Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Veronica Mars 1x15: "Ruskie Business"

The Mystery: 1) Where is Catherine Lenova's fiancé hiding? 2) Who is Meg's secret admirer?

So Veronica's been tracing the use of Lynn Echolls' credit card, which was recently used to rent a red convertible - the same car Lynn was driving the day she disappeared. When a charge comes in for a local hotel, she and Logan head on over. Unfortunately, the woman who used the card doesn't want to be disturbed, so Logan camps out in the lobby to wait for her to emerge.

That's fine with Veronica, who's busy with her own cases - all of which are love related. First, repentant Russian bride Catherine Lenova needs help tracking down the fiance she walked out on but now seeks to reconcile with. Secondly, Veronica's classmate Meg has been receiving texts and flowers from a secret admirer, and she's desperate to learn who in time for Neptune High's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" dance.

So far, Meg suspects two guys of being her secret admirer - a popular jock and a thoughtful loner - but they both turn out to be romantic duds and Veronica can't find anything conclusive pinning either of them to the mysterious texts and gifts.

Meanwhile, Veronica learns from Duncan that Logan is still at the hotel, twelve hours later, waiting for his mother. She returns to the hotel and tries to smoke Lynn Echolls out by having her credit card cancelled - and a woman wearing Lynn's clothes finally comes up to the front desk. Unfortunately - it's not Logan's mother, but his half-sister Trish Echolls, who used Lynn's cards to return to Neptune to continue mooching off their father after her minor part in a D-list movie fizzled out. Logan keeps it together for a whopping two minutes of snarky banter before dissolving into a complete emotional breakdown as he finally confronts the fact that his mother really is dead. It is awful and awkward and Veronica does her best to comfort him, but it really is beyond her range of expertise.

Whodunnit: 1) Veronica finally tracks down Catherine's erstwhile fiancé - and almost makes a huge mistake. Keith discovers "Catherine Lenova" doesn't exist. Instead, she and her two brothers are members of the Russian mob and her "fiancé" turned state's evidence against their father before going into Witness Protection. Veronica tricks Catherine and her brothers into walking into a showhome full of cops, instead.

2) Duncan is Meg's secret admirer. The discovery shocks Veronica, then saddens her, then freaks her out because he still might be her half-brother.

Veronica and Meg had initially decided to go stag - Meg wasn't feelin' it for either of the dudes she had pegged as her down-low Valentine. But all that changed when Duncan revealed it was him all along. Veroncia flees the dance soon after this discovery, awash in Inappropriate Feels, when she runs into Leo, who came over at Meg's request to escort Veronica to the dance.

Veronica cannot resist the siren call of the rare Stripper-Cop-In-A-Band, and they have a sweet time at the dance until Logan shows up on the Emotional Crisis Express. The pants-optional Emotional Crisis Express. Veronica and Leo call Logan's Horrible Sister Trish to pick him up, and while they're waiting, Veronica gets a creepy Silent but Heavy Breather Prank Call on her cell phone - a call she realizes came from her mother, in a bar outside California.

Veronica ditches Stripper-Cop Leo and Pantsless Logan and flies out to find her mother - discovering her in the Scuzziest Bar in America. The only problem? Clarence Wiedman's found her, too.

Awesome Things:
  • Alyson Hannigan in the motherfuckin' HOUSE. She's awesome in and of herself, but I have to say - the casting is also spot on in terms of how Trish and Logan really seem related. They have similar delivery and dry-as-a-desert humour. 
  • Another familiar face: it's Tim Taylor's oldest son from Home Improvement as one of Meg's love interests!
  • The Logan and Veronica Magical Empathy Hour
  • Officer Leo being awesomely chivalrous and hot.
  • Meg - she's just an awesome friend. As annoying as the use of her character gets in season 2, the show never turns her into a Lavinia - a.k.a. this empty, Mary Sue character whose entire purpose is to impede the central romance. 
Less-Awesome Things:
  • The "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Dance - because nothing says "You're Old" like watching teenagers make fun of the eighties while texting on flip-up phones because the show's already ten years old. 
  • Veronica learns first hand about Logan's abuse - cigarette burns and broken noses. Ouch.
  • Logan's breakdown when he finally realizes his mother really is dead. MY FEELS. MY TROUBLED LOGAN FEELS. 
  • Veronica still having conflicted emotions over her possible half brother. Girl, get your mind right!  You're dating a hot stripper-cop-drummer!
Lilly Kane Case Files
  • Could Clarence Wiedman framing Abel Koontz have anything to do with why he's following Leanne Mars?

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