‘iZombie’ Season 3 Spoilers: EP Explains Why They Had Liv On Hot-Mess Brain

There was a well-thought-out reason why “iZombie” had Liv (Rose McIver) eat the brain of a hot mess in Season 3, episode 6.

In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, executive producer Rob Thomas explained that they decided to have Liv on the hot-mess brain last week to highlight her desire to be human again.

“We wanted a brain to make Liv long to be human,” Thomas said. “We wanted a [pain-in-the-neck] brain, because we wanted her to say multiple times during the episode, ‘I’m so tired of being in someone else’s head’ … so we could get her so excited about the possibility of a cure, and that it would dial up the heartache in the final scene when she wasn’t able to. Because sometimes, the brains are helpful and … sometimes she feels good about helping people and being a contributing zombie. We wanted one that was just a [pain in the neck] and so I think that’s how we ended up with hot-mess brain.”

READ: “iZombie” canceled or renewed for Season 4?

In last week’s episode, Liv was excited to take the zombie cure after she found out that it doesn’t really cause memory loss. Unfortunately for her, the remaining doses of the cure were stolen, leaving her longing to be human again more than ever.

In a separate interview with TVLine, Thomas also pointed out that the hookup that happened between Liv and Major (Robert Buckley) in the episode has also heightened her desire to be human again. “Probably to some small degree, that tryst she had with Major, that did spark some old feelings and some thought that, ‘Wait a minute, Major and I could both be human again, and our relationship would be possible,’” the exec producer said. “Although she never says that aloud in the script, that could have been affecting her.”

Thomas also said that even though Liv has already found herself valuable as a zombie, the assistant medical examiner still wants to be human again.

“There is some element of being a zombie and finding herself valuable and having these special abilities that Liv has become a little hooked on, and she does get some self-worth and satisfaction out of it,” Thomas said. “You’re not wrong for thinking that Liv, at different points, is proud of what she’s been able to do as a zombie and has grown a little accustomed to it. But when the day comes when she has the syringe in hand and gets the opportunity to take the cure, I think she’ll take it. Being human again sounds good to her.”

Although the cure successfully turned Major and Blaine back to being humans, Thomas told Entertainment Weekly that viewers shouldn’t trust the effectiveness of the cure. “It is always right on this show to not trust the cure unless we are winding down for a series finale,” he said. “If there is ever a cure where things go well, it seems like the show will be over. I don’t think we could cure Liv Moore until we’re ready to do our final episode because I don’t know what ‘iZombie’ would become.”

“The thing I would say with any future cures, if Ravi (Rahul Kohli) manages to figure out a new way in, is it will likely have a pretty dramatic side effect.”

“iZombie” airs every Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT on The CW.