Veronica Mars 2x01 Normal Is the Watchword

[oyceter]

2x01 Normal Is the Watchword

I think I am the only person alive who doesn't like Logan. Huh.

On the other hand... new mysteries! Whoo! And not only that, but new big exciting mystery that splits the town and the high school apart! I'm so glad that they dealt with Veronica's sort-of outcast status from S1. It makes much sense that the non-09ers would turn against her for dating one, that they'd think she was just going back to the fold. And it makes sense that the 09ers still probably don't quite trust her. So now she's an outcast again, in a completely different way.

And dude, way to split up the on-again, off-again truce between Logan and Weevil.

On a slighter note, Weevil looks seriously odd without his mustache. And I dislike Wallace's new hair. And when'd he get an earring? Did he always have an earring?

Yay, Keith and Alicia are still going out! Keith writing a book is awfully odd-sounding. I can't imagine that either he or Veronica likes the attention.

Of course Logan didn't kill Felix, but not enough clues to speculate now.

Also, I am sort of disappointed in Meg =(. I get that's she's hurt and the like, but being deliberately unnice seems... well, unnice. Not that one must be nice, but... eh. I am also actually sort of glad that Veronica broke things off with Logan, mostly because Logan continues to scare me. I get moments in which I feel bad for him (last season finale on the bridge, being hurt in front of Veronica), but then he goes off and lashes out and frightens me.

The violence in the Whedonverses never bothered me quite as much, probably because of the fantasy setting, and because while there were moments of real and startling violence, there were also scenes of Buffy beating up demons. In the Mars-dom, violence is not only very real, it's grounded in things like racism and economic divides, in broken families and histories of violence. It is distinctly unpleasant, and I don't think the Mars-dom ever ... not glorifies, but in some way make light of violence the way the Whedonverses do. The Mars-dom critiques violence, and as such, violent characters are much more scary.

Keith continues to be awesome. I adore Keith. I adore Keith and Veronica. I adore Keith and Wallace as well. And I adored Keith when he yelled at Logan for talking to Veronica in that way.

And wow! School bus! Whoa! Meg dead? Yikes.

Also, I was not particularly surprised about Logan going after the Charisma Carpenter character (Buffy alums galore! Yay!), and it just seems like he continue to follow his father's footsteps, whether it's intentional or not. I bet a very interesting paper could be written about father-child dynamics in the Mars-dom, or missing-mother-child dynamics, or something.

Anyhow, whoo! I have a live show on TV!

Comments

[oyceter]

I don't feel like I can really comment on if Meg was justifiably bitter or not, but I personally am not a big fan of girls being pitted against other girls for romantic relationships. And it's not like Veronica was actively attempting to steal away Duncan or whatnot -- I suppose my mindset is that I don't get why Meg is angry at Veronica and not necessarily at Duncan (she may very well be, but we didn't get to see it on the show).

[parallactic.livejournal.com]

I hadn't looked at the Veronica and Meg thing in quite that light. Mostly, I was glad that we got ep continuity from "A Trip to the Dentist", Meg's comment at seeing Duncan wreck his car-- "This is about Veronica, isn't it?" and that hurt look on her face. I also thought Meg's hostility, along with Veronica's reconciliation with Duncan and Logan, and associating with the 09ers again, was an interesting reversal from last season (Meg being friendly, being on the outs with Duncan and Logan, Veronica as school outcast).

Plus, we see that one of the reasons Duncan and Logan are on the outs is because of Veronica. There's also finding out who killed Lilly, but that never got addressed in this ep. So Meg and Veronica, along with Duncan and Logan, just read as the usual teen drama fare to me.

[oyceter]

Hee to usual teen drama fare!

Yeah, I have a huge aversion to romantic triangles (quadrangles, in this case?), especially when it's two girls going after the same guy. Blech. Blech. Blech. Pushes all my buttons. Especially especially when it ruins a friendship.

The thing I'm hanging on to is that maybe Rob Thomas is cleverly using romantic relationships to comment on class and race (Veronica/Duncan, Veronica/Logan, Weevil/Lilly, Weevil's friend/Logan's old girlfriend, all across the 09er/non-09er divide).

[parallactic.livejournal.com]

I've gotten bored with romantic triangles, so wasn't really paying attention. But if Thomas is using it as a commentary on class, then I'll have to pay more attention. I mean, beyond the fact that Veronica dating an 09er means she's accepted as a temporary 09er, and considered to have sold out (football player's comment, and Weevil).