Should we be planning an intervention for our favorite Neptune couple? After two episodes that showed Veronica and Logan slowly drifting apart, it was fantastic (though awfully sad) to see the repercussions that being in college would have on their relationship. And this week it very nearly seemed as though Veronica and Logan (or for you 'shippers out there, LoVe) were going to just call the whole thing off. Do these two lovebirds belong together? Does Veronica have a thing for reforming bad boys?Speaking of Veronica's thing for bad boys, it was great to see Eli "Weevil" Navarro again as he's been so far conspicuously absent from the show's third season and it was fantastic to see him, anger management issues still intact, in last night's episode of Veronica Mars ("Witchita Linebacker"). I absolutely loved the fact that Veronica emotionally blackmailed Keith into hiring Weevil at Mars Investigations and even more so that the two seemed to click so well. Finally, Weevil actually succeeded at doing something (well, beyond running a rough crowd of PCH'ers, but we all saw how well that turned out) and he seemed to have a real knack for PI work... that is until he beat up a guy suspected of child abuse and lost Keith a job and the opportunity to rescue this kid.
While Weevil and Keith shared a really fun dynamic, I'm glad that the show's producers aren't stupid and quickly split the two of them up before this became a buddy-buddy PI series about two awfully mismatched partners. The show has always succeeded at keeping its characters at a considerable (emotional) distance from one another and this is no exception. Weevil and Keith, fun for one episode, but beyond that the entire setup could have reeked of sentimentality... much like Richard suddenly becoming a Yale guest lecture at Rory's university over on Gilmore Girls! (But that's an off-topic discussion for another time.)
Still, glad to see that Veronica Mars is expanding its Hearst College ensemble by bringing in Weevil as a maintenance worker at the school. (He is after all, gifted with mechanics, though did Veronica ever pay him that $2000 she promised for fixing up the Dean's car? And if so, where did she get the money from as she told the Dean she had it fixed for free.) Speaking of expanding the ensemble, was anyone else just loving Ed Begley Jr. in last night's episode? I thought he injected a manic enthusiasm to the role of Dean Cyrus O'Dell and delivered his lines with a pitch perfect snarl. So far removed from his recent turn as Stan Sitwell on the dearly departed and still oft-missed Arrested Development. Veronica needs a bit of an authority figure/nemesis and I do miss her very twisted relationship with Neptune High's Vice Principal.
I'm hoping that we'll see more of Dean O'Dell as Veronica continues to investigate the ongoing Hearst College rapist storyline, which has managed to trickle into just about every episode but never completely overtake what else is going on from week to week. It's a compelling and very adult mystery for Veronica to tackle and, obviously, a multi-layered one. The rapist is severely disturbed and the fact that he shaves the heads of his victims after raping them is even scarier. I still can't decide if it's the work of one person or several and so far there isn't even a major suspect other than Creepy Frat Boy from last season (and last week's ep). But something tells me things are going to get a lot more twisty and turny as the weeks progress. This is one mystery that's not getting resolved in a single episode.
I wasn't all that thrilled by this week's missing playbook mystery, in fact, but it was a means to an end and it put Veronica squarely in the path of Logan's destructive (or typically collegiate) behavior. I'm not quite sure why Logan's pulling away from Veronica the way he is but he obviously feels smothered and Veronica's distrust of him only intensifies things... especially when she uses a GPS chip she activated in his cell phone to find him or plants a tracker inside his car before he's meant to take off on a trip to Mexico. Glad to see though that both Logan and Veronica came to their senses before the end of the episode: Veronica wisely removed the tracker and Logan stopped by to visit Veronica at the library help desk rather than go to Mexico with Mercer (Ryan Devlin) and Dick. (Sweet.)
One noticeable flaw with last night's episode: no Mac! I dig that she and Parker (Julie Gonzalo) are hanging out together (although, Mac at the gym?) after Parker's attack, but was I alone in missing our favorite geek queen? Here's to hoping she reappears in time for next week's episode.
Next week on Veronica Mars ("Charlie Don't Surf"), Logan sits down for dinner with Veronica and Papa Keith and enlists Veronica's help when he realizes that his inheritance is suddenly running low... a mystery which leads them smack into Charlie Stone, played by Gilmore Girls' resident Logan, Matt Czuchry!
What's On Tonight
8 pm: Jericho (CBS); 30 Rock/Twenty Good Years (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC); Desire (MyNet)
9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); The Biggest Loser (NBC); One Tree Hill (CW); Lost (ABC); Fashion House (MyNet)
10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Dateline (NBC); The Nine (ABC)
What I'll Be Watching
8 pm: 30 Rock.
On tonight's episode ("The Aftermath"), Liz's new boss (ahem, Alec Baldwin) enforces some creative changes to The Girlie Show while the writers and cast must deal with the eccentric antics from the show's new star Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan).
8 pm: America's Next Top Model.
Okay, I'll admit it: I've gotten hooked on this cycle of ANTM. On tonight's episode ("The Girl Who Punk'd Ashton"), some of the contestants are at a loss for words when faced with a Janice Dickinson red carpet challenge and a photo shoot transforms the would-be models into celebrity couples. Something tells me the Tyra lesson of the week has to do with fame... Just a hunch.
9 pm: Lost.
Thank God it's Wednesday! On tonight's episode ("Further Instructions"), we learn the fate of Locke, Eko, and Desmond as we pick up the pieces after the explosion of The Swan, the monster is sighted, Desmond has no underpants, Hurley is forced to tell the others what happened to Jack, Kate, and Sawyer, and Locke must save Eko's life.
10 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.
It's finally here! The moment that all of us Runway fanatics have been waiting for as the final four contestants (that would be Michael, Uli, Laura, and Jeffrey) present their collections during Olympus Fashion Week in Bryant Park. Will Jeffrey be eligible after last week's stunning accusations (from Laura, natch) of cheating? Find out tonight!
11 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.
It's the second season premiere of Bravo's culinary competition Top Chef. On the premiere episode ("Into the Fire"), meet the contestants who will soon haunt your waking hours and new host Padma Lakshmi, who takes over for outbound automaton Katie Lee Joel (news that yours truly broke months ago). Also, catch some advance images here submitted back in July by a Top Chef fan and Televisionary reader.
Comments
I really missed Mac last night. No Mac, no Wallace. I like the idea that they are all sort of going their separate ways a bit, so it's not like the 90210 gang goes to college, but I miss our core.
Great to see Weevil - is it just me, or did he gain like 40 pounds? Maybe he took Miss Patty's weight...
Not my favorite ep, gotta say.
As far as show regulars not appearing in every episode? That's par for the course for this show. How many episodes was Duncan Kane (I forget the actor's name) listed in the main credits while failing to make an appearance?
Ally: you're spot on with the Weevil/Miss Patty reference.
I do miss Mac and Wallace but I'm really enjoying some of the new characters, like Piz. And I'm really looking forward to seeing Matt Czuchry is next week's episode. Should be fun!