They do manage to keep the clever titles coming in iZombie. This week’s is “The Hurt Stalker,” a nice twist from the movie The Hurt Locker. Between the episode titles and the little segment intros they do in comic book style, I do give the writers credit for a consistently high level of quality and creativity. 

Liv sneaks back in to her own place, but roomie/spy Gilda/Rita hears her come in. They catch up a bit and talk about Liv’s boyfriend. Gilda starts feeling a wash of conflicting emotions when she realizes Liv is back together with Major. Gilda has been sleeping with him, too. Our spy seems to have developed some actual feelings for Major along the way.

Even more complications arise for Clive, as if a new FBI girlfriend and Liv’s regular antics weren’t enough. The woman we saw dropping off a package for Dale Bassio last episode isn’t an informant. We see her get attacked and murdered, and then learn she’s a stalker who used to be fixated on Clive. Things look even worse for him when his gun was found at the scene. And, of course, once Liv samples her brain, the crazy stalker starts wreaking havoc with her relationship with Major.

Since Clive is under suspicion, Liv and Ravi are working with a Detective Cavanaugh. He’s a jerk, and has it in for Clive. Needless to say, the investigation doesn’t go as smoothly as it usually does, since Liv and Ravi are having to work around Cavanaugh.

It’s a tense episode on several levels. Liv is under the influence of stalker brain, and that’s not making things easier for anyone. It’s causing a lot of strain with Major, especially since he did actually sleep with someone else, although granted that was before he and Liv got back together. And of course, to make things more complicated, he slept with Gilda/Rita. When Liv eventually learns what her roommate is up to, there’s going to be an ugly scene with some glowing red eyes.

The investigation runs down the usual twists and turns and misdirections, made harder to deal with by Cavanaugh’s presence. There are some funny scenes when Dale Bassio let slip some details about Clive’s life that neither Ravi nor Liv knew. Things get even worse when some of Liv’s more questionable activities get her in some serious trouble. And there’s a surprise near the end about Cavanugh (or at least I was surprised).

But the most disturbing development, in my opinion, has nothing to do with any of that. Vaughn du Clark of Max Rager is making a lot of progress on his SuperMax product. Near the end, Major gets to see what some of the effects of it on humans actually are. Liv may have another major (no pun intended) challenge coming her way.

What I liked: The new sides to Clive were amusing, as was Ravi teasing him about them. I like Dale Bassio (which is making me suspicious there’s something wrong with her). The developments with Vaughn are troubling, but interesting.

What I didn’t: Liv as stalker was really hard to like. I don’t like the implication that Major is seeing both Liv and Gilda/Rita at the same time. I don’t think he’d do that. And I hope they aren’t going the cliche route that Gilda/Rita is actually falling for Major.

I’ll give this one a low 3 out of 5. I think it could have been better with a few minor changes.