But in fiction, it's a different story (witness my love for the profoundly unstable heroes of our dear angsty Laura Kinsale). And on tv, this bad boy jones get pretty extreme.
So I turn, for the first time on this blog, to my favorite show in all the world, Veronica Mars. (Okay quick sales pitch for the unitiated: neo-noir set in a Cali high school; tough teen PI heroine with witty wisecracks and a supportive PI dad; class warfare; kooky cases; truly evil adversaries. Once described as Heathers meets Chinatown. Watch it. You'll thank me).
So Veronica's a smart girl. A tough girl. An admirable girl. A girl who's had her fair share of trauma, what with her best friend's murder, her alcoholic mom's splitting town, her dad's loss of his job as sheriff, ad infinitum. If she were one of my friends, I would drag her away from her screwed-up but blisteringly charismatic ex Logan so fast her head would rattle. But on tv...
On tv I LOVE episodes like this week's, where Logan finally confessed to Veronica (after nearly a season of watching her canoodle with his best friend) that he's not over her, that she broke his heart, that he thought their relationship was "epic," that he can't stand the thought that she'll be out of his life after graduation. The fact that he was drunk and wearing a charmingly disheveled tux only added to the poignancy.
Of course he had to screw it all up by forgetting the entire thing when she showed up the next morning to take him up on his offer of reinitiating their relationship. Of course she had to catch him with the predatory step-mom of his best friend (like I said, it's noir).
That's what bad boys do.
If you'd like a screencap of this swoon-worthy episode, click here.
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7 comments:
Waaah!!! I always thought I was a bad-boy!
If you love teen noir, you should watch the movie "Brick." It's all the rage with the clerks at my local Hollywood Video, where I spend far too much time.
Hmm, sounds cool, I'm a TV junkie and will have to check this show out, though I've never watched it before..what time and what channel is it on?
Logan looks cute.
It's on UPN on Tuesdays at 9. Watch it! It's the plucky little show that could and it needs viewers (I'm a little obsessed). They're wrapping up the season long mystery right now, so you might be a little lost, but stick with it.
Season 1 is on dvd right now, if you're up for some Netflixing. Probably the best single season of tv in history.
"The best single season of tv in history." Dear lord! I know you like the show, but what about-
(a) Season 2 of Cheers (Sam and Diane finally get together)
(b) Seasons 1 and 2 of the Sopranos
(c) Season 4 of Seinfeld (Jerry's sitcom story arc); and finally
(d) Seasons 3 through 5 of the Simpsons, in which each episode is a flawless masterpiece?
Hey, I'm not the only person who thinks so, plenty of critics agree. Reasons why:
1) Tight, well-planned, well-paced plotting with clues building up slowly, then faster and faster, culminating in a satisfying yet surprising conclusion.
2) Fantastic acting from the leads, especially Veronica, Logan and her dad.
3) Witty, well-written and sometimes hilarious dialogue.
4) Knowing noir references.
5) Character development. Angry bitter Veronica on her quest toward vengeance is reminded that balls-to-the-wall revenge-seeking isn't always the best policy. Sometimes she gets it, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes her smarter-than-everyone-else amorality seems admirable, sometimes it goes too far. She's better than us but far from perfect. And Logan goes from "obligatory psychotic jackass" adversary to intriguing foil to scarred, just-want-to-hold-him lost puppy to romantic hero to ruthless SOB to wounded lover and it all feels totally natural.
4) Best dad/daughter relationship on tv ever.
haha, I'll put it on my netflix tbs list...thanks for the pimp!
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