OPEN CASE: VERONICA MARS
Season 1 - Episode 9
DRINKING THE KOOLAID: Water
levels
by Spring
Summers – 01-Dec-2004
In the opening scene, Veronica determines
the identity of her
mystery surveillance photographer by
figuring out his angle, and sitting in his chair. She discovers that the photographer is employed by none other
than Jake Kane. She decides that if
multi-millionaire Jake is her dad, then, by God, she is going to cash in. It’s the least that is owed to her.
And this episode
is all about that very thing: The need
to look below the surface (again with the “things aren’t as they seem” theme) in
order to understand others. Once you
know their angles, once you’ve sat in their chairs, you can make wise decisions
about whether to let people into your life, into your self - or whether to
protect yourself with Veronica-like walls of cynicism and suspicion, or with
Gantt-family-like walls of cash.
The episode is also
about the related concept of understanding your own angle – recognizing your
own true needs, and about setting your priorities accordingly. On
one end of the spectrum, there’s water – at first glance it seems the most
unremarkable and common substance in the world. It’s available for free all over the planet. In many places, it’s liberally given
away. But despite its low cash value,
it is also one of the most vital substances on our Earth. Note all the
references to water: the waterbed,
showering with cold water, Keith posing as a waterman, and Moon-Calf leader
Josh mentioning water to Veronica.
Blood may be thicker, but water is a more basic need.
On the other end of the spectrum there’s
that Porsche, and all the
costly desires that represents. There
are many references to money and value in the episode – that $10 water bed, the
need for $5,000, Jake’s fortune, and Grandma’s fortune. But in the end, the luxury items are all
fool’s gold. Money can’t buy happiness,
and a focus on cash only isolates you, and denies you love. Grasping for money will, for example, alienate
you from your own mother - who’ll leave her money not to you, but to the
grandson in whom she sees a glimmer of hope.
Love – another very basic need.
As water is to our physical lives, love is to our emotional lives. Love is the bottom-line essential nourishment
for our hearts; it’s the thing without which we dry up and are scattered like
dust.
When it comes to
the runaway Rain (and note the watery self-name), Veronica and Keith understand
that she’s better off at The Collective, where she can experience love and the
associated stability. Various images
of isolation and alienation (most notably, Veronica trying to find a group of
four) hammer this theme: We need each
other – we need love and acceptance. When
we don’t have it at home – when we experience, maybe, too many collisions at
home plate – we seek to meet that need elsewhere. We become vulnerable to those who might offer us Kool-Aid made
with more than just pure water. We
might not all be as lucky as Rain seems to be, in her choice of
companions.
Acceptance (love-bombing, I think they call it) is a very effective tool for
cults. Offer a parched desert dweller
an oasis, and it’ll work every time. As
we contrast the family relationships and friendships on display in this
episode, we also take a look at the components of love: trust, teamwork, honesty, caring,
thoughtfulness, forgiveness, patience, understanding and integrity.
Love. It’s available for
free, all over the planet. In many places,
it’s liberally given away. But despite
its low cash value, it is also one of the most vital substances on our
Earth. And Veronica, as she shreds her
blood test results at the end of the episode, has understood just that. She’s no longer worrying about being an
heiress. Love is Thicker than Water, said the banner above Jake and Lianne’s
yearbook prom picture (in a previous episode).
In that phrase, the word “Love” is substituted for the word “Blood.” Veronica, by shredding the manila envelope
and its contents, has concurred with the sentiment inherent in that word-swap. It doesn’t matter if Keith is not blood. He loves her, and she loves him, and Love is
indeed a more than adequate substitute for Blood.
And about that shredding:
It worked beautifully as an ending gesture, perfectly playing out the episode’s
message that love is the vital component in our lives. But it didn’t work so well otherwise. I can buy that Veronica may not be desperate
to know if Keith is her biological father, but surely she’d be chomping at the
bit to know whether or not Duncan may be her brother – no? Unless the shredding is deliberately meant
to indicate that Veronica is truly over Duncan? That it simply isn’t that important to her anymore, whether
Duncan may be related, because she views that relationship as over for good?
Whatever the truth is here, it made me happy to see the love between
Keith and Veronica, and between Wallace and Veronica. Hmmmmm. Maybe I can
believe that, in the face of all that cool clear water, even a high school
flame might be dampened down to size.
***
Please join in the discussion of this review at the Soulful Spike Society Message Board. Go there NOW!
If you enjoyed this review and are reading it from outside the Soulful Spike Society website (www.soulfulspike.com), then click the logo below to access the S3 in a new window. There you will find more great reviews, analyses, fanfiction and a link to our marvelous message board.
