How Normal is Normal? Veronica-centric musings

[dangermousie]

I was thinking about Veronica while walking to work today. Specifically, about her "normal" phase. I could, under other circumstances, buy her happily going back to normal (though she is doing more and more PIing and Duncan's normalcy is a matter of dispute). I mean, you could argue that the "basic" Veronica, the core Veronica was the shy, quiet one before, the one who didn't want to rock the boat. After all, she's been like that for most of her life, and she's been kick-ass Veronica only for over a year. And people go through phases where they are basically not like them but ultimately snap back: I was desperately shy for a few years in high school, though I've never been shy before or since (or in VM terms, it's indicated that Logan was an OPJ as a reaction against Lilly's death and he seemed to be softening back remarkably by the end of Season 1 before the fun of murder accusations and beat up on the bridge pulled him back).

So I could buy that the ballsy Veronica was a temporary phase and she is happy and content returning back to her coccoon (that is clearly what Veronica herself thinks). Except there is a problem with that. Once you learn certain things you can't unlearn them, and they change you and they change your obligations, as Veronica is slowly finding out. Me being shy or brassy? Both behaviors that can be flipped. But if (e.g.) I got ostracized and despised because I was shy/brassy (or became shy/brassy because of it) and acquired a whole new set of skills, and learned about fickleness and darkness and secrets, then, even if I went back to from brassy to shy or vice versa, I could not unlearn what I knew and it would change me fundamentally as a person.

And this is where her PIing skills come it. Basically, if Veronica didn't know and couldn't do anything it's one thing. But now she is not in that position. To create a hypothetical situation: If Veronica 1.0's boyfriend stuff was stolen and she didn't help to get it back? Of course. How would she know anything about doing that? She'd be nice and sympathetic, but that's all she could do. But if now Veronica's boyfriend's stuff got stolen and she did nothing about it, that's a whol other matter, now that she has the know-how and the skills. That's wilfully being unhelpful. If Logan gets reaccused of Felix's murder, this Veronica is obligated to help him, because she knows how and he is a friend of hers. So any time anything questionable happens to her friends/family/bf, Veronica does not have the luxury of standing idle any more. Because she is actually in a position to do something about it. And that's a fundamental, huge change.

And of course, it ties with the fact that Veronica 1.0 was all about surfaces, appearances, taking everything at face value (ties with naivete). You tell her something or something is a consensus and she'd believe and not dig deeper (Duncan is BMOC, Lilly is a good friend, ditching Yolanda is fine, 09ers are cool people, whatever). But the harder-edged Veronica knows a lot of it is a front (Duncan is troubled and sick in S1, Lilly had some unsavory stuff going on, 09ers are fickle bastards, what she did to Yolanda was wrong etc) and there is something completely different underneath so she digs (though she still has a tendency to jump to conclusions). And the thing is, that knowledge can't be unlearned. Veronica can't go back to the shiny happy place of ignorance again. It's actually examplified by her choice of boyfriends during her phases: Duncan is all good surfaces (good-looking "nice" class president who makes a good proper boyfriend) but is a really problematic, messed-up guy underneath (not sharing anything meaningful (re: Meg), withholding sex, shutting down etc). Logan is the inverse opposite: all his flaws are right there on the surface for everyone to see (and he does have a good number) and you actually have to dig underneath the appearances to discover a very sweet, very loving, if troubled boy.

So Veronica can't go back. And I hope she realizes it soon. Because I want the bold-as-brass Veronica back on my screen.

x-posted to veronica_mars

Comments

[strippedpink.livejournal.com]

Um, I can't think of anything to say but:

Word.

[bluehyacinth.livejournal.com]

Hear, Hear!

Or something like that.

Quick Comment

[life-on-queen.livejournal.com]

Something you might want to factor in is that Veronica has always been a cop's daughter and that IMO plays a huge role in her transformation. When Lamb dismisses her rape complaint, it doesn't merely represent the Mars family's new standing in Neptune or the town's 'money talks, poor folk walk' classicism but it makes Veronica's role as a truth-seeker in Neptune more personal because she has first-hand experience that the system doesn't work. So she doesn't trust it. When I think about Veronica, I remember a quote RT gave somewhere about only cancellation keeping Veronica from a career in law enforcement but I wonder how good a cop she'd be in the long-term, although we can already see that she's a talented investigator, when she doesn't really believe in the integrity of the justice system? Or maybe I'm over-thinking. And I've stumbled into a digression. My original point was that cops' kids tend to have a pretty fundatmentally black and white view of good and bad that, in Veronica's case applied to the way she saw the world. What happened to her and her family and Lilly taught Veronica about gray. And as you said, I don't think that's something you can unlearn as much as you want to (and I've tried from time to time).

Re: Quick Comment

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That's a really good point and not one I thought about. I think law enforcement might be too restricting for her, but it would depend on whether she thinks the system is unfixable or it's only people like Lamb who make it so (she was eager for Keith to "clean house.") Hmmmmmm....

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

*blush*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Icon!

[zimshan.livejournal.com]

Very interesting thoughts.

I actually really think that Veronica is quite conscious of what she is doing. I'm not sure she is truly repressing so much as just choosing to deny some things in her life for the sake of being simpler for a while. Take the way the season opened up. She's checking off her list of things to develop that goal. She's tired, and just wants to live life simply for a while. Easily. Take a break. But I don't think even she thinks it can go on forever. She must know there is an ending point to this trying to live simply. It's crumbling already. But she wants to stay in that spot for as long as she can. I don't believe she's regressed exactly, in terms of being more naive again. She's knows exactly what she's doing, knows she has to do it to remain sane. She doesn't want to deal with last year. And so she's not. Does she really think this will help in the long run? I think Veronica understands the logic behind a house of cards...

Ah, that's a bunch of rambles that probably mean nothing. But what I'm trying to say is that Veronica for this season and Veronica for last season aren't that difference. The advantage we have with this show is the ability to see Veronica's actions and words to others, as well as her real thoughts on things. So, even if the outward perception of Veronica has changed drastically, the way she thinks, is still very much the Veronica of last season. A broken one, but the same girl at least. Which after 1x22, is the way it should have been. I could see this season open up no differently. And now, there's the chance for progressing back into being her tough hardened self again this season.

If there is one thing I've come to trust among RT, it's his understanding of Veronica as a character. There might be a few snags in the show itself along the way, but so far, I think his Veronica characterization, including this season, has been pitch perfect. And I expect it to continue. Because if there is anything he feels incredibly strongly about, it's this character. I feel the character is safe to be accurately depicted in his hands.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, Veronica's character makes sense to me and her actions this season are precisely in character, especially what happened in 1.22. I do think she is hoping it can stay this way (the current way) forever: Veronica has a strong capacity for self-deception because she wants something so much (the way she did with Lianne last season). But yes, I agree the cracks are beginning to show.

[raelee.livejournal.com]

I agree with your comment about Veronica's strong capacity of self-deception and your example of what she did with Lianne. However, I think how she finally handled Lianne proves that she can also see the error of her ways and does move to fix it once she's ready to give up the self-deception. I suspect that's what we'll see coming with her 'normal' this season. As soon as something happens to help her clue into her own self-deception, she'll be able to move past it quickly. (Which, of course corresponds to both what you said and what Shannon said here - that Veronica 'knows' what she is doing and that she can't go back to being Veronica 1.0 - she just hasn't accepted it yet.)

And, since I camped onto these comments I should add... great thoughts!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I agree on the fact that Veronica does have a snapping point and I think she is approaching it soon: it's a pleasant and understandable desire to stay in happy past. But one can't do it forever.