial exploitation of zombies, in a way at least. ;) Each episode involves therefore a new case, a case that usually in some way is linked to the overall plot and therefore a new piece to the puzzle of the show.
On the other hand, because there's no apocalypse here, this show is not an action driven show. Nor is it a show where you can completely shut off your brain but I'd say it would work as a calm down kind of show.
You had an exhausting/stressful day at work, school, university, etc. and need to calm down, get your minds off things in the evening? Watch iZombie. Due to the aforementioned, it is a rather lighthearted not too serious show but it definitely is very enjoyable.
Personally this show, after the sad and undeserved cancellation of Forever, is my most favourite airing show.
Since it is a lighthearted show that doesn't take itself very serious at times - in smart ways nontheless - it may not please everyone. The cast seems a tad too young but I wouldn't go as far as to say there are miscast persons on this show as there are on other, bigger shows. When you dislike the synopsis, or think it sounds cheesy, that may be your right to say or think, but I think you misjudge this TV show very much and miss out on an incredibly enjoyable show that doesn't insult your intelligence with plots that get more and more ludicrous with each episode. Something bigger networks try more and more these days with each new show.
Charming shows like these are sadly a dying kind.
