Rob, what did you do to my show?

[bennet_7]

Because we are waaaaaay behind here in Oz, "A Trip to the Dentist" aka episode 1.21 of Veronica Mars just aired tonight. And despite owning it on DVD, I watched it on TV.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED ROB?

Seriously? What the frell?

The rape retcon doesn't annoy me that much. I can see why it was done. With Veronica investigating the Hearst rapes next season (spec not spoiler) it works well for her to have been an actual victim herself, instead of the victim of not!rape.

Still, I was a tad disappointed. The beauty of ATttD pre-Season 2 finale is that what happened to Veronica was not the fault of a single person. It was the result of the stupidity of many. And I liked it.

But as I said, the fact that they changed it to actual rape doesn't bother me too much.

What does annoy the hell out of me (seriously. All the hell that was in me is now gone, such is my frustration) is that Veronica and Duncan get  back together.

No, this is not the L/V shipper in me being all anti-VD.

I was watching the scene where Veronica confronts Duncan and it really struck me just how hurt and broken Veronica is because of this event. And yet one short, blue-tinged montage later, Veronica and Duncan are back together. And you know, I understood that they had unfinished business together. I expected them to get back together. What I did not expect was 11 episodes of twue wuv. The fact that these two characters at no point discuss their issues (which include but are not limited to: their drugged sex, the fact that he thought she was his sister for over a year, her dating his best friend, his ignoring her) is such a disservice to the characters. To sweep aside their past like that, to ignore the events that shaped their characters is a grievous sin in my book.

It would have been excellent TV to see them fight about their past before eventually realising that they weren't meant to be. But no, RT wanted to show a normal, happy teen relationship. And sadly, he didn't realise that by rights, these two characters are not capable of having a happy normal teen relationship with each other which is why nobody bought it and it pissed most of the viewers off.

I think it would have been interesting to see Veronica deal with a normal, happy teen relationship. But what Rob should have done was introduce a new character for her to do that with, because she couldn't have done it with Duncan or Logan (love the boy but he can't do normal).

The more I think about it, the more it saddens me. Because season 1 of Veronica Mars is beautiful television and season 2 is so flawed. It makes me emo.

In conclusion, let's hope that Rob pays a lot more attention to character continuity next season.

Also, Aaron Sorkin could bitch-slap RT over a barrel any day of the week.

Comments

[violetcreme.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous site design m'dear !

I've just watched Veronica Mars for the first time due to you loving it, and I'll do a post on my thoughts soon but thought I'd pick up on one of your comments and say the big problem I had was the characterisation. Kristen Bell is a phenomenal lead, brilliant actor and one of a handful of strong, female charcters on TV but her character is all over the place and even though I've only seen a handful of episodes, it started to really annoy me. Particularly the first episode of Series 2 I saw. I'm not surprised to read that there are problems with the backstory, as that's my big issue.

[bennet-7.livejournal.com]

Thanks hon!

OMG you watched it! YAY!

The beginning of Season 2 is a bit disappointing because seriously, Season 1 is one of the best seasons of television I've ever seen. The mystery of her best friend's death is so much more personal.

However, Season 2 does improve as it goes on (in fact, my favourite episode of the show ever is in season 2, episode 2.17). The characterisation does become more consistent and the fact that Kristen Bell has once again been snubbed by the Emmys becomes even more frustrating. That girl is so good!

I see a lot of similarities to Press Gang btw. The friendship between Veronica and Wallace reminds me of our beloved Lynda and Kenny, as does the Logan and Veronica relationship in reminding me of Spike and Lynda.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

[violetcreme.livejournal.com]

I'll try and write something more coherent next week and I'll try and watch a few more but I liked it, but not as much as I was expecting to be honest. It felt a bit ScoobyDoo and American, which is probably my problem as from the stuff I'd read i was expecting a new 'My So Called Life'. My problem with teh characterisation was that I just didn't buy her transformation from vapid valley girl to kick arse uber intelligent girl. One minute she's shallow and dancing aroudn to the Spice Girls, the next she's this amazingly different girl. The two don't go together, doesn't make sense.

I didn't see the PG similarities to be honest, other than two strong female leads. Very different styles and approaches.

[afrocurl.livejournal.com]

Amen!!!!

This is a great way to look at all of that VDness, without getting wrapped up in shipping wars.

The way I see it, Veronica, in her attempt to be "normal" decided that she could forget about all of the bad stuff that happened between she and Duncan, because he was safer than Logan "I'm going to burn down a pool" Echolls. Duncan stands idly by and just watches as things happen, but he doesn't try to stand out and make waves. Trying to have a serious conversation about the fact that Duncan thought Veronica was his sister, would to him, I think, have been making waves and causing trouble. And trouble in the Kane family is not good (see the day Duncan jumped off the bleechers and the time he went to Cuba.)

Of course, none of the men that Veronica has around her are really normal, so I don't know why she thought that whole thing would work, but whatever.

[bennet-7.livejournal.com]

The way I see it, Veronica, in her attempt to be "normal" decided that she could forget about all of the bad stuff that happened between she and Duncan, because he was safer than Logan "I'm going to burn down a pool" Echolls. Duncan stands idly by and just watches as things happen, but he doesn't try to stand out and make waves. Trying to have a serious conversation about the fact that Duncan thought Veronica was his sister, would to him, I think, have been making waves and causing trouble.

This what I think about Veronica's thought process too, regarding her decision to get back together with Duncan. I just don't think it was the wisest way to write the character. I really wanted them to acknowledge their issues and was disappointed when that didn't happen.

[afrocurl.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was the wisest move either, but I think RT was trying to get back to Pink!Veronica and not the hardened bitter Veronica that we all saw in S1. This way, RT was able to see how the Pink!Veronica of those flashbacks really worked with the crazy PI stories. Not that it worked well all the time, but whatever.

Switching gears--if this same "let's forget about all of the bad shit" happens again with the start of this season, I'll get very mad, very quickly.

[klawick003.livejournal.com]

I think Rob really wanted DV to have an ending and we all know Veronica isn't one for talking it out. I mean, at all. She just does thing, or ya know, runs.

So no, in the case, I don't think they would have fought it out. I mean, did Logan and V fight it out before they got back together? Did V even question him in s1? I mean, he mocked her. She mocked him and then they slowly form this truce and kiss eachother and that's normal? Not that I minded it, I loved it. I just, don't think V talks things out. Rarely.

[bennet-7.livejournal.com]

I wasn't expecting them to talk about their issues (Veronica seems incapable of doing so with anybody) but I was hoping that there would be some sort of acknowledgment that everything wasn't prefect between them. It could have been a look and I would have been satisfied.

But instead we got this relationship where they ignored their past - a past that I invested in. By not acknowledging it, they gave it less weight, less importance. I guess I just feel cheated and disappointed because Rob didn't write the show they way I wanted him to ;-P

[klawick003.livejournal.com]

I think we all wanted that. I mean, something from them. Aside from my LV addiction, I think had that happened, I would have been okay with DV. Because, well, I also invested in their past. It's something we're shown throughout s1 and we get this feeling for. We need answers, things to make it better. Something. Anything really.

So yeah, I agree.

[smiles1-9.livejournal.com]

Ok, usually I lurk, but I had to take a moment and give you a...WORD! You just said exactly how I feel, without bringing any of the shippiness' into it. Thank you. I agree wholeheartedly.