Some good, some bad
One point in particular...
Apparently this was a very polarizing episode. For the most part, I quite enjoyed it. Though I can certainly understand some of the complaints.
I didn't have a problem with Beaver being responsible for the crash, or even the rape, it's simply the way that they framed the reveal that didn't ring true for me. I'm not sure if the flaw was with the writing or the acting/direction, but it was a little jarring the way Beaver was suddenly gleefully reveling in his evilness. Maybe all the WTF! reveals on Smallville have made me hypersensitive to the possibility of an unexpected villain, but in this case, I do think it wasn't quite 100% successful.
I would've believed the reveal had Beaver been shown to have more torment over what he'd done. In terms of flowing consistently with what we'd seen of Beaver? Didn't quite work for me. It *was* teetering dangerously close to the edge of camp. I mean, "Veronica Mars" has always relied on over-the-top premises, but the explanations, the logical-yet-clever twists, and most importantly, the believable reveals are what have made the show so good, IMO. The reveal would've worked better if Beaver *hadn't* been so moustache-twirly about it, and if instead, he had been like in the previous hotel room scene with Mac -- conflicted, tearing up, almost looking like he'd been picked on. Arguably both are gun-wielding-teen cliches, but the "tormented kid who snaps after bottling it all up" would've worked better. The way it played out was more like "evil genius laughs with psychotic glee as he delights in mayhem and murder."
scribblinlenore summed it up in one sentence:
"Cassidy would have been desperate, and that's why he'd have caused the bus crash."
So true. Desperation, not delight.
Still, I was OMG!!!-ing pretty much throughout the second half of the episode. There was some good stuff, yo.
And Michael Rosenbaum looked really hot on AI.
Apparently this was a very polarizing episode. For the most part, I quite enjoyed it. Though I can certainly understand some of the complaints.
I didn't have a problem with Beaver being responsible for the crash, or even the rape, it's simply the way that they framed the reveal that didn't ring true for me. I'm not sure if the flaw was with the writing or the acting/direction, but it was a little jarring the way Beaver was suddenly gleefully reveling in his evilness. Maybe all the WTF! reveals on Smallville have made me hypersensitive to the possibility of an unexpected villain, but in this case, I do think it wasn't quite 100% successful.
I would've believed the reveal had Beaver been shown to have more torment over what he'd done. In terms of flowing consistently with what we'd seen of Beaver? Didn't quite work for me. It *was* teetering dangerously close to the edge of camp. I mean, "Veronica Mars" has always relied on over-the-top premises, but the explanations, the logical-yet-clever twists, and most importantly, the believable reveals are what have made the show so good, IMO. The reveal would've worked better if Beaver *hadn't* been so moustache-twirly about it, and if instead, he had been like in the previous hotel room scene with Mac -- conflicted, tearing up, almost looking like he'd been picked on. Arguably both are gun-wielding-teen cliches, but the "tormented kid who snaps after bottling it all up" would've worked better. The way it played out was more like "evil genius laughs with psychotic glee as he delights in mayhem and murder."
scribblinlenore summed it up in one sentence:
"Cassidy would have been desperate, and that's why he'd have caused the bus crash."
So true. Desperation, not delight.
Still, I was OMG!!!-ing pretty much throughout the second half of the episode. There was some good stuff, yo.
And Michael Rosenbaum looked really hot on AI.