“Silence of the Lamb” (1×11)
Hi, Aaron Paul! Hi, Max Greenfield! These two play Eddie Laroche and Leo D’Amato, respectively, the former a suspect in the E-String Strangler case and the latter a Deputy working on the case. It’s a storyline that’s a bit more cop-esque than usual, but it’s interesting watching Veronica start to actually fall for Leo as the case progresses. Here’s a guy who stands in direct contrast with the general dickish behavior that Sheriff Lamb’s so great at; he actually listens to Weevil’s “complaints” and seems to have a great rapport with Veronica, but alas, it’s not meant to be at the end. And here, we see that Veronica’s way of doing things certainly has its consequences along with its perks.
The other storyline of the episode involves Mac, Madison Sinclair, and the question of their respective birth parents. The clues are pretty overt, but this is an emotionally resonant exploration of what it means to belong and what it means to have a family. Usually, with these types of storylines, one couple is characterized as ‘the bad couple’ and the other is characterized as ‘the good, loving couple’, but here, both sets of parents seem to genuinely care about their kids. You get the sense, however, that there was some overcompensation going on with Madison, and we see that although she’s just a spoiled asshole on the outside, it’s the result of her trying to deal with her own feelings of not belonging. Eventually, Mac deals with her own feelings by sharing a fleeting moment with her biological mother, then turning around and walking toward her parents with a genuine smile on her face. She, like Veronica earlier with the paternity results, realizes that she has a family that loves her, and that’s what matters.
GRADE: A-
“Clash of the Tritons” (1×12)
I am in love with this episode, and it’s not just because of Kristen Bell singing karaoke. Of course, that “One Way or Another” scene definitely solidifies Kristen Bell as the best thing in the universe. Anyway, the episode is not only hilarious and entertaining throughout, but it also utilizes Rebecca James and the sessions in her office to shed new light on our characters and the ways they cope with grief. There’s a nice contrast, for example, between Veronica and Weevil; the former doesn’t want to talk about things, instead electing to take action, whereas the latter does quite a bit of talking during his session. He brings up class and race issues not only because he’s hesitant about talking about Lilly, but also because these issues are legitimate, and it’s a great moment for his character.
Elsewhere, we find out that Duncan doesn’t remember anything around the murder, and Veronica finds out about the pills; with Logan, we see how he finds it easy to blame Veronica for the murder, a mindset that’s paralleled with Rick’s blaming of Veronica for the fake IDs. And, this is all tied together under the Triton mystery, about the secret group of Neptune High that, fittingly, doesn’t involve Logan. This is a guy who fits in with them in every way possible except for actually having aspirations.
GRADE: A
OTHER THOUGHTS:
KARAOKE SCENE:
– “Hi, everybody! Say ‘repressed homosexuality’!” I feel like each episode brings with it my new favorite line.
-Lots of darkness surrounding the Echolls storyline. We have father telling son that he’ll kill him–words later reciprocated–we have Logan asking Rebecca “What’s so great about living?”, and we have Lynn Echolls committing suicide at the end (allegedly).
– “Veronica Mars…is smarter than me.” “Oh, you stop it!” Sheriff Lamb, you should feel blessed. Veronica Mars just hit your arm in a playful manner.
-The end of “Silence of the Lamb” does a great job with the introduction of Clarence Wiedman.
-Apparently, episode 11 and 10 were switched in the order, which explains the unresolved cliffhangers in “Lamb”.
– “Hi, dad. Their case is fuzzy and circumstantial.” *braces for impact* Great delivery there.
– “According to the Internet Movie Database, she went on to play such roles as Trucker’s girlfriend, Screaming maid, and Bi-curious roommate.”
– “Wow. I have that exact same platitude-a-day calendar at home. It’s how I know beauty comes from within.”
Photo credit: UPN/CW, Veronica Mars
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