Something is seriously wrong with the dynamic of the show
Last week's episode, "Lord of the Pi's", nicely illustrates what I think are significant structural problems with the show. Normally, I might start by criticizing the writers for the "greengrocer's apostrophe" in the title, but here I can understand their reasoning. It does remind me that I dislike all the episode titles that are feeble, inapposite plays on literary or pop-culture titles. In order to pull that off, the episode really should have something to do with a theme of the referenced work. If you want a clinic in episode titles, I suggest the original Star Trek. Now those were episode titles.
Anyway, I'm increasingly convinced that something is really wrong with the dynamic of the show. All the characters exist like little separate particles that occasionally bump into each other. As we've observed and bemoaned, multiple title-credited characters are absent from any given episode. Sometimes, when they do appear, it has the feel of complying with a contractual obligation or union rule of some sort. Lately, it seems like the writers have not just favored Veronica with plenty of fresh kills and her customary lion's share of the good lines—they have been actively running off the hyenas and vultures as well. When did Logan last have a memorable funny line? Has Weevil even been in two episodes? Served as anything more than a handy combination of red herring and passkey?
So that's kind of a problem. But maybe it's a really a symptom of a larger problem. Screen time is a zero-sum game, and this season more of it seems to be going to Keith than in the past. Normally, when you go to college, the parental contact drops off significantly. Not for Veronica. I think Rob Thomas and others have acknowledged that Keith's role and the Veronica-Keith dynamic were being emphasized this season because it's such a special relationship or whatever. Or, more likely, because parent-child banter is supposed to be what the Gilmore Girls viewers like to see. Unfortunately, the writers have beefed up Keith's role by just adding more of the little daddy-daughter interactions they think everyone loves. But a little goes a long way. That "full of information" bit last week was about the most painful daddy-daughter filler we've seen in 2-1/2 years. If anything, the Veronica-Keith relationship is less complex now than it has ever been.
Instead of manufacturing conflicts du jour between Veronica and Logan, how about setting up some believable ones centering on some of Keith's less attractive qualities? I cringed when he came running out and said "Maybe you'd better stop shouting at my daughter!" Logan handled it better than I would have. Now that Veronica is an adult, Keith needs to mellow out, or she needs to break away more, or both. And now that Veronica is in college, she needs to mellow out about whom Keith is involved with. She's never been keen on anyone he's dated (neutral, maybe, about Alicia), and I start to wonder if she even wants her father to be happy. Anyway, both of them need to learn to mind their own business a little more. Less screen time for Keith would help. I would be happy to have seen Keith as much as I've seen, say, Weevil and Mac combined so far this season.
Another problem that cuts across character and plot issues is that—either in Veronica's mind or objectively—no one is good enough for Veronica. Among the main characters, maybe Mac and Wallace are, if we could ever see them. But who else? And the adversaries, except, perhaps, the faceless rapist, aren't worthy of her. In the past, we've had Wiedman and a few others, but this season it's been like watching Sherlock Holmes nabbing pickpockets. Veronica needs her Moriarty. It would be nice to have some known malefactor who has the upper hand for multiple episodes, getting away with things that Veronica can't prove he/she did before eventually receiving a comeuppance. Think Luther Mahoney in Homicide.
Finally, both Veronica and Keith need to lose one now and then. Yes, Keith did blithely chauffeur Kendall's killer to her doorstep. Yes, Veronica could have stopped Parker's rape under some recrimination-based ex post theory, but, basically, Veronica and Keith always get their man. They always win in the end. The mysteries of the week are such inconsequential fluff anyway that it would be refreshing if sometimes it didn't all work out so neatly. I once read an interview with Roy Huggins, creator of The Rockford Files, who said it took a season or more to work out the right balance among the "up" and "down" episodes. Of course, Jim Rockford mostly came out ahead in the end, but many of his victories were, if not pyrrhic, at least unsatisfying in some way. He solves the case, but someone else gets the girl, or he loses the "Goodhew" detective award on a recount, or whatever. And, of course, he never managed to move out of the trailer. The main bad consequences Veronica ever suffers are to her relations with others. She makes enemies and burns bridges, but none of that ever seems to come back and bite her. Sometimes it nips her, maybe.
Maybe they are setting Veronica up for some bigger fall. She's kind of a mess. Her instincts have become so cynical that they've been leading her astray. She wears her unwillingness to change or adapt like a badge of honor. But I doubt they are going to lay Veronica really low, and there are fewer opportunities to do so than some shows have (as Buffy sang, "Hey I've died twice").
Yes to everything above. MWR and I were conversing on email about the lack of chemistry between the actors this season. And we know the actors have chemistry together; can we say Seasons 1 and 2? The show is just not working for me right now. I keep watching, because I remember Season 1 and how amazing it was. But I am coming really close to re-prioritizing my Tivo to "House", which has apparently been fantastic this year.
Veronica lacks passion
Logan lacks mirth
Mac lacks screen time
Wallace seems to have lost his BFF status
Keith is overbearing
Weevil doing an honest days work is just wrong -- he is a gang member for godsakes.
Here is an idea: how about an episode that centers around all the supporting characters who aren't getting any screen time with zero appearnces by Veronica. We can send her off for an FBI internship interview or something.
"She wears her unwillingness to change or adapt like a badge of honor." Exactly. She's getting on my nerves, too. There's a big difference between being a little prickly and overdefensive and afraid to let people in and just plain old being a jerk. Funny, I would normally think of that term as applying to men (like dick and prick--which wouldn't be that far off at characterizing her behavior here, either), but can't think of a good female equivalent. Bitch doesn't quite seem to fit. In any case, she's treating Logan like CRAP and it's pissing me off.
It occurs to me that at this point last season I was also feeling some frustration with structure and pacing, thinking they were dropping too many red herrings and making the mystery too complicated (and sending Wallace off to Chicago for what, six weeks or something? That was never explained well enough for me). They managed to bring it all around at the end, but they left more stuff hanging than in the first season (like, whatever was the deal with Cliff's briefcase? Talk about your SMPs). It looks like we'll be seeing Mac again next week, and also like Veronica might be getting some of the overconfidence (prickishness?) knocked out of her. So who's going to die?
Anyway, I'm increasingly convinced that something is really wrong with the dynamic of the show. All the characters exist like little separate particles that occasionally bump into each other. As we've observed and bemoaned, multiple title-credited characters are absent from any given episode. Sometimes, when they do appear, it has the feel of complying with a contractual obligation or union rule of some sort. Lately, it seems like the writers have not just favored Veronica with plenty of fresh kills and her customary lion's share of the good lines—they have been actively running off the hyenas and vultures as well. When did Logan last have a memorable funny line? Has Weevil even been in two episodes? Served as anything more than a handy combination of red herring and passkey?
So that's kind of a problem. But maybe it's a really a symptom of a larger problem. Screen time is a zero-sum game, and this season more of it seems to be going to Keith than in the past. Normally, when you go to college, the parental contact drops off significantly. Not for Veronica. I think Rob Thomas and others have acknowledged that Keith's role and the Veronica-Keith dynamic were being emphasized this season because it's such a special relationship or whatever. Or, more likely, because parent-child banter is supposed to be what the Gilmore Girls viewers like to see. Unfortunately, the writers have beefed up Keith's role by just adding more of the little daddy-daughter interactions they think everyone loves. But a little goes a long way. That "full of information" bit last week was about the most painful daddy-daughter filler we've seen in 2-1/2 years. If anything, the Veronica-Keith relationship is less complex now than it has ever been.
Instead of manufacturing conflicts du jour between Veronica and Logan, how about setting up some believable ones centering on some of Keith's less attractive qualities? I cringed when he came running out and said "Maybe you'd better stop shouting at my daughter!" Logan handled it better than I would have. Now that Veronica is an adult, Keith needs to mellow out, or she needs to break away more, or both. And now that Veronica is in college, she needs to mellow out about whom Keith is involved with. She's never been keen on anyone he's dated (neutral, maybe, about Alicia), and I start to wonder if she even wants her father to be happy. Anyway, both of them need to learn to mind their own business a little more. Less screen time for Keith would help. I would be happy to have seen Keith as much as I've seen, say, Weevil and Mac combined so far this season.
Another problem that cuts across character and plot issues is that—either in Veronica's mind or objectively—no one is good enough for Veronica. Among the main characters, maybe Mac and Wallace are, if we could ever see them. But who else? And the adversaries, except, perhaps, the faceless rapist, aren't worthy of her. In the past, we've had Wiedman and a few others, but this season it's been like watching Sherlock Holmes nabbing pickpockets. Veronica needs her Moriarty. It would be nice to have some known malefactor who has the upper hand for multiple episodes, getting away with things that Veronica can't prove he/she did before eventually receiving a comeuppance. Think Luther Mahoney in Homicide.
Finally, both Veronica and Keith need to lose one now and then. Yes, Keith did blithely chauffeur Kendall's killer to her doorstep. Yes, Veronica could have stopped Parker's rape under some recrimination-based ex post theory, but, basically, Veronica and Keith always get their man. They always win in the end. The mysteries of the week are such inconsequential fluff anyway that it would be refreshing if sometimes it didn't all work out so neatly. I once read an interview with Roy Huggins, creator of The Rockford Files, who said it took a season or more to work out the right balance among the "up" and "down" episodes. Of course, Jim Rockford mostly came out ahead in the end, but many of his victories were, if not pyrrhic, at least unsatisfying in some way. He solves the case, but someone else gets the girl, or he loses the "Goodhew" detective award on a recount, or whatever. And, of course, he never managed to move out of the trailer. The main bad consequences Veronica ever suffers are to her relations with others. She makes enemies and burns bridges, but none of that ever seems to come back and bite her. Sometimes it nips her, maybe.
Maybe they are setting Veronica up for some bigger fall. She's kind of a mess. Her instincts have become so cynical that they've been leading her astray. She wears her unwillingness to change or adapt like a badge of honor. But I doubt they are going to lay Veronica really low, and there are fewer opportunities to do so than some shows have (as Buffy sang, "Hey I've died twice").
Yes to everything above. MWR and I were conversing on email about the lack of chemistry between the actors this season. And we know the actors have chemistry together; can we say Seasons 1 and 2? The show is just not working for me right now. I keep watching, because I remember Season 1 and how amazing it was. But I am coming really close to re-prioritizing my Tivo to "House", which has apparently been fantastic this year.
Veronica lacks passion
Logan lacks mirth
Mac lacks screen time
Wallace seems to have lost his BFF status
Keith is overbearing
Weevil doing an honest days work is just wrong -- he is a gang member for godsakes.
Here is an idea: how about an episode that centers around all the supporting characters who aren't getting any screen time with zero appearnces by Veronica. We can send her off for an FBI internship interview or something.
"She wears her unwillingness to change or adapt like a badge of honor." Exactly. She's getting on my nerves, too. There's a big difference between being a little prickly and overdefensive and afraid to let people in and just plain old being a jerk. Funny, I would normally think of that term as applying to men (like dick and prick--which wouldn't be that far off at characterizing her behavior here, either), but can't think of a good female equivalent. Bitch doesn't quite seem to fit. In any case, she's treating Logan like CRAP and it's pissing me off.
It occurs to me that at this point last season I was also feeling some frustration with structure and pacing, thinking they were dropping too many red herrings and making the mystery too complicated (and sending Wallace off to Chicago for what, six weeks or something? That was never explained well enough for me). They managed to bring it all around at the end, but they left more stuff hanging than in the first season (like, whatever was the deal with Cliff's briefcase? Talk about your SMPs). It looks like we'll be seeing Mac again next week, and also like Veronica might be getting some of the overconfidence (prickishness?) knocked out of her. So who's going to die?
posted by MWR at 1:07 AM
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