Well, ain't that a kick in the kidneys?
So, Thursday loses a big part of what made it my TV night. Last night went something like: The Avengers: missing scientists, themed hotel, surreal drollery. Then there was the Veronica Mars season 2 finale (the title for this post came from the thought that watching the episode was like being kicked in the kidneys five times, which is another way of saying that I've taken these characters to heart and my take on human anatomy for the sake of metaphor is fluid). then there was The State Within, which was quite draining i its own way. (It's pretty good, the characters are just about fleshed out, though they're definitely stereotypes. The music is very Spooks. It's sort of pushed a few things beyond realpolitik, but I'll suspend my disbelief. And there are men in tuxes.)
But back to the main event. Veronica Mars, 2.22 'Not Pictured'
Whoa. I thought that the use of the dream was touchingly done (and I could compare it with the Dark Angel s1 finale, but the comparison with the whole of the eps wouldn't be in DA's favour.) Pay off, pay off, pay off. Murkiness too. (Duncan is again, far more interesting as a killer in the way that Weevil was - and Veronica isn't.)
Oh, Vee. I love her for her love for her Dad, for staying sharp as tacks all the time, for rising to tackle Cassidy after she'd been tazered, for fighting. Heroine. I went into the finale knowing that Beaver was going to die - like I said, I'd have to be Gia to have missed that one, but up until Veronica began cataloguing the evidenceon the rooftop, I still thought of him as a victim. (Not that he wasn't. If the Casablancas parents weren't negligent - and Neptune is no place to raise a child unless if your name is Keith Mars) - and Goodman not so awfully ironcially named, Cassidy might have used those brains and deviousness for good and not gone around orchestrating mass killings, raping Veronica and so on. Good use of ad breaks, I needed the minutes of the revelation that Woody'd amused Beaver to sink in. It was one of many moments when all the clues clicked into place - and we're talking fittingin with two seasons here. Like the solution to the question of chamydia (oh, Vee), the state of relations with Mac, Cassidy's whole behaviour. I do think they fudged with some of the evidence - it wasn't there for the audience to pick up on, but it fit so perfectly.
And it was gripping and painful. I wouldn't let myself believe that anything had happened to Mac or Keith (possibly a result too of detting the story delayed, I might have bought it more if I'd been seeing it in the original transmission), although there was a certain point of self-protective numbness because of all the shocks and twists. I literally paced during the ad breaks to work it off.
Like Aaron! Point one, did you notice how he was wearing the same suit coming out of the courtroom as Keith wore at V's graduation? Bad father-good father just there for us to make the comparison (it was in Logan's eyes when he was around Keith and Veronica) but not spelled out too heavily. And for Duncan to be behind the hit. I mean, I thought Kanes - and then we see DUNCAN. (Also the inadvertent initialising of his hitman being CW was great). If he hadn't been hit, Aaron could not have stayed out free for long, not if Veronica started walking around with a recording advice, as she so would after the epellent lift incident.
I enjoy Kendall, but she makes me say 'Ew' a lot. Not much reaction to whatever she asked Keith to do - poor Veronica though, left to play little orphan Annie, in a way. She could still go to New York and see Jackie. Jackie is weird. I like her as a character, but I'm not interested in her. I wasn't that interested in her and Wallace's coda (and for all I squeed Veronica-Wallace BFF during the dream, Wallace had better be cooler next year). Looking back though, it was nice to have some time that was insulation against the fraught tension of the rest of the ep.
Because the dream was painful and insightful in its surprises. KB did a great job of idealised Veronica, not quite an airhead, but lighter than she normally is, again, something that was emphassed visually: in the dream, her dress is very light, in reality, she wears black - and looks better in it. But from the moment we saw Lianne, it was a great reunion. Okay, I thought Lilly was less effervescent and had less of an impact than she usually did (was AS having an off day?), but Veronica not knowing Wallace!?!? The twist of Logan being the boyfriend, not Duncan...psychologists could have field days. It set up the importance of Keith.
Other nice nods, the goodbye with Van clemmons. Lamb saving Keith's life (I did have a 'don't go into that plane feeling. Actually, last night's telly was overall planes = bad) and oh, being such an unmerciful jerk wrt Weevil. For one thing, Lamb knew about Weevil's crime before graduation day, so you just know he decided to arrest him in the most humiliating fashion possible. Its a point about which I'm nicely ambivalent. this was justice, because Weevil asked for it, but it's Lamb you resent. Van Low was not Cliff, but still enjoyable.
Mac was cute and then heartbreaking. Kyle Gallner did a very good job of the transformations in Cassidy, and it almost goes without saying that Dohring and Bell were outstanding in the rooftop scene. On the Veronica/Logan, I don't know if what we got was enough to take me to accepting where they were at the end. It feels like I have to do more work than I need to. Sure, there was the telling dream, but I think the texted him as much because she'd only recently seen him, so knew he was available as it being that her thoughts flew to him.NOw not that he didn't look after her wonderfully and yet inadequately because of the situation and I felt for them both, and okay, near-death experience, and obviously, Veronica's been in contact post Aaron's death (couldn't we have had that scene instead of the Wallace/Jackie stuff?) So then there's much kissing and it's cute and enter Kendall, but it's typical, because I do feel that, for all it's attention to details and time-keeping, the show does jump around and skips some important emotional beats. But having said that, when it pays attention to them, it does so amazingly. I thought it was a pretty fab finale.
But back to the main event. Veronica Mars, 2.22 'Not Pictured'
Whoa. I thought that the use of the dream was touchingly done (and I could compare it with the Dark Angel s1 finale, but the comparison with the whole of the eps wouldn't be in DA's favour.) Pay off, pay off, pay off. Murkiness too. (Duncan is again, far more interesting as a killer in the way that Weevil was - and Veronica isn't.)
Oh, Vee. I love her for her love for her Dad, for staying sharp as tacks all the time, for rising to tackle Cassidy after she'd been tazered, for fighting. Heroine. I went into the finale knowing that Beaver was going to die - like I said, I'd have to be Gia to have missed that one, but up until Veronica began cataloguing the evidenceon the rooftop, I still thought of him as a victim. (Not that he wasn't. If the Casablancas parents weren't negligent - and Neptune is no place to raise a child unless if your name is Keith Mars) - and Goodman not so awfully ironcially named, Cassidy might have used those brains and deviousness for good and not gone around orchestrating mass killings, raping Veronica and so on. Good use of ad breaks, I needed the minutes of the revelation that Woody'd amused Beaver to sink in. It was one of many moments when all the clues clicked into place - and we're talking fittingin with two seasons here. Like the solution to the question of chamydia (oh, Vee), the state of relations with Mac, Cassidy's whole behaviour. I do think they fudged with some of the evidence - it wasn't there for the audience to pick up on, but it fit so perfectly.
And it was gripping and painful. I wouldn't let myself believe that anything had happened to Mac or Keith (possibly a result too of detting the story delayed, I might have bought it more if I'd been seeing it in the original transmission), although there was a certain point of self-protective numbness because of all the shocks and twists. I literally paced during the ad breaks to work it off.
Like Aaron! Point one, did you notice how he was wearing the same suit coming out of the courtroom as Keith wore at V's graduation? Bad father-good father just there for us to make the comparison (it was in Logan's eyes when he was around Keith and Veronica) but not spelled out too heavily. And for Duncan to be behind the hit. I mean, I thought Kanes - and then we see DUNCAN. (Also the inadvertent initialising of his hitman being CW was great). If he hadn't been hit, Aaron could not have stayed out free for long, not if Veronica started walking around with a recording advice, as she so would after the epellent lift incident.
I enjoy Kendall, but she makes me say 'Ew' a lot. Not much reaction to whatever she asked Keith to do - poor Veronica though, left to play little orphan Annie, in a way. She could still go to New York and see Jackie. Jackie is weird. I like her as a character, but I'm not interested in her. I wasn't that interested in her and Wallace's coda (and for all I squeed Veronica-Wallace BFF during the dream, Wallace had better be cooler next year). Looking back though, it was nice to have some time that was insulation against the fraught tension of the rest of the ep.
Because the dream was painful and insightful in its surprises. KB did a great job of idealised Veronica, not quite an airhead, but lighter than she normally is, again, something that was emphassed visually: in the dream, her dress is very light, in reality, she wears black - and looks better in it. But from the moment we saw Lianne, it was a great reunion. Okay, I thought Lilly was less effervescent and had less of an impact than she usually did (was AS having an off day?), but Veronica not knowing Wallace!?!? The twist of Logan being the boyfriend, not Duncan...psychologists could have field days. It set up the importance of Keith.
Other nice nods, the goodbye with Van clemmons. Lamb saving Keith's life (I did have a 'don't go into that plane feeling. Actually, last night's telly was overall planes = bad) and oh, being such an unmerciful jerk wrt Weevil. For one thing, Lamb knew about Weevil's crime before graduation day, so you just know he decided to arrest him in the most humiliating fashion possible. Its a point about which I'm nicely ambivalent. this was justice, because Weevil asked for it, but it's Lamb you resent. Van Low was not Cliff, but still enjoyable.
Mac was cute and then heartbreaking. Kyle Gallner did a very good job of the transformations in Cassidy, and it almost goes without saying that Dohring and Bell were outstanding in the rooftop scene. On the Veronica/Logan, I don't know if what we got was enough to take me to accepting where they were at the end. It feels like I have to do more work than I need to. Sure, there was the telling dream, but I think the texted him as much because she'd only recently seen him, so knew he was available as it being that her thoughts flew to him.NOw not that he didn't look after her wonderfully and yet inadequately because of the situation and I felt for them both, and okay, near-death experience, and obviously, Veronica's been in contact post Aaron's death (couldn't we have had that scene instead of the Wallace/Jackie stuff?) So then there's much kissing and it's cute and enter Kendall, but it's typical, because I do feel that, for all it's attention to details and time-keeping, the show does jump around and skips some important emotional beats. But having said that, when it pays attention to them, it does so amazingly. I thought it was a pretty fab finale.