Cult Detective Series iZombie Streaming Free on YouTube

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, or zombies.

You might have discovered them years later on Netflix or Hulu, making you 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. As of Aug. 1, the entire series is streaming for free on YouTube, providing an opportunity to dive into its world.

What is iZombie about?

Developed by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright, iZombie stars Rose McIver as Liv Moore, a medical resident in Seattle whose perfect life changes after she transforms into the undead. After attending a party crashed by a horde of zombies, Liv wakes up with a pale complexion, white hair, and a taste for human brains. Her zombie transformation complicates her life, resulting in her secluding herself from friends and family, ending her relationship with her fiancé, and taking on a radical career shift. After years as a successful hospital resident, Liv starts working at the local morgue where she can get the brains she needs without sparking suspicion.

iZombie does not stop with that setup. Its pilot episode establishes a playful and irreverent tone alongside a procedural structure. When Liv eats human brains, she gains access to the person’s memories and talents, making her a medium and a tool for solving crimes. This format allows the series to shine, with Thomas developing dynamics that echo his cult classic series Veronica Mars. iZombie is chirpy and quippy, but also packed with dark humor. In one episode, Liv eats a murdered woman’s brain to track down the killer while also inheriting the woman’s kleptomania.

Rose McIver delivers the right amount of humor and detachment needed to make her character work. She interacts with a supporting cast including her boss Ravi, played by Rahul Kohli, a morbidly curious zombie ally on the hunt for a cure, and her detective partner Clive, played by Malcolm Goodwin, who is puzzled by her intuition yet relies on her.

iZombie pushes the boundaries of its format. What started as a contained story about a zombie girl solving crimes unwinds into a wider conspiracy featuring an outbreak and its societal consequences. Thomas wanted to explore this when discussing the project in 2014. “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,” he told Gizmodo.

The series retains its romcom essence and quirkiness throughout its run. One memorable stylistic motif features Liv preparing plates of brains with different condiments and sauces in sequences that are funny, disturbing, and entrancing.

Finding a series as specific as iZombie felt special a decade ago. Zombies are prominent pop culture figures, but rarely do they receive the main character treatment. iZombie proves that it is possible to take the concept of the brain-eating undead and shape it into something fresh.

Source: Polygon