S03.E02: My Big Fat Greek Rush Week

[Lisin]

From IMDB: "Veronica is hired by the campus newspaper to do an undercover expose on the Zeta Theta sorority sisters during rush week to investigate Parker's rape. Throughout the investigation, Veronica realizes that everything is not exactly what as seems in the sorority house. Meanwhile, Logan and Wallace participate in a prisoner/guard role-playing experiment for their Sociology class, which challenges them psychologically."

Man, getting everyone mad at Veronica didn't take long did it Show? 

I do also feel awful for Parker, but also I find it a bit off-putting that she's acting like prior to the rape she WASN'T hooking up with different guys. I don't think there's anything wrong with what she was doing prior to the rape and I don't even think anyone in the episode is implying there was, it's just an explanation to the fact that Veronica didn't think it was unusual to hear sounds coming from over in Parker's part of the room and not want to turn on the light to check it out. That's ALL anyone was saying. Parker should be able to see that. Sorry.

[Carrie Ann]

I agree with you about Parker. I'm not a fan of that character at all--we'll get into it more as the season goes on--but I think I feel about her the way many viewers felt about Piz. At least I found Piz funny sometimes, and I did believe his friendship with Wallace more than I believe Mac and Parker. I just never understand how fans are supposed to warm up to new characters who are hostile to the lead*. (See also: Jackie.) So while I could see Parker's post-rape reaction to Veronica as believable, it doesn't make me like her as a character.

And they make it worse as she castigates Veronica for investigating the rapes going forward.

*I am a Veronica stan, so I have a hard time with anyone who is rude or mean to Veronica. Hell, it took me like 16 episodes to thaw on Logan in S1, and I was still shocked by the kiss in E18 because I hated him so much at the beginning of the series.

[clemmyb]

You both make great points about Parker, and they further illustrate my issues with how the whole rape mystery is handled by the show in general.  I don't like a lot of things about how they play out the serial rapes, and while I understand that some of what's happening here (particularly in this episode) with regard to Parker's past proclivities is simply mirroring how society treats women who are sexually active, it still makes it hard to understand why Parker gets so upset that people didn't immediately think something was wrong.  Whew, sorry for that long sentence.

That being said, Parker's reaction is human.  Of course she's going to be outraged that someone was in the room when she was being raped and didn't stop it.  How could she not be?  That kind of emotional response isn't rational, and it shouldn't be.

[Lisin]

I understand her reaction as being human,

I guess I'm more annoyed that they don't have her get over it for at least what feels like a long time. Not that I think she should get over the rape, just the fact that Veronica was there, which, I mean Mac was there too... but for some reason she only is mad at Veronica. Mac was the one that told Veronica there was someone in there with Parker.

[Carrie Ann]

Yeah, for awhile it just feels like Parker is putting all of her stuff onto Veronica. All her anger and shame come out on our hero, who is herself a rape survivor and wants nothing more than to help and risk her own life and safety to put an end to this. It gets my hackles up, against my better nature. What we saw of Parker pre-rape annoyed me, and what we see of her outside of her treatment of Veronica is not appealing enough for me to get past my instinctual dislike of her.

And OK, I'll get into my full rant when the time comes, but because this is all we have of her--this one season in which she spends the first third treating Veronica like trash, the second third as her friend, and the final third dating Veronica's very recent ex--I just end up on the anti-side for Parker.

[clemmyb]

Well said, both of you.

[halgia]

Agree about Parker (at least the non-spoily bits, because I haven't seen the rest of the season).

As to the whole sorority plotline: as a former college journalist, this teacher journalism advisor person (which I guess some school papers have) is horrendous. We would have had a heated debate about whether to publish that story and I hope would not have; this dysfunctional paper just went ahead and did it wih no discussion because that's what the advisor wanted, which is ridiculous and fuck that.

I liked Dick and the Pi from last season not buying Veronica at the party, that was fun.

The whole Stanford prison experiment thing was silly and would never happen today, but whatever. I feel kind of bad that that was all Samm Levine got, though; his character was pretty boring. Wallace coming through with the trick that showed up the asshole guard was fun - always good to see Wallace being competent.

[Hanahope]

Well, the sorority rush story line was not quite realistic, most sororities I know have pretty strict rules on alcohol at the house.  Plus, that seemed like a little more pot for one house mom to really need for personal use.

 

Guess learned that Veronica isn't getting a full ride, but is in some program that requires her to have an on-campus job.  Too bad the journalism job didn't suit, but have to agree that the advisor wasn't right.  Most respectable newspapers do try to get to the bottom of stories and don't print the first sensational thing to come along.  Although the advisor would be good for training people to work on things like the Huff Post. :)

 

The prison experiment yeah definitely wouldn't happen these days, but it was still entertaining to watch the two teams try to psych each other out.  Good for Wallace for figuring out how to get the right info.

 

I guess this means Kendall is dead.  But still not sure why Colin killed her.  I suppose his plan was to take all the money and run?  Or share with Liam, family first and all?  Though Liam isn't above putting money before family for sure.  How did Kendall get the painting?  Did she buy it with the money, and how could she do that so quickly?  Too bad Keith couldn't have kept a little bit of the money to pay for V's college though, and give the rest to charity.

 

Nice seeing Mac help Parker out, though agreed that its not Veronica's fault Parker got raped, if Parker was hooking up with all sorts of other boys.  And how did Mac know she was with anyone?  Did she go into the room and see/hear something and just quickly left assuming Parker was with a guy?  So isn't it just as much Mac's fault as Veronica's, if Parker is going to blame someone other than the rapist?  I was so expecting Veronica to come out and say that she thought the buzzing sound was a vibrator.  I mean, what else could it have been (other than what we now know it was)?