Cult Classic Series iZombie Begins Streaming Free on Pluto TV After 11 Years

Before the streaming era, fans of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy stories had to settle for what was closest. The CW became an important channel for many viewers who wanted traditional teen romance and drama combined with higher stakes like superheroes, vampires, and zombies.

Viewers might have discovered shows years later on Netflix or Hulu, becoming familiar with classic examples like The Vampire Diaries and The 100. However, one of the best examples of The CW era ran for five seasons without finding a wider audience, remaining one of the channel’s best-kept secrets until now.

iZombie premiered in 2015 as one of the last proper CW shows. The series follows a zombie woman trying to lead a meaningful life as she juggles work, relationships, and a craving for brains. Starting August 1, the entire series streams for free on Pluto TV, offering an opportunity to dive into its world.

Developed by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright, iZombie stars Rose McIver as Liv Moore. Liv is a Seattle medical resident whose life changes when she transforms into the undead after attending a party crashed by a horde of zombies. She wakes up with a pale complexion, white hair, and a taste for human brains. Her zombie-fication forces her to seclude herself from friends and family, end her engagement, and shift careers from a successful hospital resident to a worker at the local morgue. The morgue is the only place where she can get brains without sparking suspicion.

iZombie establishes a playful, irreverent tone and a procedural structure in its pilot episode. When Liv eats human brains, she accesses the deceased person’s memories and talents, making her a medium and a tool for solving crimes. Thomas develops dynamics and settings similar to his cult classic series Veronica Mars. The show features dark humor that anchors its twists. In one episode, Liv eats a murdered woman’s brain to track down the killer, but she also inherits the victim’s kleptomania and struggles to contain her desire to steal meaningless objects.

Rose McIver delivers humor and detachment in her role. She works alongside a supporting cast that includes her boss Ravi, played by Rahul Kohli, who is a morbidly curious zombie ally hunting for a cure. Her detective partner Clive, played by Malcolm Goodwin, is puzzled by her intuition but relies on her because she makes his job easier.

iZombie expands its format as the seasons progress. What starts as a contained story about a zombie solving crimes unravels into a wider conspiracy featuring an outbreak, societal consequences, and divisions. Rob Thomas discussed this approach in 2014, telling Gizmodo, “We want there to be a real zombie mythology and zombie storylines. I would say in Veronica Mars there was always a big murder case that encompassed the season. In iZombie, there’s a big zombie storyline that will sort of serve as the same role.”

Despite shifting tones, iZombie retains its rom-com essence and quirkiness. One memorable stylistic motif features Liv preparing plates of brains with different condiments and sauces in funny and disturbing sequences that resemble a PG version of Hannibal.

Finding a series as specific as iZombie combined a will-they-won’t-they romance, a serial procedural, and a zombie enjoying a serving of brains. While zombies remain prominent pop culture figures, they rarely receive the main character treatment. iZombie proves that the concept of the brain-eating undead can become something fresh.

Source: Polygon