LogFAQs > #890519513

Season 1, Episode 10

Recap: Veronica investigates the theft of $5,000 at a poker game between Weevil and the Rich Kids (TM). Turns out it was... the random redshirt!!! Veronica also has a chat with her possible father. Keith investigates a stalker of Logan's father, but is unable to prevent her from stabbing Logan's father.

Man, Weevil is dull. But it's not just his fault; he's always paired with Logan, and their banter is incredibly boring, always to the effect of 'you're low-class, you'll be washing my cars lol' and 'you're so spoiled and I'm a badass thug lol.'

It's tough especially because it feels like we're told, rather than shown, how tough/badass/clever Weevil is supposed to be. Weevil both looks nothing like a high school student and is about 5'2'', making him much less physically intimidating than he's supposed to be. The show treats Weevil's extremely low-effort lines as searing burns. For some reason, Logan's reluctance to let Weevil into his game is solved by Weevil making a comment that he'd better run if he sees Logan's friends in his neighborhood because he'll be 'bored to death.' Even if this were a clever insult, how does this relate to getting in?

Weevil's also supposed to be underestimated and portrayed as an underdog. Yet he's literally always had the upper hand on Logan in every instance. Weevil tells Veronica that Logan must have let him into the game because he thinks he's a Mexican that's easy to take advantage of. Brother, you approached Logan about the game and demanded to be let in (with the abovementioned 'bored to death' spicy line). Come the fuck on. It's not even an obvious supposed-to-hate character like Logan, who at least can fulfill that role as he was intended.

The obvious strength of this episode is the flashback storytelling. It's not extremely involved, but Veronica pieces together the night of the theft by interviewing all five of the players. (Tough call with the casting - the actor dude is nearly indistinguishable from Duncan.) It's fun watching her work the angles on Logan, drool over the actor dude's body, and churn her brain in general. And of course it pays off in full when she makes the Grand Reveal (TM) at the end, exposing the real thief. The actual structuring of Veronica's involvement is delightful - I just wish it were dressed by less crap.

And I hate to wrap it up this way, but this is how the show concludes the poker storyline: Veronica continues to be a Mary Sue. She sits down and begins to shuffle the cards and deal very competently. Everyone looks extremely impressed. She deals the cards and then is very clearly dominating everyone in short order. The whole "I can do it even though I'm a girl!" angle is already tenuous, but Veronica can do everything the best, and that's no fun.

Except... the only time when Veronica seems to give a fuck for real is when we abandon the alleged A-plots and focus on the main story arc. Veronica is invulnerable at school, but very vulnerable when it comes to her family. Jake Kane has invaded that space, and this feels like her first confrontation with him. And she is pissed - the overly collected, wins-at-everything Veronica is entirely replaced by this angry harpy demanding answers. It's extremely short and entirely disconnected from the meat of the episode and also so much more interesting.
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yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness