Board 8 > seabassdebeste watches veronica mars (spoiler)

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's been a while since I did a watch-through topic, so here we go.

Season 1, Episode 1

Recap: Meet Veronica Mars. She rescues a new kid at school from his snitching on a biker gang. She fights off antagonism from school bullies at her dystopian Californian high school. She receives calls for her disgraced father's private detective agency, but moonlights as a gumshoe herself. She tracks Jay Kane to a motel, only to find that it's her mother in there. And she finds out that her father is still investigating the case that got him disgraced... and lying to her about it.

Lots happening in this pilot episode. Most of it, not really up my ally. The antagonistic high school angle is a classic setting, one where originality can't really be expected, so you search for good execution. And this episode does not give it. The school bullies flat-out suck; the dialogue isn't clever; Veronica's new buddy (whose name I missed) isn't fun; and the cast feels really diminutive. The bikers wind up sticking up for her versus the bullies in a really awkward finish.

As for Veronica herself, the school scenes give her two primary defining moments: one where she cuts down the snitch kid, and one where she pretends to be asleep but is able to answer the teacher competently and snarkily when called upon. Color me lukewarm on both.

The investigative angle feels like it takes up far less of the episode's time, but it's very obviously the more interesting part of the series, and I'm pretty sure the showrunners know that. Veronica's banter with her father feels infinitely more natural than the 'I'm untroubled by bullies because I'm TOUGH' shtick at school. The directing is much more energetic and emotional - the most memorable image of the episode, by far, is of the staring eyes of Lily Kane. Veronica really feels in her element when she's sneaking around, lighting fires and snapping photos and looking at them with childlike glee. And of course any ongoing hook comes from here.

Three main characters stand out to me so far: Veronica, her father, and the nasty new sheriff (or whatever his role is). By far the most interesting screen presences so far. It's no coincidence none of them belongs at school.

Two obvious unanswered questions now. The first is the primary arc question of the circumstances behind Lily Kane's murder. Perhaps more interesting and not so emphasized: who raped Veronica? Will this question be answered?

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* Any time the biker gang was on screen, I cringed.

* Gotta admit I chuckled at Veronica's empty locker for inspection, with the image of the principal in a heart on the door.

* Really like Veronica's banter with her father. My favorite line is when Dad talks about being cool. 'Tonight we eat like the lower middle class to which we aspire!' And then we go to the grill, and 'Don't Fear the Reaper' is playing. Aw yeah.

* My favorite bit of small characterization: Veronica figures out that her father is investigating his old case but hiding it. When her father says 'Who's your daddy,' instead of groaning about it (as established is her norm), Veronica responds, 'You are.'

* A Rob Thomas connection - the defense lawyer plays the weatherman on iZombie.

* 'WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL ME?' - In honesty, I really despise trying to take storylines like this seriously (especially when Veronica is obviously trustworthy). Oh well.

* Dat fake accent from Veronica was pretty hot.
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Tag! Loved your buffyverse one and I LoVe this show so much.
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Tag, one of my favorite shows.
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thanks :)

i loved buffy from the first 5 minutes of episode 1. VM isn't grabbing me the same way - the theme song isn't as awesome, the dialogue isn't as snappy - but i'm optimistic that it'll be addictive and that veronica will be a good heroine!
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SeabassDebeste posted...

the dialogue isn't as snappy

Granted, I haven't watched VM in a long time so I can't quite judge just off the first episode, but I'd say Veronica Mars has very snappy dialogue. Hopefully it stands out more in later episodes.

SeabassDebeste posted...

the theme song isn't as awesome

And this I just have to disagree with!
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Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy

*reads lukewarm reception to first episode*

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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... is that paris hilton?
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tag
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Season 1, Episode 2

Recap: Motorcycle gang leader Weevil's grandmother is arrested for credit card fraud - specifically stealing the identity of Rich Kid's fam. Weevil turns himself in, but it turns out that it was his cousin who actually used the credit card. A Montague/Capulet situation involving Rich Kid's girlfriend played by Paris Hilton is in play. In the "B-plot," Veronica runs into Duncan and discovers a hole in the Kanes' alibi for Lily's murder.

Well, the series doesn't seem to want to withdraw from the high school setting, which is pretty unfortunate. I just cannot buy the Weevil motorcycle gang as being in a high school. And there's no one to root for in those scenarios. (I hate to compare to Buffy, but... I rooted for everyone in Buffy in high school.) Chardo is particularly unbearable.

That said, trying to put all that aside, Weevil is more tolerable this episode for sure. It's a classic tactic to humanize a 'bad boy' with a female family member, but it works here (though her American Indian accent threw me - expected a Hispanic accent in SoCal). I guess I'm just going to have to accept that he's the godfather here, a sense I definitely got when he walked away from his version of Fredo. And tbh, I'm just sick of Veronica being antagonized, as she completely lacks the vulnerability that makes that interesting, so solidifying their friendship is a good move for the series.

I'm already sad about how much the Veronica/Pops relationship has fractured. The strongest point of the pilot episode was drastically undercut by the ending of that very episode, and the tension underlying their interactions is just less fun than watching them get along. Also, if I never have to watch another "sharp exchange" between Veronica's dad and the New Incompetent Sheriff I could be pretty damn happy. New Incompetent Sheriff really needs to gain some redeeming qualities fast, because he's a waste of space even as an antagonist so far.

Ironically, I actually love the formula of the plot arc being relegated to simmering on the B-plot while the A-plot tackles the case of the week. It's just the cases themselves that I'm objecting to currently. But due to the structure, still tons of promise here!

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* Veronica intimidates her teacher with camera technobabble. Ugh.

* Miss Dent is fiiiiiiine.

* Weevil went from outside to in prison in no time at all, damn.

* Today's most fun scene: Veronica and Pop playing good cop/bad cop with the hotel to get intel. Veronica as the distressed pregnant teen is super-fun, and you can tell that Rob Thomas loves having his heroines take on different personalities.

* "Flat." / Veronica: "Just as God made me."
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also, random point, but i'm having a really difficult time telling all of these faces apart right now. i thought veronica was a different character when she had long hair, and the new love interest/duncan look super-similar too
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Sometimes she's even persnicketier
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honestly can't remember this series, but I'm a huge fan of SD watch-thru topics.

I'm your biggest fan!

tag
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Season 1, Episode 3

Recap: Duncan is experiencing dissociation since Lily's death, which draws the attention of his parents. He deals with it by fucking women (while thinking of Veronica) and taking antidepressants. Veronica gets tapped by a skinny kid to find his father, inspiring her to look for her mom - but she's skipped town.

I'm working without my notes here for an episode I saw two nights ago, so bear with me.

By far the best episode yet. The psychological glimpse into Duncan Kane is exactly what this show needed - a human perspective from a different angle regarding Lily Kane's murder. (Props to Veronica for calling out her dad on hiding secrets. He then uses the typically cliche 'for your own good' line on her, but good on you, V.)

There's nothing likable about Duncan - he's spoiled and rich; he enables his spoiled and rich friends when they abuse Veronica; he's emotionally unavailable both to his family and to the girls he dates; he's jealousy and has a punchable face. And yet... he's sympathetic. I think I can trust Veronica's judgment of his character, and she's not over him. We know he underwent massive trauma. And it sounds like his sister might have been the only other functional human being in the household.

When Duncan sees that kid go over the bleachers, he's looking for an escape. It's mindnumbingly stupid when he goes over it, but dude is off. It's clear from the story about the dog who got immediately given away that there are reasons for Duncan to dislike his father (and to ignore Jay's pleading for Duncan to find ambition). In the end, he figures out why he's so bothered - something is seriously wrong about the Lily situation. And for now, he's not ready to struggle with that pain - back to the pills it is.

The story with skinny kid's fake dad real dad transgender woman video store rental crush on Veronica is... well, I'll just let that jumble of words speak for itself. It's the nominal A-plot and it's a joke. The upshot of it is that Veronica is spurred to take action. It's far too early in a 22-episode season for Veronica to meet her mother yet, but when Veronica cries afterward, it's so real. The budding romance is mostly whatever, but I like the way we learn about Veronica's mental state through her reaction to this perfectly normal dude.

One trope I'm not a huge fan of that I'm finding in common between Buffy and VM - it seems imperative that we understand the protagonist would be cool/popular, if not for such-and-such circumstances. I feel like it's a distinction that the showrunners need to be made for some reason, perhaps because the lead actresses look like lead actresses. But no such qualification usually applies for male characters.

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* Did Duncan have sex twice this episode, or was the first one a flashback for Veronica?

* Pop getting involved with Veronica's counselor NO THANKS

* Love the exchange where Veronica tells her dad that she's been having wild sex, and he says THAT'S NOT FUNNY. Veronica pauses, then says that she finds it funny.
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SeabassDebeste posted...

* Did Duncan have sex twice this episode, or was the first one a flashback for Veronica?

Veronica dream in the present.
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that's what i thought, ok. i literally wasn't sure if that was kristen bell because she looks so different with long hair
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SeabassDebeste posted...

One trope I'm not a huge fan of that I'm finding in common between Buffy and VM - it seems imperative that we understand the protagonist would be cool/popular, if not for such-and-such circumstances. I feel like it's a distinction that the showrunners need to be made for some reason, perhaps because the lead actresses look like lead actresses. But no such qualification usually applies for male characters.

I actually like this - it grants them social acumen and grace and all of the benefits of being a cool person without actually being part of the "problem" as we see it with the mean girls or whatever that we can setup as antagonists.

Veronica in Riverdale is a lot like this and I think she's spectacular (though I've only seen like the first episode or something)

I think it's generally more "okay" for a guy to be unpopular from being geeky or (especially) unattractive, so you don't see this as often. The loner bad boy who just doesn't want to be part of the cool crowd is kinda similar though.
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MajinZidane posted...

honestly can't remember this series, but I'm a huge fan of SD watch-thru topics.

I'm your biggest fan!

tag

btw, i appreciate this! it's the power of my BRANDING.

CoolCly posted...

I actually like this - it grants them social acumen and grace and all of the benefits of being a cool person without actually being part of the "problem" as we see it with the mean girls or whatever that we can setup as antagonists.

Veronica in Riverdale is a lot like this and I think she's spectacular (though I've only seen like the first episode or something)

I think it's generally more "okay" for a guy to be unpopular from being geeky or (especially) unattractive, so you don't see this as often. The loner bad boy who just doesn't want to be part of the cool crowd is kinda similar though.

I get you. But as you point out... it mostly is convenient. Almost Mary Sue-ish. And I understand that it's more 'acceptable' for a guy to be a true loner, and I'm just pointing out that these shows are kind of content to accept those convenient 'have your cake and eat it too' tropes. Sometimes it can work; for me it's a bit bothersome.
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Season 1, Episode 4

Recap: Veronica, at Wallace's behest (via strong desire to tap dat ass), helps to recover Georgia's money from an internet scammer. It involves taking down a gamer college student who is very snobbish about math. Meanwhile, Logan puts together a video to be played at Lilly Kane's memorial.

The A-plot here is thoroughly bad. Now, there are parts that are so bad they're kind of good - everything centers on an Internet scam; three people are playing a video game on a shared screen... the game is an FPS; the final triumph of the episode involves the phrases "ownage!" and "game over!"

Then there are the parts that are just bad. Like many TV shows, Veronica Mars feels the need to take aim at geek culture. They do this by positioning Wallace as the cool guy who's too cool even to pretend to be a nerd. He informs us regarding the gamer lounge, 'Only girls they see in there are japanime.' He's brought to the college party solely to show how lame people who are good at math are. Inexplicably, he's grilled about math by the villain at the party, whose living revolves around being anti-establishment. Really lazy, shitty stuff here.

Enough about that.

The B-plot is unexpectedly excellent this episode. Logan has been a gigantic douchebag for his entire stay so far, and the fact that he showed up so much was probably a reasonable tipoff that he was going to receive more development. And he does receive it. When Duncan first hands off the videotapes of Lilly to Logan, I was actually unsure if Logan might destroy them in angsty rage. Instead, he patiently, thoroughly goes through them to create the best story he can. When Veronica walks in on his video editing, that's by far the least antagonistic he's ever been.

Further humanizing Logan: the flashbacks. This episode focuses strongly on Lilly's sexuality - from her dress (and astounding cleavage), to her photos, to her kissing girl-on-girl to put on a show, to doing never-have-I-ever with both skinny-dipping and the issue of virginity. Logan is still a spoiled brat, but there's notably less animosity from his end then, and you can see how smitten he is. Shouts to Duncan and Veronica; it's tragic knowing their sexual history now, but it's adorable when they both drink with the virginity cue.

And my god, that actual video is magnificent. When the rock music starts, you can tell it's about to go down. The free-spirited, carpe diem Lilly is unleashed, the smile between Veronica and Logan, the icy stare from Mommy Kane (now clearly suspect #1), and - most shockingly of all - Jay Kane, villain-in-chief, being reduced to an absolute wreck. That's what I'm about here.

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* In a C-plot, Dad is jealous of the time Troy is spending with Veronica.

* Duncan looks more distinct now. Troy and Logan, on the other hand, are virtually indistinguishable. It's worse than Jon Snow/Robb Stark.

* Veronica's got a great sincere smile. Her smirk is alright, but the smile is joyful.

* "I give good parent." - Is this, like, a phrase? I remember the song in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and thought it was made up there, but obviously not.
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If it helps, I don't even remember who Troy is so he can't be relevant for much longer.
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He's fake Ice Man!

Dunno how you can't distinguish him from the most punchable face on TV aka Logan Echolls.

Also good write up on Lillys video but you didn't catch quite everyone reacting to it (it was a big crowd though )
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yeah, i skipped/missed a few - think i hit most of the ones that mattered though!
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Season 1, Episode 5

Recap: Troy's car is stolen after a trip to Tijuana with Logan and a scrub after they've bought steroids, and Veronica is contracted to rediscover the car (and eventually, the steroids.) Veronica's pop tries to get her on board with his dating her counselor, but Veronica and her father sabotage one another's relationship by digging up dirt on their respective partners. Dad's relationship ends when he realizes Veronica isn't ready for him to move on; Veronica's ends when the dirt on Troy proves predictive - he's the one who disappeared his own car, and he's ghosted her. Veronica manages to pull one over on him and enjoys her father's birthday.

Well, seeya, Troy. No more confusion for me!

Nice little episode that's oddly devoid of any of the Kane family. Abandoning the burgeoning relationships this early feels more than a bit like a waste - there seemed to be potential in Veronica's first love interest (and a possible love triangle with Duncan); meanwhile, the scenes between Keith and the guidance counselor seem like a complete waste now.

From the beginning, something about this episode feels off. Troy's leaving his door unlocked right across the border seems absurdly stupid, and as Logan points out, it's pretty difficult to envision Troy being entirely oblivious to the smuggling going on in his car. Veronica then notices how weird it is that Troy keeps talking about how his dad is going to ship him off to Catholic school for this transgression, instead of a normal punishment - and how weird it is that Troy seems so zen about it. Even with more color in the backstory, you can still see Troy as being a carpe diem type who's attempting to atone for his sins. But that shit's not the truth - the truth is, Veronica is right to pay attention to the red flags, and to dig deeper.

Two bits of characterization I really like this episode, both featuring Veronica and her dad. When Veronica goes to activate the homing beacon on the car, she pours on the charm on the easily swayed underling, but the manager immediately takes the screws to her. When Pops goes in, he goes with aggression and plays up the entitled middle-aged white dude who will DEFINITELY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS, and that works on the manager. Nice little contrast - each has to play to their style.

Also, this is more just a mini-scene-editing - Veronica confronts her father about her mother, and his answer devastates her - the only times Veronica has cried, it's been about her mom. The scene then smash-cuts to Veronica and Troy in the car, and she's completely fine. It's a really nice way to show what really matters to her. And of course, another reminder that none of these school stories really matter at all.

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* 'How do you make 'Vin' sound so hot?

* Lots of Scooby-Doo allusions this episode.

* Logan is noticeably less antagonistic toward Veronica this episode, but still decisively unfriendly when it comes to it. Huzzah for character progression.

* Lots of hilariously awkward stuff this episode. The roid freak is a simply bizarre minor character, as is the derpy kid who's attempting to smuggle the steroids.

* Also, Weevil's uncle. Veronica uses Weevil as a translator... and Weevil translates from English into English. Awkward.

* Veronica's mom has been cast! Woot!
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It's fun seeing the kinds of spy craft they use based on their distinct skillsets. Well not spy craft since they are detectives not spies but you know what i mean.

Like in that one ep about those nerds where Veronica had her dad take the dog as pretext to get into the dorms or whatever. Keith feels very natural doing that kind of stuff and sells it really easily but that exact strategy probably wouldnt work with Veronica. Meanwhile she played the victim to reel the scammer/actor in towards the start of the episode.

They are pros.
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watched an ep last night, but don't feel like writing it up! maybe tomorrow or monday!
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Season 1, Episode 6

Recap: Veronica's old pep squad friend, Wendy, is now a rebellious type who's on the out-crowd. She runs for Student Body President against the reluctant Duncan, with the campaign point centering around 'Pirate Points,' which favor cheerleaders and athletes. Veronica discovers corruption when Duncan wins, but a second run winds up in Duncan's victory anyway - and he promises to change the Pirate Points system. Meanwhile, Logan is a douchebag for paying homeless people to fight, and his dad is even more of a douchebag for his parenting. Also, Veronica tells her dad that she knows he was investigating the Kane murder.

This episode follows a quality pattern now becoming familiar to the series: most of the A-plot is junk high school stuff, but the stuff around the margins is extremely satisfying.

Let's start with the A-plot. This mostly just isn't good. We're introduced to Wendy's complaints about the Pirate Points system and her stomping on the cheerleaders' pizza. She's utterly unsympathetic. The show, of course, makes a point to justify her retroactively by having the cheerleader rig Duncan's victory in the first election. Veronica's intuition is of course correct because there's no way that the student body voted in Duncan!!! (Jane Lynch also plays a pointlessly obstructive power-tripping character - I guess that's always been her type.) Also, we're using Scantron instead of write-in in an obvious ploy for errors! From there we go into petty politicking which isn't remotely enjoyable, and it's all topped off with a weird 'betrayal' by Wendy. Um. Okay then.

Okay, but everything else is pretty great. Even in the A-plot, there are some nice details. Wanda eloquently expounds on her political position, and I love the spoof-y, 'Give 'em hell, Wanda!' / 'No, YOU give 'em hell!' exchange while she's on the trail. Despite no actual signs of friendship from the past, Veronica and Wanda manage to convince me they like each other throughout their exchanges - there's talk of providing drugs for a rave ('provision with a capital E') and of popping in Avril Lavigne CDs. Shame there was no point in even pretending to want to get attached to her, though.

It's almost incomprehensible that someone Veronica would actually like - Lilly Kane seems decent enough - would date someone as depraved as Logan. I guess Lilly ain't really sunshine and roses. Logan's scared of his dad and for good reason, but he's no more sympathetic because of it. Great! Add complexity (and explanation) without softening. There's nothing particularly interesting about his dad except how much of a dick he is that he can see unfavorable even when punishing someone as unlikable as Logan. Your kid is doing sociopathic activities, and your reaction is 'Don't you ever embarrass me' again? It feels gross cheering for Logan when he pulls one over on Pops, but there you go. Really enjoyable to watch, gross family. (Dat dead-eyed alcoholic mom, too!)
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Jake Kane seemed dangerously sympathetic in the episode with Lilly's funeral. And now that we're not blinded by Veronica and Duncan's POV, he actually seems pretty fucking great this episode. In the Duncan-is-off-his-meds ep, Jake seems like he only cares about the trappings of success for his son. But Jake isn't just interested in perpetuating wealth here; he really does seem concerned about Duncan's happiness. Also, it's wonderful to see him make Duncan smile, after Duncan mentions that he might be happiest being a driftwood carver: 'Be the best driftwood carver you can be. After you've graduated from Stanford... law school... summa cum laude. See? You're smiling already.' And he smiles about Duncan's positive message, too.

Speaking of Duncan's positive message - where does that come from? As far as I can tell, the clearest origin is Veronica's verbal kick in the pants: Duncan, she claims, is passively evil. Which is awful. And possibly true. This appears to be what spurs Duncan to wake up and use his influence for good.

Finally, about damn time that Veronica confronts her dad with some communication regarding the Lilly Kane case. Sadly, Keith isn't wrong that solving it won't fix everything. I can't credit the show too much, though - this is only fixing a very obvious wrong from before. Still: 'I don't want things to be like this between us anymore.'

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* Pirate Points not extending to the school newspaper seems mindnumbingly stupid and villainous for the sake of villany. Good on Duncan, though.

* Nice acting from Logan re: his father - a combination of worship, terror, and disgust.

* Veronica stopping by after the fact to trash talk cheerleader girl is a perfect example of the bad side of the high school stuff this episode.

* Veronica nad Pop talking like film noir characters is adorable. As is his desire to take her to the zoo.

* We get shoes as a cliffhanger. Though the clue looks... a little too obvious. Whatever, let's not nitpick for now.
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i'm pretty sure i was just told that veronica and duncan are half-siblings lmao
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Season 1, Episode 7

Recap: Veronica investigates the disappearance of her young, pregnant neighbor. She suspects the boyfriend, but it turns out to be the rapist stepfather, resolved with a bullet from Keith. Logan and Weevil bond over detention.

Yikes. Both the A-plot and the B-plot reach dangerously cheesy levels in this one. Was starting 'in medias res' as cliche then as it is now? The technique adds tension, but almost alwyas results in disappointment (with the rare exception, such as 'Out of Gas.') It's painfully obvious that the stepfather is the rapist from the moment he shows up. It's just bad.

The depiction of high school drama, especially featuring Weevil, continues to suck ass. Today's irreconciliable stupidity: Weevil is put into detention, and this bothers him more than being expelled. The bike gang leader. Okay. The socioeconimc class insults are so fucking cringe-worthy. But how do you make two enemies come together? Pit them against a really badly acted teacher stereotype!!! Yeah, fuck that.

A few silver linings in these - the boyfriend being a jerk who doesn't wind up doing anything stupid; the visceral shock of seeing Jessica Chastain in this role; possibly less Logan/Weevil conflict in the future.

Onto the more interesting (and extremely minor) part of the episode: Veronica's discovery about her mother and Jake Kane. Apparently they were quite the it-couple back in high school. It's interlaced with seemingly unrelated (lol) material with Lilly helping Veronica out with Duncan after he dumps her, then suddenly taking Duncan's side. (These flashbacks are manically filmed, with one scene orbiting the duo in the hallway the whole time, and another beginning with a walk-and-talk before Veronica says outright to stop walking.)

And this is linked into the main plot by a really clever moment... a man must really love his wife to raise another man's kid.

Whaaaaaaat. I don't know how much this affects the main plot - Mom and Jake's relationship is more obviously plot-important than Veronica being related to Duncan - but so much for that ship, right?

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* More recognizable characters: Yearbook lady is played by the same lady who plays the CIA's general in Chuck. Woot!

* Can't quite place the teacher who gives detention.

* Whatever went on between Weevil and Lilly Kane, I absolutely do not give a shit.

* One of the cringe-worthiest scenes of the episode: Veronica calling in Weevil's gang to extort info out of a shop owner. Who's also a terrible character. Ugh.

* Veronica's dad, on a body falling: 'Would you describe this sound as... Hitchcockian?'
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up, another ep coming
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Oh dang i love this show so much, will read this later
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thanks! watched an ep tonight
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Season 1, Episode 8

Recap: There's an online Purity Test that everyone is taking, and the non-mean-girl, virgin cheerleader girl has been slandered. Veronica tracks down the jealous #2 girl and saves Meg's reputation. Meanwhile, Keith helps Wallace's mom with a nasty tenant. Veronica also speaks to Koontz, who spells out what was implied last episode - that Veronica is Jake Kane's daughter.

Well, this happened. Virgin and the whore! Computer technology! Sex, lies, and videotape!

It's an okay episode whose primary purpose seems to be showing us that not every non-Veronica/Wallace character at Neptune High is a gigantic asshole. That they do so by using such a bizarre Mary Sue isn't so great. Further disappointing: that her virginity is actually upheld as virtue in this episode, with other girls jealous of it. Not that slut-shaming isn't a good tactic, but the show is fairly uncritical about her purity being a good thing (and not something that's just important to her).

Also, I get that the virgin/whore thing is intended to be a big deal here, but how are we gonna front that the episode's villainous cheerleader really is jealous of Meg's musical roles? I get that Cabaret is a good pick for virgin/whore, but are we really seeing a dozen of the popular kids show up to an audition for a high school musical?

There is one aspect that I think is meant to placate critics of the 'purity'-goodness correlation drawn this episode - Veronica herself is more sexualized here than in previous episodes. With the help of Meg, she squeezes into a cheerleader outfit with an extremely short skirt, and very shortly after shows her bra and cleavage to Wallace (and is immediately caught, of course). So I guess this is supposed to show us that it's okay to be sexy? (She also seems surprisingly worried that Duncan will believe the hacked email about her having a VD, even though the two of them never had sex.)

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* Veronica getting bullied at the beginning - getting her clothes taken - seems promising, but quickly she bounces back and she's saving the damsel in distress instead of being remotely bothered by it anymore. Show me some pain!

* I'm critical of the high school storyline overall and rolled my eyes a lot, but 'EVERYONE'S TAKING IT' and everyone FREAKING OUT about the results is pretty fantastic.

* Computers in the early 2000s! Veronica overwhelms a gym teacher with psychobabble and is extremely impressive for having a complex password such as gj!70x.

* Pretty lukewarm on the Veronica's dad/Wallace's mom storyline. It's not the worst, but nothing really notable. Keith making crazy monkey noises ("This is crazy") was fun, though. Also: 'That guy is sleazy, so I hope merk means something bad!'

* Nice touch this episode: Duncan and Veronica talking to each other like friends.
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I really like Veronica Mars but I'm not sure its going to be one you really get into based on this.

Especially since Season 1 is by far the best season.
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So far I'm not super-into it - I'm not sure if maybe a binge-watch without examination will be a bit better. That's how I consumed iZombie's first two seasons for the most part, and I had fun. It's possible I'm taking the show more seriously than I should be. It looks like a show that wants to be taken seriously, but at its heart, maybe I should be treating it more like iZombie (whose very premise demands that you not take it seriously.) I took Buffy seriously as a viewer and had fun with it, but despite superficial similarities, I'm feeling like VM is a horse of a different color.
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I think it does merit the thought you put into it. Though to be honest I enjoy the high school stuff a lot more than you do. I thought the same thing about Buffy. You seem to be naturally predisposed against that kind of stuff just from their very inclusion.

Also I was wondering, are you familiar with Overwatch and all the animated shorts? If not I'd be super interested in seeing your reactions and writeups to those bad boys. If you are familiar then nvm carry on.
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up for now. really tired.
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watched an ep!
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Woo
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Season 1, Episode 9

Recap: A rich kid has run off with a cult, so his parents contact Veronica's dad about bringing him back. Veronica and her father explore the commune and essentially find it to be a positive oasis. Josh is recaptured by his parents and brainwashed.

An unusually optimistic episode for VM. The show still leans heavily cynical - of course Josh winds up losing all of his character development - but this episode offers some hope that people cna change (if they're not brainwashed back) and that there are honestly well-intentioned people outside of Veronica's immediate circle.

Contributing to this nice touch - Keith and Veronica's faceoff about ethics. Veronica sees that the commune is morally pristine; Keith tries to delude himself otherwise by pointing out that they are abetting a runaway minor, and he has a duty to his clients... yet at the end of the day, he agrees to drop the case after investigating Rain's background.

I'm really not a fan of the DNA test this episode. Veronica shreds the test results, because we haven't beaten the right gym leaders to access that area of the storyline yet. Well, let's move on, then.
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Not being happy with her shredding the results was a common feeling.
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Maniac64 posted...

Not being happy with her shredding the results was a common feeling.

glad to hear it

CoolCly posted...

Also I was wondering, are you familiar with Overwatch and all the animated shorts? If not I'd be super interested in seeing your reactions and writeups to those bad boys. If you are familiar then nvm carry on.

i'm not, but isn't overwatch a video game and not a TV show?
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Season 1, Episode 10

Recap: Veronica investigates the theft of $5,000 at a poker game between Weevil and the Rich Kids (TM). Turns out it was... the random redshirt!!! Veronica also has a chat with her possible father. Keith investigates a stalker of Logan's father, but is unable to prevent her from stabbing Logan's father.

Man, Weevil is dull. But it's not just his fault; he's always paired with Logan, and their banter is incredibly boring, always to the effect of 'you're low-class, you'll be washing my cars lol' and 'you're so spoiled and I'm a badass thug lol.'

It's tough especially because it feels like we're told, rather than shown, how tough/badass/clever Weevil is supposed to be. Weevil both looks nothing like a high school student and is about 5'2'', making him much less physically intimidating than he's supposed to be. The show treats Weevil's extremely low-effort lines as searing burns. For some reason, Logan's reluctance to let Weevil into his game is solved by Weevil making a comment that he'd better run if he sees Logan's friends in his neighborhood because he'll be 'bored to death.' Even if this were a clever insult, how does this relate to getting in?

Weevil's also supposed to be underestimated and portrayed as an underdog. Yet he's literally always had the upper hand on Logan in every instance. Weevil tells Veronica that Logan must have let him into the game because he thinks he's a Mexican that's easy to take advantage of. Brother, you approached Logan about the game and demanded to be let in (with the abovementioned 'bored to death' spicy line). Come the fuck on. It's not even an obvious supposed-to-hate character like Logan, who at least can fulfill that role as he was intended.

The obvious strength of this episode is the flashback storytelling. It's not extremely involved, but Veronica pieces together the night of the theft by interviewing all five of the players. (Tough call with the casting - the actor dude is nearly indistinguishable from Duncan.) It's fun watching her work the angles on Logan, drool over the actor dude's body, and churn her brain in general. And of course it pays off in full when she makes the Grand Reveal (TM) at the end, exposing the real thief. The actual structuring of Veronica's involvement is delightful - I just wish it were dressed by less crap.

And I hate to wrap it up this way, but this is how the show concludes the poker storyline: Veronica continues to be a Mary Sue. She sits down and begins to shuffle the cards and deal very competently. Everyone looks extremely impressed. She deals the cards and then is very clearly dominating everyone in short order. The whole "I can do it even though I'm a girl!" angle is already tenuous, but Veronica can do everything the best, and that's no fun.

Except... the only time when Veronica seems to give a fuck for real is when we abandon the alleged A-plots and focus on the main story arc. Veronica is invulnerable at school, but very vulnerable when it comes to her family. Jake Kane has invaded that space, and this feels like her first confrontation with him. And she is pissed - the overly collected, wins-at-everything Veronica is entirely replaced by this angry harpy demanding answers. It's extremely short and entirely disconnected from the meat of the episode and also so much more interesting.
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* Lots of exposed torsos in this episode, from both the men (particularly the card-players) and the women (Aaron Echols knows how to pick 'em).

* The Texas Hold'em game at the beginning of the episode actually has a realistic push-in situation, where Logan only has ace-ten, while Weevil has and ace and a two, which is paired on the board. He's already got the hand won, and Logan points out his eight outs. It's pretty good stuff. Weevil wins the hand undramatically, getting a third 2. Then, Logan's friends start laughing that Logan lost to a 'pair of twos,' which is just straight-up annoying. That's clearly three-of-a-kind. Why would you go through things so meticulously to give us this comment as an ending?!

* Veronica is compelled to help the situation by means of a threat that Duncan's journal will be exposed. I enjoyed that bit of silliness.

* Keith's storyline is almost 100% independent of Veronica's this episode, other than physically intersecting toward the end at the Echols' holiday party. That feels like a first, and honestly, I appreciated the diversion.

* "Annoy, tiny blonde one... annoy like the wind."

* Really liked Duncan calling Logan out this episode. They make up, but Duncan's not wrong.
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too tired tonight!
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