FREEDOM
Freedom, glorious freedom! Hell. Yeah. I so need a cap of that drag queen with the freedom sign from AD. I'm not exaggerating when I say the past couple of months have been a complete blur. Last week I went completely nocturnal. And then lost any sort of sleeping or eating pattern. Started going to be fully dressed with the lights and two alarms on so that I'd be able to get up two hours later. On the plus side of a mountain of negative, I have lost weight due to being too stressed to eat. Robert Merton would call this the "latent function" of this particular social phenomemon. < /soc nerd>
The rest of this is all Veronica Mars. So like I mentioned, it took me a while to really fall for this show, but when I did, I fell hard. Some 1x18 and kind of a review of 1x19 devolving into a whole lot of rambling and speculation on the series in general that's been fermenting in my brain and is all coming out at once now that I have nothing else to do.
* First kiss. I squeed, then I squeed some more. And just when I thought I was done, I started squeeing again. Repeat ad nauseum for 7 days. This week inspired much incoherent gibbering and high-pitched squeaking. With the door opening, and the foreheads, and the not knowing what they're doing, and the banter…. Okay, I'm officially pathetic. Moving on.
* AH. Didn't seem quite so forced this time, but I don't really buy her as the catty type. Then again, I couldn't stand her as Dark Willow. Ooh, but her hair looks awesome flipped out like that.
* Keith doing his own spy thing. So Veronica doesn't want to know, but then he finds out, and then it all comes out anyway. Holy crap. I hope all of the parentage/parental issues carry out through next season.
* Aaron Echolls has pretty much been playing the pure villain until now, but this episode I found him fascinating simply *because* of the way they play on the audience's expectations. For the first time, he's genuinely charismatic instead of slimy, and you can actually believe he really cares about his kids. And then he takes up Trina's offer and you realize he hasn't changed, but then it turns out he's just looking out for his daughter. And then he beats everloving shit out of the guy, and it's creepier than ever.
* Lost dog girl reminded me a lot of the potential slayer Amanda, in her kookiness. In another random Buffyverse connection, I was rewatching "Return of the Kane," and the girl Wanda is apparently the older sister of Sophie, Buffy's friend from the DMP and "Older and Far Away." I don't have that episode on hand, but from what I can remember they look nothing alike. Hmm. Just some random trivia.
*Wallace and Veronica's "brother" exchange. Hah!! Hilarious! I *heart* Wallace.
*Logan. It took me 16 episodes before my intense dislike of his rich boy sense of entitlement, unabashed racism, and general jackassery was balanced out by many shows of vulnerability. Frankly, I was surprised that he was so affected by his mother's death, since I honestly didn't think he cared that much about anyone, plus, as far as we know she never protected him from his dad (but that's a whole other can of worms about the dynamics of family abuse and such and I'm not going there now). Obviously my opinion's changed since then. He's definitely loyal to his family and friends, as evidenced this week by his going after Trina's boyfriend. And a convincing testimony on his behalf is the fact that Duncan has actually called him on said jackassery and accused him of having completely changed, thus implying that he was actually nice once. Layers. Good. And hey, how can you resist him falling for his archnemesis and our heroine? And how sad was his resignation to the idea that Lilly didn't really love him?
In any case, my guess is that he roofied her drink, but he didn't actually rape her. There's got to be *something* for both of them to lose, getting into this relationship, but there's just no way that he can come back from that. And if he didn't know and finds out from her, well, bring on the guilt and the vengeance and the glorious angst, seriously. I don't even know that the rapist has to be a central character. But would it diminish the impact if it were just some random 09er, or a secondary character? Maybe, unless one of our main guys was involved in some way.
Or the rapist could just have been really fucked up at the time. But she passed out outside by the pool, and her underwear was beside the bed. So they'd have to have been lucid enough to pick her up and move her, and possibly enough to be acting on some malicious intent (or in Duncan's case, The Crazy). If it were any of the main characters, though, that would be a seriously ballsy move on the part of the writers. I also just have a hard time getting my head around how 16-year-olds go around drugging and raping each other. Especially in cold blood (though I'm sure it happens). And especially the characters that we already know. But then again I also don't feel we've been shown the full extent of the cruelty these kids are supposedly capable of. She says high school is a living hell, but she seems to by okay on a regular basis, interacting with a whole range of people. But I digress. Has the possibility of it being a collaborative effort been ruled out at all? Maybe not the act itself, but everything that came before it. 'Cause, mob mentality plus high school students? Oh, and on a semi-related note, I've also been wondering whether Lilly's murder was premeditated or accidental.
I find that the show has really dark undertones, but it also keeps its levity, mostly due to the high school setting and the MotW, as well as Veronica's relationship with Wallace (and her dad and other characters, to a degree). And she's been through a lot, but she's still pretty perky. And definitely a heroine. I have never loved her more than in this episode when she's going toe to toe with Crank-calling Jerkface Kid. And when she's her owning up to Leo about what she did ('cause I actually like him). But I also really hope this show stays on for a long time, because I want it to be able grow out of high school and become really dark. Falls from grace, moral ambiguity, a healthy sense of self-loathing, failure, life-altering mistakes. Maybe some house-destroying sex. No wait, that's my other OTP. (Shut up, I know they're not the new Spuffy OMG. But I'm also not sure where V/L is going to to, beyond the probable rape/murder related angst, and I want it to be seriously twisted the whole way through. Not unlike S/B, perhaps, in some ways - though that would be more likely if they'd hooked up when they were a bit older, like I think most people expected.) Basically, I can't wait for Veronica to really grow up, have a long and juicy character arc that's not just based on the girl she used to be. I realize that her childhood was basically snatched away from her all at once, which is why she has trouble letting go, but apart from Lilly, her life seemed pretty bland and it's hard for me to see why she'd want it back. Come to think of it, I wish they'd show more of the depths of her emotional attachment to Lilly, instead of just nostalgic memories of fun times. And while we're at it, with Duncan, king of bland, and Logan too.
Okay, I'm done for now.
Overall, I really liked this one. Definitely one of the few immediate rewatch episodes for me. And am already dying for next week.
The rest of this is all Veronica Mars. So like I mentioned, it took me a while to really fall for this show, but when I did, I fell hard. Some 1x18 and kind of a review of 1x19 devolving into a whole lot of rambling and speculation on the series in general that's been fermenting in my brain and is all coming out at once now that I have nothing else to do.
* First kiss. I squeed, then I squeed some more. And just when I thought I was done, I started squeeing again. Repeat ad nauseum for 7 days. This week inspired much incoherent gibbering and high-pitched squeaking. With the door opening, and the foreheads, and the not knowing what they're doing, and the banter…. Okay, I'm officially pathetic. Moving on.
* AH. Didn't seem quite so forced this time, but I don't really buy her as the catty type. Then again, I couldn't stand her as Dark Willow. Ooh, but her hair looks awesome flipped out like that.
* Keith doing his own spy thing. So Veronica doesn't want to know, but then he finds out, and then it all comes out anyway. Holy crap. I hope all of the parentage/parental issues carry out through next season.
* Aaron Echolls has pretty much been playing the pure villain until now, but this episode I found him fascinating simply *because* of the way they play on the audience's expectations. For the first time, he's genuinely charismatic instead of slimy, and you can actually believe he really cares about his kids. And then he takes up Trina's offer and you realize he hasn't changed, but then it turns out he's just looking out for his daughter. And then he beats everloving shit out of the guy, and it's creepier than ever.
* Lost dog girl reminded me a lot of the potential slayer Amanda, in her kookiness. In another random Buffyverse connection, I was rewatching "Return of the Kane," and the girl Wanda is apparently the older sister of Sophie, Buffy's friend from the DMP and "Older and Far Away." I don't have that episode on hand, but from what I can remember they look nothing alike. Hmm. Just some random trivia.
*Wallace and Veronica's "brother" exchange. Hah!! Hilarious! I *heart* Wallace.
*Logan. It took me 16 episodes before my intense dislike of his rich boy sense of entitlement, unabashed racism, and general jackassery was balanced out by many shows of vulnerability. Frankly, I was surprised that he was so affected by his mother's death, since I honestly didn't think he cared that much about anyone, plus, as far as we know she never protected him from his dad (but that's a whole other can of worms about the dynamics of family abuse and such and I'm not going there now). Obviously my opinion's changed since then. He's definitely loyal to his family and friends, as evidenced this week by his going after Trina's boyfriend. And a convincing testimony on his behalf is the fact that Duncan has actually called him on said jackassery and accused him of having completely changed, thus implying that he was actually nice once. Layers. Good. And hey, how can you resist him falling for his archnemesis and our heroine? And how sad was his resignation to the idea that Lilly didn't really love him?
In any case, my guess is that he roofied her drink, but he didn't actually rape her. There's got to be *something* for both of them to lose, getting into this relationship, but there's just no way that he can come back from that. And if he didn't know and finds out from her, well, bring on the guilt and the vengeance and the glorious angst, seriously. I don't even know that the rapist has to be a central character. But would it diminish the impact if it were just some random 09er, or a secondary character? Maybe, unless one of our main guys was involved in some way.
Or the rapist could just have been really fucked up at the time. But she passed out outside by the pool, and her underwear was beside the bed. So they'd have to have been lucid enough to pick her up and move her, and possibly enough to be acting on some malicious intent (or in Duncan's case, The Crazy). If it were any of the main characters, though, that would be a seriously ballsy move on the part of the writers. I also just have a hard time getting my head around how 16-year-olds go around drugging and raping each other. Especially in cold blood (though I'm sure it happens). And especially the characters that we already know. But then again I also don't feel we've been shown the full extent of the cruelty these kids are supposedly capable of. She says high school is a living hell, but she seems to by okay on a regular basis, interacting with a whole range of people. But I digress. Has the possibility of it being a collaborative effort been ruled out at all? Maybe not the act itself, but everything that came before it. 'Cause, mob mentality plus high school students? Oh, and on a semi-related note, I've also been wondering whether Lilly's murder was premeditated or accidental.
I find that the show has really dark undertones, but it also keeps its levity, mostly due to the high school setting and the MotW, as well as Veronica's relationship with Wallace (and her dad and other characters, to a degree). And she's been through a lot, but she's still pretty perky. And definitely a heroine. I have never loved her more than in this episode when she's going toe to toe with Crank-calling Jerkface Kid. And when she's her owning up to Leo about what she did ('cause I actually like him). But I also really hope this show stays on for a long time, because I want it to be able grow out of high school and become really dark. Falls from grace, moral ambiguity, a healthy sense of self-loathing, failure, life-altering mistakes. Maybe some house-destroying sex. No wait, that's my other OTP. (Shut up, I know they're not the new Spuffy OMG. But I'm also not sure where V/L is going to to, beyond the probable rape/murder related angst, and I want it to be seriously twisted the whole way through. Not unlike S/B, perhaps, in some ways - though that would be more likely if they'd hooked up when they were a bit older, like I think most people expected.) Basically, I can't wait for Veronica to really grow up, have a long and juicy character arc that's not just based on the girl she used to be. I realize that her childhood was basically snatched away from her all at once, which is why she has trouble letting go, but apart from Lilly, her life seemed pretty bland and it's hard for me to see why she'd want it back. Come to think of it, I wish they'd show more of the depths of her emotional attachment to Lilly, instead of just nostalgic memories of fun times. And while we're at it, with Duncan, king of bland, and Logan too.
Okay, I'm done for now.
Overall, I really liked this one. Definitely one of the few immediate rewatch episodes for me. And am already dying for next week.