Post by Sue on May 3, 2007 16:52:05 GMT -5
rob said:
How great was it to see the show back, huh? Even better, how great was it to actually see an ensemble-oriented episode? Aside from Weevil (who I always miss), it was a breath of fresh air to catch an episode that felt more like VM at its best: snappy dialogue, complex issues without movie-of-the-week endings and - most of all - no single-scene contract fulfillment cameos for Wallace, Mac, Piz, Dick, etc. Everyone is given quality scenes with actual focus on THEM, rather than simply Veronica or Logan's sounding boards.
As VM eps go, I thought this installment was relatively positive; the week's mystery was not only one of their most interesting, it was also downright hopeful (!) at times.
Another very important breath of fresh air was allowing Veronica to solve the mystery on her own, allowing her friends to be her FRIENDS...not pawns to be utilized whenever needed, then virtually ignored thereafter. Sure, Veronica used Piz, Wallace and Mac to shield her emotionally. But that's actually something friends really do for one another, rather than...I don't know, run interference with a convenience store clerk while Veronica steals the security footage or some such thing. There was genuine interaction, affection and emotion between Veronica, Wallace and Mac, something the show has sorely missed.
As I've said before, I think Piz is a nice guy, and I'm glad Veronica is giving him a shot (assuming that will actually happen at some point). There's nothing to be gained from her continually wallowing in the emotional muck over Logan. Maybe long term V/L IS meant to be...someday. Right now, though, they need to grow up and learn their individual places in the world.
I'm convinced this can only happen if they're forced to expand their horizons, independent of one another. That means seeing other people, learning how to function in a relationship. Veronica, especially, often expects more from Logan than he's capable of providing right now...and she probably can't learn that lesson until she understands that all of us have foibles and imperfections that must be dealt with.
Logan, for his part, has to deal with his issues in his own way, in his own time. Veronica shouldn't be asked to shoulder his psychological burdens, and let's face facts: right now he considers her to be far more than a partner. Logan considers Veronica an emotional life-preserver, a living representative of that better part of him...the part that deserves love. He clings to her. I suppose that's a romantic notion in its way, but impossibly difficult in the long term. He still wants it both ways; his hard-partying, irresponsible side is justifiable as long as Veronica is still with him. That's both unfair and unhealthy.
We can already see baby steps in the right direction: he's attending some classes, hosting co-ed social occasions that don't end in beer-soaked stupidity, interacting with Mac to the point that she has learned to like him. None of this would be happening without the breakup. Which is not to say I'm celebrating a total victory: Logan will regress somewhat. People do. Still, there are signs.
I'm not sure any of that made actual sense. Bottom line: they're better apart until they're comfortable in their own skin.
Ok, now to stuff I didn't like so much. Warning! Soapboxy preachy stuff ahead:
1. I understand that Keith would be concerned about Wallace and Piz's appearance at the bar, but it's unfair to paint all 19-year olds with the same brush.
Obviously Keith can't just look the other way now that he's Sheriff; he has to enforce the law. I just don't get why adults who can legally vote and fight in wars are automatically less responsible than, say, a 40-year old where alcohol is concerned. Keith knows Wallace well enough to know he's a pretty responsible guy; it was grossly unfair, IMO, to equivocate him with the kid who staggered into the street and got killed merely due to their similar age. If Veronica made the ID's only for people she trusted to be responsible, I don't have that much of a problem with it.
Of course, I realize that opinion will be controversial, so I move along to...
2. I'm not easily offended by any attempts at humor. Heaven knows I make all sorts of questionable jokes from time to time...but Veronica's little put-down toward the boy in the elementary school crossed the line a bit.
Not that the little sexist didn't deserve a verbal smackdown; he most certainly needed to come down a peg. I was simply put off by her allusion that firefighters were uneducated functionaries. If she wanted to use classic examples like used-car salesmen or ditch-diggers, that's fine...but in real life, firefighters give their lives in order to protect us. It's one of the most honorable professions imaginable. Can you imagine if Veronica had said "the world needs Marines, too," especially with the current state of affairs? It just felt...wrong.
And yeah, I probably AM overreacting. Heck, I'm probably the only one who reacted at all, so I'll leave it alone.
And finally...
3. Veronica with a piece of Logan cake was a bit over the top.
Overall, though....it's a welcome return to the ensemble show I grew to love. If these are truly the final days of VM, I hope they keep doing episodes like this one.
What he said.
Good golly, Rob, I wish somebody would hire you to write commentary. You need to apply for Andy Rooney's job when he keels over!
