Season 1, Episode 6
Date of airing: November 2, 2004 (UPN)
Nielsen ratings information: 2.86 million viewers, 2.1 rating/3 share in Households, 1.4 rating/3 share with Adults 18-49
Written by: Phil Klemmer
Story by: Rob Thomas
Directed by: Sarah Pia Anderson
”I think the opposing campaign just went negative.”
High school politics... Besides 1999's ELECTION, directed by Alexander Payne, there are probably a bunch of films and TV shows that explore how high school is as much a ruthless place when you want to change something as the real world is. And with Veronica becoming more of an investigative journalist in this episode, the writers opened a new path the character could walk, if the stories about Veronica's mother or the murder of Lilly Kane don't work out in the long run. Instead of being an investigator for paying clients, Veronica could investigate crimes for a daily newspaper. It would be the same level of entertainment, and it wouldn't take anything away from the premise.
Plus points for Duncan accepting the role as student body president and trying to be the leader for all the students, instead of just the 09ers. It turns out that he is already a better president on his first day than a certain orange turd in the Oval Office will ever be. And then there is the little factoid that Veronica voted for Duncan – not because Wanda was a duplicitous and lying bitch, but because Veronica already knew that Duncan would make a good president, because he simply is the better person.
Meanwhile, the writers went in-depth on Logan's home life, introducing his parents and the way they treat their son. As expected, Aaron Echolls likes his fame and money too much to give it all up for being a good person as well, so he is an abuser and a manipulator. That immediately makes him the villain of the story, in addition to giving Logan an opportunity for the audience to create empathy for him. Because if he gets abused like that at home, it can serve as a logical explanation why he is such an asshole in public. Maybe he needs help to get away from that household. Maybe he needs something (or somebody) to love, and to remember what it's like to live in a good home. Maybe he should be friends with Veronica, especially after she is putting the Lilly Kane murder investigation back on the menu.
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| The worst form of parenting: the abused gets to choose how to be abused. |
