Veronica Mars
With these two episodes, we reach what would have been the winter break for "Veronica Mars" and things are kind of starting to come together. We at least get some movement on the Meg front. Let's get to it.
"My Mother, the Fiend"
Logan Echolls: "Oh yes, where are my manners? Kendall Casablancas, Trina Echolls. Rode hard, meet put away wet."
Trina Echolls: "I'm guessing she's the wet one. Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got places to be."
Kendall Casablancas: "Where? Is there a club where you, Deedee Pfeiffer, Joey Travolta and Melissa Rivers all meet for drinks."
Trina Echolls: "There is! I don't think you'd like it; it's twenty-one and over. We're hitting an after party at Chuck E. Cheese, though, if you're free. 'Kay, well, I need him in bed by ten p.m. sharp. He's got school tomorrow. Night, all."
Logan Echolls: "Well, the joke's on her: she came over to borrow my video camera. The girl does love a good exit line."
Vice Principal Clemons confronts Veronica about having a key to his office. She gets detention and finds her mother's permanent file. This leads Veronica on a quest to try to find out if her mother was ever a good person. Trina Echolls returns to direct the school play and Veronica learns something startling about Meg.
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| Mommy Dearest |
I brought this up when there was a slightly similar plot line in season two of "Buffy," but I'm really curious who actually had to care for a fake baby when they were in high school. And if you did, was it as sophisticated as Baby Think It Over, the baby that Veronica and Duncan and the rest of their sex education class are assigned to care for. I'm glad I never had to, because I'd be much like Veronica. Leaving fake baby everywhere I could. Holding it upside down. It'd be a bad scene. I will say that this episode links this assignment to the main plot a little bit better than the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episode did, so there's that.
Alyson Hannigan returns this episode as Logan's fame hungry sister, Trina Echolls. She continues to be the worst. A nepo baby who is completely oblivious. I love that she just makes an offhand comment about Keith and Veronica not signing the releases to allow their likenesses to be used in "The Aaron Echolls Story." It's no surprise that Trina is trying to cash in on her father's crimes and her brother's heartbreak. Never change, Trina. This episode gives fans exactly what they want when Trina meets Kendall Casablancas. It's like watching an alternate reality where Willow was just a big as bitch as Cordelia was. The scene where they verbally spar is one of my favorites in the entire series. It was pure fan service for "Buffy" fans and I am sure that I am not the only one who was living for it.
I appreciate that this episode tries to give Trina a little bit of depth. Veronica learns that a baby was born at the Neptune High Prom in 1980 and she thinks the mother was Celeste Kane based on what she learned reading her mother's permanent file. After doing some shady/borderline illegal things, Veronica learns that the baby was Trina. Veronica tricks Trina into giving a monologue implying that she is dying and needs a bone marrow transplant to smoke out her real mother and prove that it's Celeste. Veronica has a change of heart and tells Trina the truth, but Trina is all about extorting someone for money.
It feels extremely obvious that Lunchlady Mary turns out to be Trina's real mother. Veronica meeting with her at the beginning of the episode is a total act one gun. I will say I'm a little surprised that Veronica didn't realize that Mary was signing "friend" and not "fiend." Who uses the word fiend? And I get Veronica already doesn't have a super high opinion of Lianne, but wouldn't you make the leap to friend over fiend? It is kind of a touching moment when Mary and Trina meet as mother and daughter for the first time and Trina shows actual emotion. Who knew she could even do that? She also gets to overact when she goes in and confronts her actual father Principal Moorehead.
I always enjoy when people call out what Veronica is doing and it is usually Keith. He's the one that points out that Veronica's desire to prove Lianne was a good person is also driven by the need to prove that Celeste is a bad person. And, like, I get it. Celeste is awful. Look at her confrontation with Veronica when she finds Veronica and Duncan together in his hotel room. She sucks. I knew Celeste wouldn't end up being the baby's mother, but I was really hoping she would be.
This episode furthers the season long plots with Logan getting revenge on Weevil by jumping him and duct taping him to the pole ala Wallace in the pilot. Weevil does tell Logan he believes that he didn't kill Felix. They decide to team up to find the real killer, but not before they beat the absolute dog shit out of each other in the bathroom. VP Clemons proves he's maybe not the dolt we all think he is when Veronica confronts him in setting her up to expose Moorehead. He denies it, but it definitely looks like that's what happened as he pulls out his new Principal name plate. Veronica finds the rat that Keith got from the bus. Mac and Cassidy are flirting and Cassidy makes Kendall CEO of the real estate company he's starting.
The big shocker of the episode comes at the very end when Veronica heads to the hospital to gather Abel Koontz's belongings. She ducks into Meg's room and finds her very pregnant. When Veronica leaves the room, Meg opens her eyes. Gasp.
Grade: B+
"One Angry Veronica'
Keith Mars: "You know, elf, we may not be the richest family in town, but we can afford normal-sized birds once a year or so."
Veronica Mars: "Game hens. They were just so cute. Plus this way, we won't have to eat leftovers on New Year's."
Keith Mars: "Well, that's smart thinking. Come on, what do they taste like?'
Veronica Mars: "I don't know. Dense little turkeys?"
Veronica learns that Duncan knew that Meg was pregnant. They go see her at the hospital and learn that her parents want to send her baby to an extremely religious foster home. Meg makes Veronica promise that no matter what happens to her that she won't let her parents have the baby. It's Christmas break and Veronica is spending it as the foreman of a jury that is looking at the case of two rich kids being accused of assaulting a young Latina woman. Woody enlists Keith to investigate when the tapes of Lilly Kane and Aaron Echolls having sex are stolen from evidence.
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| This fucking guy... |
You would think that this episode would focus mostly on the big reveal that ended the last episode. Not only is Meg ready to pop with Duncan's baby, but she is also awake. So, imagine my surprise when I first watched this episode that the majority of the episode focuses on the trial that Veronica is serving jury duty on.
We do get some moments with Meg. Veronica is being so understanding here that its kind of surprising. She immediately helps Duncan alter her Visitor's Pass so they can go and see her. It's there that Veronica and Duncan learn that Meg's parents, of course, want to send her baby to some crazy religious indoctrination orphanage where the baby will definitely be abused. All Meg wants is to raise the baby at her aunt's in Seattle which Duncan knew from the letter he stole. I did find Meg's forgiveness rushed and really narratively convenient. And her asking Veronica to help make sure that her parents didn't end up with the baby felt like foreshadowing. And it turns out that it was when we learn at the end of the episode that Meg died after a dislodged blood clot made it to her brain.
The rest of the episode revolves around Veronica on jury duty. It feels like an open and shut case. Though, when Veronica was describing the case, I definitely felt like it was open and shut because the two rich white boys were for sure guilty. But no, this is Neptune so they were going to acquit. A young Latina woman was beaten by two trust fund kids who are claiming she was actually a prostitute who was beaten by her pimp who showed up at the hotel they had gotten. I will say this whole thing feels needlessly convoluted. It could have been simpler. Like, it feels like they were twisting it to make it more than it was.
The other thing about this jury duty plotline is that it is not subtle at all. This follows the theme of the class warfare that has been plaguing Neptune all season. The rich white guy is a giant caricature. His racist rant at the end is kind of wild and doesn't feel realistic. I know that people feel that way and do think those things but would he really go off like that on a jury? Maybe he would. It just feels like we are being hit over the head with a metaphor that isn't that difficult to grasp. And, in the end, it feels like this whole story was just to set up Veronica staying Neptune and going to college at Hearst, which, spoiler alert, does happen next season.
I think Keith's investigation into who stole the sex tapes at the sheriff's department is much more compelling than Veronica's jury duty. It's great to see Keith kind of infiltrating the place he used to work. The ineptness of the Neptune Sheriff's Department really knows no bounds. Keith is there investigating a security breach and Sacks just leaves a folder out with everyone's e-mail address so Logan can steal them.
Keith Mars is a great character. He's a great dad and just a great person in general and I think that this episode hammers that home. We get to see Keith show compassion in circumstances where a lot of people wouldn't with his daughter's two ex-boyfriends. Keith has never been a huge fan of Logan's, so it was pretty impactful to see him comfort Logan when he finds out that Logan was the one who bought the tapes and then erased them to protect Lilly's welfare. And damn this show for making me feel bad for Logan Echolls. I hate that.
It's not a surprise that Deputy Leo was the one that stole the tapes. He was wanting to use the money to help his special needs sister. Man, Deputy Leo is the best. What is wrong with Veronica? Keith can't protect Leo from this, but he definitely points the finger firmly at Lamb when it comes to placing blame. Again, Keith is such a great guy. And I think Enrico Colantoni just really slays. Who doesn't wish that Keith Mars was their dad or at least had him on their side? With the tapes gone though, doubt is cast on whether Aaron Echolls will be convicted of Lilly's murder.
The episode ends with the return of Wallace and it's great to see him. I won't lie. I definitely teared up a little when Veronica leapt into his arms and that final shot of them cuddling on the couch. I've missed this duo and I'm interested to learn what Wallace has been up to and what brings him back to Neptune.
Grade: B
Next up, Duncan breaks up with Veronica and takes off with he and Meg's baby and Wallace asks Veronica for help.
What did you all think? Did you want Celeste to be the baby's mother? Did you want more with Charisma and Alyson? Did you wish that Meg got a little more screen time? Let me know in the comments.
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