The third season of the cult television show Veronica Mars moved the private eye, played to perfection by Kristen Bell, from high school to college. Once one accepts the conceit present in so many shows that make this move that somehow the important players in the gang all decide to go the same school, there is much fun to be had in this final season.
In an effort to boost viewership, the third season eschews the season long mystery and in its place has a couple of multi-episode mysteries as well as stand alone episodes. Despite this change in the storytelling structure, all the hallmarks of the show's first two seasons are present, from the noir mysteries, to Veronica's problems with her love life, to her ever so snarky comments.
The first of the two multi-episode mysteries deals with rapes happening on the campus of Veronica's new school, Hearst College. The plot was initially brought up when Veronica went to visit the school during a season two episode. Nearly the first half of this season is spent with Veronica investigating the rapes and getting herself into deep trouble with all the possible suspects. Nine of the 20 episodes from the season are spent with Veronica on this case, and also find her just starting to get her footing at college.
By the time she is starting to finally get the hang of the whole higher education thing, she is on her second case, the apparent suicide of a faculty member. Lucky for Veronica the faculty member just happened to die in the exact way Veronica wrote that a "perfect murder" could be committed for one of her classes.
Unlike the first mystery, this second one ends in a way that is all too predictable. The whodunit can be figured out several episodes before Veronica actually puts all the pieces together.
However, throughout all the cases, murders, double-crosses, and general college fun, the show really finds its center in relationships. It is Veronica's relationship with her father Keith (Enrico Colantoni), her on again off relationship with Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) as well as her friendships with Wallace (Percy Daggs III), Piz (Chris Lowell), and Mac (Tina Marjorino) that are at the heart of the story. The mystery cases may provide a great way to enter the series, but it is the relationships that keep people hooked.
One of the things that the show does so successfully is the character of Veronica herself. She is a part of virtually every storyline the show puts forth, and despite the numerous setbacks she has had in her life (like her mother abandoning Veronica and her father) she is still a likable character. Undeniably, she has a mean streak, but somehow she is able to smile an ironic, mocking, smile, use her razor sharp wit, and win over a sizable percentage of those she encounters. There are hold outs, like the girls from Lilith House, a feminist group on the Hearst College campus, but it seems like a smaller group of people in college than at Neptune High School.
Article comments
1 - Rocco
That was a great cast. I hope they find a way to bring back a movie occasionally. It was just too good to die at the hands of an incompetent network. Kristen's new found Heroes fame may provide an opportunity down the road to introduce more people to Veronica.