Lowell Tracey was a recurring character of iZombie during Season 1. He was the fourth zombie Liv had knowledge of besides herself, Blaine DeBeers and Marcy Khan. He was a musician under the Max Rager record label and is originally from London. He came to Seattle to be with a girl, but things did not work out for them.
Season 1
He first appears in Flight of the Living Dead as a member of the Max Rager skydiving crew and possible suspect in the death of Holly White. After catching Liv snooping through Carson McComb's things during Holly's memorial, he finally gets some alone time with Liv. He outs Liv as a zombie and admits that he himself is one. He goes on to explain how adrenaline rush sent him into full-on zombie mode right before jumping out of the plane, which is why he insisted that Holly jump before him and also why he did not immediately meet up with the rest of the skydiving group upon landing safely on the ground.
Lowell had expressed interest in Liv from the moment they first met and pursued her romantically from the get-go. In Virtual Reality Bites, they set up their first date, but due to Simon Cutler's agoraphobic brain which Liv had ingested, she is unable to leave her apartment. She leaves a message on Lowell's voicemail explaining her predicament so Lowell instead comes over with anti-anxiety meds to the rescue.
They spend a date night in and get to know more about each other leading to Lowell making a move to kiss Liv. Liv however, rebuffs him just as a lead on the Cutler case jumps out at her. Thoroughly embarrassed, Lowell was eager enough to get out of Liv's hair to let her get back to work.
After solving her case and deciding that she did not want to let life pass her by, Liv waits for Lowell outside a recording studio and apologizes for the way she brushed him off the night before. She tells him that she feels like she's a little closer to getting over Major, (hinting that it was all because of Lowell) and they share their first kiss.
Becoming a regular item, Liv was staying over at Lowell's house and grabs a bite to eat from the fridge before leaving. As she is in the elevator to leave his building, she sees Blaine holding a lunch box and is hit by a vision of Blaine murdering her breakfast brain. Liv confronts Lowell, who says he didn't know where the brains were from and reveals his zombie origin story: Blaine scratched him and then offered up the choice of full zombie or his pricey meal plan. Lowell admits he didn't want to know the dirty details and didn't ask any further questions about where they came from. Liv tells him she doesn't think she can be with someone who is ok with murdering homeless kids to survive. Lowell blurts out that he loves her and she tells him that is unfortunate before leaving abruptly.
Later, Lowell shows up to Liv's house, covered with dirt from head to toe and holds out a dirty brain to her. He explains he went to a graveyard and dug up an already deceased brain. Seeing how much this took out of him and that he's come around to the reality of the situation, she invites him inside. They discuss Blaine and how this can't go on any longer. Liv, running on PTSD soldier brains, suggests they take him out. Lowell offers to help, saying that Blaine always seems to want to jam with him, so inviting him over won't be an issue. He does say that he will be unable to help with the murdery part, admitting he is more likely to pee himself and failing to be the strong man she may think he is. She reassures him, saying that not everyone can be running on soldier brain and she will take care of that part of the evening.
Later that evening, Blaine and Lowell are on the outside terrace BBQing meat Blaine brought over. As they casually talk about a mutual love, Kurt Cobain, Liv sets up her sniper rifle on a nearby rooftop. As she is lining up her shot, she starts thinking about the difference between terminating a virus and murdering a living being. As she talks herself out of it, Lowell realizes too much time has passed and something must be wrong. He mentions he purchased a Kurt Cobain jaguar with his first advance money and asks Blaine if he would like to give it a go. Blaine is very enthusiastic and Lowell exits to retrieve it. He messages Liv, "What's going on?" As Blaine begins to strum the guitar, Liv replies, "I can't do it." Setting his phone down, Lowell sees Blaine's phone light up with a call from Julien, prompting a vision of Blaine and Julien killing the boy whose brain he ate that day. He lies to Blaine about the vision he received, saying it was at Bonoroo, and Blaine turns around to take the phone call. Lowell turns to look at Liv, taps his heart and mouths the words, "I love you," picks up a meat fork and stabs Blaine. Blaine reacts defensively, putting his arm up to block, and Lowell's stab lands in his raised arm. As Blaine straightens up, lifting his gun to aim between Lowell's eyes, he tells him that he's a lousy host and pulls the trigger.
Lowell's death is documented as a suicide when Ravi is emphatically told to record it as such by Lieutenant Suzuki, who was on Blaine's zombie-payroll.
Powers and Abilities
- Memory Absorption: When he consumes a new brain he absorbs memories of the deceased. They appear as visions.
- Pseudo-Immortality: Being trapped in a paradox between life and death, Lowell does not belong to both and thereby unfettered with the limitations of either (i.e. fatality).
- Trait and Skill Absorption: When he consumes the brain of a person he temporarily absorbs some of their traits and skills.
- "Zombie Mode": When in danger or in the midst of a violent confrontation, Lowell's zombie characteristics fully surface, causing his eyes to turn into those of a zombie and allowing him to perform incredible feats.
- Enhanced Strength/Agility: When in "full blown zombie mode", Lowell's physical strength and speed are enhanced.
Temporarily Inherited Traits and Skills
- PTSD (Unknown)
- Genius, scientific mind/knowledge of biology, homosexuality, mildly afraid of heights (Unknown)
Weaknesses
- Hunger for Brains: Since he is a zombie, he must feed on brains at least once a month to keep his humanity and survive, otherwise he becomes less intelligent, and more like a proper zombie.
- Adrenaline: A zombie's abilities are triggered by adrenaline. Making it hard to control and hard to hide.
Relationships
- Liv Moore: Lowell's ex-girlfriend. He eventually gets killed by a bullet to the brain by Blaine, when Lowell attempts to murder him. Liv was devastated when she witnessed his death.
Appearances: 5/71
Season 1: 5/13
- Flight of the Living Dead
- Virtual Reality Bites
- Maternity Liv
- Dead Air
- Patriot Brains (Final Appearance in the series)
Trivia
- Lowell's death is unique as it is (to date) the only justifiable murder committed by Blaine, who acted in self-defence, rather than out of any sense of malice.
- The next appearance comes via body double as Bradley James is not credited when his body is taken to the morgue.
- Lowell makes a comment in Flight of the Living Dead, that he wouldn't look good as a blonde. Bradley James is naturally blonde and dyed his hair brown for the role.
- He was named after Chris Lowell because Rob Thomas wanted him for Lowell initially.
- Lowell purchased a Kurt Cobain jaguar with his first advance money.