{"id":3018,"date":"2013-11-15T08:00:06","date_gmt":"2013-11-15T16:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=3018"},"modified":"2014-01-20T14:54:21","modified_gmt":"2014-01-20T22:54:21","slug":"mark-watches-veronica-mars-s01e02-credit-where-credits-due","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2013\/11\/mark-watches-veronica-mars-s01e02-credit-where-credits-due\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Veronica Mars’: S01E02 – Credit Where Credit’s Due"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the second episode of the first season of Veronica Mars<\/i>, Veronica uses her talents to help out Weevil and his grandmother when she is suspiciously accused of credit card fraud. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Veronica Mars<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Good gods, this is already great, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all.<\/p>\n

\n
THERE ARE JUST SO MANY THINGS TO ADMIRE HERE. How did I not get into this show??? Like, this is one of those things that y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all get me to watch\/read and I spend half the time going WAS THIS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR MY TASTES? Witty and slightly cynical main character? Lots of characters of color? Acknowledgment of issues of race and class without them feeling patronizing or stereotypical? AN ENTIRE PLOT THAT HINGES ON VERONICA TELLING A LATINA MOTHER THAT HER NEPHEW IS FUCKING THEIR LIFE OVER BECAUSE OF A WHITE WOMAN? OH MY GOD, THAT ALONE WAS THE FUNNIEST AND MOST TRUE-TO-LIFE THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. I am surprised that Leticia didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take off her chancla<\/i> and go beat up Chardo herself, my god<\/i>.<\/li>\n
Obviously, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m jumping all over the place, so let me calm down and actually<\/i> address this episode. Like Buffy<\/i> before it, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a neat way that Rob Thomas address a largely universal American experience through the storytelling here. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so fascinating is that Veronica is not the outsider by design; no, she once used<\/i> to be popular, so the dynamic at hand feels a lot more refreshing than it might have if she and her father were always unpopular. Then, through Wallace, we learn why being an 09er is so coveted and why Veronica has no desire to return to that life.<\/li>\n
And I also love how clearly these social groups divide along racial and class lines in a way that isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t insulting. I do<\/i> want to see more depth out of all these characters \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Weevil, Duncan, and Logan included \u00e2\u20ac\u201c rather than the limited portrayals we get here. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t consider that a flaw in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Credit Where Credit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Due,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d though. The show is still establishing its voice and characters, and I like what I see. It just feels so real<\/i> to me, given that I lived in Southern California for nearly twenty years of my life, and this really is<\/i> how a lot of social groups form.<\/li>\n
I still hate Don Lamb. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even believe this is an irrational hate at all, and despite that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m writing these a week in advance, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m certain at this point that the comments for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pilot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d will be full of people who also hate Don Lamb. OH MY GOD, HE IS SO AWFUL.<\/li>\n
And even if he is a one-note antagonist who is as flat as a piece of paper, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care<\/i>. I have met enough entitled, vindictive cops in my life that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll just project them all over this character instead, and that is cathartic enough for me.<\/li>\n
So, continuity! This show is already navigating a very fascinating line for me, because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s somewhere between constant serialization and villain-of-the-week, except it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not, and then it is? Categorizing it is difficult, so instead, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d rather discuss the nuances that Rob Thomas writes into the text. By focusing the second episode on Weevil, Thomas establishes a few vital things about Veronica and Keith: They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take practically any case, even if the possible suspect isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exactly a star citizen without a record. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll pursue a case with the same voracity and intelligence, regardless of the financial impact at the end of it. And in terms of the writing, it shows a deliberate attempt to deconstruct the very nature of someone like Weevil. The world he lives in was so ready to accept that a tattooed Latino man with a record committed a crime on a rich white family, and yet, Veronica refused to let that stand, even before she found evidence that showed that it was impossible for Weevil to commit the crimes he confessed to. And I think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of the reasons that Weevil is suspicious of Veronica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interest in his case. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still convinced that she would<\/i> come to these conclusions about him because she came from the 09ers. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a neat moment because there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s this subtext about trust that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s totally related to coming from an undesirable group. In Weevil\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s case, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Latino and<\/i> ostensibly poor and<\/i> in a gang. Why should he trust someone like Veronica in the end? Just because she did one thing for him doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t demonstrate that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll always<\/i> do the right thing.<\/li>\n
Of course, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a direct parallel to what Keith went through, too. He still<\/i> believes that there is more to the Lilly Kane, despite that someone has already confessed to the crime.<\/li>\n
But before we talk about that, we need to talk about Wallace. FRIENDSHIP. PARTNERS IN DETECTIVE-ING. YES. CAN MORE OF THIS HAPPEN. CAN HE CONTINUE TO GROW CLOSER TO VERONICA AND DO MORE AWESOME DETECTIVE-Y THINGS. CAN THIS NEVER, EVER END.<\/li>\n
Casual reminder that I hate Don Lamb, and the scene in that restaurant made me hate him even more than I knew was humanly possible.<\/i> Look, I am clearly biased against asshole cop characters because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had really, really<\/i> negative experiences with law enforcement, and I also had an uncle in the LAPD who is literally an example of everything a cop should not be, so Don hits every single one of my buttons in regards to utter character hate. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to take a lot<\/i> for me to even be able to tolerate his face<\/i>, I swear.<\/li>\n
Troy Vandegraff! I spent this entire episode worried that this would turn into a Carrie<\/i>-esque narrative where he revealed that he was only friends with Veronica so that the 09ers could hurt her further. So yeah, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m really pleased that he seems to genuinely<\/i> want to be Veronica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s friend??? Despite that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s friends with the 09ers, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s able to recognize how awesome Veronica is and put aside the expectations his friends have for him. Bravo<\/i>.<\/li>\n
MALLORY DENT! YES. YES<\/i>. I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fantastic that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Credit Where Credit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Due\u00e2\u20ac\u009d introduces two new characters (Mallory Dent and Troy) who both are uninterested in the drama and rumors surrounding Veronica. Instead, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re eager to become a part of her life in varying ways. In Ms. Dent\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s case, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s here to support Veronica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s photography after recognizing that Veronica has a talent for capturing shots. More Ms. Dent? Yes, please.<\/li>\n
Perhaps less horrifically awkward assigments<\/i>. My god, the pain is palpable<\/i> in every scene where Duncan and Veronica are near<\/i> each other. But what the fuck are these two supposed to say to one another? Their lives will always be messy and tangled after what happened between their fathers. Shit, I just realized that for each of them, they could view each other\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s father as the person responsible for ruining their relationship. oh my god<\/i>.<\/li>\n
I love when I find shit like this, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, even if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unintentional. IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S SO FUN.<\/li>\n
I found it pretty cool that through the casting and<\/i> the writing in this episode, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re led to suspect that either Logan or Caitlin is responsible for the credit card fraud. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard not<\/i> to, especially when they both start making such horrible comments about housekeepers that hint at both racism and<\/i> classism. On top of that, I imagine that the casting director knew people would be biased against Paris Hilton because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Paris Hilton<\/i>. I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think Logan was responsible for very long, but you better believe I transferred my suspicions to Caitlin. How could I not?<\/li>\n
I also completely fell for the little detail about Lilly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s outstanding ticket from October 3rd. I picked up on that being the date of her murder, but I assumed this was written into the script as a way to get Keith Mars and Jake Kane into the same scene. Hahah NOPE. SO MUCH NOPE.<\/li>\n
So, I made a comment on Twitter that I just want to squish Keith and Veronica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s faces together. Allow me to present the reason why: the scene in the Neptune Grand. THEY\u00e2\u20ac\u2122RE JUST SO WONDERFUL TOGETHER. I love the decision to make these two so close to one another. Yes, they have their differences, and Veronica is clearly upset that her father lied to her, but repeatedly, we see just how willing Veronica is to be on her father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s side. She gave up her social standing when she could have kept it.<\/i> If there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one thing I feel certain about Veronica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s character, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that she is loyal until the end.<\/li>\n
FEELINGS. SO MANY FEELINGS<\/i>.<\/li>\n
I did not see the end of this episode coming. Look, that in and of itself is exciting because I love a good mystery, and if this show gives me one every episode, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m already a happy camper. Chardo ends up being behind the fraud, which is unexpected because he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s allegedly so close to Weevil! And while we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get much time with him, I kind of liked the idea that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing more than a fool in love. His love is misguided, entitled, and dangerous, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still there. He genuinely believed that Caitlin was going to come along with him! And that he could just mail a confession to the police to free his cousin<\/i>. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just one giant fool from beginning to end.<\/li>\n
This isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily the most astounding ending I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever seen. Chardo is beat up by Weevil\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gang after Logan agrees to hand him over, Caitlin is routinely ignored by Logan and his friends, and everything is very neatly wrapped up and closed. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s satisfactory by itself. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the absolutely UN-FUCKING-REAL twist that gives this power: LILLY WAS ALIVE TWO HOURS AFTER HER TIME OF DEATH. THAT TICKET WASN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T A RED HERRING OR A MISDIRECT. OH SHIT<\/i>. That means all of the alibis are nonsense<\/i>, Veronica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dad might be right, and everything is a goddamn mess<\/i>. But Veronica knew that already. Her life<\/i> is a mess in some ways because of that murder, and this only makes things more complicated. But in terms of the story, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a brilliant way to keep the serialized plot present within these mystery-of-the-week episodes, you know?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The video commission for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Credit Where Credit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Due\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded\u00c2\u00a0right here for just $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A note about scheduling!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>Veronica Mars<\/em> is considered a “Double Feature” here on Mark Watches.\u00c2\u00a0The West Wing\u00c2\u00a0<\/em>and\u00c2\u00a0Supernatural<\/em> are the main shows I’ve committed to reviewing. While I am not touring, I’ve decided to do Double Features to cover other shows. However, whenever my schedule requires it, I take time off from Double Features.\u00c2\u00a0The next\u00c2\u00a0Veronica Mars<\/em> review will go up on November 25th<\/strong>. I write my reviews a week in advance to give myself a much-needed cushion of free time, so earlier this week, I was in Michigan for an event. I couldn’t do Double Features.<\/p>\n
I will\u00c2\u00a0always<\/em> schedule breaks in the Master Schedule<\/a> so that you know when posts are going up. I will most likely take writing breaks during the week of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years so that I have time to visit family and friends. Otherwise, posts will continue to go up at 8am Pacific Time! Thanks!<\/p>\n
Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n
– 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!<\/a>
\n– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com<\/a>. All Mark Watches videos for past shows\/season are now archived there!
\n– I will be traveling for many events! Check the Tour Dates\/Appearances page<\/a> for up-to-date tour events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the second episode of the first season of Veronica Mars, Veronica uses her talents to help out Weevil and his grandmother when she is suspiciously accused of credit card fraud. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Veronica … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[595],"tags":[596],"class_list":["post-3018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-veronica-mars","tag-mark-watches-veronica-mars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3018\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}