OPEN
CASE: VERONICA MARS
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"Leave it to Beaver": The All-American Family
Season
1, episode 22 (season finale)
First
aired: May 10, 2005
by
Sue
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Preface: Self-Indulgent Ruminations on Reviewing (feel free to jump ahead)
I
might have an easier time writing these reviews if I had a clear idea in my
mind of what said "review" is supposed to actually look like. (Wait, I'm asking this now, 22
episodes in???)
I
generally try to avoid a direct recap of the episode, assuming that most
readers have already watched the episode.
I'm hesitant to declare the episode "good" or "bad"
(there haven't been any of those anyway) because I don't believe that my
personal opinion necessarily trumps yours.
Movie
and book reviewers have an advantage in that they see the product ahead of the
rest of the public so it's fairly safe to foist their reactions off on viewers
who have yet to see the product. This,
in turn, may influence enough attitudes so as to pre-determine public reaction
to some extent.
However,
with television you have the advantage
of not only having seen the episode already, but, by now, having discussed it
in detail and formed some pretty firm opinions. Of course, that is partly my own fault for taking so long to
write the darn thing.
So,
exactly what is the purpose of my review? I can only hope to bring another point of view to the discussion;
possibly point out some recurring themes; delve just a bit deeper into some of
the symbolism (which is truly where Spring excels); or perhaps speculate on
future developments. Well, on with the
show...
The
Cleavers don't live in Neptune. Or, if
they did we'd discover that June is addicted to alcohol, drugs, shopping or
sex. Ward is likely a narcissistic,
sadistic, abusive, controlling SOB.
Wally, the "good" son, may suffer from some rare, non-lethal,
but socially uncomfortable affliction (physical, psychological or emotional)
for which he may or may not be taking medication. If he has a girlfriend she probably sleeps around, plays mind
games, blackmails people, was raised by wolves or merely spits in other
people's drinks. And the Beav---well,
there's really no telling what scrape the little scamp is going to get sucked
into next. Who knows, maybe he's not
even Wally's biological brother!
No,
the Cleavers don't live in Neptune. Leave
it to Beaver was a fifties sit-com about the quintessential American family
during the "Golden Age" of American families. There are no Norman Rockwell families in
Neptune. At least none that we know of. And yet, I'm not so sure that Neptune is
devoid of "All-American" families.
Neptune is populated by single parents, widowed or separated; blended
families; rich, and poor of varying ethnicities. Parents with problems, parent's who can't cope, parents who only
want the best for their children---and sometimes step over the line in securing
it. Abusive parents, alcoholic parents,
responsible parents, driven parents, loving parents, manipulative parents,
parents willing to die for---or just possibly kill for---their children. And the children run just as wide a
gamut. Sounds pretty All-American to
me.
At
least Rob Thomas didn't title the episode Father Knows Best. That really would have been taking the irony
just a tad too far. And besides, then
he would have missed out on the clever double play on Cassidy's real name.
Keith
Mars: "If there is a chance to
keep my family together I have to take it."
Mom
Lianne is an alcoholic and a thief.
Supposedly she left town to protect Veronica after receiving pictures
with her daughter clearly targeted, but that didn't stop her from returning and
secretly trysting with Jake. She's
wasted Veronica's college fund and stolen Keith's $50,000 reward money. Fortunately, by the end of the season
Veronica has had her eyes opened, "I bet on you and I lost. I've been doing that my whole life. And I'm through."
Keith
and Veronica really must be viewed as a unit.
They are the best example of a loving family on the show. They love one another unconditionally. Keith is willing to risk his life, and
endure the agony of being set on fire to rescue Veronica. In his mind life would not be worth living
without Veronica. Previously, my
favorite scene of the entire season was the Veronica/Logan first kiss on the
balcony. But the raw emotion of the
scene where Keith assures Veronica that she is his biological daughter was just
breath taking. Veronica thought she had
convinced herself that it didn't matter.
In fact, she signed away any claim on the Kanes without a second's
thought, but it clearly did matter: her
joy, relief and boundless love for Keith was palpable and heart-stopping.
So
the Mars family is now a two-person unit.
Lianne is irrelevant.
Personally, I hope she's out of the picture for good. Keith and Veronica not only love each other
deeply, but their relational dynamic is also wonderful. While Keith is reasonably protective of
Veronica he recognizes that she is more adult than teenager. She not only loves him she respects him,
trusts him, and wants him to be happy.
Maybe next season we'll be treated to process of blending the Mars and
Fennell families. I don't think anything will ever shake or rattle the bond
between Keith and Veronica, but it would be nice to see Alicia and Wallace (to
say nothing of Darrell, the invisible little brother) as part of the dynamic.
Okay,
so Celeste didn't physically kill Lilly.
But had Lilly lived Celeste would eventually have killed any chance of
having a loving relationship with her daughter. And, to be honest, as obsessive as she is about Duncan, she's not
doing a much better job there. Celeste
is cold, controlling, consumed by "appearances", and pragmatic to a
fault. When she and Jake discover
Lilly's brutalized lifeless body next to the pool, held by a son in a trauma
induced epileptic episode Jake is beside himself with grief--for both of his
children. Celeste however barely spares Lilly a glance before she begins
masterminding the cover-up. Oh, Jake
went along for the sake of Duncan's future, but IMO it was Celeste who was
behind the entire thing. She didn't
even care to mourn or remember the real Lilly, she wanted the Kodak-moment
version. When Jake finally succumbs to
Duncan's request to know the truth, Celeste is clearly more concerned about
Keith Mars' lawsuit than either her husband's or son's emotional trauma.
Jake,
on the other hand, is devastated by Lilly's death in and of itself, as well as
Duncan's apparent involvement in it. If
he seems unnecessarily abrupt in telling Duncan, "You killed your
sister" it is because this has been weighing on him for months and he
literally cannot contain the information for one more moment. He has to let it out, share the pain. Obviously Celeste does not support him emotionally. One can see why he might turn to Lianne for
comfort.
Duncan
loved Lilly. In the scene where he and
Veronica are watching the incriminating videotapes Duncan never once looks at
the television screen. It is just too
painful for him. Only Veronica's sudden
exclamation draws his eyes to what is being shown.
And
what can be said about Lilly? What sort
of girl has sex with a man thirty years her senior -- her boyfriend's father
-- then brags about it to her best friend?
Can you imagine Veronica's reaction if Lilly had actually shared her
"good" secret? We already
knew Lilly had a wild, rebellious streak, but we had no idea how out of control
she really was. It's clear she was just
using Aaron every bit as much as he was using her. And she gave no thought whatsoever to what her actions would do
to Logan.
The
Kanes are less a family than merely three people who share the same house. Celeste and Jake certainly seem tremendously
concerned with Duncan's future. I liked
the Jake we saw in Return of the Kane, where he tells Duncan, "Your
happiness is all I've ever wanted."
Possibly we will see more of this dynamic next season, now that the air
has been cleared between them. As for
Celeste, while she has not physically left her family, as did both Lynn and
Lianne, she is completely isolated emotionally from both Duncan and Jake.
I
believe Lynn Echolls loved her son; but not enough to protect him from his
father. We don't know if Aaron abused
Lynn physically, but it was clear she had been abused psychologically and
emotionally for many years. Probably the
only reason she stayed as long as she did was that Aaron was off filming many
months out of each year. It's clear
that she brought at least some stability and love into Logan's life as a child
or he would be even more damaged than he is.
Logan is very much his mother's son.
Abused children often grow up to repeat the patterns of their
parents. Aaron himself is a case in
point. Logan's interactions with women
(Trina, Lilly and Veronica) clearly indicate that he is protective of women,
but we have also seen his violent tendencies.
Logan
clearly returned his mother's love and even has a soft spot for his stepsister,
Trina. Part of it may simply be
survivor mentality. Logan is remarkably
supportive of his girl friends, even when they let him down. Maybe he expects it---the let down. Quite likely Logan is not at all sure he
deserves to be loved. He's willing to
take all of his cues from Veronica and rather than confront her. When rejected or disappointed he withdraws
into himself, or worse, into alcohol and/or drugs. It's unclear whether he is actively suicidal on the bridge or
just past caring what happens to him.
"Adversity is the diamond dust with which heaven polishes its
jewels." Indeed Logan has been
beset by adversity, but I'd say the references to heaven polishing him as a
jewel are clearly ironic.
And
finally, to Aaron. What can be said
about Aaron, except that he is beyond insane?
I wouldn't be at all surprised if that is his defense. Aaron Echolls is a construct---an
image. Or, he was. Aaron's primary identity was: "Aaron Echolls, Leading Man." We saw clearly in previous episodes that for
Aaron it was all about image and reputation.
There were no lack of suspects through the first 21 episodes, but there
was never any clear motive strong enough for murder. Even those of us who disliked Celeste intensely know that being
overwhelmingly irritated by one's teenage daughter is not really enough motive
for a vicious murder. All of the
misdirection associated with the Abel Koontz and the Kane cover-up; all of the
confusion over the time of death---none of that mattered. Aaron wasn't even on the radar as a suspect
so he had no need of an alibi. Right up
until ATTTD. As soon as the videotaping
equipment appeared on the scene the motive became clear. Blackmail.
Lilly had something on tape and that was why she was murdered. At that point we only awaited the final
confirmation that Lilly's "victim" was Aaron Echolls. At the time of Lilly's betrayal Aaron still
had everything to lose: his wife and
family, but more importantly his reputation, his image, his career and his
status. He was a violent, abusive man
and "not gonna let a 17 year old piece of ass ruin my life."
The
Echolls family? There is no family
left. Lynn is gone, presumably
dead. Aaron will be in jail for life,
or worse. Who knows whether Trina will
return or get as far away from the train wreck as possible.
The
season ends with Logan pretty much in the position Veronica was in at the
beginning: alone, friendless, betrayed,
hurt, confused. But Veronica always had
Keith. Logan's only anchor was his
fledgling relationship with Veronica and that has been yanked away as well. She has shown her distrust not once, but
twice, and he is unlikely to take another chance anytime soon. On top of that will come the knowledge of
even great betrayal by Lilly, and by Aaron.
Personally
I found the resolution of Lilly's Murder to be quite satisfying. The clues about Aaron's violent temper and
ill-controlled rage had been clearly visible throughout the series. As well, Lilly's lust for excitement, and
men, was also well documented. Of
course the explicit motive, the videotapes, was not revealed until almost the
last minute, but it fit right in with Aaron's overweening narcissism and
profligate womanizing. Why wasn't Aaron
a suspect early on? Because our minds
didn't want to go there. There was no
obvious connection between Lilly and Aaron and neither the Neptune police nor
even Keith Mars ever seemed to have considered him.
And
the adrenaline rush of that last 20 minutes!
Yowza!
Rob
Thomas did not let us down. He
delivered right up to the end on the promise of the early episodes. And just how much did he love setting Aaron
up as a truly evil villain, almost allowing him to escape and then hitting him
broadside with that great big truck-o-fate with "Thomas"
emblazoned on the side? As Joss is god
in the Jossverse, Rob has clearly declared himself sovereign of the
Marsverse.
In
my review of episode four I stated that Veronica Mars had the potential
to be great television stating:
"Great
TV results when a show is able to connect with the viewers on a number of
levels. First, there must be an engaging plot, which plays out in an
attention-holding manner and concludes with a satisfying resolution. Second, you must have empathetic characters.
People whose lives and personalities draw you in, make you want to know them
better and feel invested in their happiness." I'd say Veronica Mars has been wildly successful on both
counts and can only hope that its second season will live up to the incredibly
high standard set in season one. I weep
over ratings which show ten times as many viewers tune in to Desperate
Housewives as watch Veronica Mars.
Viewers have no idea what they are missing!
Where
do we go from here?
I didn't find the ending to be all that much of a cliffhanger. At least not the "who's on the porch" question. Personally, I'd place a firm bet on Wallace. I know others have hoped that it might be Logan; and speculated that it could be Duncan or Weevil. That I know of nobody has mentioned Deputy Leo. Who, by the way, is a weasel in my book for avenging himself on Logan by telling him that it was Veronica who accused him. (Since is mostly likely was Keith anyway.) My money, however, is Wallace.
The real cliffhanger, of course, is what has/will become of Logan? Has he jumped, been done in by Weevil or has Weevil somehow changed his mind and come to Logan's rescue? Many of my questions and speculations concerning next season revolve around Logan, but I see a wealth of material in all of the primary characters. I'll indulge in a few speculations, but I'm pretty sure Rob Thomas will come up with something far beyond my wildest imaginings.
Logan: I'm going to take a wild guess that he survives the bridge
incident; but can't even imagine what state he will be in next season. If he is being polished by adversity, then
he must be quite blindingly smooth by now.
With Lynn dead and Aaron in jail Logan is essentially an orphan. He could probably sue for emancipation but
would he want to stay in Neptune, let alone in that big empty house where his
father and girlfriend betrayed him?
Trina is clearly unsuitable as a parental substitute, but she could
hardly be worse than Lynn or Aaron.
Besides, he will turn 18 in February (or thereabouts). I can't imagine why he would even choose to
continue to live in Neptune. But where
else would he go? Of course, his best
friend Duncan is in Neptune.
Oh,
and, what IS the story behind his necklace?
Duncan: Duncan might even want to invite Logan to come live with
him--he's a pretty loyal friend. But
imagine the complications: First and foremost
is (like it or not) the possible Duncan/Veronica/Logan romantic triangle. But Celeste would never want Logan in her
house let alone associating with Duncan.
Both Celeste and Jake have made numerous remarks about Duncan's future. And are we done with issues surrounding
Duncan's medical condition and medication?
I'm already wondering what Rob Thomas has planned for season 3 when all
these kids will supposedly leave Neptune and head off to college(s). Or is there a UC-Neptune?
Jake, whose last words were I
will destroy your (Aaron's) family and anyone you ever loved. I'm pretty sure that wasn't an empty
threat. Look at the treatment Keith got
for simply daring to question Abel Koontz' false confession. Logan dated Lilly, probably slept with her
himself, undoubtedly brought her within Aaron's sphere of influence, and might
(however erroneously) be viewed as someone whom Aaron loved. Jake would definitely feel it was only fair
to trade a daughter for a son. I, for
one, clearly heard Jake's threats as foreshadowing future plot
developments. Although it's pretty hard
to imagine how he could make Logan's life any more miserable than it already
it. And who will Duncan side with?
Lianne: Personally I have no desire to see Lianne again in the
future.
Lynn: Are we sure she's dead?
Clarence
Weidman: He's too good a character to simply give up;
plus he and Keith have a definite "anti-chemistry" thing going on.
Keith: I'm hoping for much more of his relationship with Alicia and, of
course, whatever Veronica becomes involved with Keith will be right there with
her.
Alicia: Hoping that she is fleshed out beyond just being "Wallace's
mom" and "Keith's girlfriend."
I loved that Alicia made it clear to Keith that Veronica had called
her. And she was pretty spunky with
Clarence as well.
Wallace: More of the stepsibling faux snark with Veronica please. I'd also love to see Wallace get involved in
his own mystery and "use" Veronica for a change.
Trina: Yes, please bring her back-- a lot. Really, Logan needs to have some family around.
Weevil: Oh, we so need more Weevil.
He was the most underused main character this season and several points
were left hanging with regard to Weevil.
Tons of unexplored territory here.
As I've said in other venues, Weevil has made several remarks about
"rich white boys" and not fitting in. Except for the fact that suspect parentage is perhaps now
overworked as a plot point I still wonder about who is Weevil's daddy? Although, I really could see evil genius RT
affirming that Jake is not Veronica's father just to turn around and
reveal that he is Weevil's Daddy. And
then there is the mystery of Weevil's relationship with Lilly---that's still
pretty murky. I find it unlikely that
she was cheating on Logan with both Aaron and Weevil. I'm also unconvinced that if he were being used as a hidden lover
that Weevil would really have Lilly's name tattooed on himself. And what was in the missing message from
the secret pen?
All
those delicious tertiary characters: Deputy
Leo, Sheriff Lamb, Olga, Principal Clemmons, Meg, Mac, Backup, and sleazy
lawyer Cliff McCormack.
As
for Veronica I have no idea where to start with Veronica. I do believe that the show will continue to
be all about Veronica, with all other characters in orbit around
her. But I really have no clue as to what
she will be embroiled in next year.
Regarding
the on again, off again relationship of Veronica and Logan I think there
is a lot of plot still to mine there.
We all know Logan feels horribly betrayed by Veronica, but there are two
things he doesn't know. It was Keith
who felt the new evidence should be turned over to the police and I believe
Keith was the one who actually delivered it.
Leo's dig at Logan was pure payback, but hurt Logan far more than he
would ever have guessed. Also, Logan is
unaware that Veronica really did believe enough in him to follow up on his
claim about the letter to Lilly exonerating him. She wanted to find evidence to clear him and she
immediately went to hunt for it. And
none too soon. Aaron was already in
Lilly's room unscrewing the vent cover when Veronica went in and discovered the
tapes. If not for Logan's story about
the letter and Veronica's immediate follow-up, Aaron would have gotten away
with the murder. But yes, there are
Logan's self-esteem issues, both of their trust issues, and of course: Duncan.
*********************
It
has been an exceptional pleasure sharing this wild ride with you all. Here's hoping that more viewers discover
there quality viewing of Veronica Mars and that the summer passes
quickly.
Special
thanks to all of my fellow S'cubies at the Soulful Spike Society for their
support, wonderful feedback, penetrating insights, and supreme patience,
especially my fellow reviewer, Spring.
And blessings on Patti: may she
be enjoying warmth, peace and good company.
Please join in the discussion of this review at the Soulful Spike Society Message Board. Go there NOW!