EPISODE 10: “One Angry Veronica”
This is the first time after watching an episode that I’ve thought: “Man, that was mediocre.” “One Angry Veronica” is extremely disappointing because it takes a dull plot and mashes it up with a few awful plot twists, all of which are straight out of Veronica Mars: What You Thought It Would Be Before You Watched the Show. First of all, Leo’s sister is conveniently pulled out of thin air in order to give him motivation for stealing the Kane/Echolls sex tapes, and second of all, Meg wakes up just in time to say “Please take care of my baby” (aka “I’m going to die later on in this episode, so I’ll go ahead and wake up from my coma to tell you this and make the whole situation more poignant”). Sure, there are nice moments to be found throughout–Dohring is once again excellent during the tape-watching scene–but this is all getting to be too much.
Also, the jury duty plot clearly illustrates that the writers either don’t know or don’t care about how our legal system works. Apparently, it’s now the job of juries to gather evidence themselves, come up with their own theories, and not give a crap about the defendant’s right to due process, and proving beyond a reasonable doubt is also something that does not exist in the Veronica Mars world. I like the nod to 12 Angry Men, but you can’t really make anything out of this plot if you only have about 20 minutes and some hastily sketched characters.
GRADE: C+
EPISODE 11: “Donut Run”
There’s a long con theme running throughout “Donut Run”, and it all ends when we find out that Duncan and Veronica worked together to ensure–through kidnapping–that little Lilly would be raised outside of the Manning household. As much as I still dislike the treatment of Meg, if this is the last we see of Duncan Kane, then I’m fine with the way he goes out.
The most compelling aspect of this episode, however, is not the Duncan storyline. Rather, it’s the way the Duncan storyline affects the Keith-Veronica relationship, one that has been extremely stable over the course of the show. “Donut Run” makes it very clear just how serious Veronica’s actions are, and it does so by showing us the frustration, anger, and worry written on Keith’s face during the wonderful sequence of scenes in the last third of the episode. The two have had their arguments, but this legitimately feels like a “crossing the line” moment for Veronica. “I don’t know if I can trust you anymore,” Keith says.
GRADE: B+
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-There’s a nod to Lost in “Donut Run”! The numbers on the fortune cookie that Duncan gave Veronica: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.
-Always great to see Ken Marino as Vinnie Van Lowe. Also, Lucy Lawless has a nice cameo as FBI Agent Morris.
Photo credit: Veronica Mars, CW/UPN
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