Episode Report Card Couch Baron: B+ | 3 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT One Hell Of A Reunion
By Couch Baron | Season 3 | Episode 4 | Aired on 10.23.2006
Veronica knocks on Mac's door, but it's Parker that opens it, who coldly tells her that Mac's in Bakersfield, as her great-aunt died. Perhaps Piz and Weevil went with her for moral support, which I'm betting would at least liven the funeral up a little. Anyway, Parker, whose "wig" looks natural enough that I'm thinking it's Julie Gonzalo's real hair, closes the door in Veronica's face. Veronica turns away, but sets her jaw and determinedly knocks again. Parker opens up again, and after a lecture and a failed attempt to slam the door again, Veronica enters. Parker lets loose with the sarcasm, and Veronica, matching the tone, asks if Parker really thinks she walked in, noted the rape, and grabbed the tickets. Parker counters that Veronica just thought she was a slut, which...I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I'm not sure I blame Veronica for the perception, given that it seemed like Parker's bed was an official part of orientation. Veronica confesses that she's been through exactly what Parker's been through -- at "Shelly Pomroy's party, the summer of 2004." Well, to get the timeline to match up, that means Parker won't actually be raped for another six months or so. Given that, I don't really understand why they're arguing. Seriously, I mean, I make enough mistakes recapping this show, and I don't really think errors of continuity are necessarily huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but...given how big an issue they made of it at the time, you'd think someone on staff might have caught this one. Parker's chastened, saying that she had no idea, and Veronica snots, "Not something I open with."
Okay, a point recently discussed on the boards: I'm starting to think that in some scenes, opposite some actors, Kristen Bell is showing signs of phoning it in. She's failing to show vulnerability in scenes where it's clearly called for, in my opinion (excepting when she's acting opposite Enrico Colantoni or Jason Dohring), and it's making scenes that should be resonant play badly. If I'd read the sides for this scene, I think I would have been a lot more moved than I was in practice, when the opposite should be true. It's just a theory (and the direction could easily be at fault as well), and I guess time will tell. I'm aware that a lot of people think that Veronica's behavior is due to natural character development -- which is certainly possible -- but either way, in my view, whether the acting is at fault or not, Veronica is increasingly showing a frightening lack of sympathy, and I don't think it's doing the show any favors. It's fine if some or even most of the characters find Veronica unlikable, but if the viewers start to do so, that's another story entirely.