Note: Some screen caps for this episode are from Jason-Dohring.com
At the opulent Echolls' residence, we see the gates open in front of a large house. Logan, wearing a dressing gown, rides towards the gate on a scooter to collect the mail. In the distance, his Large Lipped mother (Lynn Echolls) stands in a negligee.
A tour guide announces: "Here, folks, is the house of Aaron Echolls".
Logan is not impressed and he makes a few cutting digs at the fans: "Quite a show, huh? Don't you people have lives? You don't see me poking around your trailer park, do you?" Ooooh Logan, you've got quite a mouth.
When a fan calls asking if he's the son, he loses his temper and marches back: "I'm the guy telling you to get back on the bus and get out of my driveway".
Lynn tries to call him back but the crowd burbles with excitement when Aaron Echolls arrives home in a large chauffeur-driven car.
Aaron works the crowd as he greets them, signs autographs and poses for photographs. Aaron calls Logan over for some photographs, putting his arm around Logan's shoulder and telling him to smile.
Logan gives a stiff, insincere smile, clearly extremely uncomfortable to be in the limelight. Also, he's in his jolly dressing gown which although not as bad as being caught wearing pink pajamas with gingerbread men on them (*embarrassed cough*) has got to be kind of embarrassing.
Aaron reminds his son: "Don't forget these folks pay for all of this, huh?"
Aaron smiles at his fans, basking in their adoration while Logan just looks uncomfortable.
Logan, defender of the Pirate Points
Duncan and Logan are sitting next to each other at computers. They look up at the television when Wanda comes on: "I'm Wanda Varner and I'm running for the office of student council president. Let's be honest. Student government doesn't do jack. I'm here to promise you real change. If elected, I promise to abolish the unfair and elitist Pirate Points program for good."
There is cheering in the room and Wanda announces: "God bless you and God bless America."
There is more applause and Veronica is smiling. Logan looks unimpressed. He leans forward and hits Duncan on the arm with a ruler.
"Hey dude. Can she do that?"
"Student council giveth, student council taketh away." Duncan says, looking very unconcerned.
"No, we're not giving up those points, man, you gotta run."
"Actually, I don't," Duncan tells him, turning back to the computer where he's playing solitaire. Or is it freecell? It doesn't really matter.
In the background, Logan is staring at him contemplatively. I am wondering whether this is Logan's way of prodding his friend out of his stupor or whether it's a purely selfish move on his part.
Logan comes off looking very, very bad in this scene. His car pulls into a petrol station. Dick Casablancas and two other 09ers get out of the car and head into the station while Logan turns off the ignition. I debated about whether to go through it line by line but then decided I probably should since we need to get the bad with the good about Logan.
A black man walks towards his windscreen and starts to clean it for him.
"No, man you don't have to do that," Logan tells him.
The man ignores him and starts cleaning cleaning it anyway. Logan gets the petrol pump and says: "The car was just professionally detailed".
"Ah, they got a lot of nerve calling themselves professionals". He shows Logan the dirt. "Look at that. They just move the dirt around".
"Man, A for effort but you're not getting paid for it". Logan comes across as a bit of a jerk here, but part of me sympathizes because I find those pushy window washing guys at intersections and local shops a little bit annoying too when they wash first and then try to make you pay.
There's no excuse for the following though. The man says he doesn't remember asking for money and points to a sign behind him which says: Homeless Vet. Donations Accepted. Logan doesn't say anything and just nods. When Dick returns, they both watch the man and Logan asks:
"Hey, what about him?"
"Pretty well fed for a bum," Dick comments.
"Yeah" Logan agrees. When he finds out that the man is ex-US Marine Corps, he tells him that he's putting together an "amateur boxing night". Taking a $100 bill, he sticks it into the frame of the open window - in much the same manner that one leaves food for a dog.
"What, you want me to fight?" the man demands.
"No, man. I want you to win," Logan says glibly.
"What you think that you'd just come in here and buy me like that? Is that how it is?" the man demands angrily.
"Yeah, that's exactly how it is. I think we're on the same page," Logan says insultingly.
"Get out of my face. Before I beat your ass down for free," the man tells him and Logan says: "All right, you suit yourself." He then makes an insulting little gesture with his hands - pantomiming window washing (?) before grabbing the bill.
"You have a nice day," he says, smirks and drives away. Very interesting move here by the writers. They're making him extra unlikable this episode. First of all, his attachment to the elitist pirate points system and now this appalling exploitation of homeless people for his own entertainment. His conversation with the homeless vet was insulting, insensitive and just plain awful. There's nothing else I can say!
Logan, the power behind the throne
In class, from the television screen we hear Aaron Echolls say: "Duncan Kane". Duncan's name is then superimposed across an American flag and patriotic music belts out. "A natural leader," Aaron continues.
A surprised Duncan looks up at the screen. "What?"
"Two time All League Soccer. Editor of the Neptune Navigator," Aaron announces. Onscreen are pictures of Duncan - kicking a soccer ball, Duncan standing around a table with other students looking like he's in charge. Duncan slowly exhales and then turns his head to look at Logan in an accusatory fashion.
Aaron continues: "Three point nine two four grade point average".
Logan looks gleeful, holding up both hands in a victory sign.
"National Honour Society. National Merit semi-finalist".
Veronica is speechless and dumbstruck.
Aaron is still speaking: " .... and all around, righteous dude".
Hee hee. Sorry that was quite cute.
A picture of Duncan with two other guys is replaced by Aaron sitting on the steps of a trailer. "Hi. I'm Aaron Echolls". There are a few impressed gasps. "And I've known Duncan Kane for a long time. He's the real deal. Duncan Kane for student body President."
"That's my dad!" Logan says in a slightly exaggerated voice, there is applause. Logan also applauds but in a very over the top fashion.
"All right!" Logan exclaims. Some classmates pat Duncan whose face is a bit hard to read. He might be annoyed, he might just look serious - I can never tell with Duncan.
When it comes time to vote, Duncan jumps to his feet and says almost pleadingly: "Please, whatever you do, just don't vote for me". Duncan glares at Logan who takes advantage of the situation:
"Did you hear that folks? And he's humble to boot. God! This guy."
Hee hee. Okay, Logan comes across as an ass in this scene but he's funny as hell and Duncan is also pretty funny with his "please don't vote for me" plea.
Not a huge lot to say about this scene. It doesn't matter how you look at it, it's appalling.
There is a circle of cars with their headlights illuminating the "ring". Logan is overseeing the fight, he's shouting, he's cheering, he's taking advantage of homeless people for his own entertainment....... and financial gain given the cash Dick is holding ....
In journalism class again. Do they ever have anything but journalism class. Maybe it's the only class that they all have together and it's the only class where they can show them sitting in a non-conventional seating arrangement instead of just row upon row.
Duncan is sitting at the desk in the middle of the room, Veronica enters the room and heads straight towards Logan who is sitting at a computer. "Bravo, Logan. It's a new low. And just when the critics were having some doubts." Veronica tells him, presumably referring to the "moments" they had in The Wrath of Con.
Logan glances over at Duncan and then back at Veronica. I don't know why he does this. Surely he didn't think Duncan would back him up or was it that he didn't want Duncan to overhear what he was going to say.
"Mmm. Must be talking about your, uh, narc friend, W-W-W-Wanda," he mocks her, laughing and Veronica just stares at him.
"Well, isn't it time that you found another bad guy?" he demands (with a certain amount of justification) possibly alluding to the false accusation in Credit where credit's due and You think you know somebody. Veronica gives him a very deadly stare.
Logan's face assumes a serious expression although I have no way of knowing whether it's genuine or a put on. "Look, I just don't have time to be responsible for every little thing that goes wrong in your life," he tells her.
I suspect he was putting it on because he gives a short insolent laugh before he walks off on her.
Dick has come into class and told Logan in an excited way to check out the The Smoking Gun website because he's "famous".
Logan goes to one of the computers and logs into the website. There's a photo of his father there. When he clicks on a link there's a link to a document that not only has footage of the fight, it clearly shows his face and mentions that Logan has been participating in organized fights where the fighters are homeless men. As he watches, the look on his face shows he knows he is in deep, deep trouble.
I don't have much to say here either except that it's all part of the plan to build up Logan as a big, big jerk and then bring him crashing down again.
He looks genuinely frightened when he sees the footage. Does this mean he didn't do it to annoy his father? Did he think that something like this could be secret? I had assumed that it was all part of his general aim in life to make life difficult for his father.
Double Busted - shoeless Logan
At the Echolls' residence at night, Logan walks into the house. I didn't notice it the first time but other people have pointed it out and I notice it now - Logan's sneaking into the house carrying his shoes to avoid detection. It kind of makes you feel apprehensive about what kind of father Aaron must be.
"Hey, Dad," he says apprehensively. We see that Aaron is across the room, sitting in the dark - lying in wait. Logan gives a very awkward and nervous grin which lasts about one second before disappearing. I'm frightened, too. Hold me.
"What are you doing up?" Logan asks.
"I couldn't sleep. What with the phone ringing every five minute," Aaron tells him, rising to his feet and walking towards Logan who shifts on his feet in a very apprehensive-looking fashion.
"Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, E!. Any guesses what they wanted to talk about? My charity work? No. My latest Christmas movie? No." Logan looks terrified.
Aaron puts his arm around Logan's shoulders heavily. "They wanted to talk about my son's latest opus. Skid Row Boxing." Aaron puts his hand on the back of Logan's head. His voice is calm but you can tell he's seething.
Logan puts a hand up to his forehead in that way he always does when he's feeling unsettled. "Look, Dad, I ... uh ... don't know wha ..."
Aaron grabs the back of Logan's neck hard and Logan's hand goes back up to his head again in distress as his father says in a very soft and scary voice: "I have to say that your performance was really impressive. The way you play the ungrateful son determined to humiliate his father was utterly impressive!"
By the "utterly impressive" line, he is shouting and he throws Logan across the room. Logan lands face down on the sofa and although he is still half-lying, he faces his father, his expression very apprehensive - and very frightened. Jason Dohring is really good in this scene.
"Do you have any idea what you just cost this family?" Aaron shouts. He lowers his voice slightly. "Of course you don't. You never had to work for anything in your life." He then says in that scary, soft voice again: "Now, tomorrow, after school, you're going to get your first lesson in public relations."
Logan looks up at him and I can't interpret his expression.
"Don't you ever embarrass me again," Aaron says threateningly and Logan's lips move slightly as if he's going to say something, but nothing comes out.
Aaron walks away. Logan gives a slightly shaky breath and sits up, looking very unsettled.
This scene was interesting. Aaron doesn't hit Logan here but he's so menacing and quietly furious that he's already quite terrifying. Logan is clearly very frightened of him and we learn later on that there's more to Aaron than just shouting and menacing whispers.
I don't think this scene is intended to make us like Logan or think that his behavior in organizing the fights is acceptable. What it does do is explain that he's not just a spoiled little rich kid. He has a certain darkness in his life that no doubt influences his behavior and outlook. I'll discuss it further on but it should be noted that Aaron isn't angry about what Logan did (exploit homeless people for fun), he's angry that he's embarrassed Aaron. Very telling.
Logan's back at the petrol station where he first met the homeless vet. As Aaron fills his car, his mobile phone rings.
I thought you weren't supposed to answer your mobile phone at petrol stations? In Australia they always have signs telling you not to.
Aaron says impatiently into the phone: "Yeah. I know I'm late Marty. Look, is this the closest homeless shelter you could find?"
Logan is sitting in the passenger seat of his father's convertible, listening in. To be honest, he just looks like a browbeaten little kid.
Aaron continues: "No. Never mind. Are the cameras ready? Good". When he hangs up, he leans in towards Logan: "All right. Now this is how this is gonna work. They're gonna get a few shots of you volunteering at the soup kitchen, then I'm gonna join you for an interview with the TV crews, you got it?"
"What do you want me to tell them?" Logan asks.
"What do you think, Logan? That you're sorry. That you're bone-headed. And that you screwed up. I'll take care of the rest." Logan looks down - ashamed, upset, frightened or angry? It's hard to tell.
Aaron's mobile rings again. We then listen to him wanting to turn down a script because it is so poorly written. He damns it saying that so and so hasn't made a watchable movie since the seventies." Then we learn the true colours of Aaron Echolls because he asks if his quote is going to be met. "Son! How do you argue with eight figures?" he asks Logan rhetorically and we know that despite thinking the script is crap, he's going to be "bought".
Offscreen, the homeless vet hails Logan and says: "It's Don King. Hey, you find some sucker who's willing to make a bitch out of himself for cash?"
Logan doesn't reply and the vet walks away in disgust. Aaron gets in the car, asks Logan if he's ready and Logan says he is. As they drive away, an almost creepy looking Logan just stares fixedly at his father with an unreadable expression on his face
What was the purpose of that scene? The parallels were a little bit obvious, I mean when the vet asked "It's Don King. Hey, you find some sucker who's willing to make a bitch out of himself for cash?" they might as well have had Aaron leaping up and down exclaiming: "Me! Me! Me! Pick me!" The scene is a little bit over the top because it reminded me of the scene in Finding Nemo when the shark tries to eat Nemo and his shark buddies try to excuse him by saying: "He never knew his father".
Still, what we take away from this scene is that Logan has never had a very good role model and his father can be bought for cash. Most importantly, this scene and the "shoeless Logan in the dark" scene illustrate very clearly that Logan's father is not angry because he was exploiting the weak and powerless. He's angry that Logan has embarrassed and humiliated him. You can almost imagine him saying: "I don't care what you do as long as you keep it quiet".
To be honest, I never thought Harry Hamlin was a good actor before this but he brings such an interesting layer of complexity to the role of Aaron Echolls. He's so awful, borders on a screaming cliché but he also has layers and is very intriguing. Excellent casting.
In the following scene, Logan is at a table wearing an apron, serving up food. Interestingly enough he's being quite personable in the task, smiling and agreeable instead of sullen and resentful. We know from other episodes that he doesn't really have any qualms about mouthing off in front of an audience despite his fear of his father.
In the room, the homeless are eating at tables, Aaron is being Mr. Bountiful. He then summons Logan over, putting his arm around his shoulders. Logan's arm is around Aaron's back and he smiles obediently for the cameras.
Aaron starts to speak: "Excuse me! I just wanted to say that my father was not an educated man," Logan is kind of looking around and smiling in a very cheesy fashion through Aaron's words. "He dropped out of school after the eighth grade so he could go to work in the new automotive plant in Pontiac, Michigan. And he once told me something that I'll never forget. He said 'Son, a good heart is worth all the heads in the world put together.'" Aaron gives Logan a pat on the chest, Logan drops his head and looks sheepish.
Aaron continues: "Now my son here will be the first one to admit that he wasn't using his head. But I promise each and every one of you, that this boy, this boy has a great heart." Logan smiles on cue, the crowd makes noises of appreciation of the speech.
Logan speaks with extremely convincing sincerity. "I know now that, uh, that what I did was wrong. I'm really sorry. I only hope that one day I can live up to my dad's good example." Wow, Logan's a better actor than his father. Logan turns to Aaron and they hug. I'm a bit freaked because for some reason Harry Hamlin looks like Willem Dafoe from time to time. Maybe I'm the only one who sees that.
"I love you," Logan says as they hug for the camera.
They then stand side by side for the cameras. The press are smiling. "Okay, look, uh, I know that you didn't want to make a big deal out of this, but I'm just so proud of him that I, I can't keep it a secret."
Aaron doesn't let his expression slip but he looks a bit disconcerted now that Logan is deviating from the script. Logan looks at his father with a giant grin on his face.
"Dad told me on the way over that he's donating half a million dollars to the Neptune food bank," Logan announces proudly. The crowd gasps in delight, there is applause and Logan says: "Way to go, Dad," as he applauds.
Aaron is clearly shocked and furious. The smile temporarily slips from his face and he stares at Logan warningly. He is smiling again when he looks at the crowd. Logan puts his arm around Aaron's back and pantomimes being a loving son.
At first I laughed and thought "serves him right", amused that Logan had found the perfect revenge by hitting him where it hurt most - in the wallet. Then the scene segues straight into the next scene - same music and any smile on your face fades fast.
We see the inside of a wardrobe, leather belts are hanging up. Logan approaches and slides open the door.
He studies them, pick one, feels its weight and waits for a moment. He folds it in his hand and slides the door closed.
He walks to his father's study and we can see posters of Aaron's films on the wall. Aaron is standing by the window. Logan pauses in the door holding the belt, he walks in, Aaron holds out his hand for the belt. He unfolds the belt and goes to close the door. We see Logan lifting his shirt just as the door closes.
As we hear the sound of the belt hitting flesh, the camera moves onto Lynn who is sitting on a sofa, drinking. An unreadable expression on her face. Some people say she's smiling. I receive the impression that she's almost sedating herself, listening but because she's unable to do anything about it, she drinks.
Wow. Amazing scene. For a moment there, I thought Logan was going to hang himself. The way the camera closes in on his face as he holds the belt in his hand is just spooky. Lots of thoughts bounce around in my head. Logan must be self-destructive, crazy, brave or stupid to do a lot of the things he does given the consequences.
There is a very lively debate about whether Aaron is an abuser who is beating Logan or if he is a parent administering corporal punishment. I don't have a problem with corporal punishment. I believe it should only be administered by parents and not, for instance, teachers. I believe that the child should know why it is being punished and the force should not be excessive. I was smacked as a child but never beaten. Why do I believe Aaron was beating Logan rather than punishing? Well:
- after the news of the skid row fights is leaked, Aaron loses his temper because of the scandal, not because of what Logan did
- he beats Logan with a belt because Logan made him give away half a million dollars, not because he arranged the skid row fights.
Then again, to present both sides of the story, there are a number of reasons why you could argue that Logan was not abused. After reading some of the threads at Television Without Pity, here are some possible arguments indicating that Logan was not abused:
- Logan still spends a lot of time at home when he could avoid probably avoid a lot of the pain by not being around.
- Aaron doesn't drink and doesn't call Logan abusive names
- Aaron has only been shown hitting Logan only once after he brought embarrassment to him. It wasn't boiling water, cigarettes, or paddles and it was not in the heat of the moment but later at home. [Note from Koala: Errm - this argument doesn't quite do it for me. Yes we see it once but I'm sure the writers probably thought once scene was enough. The whole "choosing of the belt" scene implied that it was something that happened if not frequently, had happened more than once.]
- Logan has provoked Aaron onscreen repeatedly and wasn't hit in other situations.
- Trina does not appear to have been beaten.
- Although money is the most important thing to Aaron, he appears to be willing to give it up to spend time with his son.
Very ambiguous but part of the show's magic that nothing is as it seems.... I have to admit the "is he or is he not abused" topic has caused a very heated debate. I'm going to quote a really interesting quote from someone named depudor who posted a note at the forum at Television Without Pity. You can read the full note by clicking on the link but this was the part that interested me the most:
My favorite thing about Logan as a character, and why I think he's so sympathetic, is that he criticizes and questions this world he lives in even though he derives his entire self-worth from his inherited status. That's his internal battle.
In the noir sense, Logan could really be the hero, because he's emerging from the gray and starting to distinguish the darkness and the light. Veronica was rescued from it by her downfall, because she was forced to become "real" and re-access her own strength and integrity as tools that would help her succeed in life.
For Logan it's a choice. He's accepted that his world is fucked up, and now he's testing the waters of rebellion and trying to decide if he has the strength to walk away from it all, which will be extremely difficult given that his self-esteem is so wrapped up in wealth and status and, at the end of the day, he hates himself. But his attraction to Veronica is evidence of his rebellion and his desire for something "real" that is not about money or power.
Being with her is a risk for Logan in a way it never was for Duncan. When Duncan was with Veronica, she was an 09er. She had a nice house in the right zip code, and her father was an important member of the community. Her status was not simply determined by dating Duncan. Without him, she might not have gotten past "the velvet rope" to the most popular lunch table, but she'd still be invited to the parties.
Duncan was originally less morally corrupt than Logan because Duncan had doting parents who taught him to be a decent human being, as decent as one can be within that system. Logan didn't have that advantage; everything he knew about decency was self-taught, and his deep loyalty to Duncan shows that Logan innately respected that quality. And it was when Keith went after Jake that Logan flipped on Veronica, because Logan respected Jake and understood what a father is supposed to be (and made himself as much a part of that family as he could). But now, after Lilly's murder and the web of lies that it spawned, Duncan has become more corrupt, because he chose the path of antidepressants and denial and refused to confront what Ghost of Lilly told him are all the things that don't add up. Duncan chooses to believe that the world he is in is not corrupt.
Logan, on the other hand, has fewer clues about the murder than Duncan but is closer to understanding that something is wrong. In the end, the one who "deserves" to be with Veronica (not that either of them really do) is the one who will not only accept her but accept her investigation into Lilly's death. If Logan can do that, he has a real shot at redemption. In terms of a Cinderella story, it's really Logan who needs to be rescued by Veronica, and not the other way around, because the victory in the end, the happily ever after, is not to gain wealth but to get away from it.
Interesting stuff and a salutory reminder to me that there are people in this world who don't use the Internet as an excuse to forget how to be articulate and thoughtful in their posts. Incidentally, I think depudor was also the person who posted: "Tonight, I paused my Tivo on a close-up of Logan's face and tried to feed him ice cream." Haha.
In case anyone was even vaguely believing what Aaron was saying in his performance about Logan, I'd like you to think about what Aaron says about his father in Hot Dogs during the That's Amore scene when he's beating the absolute crap out of Trina's boyfriend Dylan. For my final take on Aaron, you'll have to read my comments in A trip to the dentist. I don't think this episode made me like Logan or consider him as a potential love interest for Veronica, but I really did feel very sorry for him. Honestly, the writers of this show are fantastic.
One other by the by on a more humorous note, when Veronica goes up to Madison and tells her that on Fridays the sloppy joes are the best bet, I was a little bit confused. In Australia, a sloppy joe is a pullover that you wear. When I thought about it I remembered that in the US, a sloppy joe is (I think) a sandwich. So the first time the scene played I couldn't figure out why Veronica was telling Madison what to wear on Fridays. Now I realise that she's telling her - given that there will be no pirate points and you can no longer order in food and will have to eat cafeteria food like the rest of us, I recommend the sloppy joes.
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