In the tenth episode of the second season of Veronica Mars, I AM FULL OF TOO MANY FEELINGS AT ONCE. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Veronica Mars.
DAMN IT.
- Who knew that my expectation for an upsetting Christmas episode would come true IN ONE OF THE WORST WAYS YET? Just take it back, please.
- Let’s start off by talking about some of the good things in “One Angry Veronica,” namely that Veronica is a fantastic friend. Her confrontation with Duncan is raw and uncomfortable, but she doesn’t waste any time in putting aside her own fears and concerns to support Duncan going to see Meg. She’s amazing, y’all. SHE EVEN SAYS SHE IS, so that’s canon. Truthfully, though, it’s one of the many things that’s admirable about Veronica. We can see the same behavior when Meg pulls Veronica aside to talk with her in her hospital room. Veronica was certainly going through a dearth of emotions during that scene, but she put them aside (again) to help someone out.
- Oh god, there’s another explanation for why Meg was so furious with Veronica when she started dating Duncan again. H E L P
- There’s some necessary continuity here when Meg speaks of her fear of her parents sending her daughter to the Levi Stinson Sanctuary House. Oh god, Meg doesn’t even know what Veronica and Duncan discovered about her parents in “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner.”
- (and she never will SOB SOB SOB TAKE IT BACK.)
- Meanwhile, Keith’s got a doozy of a case of his own, this one assigned by the overly charming Woody Goodman. There is something wrong with that man. No one is that full of hope in Neptune.
- Well, rich white people are.
- WHOMP.
- Anyway, Woody reveals that the sex tapes that Aaron Echolls made have been stolen from the station and I DID NOT WANT TO SEE THEM AGAIN. OH GOD, NO. This instantly unearthed a whole lot of ugly emotions, mostly in me because Aaron Echolls is the literal worst.
- oh whoops, was all of this not enough to deal with? VERONICA HAS JURY DUTY.
- I was called for jury duty once in my early twenties. I never made it inside the building before they rejected me. I hope it’s because they Googled my name and found something distasteful.
- Meanwhile, Keith has to be in the same room as Sheriff Lamb while the latter is lifting weights and those dumbbells aren’t even that heavy, Lamb. I have arms like carrots and even I can curl 35 pounds. I JUST WANT TO FIND ANY WAY I CAN TO INSULT LAMB. I don’t even care that it’s not his fault that the tapes went missing. It’s just much more satisfying for me to blame him for anything I can think of.
- So, the trial Veronica is on. With one exception, I was so impressed with how the writers handled issues such as racism, classism, and misogyny. I really wish the show would retire the word “hooker,” as sex workers have repeatedly said that this word is extremely derogative. Other than this, I was pleased with how this unfolded. I was also pleased with the Latina woman who was the bastion of logic, duty, and empathy here, especially since her humor was ultimately taken seriously by the show and the other characters here. Repeatedly, she’s a step ahead of Veronica and the first to show any sort of sympathy for Anissa. Not only that, but this is a fascinating look at how prejudice can affect a jury, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the asshole CEO was based on a real experience. I’ve met unabashed and unapologetic racists/misogynists like him!
- CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT LEO BASICALLY CONFESSES TO KEITH AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS EPISODE? Holy shit, it wasn’t until I was going back over the events of this episode that I realized that Leo spelled everything out: Security was a joke. Someone figured out the tapes are worth a lot of money. Lamb isn’t a good administrator and wouldn’t be able to catch the real culprit. GOD. IT WAS RIGHT THERE.
- Thumper is, largely speaking, a stereotype. His characterization doesn’t waver much from him being super tough and stubborn. Even when he’s threatening Veronica, I didn’t see how the show was ever going to add any depth to him as a person. Still, it’s important that he’s the first person to bring up the idea of class and racial prejudice when it concerns Veronica’s case. Once again, a couple 09ers risk getting off for something they’ve done because they’re 09ers. But what’s fascinating about how this unfolds is how prejudices inform the jury’s preconceived ideas about what really happened that night. Everyone – Veronica included! – accepted the story of a john returning to a hotel to save two rich white kids who were utter strangers to him from a sex worker. These people relied on stereotypes or convenient narratives to make their decisions, and it’s only after the knitting Latina begins to poke holes in the story that they’re all forced to re-think what they believe.
- And we’re meant to think about these same expectations when it comes to characters like Logan and Keith Mars. We know that Logan most likely isn’t the one who stole the tapes, but Keith has to consider that he’s talking to yet another Echolls. It’s not like that family has a stunning record. Still, I don’t think Keith ever seriously suspected Logan at all. He just wanted every piece of information possible.
- But this is Logan we’re talking about. His actions here aren’t so much predictable as they are completely in line with his characterization. He hates his father, yes, but his desire to protect Lilly overpowers that. His goal here is to ensure that no one ever exploits Lilly again. It’s admirable if destructive, especially since the end result is that a key piece of evidence against Aaron is destroyed in the process. Poor Logan, y’all. Why are you even watching those videos again? How can you bear it? Regardless, I understand what Logan does here, even if it’s impractical.
- On some level, I get why Leo acted as he did, but that level is buried under layers of WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING? Admittedly, the invention of Leo’s younger sister is sudden and jarring. Well, and convenient. It is! And HEARTBREAKING. And lord, does this mean Leo is gone from this show, too? Anyway, surely Leo could have used any other piece of evidence to make some money rather than the ILLEGALLY FILMED SEX TAPES FROM A TRAGIC MURDER CASE. Come on, Leo. That’s just unforgivable.
- Let’s talk about a beautiful thing: the relationship between Keith and Veronica. I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue saying it until the earth ceases to be. I adore these two. I adore that amidst jury duty during the holidays, Veronica still cooks her father a wonderful meal and decorates the apartment. You know, it’s the utter lack of cynicism between these two that’s so compelling, you know? There’s no bitterness. It’s genuine. And they’re always trying to keep things wonderful, you know?
- I mean, what’s a little jury tampering between father and daughter????
- It was really fun to watch Veronica use her deductive reasoning skills to determine what actually happened to Anissa. I’m not really sure that what’s demonstrated here is particularly legal or falls under the scope of what a jury is supposed to do, but I was entertained by Veronica and the knitter slowly changing the minds of their fellow jurists.
- Part of me is distressed by the thought that the asshole businessman in this episode will escape unscathed because WOW I HATE HIM. But it’s also what happens in a place like Neptune, and it’s the basis of his decision to change his vote. Just like he’ll get away with what he said in that jury room, the two 09ers will eventually get off on an appeal. And he’ll get away with vandalizing her car because HE’S AN ADULT. THAT’S WHAT ADULTS DO. Oh my god HOW ARE YOU REAL? Unfortunately, I know the answer to that question. 🙁
- BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT MICHAEL HYATT AS THE HEARST COLLEGE…PERSON. Professor? I don’t know, oh god. Maybe she worked in admissions? Whatever, it’s Brianna Barksdale from The Wire. That’s all that matters.
- Well, and Veronica is invited to apply at the nice local college because she’s great and deserves great things regardless of how much money she has???? FUTURE PLOT LINE, PLEASE???
- I’d like this because the end of “One Angry Veronica” is a rapid succession of utter sadness followed by utter joy. In the span of two minutes, MEG IS DEAD AND WALLACE IS BACK.
- SEPARATE THESE OR SOMETHING.
- PUT THEM IN DIFFERENT EPISODES
- GIVE ME A CHANCE TO MOURN MEG BEFORE –
- I take it back I WANTED WALLACE BACK MORE THAN MOST THINGS. Oh my god, platonic couch cuddles HELP ME.
The video commission for “One Angry Veronica” can be downloaded right here for just $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com. All Mark Watches videos for past shows/season are now archived there!
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.
– I will be at quite a few conventions and host events throughout the US, Canada, and Europe in 2014, so check my Tour Dates / Appearances page often!
