OPEN CASE:  Veronica Mars

 

Season 2

Episode 10

 

ONE ANGRY VERONICA: A cup o’ kindness

By Spring Summers – 10-DEC-2005

 

 

My mother used to tell this story:

 

Once upon a time, in a monastery in the foothills of the Italian Alps, there lived a monk named Anthony.  He was good-hearted, but he never quite lived up to his vows of poverty and sacrifice.  He ate too much, and he often weaseled out of his duty to visit the poor and sickly.  But there came a day when his excuses did not work, and he found himself forced to take his turn.  He went to the stable, but it had been a long while since he had been on horseback, and he had gained considerable weight since his last ride.  He failed, repeatedly, as he tried to lift his large bulk onto the back of the horse.  He sighed, realizing that this failure soon would become public, and that the painful humiliation would only served him right.  His earthly indulgences had caught up to him.

 

There was only one hope.  He dropped to his knees, and prayed to the saint for whom his mother had named him.  “Please, Saint Anthony, show me mercy,” he pleaded.  “Help me mount this horse.”  Upon saying the words, Brother Anthony was overwhelmed with a feeling of power, and of having made a true connection with the saint.  He approached the horse with renewed confidence.  He put his foot in the stirrup, and pulled himself up, just as before.  But this time was very different, for he catapulted right over the horse!  He found himself on the other side of the horse, flat on his own back, on the hard cold ground.

 

Brother Anthony blinked as he gazed up at the heavens.  “Too much mercy, Saint Anthony,” he said.

 

Too much mercy.  Is there such a thing?  Apparently so, huh?  When making decisions about the fate of others, you’ve got to strike the right balance between mercy and justice – and that’s not such an easy thing to do.

 

KEITH:  “It’s not always easy, doing the right thing.”

VERONICA: “If that phrase isn’t on the Mars family crest, it should be.”

 

With its forefront story about a jury struggling to decide what is just, and its background of a holiday season that celebrates love, hope and the promise of a new year, this episode examines exactly that:  When is it best to choose justice?  When do we mete out punishment, let the hammer down, make someone pay for their actions?  And when is it best to choose mercy?  When do we show compassion, offer forgiveness, extend a kindness?  And in what measure?

 

KEITH (to Woody):  “It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but we need those tapes.  How can I say no?”

 

LEO:  “You mind giving my best to your daughter?”

KEITH:  “A little.  But I’ll do it.”

 

Jury duty can be a pain in more ways than one, but you do it for your community and the good ol’ USA.  You follow rules, you follow your leaders, and you do your civic and civil duty:  Carnell’s story matches the frat boys’ story exactly; Deputy Sachs stays right on message; we have references to alpha-males and foremen and we hear about the judge giving orders.  It’s Law & Order:  The perps must be identified, and brought to justice.  Right?

 

Listen to the episode, and note how many times people are passing judgments, or worrying about the judgment of others, even outside the obvious jury-voting (e.g., Woody worries everyone will consider Neptune “bozoville,” Veronica rates re-warmed lasagna vs. ice cream as comfort food).  The frat boys are found guilty, Leo must give up his badge, and Veronica’s annoying neighbors finally “get the boot.”  But juxtaposed against these illustrations of objective justice-applied, are various instances of subjective mercy-applied.  Camera angles are all about individual viewpoints, and we see repeated examples of love, compassion and forgiveness.  We notice that people use their hearts as well as their heads.  Note the reference to A Street Car named Desire, (Logan’s “kindness of strangers” quote) and how often people act out of emotion – e.g., why does Ankwan put himself in jeopardy, and leap tall fences in a single bound, to help his ex?  He’s amazing.  What’s in for him?  Here are other examples of the quality of mercy:

 

  • Veronica is angry with Duncan, as her first words to Duncan, and the episode’s title, suggest.  But upon learning that pregnant, comatose Meg has finally awakened, she puts aside her anger (for now, at least) in favor of helping Duncan find a way to visit Meg.  It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but how can she do anything else?  (VERONICA, to Duncan:  “I know.  I’m amazing.”)
  • At the hospital, we see that Meg has forgiven both Duncan and Veronica for their relationship.  Maybe she still minds, a little.  But she must move past her upset, for her child’s sake.  She asks for Veronica’s forgiveness for her own, past behavior, and she asks for a favor.  Veronica says yes.  Look at the circumstances.  It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but how can Veronica say no?
  • Taking a fatherly, Daddy Warbucks attitude toward the needy Orphan-Logannie, Keith has apparently forgiven the youngest Echolls for his less-than-perfect boyfriend behavior with Veronica.  In resolving the “stolen tapes” case, he extends a great deal of compassion to both Logan, and Leo.   Look at their circumstances.  How could he do anything else?
  • Wallace!!  Yay!! He has obviously forgiven Veronica for past hurts and slights.  He knows everything Veronica has been through; he knows Veronica.  He loves Veronica.  He might still mind, a little.  But he greets her with open arms, and she throws herself into them.

 

There are references to holiday spirit, and Dick expounds on his teenage-boy idea of what the holidays should be about.  But in reality, Christmas is about the power of love, the ultimate gift of love, and we see love, in the examples above.  We note in particular that Logan loved Lilly, and that Leo loves his little sis, Tina.   Logan speaks of his love for Lilly, and Leo’s last name – D’Amato – is a reference to love (“amato” meaning “loved one” or “beloved,” in Italian).  Right or wrong, it’s made clear to us that their actions are not for personal gain, but are done out of love. Despite appearances, Leo didn’t steal the tapes to become a millionaire; Logan didn’t buy the tapes in order to destroy evidence against his father.

 

There are many references to appearances, as Don Lamb keeps himself looking good (wow!), our jock-juror seems to notice Veronica looks good, and the jury decides that from a distance Carnell looks like Ankwan, etc.  The heavy emphasis on understanding a person’s motive, and looking below the surface, seems to be pointing us in the same direction when it comes to this season’s mysteries:  Look past the appearances – think about who has the motive, and match that up with your evidence.

 

In her voiceovers, Veronica sarcastically refers to the holiday season:

 

VERONICA (as the jury first files in):  “Jury duty on Christmas break.  No sing-a-longs, no poignant messages of universal love and hope.”

 

VERONICA (as she and Keith watch the Times Square broadcast):  “New Year’s Eve.  Someone just needs to change the name to “Same Old Year’s Eve.”  Because that ‘New?’  Implying all that hope and promise?  It’s not fooling anyone.”

 

But Veronica’s cynicism disguises the very real message of love and hope and promise that permeates the ep, and that, in fact, lives inside Veronica’s marshmallow of a heart.  Note the many, many images of hope, opportunity, and second chances:

 

  • The videotape has been degaussed.  It’s a blank slate; it’s as good as new.
  • It’s a new Christmas, so Keith & Veronica don’t have to abide by the rules of Christmas-past, about when to open gifts.  They can make their own, new rules, for Christmas-present. (Note the reference to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a classic story of hope and the transforming power of love, when Veronica says “God bless us every one.”)
  • Anissa calls Ankwan to get rid of the gun, because she’s worried about blowing the second chance she’s been given, with her parole.
  • The computer may look the same, but it isn’t:  VERONICA:  “Isn’t that same computer you got me two years ago?”  KEITH:  On the outside yes.  But this old beast has a new heart, pulsing inside her.”
  • The alpha-male juror points out that the frat boys will surely get a second chance, on appeal.
  • Hearst College might take a chance on Veronica, and give her an opportunity she otherwise couldn’t afford.
  • Listen to the message about hope and new beginnings in the song that plays as Logan watches the pricey video he’s purchased: 

 

Edge of the Ocean

(Ivy)

 

There's a place I dream about
Where the sun never goes out.
And the sky is deep and blue.
Won't you take me there with you.

Ohhh, we can begin again.
Shed our skin, let the sun shine in.
At the edge of the ocean
We can start over again.

There's a world I've always known
Somewhere far away from home.
When I close my eyes I see
All the space and mystery.

Ohhh, we can begin again.
Shed our skin, let the sun shine in.
At the edge of the ocean
We can start over again.

 

  • Wallace is giving Veronica a second chance, and it’s a brand New Year.  VERONICA (voiceover):  “OK.  I’m a sucker.  I’ll give this New Year thing one last chance.”

 

Sheriff Lamb may look good while doing his duty, but we learn from Leo that he’s not the world’s most competent lawman.  What do we see, when we look in the mirror, and when we look at others? It’s important to look past the surface.  Some things, like the ball that drops on Times Square, are the same, year after year.  But some things change with time.  There are many references to old vs. new, to past histories and new horizons, to constancy and change, and we see that both have value, and that the new is built upon the effort (and sometimes the grave) of the old. 

 

Look closely at that old surface; there may be something new inside.  Yep.  And that brings us to the most notable and poignant example of renewal, of the reason why we’re all suckers.  Here’s the heartbreaking yet hopeful image that explains why, this January 1st, despite the painful beatings and bruises I have accumulated in 2005, I will be giving 2006 a chance:  A young woman’s heart stops, due to a blood clot.  But she had a new heart, pulsing inside her.  And in the twilight of the very last day of the old year, in the wake of her mother’s last breath, a tiny girl takes her first breath. 

 

Life is unstoppable and ever-optimistic; even in the harshest environment, if there is the slightest traction, it will find a way to take hold.  And I’m a sucker for it.  Every time, I fall, like that shiny ball, for the promise of a new year.

 

What can we expect, in the New Year, for Veronica and company?  I don’t know, but I’ll take a shot:

 

  • By the end of the season, Veronica will be in line to go to pricey Hearst College, right there in Neptune.  We’ve already been set up to understand that it’s a prestigious institution, so we will also find it believable, if the 09ers attend as well.  The non-09ers, like Veronica, Mac, Wallace or Weevil, can receive scholarships and other aid.   This will allow the show to move on to Season 3 (UPN willing!) while still retaining the core characters.

 

  • Veronica will do her best to honor her promise to Meg, about the child.  It is interesting that Meg turned to Veronica, rather than Duncan, to try to assure her child’s future.  Again, we get the message that Duncan is somehow . . . bottled up, and unable to be effective.  He looks good, but he locks himself out pretty often.

 

  • Speaking of Duncan, I think we’ll see Veronica deal with her anger and hurt regarding Meg, and Duncan’s large lie of omission, at a later date.  She understood the urgency of the situation that Duncan and Meg faced, and she put her own feelings aside.  It was a recurring theme in the episode – an urgent situation took precedence, and the person involved took an action he or she might not otherwise have chosen.

 

WOODY:  “I’m sorry about that voice mail.  I’m sure I sounded pretty crazed.”

KEITH:  “I did detect a certain urgency.”

 

  • Leo - I hope we see Leo again.  I like him more than ever.  Watch the look on Keith’s face at the end of this exchange:

 

KEITH:  “How did you manage to buy those tapes for a tenth of their market price?”

LOGAN:  “Why, sir – I’ve always depended upon the kindness of strangers.”

KEITH:  “Kindness, at the Sheriff’s dept?  I seriously doubt it.”

 

As soon as those words are out of his mouth, Keith knows it was Leo.

 

  • Veronica is back to outsider status with the 09ers due to her role in convicting the frat boys, but she should find herself reinstated with Weevil and the gang.  Maybe she will team up with Weevil, Logan, and whomever else Weevil trusts in the gang (I’m thinking Thumper) in trying to get to the bottom of Felix’s murder, and possibly the bus crash.  Leo, with his insider info from his stint in the Sheriff’s Office, could also be of help.  That could add some interesting tension to the goings on.

 

  • This season has been examining social status, class warfare, and related tensions.  This episode is certainly no exception.  Surely, the season’s mysteries will relate, somehow, to this overarching theme.  That brings me back to Woody, the guy who wants to turn Neptune into a West Coast Palm Beach.  I still suspect that he, and his ambitions, are related to the crash and possibly, Felix’s death.

 

Once again, the episode rocks when it comes to the writing and the realization on screen.  How wonderful are Enrico and Jason in all their scenes, particular the one in which Keith finds that Logan has been crying?  Though it’s never made explicit, and both might protest if asked to confirm it directly, Keith’s fatherly feeling for the unfortunate Logan, and Logan’s respect and appreciation for “Mr. Mars” are palpable.  And how great is Kristen, as Veronica deals with that jury, especially that wonderfully condescending, alpha-male juror? The smaller players again impress me – Sachs, Inga, Thumper, and especially Leo and the female, Hispanic juror who says, “No problem, big shot.  I am the one trashing your quarterly earnings.”  Bravissimo, Rob Thomas & Company, and best wishes to all of you, this holiday season.

 

And that’s all I got.  So, happy holidays, VM fans – whatever your circumstances, whatever your beliefs, whatever your challenges, I hope you’ll give that New Year thing one last chance. 

 

See you next year. 

 

***

 

 


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