Wherein I lose sleep and gain coherence (I hope) (VM 1.21 - A Trip to the Dentist)
For you, my friends, I take two hours to watch an episode, writing out my notes longhand. I sacifice my hand and the subsequent cramping to bring you...
My Thoughts.
1. Setting the Scene.
Unlike the other episodes of the season, which I watched by myself or with the tollerant boyfriend, yesterday's was accompanied by two fresh additions to the party, pizza, pina coladas, and tiramisu. Good things, all, though it perhaps made some things that shouldn't have been uninentionally funny. But we'll get to that later.
2. The Entertainment.
First, this was a good episode. For many another show, it would have been a great episode. But for Veronica Mars, where I have come to expect better and where we're wrapping up a season of story and character development, it was a let-down. Too many literary devices were overused, especially in the last ten minutes. Too many awkward cuts, too much unintentional mirth.
Whereas Aaron going to town on Dylan to "That's Amore" was supposed to distance us from the scene and allow for the slow absorption of it, we were supposed to be there with Duncan and Veronica in their confrontation. But I, for one, was not. And my intrepid group of test subjects friends were also distanced to an extreme. An extreme where we burst into laughter and the exceedingly tollerant boyfriend got up proclaiming he refused to watch if it went all soap-opera on him. (He was coaxed back with promises that Duncan's statement about Veronica's paternity was almost 100% sure to be false.)
In fact, while few an actor was off the entire episode, the one who was was the one who really counted. I couldn't relate to Veronica at all. What had worked for twenty episodes - the building of empathy and caring for the character - and what made me ache for her even as I watched Logan float with his champagne alone in the last episode, just wasn't there. I could not connect emotionally with the person who's suffering and need for resolution was driving the A-plot of the episode.
The supporting cast, on the other hand, was just plain on the entire time. From "Buenos dias" to the not-quite buenos noches. Kieth's plot particularly impressed me, especially his scenes with Cheyenne. Wallace was just what he needed to be when he needed to be it - harsh with the facts when angry, and emotionally supportive when Veronica comes to him for help. It is very telling that with Keith out of town and not knowing about the "rape," it is Wallace she turns to. In some respects, Veronica's dealings with Wallace progress as she let's Lilly go inch by inch. Her finally showing him the case is a way of acknowledging that he has, in some respect, taken her place.
I find I have to agree with Rob Thomas - Teddy rocked. Both in his interactions with Celeste in the car, and later with Veronica up at the house, he's still dealing with the surreality of life. I got the feeling that he hates Celeste for telling him about Jake & Lianne, no matter how much he believes her. And he really got the zingers in this episode; questioning Veronica on her inability to remember the party and how that felt was especially nice. Veronica egging him on to tell her why he ran off distanced me from the scene, again, but the line "I tried not to, I tried not to but it won't go away!" really brought me back.
His rager at Logan's party is also very nicely handled. I'm convinced he went into an episode, and poor Meg for having to deal with that with no prior knowledge. Actually, poor Meg on all fronts.
And Logan... I have about a page of notes on Logan in this episode, sitting in front of me, but they're difficult to translate into complete thought. I have to say that I'd been waiting for another Weevil/Logan (not that way, kids) confrontation, as these are the two who really hooked me on the show in the first place. I loved the way they hit each other - not the actual pushing, but the way their words would cut any other man apart. I think regardless of anything else, they do respect each other enough not to pull punches. Logan's last grab for Weevil illustrating that he does fear losing Veronica in the same way he lost Lilly, doubly so given her stand-him-up-and-run-away routine.
Speaking of "on," Jason Dohring's acting was superb, especially in the secong half of the episode. The way he emotes to Veronica's "I was with Duncan" is priceless, and much more informative with a second watch. His casual dismissal of Dick in the party scene also led me to ask how long those two have been friends. While we know the Fearsome Foursome reigned supreme, how well-connected was Logan before Lilly's murder?
I know a lot of people found the Logan & Veronica chemistry lacking in the scene at the poolhouse, but I didn't. it felt right - as if he really needed her to trust him, and needed to unburden himself, stand up and take responsibility, but didn't know how she'd react and was afraid of losing her again. Regardless of what her reaction was going to be, I so didn't see him ready to jump to the nookie right off the bat.
There were, of course, more downsides. Veronica's line that leads into the credits felt like it was there to do just that - not to provide any meaningful dialogue. It was a promo blurb. For some reason, most of the camera work in this episode felt very awkward to me. Perhaps it's just the abrupt change between the wild and spinning M.A.D., but the sharp cuts and rough angles (such as the one of Duncan and Celeste in the car) really grated on the eyes.
A few questions arose. Veronica states that there were 100 people at Shelly's party, but the '09ers are supposed to be elitists, and Neptune High doesn't seem that big a school. Why does the teacher interrupt Logan and Weevil's scuffle, but not Veronica's torment of Dickie? If Carrie Bishop's an '09er, why's she working? And finally, and most importantly, why in the hell, after getting drugged at the second-to-last '09er party she'd attended by someone handing her a drink, would Veronica decide to drink from the cup Madison gave her?
Speaking of Dickie, it's very telling that the only revenge Veronica actually takes this episode is against him. He and Madison are the only people she interviews with whom she doesn't have a nice rapport. With everyone else Veronica has won some respect, but those two are particularly dense.
Likewise, it's also telling that Logan's the only one of the people in the chain of responsibility who admits to and tries to repent for his actions - and that includes Veronica herself. I'm not about to go blaming the woman for asking for it in any kind of rape, but she went to a party full of people who hated her and, given a drink by a person she didn't see, chose to drink it. That's pretty damn stupid.
For all its faults, this episode had me in its grips until the final two scenes. I knew the spoilers, I knew it was coming, but I didn't realise how totally disatisfied I would feel when the screen went dark. Playing with time and veiling character's intentions may well get some people on pins and needles, but I think the majority of your intelligent audience is just going to be annoyed with the overused device (it was done in Ruskie Business as well). Lianne would be shock enough to carry you into the finale without the finangling about Weevil and his bike.
My Thoughts.
1. Setting the Scene.
Unlike the other episodes of the season, which I watched by myself or with the tollerant boyfriend, yesterday's was accompanied by two fresh additions to the party, pizza, pina coladas, and tiramisu. Good things, all, though it perhaps made some things that shouldn't have been uninentionally funny. But we'll get to that later.
2. The Entertainment.
First, this was a good episode. For many another show, it would have been a great episode. But for Veronica Mars, where I have come to expect better and where we're wrapping up a season of story and character development, it was a let-down. Too many literary devices were overused, especially in the last ten minutes. Too many awkward cuts, too much unintentional mirth.
Whereas Aaron going to town on Dylan to "That's Amore" was supposed to distance us from the scene and allow for the slow absorption of it, we were supposed to be there with Duncan and Veronica in their confrontation. But I, for one, was not. And my intrepid group of test subjects friends were also distanced to an extreme. An extreme where we burst into laughter and the exceedingly tollerant boyfriend got up proclaiming he refused to watch if it went all soap-opera on him. (He was coaxed back with promises that Duncan's statement about Veronica's paternity was almost 100% sure to be false.)
In fact, while few an actor was off the entire episode, the one who was was the one who really counted. I couldn't relate to Veronica at all. What had worked for twenty episodes - the building of empathy and caring for the character - and what made me ache for her even as I watched Logan float with his champagne alone in the last episode, just wasn't there. I could not connect emotionally with the person who's suffering and need for resolution was driving the A-plot of the episode.
The supporting cast, on the other hand, was just plain on the entire time. From "Buenos dias" to the not-quite buenos noches. Kieth's plot particularly impressed me, especially his scenes with Cheyenne. Wallace was just what he needed to be when he needed to be it - harsh with the facts when angry, and emotionally supportive when Veronica comes to him for help. It is very telling that with Keith out of town and not knowing about the "rape," it is Wallace she turns to. In some respects, Veronica's dealings with Wallace progress as she let's Lilly go inch by inch. Her finally showing him the case is a way of acknowledging that he has, in some respect, taken her place.
I find I have to agree with Rob Thomas - Teddy rocked. Both in his interactions with Celeste in the car, and later with Veronica up at the house, he's still dealing with the surreality of life. I got the feeling that he hates Celeste for telling him about Jake & Lianne, no matter how much he believes her. And he really got the zingers in this episode; questioning Veronica on her inability to remember the party and how that felt was especially nice. Veronica egging him on to tell her why he ran off distanced me from the scene, again, but the line "I tried not to, I tried not to but it won't go away!" really brought me back.
His rager at Logan's party is also very nicely handled. I'm convinced he went into an episode, and poor Meg for having to deal with that with no prior knowledge. Actually, poor Meg on all fronts.
And Logan... I have about a page of notes on Logan in this episode, sitting in front of me, but they're difficult to translate into complete thought. I have to say that I'd been waiting for another Weevil/Logan (not that way, kids) confrontation, as these are the two who really hooked me on the show in the first place. I loved the way they hit each other - not the actual pushing, but the way their words would cut any other man apart. I think regardless of anything else, they do respect each other enough not to pull punches. Logan's last grab for Weevil illustrating that he does fear losing Veronica in the same way he lost Lilly, doubly so given her stand-him-up-and-run-away routine.
Speaking of "on," Jason Dohring's acting was superb, especially in the secong half of the episode. The way he emotes to Veronica's "I was with Duncan" is priceless, and much more informative with a second watch. His casual dismissal of Dick in the party scene also led me to ask how long those two have been friends. While we know the Fearsome Foursome reigned supreme, how well-connected was Logan before Lilly's murder?
I know a lot of people found the Logan & Veronica chemistry lacking in the scene at the poolhouse, but I didn't. it felt right - as if he really needed her to trust him, and needed to unburden himself, stand up and take responsibility, but didn't know how she'd react and was afraid of losing her again. Regardless of what her reaction was going to be, I so didn't see him ready to jump to the nookie right off the bat.
There were, of course, more downsides. Veronica's line that leads into the credits felt like it was there to do just that - not to provide any meaningful dialogue. It was a promo blurb. For some reason, most of the camera work in this episode felt very awkward to me. Perhaps it's just the abrupt change between the wild and spinning M.A.D., but the sharp cuts and rough angles (such as the one of Duncan and Celeste in the car) really grated on the eyes.
A few questions arose. Veronica states that there were 100 people at Shelly's party, but the '09ers are supposed to be elitists, and Neptune High doesn't seem that big a school. Why does the teacher interrupt Logan and Weevil's scuffle, but not Veronica's torment of Dickie? If Carrie Bishop's an '09er, why's she working? And finally, and most importantly, why in the hell, after getting drugged at the second-to-last '09er party she'd attended by someone handing her a drink, would Veronica decide to drink from the cup Madison gave her?
Speaking of Dickie, it's very telling that the only revenge Veronica actually takes this episode is against him. He and Madison are the only people she interviews with whom she doesn't have a nice rapport. With everyone else Veronica has won some respect, but those two are particularly dense.
Likewise, it's also telling that Logan's the only one of the people in the chain of responsibility who admits to and tries to repent for his actions - and that includes Veronica herself. I'm not about to go blaming the woman for asking for it in any kind of rape, but she went to a party full of people who hated her and, given a drink by a person she didn't see, chose to drink it. That's pretty damn stupid.
For all its faults, this episode had me in its grips until the final two scenes. I knew the spoilers, I knew it was coming, but I didn't realise how totally disatisfied I would feel when the screen went dark. Playing with time and veiling character's intentions may well get some people on pins and needles, but I think the majority of your intelligent audience is just going to be annoyed with the overused device (it was done in Ruskie Business as well). Lianne would be shock enough to carry you into the finale without the finangling about Weevil and his bike.