In the fourth episode of the second season of Veronica Mars, a case Veronica works on in defiance of her father mirrors her own jealous feelings towards Duncan and Wallace. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Veronica Mars.
All hail Veronica Mars. This show is a national treasure.
- This is not a new thought, I’m not the one to originate it, and I have even discussed it before, but the fact that this show is able to portray Veronica as flawed as often as it does is refreshing. This is a difficult episode for her character because her instincts are at war with what might be her own well-being and happiness, and it’s a vicious battle between the two of them. It leads her to go behind her father’s back to take a case, which unfortunately mirrors her own issues of jealousy and desire.
- At first, it seems reasonable that Julie wants to determine if her boyfriend is the real deal; she’s got a lot of money, and she wants to be loved for who she is, not the size of her bank account. And Colin has opportunities to cheat! He’s probably awful! This wouldn’t be surprising!
- AND THEN THAT ONE DUDE FROM CHICAGO DRIVES BY ALICIA’S HOUSE AND YOU NEED TO STOP THAT IS SO CREEPY.
- Oh god, I’m glad that she involves Keith, but what a disaster. How? How does this show keep introducing plot threads that keep up the unbearable tension over and over again? IT’S IMPRESSIVE.
- Shout out to Veronica and Wallace, who figure out their parents’ ridiculous schemes to get them to think they aren’t sleeping together. Bless them. Bless them forever.
- So, once Keith confronted Carl, I figured that his whole badge-flashing moment was fake. He was clearly stalking Alicia! And then Carl said that Alicia took something of his and he wasn’t leaving until he got it back and what the fuck are you talking about?
- In that sense, “Green-Eyed Monster” is about grappling with the past. Multiple people in this episode are forced to deal with the history of their partners, and Keith/Alicia are no exception. However, the main parallel we witness involves Duncan and Veronica, and it’s all spawned after Veronica discovers that Duncan had been trying to visit Meg for weeks, earning the ire of her parents. (Who are really weird in their own right, but more on that in a bit.) Veronica then wonders: Does Duncan still have feelings for his ex or is he just concerned about her?
- It’s at this point that things get muddled (intentionally so) for Veronica. First of all, it’s clear that Collin is not what Julie made him out to be, not the least of which is the fact that the mysterious person he’s visiting during tennis practice is a rabbi. HE’S TAKING HEBREW LESSONS SO HE CAN (most likely) CONVERT TO JUDAISM FOR HIS WIFE. And yet? It’s not enough for Julie. Her cynicism takes control and she refuses to accept that this is the answer she’s looking for. It’s not lost on me that despite that Veronica knows in her heart that there isn’t a case her, the thought of getting more money is too tempting for her.
- I hate Sheriff Lamb. There, I’ve said that sentence once in this episode.
- Weevil WEEVIL. Oh god, you are just an enigma, and I would love to get an episode entirely from his point of view. WOULDN’T IT BE EXCELLENT. He’s hiding so much! I’ve also determined that Cervando was one of the students on the bus, but I just was confused. (I can’t believe I thought he was Felix for like five seconds in the video. DON’T JUDGE.) But I’m curious to see how this plays out; clearly, the PCHers are desperate for revenge after Cervando’s death. We’re also introduced to the Fitzpatricks in passing, and that means the suspect list just… I don’t even know how many people we’re talking about anymore. Like 50??? Oh god, this show does mysteries SO WELL. So who called Weevil? Why did they say that Curly was responsible for the crash, and who killed Curly?
- So, Jackie is probably going to start feeling jealous of Veronica, isn’t she? I can already see it coming. Despite that we know that Wallace and Veronica are truly best friends and nothing more, it’s not exactly surprising that Jackie is furious at Wallace for choosing to help Veronica. Ugh, can these people just be friends now?
- Let’s just take a moment here, my friends, to appreciate the following: Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars as an openly flirtatious co-ed desperate to bed Collin. I COULDN’T STOP LAUGHING. KRISTEN BELL IS AMAZING.
- SHOUT OUT TO WALLACE FOR SELLING HALF-OPENED CANDY AND PENS. THESE TWO ARE MY HEROES.
- After all of this, Veronica discovers that Collin is exactly who he says he is. Well, aside for the fact that he is BEST FRIENDS WITH NICOLAS CAGE and oh my god.
- And this is what jealousy gets Julie: just a whole lot of doubt. For Veronica, it gets a very angry Duncan, who is furious later that day when Veronica asks him about visiting Meg.
- Okay, so, I’m not a fool for thinking that it’s significant that Lizzie says that her parents would “pull the plug” if they discovered what was on Meg’s secret laptop, right? I suspect she meant that figuratively, but still. Why are their parents such snoops? What does Lizzie suspect is on the laptop? THERE IS A MYSTERY HERE, I KNOW IT.
- Thankfully, though, Veronica takes the very advice that she gives Julie: she has to start trusting that Duncan really does love her, especially since there is no evidence to the contrary. I liked that she decided not to snoop in Meg’s files, and I also thought it was a neat parallel to her decision in season one not to look at the paternity test she sent in. Unfortunately, Julie isn’t ready to hear the hard truths, which is ironic, since she went to Veronica expecting a disaster, not knowing she was creating her own version of one. It’s implied that Julie lost Collin when she discovers the truth too late, but that wasn’t exactly clear.
- Anyway, I thought it was funny that Keith was SO ANGRY about Veronica continuing to work, only to discover that he kind of relied on her to keep order in the office. Not that I think there aren’t issues between these two when it comes to trust, but I am glad that Veronica isn’t going to be banned for detective work!
- Which was a perfect segue for Veronica to interrogate Logan a bit. Ah, Logan, full of sarcasm and wit. And information! Because as it turns out, the PCHers and members of the NPD were there at one point. The suspect pool grows!
- Continuing the trend of ripping my heart out at the last second, “Green-Eyed Monster” delivers a huge punch in its final scene: Carl Morgan is actually Nathan Woods, who is WALLACE’S FATHER.
- 1!!!!!1111!
- WHAT
- WHAT????
- BUT I THOUGHT
- WHAT
The video commission for “Green-Eyed Monster” can be downloaded right here for just $0.99.
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