In the season two premiere of Veronica Mars, I realized that I missed this show so much right at the exact moment it hits me where it hurts. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to NOT STOP REVIEWING VERONICA MARS UNTIL HE’S SEEN THE MOVIE ON MARCH 14TH.
Holy shit, y’all, that was an incredible episode and EVERYTHING HURTS.
- I think it is a testament to the storytelling that the big reveal I’d been waiting for – the identity of the person Veronica greeted at her door – is made a COMPLETE MOOT POINT like fifteen minutes into this episode. Because IT DOESN’T MATTER WHEN A THOUSAND OTHER INCREDIBLE OR BEWILDERING THINGS HAPPEN ALONGSIDE IT AND HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK IT IS OKAY TO GIVE ME A CLIFFHANGER LIKE THAT.
- Wait, I just had a severe moment of disconnect because I just called a bus plunging off a cliff a “cliffhanger.” It’s a cliffplunger. And it hurts my very soul.
- There is a lot going on in “Normal Is the Watchword,” but the writers never stray from what makes Veronica Mars so compelling to me. The fact that this show can address class, race, inequality, and the seedier sides of human nature while still being one of the funniest and cutest things I’ve ever seen is BEYOND me. How? What devil did Rob Thomas make a pact with and can you send them my way?
- There are hints of change in the cold open of this premiere, and the first is Veronica’s insistence that she’s trying to be normal. It’s an interesting word choice here, especially since the rest of this episode very plainly shows us that there’s nothing normal left in Neptune. But I understand what Veronica is after: stability. Control. Peace of mind. After the traumatic events of the season one finale, who wouldn’t want things to be better? Like KEITH WRITING A BOOK OH MY GOD. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Even Kelvin, who mysteriously fails a drug test, can’t bring Veronica out of her decision to stop investigating wrongdoing in Neptune. He does a fine job guilt tripping her, which… you know, one of the things I’m really enjoying about this show is its willingness not to categorize their characters in reductive ways. Kelvin is a fantastic example, as what happened to him is wrong. At the same time, Veronica doesn’t shy away from calling Kelvin a bully. And the same goes for Wallace when Veronica finds out that he laughed at Vincent when Vincent was being bullied. And that’s great! I think that keeping these characters and the writing honest like this is extremely fulfilling to watch. That’s the case with Veronica, too, and season one openly addressed Veronica’s flaws as well.
- So, right, it was Logan at the door. That wasn’t terribly surprising, but then he turns around to reveal a bloodied and bruised face, and HOLY SHIT, HE KICKED WEEVIL IN THE FACE AND THE PCHers BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF LOGAN AND WHAT THE HOLY FUCK HE MAY HAVE STABBED FELIX TO DEATH???
- There’s a lot of information given to us in this episode, and this scene is no exception. But you know, I actually like that the exposition is handled in flashbacks and voiceovers, despite that normally, that’s not my thing. By moving the story along to the day before classes start, we’re allowed to view the events of the summer after Veronica’s junior year at a distance. They set the scene. They provide background. And it’s not done in a way that’s terribly rushed or insulting to the audience, and because of it, Veronica can find her way back into an investigation and another mystery.
- Wow, that little bit of affection that Leo shows Veronica when he sees the aftermath of the attack is REALLY NOT OKAY. How do these actors convey volumes of emotions in just a couple of seconds? This show is so rude.
- Truly, though, I didn’t know how much I missed watching this show until Wallace was back on screen, and he and Veronica were just being the most adorable humans in the history of the world, and Wallace.
- And we get our first case through him, as he also failed his drug test, which he knows is impossible, as did MEG. What the hell? CLEARLY, A CONSPIRACY IS AFOOT.
- So is A LOT OF ANGST. Justified angst, but angst nonetheless. Not everything was resolved or rendered ideal for all these characters, and the first sign we see of this is that Duncan and Logan have stopped being friends. The whole things a mess, honestly, and in hindsight, it’s not surprising to learn that they drifted apart. How do you stay friends through something like that? Just the sheer awkwardness alone is bad enough, you know?
- And the same thing goes for Meg, which makes me ache because the Meg/Veronica friendship was so great in season one. But despite the reality of it, Meg feels like Veronica stole her boyfriend away from her.
- OH RIGHT, VERONICA BROKE UP WITH LOGAN AND IS SEEING DUNCAN NOW?!?!?!? THAT IS A THING THAT HAPPENED.
- More on that when I get to that part of the episode. Let’s talk about ATMOSPHERE. The environment in Neptune is more highly charged than it’s been before, and that’s no doubt a residual effect of the Lilly Kane murder case and its sensational ending. But the murder of Felix represents one of the greater social problems in this town. And it’s not a matter of whether Logan killed Felix or not; given the appearances, it’s understandable why people would be furious that a rich white kid apparently got off on murder. It’s not unheard of in a place like Neptune, where all the non-09er kids who are starters are suddenly framed for drug use, or where a multi-millionaire actor murders a young woman and conspires to keep it a secret. That class divide – which frequently falls along racial lines, too – is made to be an even wider gap than before. It’s responsible for the tension all over the town.
- It doesn’t help that Logan increasingly finds ways to get “revenge” on the PCHers in a manner that often affects the poorer parts of town. Like I said before, the writers aren’t afraid to give us these complex, uncomfortable stories.
- More on that later. Keith’s first scene with Veronica in this episode is a dream come true, I swear. How are these two so good together on screen?
- VINCENT IS MR. CLEMMONS’S SON. WOW. DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
- I also noticed that Wallace actually accompanied Veronica to the school to scope out people’s permanent records to see if the drug tests were altered before they got to Clemmons. You know, that could be because he wants to be more involved, but I also think he’s afraid of Veronica getting hurt if she’s on her own. The class divide in the town, spawned by Felix’s death, has inspired a lot of violence as the two sides spar off. In Veronica’s case, she and Logan were shot at while in Logan’s car. Logan later retaliates with Dick and Cassidy by SETTING A POOL ON FIRE. (That’s not even an exaggeration.)
- Of course, this sort of inequality is made worse by people like the parents who made up the Boatloads of Fun Corporation, the group that paid to have the drug tests falsified so that their 09er children could start on their respective teams. Money literally bought these kids’ positions! I don’t know that any of the kids even knew what their parents were doing, but how could you not resent this culture if this is the sort of thing that happens in your town?
- WHOA IT’S STEVE GUTTENBERG. Who isn’t in this episode???
- OH
- OH MY GOD
- IT’S MY FOREVER QUEEN, CHARISMA CARPENTER.
- NOT ONE PERSON SPOILED THIS FOR ME.
- OH MY GOD SHE LOOKS SO AMAZING
- H E L P M E
- So, that’s Dick and Cassidy’s mother. Well, stepmother is a better term, I suppose. And she has no time for Logan and his requests for Rice Krispie treats!
- EXCEPT SHE’S KIND OF SLEEPING WITH HIM WHAT THE FUCK
- WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS PREMIERE DOING TO ME.
- I mean… god, y’all, Logan is such a mess and it’s really sad? This guy has one of the most fucked-up lives I’ve ever seen on television. His mother is dead, his dad’s a murderer, his sister is already selling her “story,” his girlfriend broke up with him, Weevil’s gang beat the shit out of him, and he can’t figure out if he’s going to be a good person or a royal, entitled asshole. I don’t always feel bad for him, though; Veronica was completely justified in saying that his pool stunt was a dealbreaker for her, and his violent outbreak is about a billion percent NOT OKAY FOREVER. At the same time, I think the writers have done a fine job showing us that Logan’s been dealing with years of trauma and abuse and that he uses his privilege as a crutch at times, relying on his money and his family’s prestige to get away with things that other people would never get away with. He lashes out, he harms other people, the community at large, and himself, and I don’t know how to stop the cycle. Because that’s what we’re seeing, isn’t it? He and Veronica get close, he seems to be coping with the trauma of his life, but then something triggers a relapse of sorts, and we see the same descent all over again.
- Can I also state that it’s Jason Dohring’s acting, combined with the writing, that compels me to look at Logan this way? Because honestly, there are so many things built into his character that I normally wouldn’t like! And yet, here I am, intrigued by this guy. WHAT IS THIS SHOW DOING TO ME.
- I’m also hoping that the second season will give Weevil a chance for growth, as I’m just as intrigued by his character, too. He feels personally betrayed by Veronica for her relationships with Logan and Duncan, and as irrational as that is (because Veronica is damn well welcome to date who she pleases), I understand the feeling that a friend has betrayed you for another social group. And sometimes, that’s not an intentional, malicious thing! I lost a friend to money before, and I know that sounds silly, but they had never had it, and they fell in love with someone who was, frankly put, filthy rich. I don’t blame them for that! But they got swept up in a world of privilege and fortune; they got used to the access, to the things, to the feeling of security, and they drifted away. I never felt like they hated poor people or me for being lower class, but when you’ve been at the bottom for so long, it’s hard not to take such acts personally.
- (Trust me, I’m the king of taking things personally. I’M WORKING ON IT.)
- I feel like Weevil came to respect Veronica for her willingness to play both sides and to look out for those beneath her, and that was a big part of season one. And with this horrendous divide happening in town, Weevil feels left behind. Still, I think it’s clear that he hasn’t given up on her.
- And then it’s all just no now, no forever. Y’all, it took me a few seconds to take in the images on the screen, to be able to comprehend what I was seeing, and NO. TAKE THIS BACK NOW. I LOVE MEG, SHE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS, AND SHE JUST FUCKING DIED. (I will also say I was confused by Gia’s presence until I realized that Dick must have invited her into the limo.)
- WHAT THE FUCK, THIS IS THE FIRST EPISODE OF THIS SEASON!
- WHAT TERROR HAVE YOU WROUGHT UPON MY HEART
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