In the sixth episode of the second season of Veronica Mars, WOW, THIS GOT SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Veronica Mars.
Oh my god, this was such a great episode, and yet? I can’t deny how much all of it hurts to watch.
- One glaring detail that I was thankful that the writers acknowledged: how different this all feels in the wake of Wallace’s absence. Without him around, it just feels wrong, and Veronica mentions it multiple times. I really hope he’s okay. 🙁
- This is just one hell of an episode, and so many stories are advanced in a short span of time. I was shocked that “Rat Saw God” opened with Keith losing the election to Sheriff Lamb, not just because this was a clear travesty of epic proportions, but because I thought this was going to be an in media res episode that examined the reasons that Keith lost, but NOPE. That’s it. It’s over, Keith lost, Lamb is celebrating by being the perfect example of a horrible human being, and things NEVER GET JOYOUS AFTER THIS. This is kind of a relentlessly grim episode that more or less explores honesty and truth. Can Veronica and Keith maintain their relationship if they’re constantly dishonest with one another? What’s the actual truth behind the death of Felix? And why did that bus go over the cliff?
- Can I also establish that Dick Casablancas is really disgusting? I mean, look, we’ll talk about Logan’s racism later, but Dick is just so unapologetically a white dude in every pejorative sense. He doesn’t care about anyone else. He is openly racist and classist and thinks it’s hilarious. His comment about Logan’s mom is UNBELIEVABLY CRASS. Veronica was right to describe Dick to Gia as being…well, he’s Dick. And a dick. UGH. How could you find that walking human disaster attractive? Run the other way, Gia. RUN THE OTHER WAY.
- I still find it kind of hilarious that just as Duncan arrives, Logan’s being carted out in cuffs. Welcome to the party, Duncan!
- It’s not as good as Veronica’s party entrance to her apartment, though. With ABEL KOONTZ in her arms (!!!!!!! OH MY GOD !!!!!!!!), balloons and confetti fall upon her. Yeah, ABEL KOONTZ is back, and he wants Veronica to find his daughter before he succumbs to cancer.
- LORD. WHAT A START.
- It’s with the search for Amelia DeLongpre that a whole lot of familiar cases come out of the woodwork. But this is not a case of rehashing the same old details; no, “Rat Saw God” doesn’t feel like it belongs in season one. These past six episodes have felt even grittier than a lot of season one, and I love the way the writers are tackling a lot of heavy issues in the process. What exactly would someone do if they were gifted three million dollars in just a matter of days? What if they had enough money to do whatever they wanted for the rest of their lives? In Amelia’s case, it seems she did what most people would do: travel the world, party, and keep moving. Nothing that Veronica discovers in the early stages of the investigation seemed all that interesting or suspicious either. It was all pretty basic.
- With Cliff’s help (who is absolutely incredible in the first half of this episode), Veronica is able to track one of Mike’s phone cards to a payphone. Across the street from Kane Software. There is a 0% chance that this is a coincidence.
- Actually, can we take a moment to acknowledge how spot-on Cliff is with his advice for Logan in this episode? Taking a public defender away from someone who might actually need one is a supreme jackass move. Plus, he has money; if he’s innocent, why is he wasting an opportunity to get a good defense attorney? (Though I agree with Logan here; Cliff is pretty spectacular.)
- When Lamb made that reference to Logan’s cellmate, I honestly assumed it would be Weevil or a member of the PCH gang because that’s precisely the kind of person that I assume Lamb is. He would do something like that because it amuses him.
- But it’s not.
- IT’S AARON ECHOLLS.
- I’m going to repeat myself: I WAS NOT READY TO SEE HIM AGAIN.
- HE IS SO GROSS. HE STILL SAYS IT WAS DUNCAN
- WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.
- Oh god, you can’t even possibly come up with a defense for NEARLY BURNING VERONICA ALIVE. YOU ARE THE LITERAL WORST.
- And this episode also does funny things to my brain concerning another returning character: Clarence Wiedman. Who ends up WORKING WITH VERONICA. IT’S SO STRANGE. But it’s fascinating to me to see him in another light. He’s still operating with the best interests of Kane Software in mind, but he doesn’t necessarily come off as… abrasive as he once was? I don’t know, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was different with him this time. I did notice that he wasn’t as combative with Veronica once he figured out that he could use her help. And then I started having all these weird thoughts about Veronica and Clarence in a buddy cop drama where Clarence is the straight man to Veronica’s shenanigans, and now I can’t get this out of my head???? I CAN’T DO IT. A pairing happens, and then it’s just there.
- So, while Veronica is off figuring out Amelia’s secret identity through fake ID cards, we have the continued sense of rivalry between the 09ers and the PCH gang. It doesn’t help that Dick is SUPER GODDAMN RACIST to Weevil’s face, and if he’d gotten punched in the face after that Mexican comment, I would have thrown a miniature party on the spot. Sorry, I can’t get past shit like that! (More on that later.)
- Upon being antagonized, the PCHers invoke one of my least favorite tropes in the world: retaliating because someone dared associate them with being gay. SIGH. Now, I think the show does portray them as being ridiculous for living up to such machismo standards like this, but it still made me go COME ON. COME ON WEEVIL. That’s not a reason to get mad! Or SET SOMEONE’S HOUSE ON FIRE. Granted, I understand the real motivation behind burning Logan’s house down. (I’m operating under the assumption that the PCHers really did set it on fire.) This is about combating the sense of entitlement that the 09er culture operates under. It’s about taking away something from someone who always seems to get what he wants because he’s rich and white. Of course, their perception of this issue is muddled by prior prejudices and their own confirmation bias. That’s not always a bad thing, but I’m actually not that sure that Logan really did kill Felix. The evidence is circumstantial, though certainly damning. UGH IT’S ALL A MESS.
- What the hell is Joss Whedon doing in this episode? I saw his name in the credits but what the hell. That’s two fans of the show appearing in season two. HEY, I LIKE THIS SHOW, PUT ME IN IT, TOO. Oh, wait. There’s nothing left to put me in.
- 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁
- Even without Wallace, Veronica manages to get the GPS info of Amelia’s last known location, where she meets the creepiest motel manager ever. Also: KNOTTY. NO, NOPE, I CAN’T.
- Is it also safe to assume that Veronica’s constant need to pay the manager $30 is due to the fact that Wallace isn’t around to distract him or run a double con? Wallace is everything.
- However, simultaneous to Veronica’s motel adventure, Sheriff Lamb (I HATE THAT I STILL HAVE TO CALL HIM THAT I DEMAND A RECALL) reveals a secret of Veronica’s to her father. He does this because he enjoys sowing hatred, discord, and unhappiness. Is he the yellow-eyed demon on Supernatural? I’m convinced he is. CONVINCED.
- Still, that’s not to deny that the conversation Keith has with Veronica over the phone isn’t vital; it absolutely is. It’s just unfortunate that this is how Keith had to find out about Curly and Veronica’s connection to him. But I do need to point out the fascinating parallel between these two. Veronica insists that she’s seeking out the truth to assuage her own sanity and to prevent herself from developing an obsession. Yeah, I think Keith is doing the same thing in regards to the bus crash, especially in light of the possible theory that Aaron Echolls was behind it. Why else does he visit Aaron in prison? Like he says, it’s so that he can let Aaron know how easy it is to get to him. Keith is being protective of Veronica, obviously, but it’s also a way for him to keep his own fear at bay. It’s a way for him to make sense of the senseless.
- Given all this, I admit that never in a million years did I expect Amelia to be dead in that ice box. It’s just so horrifying and – to use that word again – senseless. After Veronica and Clarence pull the good cop/bad cop routine (SEE I TOLD YOU IT WORKS) with Mike, they’re back at square one. Why had Amelia suddenly asked for $250,000 more from Kane Software? Why resort to extortion? And who was the man with her at the hotel the week before?
- Okay, so let’s talk about Logan. Y’all, it’s not easy to like him at all in this episode. He may be wrongly accused of murder; it’s strongly suggested that the PCHers burned his house down. But goddamn, the racism and BUYING WEEVIL’S GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE AND THEN EVICTING HER? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? ARE YOU A REAL PERSON? Is this how you interact with the rest of the world? If you hate the way people treat you like an entitled white boy, Logan, why the hell do you keep acting like one???
- Y’all, HOW DISTURBING IS THE END OF AMELIA’S STORY? She was murdered by the son of an Argentinian diplomat who works in Spain, ostensibly for her money, and she may have been tricked into extorting Kane Software? Whatever happened – it’s left ambiguous on purpose – is going to be taken care of by Clarence, who goes after the murderer in Vegas AND KIND OF HINTS HE MIGHT KILL HIM THERE WHAT THE FUCK CLARENCE.
- And despite that we don’t know shit at the end of this, I never thought Veronica would lie to Abel Koontz. With just a couple days left to live, she can’t break his heart. She can’t tell him that the money he gave his daughter got her killed. So she lies. Just like she lied to her father and like her father lies to her, these people twist the truth or obfuscate it in order to protect others or to make them happy. It’s interesting to me that Keith and Veronica don’t lie to themselves, though. They live with the uncomfortable truths in their world.
- OH BOY, LOGAN IS NOW LIVING WITH DUNCAN. This should be viciously awkward.
- But y’all. Y’ALL. What Keith discovers in that warehouse is NOT OKAY. Oh my god, there was a rat taped underneath a seat. WHO WAS CONSIDERED A RAT? WHO WAS THAT MEANT FOR?
- GODDAMN, THIS SEASON IS RIDICULOUS.
The video commission for “Rat Saw God” can be downloaded right here for just $0.99.
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