colormeblue

If his textbook truly had Diana as a good example of BPD, that's TERRIBLE! As a psychologist, I can tell you that (at least in the US), we have rules against diagnosing someone without having examined them. It literally makes me sick to think a textbook would do that, especially since her sons are still around to be hurt by such a thing. I personally don't believe she had BPD. Did she have emotional problems? Yes, definitely, and for cause. But coming into the royal family at 19 as the wife of a cold, egocentric man-baby certainly didn't help. At first I thought the show was being a tad unfair to Charles because there's always blame to go around. However, after listening to a podcast about their relationship (their sources being Andrew Morton and Tina Brown's books about Diana and a semi-official authorized biography about Charles), I wondered if they weren't too easy on him. The royal family sounds pretty horrible, not because they're awful people but because they're clueless. They're so used to incredible privilege and entitlement that they're blind as to how they come across or how normal people act. Was Diana perfect? Absolutely not. But she was uneducated, naive, lonely, insecure, and given minimal help to figure things out. She also was young, so very, very young. She was only 36 when she died. The ending shot of the season was heartbreaking. Although I appreciated Philip (of all people!) offering her words of semi-support, it seemed like she realized for the first time that she was trapped in a loveless marriage within an emotionally-stunted family without even an ally to help her cope. I'm way older than she was at the time and even I cannot imagine the emotional desolation of such a situation.

If I'd thought for one moment that RT wasn't going to take this revival seriously, I wouldn't have watched. When I first discovered the show, I enjoyed it well enough but became crazy obsessed once LoVe appeared. I even attended the fan event with the cast in Austin which is where I first realized that neither RT nor KB truly understood their fanbase or what they had in the ship of LoVe. I suspected that they actually believed Duncan (!!) was Veronica's true love. I liked the movie and don't understand the disdain about satisfying fans. Aren't we what sustains shows, books, movies, and merchandising? If any show should understand that, it's Veronica Mars. No, writers shouldn't pander or make the stories stupid but, as is obvious by the backlash over Logan's death, the narrative has to be respectful of its characters. This wasn't. I love Logan for himself, even independent of LoVe, and he didn't deserve to be treated like this. So basically he endured abuse, trauma, and heartache, managed to make a success of his life both personally and professionally, only to be senselessly killed. No. But it wasn't just that. S4 took away the fun part of the original series with its little mysteries that let Veronica show her detective chops without all the angst. It also downgraded the LoVe relationship from something sparkling (they used to match each other quip for quip and have a meeting of the minds eventually) into something dull and depressing. I could've handled that had we seen them realistically attempt to work through their problems but all they did was have Veronica dismiss Logan's growth and him take it. That's not LoVe. They also took away the biting social commentary that was such an integral part of S1. The show consistently pointed out the downfalls of privilege, the injustice of class warfare, the foibles of human weakness even in those we love, but also the healing power of good relationships. I thought we'd be getting more of that but nope, all we got was a dull bomber plot with the pizza guy. There were plenty of angsty storylines they could've done. Wallace could've called Veronica into the HS for something and then wrestle with his conscience as an adult over her methods and/or the result. Logan could've needed her services with Navy buddies off-base and then have to live with the consequences of what she finds in his job. Or there could've been tension with him helping her but, because of his job, having to follow the rules in ways she doesn't. The Neptune police department could've still been corrupt in a less obvious way and have the Mars deal with that. There were plenty of rich stories they could've told but all RT and KB wanted to do was clear the way for a solo Veronica Mars, completely ignoring all that made the series great. It boggles the mind that they think having a Veronica who's emotionally stunted due to PTSD would be fun to watch. As a fan, I'm both furious and deeply disappointed at how they ruined a show I adored. Like so many others, I'm out.

I would've been incredibly disappointed with both Veronica and Leo if they'd had sex. Veronica has such a history with infidelity, from taking pictures of people doing it to it almost leading to unwanted siblings for her, that it would mean a lot for her to engage in such hurtful behavior. I totally understand that Logan's job strains their relationship and that she's floundering in the face of his growth but she knows he doesn't deserve that. Leo knows that too and is supposed to be a good guy. I was getting nervous about it and then...thank goodness for Maddie! While I don't mind adults partying, she's gotten truly drunk and high at least several times in a few weeks. For people in their 20s, OK, they're young and pushing boundaries. For people in their 30s, you may be bordering on having issues especially if you have a history of addiction in your family. Even Logan looked like he was more careful than she was when they were partying together. I worried for Logan this episode too. Getting a friend to break major rules for him and then going in uniform to question that kid was extremely reckless. Veronica didn't (again) give him nearly enough credit for how much he bent the rules for her. And, on a shallow note, JD was rocking that uniform. I enjoyed Hector laughing at the cartel guy for having the Mars get into his room. He thought it was a joke because he didn't realize the gravity of the situation for the Mars but Weevil does. I have no doubt he'll do the right thing even despite his fight with Veronica. And he was not wrong about her having all those good degrees and doing nothing with them. From his perspective, it is a waste. Oh and Big Dick is a Big Idiot. I can see where Little Dick got his brains.

This episode really highlighted the show's theme of privilege. Wallace's party just reeked with it and it bothered me not at all that Veronica was upset by it. I've been to those parties and it's excruciating to spend time in the company of people whose priorities are so different from your own. She's fighting for justice and they're worried about bathroom tiles. Kind of like the Mexican gangsters contemplating what a life of safety would look like while watching men streak down the road. Kind of like Weevil deciding to take a settlement for his family while Veronica & Keith can gamble that it all will work out. Veronica's lack of maturity was obvious here too. She was reckless with her physical safety (like just dumping a gun out of her purse and shooting while high) but she also demonstrated how little insight she has into her emotional situation. She thinks that just because people let you down gives you license to distrust, not communicate, and maintain emotional walls. I always wondered why she kept her sexual assault from Keith but, watching him hide his mental deterioration from her said volumes about the secrets the Mars family keeps (not to mention Leanne's alcoholism). She could talk with Wallace about his parties but avoids it. Watching him laugh at Maddie being Veronica-esque was nice. Wallace has always been a great friend to her whenever she let him which was rare. Logan clearly has grown and is willing to do anything for her but she shuts him out. It doesn't seem like she's talked to him about her feelings regarding his proposal other than to get upset that he didn't seem more upset. She teased him about his jealousy (spending 5 hours with an ex is something most people would struggle with, especially after a rejected marriage proposal) instead of reassuring him and then made fun of "Therapy Logan." She's rarely if ever given him credit for growth throughout their entire relationship and it makes me wonder just how long Therapy Logan is going to stand for that. Honestly, he deserves better. And then there's Weevil. These two should've talked out their disagreement long ago. Even now, Weevil had to come to her. I really hope they're going to show her at least deal with the bombs going off in her personal life as much as she's working on the bombs in her professional one.

I too am enjoying the cameos from past cast members but it's truly a shame that Veronica is, and has mostly been, surrounded by men. I'm really missing Mac. I'm sure Veronica would be a difficult friend to have and I wish the show would explore that more. All we got this episode was her lack of understanding of Weevil. She should've known better. I like the character beats though and appreciated Leo's attempt to interject some wisdom in her relationship tirade. Logan is impressing me with all his growth. His snark, his clear intelligence, and his ability to master his jealousy has been great. While I'm happy for the character, I have a sinking feeling that it doesn't mean anything good for his longevity. UO: The relationship between Keith and Veronica has always made me uncomfortable. When she was a teenager, they were waaaayyyy enmeshed and some of her troubles stemmed from his parental inadequacies. Similarly, she screwed him over when she was in college. I wonder how Logan feels since the Mars are such a unit and he's on the outside. Also, when Maddie came, there's no way they'd talk about the case with her close by for fear she'd do exactly what she did. Veronica at least should recall exactly how she was at that age.

I've always been a Logan lover, so I found his fight scene pretty awesome. Not only was it cool watching him take down these bigger guys but it also showed his growth. He didn't charge right in, he waited for them to come to him and he clearly got some new moves from the Navy. And I really loved how he handled the Mars duo when he got home. I also appreciated that he's angry, he's trying to deal with it and he knows Veronica isn't there. Him leaving her his therapist's number was kind of devastating.

Veronica Mars was my first entry into fandom, in part due to Veronica and Logan as a couple. They just clicked: 2 damaged kids who found love amid all the garbage. Yes, their relationship started off as toxic but it steadily improved, largely due to Logan. He wrestled with his personal demons in the first 2 seasons but his desire to be better, quick wit and huge capacity for love kept drawing her back in. For Veronica, he was someone who understands and loves her for who she is. They're like magnets. I want to see these 2 crazy kids work it out! But I'll admit, I'm worried about that this time around. I don't think Rob Thomas has known what to do with Logan since they stopped making him the villain.

They did it with Romanoff. From Loki's run-down of her sins (at least the ones he knew about) in The Avengers, she may have a lot more to atone for than Ward does. And, from what I understand (not being a comics person myself), the comics genre is all about redemption.

Another thing I find interesting about the Ward character is how much he has changed the show, at least for me. Prior to the Hydra reveal, I didn't care much about him at all. Sure, I thought he was good-looking in a bland kind of way but I didn't care about his relationships. He was sleeping with May? Meh. He has a spark with Simmons? Why not? He has a romantic-leaning relationship with Skye? Really? In short, I didn't care all that much and I felt that way about the other characters and the show itself to boot. At one point, we had a backlog of 5 episodes on our DVR because watching it wasn't a priority. I was about to erase it from our Record list when everything changed. Overnight, it went from "Why not watch it? We have nothing else to do" to "OMG! Agents of Shield is on tonight!" Sure, it became more exciting but, for me, the big shift was because of Ward. All of a sudden, things got personal. The relationships between the characters actually mattered. Was he a triple agent? Did he really care about anyone on the team? Why does he have such a close relationship with Garrett? What makes him tick? And, the big one: how will the team feel and what will they do when they find out? And, on a shallow note, I have to admit that he went from good-looking to absolutely hot! Kind of weird, that. I think the abuse aspect also raised the stakes. Clearly, people hold strong views on the subject and I think it influences our national policies from everything to defense and treatment of veterans to our child protective services, legal system and correctional facilities. So, how a person like Ward is treated matters to people and that's another reason why the Ward thread became very active here and on TWOP. If the TPTB are smart, they will capitalize on all of this and make personal relationships (not just 'ships!) more of a focus next season. I think they will. This show has enough Whedon influence to understand that even if they did have trouble finding their way initially. These are the folks who made Dr. Horrible relatable and re-integrated Faith (whose journey, if you think about it, kind of parallels Ward's), Spike, Dark Willow, and, of course, Angel into their respective teams. They also are the people who made Topher and Adelle from Dollhouse go from rather despicable to heroic.

Telane, I'm totally with you about the treatment of Ward in the finale. I did not like their taking away his voice (I thought that was a weird writing choice in general) nor did I enjoy their insinuation that he would be tortured. Shield is supposed to be the good guys and good people do not torture (hear that CIA?). Sure, not all abuse victims do evil acts but Ward was practically groomed from day 1 to become what he did. His older brother made Ward beat up his younger brother and Ward did it because he was afraid of him. Then when all hope was lost with this family (or so he was told), Ward's only option was to go with this scary older guy who gave him hope that someone would care about him and he would have a better future. Then he abandoned him in the woods for 6 months. Where was he supposed to go? Even if he could get out of the 1000 acres (isn't that what Garrett said?), if he left, wouldn't he be worried that his family would just lock him up again? After Garrett came back, he totally groomed him again. He taught him about violence, including pulling a gun on him (probably to underscore the threat of what he would do to him if he disobeyed). Then Garrett became Ward's SO. And I'm guessing the beating he gave him in order to shore up Ward's story in returning to Providence was not the first. Plus, Garrett manipulated Ward's feelings for him (the calling him "son" surely was not an accident) and made him believe that Ward was his protector. Ward was the one who knew what to do when Garrett's tech failed and Garrett even said this episode, "You've always taken good care of me." And he kept telling him he was weak. Psychological abuse can be extremely powerful and his seemed like it was ongoing. I imagine that Ward did his best for the team during the time he was with them. The only thing he truly had to fake was who he reported to. Besides, how long were they a team anyway? A few months could not compete with the years he spent working for Garrett. And then there's the fact that Ward was just following orders, a familiar defense we've heard time and again from soldiers. Ward never seemed to relish his job (didn't Garrett comment on that fact too?) and, with the exception of Koenig, did we see him kill anyone who wasn't directly a threat to Garrett? He only wounded those cops when trying to get to Skye. Until this episode, he never even threatened anyone and that included Skye and FitzSimmons. An argument could be made that he did the best he could for those two because he knew if he didn't get them off the plane, Garrett would ensure that someone killed them. Garrett even told Deathlok that Ward was a tender heart. So, Ward's threatening Skye (although I didn't view that as a rape threat, more of a "I'm taking you with me when I go like Garrett ordered" threat) was out of character. And when did he ever sexually threaten May? Anyhoo, all of this is to agree with Telane that Ward's Stockhold Syndrome and brainwashing seemed legitimate and thus made it very uncomfortable to watch his comeuppance. The writers could have done a MUCH better job with this storyline than they did.

Huh. I’m kind of torn by the finale. There was so much to love: lots of excitement, action and the grand return of true Whedon-esque humor. I loved Trip bringing the funk (and the sounds from the noisemaker were hilarious) and thoroughly enjoyed the Coulson/Fury banter during the final battle with Garrett plus Coulson’s epic destruction of Garrett with, “Hey, look at that!” I also liked Jemma’s musings on the connectedness of life; that was beautiful. However, as much as I liked the humor, at times it felt like they weren’t taking things seriously enough. When Coulson and Fury were talking about Fury’s introductory Shield speech, it made me anxious because I felt like they needed to pay attention to Garrett before he killed them. Why should I feel any tension about the outcome of the fight if they’re just goofing around? Similarly, while I laughed at May and Ward’s snark during their fight, it didn’t fit with how they felt toward each other as teammates and more. I was expecting the physical showdown but also an emotional one. The Ward part of the finale was what really confused and disappointed me. They’ve built Ward up as this strong, confident person the entire season. Even when he was Hydra!Ward, he seemed self-assured and cool. Remember his conversation with Raina when he explained how he played the team? He was very confident (and hot!) there. Yes, he’s been having second thoughts about his role in everything but it never came across as pathetic until tonight. Even within the context of the episode, he went from, “Umm….hey, Garrett? I think we should just move on now because this Hydra thing doesn’t seem to be going anywhere good” to “Tell me what to do, sir! I can do nothing without you!” Sure, he believed that he owed Garrett everything but even that belief was wavering and he’s never before begged for orders. Garrett complained that Ward’s loyalty was not perfect, Ward himself told Skye that he had to make hard decisions because he is a survivor and he’s proven that he can think for himself. He kept Raina’s information about Skye’s background from Garrett. And he went from caring about the team (letting May leave Providence unharmed, telling Skye he would never hurt her, reluctantly releasing FitzSimmons into the ocean) to full-on trying to kill May for kicks? His interaction with Skye was weird too. Ward went from talking about how good she was and how he would never hurt her to saying he would take what he wanted? What did that even mean? I expect that they will do more things with Ward next season but I hope it’s not at the expense of his characterization like tonight was. Since they spent so much time on him, I was excited to see where they were going to take his story but then it felt like his part was rushed and out of character. In fact, the whole episode felt a bit rushed. Why did we not see Fitz and learn how he is? Garrett’s body was just left on the floor? The take-down of the super soldiers – the products of the Centipede Project that we’ve spent all season dreading – took about a minute? There were just a lot of loose ends that seemed like the writers ran up against a deadline and had to end it quickly. The last few episodes were so great but now I’m not sure what to think.

I'm right here!!! I love Grant Ward and think he is a tragic figure. If they deal with his story stereotypically (he turns “good” seconds before giving his life for the team), I am going to be one angry viewer. However, if I am reading the signs correctly, I don’t think they’re going to do that. Why spend so much time on his story if they’re just going to kill him off? Why have so many members of the team comment on his being evil and how angry they are about it if there will be no resolution? Otherwise, they could just have them say, “Grant, we never knew ye!” and be done with it. I think (really, truly hope) the point they’re trying to make is that evil *is* petty. You rarely have arch villains who want the world to be a better place. No, they just want the world to be better for *them.* History is replete with “big bads” who just wanted something more for themselves; they were always petty. Once again I wonder if I am giving the showrunners too much credit but Joss Whedon shows are generally about more in-depth topics and I hope that they’re trying to do a treatise on evil via Garrett and Ward. Garrett appears to me to be a true sociopath; he has no empathy and it is all about him. He probably joined SHIELD because it meant he had power, did fun things and could hurt people legitimately. It was only a matter of time before he rejected SHIELD because they had rules and the power was controlled but, if he was telling the truth, SHIELD unwisely left him to die and fast-forwarded the process of Garrett becoming Hydra. Ward is different. His evil, like so many of ours, was made and nurtured. He came from a family in which his parents didn’t care about him and his older brother was a psychopath. From the narrative this week, they were ready to throw him away and try to pretend he never existed. Although we don’t know why the teenage Ward was in juvy to begin with, he seemed to direct his aggression toward his family. He could have gone anywhere with his stolen car but he went back to them to lash out. That speaks to severe hurt. Garrett acted as a father figure to him. Even though he was never kind (when the bar is set so low, you don’t have to do much to step over it), he believed in Ward and offered him a future. Then, he made certain that Ward didn’t believe in his own goodness by asking him to kill Buddy. If you read the news, that’s the first thing rebel armies do to child soldiers and kidnapped girls: they make them kill someone, often someone they love (like their parents). That way they ensure their loyalty because who else will want them when they have done such evil things? They also can get them to do worse deeds because, after all, when you’ve done such bad deeds already, what’s a little more? Honestly, I don’t think it matters if Ward shot Buddy or not. If he did, he did so because he was forced into it. If he didn’t, then Buddy was still shot regardless of his compassion. No matter what he did, he couldn’t save Buddy. Which is why he “got rid” of FitzSimmons without directly killing them. Ward did the only thing he could do to save them because, even if he didn’t kill them, he knew that Garrett would if they were still around. And make no mistake, Ward still cares about Garrett. This looks like it’s about to change but, for right now, he’s still the best father he ever had and Ward is psychologically about 15 years old. He’s never grown up emotionally which is why I think his “whining” to Skye about her understanding him was valid. So I hope this is where they’re going. An analysis of evil has so much relevance to what is going on in our daily life, with girls getting kidnapped, wars of terror being waged on innocents, corporations doing evil things and getting away with it, and good seemingly being a casualty of our political and legal systems. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Joss has enough influence on the show that it’s not just going to be a cheap thrill but instead has a larger story to tell.

I hope it does lead to a redemption arc but in a fresh way. I like Ward and I will be uber irritated if they kill him off so tritely, like giving his life for the team. If they can turn Ward back to the good side, he could be a valuable asset (like the Black Widow). Hydra still outnumbers them and has the villains and gadgets to make it very difficult. Ward knows a lot about Hydra and could help the team figure out how to fight them. Plus, it provides dramatic tension for the team in figuring out how and when to trust him, what to do with their feelings of betrayal, and for Ward to determine how to be truly good. Wasn't part of the problem with the earlier episodes that the team was so comfortable with one another that they were boring? Integrating Ward, their previous protector, back into the team as someone who would have to be watched closely -- someone they can no longer trust to keep them safe -- would keep everyone on their toes. I think Ward has a backstory that lends believability to him doing these things for good reasons (for him). If all you know growing up is violence, particularly violence you are forced to commit at someone else's behest, then it makes sense that you align yourself with the most powerful person in the room. They will protect you so at least *you* aren't the one getting beaten. If you never know goodness, how are you supposed to be good? Plus, I think Ward, at least for now, views Garrett as his family. He mentioned that Garrett took him out of a bad position when he was an impressionable teenager and has several times talked about what he owes him. Kids in dysfunctional (or absent) family situations often align themselves with others who guarantee protection, care, and a sense of belonging. That's why gangs are so prevalent and hard to dissolve. So, if Garrett was the most powerful person Ward knew who gave him not only an escape but also a new family, then yeah, I can see Ward being loyal to him. Perhaps I am giving the showrunners too much credit but I hope that with all of their hints about Ward's belief in Garrett that this is where they are going. What do you do when your "family" (Garrett) turns on you and everything you thought was true turns out to be a lie? Where do you go from there? What happens when you want to become part of a new family (Coulson's) but don't know how, especially when they all seem so morally superior to you? BTW, I think Skye's "goodness" is one reason Ward is so enamoured of her. Her idealism (remember when she talked about how beautiful it was that Peru's people led an uprising) and unsullied character had to be new to him. And I think that her outrage and disgust hit him hard. He is so used to being "everyone's type" and getting what he wants that her rejection was painful. Add to that Mike Peterson's wonderful, "It wasn't personal" and I think Ward is ripe for a takeover. Prior to the Hydra reveal, this show suffered from too much superficiality. Ward can provide the much-needed depth to this show. After all, in the real world, most "evil" people still have to be dealt with. Few of them are easily dispatched through death or prison. How do you learn to trust someone who has betrayed you? How do you manage your feelings of anger when you need that person's help? How do you atone for such horrible actions? With all the violence in the world, there are plenty of people walking around who have a lot to answer for, most especially soldiers who, like Ward, were just following orders. How do you live with that? And how do we, as a society, live with the fact that we forced them to do these things, acts that left to their own devices they probably would not have committed? Accountability, atonement and redemption are powerful concepts that could make the show into something really unique and interesting if they just have the guts to go there.