VM 2x18

[alixtii]

Ari? You win. That was the Veronica/Keith episode of DOOM, beginning with the way he barged into her bedroom and made himself at home and continuing through the entire damn episode.

Otherwise? I'm unsatisfied. I didn't really feel the episode worked as a single unit. The way it moved the season's arc together was important, I suppose. But I'm still not sure quite what happened in this ep, or why I should care.

The T-shirts just were weird, although I liked Meg's.

Veronica's mention of Hannah didn't even make sense.

Veronica doesn't use spoiler warnings. Tsktsk, Veronica.

Still no answer as to the arc that really matters, aka Cassidy's breaking up with Mac. Just more about that silly bus crash plot thing.

Comments

[wisdomeagle]

WINZ YAY!

THERE WAS KISSING AND HUGGING AND HE FOUND HER IN THE CLOSET.

Otherwise? I'm unsatisfied. I didn't really feel the episode worked as a single unit. The way it moved the season's arc together was important, I suppose. But I'm still not sure quite what happened.

Yeah. When Rob Thomas's name showed up I went, "bzuh, what? Where was the climax?" Very much a filler ep (though nice, as I completely had) no memory of any of the victims' names other than Meg)

Veronica doesn't use spoiler warnings. Tsktsk, Veronica.

I know! For sad!

Your icon is adorable. :)

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? The first icon I ever took from an icon post, making sure to credit, comment, and all that, of course. Required a little juggling to have my six include everything I'd need, but now I have a VM icon! With Mac!

And I love Keith because he's such the fantasy Dad because he lets her get away with everything. He just takes it for granted that breaking into her principal's closet and hiding in the closet is the sort of thing she does, and that she wouldn't do it if she didn't have a good reason.

[wisdomeagle]

Re: Keith - I do love that, but tend to look at it on the flipside - Keith is really not a great father. An awesome dad, yes, and he makes Veronica very happy and they love each other a great deal, but I think he is too lax with her and he knows it. There's this constant tension between a. Keith letting V do her thing and being very proud of her because she's Just Like Him (and because she's smart and funny and sassy) and b. Keith realizing V is growing up too fast and trying to slow her down (like having her get the barista job at the beginning of the season.) And I love that tension so much.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

I've thought this more, and the more I do the more I think a simple "agreed" isn't enough. I do agree that Keith isn't a very good father by realistic standards, and that the tension you describe exists in his character. But still, we're pretty strongly entrenched in Veronica's POV, so we know that she can be trusted to do the right thing (although she does take some stupid risks) and so Keith is doing the right thing in letting her run wild. And this is part and parcel of the adolescent fantasy the show is selling (and for which I love it so much): the conviction that, if the adults would only get out of the way and stop treating one like a child, one could do a better job than they do. Only with Veronica, it is the truth.

Keith's rôle as a parent is then the rôle of a parent in any work which is closely allied to the will to power--I'm thinking of Heinlein's novels in particular, but I know you haven't read the ones of which I am thinking--to get out of the child's way and let them grow up. I'll probably be a terrible father one day because I've internalized this lesson to a great degree, and also because I see my own childhood through this lense: I never really did anything wrong (mostly as a result of having no social life or friends with which to do "wrong" things) and so there were very few rules set for me.

Anyway, parents in Neptune or at least as absent and/or evil as the parents in Sunnydale as a direct result of this will-to-power dynamic. Look at the Kanes, the Echolls, the Casablancases, Jackie's absent mother, etc. (And whatever happened to Alicia?) Duncan and Logan flourish once they are cut off from their parents. Keith has to give Veronica free reign so she can go out at night and slay vampires solve mysteries.

I think part of the issue is that Keith recognizes this, but so desperately needs Veronica (which I think is a major source of their subtexty behavior). Like Giles post-season 3, he's not completely ready yet to recognize her for the competent mini-adult which, due to the magic of storytelling, she's been since the beginning of season 1 (since Lilly's death, even?). Of course, I'm beginning to adore that about him--the need/desire is just so strong, it's wonderful.

[wisdomeagle]

I've thought this more, and the more I do the more I think a simple "agreed" isn't enough.

Oh good!

we know that she can be trusted to do the right thing (although she does take some stupid risks) and so Keith is doing the right thing in letting her run wild

Wellll... I don't know about this. And more to the point, I don't know that Keith would agree if he knew everything that V. was up to. Veronica does take stupid risks (and you know how I feel about Gryffindors!), but then again so does Keith. Veronica also falls very much into a Willow-S6 changing the world to her liking model, where consistant ethics are less important than her gut impulse. That's... kind of scary. And has been discussed elsewhere. "One Angry Veronica" earlier in the season really upset a lot of people for that reason.

Keith's rôle as a parent is (snip) to get out of the child's way and let them grow up.

Okay, can think of a couple of places where there's more than that. In last year's finale, where he had to bodily rescue her, and after the kidnapping, with "I love you, I will always love you, I'm totally straight for you but I will never trust you again." (Although I need to think more on that given that it HASN'T BEEN TRUE. grrr.)


More (much) later - I have to go to work now. :(

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

And more to the point, I don't know that Keith would agree if he knew everything that V. was up to.

Agreed. And that's why Veronica needs to be able to function as an adult, independently from Keith--because, true to the archetype, he wouldn't give her the necessary breathing room to save the day (becaause, on a realistic level, giving her the necessary breathing room to save the day is actually a sort of stupid thing to do).

Veronica does take stupid risks (and you know how I feel about Gryffindors!), but then again so does Keith.

But on some level, it's okay to take risks when you are The Hero. I think that's part of the fantasy the show is selling.

after the kidnapping, with "I love you, I will always love you, I'm totally straight for you but I will never trust you again." (Although I need to think more on that given that it HASN'T BEEN TRUE. grrr.)

Yeah, that was disappointing.