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Veronica Mars: Keep Calm and Party On

“Holy shit... I was right.”

And so we reach a major turning point.

One of the ways that you can tell that Veronica and Keith have a different dynamic now is in how Keith has to discuss the Mars Investigations caseload with Veronica as a partner, not a father. Gone are the days of changed safe codes and ink bombs; Veronica needs to be part of the conversation now. They each have a somewhat equal stake in the business, and because of that they have an equal say in how they handle the Sea Sprite case, which hits several walls throughout this episode.

Keith is quick to take an easy win when a viable suspect crops up in the form of a Fitzpatrick associate, Perry Walsh. “Mole Man,” as Matty dubbed him, came to restock the motel vending machine the week before the bombing. He’s also an ex-con whose been known to have an amateur bomb-making fetish. When he supposedly blows himself up just moments before being captured by Marcia Langdon and her deputies, it seems like a pretty straightforward conclusion. As viewers, it’s crystal clear to us that this is absolutely not the end of the investigation, but Keith wants to believe it is so they can take an easy win.

On the other hand, Veronica’s spidey sense is tingling. She’s almost swayed to Keith’s side, but when faced with Alex Maloof’s question of Mole Man’s guilt, she caves. In the end she’s right. It’s not a satisfying moment by any means, especially since it’s a second bombing that confirms Veronica’s suspicions. But it does reaffirm my concerns over Keith’s mental deterioration. If he weren’t subject to recent bouts of memory loss, would he have picked up on the same clues as Veronica?

Maybe Clyde’s offer to get Big Dick to pay for state-of-the art treatment for his post-car crash injuries will help bring Keith back to life. Despite some initial skepticism, he takes the opportunity to see how the other half lives, and seems surprised by how easy it is to get someone to listen to his concerns. But maybe Keith shouldn’t let that affect his judgement. Veronica didn’t seem too impressed when Keith tried to talk Clyde up to her. Will their differing opinions over Big Dick’s go-to-man have some larger consequences down the line?

I think Maloof will absolutely suffer more than his fair share when Alfonso and his partner come collecting. After being kidnapped and assaulted by the Carrs, he’s saved by Neptune’s newest dynamic duo, but in the heat of the moment Daniel begs Alfonso to kill his torturers. Maybe it was the kidnapping that got his adrenaline flowing to all the wrong places, or maybe he really is a little darker than he’s letting on, but once those words came out of his mouth, the damage was done. I can only imagine that the blackmailer he’s dealing with now is demanding a lot less than these guys will ask of him.

Alfonso isn’t just tied into Daniel Maloof’s problems now, as he’s also managed to get close with the local PCH'ers thanks to the maid he’s been chatting up since he arrived in Neptune. The kicker here is that she’s Weevil’s sister. I don’t remember ever hearing about any of Weevil’s immediate siblings in the OG series, but it’s a liberty I’ll allow the writers to take if it ties Mr Navarro back into the larger narrative. It was great to see Weevil again. There’re a few major turns in Mr. Kiss and Tell that pit him against Veronica, but the novel’s ending did seem to hint at Weevil returning to his wife and kid. I wonder if we’ll get to see what changed in the meantime.

Plus

Jason Dohring seemed more settled into his role than the last couple of episodes. Every line was laced with just the right amount of Echolls wit.

We’ve never gotten to see Veronica drunk or high given how young she was in the OG seasons, but we saw plenty of both during this episode. “Play 'No Scrubs'!” was my favorite part of that nightclub sequence.

I adored the moments of Veronica teaching Matty the tricks of the trade. There’s also something very comforting about seeing Veronica on a stakeout.

Chino has been mentioned a lot over the last couple of episodes. Clyde and Big Dick have obviously served time there. Perry Walsh, too.

Marcia Langdon clearly didn’t want Keith to know how quickly she jumped on his tip about Perry Walsh. She also didn’t give him any credit when the cameras came around.

He Said, She Said

Matty: “When your friend was murdered, were you angry?”
Veronica: “I'm still angry.”

This episode wasn't all about that final twist. It was a sleuth-heavy hour that was paced to perfection. It also featured some of the sparkiest dialogue yet. I laughed out loud on several occasions. This is turning out to be a seriously fun ride.

9 out of 10 pizzas.

1 comment:

  1. Another good one, and, yes, this is turning out to be a seriously fun ride.

    Veronica and Logan got to be a happy couple for a full episode! That's a victory. Glad to see them have some fun for a change. Then I was sad for them that Penn's group kept bringing the conversation back to Lilly.

    I think Maloof is a nice guy, he just wasn't thinking straight, but we shall see. I love how everything is connecting, though. Mars, Maloof, Alonzo, Weevil. Rob Thomas knows how to play with his chess pieces. As a result, the bombing mystery is getting more and more interesting.

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