Duncan
I find Duncan a lot more interesting on this rewatch of Veronica Mars. The first time the fact that the writers inexplicably shipped Duncan/Veronica completely soured me on his character - and I still think he’s completely wrong for Veronica - but as a character, he’s interesting and rather tragic.
I’ve read that Duncan was supposed to be the femme fatale to Veronica’s noir detective, which suggests that the writers understood the purpose of the femme fatale far less well than that of the noir detective. The femme fatale is interesting because she’s an active force in the narrative, trying to scheme her way through the story. Duncan doesn’t scheme. Duncan doesn’t do much of anything.
As Veronica says, Duncan’s greatest flaw is that he “stands idly by.” His friends are the biggest bullies at Neptune High. Duncan doesn’t join in, but he doesn’t try to restrain them (except, occasionally, when they’re picking on Veronica). It’s not because he doesn’t realize they’re wrong, and it’s not because he’s afraid they might turn on him; he just doesn’t care enough to act on his knowledge that they are wrong. It’s clear Veronica finds this character trait not so much enraging as contemptible.
Duncan’s parents have clearly concluded that the source of Duncan’s apathy is clinical depression. They seem to have embraced this diagnosis because they’ve interpreted it to excuse them from actually engaging with Duncan’s thoughts, feelings, or the family tragedy and terrible family dynamics that shape his life.
Like his grief over his sister’s brutal murder. Or his concern that he might somehow be involved because he doesn’t remember that night. Or the fact that he’s in love with a girl who might be his half sister. Or the fact that his parents barely seem to like each other, as witness his father’s long-standing affair that may have resulted in said half-sister. Or the fact that, even when discussing other topics, his parents don’t listen to him or validate his feelings.
He’s an interesting character. I think the writers just failed to realize that the wrong kind of interesting doesn’t translate into shippability.
I’ve read that Duncan was supposed to be the femme fatale to Veronica’s noir detective, which suggests that the writers understood the purpose of the femme fatale far less well than that of the noir detective. The femme fatale is interesting because she’s an active force in the narrative, trying to scheme her way through the story. Duncan doesn’t scheme. Duncan doesn’t do much of anything.
As Veronica says, Duncan’s greatest flaw is that he “stands idly by.” His friends are the biggest bullies at Neptune High. Duncan doesn’t join in, but he doesn’t try to restrain them (except, occasionally, when they’re picking on Veronica). It’s not because he doesn’t realize they’re wrong, and it’s not because he’s afraid they might turn on him; he just doesn’t care enough to act on his knowledge that they are wrong. It’s clear Veronica finds this character trait not so much enraging as contemptible.
Duncan’s parents have clearly concluded that the source of Duncan’s apathy is clinical depression. They seem to have embraced this diagnosis because they’ve interpreted it to excuse them from actually engaging with Duncan’s thoughts, feelings, or the family tragedy and terrible family dynamics that shape his life.
Like his grief over his sister’s brutal murder. Or his concern that he might somehow be involved because he doesn’t remember that night. Or the fact that he’s in love with a girl who might be his half sister. Or the fact that his parents barely seem to like each other, as witness his father’s long-standing affair that may have resulted in said half-sister. Or the fact that, even when discussing other topics, his parents don’t listen to him or validate his feelings.
He’s an interesting character. I think the writers just failed to realize that the wrong kind of interesting doesn’t translate into shippability.