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I have to say, however, that Veronica's expressing a desire to get out of Neptune (which restates what she said in "One Angry Veronica" about wanting to have the car packed and running at graduation) makes me realize what's been wrong with Veronica's characterization this season. It's not that she's different; that was inevitable. It's that the only things she's wanted this entire season are to be with Duncan and to get out of Neptune, and for that matter, both of those wants have seemed tepid at best. Not that there's anything wrong with any person not having strong driving desires at any moment in time, but Veronica is a character, not a person, and a lead character with no strong wants is boring television and screenwriting death. I thought that, as the season went along, Veronica would develop some new passion, but she doesn't even particularly seem to want to solve her cases. It's not that she even has to be completely aware of her wants, but they have to exist. If her real wish is to get out of Neptune, then fine, but that isn't the most riveting dramatic choice I've ever seen, nor does it bode well for Season 3. The thing that's kept the show going, in my opinion -- other than crisp dialogue and great acting (and that will always make the show enjoyable for me) -- is that Logan, while often reprehensible, has enough driving desire for just about everyone on the show. But the show ain't called Logan Echolls, so as I said a while ago: Veronica, start caring -- it almost doesn't matter about what. I mean, you wanted Lianne back, and we didn't hold that against you, did we?
Outside, Logan gets props for his release (as also happened in the classroom off the mention of the subject of freedom), and looks stoked until Hannah appears and holds up her hand for a high-five. Logan merely looks at it like Hannah's got "Did you know you can get Ebola from a handshake?" written on her palm. They fall into step together as Hannah tells Logan that she got his locker combination from the janitor and left him a surprise. Given what that surprise is, the timing might not be ideal, in a broad sense because Logan's about to fulfill his end of the bargain and dump her hard, and also in a narrower sense, since he looks like he might projectile-vomit into the next county at any moment. Anyway, listening to this conversation is like watching someone walk the green mile, so let's cut to the chase: Logan says he can't see Hannah anymore. Hannah asks if this is a joke, and keeps on asking even as Logan walks away. Her self-esteem is through the roof.
And we're at Hearst: Wallace and Veronica are lounging on the grass as Michael Cera arrives, introduces himself as "Dean," and says he's going to be their tour guide. Now, I will at least honor the actors' wishes and not refer to them by their AD characters' names. However, I do have to opine that having Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat (who are currently aged seventeen and sixteen), playing college while Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs, and Aaron Ashmore (currently twenty-five, twenty-three, and twenty-six) play high school is a bit much. I mean, you can have actors play down, and you can have actors play up, but when you do both in the same scenes, it brings on this vague "don't cross the streams" feeling that's both distracting and a little unsettling. Pick a lie and stick with it, entertainment industry.