Trait of the Week: Agoraphobia, hardcore video game muscle memory, hacking

After Major got himself beat up last week, he looks to Ravi to stitch him back up. “I’m a social worker. My insurance covers about one bandaid a year.” Liv is concerned, both for Major and for Ravi’s skills as a medical practitioner for living people. They fuss like a married couple until Major reminds Liv that he “rocker blocked” Liv and Lowell at the funeral. LOL Meanwhile, Blaine‘s Zombie Sugar Mamma Jackie didn’t get her brains, so she attacks a poor delivery boy for her fix.

Liv and Ravi’s latest victim is Simon Cutler, a shut in who died from anaphylactic shock surrounded by confetti. His neighbors are morbidly curious about his death (“did he suffer?”), especially since they never see him. Turns out Simon was a troll and hacker known as “The Sim Reaper.” LOL His most famous incident involved poor Shanie in customer service who got the full Reaper Death Monologue: “I am the keeper of the web. I am the bringer of cyber darkness!” Back at the morgue, Liv is hesitant to slurp up 10 day-old brains, but in order to find out what killed Simon, she purees the brains anyway. Now, she craves donuts. “Great. I ate Homer Simpson’s brain.” The donut triggers a vision of Simon having an anaphylactic attack, but not the one that killed him. They still aren’t sure what triggered the attack this time.

Meanwhile, Major returns to his kids’ therapy group, all the more determined the find out what happened to Major and Eddie. One of the kids has video of the skate park, which Major begins to scan for clues.

When Liv checks in with Clive about Simon (both curious about the birthday card and confetti delivered four months too early), Liv realizes two things: she’s now agoraphobic, and the confetti also had peanut dust, which is what killed Simon. Liv’s agoraphobia prevents her from going out with Lowell. She pretends to be sick for a good minute before she realizes: “I totally forgot you’re a zombie and I can just tell you. I had a bad batch of agoraphobe brains and can’t get out of my apartment.”

At the morgue, Clive and Ravi discuss another body that turns out to be Jackie’s delicious delivery boy. He was found headless and mauled by a bear with expensive food in his financially poor body. Clive also has Simon’s laptop, which Ravi offers to bring to Liv for some “wu-wu.” Turns out, Simon was a hardcore Warlock Forest player (as is Ravi), a hobby that many turn into a profit, which could have been why Simon died. Liv isn’t into this stuff but Simon’s muscle memory is… she starts to play, prompting Ravi to run off like an excited puppy to play too. I’m sorry, no. He’s a were-terrior named Arf Vader.

Liv’s mom pops in to remind us she exists, while Liv is in the middle of tactical instruction (and a cloud of cheeto dust). After Mrs. Moore leaves, Lowell drops in (it’s a drop-in, not a date) with anti-anxiety meds and a little backstory: he’s from London, he left because of a girl, he got swiped into zombie mode at his buddy’s bachelor party. Also, he used to play guitar, but once he became a zombie, he couldn’t risk pre-gig adrenaline because it cased FOZM* *full on zombie mode. He and Liv almost make out (even though he knows she’s still hung up on Major) and he bails when she turns away. Ouch.

Clive investigates the delivery boy’s death at Meat Cute, which I JUST realized that’s what the place where Blaine and Zombie chef meat up is called. Clive escapes certain death by hatchet when Liv calls with a donut clue.

The owners former owners of the “Best All Around Donuts” were destroyed by the peanut infested donut incident Liv visioned earlier. They had motive, means, and opportunity, but Liv and Clive don’t think they did it. Separately. Because Clive keeps leaving Liv talking to herself over Skype.

Simon moved his snack habits to Donuts Etc, which Liv hacks into. She then has a vision (caused by a shaken soda that should have settled hours ago) of Simon’s death by birthday card and hears “Ring Around the Rosie.” She figures this is a clue and it points to a man named Shawn Posie (“like pocket full of posie.”). Shanie Posie was his sister, the customer service victim that Simon destroyed. No really, he destroyed her life and basically cyber bullied her to suicide. Shawn, furious at Simon, quit his investment banker job and got hired at three different donut establishments to exact his revenge. He was lurking at the crime scene and was the one who asked if he suffered. Liv realizes she should live her life (a lesson she learns every week…) and goes off to kiss Lowell, while Ravi and Major realize that Blaine is behind the kids’ disappearances. Ravi knows this is more than Blaine being the candyman, he alerts Liv. These kids are being eaten.

Meanwhile, Blaine has killed his sugar mamma and Liv’s mamma walks into the Meat Cute and offers up Liv’s 16 year old brother as the new delivery boy. UH OH!

Brain Teasers:

• Have we been told yet what happened to Liv’s father?
• “His skin reminds me of a grape that was sitting out in the sun too long and split open.” “You just ruined grapes for me.”
• “Your optimism is tragic.” One of the teens to Major
• “I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with Major. And I guess I did.”
• The way Ravi runs off to go play Warlock Forest (as wereterrior Arf Vader) is so adorable and funny and hilarious. #TeamRavi 100% over here.
• “What brings a nice British lad like you to Seattle?” “Well, I had to escape the chilly, wet, depressing London weather.” “So Seattle, naturally.”
• “I feel like my feet are little hovercrafts gliding six inches of the ground.”  – Anti-anxiety Liv
• “You’re rubbish and I’m heman that takes out the rubbish.” LOVE YOU RAVI.

Until next time, brain-children!