I started watching The Wire again this week, after thinking about watching it for the last six months and rejecting it as too intellectual when I'm trying to do school as well. Now I'm not doing school for the moment (except for that one paper) and I nabbed it from the library while the nabbing was good. I watched season 1 about a year ago, and had planned on watching it again before going to season 2, but it was checked out, and season 2 wasn't, so there you go. And now, I have thoughts.
1. Ziggy, you are too stupid to live. I'm sorry! But you are! You are a moron, and you are too much of a moron to realize that messing around with illegal shit is a stupid thing for a moron to do! You are going to get murdered, and it will not be my fault. I have tried to warn you repeatedly, and so has your friend who is probably also going to die but who I will miss because he is not a moron.
2. If I keep living in Britain and watching American TV, I am never, ever going to figure out where the driver's seat in the car goes. Ever.
3. I finally know what a stevedore is. (I had only heard it in... um... the wrong context, before.)
4. YAY! Freamon! And Daniels! Yay! Love them so, so much. Also Omar. Yay, Omar!
5. One of the best lines on TV, ever:
Stringer Bell: I need you to be subtle with this shit. You know what subtle means?
Random Dealer Guy: When you all laid-back and shit.
It was the delivery. The delivery was awesome.
6. I remembered how intellectual the show is, and how it doesn't hand-hold and expects you to keep up. But I forgot that it's also often funny and always interesting, and that if you do pay attention it rewards you a lot. In short, I remembered that it was "good," but forgot why I thought so. Nothing will ever take the place of Doctor Who in my affections, but damn, The Wire is some good shit.
7. Also, I swear a lot more when I'm watching it. Clearly. Sorry, Grammy.
Showing posts with label TV Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV Review. Show all posts
14.9.08
Another Obsession is Born
Thanks, Short Stuff.
I'm not sure how it works, but the same person who regularly watches Gossip Girl and America's Next Top Model is also the one who introduced me to both Slings & Arrows and Dr. Who. How does she do that without her brain exploding? For real.
Okay, okay, obviously I am a snob. But Dr. Who is really good!
I'm not sure how it works, but the same person who regularly watches Gossip Girl and America's Next Top Model is also the one who introduced me to both Slings & Arrows and Dr. Who. How does she do that without her brain exploding? For real.
Okay, okay, obviously I am a snob. But Dr. Who is really good!
26.8.08
One Step Forward, Six Steps Back
I had two feminist moments today. And, you know, this isn't a feminist blog -- I should know, I read plenty of legitimate feminist blogs -- but it is my personal blog and I am a feminist, so today you get to read about my feminist moments.
I've been watching old X-Files DVDs, borrowed from The Store -- and you all can just shut up, because that show rocks, even if it is dated now, only ten years later. But although the government conspiracy stuff clearly shows its age, in some ways it is incredibly current. I was watching a season three episode, "2Shy", when the following scene jumped out at me (no youtube video, so a transcript will have to do):
[Scully enters the morgue; local detective is already there]
Local Detective: Oh, it's you.
Scully: That's not a problem, is it?
Local Detective: No, it's just that Dr. Kramer didn't tell me that you were observing the autopsy.
Scully: I'm not observing. I'm performing it myself.
Local Detective: You're a medical doctor?
Scully: You sound surprised.
Local Detective: I don't know. I guess maybe I am.
Scully: Why?
Local Detective: It's nothing personal, Agent Scully. I'm just . . . old-fashioned in certain regards.
Scully: Old-fashioned?
Local Detective: The truth is, I question the wisdom of assigning female law-enforcement officers to certain types of cases.
Scully: Like this one?
Local Detective: Whoever killed Lauren Mackalvey has a definite attitude toward women, right? So this has to be affecting your judgment.
Scully: I appreciate your concern, Detective. But it's not necessary. All I want to do is solve this case, just like you.
Local Detective: Look, I'm not being sexist, here, I'm just being honest.
Scully: Where would you like the autopsy report sent?
Local Detective: You can fax it to my office.
So my apologies for quoting at such length, but, for serious? That's awesome. I don't remember this particular scene -- although I know I watched the episode at some point when I was a teenager -- but, for real, that's just fantastic. She doesn't engage. She doesn't get angry. She doesn't let it affect her. She just reacts, politely and firmly, to everything he says, letting him hang himself. And it's really -- almost a throwaway scene. Like I said, although I remember the fat-sucking villain of this particular ep, I don't specifically remember this or any other scene that dealt so directly with sexism. It doesn't have bearing on the plot, not really. And yet I'm so happy it's there. This is why Scully was a feminist icon, before Buffy, or Veronica Mars, or Kima, or Laura Roslin. Like any other compelling character, Scully gets into dangerous situations and must be rescued, and spends a fair amount of time rescuing Mulder from similar situations. Gillian Anderson is lauded -- rightly -- for her charisma, her acting chops, and the air of complete competence and unflappability which she imbues in Scully, and of course this sort of scene wouldn't work without that background.
But watching it, I was just so pleased that they put this scene in the show at all -- that they showed young women (like me! in my impressionable years) a role model who not only had the chops, but had the self-confidence to stand up for herself against this sort of thing, directly, publicly, out loud, on screen.
I love me my Buffy, and I love Veronica Mars, too, and the women on BSG. And in all those shows, people are confronted with sexism and deal with it intelligently and forthrightly. But it surprised and pleased me to note that for all the ways the X-Files has aged badly (and in many ways, it has) there remain some aspects that still resonate really powerfully.
Compare this to my other "feminist moment" of the day -- rather the opposite context. Now, obviously, there has been a lot of press about Hillary Clinton, and her speech, and her delegates, and all that. I find that I have nothing more to add on this topic -- clearly the coverage is overtly sexist, clearly the woman cannot win even the smallest bit of respect from her peers regardless of what she says, and clearly she is doing some amazing work in the face of those odds. But while that is all current, and supports my point, I would instead like to fight pop culture with pop culture, and note how far we haven't come by a different comparison.
It's not a secret that I have a certain amount of contempt for Stephanie Meyer and her Twilight Saga -- in which I am not alone. Oh, I've read the first few chapters of book one, and definitely flipped through parts of number four, since it sits on the counter at The Store, and all. (Hey, counterwork is boring when there's no one in the store.) Anyway, I had read enough, both of the books and of the publicity to know that a) I am not the target demographic for this book -- I am not nearly misunderstood enough and b) I am in fact so far out of the target demographic that I am actively repulsed by the concept.
Today I was talking to my old friend Algy, who also now works at a bookstore, and she was telling our group (moi, Short Stuff, and The Fable) about how she'd read the whole series. From what she said, and what I'd read myself, I am appalled. These are the lessons that the pop teen "classic" Breaking Dawn puts forth. (I know it would be much more fair and balanced to include quotations, rather than summaries. But I do not have a copy of that particular title.)
1) It's okay to have steamy sex with your undead lover, who likes to drink blood, and following that, allow him to turn you undead as well, but only if you get married to him first.
2) Should you have sex with aforementioned undead lover-turned-husband, and you come away covered in bruises from how roughly he has handled you, that is okay too, as long as you are "in love."
3) It is your undead husband's decision, not yours, whether or not to abort the half-undead baby you are carrying.
4) Should someone approach you, and offer to let you have sex with his wife, with whom you are in love and respect on her own merits, without her prior knowledge (or, one assumes, consent), the correct response is, "Ummm... sure!"
5) Nothing is more romantic than having your undead husband chew through your own (now undead) flesh into your womb and give you a personal, bite-by-bite C-section.
Call me old-fashioned, but give me Scully any day of the week. I mean... really those two lists speak for themselves, and I should shut up, but I honestly can't believe this. I didn't have the highest standards for my entertainment when I was in my teens, for sure, but I'm really glad that what I ended up drawn to was something like The X-Files rather than like Twilight. I'm glad my mom steered me (gently) in that direction, and I'm glad my little Sis is following those steps too. It's easy to forget what a difference it makes, until days like today, when it just slaps you in the face.
I've been watching old X-Files DVDs, borrowed from The Store -- and you all can just shut up, because that show rocks, even if it is dated now, only ten years later. But although the government conspiracy stuff clearly shows its age, in some ways it is incredibly current. I was watching a season three episode, "2Shy", when the following scene jumped out at me (no youtube video, so a transcript will have to do):
[Scully enters the morgue; local detective is already there]
Local Detective: Oh, it's you.
Scully: That's not a problem, is it?
Local Detective: No, it's just that Dr. Kramer didn't tell me that you were observing the autopsy.
Scully: I'm not observing. I'm performing it myself.
Local Detective: You're a medical doctor?
Scully: You sound surprised.
Local Detective: I don't know. I guess maybe I am.
Scully: Why?
Local Detective: It's nothing personal, Agent Scully. I'm just . . . old-fashioned in certain regards.
Scully: Old-fashioned?
Local Detective: The truth is, I question the wisdom of assigning female law-enforcement officers to certain types of cases.
Scully: Like this one?
Local Detective: Whoever killed Lauren Mackalvey has a definite attitude toward women, right? So this has to be affecting your judgment.
Scully: I appreciate your concern, Detective. But it's not necessary. All I want to do is solve this case, just like you.
Local Detective: Look, I'm not being sexist, here, I'm just being honest.
Scully: Where would you like the autopsy report sent?
Local Detective: You can fax it to my office.
So my apologies for quoting at such length, but, for serious? That's awesome. I don't remember this particular scene -- although I know I watched the episode at some point when I was a teenager -- but, for real, that's just fantastic. She doesn't engage. She doesn't get angry. She doesn't let it affect her. She just reacts, politely and firmly, to everything he says, letting him hang himself. And it's really -- almost a throwaway scene. Like I said, although I remember the fat-sucking villain of this particular ep, I don't specifically remember this or any other scene that dealt so directly with sexism. It doesn't have bearing on the plot, not really. And yet I'm so happy it's there. This is why Scully was a feminist icon, before Buffy, or Veronica Mars, or Kima, or Laura Roslin. Like any other compelling character, Scully gets into dangerous situations and must be rescued, and spends a fair amount of time rescuing Mulder from similar situations. Gillian Anderson is lauded -- rightly -- for her charisma, her acting chops, and the air of complete competence and unflappability which she imbues in Scully, and of course this sort of scene wouldn't work without that background.
But watching it, I was just so pleased that they put this scene in the show at all -- that they showed young women (like me! in my impressionable years) a role model who not only had the chops, but had the self-confidence to stand up for herself against this sort of thing, directly, publicly, out loud, on screen.
I love me my Buffy, and I love Veronica Mars, too, and the women on BSG. And in all those shows, people are confronted with sexism and deal with it intelligently and forthrightly. But it surprised and pleased me to note that for all the ways the X-Files has aged badly (and in many ways, it has) there remain some aspects that still resonate really powerfully.
Compare this to my other "feminist moment" of the day -- rather the opposite context. Now, obviously, there has been a lot of press about Hillary Clinton, and her speech, and her delegates, and all that. I find that I have nothing more to add on this topic -- clearly the coverage is overtly sexist, clearly the woman cannot win even the smallest bit of respect from her peers regardless of what she says, and clearly she is doing some amazing work in the face of those odds. But while that is all current, and supports my point, I would instead like to fight pop culture with pop culture, and note how far we haven't come by a different comparison.
It's not a secret that I have a certain amount of contempt for Stephanie Meyer and her Twilight Saga -- in which I am not alone. Oh, I've read the first few chapters of book one, and definitely flipped through parts of number four, since it sits on the counter at The Store, and all. (Hey, counterwork is boring when there's no one in the store.) Anyway, I had read enough, both of the books and of the publicity to know that a) I am not the target demographic for this book -- I am not nearly misunderstood enough and b) I am in fact so far out of the target demographic that I am actively repulsed by the concept.
Today I was talking to my old friend Algy, who also now works at a bookstore, and she was telling our group (moi, Short Stuff, and The Fable) about how she'd read the whole series. From what she said, and what I'd read myself, I am appalled. These are the lessons that the pop teen "classic" Breaking Dawn puts forth. (I know it would be much more fair and balanced to include quotations, rather than summaries. But I do not have a copy of that particular title.)
1) It's okay to have steamy sex with your undead lover, who likes to drink blood, and following that, allow him to turn you undead as well, but only if you get married to him first.
2) Should you have sex with aforementioned undead lover-turned-husband, and you come away covered in bruises from how roughly he has handled you, that is okay too, as long as you are "in love."
3) It is your undead husband's decision, not yours, whether or not to abort the half-undead baby you are carrying.
4) Should someone approach you, and offer to let you have sex with his wife, with whom you are in love and respect on her own merits, without her prior knowledge (or, one assumes, consent), the correct response is, "Ummm... sure!"
5) Nothing is more romantic than having your undead husband chew through your own (now undead) flesh into your womb and give you a personal, bite-by-bite C-section.
Call me old-fashioned, but give me Scully any day of the week. I mean... really those two lists speak for themselves, and I should shut up, but I honestly can't believe this. I didn't have the highest standards for my entertainment when I was in my teens, for sure, but I'm really glad that what I ended up drawn to was something like The X-Files rather than like Twilight. I'm glad my mom steered me (gently) in that direction, and I'm glad my little Sis is following those steps too. It's easy to forget what a difference it makes, until days like today, when it just slaps you in the face.
9.10.07
New Obsession
Well, it's not really new; it just has a new form.
Those acquainted with me for longer lengths of time will remember my obsession with all things Robin Hood. Oh, admittedly it was at its height when I was about nine, back when I owned my own quiver full of arrows and unstrung longbow, back when I took archery classes, back when I'd read everything the public library had on the subject, back when he was only my second-ever book crush.
But I never entirely got over it; when I did my "Book Tour" of England with Elfcat, we stopped at Sherwood Forest (which IS a real place, just like Ithaca is a real place, which I've known since I was a little kid and which may explain a lot about my persistent inability to entirely separate truth and fiction). I've calmed down some, but I still have my favorite variations of the legend, and my own opinions, and I still sort of am drawn to any new ones I haven't run across yet.
Which is why I was so thrilled when I found out the BBC made a television series of Robin Hood, called, wait for it, Robin Hood. I found this out last spring, read some very good reviews of it, wanted it, and was traveling and forgot about it. But now! Now I have remembered, I put it on Netflix (God bless Netflix!) and I am on episode five.
And it's... kind of hilarious. It's absolutely impossible to take it seriously, at any rate. Netflix describes it as having a "modern sensibility" which I think translates to "a total and complete lack of subtlety and a willingness to disregard the rules of historical accuracy whenever they become inconvenient." The Sheriff of Nottingham -- who is this delightfully fey, scenery chomping type and whom I adore -- talks about "winning hearts and minds" away from Robin Hood. A delightfully non-anorexic Maid Marian tells our friend Guy of Gisbourne, who is all broody and square-jawed, that it's barbaric to suspend rights at home simply because there is a war going on in the Holy Land. She also seems to attend the meeting of nobles (where Sir Guy and the Sheriff browbeat the other men into helping with their evil plots) regularly, although in a nod to the complete improbability of this, she is not allowed to sit down and must strike her verbal blows for justice standing behind her father's chair.
And yet... I am loving it. I used to be so picky about my Robin Hood that I couldn't even stomach Men In Tights as a child, and was known to reject whole novels based on Robin not meeting Little John in the proper context. But I seem to have mellowed, because this show is cracking me up and keeping me completely entertained. It makes no logical sense at all (Robin seems to waste arrows as often as breathing, for example) and yet I cannot look away. He and his men are like the Cute and Stupid Brigade. They are always in the throes of cute schemes which they execute stupidly, or stupid schemes which they execute cutely, and the overall effect is adorable, like a child smashing toy trains together. It helps, I guess, that Robin is played by the toothsome Jonas Armstrong, but that's not all of it.
It's one of the TV shows I don't really want to share with my family. Which is odd for me, because normally my sister and I trade TV shows like -- I don't know, what do kids trade nowadays? Pokemon cards? When I was little, it was Pogs, but I think that's only good for telling you exactly how old I am -- anyway, we normally trade all the time, and spend all our time recommending them back and forth, and she's less discriminating than I am. (Short Stuff made it all the way through Angel, for example.) But in this case, it's kind of just dorky and mine. And I am having so much fun with it.
Those acquainted with me for longer lengths of time will remember my obsession with all things Robin Hood. Oh, admittedly it was at its height when I was about nine, back when I owned my own quiver full of arrows and unstrung longbow, back when I took archery classes, back when I'd read everything the public library had on the subject, back when he was only my second-ever book crush.
But I never entirely got over it; when I did my "Book Tour" of England with Elfcat, we stopped at Sherwood Forest (which IS a real place, just like Ithaca is a real place, which I've known since I was a little kid and which may explain a lot about my persistent inability to entirely separate truth and fiction). I've calmed down some, but I still have my favorite variations of the legend, and my own opinions, and I still sort of am drawn to any new ones I haven't run across yet.
Which is why I was so thrilled when I found out the BBC made a television series of Robin Hood, called, wait for it, Robin Hood. I found this out last spring, read some very good reviews of it, wanted it, and was traveling and forgot about it. But now! Now I have remembered, I put it on Netflix (God bless Netflix!) and I am on episode five.
And it's... kind of hilarious. It's absolutely impossible to take it seriously, at any rate. Netflix describes it as having a "modern sensibility" which I think translates to "a total and complete lack of subtlety and a willingness to disregard the rules of historical accuracy whenever they become inconvenient." The Sheriff of Nottingham -- who is this delightfully fey, scenery chomping type and whom I adore -- talks about "winning hearts and minds" away from Robin Hood. A delightfully non-anorexic Maid Marian tells our friend Guy of Gisbourne, who is all broody and square-jawed, that it's barbaric to suspend rights at home simply because there is a war going on in the Holy Land. She also seems to attend the meeting of nobles (where Sir Guy and the Sheriff browbeat the other men into helping with their evil plots) regularly, although in a nod to the complete improbability of this, she is not allowed to sit down and must strike her verbal blows for justice standing behind her father's chair.
And yet... I am loving it. I used to be so picky about my Robin Hood that I couldn't even stomach Men In Tights as a child, and was known to reject whole novels based on Robin not meeting Little John in the proper context. But I seem to have mellowed, because this show is cracking me up and keeping me completely entertained. It makes no logical sense at all (Robin seems to waste arrows as often as breathing, for example) and yet I cannot look away. He and his men are like the Cute and Stupid Brigade. They are always in the throes of cute schemes which they execute stupidly, or stupid schemes which they execute cutely, and the overall effect is adorable, like a child smashing toy trains together. It helps, I guess, that Robin is played by the toothsome Jonas Armstrong, but that's not all of it.
It's one of the TV shows I don't really want to share with my family. Which is odd for me, because normally my sister and I trade TV shows like -- I don't know, what do kids trade nowadays? Pokemon cards? When I was little, it was Pogs, but I think that's only good for telling you exactly how old I am -- anyway, we normally trade all the time, and spend all our time recommending them back and forth, and she's less discriminating than I am. (Short Stuff made it all the way through Angel, for example.) But in this case, it's kind of just dorky and mine. And I am having so much fun with it.
10.6.07
Slings & Arrows Season One
Loath as I usually am to listen to my sister, she is right more often than I really care to look at. And she was right this time. Slings & Arrows is so fucking good that I'm depressed now.
I am. I'm really really depressed by how good it was (is. I haven't seen season two yet, or season three). Plus, you know what else is depressing, not only can I not be Geoffrey Tennat, but I can't date Geoffrey Tennant, I can't act for Geoffrey Tennant, I can't AD for Geoffrey Tennant. I can't even meet Geoffrey Tennant; he's fictional. OR Oliver Welles, who is both fictional and dead. And this makes me really really sad. And it has made me definitively decide to do that CalShakes internship I was offered (I would be yay-ing if I weren't depressed about how good this stupid show is) because if I get this worked up about a TV show about theater, that maybe says something. (Doesn't it? Maybe it doesn't. Maybe I'm just a loser sort of crackhead, and I'm going to end up doing whatever the theater version is of playing your guitar on the street corner for quarters.) See, I told you this show makes me sad. It also makes me sad that I can't own it, because it costs thirty bucks a season. Thirty bucks for six episodes each. That makes me cry, and I shall have to wait for my birthday or something. Or anyway until I get a job that pays me in something other than theater tickets. Because hawking theater tickets to pay for -- I can't even finish that sentence, that's just so messed up.
Right, no one needed to hear this, did they? Slings & Arrows is on my cosmic wishlist and Geoffrey Tennant is my imaginary boyfriend, that's all you needed to know.
I am. I'm really really depressed by how good it was (is. I haven't seen season two yet, or season three). Plus, you know what else is depressing, not only can I not be Geoffrey Tennat, but I can't date Geoffrey Tennant, I can't act for Geoffrey Tennant, I can't AD for Geoffrey Tennant. I can't even meet Geoffrey Tennant; he's fictional. OR Oliver Welles, who is both fictional and dead. And this makes me really really sad. And it has made me definitively decide to do that CalShakes internship I was offered (I would be yay-ing if I weren't depressed about how good this stupid show is) because if I get this worked up about a TV show about theater, that maybe says something. (Doesn't it? Maybe it doesn't. Maybe I'm just a loser sort of crackhead, and I'm going to end up doing whatever the theater version is of playing your guitar on the street corner for quarters.) See, I told you this show makes me sad. It also makes me sad that I can't own it, because it costs thirty bucks a season. Thirty bucks for six episodes each. That makes me cry, and I shall have to wait for my birthday or something. Or anyway until I get a job that pays me in something other than theater tickets. Because hawking theater tickets to pay for -- I can't even finish that sentence, that's just so messed up.
Right, no one needed to hear this, did they? Slings & Arrows is on my cosmic wishlist and Geoffrey Tennant is my imaginary boyfriend, that's all you needed to know.
17.4.07
Wonderfalls -- Wax Lion & Pink Flamingoes
Two episode reviews at the same time. Because I watched two episodes last night, and really the show is so short, and I've only seen these two episodes, I feel like I don't have the tools to evaluate them on a case by case basis. The show is pretty good, and more than that it's likeable. As in, I wouldn't necessarily expect someone else to enjoy it, but I really am.
The DVDs were a present from someone from SJC. Because she is a sweetheart and really really nice.
And she was right, it's very cathartic to watch this show. Wonderfalls is about a twenty-four-year old girl with a philosophy degree, who has moved back to her hometown to work retail. Welcome to my summer plan. Anyway, inanimate objects start talking to her and telling her to do wacky things that end up changing people's lives in wacky ways.
The writing is snappy and fun, not as intelligent as Veronica Mars but still pretty above average. It's patchy, and sometimes thinks it's cleverer than it is, but there are some absolute gems that make up for it.
The characters are pretty solid, although some of them are kind of predictable. I like Jaye, although the actress needs to learn to get by with less mugging. I don't find her depression makes her unsympathetic, but her constantly changing expression is kind of annoying. Her line readings, however, are kind of awesome. And the best friend is good, and the sister and the mom are just fine (although the mom keeps confusing me because one time she guest starred on The X-Files as a mutant who could persuade people to do things). The dad and the brother are still kind of nondescript, but hopefully that will change. And the bartender/boyfriend type! My god. I don't actually know how good of an actor he is, because whenever he is onscreen I am distracted by his pretty pretty face and winning mannerisms. It's really not fair. I have a philosophy degree and am confused and sometimes depressed and bitter (although I've been starting to snap out of that, thank God) about my life and yet there is no cute bartender flirting with me and giving me free vodka shots. Why not? What am I doing wrong? No guys get fireworks in their pupils when I snark at them. Sometimes the universe is monumentally unfair.
Anyway. Aside from that, and the mugging, I'm really enjoying the show. Its style is very quick and jerky, but it's working for me so far.
I think I should start giving this stuff ratings. Because it's a good way to end reviews without having to think of a conclusion. Nota bene, I rate things harsh. So, about 7/10 for Wonderfalls as a whole so far.
The DVDs were a present from someone from SJC. Because she is a sweetheart and really really nice.
And she was right, it's very cathartic to watch this show. Wonderfalls is about a twenty-four-year old girl with a philosophy degree, who has moved back to her hometown to work retail. Welcome to my summer plan. Anyway, inanimate objects start talking to her and telling her to do wacky things that end up changing people's lives in wacky ways.
The writing is snappy and fun, not as intelligent as Veronica Mars but still pretty above average. It's patchy, and sometimes thinks it's cleverer than it is, but there are some absolute gems that make up for it.
The characters are pretty solid, although some of them are kind of predictable. I like Jaye, although the actress needs to learn to get by with less mugging. I don't find her depression makes her unsympathetic, but her constantly changing expression is kind of annoying. Her line readings, however, are kind of awesome. And the best friend is good, and the sister and the mom are just fine (although the mom keeps confusing me because one time she guest starred on The X-Files as a mutant who could persuade people to do things). The dad and the brother are still kind of nondescript, but hopefully that will change. And the bartender/boyfriend type! My god. I don't actually know how good of an actor he is, because whenever he is onscreen I am distracted by his pretty pretty face and winning mannerisms. It's really not fair. I have a philosophy degree and am confused and sometimes depressed and bitter (although I've been starting to snap out of that, thank God) about my life and yet there is no cute bartender flirting with me and giving me free vodka shots. Why not? What am I doing wrong? No guys get fireworks in their pupils when I snark at them. Sometimes the universe is monumentally unfair.
Anyway. Aside from that, and the mugging, I'm really enjoying the show. Its style is very quick and jerky, but it's working for me so far.
I think I should start giving this stuff ratings. Because it's a good way to end reviews without having to think of a conclusion. Nota bene, I rate things harsh. So, about 7/10 for Wonderfalls as a whole so far.
6.3.07
Veronica Mars -- Papa's Cabin
Oh, my God, LUCKY TIM! That was totally awesome. That was the best reveal since Aaron Echolls. And I liked the different format, where it was very verbal, very not a thriller, although I must admit I was very nervous that Tim would try to stab her in front of all the other criminology students.
Everyone -- by which I mean my sister and TWoP, but which would include my mother if my mother were keeping up on Veronica Mars instead of just waiting for the DVDs so that she can fast-forward through any scenes that don’t feature Logan -- (kidding, Mom, kidding) -- (it’s totally true, everyone except Mom, you know it is) -- predicted the Lucky Tim killer thing. But I love being surprised, so I don’t mind feeling a little dumb to that end.
I did have the satisfaction of feeling like something was off about Tim for the first thirty-eight minutes of the episode. The whole time, even as I was enjoying Veronica being teamed up with someone and also getting to tell him what to do (she really does need Wallace and/or Piz and/or Mac to help her more actively in her cases, simply because I would find it fun and hilarious), there was the impending doom feeling of Wait A Minute, No Way is Tim Really That Stupid. (But dude, the latex glove scene was hilarious.)
I generally really like the villains’ motivations on VM, and think they’re believable and interesting. I think the creators do a good job generally of making them personal enough to resonate. (There are one or two exceptions; I didn’t love the fake rape and the reason behind it; I get both of those on an intellectual level but it was hard for me to plug into the characters and they didn’t resonate with me as I think they should/could have. But I liked the thought and effort that went into them.) This particular motivation, though, carries a certain amount of both resonance and catharsis on a purely personal level. You see, back in my formative years (read: a year and a half ago) I had a lovely prof who I admired and respected, who gave me lovely grades and had nothing but nice things to say about me in my conferences. She paid me very high compliments and said totally fantastic things about my paper. (I was the best paper I’ve ever written, so it deserved lots of good things said about it. But I digress.) So, the following year I ask her for a recommendation and she hems and haws and says that she can’t in good conscience recommend me for a grad school program and she has reservations about my writing. Now no one should recommend a student they don’t feel comfortable recommending, but for heaven’s sweet sake, students generally won’t ask you to recommend them unless you pay them lots of compliments and talk like you think they’re brilliant, and it’s a very annoying mixed message to send. (This prof pulled the same stunt on a couple of my friends, too, so I kind of think she was just passive-agressive.)
In any case, to return to Not-All-About-Me Land, what Landry did is far worse, since you should never say you’ll serve as a reference for someone and then not actually give them a good reference. But it was so much fun -- and if not exactly realistic, certainly just as realistic as anything else on VM -- that Tim would want to set Landry up for the murder to get back at him. I never considered that particular solution, but then, I was a philosophy major. (Now I’m trying to think of what the philosophy major alternative would have been. Maybe having her on my oral committee and then making her look like an idiot.)
Moving. On. Because this is dull to everyone except me.
I am so totally bummed that Lamb really is dead. I don’t mind the way he died; I thought the show sent him off as well as TV shows generally do; there’s no real way to kill off a main character so that you don’t piss everyone off. When you’re putting your main characters in more or less life and death situations every week, it’s really hard to have a death that’s meaningful. Because if something fairly standard gets them -- as with Lamb -- then you feel sort of gypped; but if something Very Special happens to kill them off -- the example that comes to mind is the death of Dax on DS9 -- then you feel like it does their character a disservice, because the very special thing is also generally very stupid, and you’re like, what? huh? and it feels too sudden and disconnected from the show as a whole. So really, there’s no way to win when you kill off a credits-character. There are ways to not lose as badly; Buffy used to do pretty well with that kind of thing, Joyce’s death was well done and Tara’s didn’t especially suck, but then, they dropped the ball with Anya and Spike, so what can you do. So the way Lamb died didn’t especially bother me, but the fact that he died did, if that makes sense. I thought Lamb was just so entertaining, and Muhney did such a wonderful job; I’m really going to miss that dynamic.
And you know, I really like Veronica and Keith better as PIs. I think that that element gives the show part of its noir grittiness, and I associate Keith being sherriff with the time before Lilly died, when Veronica was -- not dumber, but less hardcore, less interesting, less jaded, less fun to watch. As I think I’ve posted about before, I really like having Veronica need to walk the line between being a good PI and being a well-adjusted human being, and I think that line is easier to walk if you’re a regular police officer or sherriff, because you’re up against people breaking definite laws rather than people being kind of morally awful. I mean, Keith and Veronica handled things that were agains the law, as well, obviously; they just went after Dean O’Dell’s killer. But they also spent a lot of time going after people who were cheating on their spouses, or handling cases that the law couldn’t just step in and cover, and if the show loses that sort of -- how do I want to say? Reliance on situation? Moral grayness? Moral discussions, that kind of thing? If it simply becomes a matter of catching people who are breaking the law, I think it will lose a lot and I would be really disappointed. However, due to all the philosophical reading and so forth, I have a very black and white, idealistic view of what laws should be and what following them should mean, so I think I see a necessity to be more black and white that doesn’t actually exist. And I do trust the show not to lose its moral grayness; in the interviews I’ve read they seem very keen on that element and very determined to keep it. So if they can keep pulling off the kind of episodes they’ve been doing, but with Keith as sherriff, that will be really interesting, and I’ll be very impressed.
Oh, and I haven’t even hardly talked about the plot. I liked that Landry killed Mindy, by the way, and I like that it was an accident. Not because I don’t like Mindy -- I didn’t love her, but she was fine, whatever, hardly matters -- but because I really liked where that left us-the-viewers with regards to Landry’s character. Because Landry has never been exactly eeeeeevil, he has always been very self-serving, arrogant, and kind of slimy. And I like that, if we’re going to finish up with him (at least for awhile) that we get left with that taste in our mouths. He doesn’t exactly mean to kill Mindy -- not in the evil mastermind way of Lucky Tim -- but he doesn’t exactly mean for her to live, either. I thought the end of his arc was very consistent with his character, and I really liked that. And I won’t really miss Mindy, either; she was kind of a self-serving brat.
Oh, what else? I’ll be interested to see how Logan and Parker work out. I’d like to get invested in their relationship, but it will be difficult, since it’s been a long time since I was as invested in a TV romance as I am in the Logan/Veronica relationship. I mean, Willow and Oz were awesome, in a warm-fuzzies way, but I don’t usually get invested in relationships as dramatic as L&V’s. Buffy/Angel did nothing for me; neither did Rory/Jess on Gilmore Girls. I think it’s a tribute to Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring that I care so much what their characters think of each other, since usually this kind of relationship would bother me and in fact I haven’t squealed at the TV this much since Mulder and Scully. Before they started sucking completely, I mean. But go for it, Logan, ask out Parker; maybe Veronica can date Piz for awhile. And then you can come running back to each other like two little dysfunctional pinballs in love. (Which is totally going to be the name of my new album.)
Okay, enough rambling. No, wait, one more thing. I have to say, I really hope they keep the mini-arc format instead of just individual episode by episode mysteries next season. I like the episode by episode mysteries just fine, and it’s not like I’ll boycot in protest or anything (heaven forbid). But it takes out some of the fun if you don’t have a few episodes in between to try to guess who did it. Bare minimum, I hope they have a few three and four parters -- not just one and two -- next season, because I think they do them just brilliantly.
Everyone -- by which I mean my sister and TWoP, but which would include my mother if my mother were keeping up on Veronica Mars instead of just waiting for the DVDs so that she can fast-forward through any scenes that don’t feature Logan -- (kidding, Mom, kidding) -- (it’s totally true, everyone except Mom, you know it is) -- predicted the Lucky Tim killer thing. But I love being surprised, so I don’t mind feeling a little dumb to that end.
I did have the satisfaction of feeling like something was off about Tim for the first thirty-eight minutes of the episode. The whole time, even as I was enjoying Veronica being teamed up with someone and also getting to tell him what to do (she really does need Wallace and/or Piz and/or Mac to help her more actively in her cases, simply because I would find it fun and hilarious), there was the impending doom feeling of Wait A Minute, No Way is Tim Really That Stupid. (But dude, the latex glove scene was hilarious.)
I generally really like the villains’ motivations on VM, and think they’re believable and interesting. I think the creators do a good job generally of making them personal enough to resonate. (There are one or two exceptions; I didn’t love the fake rape and the reason behind it; I get both of those on an intellectual level but it was hard for me to plug into the characters and they didn’t resonate with me as I think they should/could have. But I liked the thought and effort that went into them.) This particular motivation, though, carries a certain amount of both resonance and catharsis on a purely personal level. You see, back in my formative years (read: a year and a half ago) I had a lovely prof who I admired and respected, who gave me lovely grades and had nothing but nice things to say about me in my conferences. She paid me very high compliments and said totally fantastic things about my paper. (I was the best paper I’ve ever written, so it deserved lots of good things said about it. But I digress.) So, the following year I ask her for a recommendation and she hems and haws and says that she can’t in good conscience recommend me for a grad school program and she has reservations about my writing. Now no one should recommend a student they don’t feel comfortable recommending, but for heaven’s sweet sake, students generally won’t ask you to recommend them unless you pay them lots of compliments and talk like you think they’re brilliant, and it’s a very annoying mixed message to send. (This prof pulled the same stunt on a couple of my friends, too, so I kind of think she was just passive-agressive.)
In any case, to return to Not-All-About-Me Land, what Landry did is far worse, since you should never say you’ll serve as a reference for someone and then not actually give them a good reference. But it was so much fun -- and if not exactly realistic, certainly just as realistic as anything else on VM -- that Tim would want to set Landry up for the murder to get back at him. I never considered that particular solution, but then, I was a philosophy major. (Now I’m trying to think of what the philosophy major alternative would have been. Maybe having her on my oral committee and then making her look like an idiot.)
Moving. On. Because this is dull to everyone except me.
I am so totally bummed that Lamb really is dead. I don’t mind the way he died; I thought the show sent him off as well as TV shows generally do; there’s no real way to kill off a main character so that you don’t piss everyone off. When you’re putting your main characters in more or less life and death situations every week, it’s really hard to have a death that’s meaningful. Because if something fairly standard gets them -- as with Lamb -- then you feel sort of gypped; but if something Very Special happens to kill them off -- the example that comes to mind is the death of Dax on DS9 -- then you feel like it does their character a disservice, because the very special thing is also generally very stupid, and you’re like, what? huh? and it feels too sudden and disconnected from the show as a whole. So really, there’s no way to win when you kill off a credits-character. There are ways to not lose as badly; Buffy used to do pretty well with that kind of thing, Joyce’s death was well done and Tara’s didn’t especially suck, but then, they dropped the ball with Anya and Spike, so what can you do. So the way Lamb died didn’t especially bother me, but the fact that he died did, if that makes sense. I thought Lamb was just so entertaining, and Muhney did such a wonderful job; I’m really going to miss that dynamic.
And you know, I really like Veronica and Keith better as PIs. I think that that element gives the show part of its noir grittiness, and I associate Keith being sherriff with the time before Lilly died, when Veronica was -- not dumber, but less hardcore, less interesting, less jaded, less fun to watch. As I think I’ve posted about before, I really like having Veronica need to walk the line between being a good PI and being a well-adjusted human being, and I think that line is easier to walk if you’re a regular police officer or sherriff, because you’re up against people breaking definite laws rather than people being kind of morally awful. I mean, Keith and Veronica handled things that were agains the law, as well, obviously; they just went after Dean O’Dell’s killer. But they also spent a lot of time going after people who were cheating on their spouses, or handling cases that the law couldn’t just step in and cover, and if the show loses that sort of -- how do I want to say? Reliance on situation? Moral grayness? Moral discussions, that kind of thing? If it simply becomes a matter of catching people who are breaking the law, I think it will lose a lot and I would be really disappointed. However, due to all the philosophical reading and so forth, I have a very black and white, idealistic view of what laws should be and what following them should mean, so I think I see a necessity to be more black and white that doesn’t actually exist. And I do trust the show not to lose its moral grayness; in the interviews I’ve read they seem very keen on that element and very determined to keep it. So if they can keep pulling off the kind of episodes they’ve been doing, but with Keith as sherriff, that will be really interesting, and I’ll be very impressed.
Oh, and I haven’t even hardly talked about the plot. I liked that Landry killed Mindy, by the way, and I like that it was an accident. Not because I don’t like Mindy -- I didn’t love her, but she was fine, whatever, hardly matters -- but because I really liked where that left us-the-viewers with regards to Landry’s character. Because Landry has never been exactly eeeeeevil, he has always been very self-serving, arrogant, and kind of slimy. And I like that, if we’re going to finish up with him (at least for awhile) that we get left with that taste in our mouths. He doesn’t exactly mean to kill Mindy -- not in the evil mastermind way of Lucky Tim -- but he doesn’t exactly mean for her to live, either. I thought the end of his arc was very consistent with his character, and I really liked that. And I won’t really miss Mindy, either; she was kind of a self-serving brat.
Oh, what else? I’ll be interested to see how Logan and Parker work out. I’d like to get invested in their relationship, but it will be difficult, since it’s been a long time since I was as invested in a TV romance as I am in the Logan/Veronica relationship. I mean, Willow and Oz were awesome, in a warm-fuzzies way, but I don’t usually get invested in relationships as dramatic as L&V’s. Buffy/Angel did nothing for me; neither did Rory/Jess on Gilmore Girls. I think it’s a tribute to Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring that I care so much what their characters think of each other, since usually this kind of relationship would bother me and in fact I haven’t squealed at the TV this much since Mulder and Scully. Before they started sucking completely, I mean. But go for it, Logan, ask out Parker; maybe Veronica can date Piz for awhile. And then you can come running back to each other like two little dysfunctional pinballs in love. (Which is totally going to be the name of my new album.)
Okay, enough rambling. No, wait, one more thing. I have to say, I really hope they keep the mini-arc format instead of just individual episode by episode mysteries next season. I like the episode by episode mysteries just fine, and it’s not like I’ll boycot in protest or anything (heaven forbid). But it takes out some of the fun if you don’t have a few episodes in between to try to guess who did it. Bare minimum, I hope they have a few three and four parters -- not just one and two -- next season, because I think they do them just brilliantly.
2.3.07
Veronica Mars -- Mars, Bars
Not my favorite episode of the season, but still very strong, very enjoyable. I know my sister loved it and I can totally see why. Part of the problem was that I had, like, three days in between watching the first half and watching the end, so I sort of lost the plot for awhile.
One thing at a time. The scavenger hunt. I still love the Mac/Bronson pairing, although I wish they got more screen time, and I continue wishing we'd had more chances to see the relationship develop. They're cute enough that they could really milk it for awhile. I guess they did that with Beaver, and now the viewers would be suspicious and all if she didn't get some pretty quick, but... I don't know. They remind me more of like, Willow and Oz from Buffy except that they're going so quick. I hope Bronson sticks around for awhile, I feel like we the viewers don't know him that well. I think I would be all for a Logan/Parker pairing too, actually, if I weren't still so hung up on Logan and Veronica. After the (AWESOME) elevator ride last week I can't get invested in a new relationship so quickly... if I could, though, I would think that Logan and Parker are a pretty good match. Seems like she would keep him in line to a certain extent; she's outgoing in a very different way from Veronica and she doesn't really cut Logan slack for his bullshit, but also doesn't get so emotionally invested in his behavior (which I think Veronica did from the very beginning, because of their very tangled history) so that she can let him off the hook for certain behaviors that Veronica wouldn't tolerate. So yes, I think that the relationship could work, but I'm still sort of firmly on the Veronica side of the equation.
Jail... the jail stuff was pretty good, although I have to say, my parents would have killed me if I was jailed for being some sort of accomplice and then smartmouthed about it. Like, I get that Veronica and Keith have a very different relationship, and you know, it's TV, and it's Veronica, of course she's going to snark off, and I would probably find it funnier if I had seen more of the movies that she referenced. But it seemed like such an inappropriate time to be sarcastic that it kind of annoyed me. Not that she should have felt guilty or submissive by any means, but geez, you can tone it down a little, Veronica. On the other hand, I thought Wallace's comment to Sherriff Lamb was hilarious beyond all reason. Not because Lamb acts remotely gay, but because the wordplay was clever, the turnaround was appropriate, and it was sort of nice to see someone make a joke at Lamb's expense that wasn't about how ineffective and stupid he is. Not that that ever gets old, exactly, but it was nice to see Wallace reacting in a way Lamb wasn't expecting.
On the topic of Lamb... I'm kind of refusing to believe he's actually dead. I mean, everyone's sort of treating it like he is, so probably I'm wrong, I haven't read any spoilers, I don't know. But the fact that Keith was there, and Lamb said something to him, the fact that Keith got the call and sort of immediately became acting Sherriff again... I kind of feel like he and Lamb sort of planned the whole thing so that they could somehow together catch Dean O'Dell's killer. Of course there is Lamb shooting the mirror that works against that argument; it would have been a hard situation to be in control of, and all that, and the idea of Lamb and Keith working together without being forced is seriously hard to believe. But it would be the kind of twist this show could pull off really well, theoretically, so I'll actually be pretty disappointed if Lamb is just straightforwardly dead. Although the people you know dying thing is also something this show does well, so there you go. Anyway. I thought the death was well done, but I'll be sad if it sticks, I think Lamb is an absolutely awesome addition to the show, and although his send off was good I'll totally miss him. Plus I like Keith and Veronica much better as PIs; I don't want to see Keith lose his edginess if he becomes sherriff again.
Landry and Mindy... okay, I don't know who killed the dean, but if it's either of them, or Mindy's ex, whose name I have never bothered to memorize, I will need some serious twists and turns to make that okay. Like if it's sort of straightforwardly one of them, for a reason we've already been exposed to, that would disappoint me. I can't believe that it would be Mindy; the thing that makes the most sense to me right now is it being Landry, Mindy knowing it, and her asking Keith to investigate it so that she can stop covering for him, because she doesn't love him anymore, or something like that. In fact, that's sort of my best prediction at this point, but there'd have to be at least one more twist to make it okay. Also, I can't see Dean O'Dell being like "What are you doing here?" all calm and confused if Landry showed up in his office after that particular evening. I also can't see someone as intelligent as Landry using Veronica's perfect murder setup to get away with his own; seems like he'd use his own ideas. And I'd be upset too if it were Mindy's ex, unless he was working with someone (preferably one of the kids). Okay, those are my muddled thoughts, now I get to go find out who it actually was.
One thing at a time. The scavenger hunt. I still love the Mac/Bronson pairing, although I wish they got more screen time, and I continue wishing we'd had more chances to see the relationship develop. They're cute enough that they could really milk it for awhile. I guess they did that with Beaver, and now the viewers would be suspicious and all if she didn't get some pretty quick, but... I don't know. They remind me more of like, Willow and Oz from Buffy except that they're going so quick. I hope Bronson sticks around for awhile, I feel like we the viewers don't know him that well. I think I would be all for a Logan/Parker pairing too, actually, if I weren't still so hung up on Logan and Veronica. After the (AWESOME) elevator ride last week I can't get invested in a new relationship so quickly... if I could, though, I would think that Logan and Parker are a pretty good match. Seems like she would keep him in line to a certain extent; she's outgoing in a very different way from Veronica and she doesn't really cut Logan slack for his bullshit, but also doesn't get so emotionally invested in his behavior (which I think Veronica did from the very beginning, because of their very tangled history) so that she can let him off the hook for certain behaviors that Veronica wouldn't tolerate. So yes, I think that the relationship could work, but I'm still sort of firmly on the Veronica side of the equation.
Jail... the jail stuff was pretty good, although I have to say, my parents would have killed me if I was jailed for being some sort of accomplice and then smartmouthed about it. Like, I get that Veronica and Keith have a very different relationship, and you know, it's TV, and it's Veronica, of course she's going to snark off, and I would probably find it funnier if I had seen more of the movies that she referenced. But it seemed like such an inappropriate time to be sarcastic that it kind of annoyed me. Not that she should have felt guilty or submissive by any means, but geez, you can tone it down a little, Veronica. On the other hand, I thought Wallace's comment to Sherriff Lamb was hilarious beyond all reason. Not because Lamb acts remotely gay, but because the wordplay was clever, the turnaround was appropriate, and it was sort of nice to see someone make a joke at Lamb's expense that wasn't about how ineffective and stupid he is. Not that that ever gets old, exactly, but it was nice to see Wallace reacting in a way Lamb wasn't expecting.
On the topic of Lamb... I'm kind of refusing to believe he's actually dead. I mean, everyone's sort of treating it like he is, so probably I'm wrong, I haven't read any spoilers, I don't know. But the fact that Keith was there, and Lamb said something to him, the fact that Keith got the call and sort of immediately became acting Sherriff again... I kind of feel like he and Lamb sort of planned the whole thing so that they could somehow together catch Dean O'Dell's killer. Of course there is Lamb shooting the mirror that works against that argument; it would have been a hard situation to be in control of, and all that, and the idea of Lamb and Keith working together without being forced is seriously hard to believe. But it would be the kind of twist this show could pull off really well, theoretically, so I'll actually be pretty disappointed if Lamb is just straightforwardly dead. Although the people you know dying thing is also something this show does well, so there you go. Anyway. I thought the death was well done, but I'll be sad if it sticks, I think Lamb is an absolutely awesome addition to the show, and although his send off was good I'll totally miss him. Plus I like Keith and Veronica much better as PIs; I don't want to see Keith lose his edginess if he becomes sherriff again.
Landry and Mindy... okay, I don't know who killed the dean, but if it's either of them, or Mindy's ex, whose name I have never bothered to memorize, I will need some serious twists and turns to make that okay. Like if it's sort of straightforwardly one of them, for a reason we've already been exposed to, that would disappoint me. I can't believe that it would be Mindy; the thing that makes the most sense to me right now is it being Landry, Mindy knowing it, and her asking Keith to investigate it so that she can stop covering for him, because she doesn't love him anymore, or something like that. In fact, that's sort of my best prediction at this point, but there'd have to be at least one more twist to make it okay. Also, I can't see Dean O'Dell being like "What are you doing here?" all calm and confused if Landry showed up in his office after that particular evening. I also can't see someone as intelligent as Landry using Veronica's perfect murder setup to get away with his own; seems like he'd use his own ideas. And I'd be upset too if it were Mindy's ex, unless he was working with someone (preferably one of the kids). Okay, those are my muddled thoughts, now I get to go find out who it actually was.
26.2.07
Veronica Mars -- Postgame Mortem
Whee, this show is rocking so hard. They haven't been in this strong of a groove since season one; it is making me SO happy.
I totally loved the little eleven year old girl and Logan thing. I realize that it was a little contrived and a little trite, and I wasn't a huge ginormous fan of the oh, she does know something about love and loss because her parents split up "twist", whatever, my parents split up when I was that age, doesn't mean I knew anything about love and loss, necessarily. But the actress was adorable, the interaction wasn't too cutesy, and the elevator scene made me squeal very loudly given that I was in a faculty computer room.
As a side note, regarding that, how much is Logan the girl and Veronica the guy in their relationship? My god. It's not a bad thing, I like how they reverse the stereotypes -- I'd definitely be pissed if it were Veronica mooning around among room service trays. But you know. A little ... noticeable. But then, now that I think about it, not altogether different from many of the relationships I saw in college.
Also, Dick is continuing his scary and nerve-wracking run as nearing the territory of likeable. Oh, he's got a few more light years to go, but the fact that I don't hate him is makding me so nervous, I can't tell you guys. What's next, virtuous members of the KKK? But I can't help it, he was hilarious this week.
So that subplot was all to the good. The coach's murder... I really wish there had been more Wallace. What the hell? You can't give the guy a little more screen time, if you're going to feature him at all? But the murder itself was interesting, I really like that it wasn't solved yet by the end, I kind of think it was Josh, but I don't have any evidence about that. But it's been good and twisty, I love having two murders going on at once -- god, do you think it's the same guy, and someone is going around killing the faculty? Because that would completely rock, I'm so serious. I mean, I'm really glad it didn't happen at my college, but fictionally it would rock.
I'm trying to think of other notable things about the episode, but mostly I just really liked it. I liked all the storylines, I thought the dialogue was good (although not crazy-memorable); the breakfast bit was good, although when is Veronica going to learn to check for clients before she starts talking to her dad at the office? Bah. The dean's letter did nothing for me, and Landry continues to annoy, although I don't think either he or Mindy was the killer. I'm still leaning towards the kid (Cyrus's kid that is) or else some kind of faculty and staff serial murderer.
Okay, I have obeyed my own rule, now I've got to go watch the next one!
I totally loved the little eleven year old girl and Logan thing. I realize that it was a little contrived and a little trite, and I wasn't a huge ginormous fan of the oh, she does know something about love and loss because her parents split up "twist", whatever, my parents split up when I was that age, doesn't mean I knew anything about love and loss, necessarily. But the actress was adorable, the interaction wasn't too cutesy, and the elevator scene made me squeal very loudly given that I was in a faculty computer room.
As a side note, regarding that, how much is Logan the girl and Veronica the guy in their relationship? My god. It's not a bad thing, I like how they reverse the stereotypes -- I'd definitely be pissed if it were Veronica mooning around among room service trays. But you know. A little ... noticeable. But then, now that I think about it, not altogether different from many of the relationships I saw in college.
Also, Dick is continuing his scary and nerve-wracking run as nearing the territory of likeable. Oh, he's got a few more light years to go, but the fact that I don't hate him is makding me so nervous, I can't tell you guys. What's next, virtuous members of the KKK? But I can't help it, he was hilarious this week.
So that subplot was all to the good. The coach's murder... I really wish there had been more Wallace. What the hell? You can't give the guy a little more screen time, if you're going to feature him at all? But the murder itself was interesting, I really like that it wasn't solved yet by the end, I kind of think it was Josh, but I don't have any evidence about that. But it's been good and twisty, I love having two murders going on at once -- god, do you think it's the same guy, and someone is going around killing the faculty? Because that would completely rock, I'm so serious. I mean, I'm really glad it didn't happen at my college, but fictionally it would rock.
I'm trying to think of other notable things about the episode, but mostly I just really liked it. I liked all the storylines, I thought the dialogue was good (although not crazy-memorable); the breakfast bit was good, although when is Veronica going to learn to check for clients before she starts talking to her dad at the office? Bah. The dean's letter did nothing for me, and Landry continues to annoy, although I don't think either he or Mindy was the killer. I'm still leaning towards the kid (Cyrus's kid that is) or else some kind of faculty and staff serial murderer.
Okay, I have obeyed my own rule, now I've got to go watch the next one!
8.2.07
Veronica Mars -- There's Got to Be a Morning After Pill
Seriously, this show is KILLING ME. YouTube is one of my personal deities.
Okay, I totally forgot in the last four years or so what it's like to be obsessed with a show that's actually on the air. And you can only watch one episode at a time. And now I am having flashbacks to being fourteen years old and I am SQUEALING in the staff computer room of a French middle school, because goddammit, Veronica, you do not ERASE messages before you have listened to ALL of them. And it's not like I enjoy it either but TV taught me many years ago that you have to listen to all of them ANYWAY or you look like an IDIOT and become a HORRIBLE PERSON.
You see? I told you. Fourteen.
Also, is it me, or does Veronica actually getting Weevil to bash in Madison's car remind anyone else of asking Anya (from Buffy) for a wish? It's like, yes, it is always tempting to imagine your ex-boyfriend with no balls, or the girl he cheated on you with or whatever living on the street in a cardboard box. And imagining those things is just the sort of thing that you do when you're moving on from a breakup (not that, uh, I've ever thought like that or anything). And then you meet someone else and let it go except when your old friends email you to tell you something stupid your ex is doing now that you're not there to keep him in line.
But it's so much less cool to actually knowingly take steps to go through with that. I hate to have a TWoP link in every review I write, but I'm almost positive they said something very similar -- I think I'm copying them, actually -- in a seventh season Buffy recap when Anya was trying to mutilate Xander in some way. Like, it seems justified, especially when it's Madison, but then your boyfriend's psycho ex stalks you, and you're all, "move on, lady, get a life, it's over." So I'm glad Veronica didn't go through with it. I mean, I don't think I would have stopped watching or started hating her or anything, so I hope the network didn't force the creators not to do it for that reason, but it seems much better to have her walk the line -- have her really seriously consider tracking Logan -- and showing us that she's serious by actually setting up the device -- and then backing out. It illustrates the line that Veronica is constantly walking as a PI, because in some ways, of course she does want to use her PI skills in her personal life. That's what solved Lilly Kane's murder, that's what let her figure out who raped her, that's what she does, and does well. And it's a strength that she can care personally about her clients, even when they're monkeys; otherwise she wouldn't do her job as well. So then it obviously does become very difficult for her to find the line between when she should be investigating, and digging, and blackmailing and avenging, and when she shouldn't. I thought this episode especially does a fantastic job with that.
Really, this is my favorite episode of the season. Despite the Logan/Veronica stuff, and it wasn't as funny as last week, but it highlighted a couple of things this show does really really well, aside from, like, witty dialogue and intelligent storylines. One of them being, obviously, Veronica's line-walking, but also the show's willingness to really deal with issues and present a variety of viewpoints without getting especially preachy.
Because that was another really well done thing this week, and it's a direction the show is taking this season that I really like. The first two seasons with the rich kids and the biker gang were also really well done, but I think the fact that they've been willing to deal with gender issues this season is fantastic. It's a good time for it, in the show, first year of college, and they're doing it really well. Okay, the rape storyline got a lot of shit, but this episode actually makes me like that storyline better in retrospect, I think because they handled this issue sensitively; it's like there are more layers than I thought in the other one too. Okay, I'm not sure exactly what I mean by that, but it left a good taste in my mouth, for what it's worth.
I especially liked them showing the double side of the religious extremists' reaction, and that that element wasn't cut and dry. That was really well done, and there are a lot of shows that wouldn't bother showing both sides of that, by a long shot. And I liked the roommate's reasons -- I mean, I don't approve of what she did, obviously, and it is of course not her choice to make and offensive that she made it. But she did point out some things, that having a kid at that age is a big deal, etc., etc., that the show presented a lot more sensitively than I'm able to.
Oh, and it helps that I totally didn't see it coming until right before the reveal (which is, of course, the best possible time to predict the ending, unless you're me when I was reading Ender's Game) and that was one of my complaints a few episodes ago, that the show was getting too predictable, so it's nice that I got to be surprised.
Mopey Logan -- well, I've enjoyed it up till now, and obviously I'm still totally invested in that relationship, but I do miss how snarky and fun and evil he can be, especially back when he and Veronica were sort of dodging around the fact that they really liked each other. Sadly that interaction seems like it won't ever make a comeback, but I'd still like to see him being snarky to other people.
Oh, and the apocalypse should hit in half an hour or so, because I did not hate Dick or think he's a waste of space or want him to fall off the balcony or get his head squished like a grapefruit or wish he wasn't taking up so much of the other characters' oxygen and screen time hardly at all this week.
Anyway, all in all, a really really good episode. My biggest complaint is that Mac didn't even get any screen time for her birthday? Good god, writers, throw her a bone. I know she's on other shows too, but Mac is cooler than whoever she plays on them.
Current Dean O'Dell prediction: Gah, I keep trying not to pick whoever the writers throw in my face week by week (this has been a failure, clearly), but this week, I think it actually might possibly be Ex-husband Whasisname or one of the kids. With a twist that I don't know about, sure, and it doesn't make much sense at the moment, but the timing is right. Anyway... I am a complete failure at guessing, I shall never complain again about the big mysteries being too predictable.
Okay, I totally forgot in the last four years or so what it's like to be obsessed with a show that's actually on the air. And you can only watch one episode at a time. And now I am having flashbacks to being fourteen years old and I am SQUEALING in the staff computer room of a French middle school, because goddammit, Veronica, you do not ERASE messages before you have listened to ALL of them. And it's not like I enjoy it either but TV taught me many years ago that you have to listen to all of them ANYWAY or you look like an IDIOT and become a HORRIBLE PERSON.
You see? I told you. Fourteen.
Also, is it me, or does Veronica actually getting Weevil to bash in Madison's car remind anyone else of asking Anya (from Buffy) for a wish? It's like, yes, it is always tempting to imagine your ex-boyfriend with no balls, or the girl he cheated on you with or whatever living on the street in a cardboard box. And imagining those things is just the sort of thing that you do when you're moving on from a breakup (not that, uh, I've ever thought like that or anything). And then you meet someone else and let it go except when your old friends email you to tell you something stupid your ex is doing now that you're not there to keep him in line.
But it's so much less cool to actually knowingly take steps to go through with that. I hate to have a TWoP link in every review I write, but I'm almost positive they said something very similar -- I think I'm copying them, actually -- in a seventh season Buffy recap when Anya was trying to mutilate Xander in some way. Like, it seems justified, especially when it's Madison, but then your boyfriend's psycho ex stalks you, and you're all, "move on, lady, get a life, it's over." So I'm glad Veronica didn't go through with it. I mean, I don't think I would have stopped watching or started hating her or anything, so I hope the network didn't force the creators not to do it for that reason, but it seems much better to have her walk the line -- have her really seriously consider tracking Logan -- and showing us that she's serious by actually setting up the device -- and then backing out. It illustrates the line that Veronica is constantly walking as a PI, because in some ways, of course she does want to use her PI skills in her personal life. That's what solved Lilly Kane's murder, that's what let her figure out who raped her, that's what she does, and does well. And it's a strength that she can care personally about her clients, even when they're monkeys; otherwise she wouldn't do her job as well. So then it obviously does become very difficult for her to find the line between when she should be investigating, and digging, and blackmailing and avenging, and when she shouldn't. I thought this episode especially does a fantastic job with that.
Really, this is my favorite episode of the season. Despite the Logan/Veronica stuff, and it wasn't as funny as last week, but it highlighted a couple of things this show does really really well, aside from, like, witty dialogue and intelligent storylines. One of them being, obviously, Veronica's line-walking, but also the show's willingness to really deal with issues and present a variety of viewpoints without getting especially preachy.
Because that was another really well done thing this week, and it's a direction the show is taking this season that I really like. The first two seasons with the rich kids and the biker gang were also really well done, but I think the fact that they've been willing to deal with gender issues this season is fantastic. It's a good time for it, in the show, first year of college, and they're doing it really well. Okay, the rape storyline got a lot of shit, but this episode actually makes me like that storyline better in retrospect, I think because they handled this issue sensitively; it's like there are more layers than I thought in the other one too. Okay, I'm not sure exactly what I mean by that, but it left a good taste in my mouth, for what it's worth.
I especially liked them showing the double side of the religious extremists' reaction, and that that element wasn't cut and dry. That was really well done, and there are a lot of shows that wouldn't bother showing both sides of that, by a long shot. And I liked the roommate's reasons -- I mean, I don't approve of what she did, obviously, and it is of course not her choice to make and offensive that she made it. But she did point out some things, that having a kid at that age is a big deal, etc., etc., that the show presented a lot more sensitively than I'm able to.
Oh, and it helps that I totally didn't see it coming until right before the reveal (which is, of course, the best possible time to predict the ending, unless you're me when I was reading Ender's Game) and that was one of my complaints a few episodes ago, that the show was getting too predictable, so it's nice that I got to be surprised.
Mopey Logan -- well, I've enjoyed it up till now, and obviously I'm still totally invested in that relationship, but I do miss how snarky and fun and evil he can be, especially back when he and Veronica were sort of dodging around the fact that they really liked each other. Sadly that interaction seems like it won't ever make a comeback, but I'd still like to see him being snarky to other people.
Oh, and the apocalypse should hit in half an hour or so, because I did not hate Dick or think he's a waste of space or want him to fall off the balcony or get his head squished like a grapefruit or wish he wasn't taking up so much of the other characters' oxygen and screen time hardly at all this week.
Anyway, all in all, a really really good episode. My biggest complaint is that Mac didn't even get any screen time for her birthday? Good god, writers, throw her a bone. I know she's on other shows too, but Mac is cooler than whoever she plays on them.
Current Dean O'Dell prediction: Gah, I keep trying not to pick whoever the writers throw in my face week by week (this has been a failure, clearly), but this week, I think it actually might possibly be Ex-husband Whasisname or one of the kids. With a twist that I don't know about, sure, and it doesn't make much sense at the moment, but the timing is right. Anyway... I am a complete failure at guessing, I shall never complain again about the big mysteries being too predictable.
5.2.07
Veronica Mars -- Poughkeepsie, Tramps, and Thieves
Latest Veronica Mars... whee, so I don't post on the weekends but then it's a two review Monday. So it goes. I'm only doing this today so that I can read the TWoP recap with a clear conscience.
Anyway, the script for this episode was brilliant. I especially loved the scenes between Veronica and Keith -- hilariously written, well-acted, really funny and cute. In general the writing was really strong this week. Lots of nice snark, everybody very in character, good character development. The scenes between Veronica and Logan were also really good. Although I'm starting to miss Wallace and his fun interactions with the cast.
The storyline was also strong, although I think the first half was better than the second half. I liked the whole premise and setup, the roommates, the hooker, I thought all that was really good. The actor playing Max I thought did a fantastic job. On first viewing, it felt weird that he suddenly couldn't get over being a hooker, but on repeat viewings, there were plenty of awkward moments leading up to that, and it made a certain amount of sense to me that he could ignore it while he was working on getting her out of it, -- as in, he could tell himself that soon it would be over, and it wouldn't matter anymore -- but then actually trying to live with her, knowing that, was really difficult for him. ("Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself! Always ends bad!" "Roooooooooxaaaannnnne!")
Speaking of (well, sort of) I was really happy with the Logan/Veronica stuff, again. I liked seeing her being sort of able (or at least willing) to deal with the what-did-you-do-while-we-were-on-a-break conversation. Not a good conversation to need to have, but nice that she could deal.
I always like it when we learn more about Veronica through her cases -- the last one that I thought did that really well was Of Vice and Men -- and this episode also did a stellar job with that. It was interesting to me that Veronica really sees blackmail as the thing to do. I mean, not surprisingly, but usually it seems like she and Keith enjoy holding themselves above that kind of thing, as opposed to Vinnie van Lowe and so forth. She has used it on a smaller scale several times before -- against the evil boyfriend in M.A.D. and against the evil TA in Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough -- this is I think the first time we've seen her blackmailing someone who is not necessarily evil, just sort of wrong place-wrong time.
Also, Veronica? If the guy who used to set fire to swimming pools thinks maybe you're going too far and you should back off, please listen.
And the mystery itself wasn't exactly a mystery, but still felt very noir to me, very twisted identities. I could have done okay without the whole bruised hooker and limousine part, but part of that is that I can never recognize the guest stars of the week when I watch these things on youtube. The lady in the middle of the limo -- was she the same lady who was the bruised hooker? Anyhow, it felt a little odd, not quite linear, like some of the pieces jumped around a little. But I can't really say more clearly than that what I mean, and I can't give an example, so possibly this is all in my head.
So the mystery was pretty good, and the episode was just full of really clever little moments that I really enjoyed. The winner, of course, was Keith's salute to Lamb, but there were a bunch of good ones. The end -- the last third or so -- wasn't as good as the first part, but the whole thing was strong.
Oh! And Sense and Sensibility! It makes me so happy that they were watching that. They should watch Emma Thompson's commentary, it is much superior to Ang Lee's.
Oh, and my god. The ending? In the lingerie store? Way to twist the knife so you can make sure you get the vitals, Madison. Wicked good scene, although I'm going to hate the fallout.
Current Murderer Prediction: Um. Aaron Echolls? Seriously I have no idea. Maybe ... God, do I have to say somebody? Bronson-Mac's-boyfriend. Or Nish.
Anyway, the script for this episode was brilliant. I especially loved the scenes between Veronica and Keith -- hilariously written, well-acted, really funny and cute. In general the writing was really strong this week. Lots of nice snark, everybody very in character, good character development. The scenes between Veronica and Logan were also really good. Although I'm starting to miss Wallace and his fun interactions with the cast.
The storyline was also strong, although I think the first half was better than the second half. I liked the whole premise and setup, the roommates, the hooker, I thought all that was really good. The actor playing Max I thought did a fantastic job. On first viewing, it felt weird that he suddenly couldn't get over being a hooker, but on repeat viewings, there were plenty of awkward moments leading up to that, and it made a certain amount of sense to me that he could ignore it while he was working on getting her out of it, -- as in, he could tell himself that soon it would be over, and it wouldn't matter anymore -- but then actually trying to live with her, knowing that, was really difficult for him. ("Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself! Always ends bad!" "Roooooooooxaaaannnnne!")
Speaking of (well, sort of) I was really happy with the Logan/Veronica stuff, again. I liked seeing her being sort of able (or at least willing) to deal with the what-did-you-do-while-we-were-on-a-break conversation. Not a good conversation to need to have, but nice that she could deal.
I always like it when we learn more about Veronica through her cases -- the last one that I thought did that really well was Of Vice and Men -- and this episode also did a stellar job with that. It was interesting to me that Veronica really sees blackmail as the thing to do. I mean, not surprisingly, but usually it seems like she and Keith enjoy holding themselves above that kind of thing, as opposed to Vinnie van Lowe and so forth. She has used it on a smaller scale several times before -- against the evil boyfriend in M.A.D. and against the evil TA in Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough -- this is I think the first time we've seen her blackmailing someone who is not necessarily evil, just sort of wrong place-wrong time.
Also, Veronica? If the guy who used to set fire to swimming pools thinks maybe you're going too far and you should back off, please listen.
And the mystery itself wasn't exactly a mystery, but still felt very noir to me, very twisted identities. I could have done okay without the whole bruised hooker and limousine part, but part of that is that I can never recognize the guest stars of the week when I watch these things on youtube. The lady in the middle of the limo -- was she the same lady who was the bruised hooker? Anyhow, it felt a little odd, not quite linear, like some of the pieces jumped around a little. But I can't really say more clearly than that what I mean, and I can't give an example, so possibly this is all in my head.
So the mystery was pretty good, and the episode was just full of really clever little moments that I really enjoyed. The winner, of course, was Keith's salute to Lamb, but there were a bunch of good ones. The end -- the last third or so -- wasn't as good as the first part, but the whole thing was strong.
Oh! And Sense and Sensibility! It makes me so happy that they were watching that. They should watch Emma Thompson's commentary, it is much superior to Ang Lee's.
Oh, and my god. The ending? In the lingerie store? Way to twist the knife so you can make sure you get the vitals, Madison. Wicked good scene, although I'm going to hate the fallout.
Current Murderer Prediction: Um. Aaron Echolls? Seriously I have no idea. Maybe ... God, do I have to say somebody? Bronson-Mac's-boyfriend. Or Nish.
30.1.07
Veronica Mars - Show Me the Monkey
So I finally got to watch the new Veronica Mars yesterday. So nice to have a new episode. So now I must write a review before I pollute my mind with what everyone else is saying about it. This review has spoilers, for this episode and the season mysteries of season one and season two; plus spoilers for the first arc in season three. Basically, anything that's already aired, nothing that is yet to air.
Generally, I liked it. I thought the acting was better even than usual -- I find the acting on VM generally really good (my dad thinks it's shit; shows you what he knows) but the regulars this week were really excellent, particularly Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring. The latter did a really good job making his depression interesting; he seemed completely broken up but without chewing scenery, going too far, or not giving us enough. (In other words, not Mr. Billowy Coat King of Pain, to quote from Buffy.) Kristen Bell, I think, also did really well, especially in her scenes at the end, the conversation with Piz and the reunion with Logan. I was going to say I wish she'd given us more to show her feelings throughout the rest of the episode, rather than just the one brief scene at the food court, but thinking about it, there was something missing -- some energy, some perkiness, maybe -- that's usually present in her portrayal, that was missing, probably deliberately. And the character of Veronica is not as open or emotional as the character of Logan. (We've seen Logan freak out emotionally -- sometimes at Veronica -- while Veronica's reaction has been to shut down. E.g., their relationship at the end of season one, and even earlier this season, with the affair of the bodyguard.) So Veronica's reaction was perfectly in character, although Logan's was more fun to watch.
I got very, very involved in the Mac storyline, too -- I think Tina Majorino does a fantastic job. I like her new boy, and I really liked the way that Mac believed him about the week's mystery and that was what lead her to trust him in their personal relationship. I actually thought it was handled relatively subtly, which is rare for TV (no moment where Mac looked in the mirror and saw into her own soul or anything); that made me like it more. Mac and Bronson were cute enough that I really could have done with them just seeing each other and flirting for a couple of episodes before the payoff. It didn't feel out of character like this, and it wasn't exactly rushed, but it could have been longer and I think I would have enjoyed it as much or more. I am going to be wicked pissed when he goes evil in a couple weeks. (That's not a spoiler, that's just my theory.)
The Parker-Mac-Veronica dynamic was also really really good, especially when contrasted to the Chip-Logan-Dick dynamic. Since both groups were basically doing the same thing, it was nice to see the ways they were supportive of each other, and how different girls and boys go about handling stuff like that.
The actual mystery.... eeeh. Okay, the monkey was cute. But I feel like the mysteries this season have been a little disappointing. Not in that they don't make sense, because they do, and they're fulfilling, and all that. But maybe because I've been watching the show for two and a half seasons, it's much harder for me to be surprised by the culprit. It was a problem I had with the conclusion of the rape arc too -- not that I predicted it was Mercer and Moe, per se, but I did predict it was two people, and Mercer and Moe were both on my suspect list. So I wasn't particularly surprised, either by their identities or their cooperation. Compare that to the reveal about Aaron Echolls at the end of the first season -- I was really careful not to be spoiled ahead of time, and I was surprised and delighted, because it was unexpected and made perfect sense. (Beaver in season two was a little too far on the unexpected end of the spectrum; Mercer and Moe were too far on the made sense side.) A lot of the standalone episodes in season one did the same thing for me -- Clash of the Tritons, Betty and Veronica, and Like a Virgin come to mind; there were a couple in season two also -- Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough, for example.
This episode didn't do that as well in my opinion. Part of that is that the show is two and a half years old, like I said -- when you read a lot mysteries by the same author, too, you sort of see where they're going after awhile (or so my mom tells me; it's only ever happened to me with Harry Potter). I imagine the creators work really hard to try to keep the audience on their toes, and it's certainly not like some shows (Angel) where you can predict where it's going right from the beginning. I just so loved being surprised in the first couple of seasons, and I really miss that. You start thinking like the creators, and there's only a certain number of people it could be... oh well.
As a side note, I can see -- based on what we know about Mac's parents from Silence of the Lamb -- that her first pacifier might have been jerky. But (like everyone else on the internet, I'm sure) I don't know why she didn't mention that she's a vegan. Okay, it's possible that her mom got it wrong in the earlier episode; Mac might be a vegetarian or not partake in certain kinds of meat, which she might not have mentioned, either out of shyness or self defense (people make fun of the way I eat all the time, so I don't tell them about it unless they're cooking me dinner). Still, it was a really weird moment.
Also weird was the way both Parker and Chip Diller seemed to sort of shrug off their assaults from the last arc. I really don't want to say one thing or another about how people cope with that kind of thing, obviously everyone is different. But as a viewer, it felt a little -- strange, that we got mentions of both of them, but both characters sort of refused to really engage it. However, possibly that's very realistic, I don't know. And it's definitely better than the creators pretending they never happened, now that the arc is over. I guess I'd believe it of Parker, but I wish the actor playing Chip had put something extra into his performance at that moment, to show he was shrugging it off for the benefit of his friends, or at least that making jokes about it was difficult. However, it's possible he did, and I didn't catch it (youtube is great, but not exactly high definition).
Those are my thoughts. And, let's see, current prediction about who killed Dean O'Dell: Landry, working in cahoots with a maintenance guy or office aide.
Generally, I liked it. I thought the acting was better even than usual -- I find the acting on VM generally really good (my dad thinks it's shit; shows you what he knows) but the regulars this week were really excellent, particularly Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring. The latter did a really good job making his depression interesting; he seemed completely broken up but without chewing scenery, going too far, or not giving us enough. (In other words, not Mr. Billowy Coat King of Pain, to quote from Buffy.) Kristen Bell, I think, also did really well, especially in her scenes at the end, the conversation with Piz and the reunion with Logan. I was going to say I wish she'd given us more to show her feelings throughout the rest of the episode, rather than just the one brief scene at the food court, but thinking about it, there was something missing -- some energy, some perkiness, maybe -- that's usually present in her portrayal, that was missing, probably deliberately. And the character of Veronica is not as open or emotional as the character of Logan. (We've seen Logan freak out emotionally -- sometimes at Veronica -- while Veronica's reaction has been to shut down. E.g., their relationship at the end of season one, and even earlier this season, with the affair of the bodyguard.) So Veronica's reaction was perfectly in character, although Logan's was more fun to watch.
I got very, very involved in the Mac storyline, too -- I think Tina Majorino does a fantastic job. I like her new boy, and I really liked the way that Mac believed him about the week's mystery and that was what lead her to trust him in their personal relationship. I actually thought it was handled relatively subtly, which is rare for TV (no moment where Mac looked in the mirror and saw into her own soul or anything); that made me like it more. Mac and Bronson were cute enough that I really could have done with them just seeing each other and flirting for a couple of episodes before the payoff. It didn't feel out of character like this, and it wasn't exactly rushed, but it could have been longer and I think I would have enjoyed it as much or more. I am going to be wicked pissed when he goes evil in a couple weeks. (That's not a spoiler, that's just my theory.)
The Parker-Mac-Veronica dynamic was also really really good, especially when contrasted to the Chip-Logan-Dick dynamic. Since both groups were basically doing the same thing, it was nice to see the ways they were supportive of each other, and how different girls and boys go about handling stuff like that.
The actual mystery.... eeeh. Okay, the monkey was cute. But I feel like the mysteries this season have been a little disappointing. Not in that they don't make sense, because they do, and they're fulfilling, and all that. But maybe because I've been watching the show for two and a half seasons, it's much harder for me to be surprised by the culprit. It was a problem I had with the conclusion of the rape arc too -- not that I predicted it was Mercer and Moe, per se, but I did predict it was two people, and Mercer and Moe were both on my suspect list. So I wasn't particularly surprised, either by their identities or their cooperation. Compare that to the reveal about Aaron Echolls at the end of the first season -- I was really careful not to be spoiled ahead of time, and I was surprised and delighted, because it was unexpected and made perfect sense. (Beaver in season two was a little too far on the unexpected end of the spectrum; Mercer and Moe were too far on the made sense side.) A lot of the standalone episodes in season one did the same thing for me -- Clash of the Tritons, Betty and Veronica, and Like a Virgin come to mind; there were a couple in season two also -- Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough, for example.
This episode didn't do that as well in my opinion. Part of that is that the show is two and a half years old, like I said -- when you read a lot mysteries by the same author, too, you sort of see where they're going after awhile (or so my mom tells me; it's only ever happened to me with Harry Potter). I imagine the creators work really hard to try to keep the audience on their toes, and it's certainly not like some shows (Angel) where you can predict where it's going right from the beginning. I just so loved being surprised in the first couple of seasons, and I really miss that. You start thinking like the creators, and there's only a certain number of people it could be... oh well.
As a side note, I can see -- based on what we know about Mac's parents from Silence of the Lamb -- that her first pacifier might have been jerky. But (like everyone else on the internet, I'm sure) I don't know why she didn't mention that she's a vegan. Okay, it's possible that her mom got it wrong in the earlier episode; Mac might be a vegetarian or not partake in certain kinds of meat, which she might not have mentioned, either out of shyness or self defense (people make fun of the way I eat all the time, so I don't tell them about it unless they're cooking me dinner). Still, it was a really weird moment.
Also weird was the way both Parker and Chip Diller seemed to sort of shrug off their assaults from the last arc. I really don't want to say one thing or another about how people cope with that kind of thing, obviously everyone is different. But as a viewer, it felt a little -- strange, that we got mentions of both of them, but both characters sort of refused to really engage it. However, possibly that's very realistic, I don't know. And it's definitely better than the creators pretending they never happened, now that the arc is over. I guess I'd believe it of Parker, but I wish the actor playing Chip had put something extra into his performance at that moment, to show he was shrugging it off for the benefit of his friends, or at least that making jokes about it was difficult. However, it's possible he did, and I didn't catch it (youtube is great, but not exactly high definition).
Those are my thoughts. And, let's see, current prediction about who killed Dean O'Dell: Landry, working in cahoots with a maintenance guy or office aide.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
