Who knew that Paul Rudd could play disgusting so well?

Sixty percent of the time, it works every time.

Looks like there will be no VM in Los Angeles tonight because of the Griffith Park fire. Heaven knows when they'll end up showing it, and I hope they can get the fire under control soon.

I thought Paul Rudd was quite good in the role, believable as an ass with a glimmer of talent still remaining. Desmond winding up Keith in the jail cell was v. funny.

Veronica/Piz is cute. I don't hate it. I don't love it either, but they are watchable together.

Vinnie! Running for sheriff! Leo! Ratner! Max! It was like the Continuity Fairy got pregnant and had a freakin' litter.

I'm kind of uninterested in Logan's pain, but I really liked his scene with Mac. Mac = awesome.

I was already liking this episode, then they played Sparklehorse during the Mac/Bronson break-up scene (!!) so the episode automatically got a half letter upgrade: B to B+

The fake songs (both the brief My Little Pony bit in the TV spot and the one Desmond sang during the concert) were pretty catchy.

I liked the scene at the jail too -- but wasn't Desmond wearing a "Working Class Hero" t-shirt? I mean, shouldn't Keith have realized?

I really liked this episode, even though it was so light it might have been fluffy.

I loved the opening scene with Wallace and Veronica. He's so cute when he pretends he doesn't want to do girl talk with Veronica. I wonder if Veronica decided she just wanted to be friends because she wasn't hearing from Wallace that he was anything other than normal Piz. Maybe she needs the ego-boo? Maybe she really likes him a lot, and is afraid to like him if he doesn't like her. I don't know. Either way, I'm enjoying their little romance both for its own sake, and for the interesting residual V/L feelings it's bringing to the surface.

I knew when Keith came in with the news that he was running unopposed that it couldn't last.

There was some good dialogue in this episode. "Waiting for the tip. It's a customary thing, in America." Desmond was such a scuzbucket, but I loved all his nicknames for Piz: Fez, Pus, Pez, Buzz, Bizzen. La Paz.

Scott and I couldn't figure out why the undie-clad groupie was objectionable. I never thought I'd feel badly for a groupie getting the boot. She didn't look old to me. t /eye of the beholder . I half expected that she and Desmond were in cahoots -- and made the tapes disappear.

The Mac and Veronica Eggplant/Veggie Lasagna boy symbolism. "The Bronson Parmesean is good for me, but ooh, the Maxi-ccine looks awfully tempting." And Mac gave as good as she got. Then the Eggplant called. Ha!

Logan and Veronica still give good elevator. I was surprised that Logan jumped back in. Is it wrong that I'm glad he's suffering a little from the sexual jealousy too -- even though Veronica never actually did anything to make him jealous. Poor Parker. It was nice and awkward when the elevator doors opened up to reveal Piz saying, "Thank God you're...uh hey." Logan trying to be brave with, "Good luck," coming out of the same face where his my-puppy-has-cancer eyes live made me want to woobify him. It's good to see him stressing out over school. Too bad his professor ended up being such an asshat.

Dick ran over his own foot. HA! Meanwhile, Bronson is killing Mac with Ultimate Frisbee, and Logan's calling her for homework help.

The product placement for the Extra Gum cracked me up, especially once there was an actual commercial for Extra, at the next break. I can handwave away that a college station wouldn't have sponsors, because I never would have known that, if I didn't read it here.

Leo is back. He looks good, but he still mumbles like he has a mouthful of marbles. Interesting to hear that Danny Boyd is back. I wonder if we'll see more of the Fitzpatricks before the end of the season.

The scene with Logan, Mac and Dick was funny. Dick's spiel about who would you ask for advice about a lion put me in mind of a Dwight Schrute line.

Wallace's, "Which bothers you, because making out with you is supposed to be a life-changing experience," may have been pretty close to the truth of what was going on in Veronica's mind.

Logan gives Mac an excuse to call Max and I find I've gone all in for M/M, even though I really like Bronson. Hot nerd-on-nerd action, indeed.

I thought the skinny dipping scene was dumb and kind of a waste of time, but I guess it was worth it for the next scene after the break between Desmond and Keith.

I liked the scene between Veronica and Piz in the car with the conversation about things being awkward. But I really liked them holding hands. I'll come along for the ride, wherever they're going, even though I want more Veronica and Logan. I felt so badly for Logan asking Mac about Piz and Veronica, and Mac's refusal to discuss it, other than to let him know he's being an idiot.

Poor Keith, giving Vinnie all that credit, just so Vinnie could run against him. And poor Bronson. He's so cute. Let's fix him up with Parker. She's not averse to dating a friend's ex.

So Leo's back on the force? Um. I'm glad to have him back, but he stole evidence from the evidence (continued...)

( continues...) room, evidence that compromised a trial against a murderer who ended up going free and then being killed. Can they do that? Maybe Vinnie should be sheriff.

I am totally calling Piz Fez from now on. HEE.

(there's got to be a better way to word that, or at least punctuate it, but dissertation is eating my brain.)

So Leo's back on the force? Um. I'm glad to have him back, but he stole evidence

I wouldn't be surprised if that comes back to bite Keith in the ass during the election.

I agree with a lot of what Cindy said, unsurprisingly.

I'm along so far with the ride with Piz and Veronica, mostly b/c Piz has been surprising me right along with Veronica. Interested to see where, if anywhere, it goes.

I have this whole thing about how the VM writers confuse stereotypes with archetypes, but I can't tell if it's an actual theory or just a cleverish soundbyte. All I know is, it's now bugging me in some form every week. Last week it was the redneck. This week it was Semites for the Savior (hmmm, who can we say that Fellows insulted just to have a red herring suspect?). I'm already primed to be peevish about next week.

I know it's neo-noir, I know everyone's corrupt, but... it's all so simplistic. Is it just me?

I know it's neo-noir, I know everyone's corrupt, but... it's all so simplistic. Is it just me?

I don't know about the confusion of archetypes with stereotypes, but the characters that formed the mystery in last week's episode were as desperately ill-conceived as the plots in One Angry Veronica and the SPE episode. So I would argue that occasionally the show has some very bad judgment in the service of the standalone.