PODCAST S01.E21 Go Pirates!: Like Pulling Teeth

[Primetimer]

The season's penultimate episode, 'A Trip To The Dentist,' spits out some ugly truths as Veronica Mars investigates her own assault.

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[Primetimer]

All the most important pics and painful moments from 'A Trip To The Dentist.'

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[Affogato]

Spoiler

So this is what Duncan does when stressedand actually makes second season Duncan’s run make more sense.  I wonder if they had any idea that was going to happen?

Honestly in context Duncan doesn’t drag me out of the narrative. Bland but ok. 

Mid he’d been more charismatic it might have balanced out the show and kept Logan from taking over. 

Edited November 11, 2017 by Affogato

[Affogato]

A lot seems to go on in this episode.

I suspect that a high school teacher, like Thomas was once, meets a lot of kids and then recognizes the parents in the kids. Most adults it goes the other way,. I think that Logan really is channeling Aaron's way of handling things, face it, Mom and Trina weren't giving him any tools for showing empathy to others. Um. action movie tropes and Aaron? Yes, but also Logan uses movie tropes, whenever he is around guns and other times. He is all about movie tropes, like Dad.

Spoiler

Also the violence with his fists at the end of season three is very reminiscent of Aaron's beatdown of abusive boyfriend and I actually think that really gives Veronica the impetus to walk away. It's so similar.

I think that's intentional, in fact I don't think it could be accidental.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Affogato

[Affogato]

.I have a theory,

You know how in romances you'll have some woman who has tough times. It is hard for her to open up and trust others. Maybe she's raped at a party. She toughens up. She meets this guy and can't accept him. So she goes out with some guy that makes more practical sense and years later when that relationship has imploded she meets the first guy and realizes he was her own true love all along?

Often she leaves her mannish job and ways, retreats to some expensive house with pillars where she makes candles, weaves throws or becomes a baby doctor if she's 'smart'--some acceptable feminine job--and has her soulmate's babies. Or maybe she just realizes where her priorities lie and they aren't laid out for you. 

Ok, this is the female heroes quest, looking for the man who will complete her. She can't accept him, but when she does, he is all she needs. Often he has been there all along!

I think viewers may have thought this was the show they were watching. I think part of the problem was that Logan was such a strong character, Duncan so bland, so it seemed like he was set up to be her everafter.

OK, I think Veronica actually was living the man's hero quest, a very traditional one with a spirit guide (lilly's ghost) and trips to the underworld (styx, eventually the Kane lair) and the men (Duncan, Logan,) aren't really any more than obstacles, just as they often are for Heracles or Jason.  

I don't think this is a love story. 

Edited November 11, 2017 by Affogato

[Affogato]

The whole party scene is horrific. I see why she forgives Duncan and Logan, both for different reasons, and I don't think she blames Madison for the events, but the whole lot of them were awful. Like, throw the cookies in the garbage and make a new batch with fresh ingredients awful.

I wonder why Keith stays in Neptune at this point? She might have stayed without him, of course, but it seems like anywhere else would be better and after Lilly's murder was solved he could have gotten a job.

[scarynikki12]

I don't remember if we see Sean again in the series but he's in a couple scenes in the movie with Logan and Carrie. 

This is one of those episodes where it has great rewatch value.  For example, when I did my first rewatch I realized that Meg saw that Duncan was the one "helping" Veronica after the salt lick.  And she didn't tell Veronica.  She kept quiet about that detail on purpose, and with her admission later that she knew/suspected that Duncan was still into Veronica, I think she probably thought that knowing about Duncan acting as Veronica's Savior (not knowing that there was later a rape) could lead to them getting back together.  And Meg wanted to keep her boyfriend.  I like Meg a lot but details like this reiterate why she was an 09er despite being a Good Girl. 

I know Carrie's the only 09er we saw working but I think she still was one.  Maybe she was just an 09er in spirit but she was part of their social circle and didn't seem to be poor.  Maybe she lived in the 08 zip?  Where the families who have money but can't afford to not work live? 

[Affogato]

1 hour ago, scarynikki12 said:

I don't remember if we see Sean again in the series but he's in a couple scenes in the movie with Logan and Carrie. 

This is one of those episodes where it has great rewatch value.  For example, when I did my first rewatch I realized that Meg saw that Duncan was the one "helping" Veronica after the salt lick.  And she didn't tell Veronica.  She kept quiet about that detail on purpose, and with her admission later that she knew/suspected that Duncan was still into Veronica, I think she probably thought that knowing about Duncan acting as Veronica's Savior (not knowing that there was later a rape) could lead to them getting back together.  And Meg wanted to keep her boyfriend.  I like Meg a lot but details like this reiterate why she was an 09er despite being a Good Girl. 

I know Carrie's the only 09er we saw working but I think she still was one.  Maybe she was just an 09er in spirit but she was part of their social circle and didn't seem to be poor.  Maybe she lived in the 08 zip?  Where the families who have money but can't afford to not work live? 

I didn't think of that with Meg. Great observation! 

I don't know about Carrie. Lots of possible explanations. Her family believed she needed to learn the meaning of work? She was just in all the activities and a lot more social than Veronica with the Shelley/Madison crowd? She might be 'in' as an information broker, as Sean was a drug dealer?

[WhosThatGirl]

I mean, I know all of VM season one is amazing(with a few clunkers here and there) but the back half of this group of episodes is amazing. Really. The way these last couple of episodes finish out this season is.. amazing. It’s why I’m always disappointed by the first half of season 2( but those rants will be there when we reach those podcasts).

[John Potts]

Wow, I've forgotten just how despicable Dick was in this episode (by report at least) - not just saying, "Hey, wanna bang an unconscious chick?" but then slandering her as a slut as well. Wish I could say it makes him totally unbelievable, but alas not.

Aaron shows how even wen he IS trying, he's still kind of a jerk.

Spoiler

I wonder if Aaron wanted to drive V home just to check she wasn't on the right track on Lilly's murder?

[LCanterbury]

The audio of Duncan attacking the car sounded like a 'grunty' tennis player. Since racquets aren't made of wood anymore, I can't think of an appropriate pun.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Pottsie, I had the same thought later on re: Haaron.

[Affogato]

I keep on coming back to the money from Celeste. She isn’t paying until she sees Duncan fighting with veronica. She’s buying their silence. 

Btw she really believes the worst of Duncan, always. Not just toxic to Lilly. 

[jeansheridan]

The show never did well finding a romantic lead (other than Logan) who matched well with Veronica. I think the very first guy (the one who went on to Smallville as Jimmy Olsen) was probably their best bet. Oh and Sheriff Lamb! She played so well off of him. If I think about it too much, the show really kind of ignored that Veronica was just 17 most of the time. I mean her interactions with adults was almost always as an equal.

Rob Thomas also seems to enjoy juggling a big cast which makes it hard to stand out. iZombie has the same issue in that there are so many reoccurring faces, just making an impression every time forces you to play big and if you don't, you fade into the background. It makes for a great lived-in feeling on his shows seeing familiar faces all the time but it does mean that no every actor gets his or her moment per ep.

[Affogato]

Another random thought. 

Keith uses Veronica in his business, knowing she is doing things she hasn’t been trained for with only a dog for backup.  Because he needs to to achieve his goals. He apologizes to Veronica in this episode, the same episode that Veronica apologizes to Wallace for the same exact behavior., minus dog. 

Edited November 17, 2017 by Affogato

[jeansheridan]

Regarding point 3, I do think the show wanted Logan to seem suspicious. He was still a suspect at this point in the show.

[jeansheridan]

"He's better than usual." Way harsh. And heeeeeee. I miss this snark in the written reviews. The Westworld writer is too nice ;^).

[jeansheridan]

The party was rough but I appreciate that it actually was awful. That this big thing that transformed her into this kickass girl was truly huge. Sometimes shows build up a situation and make it so big that when it actually is revealed, it's like "shrug". This delivered in a horrible way.