ringing joyful and triumphant
I'll cover the snark later, but first, I actually need to try and see if I can put my jumbled thoughts into some sort of logical analysis. Longass post, be warned.
Veronica Mars - 2.20 - Look Who's Stalking
In terms of the broader mystery, this episode matches the last one -- we're given new hints, we're introduced to new info, but we still can't figure out exactly what is going on.
. What is up with Woody Goodman? First they go out of the way to hint he's gay and now, look! Unconscious hot chick on his Camelot room. My first impulse is to think Woody set it up to keep Keith off-track [assuming Woody suspects Keith is still investigating the creepy video]. But if so, why accuse Keith of being the one with the drunk girl? That just ensures Keith WILL investigate it further.
. What is it Woody did to Lucky? Why does Lucky want him to pay?
. What is it that the Mannings see in Lucky, that Meg despised so much?
. And is there any connection between any/all of it? Suddenly Veronica has chlamydia, and she obviously thinks she got it from Duncan. But who was it that made Duncan sick? I'm guessing that would be Meg; and that in turn, Meg got it from Lucky. I can't really see Meg sleeping with Lucky [unless her abused her], but since this particular storyline hasn't made any sense from the beginning, I'm not gonna argue with insane troll logic.
...
I'm amazed at the continuity in this episode. Fandom usually likes it when we get the nods, but I'd give my left arm for them to get rid of the audience winking. However, when the writers forget the fans and write for the narrative, it's a feast. It's what I live for, actually -- to see these moments wherein the whole scope of 42 episodes turn into one single story.
Moments like when Madison Sinclair and Cindy Mackenzie, switched at birth, agree that the elevator ride is neverending and utter their Thank Gods together. Or when Veronica doesn't let Gia drink Madison's offer of champagne. Or when Keith's reporter friend sides with him once again, even when Woody's got the proverbial power [power which was in Jake Kane's hands last season]. Or when there's yet another piece of music attached to Veronica and Logan's relationship, as if they couldn't exist together without a soundtrack.
...
We've been seeing a lot of mirroring this season, this episode has got more of it. roniabirk made a great post about actual camerawork mirroring happening here, but it's not just that. The narrative has been also coming full circle. It's the "dog episode" last week, much like 1.19; and the way this one sets up yet another fall between Logan and Veronica. Just like M.A.D. did. And how we're suddenly introduced to a character we're supposed to pay attention to. Last season it was Beaver, now it's Lucky.
I'm pretty sure none of it is there by chance.
It makes me wonder whether the season would get right where it is right now if the writers didn't have to deal with writing Duncan off [and making Meg pregnant and dead -- which wasn't the first plan -- to achieve that]. I've been thinking about this for awhile now. Would Veronica be where she is now if Duncan were still in Neptune?
I kind of think that yes, she would. No matter what was really supposed to happen to Duncan, and no matter how confusing and frustrating it was to get here [hindsight is truly a blessing], I don't think we can say that Veronica is still looking for "normal". Nor is she trying to be the girl she was back before Lilly died. This Veronica of now is the same one we saw staking out the Camelot taking pictures of Jake Kane and tasering Felix back when it all started.
...
And thus, we get to Veronica's love life.
I cut Veronica a lot more slack than most people do. Hell, this past weekend, my RL friends were jumping at her throat once again for treating Logan so callously during the first half of the season and I just had to defended her. We can only guess how much damage Logan did the year before the Pilot. How many slashed tires, how many jabs about missing drunk mothers and lack of money and that fucking party at Shelley Pomroy's. He was the one who turned the school against her. It wasn't Duncan, it wasn't Dick. It was Logan. Because he's the leader of the pack and what he says, goes.
I mean, he still does it sometimes. This very episode, Logan tells Veronica he doesn't mind if she brings her "poor" friends to Alterna-Prom as long as they keep their hands off the silver. Sure, you can see on Logan's face that he regrets what he's saying WHILE he's saying it [bless you, JD, for being the actor you are], but he does it because it's habit. Why shouldn't it be habit to Veronica to be on the defensive at all times too?
It was hard for her to trust him last season and it is hard still. And it gets even harder, because now there are feelings long denied involved and Veronica likes revenge and getting even, and no matter how many people have told her she should learn to forgive [there was Meg, there was Carmen], it's still the hardest thing for her to do. Especially Logan.
But she forgave him once, and now, one year later, she does it again. Of course it didn't turn out as well. Logan is Logan after all and obviously he would fuck it up the worst possible way. But the important part here is not that Logan got drunk and spilled his guts [in vino, veritas goes the adage, right?]. We knew that already. The monumental thing is that when Logan put her on the spotlight, Veronica fled, thought it over and came back. Only to be betrayed again, yeah, but that is just how their story goes -- Veronica and Logan have turned miscommunication into an art form [just think all of it could've been avoided if Veronica had just told Logan that Kendall is a con artist].
Still, the fact that the one part of his rambling she brings up is that their relationship is "epic" should be enough to tell us something. Veronica wouldn't mention it if she didn't believe it [or at least wanted to believe it]. And this pain and confusion of right now is still part of the lives ruined, bloodshed, years spanned that form said epic relationship.
They've got ways to go before the songs about them start getting written.
I owe you the picspam, Jems. Maybe later, along with the snark I'm sure you're all missing now. ;)
Veronica Mars - 2.20 - Look Who's Stalking
In terms of the broader mystery, this episode matches the last one -- we're given new hints, we're introduced to new info, but we still can't figure out exactly what is going on.
. What is up with Woody Goodman? First they go out of the way to hint he's gay and now, look! Unconscious hot chick on his Camelot room. My first impulse is to think Woody set it up to keep Keith off-track [assuming Woody suspects Keith is still investigating the creepy video]. But if so, why accuse Keith of being the one with the drunk girl? That just ensures Keith WILL investigate it further.
. What is it Woody did to Lucky? Why does Lucky want him to pay?
. What is it that the Mannings see in Lucky, that Meg despised so much?
. And is there any connection between any/all of it? Suddenly Veronica has chlamydia, and she obviously thinks she got it from Duncan. But who was it that made Duncan sick? I'm guessing that would be Meg; and that in turn, Meg got it from Lucky. I can't really see Meg sleeping with Lucky [unless her abused her], but since this particular storyline hasn't made any sense from the beginning, I'm not gonna argue with insane troll logic.
...
I'm amazed at the continuity in this episode. Fandom usually likes it when we get the nods, but I'd give my left arm for them to get rid of the audience winking. However, when the writers forget the fans and write for the narrative, it's a feast. It's what I live for, actually -- to see these moments wherein the whole scope of 42 episodes turn into one single story.
Moments like when Madison Sinclair and Cindy Mackenzie, switched at birth, agree that the elevator ride is neverending and utter their Thank Gods together. Or when Veronica doesn't let Gia drink Madison's offer of champagne. Or when Keith's reporter friend sides with him once again, even when Woody's got the proverbial power [power which was in Jake Kane's hands last season]. Or when there's yet another piece of music attached to Veronica and Logan's relationship, as if they couldn't exist together without a soundtrack.
...
We've been seeing a lot of mirroring this season, this episode has got more of it. roniabirk made a great post about actual camerawork mirroring happening here, but it's not just that. The narrative has been also coming full circle. It's the "dog episode" last week, much like 1.19; and the way this one sets up yet another fall between Logan and Veronica. Just like M.A.D. did. And how we're suddenly introduced to a character we're supposed to pay attention to. Last season it was Beaver, now it's Lucky.
I'm pretty sure none of it is there by chance.
It makes me wonder whether the season would get right where it is right now if the writers didn't have to deal with writing Duncan off [and making Meg pregnant and dead -- which wasn't the first plan -- to achieve that]. I've been thinking about this for awhile now. Would Veronica be where she is now if Duncan were still in Neptune?
I kind of think that yes, she would. No matter what was really supposed to happen to Duncan, and no matter how confusing and frustrating it was to get here [hindsight is truly a blessing], I don't think we can say that Veronica is still looking for "normal". Nor is she trying to be the girl she was back before Lilly died. This Veronica of now is the same one we saw staking out the Camelot taking pictures of Jake Kane and tasering Felix back when it all started.
...
And thus, we get to Veronica's love life.
I cut Veronica a lot more slack than most people do. Hell, this past weekend, my RL friends were jumping at her throat once again for treating Logan so callously during the first half of the season and I just had to defended her. We can only guess how much damage Logan did the year before the Pilot. How many slashed tires, how many jabs about missing drunk mothers and lack of money and that fucking party at Shelley Pomroy's. He was the one who turned the school against her. It wasn't Duncan, it wasn't Dick. It was Logan. Because he's the leader of the pack and what he says, goes.
I mean, he still does it sometimes. This very episode, Logan tells Veronica he doesn't mind if she brings her "poor" friends to Alterna-Prom as long as they keep their hands off the silver. Sure, you can see on Logan's face that he regrets what he's saying WHILE he's saying it [bless you, JD, for being the actor you are], but he does it because it's habit. Why shouldn't it be habit to Veronica to be on the defensive at all times too?
It was hard for her to trust him last season and it is hard still. And it gets even harder, because now there are feelings long denied involved and Veronica likes revenge and getting even, and no matter how many people have told her she should learn to forgive [there was Meg, there was Carmen], it's still the hardest thing for her to do. Especially Logan.
But she forgave him once, and now, one year later, she does it again. Of course it didn't turn out as well. Logan is Logan after all and obviously he would fuck it up the worst possible way. But the important part here is not that Logan got drunk and spilled his guts [in vino, veritas goes the adage, right?]. We knew that already. The monumental thing is that when Logan put her on the spotlight, Veronica fled, thought it over and came back. Only to be betrayed again, yeah, but that is just how their story goes -- Veronica and Logan have turned miscommunication into an art form [just think all of it could've been avoided if Veronica had just told Logan that Kendall is a con artist].
Still, the fact that the one part of his rambling she brings up is that their relationship is "epic" should be enough to tell us something. Veronica wouldn't mention it if she didn't believe it [or at least wanted to believe it]. And this pain and confusion of right now is still part of the lives ruined, bloodshed, years spanned that form said epic relationship.
They've got ways to go before the songs about them start getting written.
I owe you the picspam, Jems. Maybe later, along with the snark I'm sure you're all missing now. ;)