Villainess Review: Andrea Ziv (The Purge)

I'm a big fan of The Purge's overall series, and I'm still amazed over how it's developed. It all started back in 2013 with the first film, which took place in the not-too-distant future and centered on the titular event: the one day of the calendar year where literally all crime, including (but not limited to) murder, was legal. The film, a huge box office hit, spawned two sequels in 2014 (The Purge: Anarchy) and 2016 (The Purge: Election Year), and a prequel (The First Purge) in 2018. It was later that year that the TV series premiered on the USA Network, and it was followed by yet another movie installment, The Forever Purge, in 2021.

Regarding the TV series, it premiered in the fall of 2018 and received a 2nd season in 2019, but would not receive a third. I remember being dismayed by the cancellation, but I still maintain my favorite moment from the show's 2nd (and final) season. One of the storylines from Season 2 centered around Ryan Grant, as he was leading a team of potential criminals who were planning a heist on Purge Night. However, as the season's third episode, "Blindspots," revealed, Ryan and his group (consisting of Sara Williams, Tommy Ortiz, and Doug Vargas) weren't always criminals. In fact, the quartet actually served as members of the New Orleans Police Department, as the episode served as a flashback to their pasts as police officers.

The opening scenes showed the group and other officers being advised by their captain, Andrea Ziv, about Purge Night, which was on the horizon. She mentioned that Purge Night could be used by those who despise the police as an opportunity to knock them off, but in regards to Ryan and his group, they planned to use Purge Night to go after Caruso, a notorious drug dealer. It's the perfect opportunity, as Purge Night is open season on...well...everything, and regarding Ziv, she appeared to the quartet and warned them about their plan, as it wasn't legalized by the department. Nevertheless, they persisted.

The group's Purge Night plan wasn't successful; they ended up being confronted by a group of masked snipers who served as protection for Caruso. Though Ryan probably expected the protection, there were two things that definitely surprised him. First off, Ryan unmasked one of the snipers, and saw that it was Reynolds, a fellow officer. But just when Ryan thought that would be the biggest shocker, he would be proven wrong when a masked female appeared and held Ryan at gunpoint. So who was this masked woman? Let's find out, shall we?

The masked villainess was none other than Andrea Ziv herself, as she had turned heel and become the leader of a group of corrupt cops who were working to protect Caruso--with Ziv snidely commenting that the "smart cops" took the offer and reminded Ryan that she warned him against going after Caruso. Ryan and his group left after the standoff, and it was later in the episode that Ryan confronted his corrupt captain regarding her actions. Ziv doubled down on her villainy with her defense that her actions were legal, and revealed that Caruso paid her for her collusion--adding that it was enough to put her son through college. Ryan turned in his badge, as did Tommy, Sara, and Doug, with Ziv threatening to blackball Ryan in response.

So it was Ziv's corruption that led Ryan, Tommy, Doug, and Sara to leave the force, and regarding the current timeline, we would see Ziv for the first time in those events in the end of "House of Mirrors" (episode 2.05), as Ryan contacted Ziv for help after their jewel heist went south. As we would see in the following episode, "Happy Holidays," Ziv's heel persona remained intact, as she blackmailed Ryan into allowing her to participate in their latest plan, which was enacted in episode 2.08, "Before the Sirens." That episode saw Purge Night begin, and regarding Ziv, she ended up as a Purge casualty, as she was shot to death by one of the Purgers.

As a devout fan of villainesses, the highlight of the short-lived Purge TV series was seeing Christine Dunford as the evil Andrea Ziv during the show's second season. One reason is because I've been a fan of Christine Dunford since I first saw her on an episode of What I Like About You (as Leah), but the main reason was because of the type of villainess Ziv was. Andrea Ziv wasn't your ordinary corrupt cop; she was also an evil, militant leader. Part of me is giving that description due to Ziv's immensely epic villainous attire: camouflage and a ski mask. But it's also due to Ziv's high rank, as well as her ruthless nature. It was clear that Ziv's warning to Ryan was to cover up her own corruption (though it could also be seen as a veiled threat), and when the proverbial and literal mask was removed, Ziv continued portraying herself as a callous and self-serving villainess, even in the current timeline and up to her demise.

Christine Dunford played every facet of Andrea Ziv brilliantly. She acted out Ziv's stern (and perceived) concern in the early scenes, but she really shined when it came to Ziv's heel turn and the scenes that followed. Dunford acted out Ziv's villainous persona to perfection during and after her reveal in "Blindspots," and she continued to shine in that role in her following episodic appearances. It's no surprise that Dunford played this role well; she's done the villainess thing before on episodes of Crossing Jordan and Rizzoli & Isles. She also appeared on two episodes of Seinfeld, and has also guest-starred on shows such as Two and a Half Men, Bones, 9-1-1, and NCIS.

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