We Used To Be Friends

Since I missed Veronica Mars yesterday due to all the other finales airing, I am posting a summary from Entertainment Weekly. I have it tivoed and will watch another day.

By Tanner Stransky

Friends of Veronica, this ending is one for the books. And I'm not talking the good books. I'm talking the books that keep records of travesties, injustices, and downright dissatisfaction. 'Cause that's how I'm feeling right now: totally dissatisfied. Was that really the end? A special two-hour ''finale'' that didn't wrap up anything? Yet another blemish on a series that couldn't win for losing.

You've probably heard by now, but currently The CW has no plans to air Veronica next season. I say ''currently'' because rumor has it that contractually, the network has until June 15 to make a decision. For all we know, though, that could just be talk, as no word either way has officially come down from the network or from the production studio, Warner Bros. I went to The CW's upfront last week, and not a soul on stage alluded to the show, even to say something like ''What a great run the network has had with Veronica.'' (Though we were treated to Kristin Bell's narration of the new sudser Gossip Girl, which is a pretty good signal that Bell has moved on. Another of The CW's casualties, Gilmore Girls, did get at least a quick shout-out.)

In any case, this ending — likely of the series, but definitely of the season — was totally weird. First off, if it was indeed a series finale, why no acknowledgment of that? Why all the wrap-around promotions that just referred to it as the season finale? Maybe the decision was made too late to change that stuff, but regardless, it just seemed like the powers that be couldn't care less about how the series ended its strife-filled run. Also, I loved how this was touted as a two-hour finale, when really it was nothing more than two episodes smashed together, with a few connecting threads. Classy.

All right, enough whining: On to the meat of the episodes. Actually, I'm not going to wax on and on about them either, because, well, what's the point now? (Any of you out there feeling defeated like this?) I will say this: I absolutely loved the mystery in the last hour. I felt like Veronica had gotten back to some of the hard-boiled days from the first two seasons. Our young PI was engaged in a case — the hunt to find whoever distributed her sex tape — that actually meant something to her. It harked back to when she was investigating Lilly Kane's murder — a fine return to another case that had an impact on Veronica's life! The open-and-shut cases that had taken the lead as of late — like who was vandalizing the local Middle Eastern restaurant or what happened to a rock star's backup tapes or even this week's focus on forged ID cards — incited little passion or venom from Veronica. But when she's threatened? Watch out! That's when the truly wonderful, acerbic, bitchy Veronica comes out. And that's honestly when she's best.

The Castle plot was intriguing. I mean, who doesn't love a story line about a secret collegiate society? I also loved that Jake Kane (Kyle Secor) was weaved in there, as another nod to days gone by. (And what about those creepy paintings of both Lilly and Duncan in the mansion? A nice tribute to beloved characters now gone, but man, those were freaky. And Veronica seemed to be bugging about them, too.) As for Keith's actions in the case, they were...surprising. Yes, he's done dubious things before, but it's nice to see a few cracks in an otherwise pristine facade. When he destroyed the caught-on-DVR evidence — that just went to the heart of what made this show so endearing: the Keith-Veronica relationship. You'd be hard-pressed to point out another father-daughter relationship on TV that runs this deep. Keith could have skinned Veronica alive for what he knew she did, but that didn't stop him from protecting her — ruining his chance at being elected sheriff along the way. (Even though we can assume he would lose the election, don't you just want to know for sure? In case, maybe somehow, miraculously, he could pull it off?) Their final words to each other couldn't have been sweeter. Veronica: ''You know I love you, right? More than anything.'' Keith: ''Of course, honey. I never doubt it.'' Okay, so maybe I'm a sap, but this tugged at my heartstrings a bit and left me relieved there wasn't a dreaded Veronica-Keith battle at the end.

Another unresolved issue — probably the most important one to you romance-loving fans out there — is Logan and Veronica. Although I've never loved Piz, something in me was rooting for him to interfere with LoVe just long enough for Logan and Veronica to realize that they couldn't live without each other. But that was all I wanted him around for. He wasn't supposed to close the series as her beau! I'll admit that it took me at least a season to appreciate the dynamic chemistry between Logan and Veronica. But to end with them as just friends (and just sort of friends, at that)? Truly a travesty. Obviously, Rob Thomas and Co. didn't have time to properly wrap up the relationship, because I have to believe that LoVe would have eventually been put back together, even if it was just as a nod to fans' support of the couple. I'm guessing that there are many of you out there who'll continue to deny the fact that LoVe are broken up for good. And that's completely fine. This is already fantasy, right?

One of the things I'm going to miss most about Veronica is the pop-culture-laced banter. (With Gilmore Girls gone too, that's two banter-rific series hitting the skids.) True, the story lines kept the show moving forward, but the wonky little world of Neptune was comforting. For example this cute, sort of pointless but nonetheless hilarious, exchange — Mac: ''Miss Mars uses Venus razor.'' Veronica: ''Because if she doesn't, her legs look like Pluto's.'' Mac: ''And she's down to earth to boot.'' Even Dick's random drivel put a smile on my face last night: ''This new wet suit is like a cheap motel,'' he said, grabbing his crotch. ''No ballroom.''

And, most of all, I'll miss Veronica's one-liners, like ''Can you shiv me, please? Seriously, just bash me in the head with your boot or something.'' And: ''It's a cluster of morons. Don't worry — they'll let you back in.'' Or how about when evil Castle member Gorya walked back into his dorm room to find Veronica with a Taser singing a too-sweet version of Daniel Powter's ''Bad Day''? This was a character with panache — and a wicked sense of humor.

Okay, so it's fine. The end is fine. (I'm trying to convince myself here.) No, it wasn't the bust-out ending we were all hoping for. LoVe didn't end up together. We didn't find out if Keith will continue on as sheriff. Heck, we didn't even see if Weevil's knee got better. And Wallace — well, his character's fade-out this season is subject enough for a whole separate TV Watch. What I'm saying is that if this really is it, it's okay. We've all sort of known this was coming since the show debuted. And another season of squirming? Continuing to wonder whether it'll be renewed and whether the story lines will improve? Whether producers will give screen time to characters we love? I can do without that. Adieu, Veronica, adieu, it has been an amazing three years.

Show Summaries

Here are recaps of the shows I would have covered over the past week that I did not get a chance to do:

Ugly Betty: Our heroine tracks down her grandmother in Mexico and learns valuable lessons about fighting for love. Plus, Marc stands up for Amanda. I Really love how the Ignacious/immigration storyline played out now. It was boring but now I'm into it. The episode rocked as usual. Best lines:

1. Marc, to Amanda, after she broke their date: "Don't tell me you forgot we were gonna rent 300 and enjoy the mildly homophobic-slash-homoerotic content!"

2. Justin, complaining about the bad timing of the trip to Mexico: "Doesn't anyone care that I am understudying the lead in West Side Story? God forbid Joey Colano takes ill and I don't know my finger snaps for the rumble."

3. Willy, worrying about getting wrinkles from smiling: "You really can't see those lines can you?" Marc: "Nope. You're as dead on the outside as you are on the inside."

Grey's Anatomy: Meredith refuses to answer anything on the big intern exam. Plus, the Chief's wife is pregnant, and George gets a job offer. Good, but not great. I fear my favorite show is slipping??? I think today's season finale will reverse that.

Desperate Housewives: Susan and Gaby battle over the same day for their weddings. Plus, Edie manipulates Carlos, and Lynette gets some bad news. The show is starting to improve and I have even higher hopes for the season finale. I thought Mike's proposal was cute but predictable. I'm excited for Marcia Cross' return on Sunday. Who thinks Bree is pregnant?

Entourage: They are back to form! After the Amanda debacle, things are looking up. Johnny gets a hit show after getting depressed by the bad reviews. Plus Vince and E give Ari one more chance, and Turtle meets a girl! The ep rocked and I'm anxious to see how the Medellin movie will turn out after the risk Vince and E took in buying the script.

Dancing With the Stars: Awesome episode! Everyone really danced great. My favorite Laila did awesome and was so sexy. I also enjoyed Apolo's dance and thought it was very sexy. I felt bad that Ian had to go after scoring his first perfect score, but after the couples left, he and Cheryl were the weakest. Go Laila!

Heroes: The next to last episode ruled! Deep breathe, here we go. Hiro learned samurai skills from his father (although strange he did so fast) just as the good guys join forces against Linderman and Sylar. Nathan told DL and Jessica where to find Linderman. Once there, Linderman shot DL but DL managed to kill him by sticking his hand into his head, ew. Niki finally made a comeback. Proving my theory wrong, Micah's role was to fix the election so Nathan could win by a landslide. Also, HRG showed his badass side, killing Thompson. Will he kill little Molly too or use her to find Sylar. Speaking of Sylar, he got hotter...uh more powerful...by munching on Ted's brains and stealing his power. Claire and Peter are right on his tail. Next week, it looks like it will be one hell of a showdown of hotties with Peter vs Sylar. I can't wait.

American Idol: So I tuned in on Tuesday night expecting Jordin to rule the house. However, she was saddled by two crappy songs chosen by Simon and the producers. She picked things up with a replay of "I Who Have Nothing." Blake also struggled with the choices made for him. However, Melinda nailed it with 3 perfect songs, of course. It was obvious she was safe, or was she...we'll talk about that in a bit.

Veronica Mars: It's obvious I'm no longer digging this once glorious show. The network has completely killed it! First they changed the format and took away the mysteries, leaving only a mysetry an episode. Things are looking like the show will be cancelled and to be honest, I'd rather have it cancelled than continue in this sad state. So very, very sad. This show ruled.

Facing the Music

It's sad watching the deterioration of one of my all time favorite shows. The CW is killing this show by forcing them to completely change formats and do one case an episode rather than a season-long mystery. The drama and emotional investment is gone. Even the snappy one-liners are in decline. I'll give last night's episode this much: It was way better than last week's stinking pile of can't-we-all-just-get-along after-school-special crap. And the improvement was thanks in no small part to special guest star Paul Rudd.

The hard-working actor popped up as Desmond Fellows, a "spineless, semi-alcoholic has-been rock star," in the words of Ms. Mars. He used to be rich and famous as one half of My Pretty Pony, that was apparently huge back when stringy long hair for dudes was all the rage. But then his partner died, and now he's doing benefit concerts at little nothing colleges like Hearst. I admit I was predisposed to love Rudd's journey to Neptune from the moment I saw the teaser for this episode, called "Debasement Tapes." But let's hear it for his bull's-eye comic portrayal of a washed-up musician. His delivery of lines like "Plax! Come on, I'm missing Night Court!" were hilarious, with just the right amount of self-important smarm. And Rudd nailed the rock-star-as-wannabe-wild-boy cliché when he declared to a crowd of partygoers, "This is my lifestyle!" while stripping down to go skinny-dipping at the beach. He ended up getting busted, which led to a delightful exchange with Sheriff Mars back at the station about the significance of the Beatles.

Of course, this being Veronica Mars, Dezzie had issues other than just clinging to his former glory — namely, that the vocal tapes recorded by his late bandmate were missing. Without them, he said, he could not perform live. Now, I accept that any mystery in the Mars-iverse will always come with red herrings. But this particular dose of dead ends felt more arbitrary than usual. Who stole the tapes from Desmond's backpack? Was it the groupie waiting for him in his Neptune Grand bed wearing nothing but a leopard-print bra and panties? Nope. Was it that rascally hotel bellhop Jeff Ratner, whom Veronica had previously suspected of being involved in the Dean O'Dell murder? Sorry — thanks for playing. No, Desmond's stuff disappeared simply because he and some other fan of excessive boozing accidentally swapped bags at the airport. Kinda anticlimactic. Anyway, Veronica and Piz drove to L.A., recovered Desmond's luggage, and saved the day — but not until slyly tricking Dezzie into performing an acoustic set and showing him that he didn't need no stinkin' backing vocals. Aww...how life-affirming!

Still, Paul Rudd can sing! In fact, he sang so well that Veronica got all lovey-dovey with Piz at the back of the club. "Piznarski, you're a good guy," she said before slipping her hand into his. This after Ronnie had spent a good three-quarters of the episode awkwardly dancing around the are-we-or-aren't-we following last week's party smooch. And then there was Mac, grappling with a serious good-guy/bad-guy dilemma of her own. In a terrific sequence, the gal pals found themselves comparing their love interests to the cafeteria's menu du jour. In the end, Mac went with edgy nerd Max (fettuccine Alfredo), which meant dumping poor, sweet Bronson, and Veronica opted for milquetoast Piz (eggplant parmigiana). How long she stays with him is anyone's guess, though. Because in case you somehow missed the numerous, unsubtle clues, Logan is back to brooding, and he's mighty jealous of the new couple.

But Logan didn't spend the entire episode fishing for info on PiVe. The industrious Mr. Echolls also enlisted master hacker Mac to help him with a homework assignment: craft a business plan. Being Logan, he opted for a "hot asses" website. Mac ultimately deemed the end product an "assterpiece." When Dick launched into his speech about being an expert on the subject of Logan's project — it provided the best line ever- "Who would you ask for advice about lions — a lion or a gerbil?" he asked, perfectly straight-faced. "By virtue of being a lion, a lion is an expert on lions." Genius!

As for Keith Mars, he kept busy looking into some sort of shady operation going down at the local Sports Haus, after being tipped off by none other than former deputy Leo. Alas, Vinnie Van Lowe was already on the case. Worse, Neptune's doofiest P.I. also decided to run against Keith in the upcoming sheriff's election. Damn that Vinnie! I really didn't pay much attention, I kept changing to Dancing With the Stars. Which is sad, I used to watch every minute of this show.

Back to Mars

Hey guys. Remember Veronica Mars? It's been eight whole weeks since we last hung out with Neptune's savviest sleuth. That's a long time!

I can't say that I had terribly high hopes for last night's episode. The show has been inconsistent this season, and the decision to turn the remaining eps into contained, open-and-shut cases never struck me as creatively exciting. I understand that the producers are desperate to attract more viewers and save the show. But single, no-arc mysteries just seem to run counter to everything that made VM great. Unfortunately, I have to say my fears were confirmed.

Called "Un-American Graffiti," the episode juggled three essential story lines. I'll start with the one involving the titular vandalism. Someone took it upon himself to spray-paint "Terrorist" on the door of Babylon Gardens, Neptune's friendly neighborhood Middle Eastern restaurant. Then a yellow pickup truck cruised by the restaurant and — splat! — shot Veronica and the BG family with paintball guns. Our gal seemed to think she had her culprit in a dark-skinned videogamer who she assumed was dealing with some serious self-hatred. But wouldn't you know it, he turned out to be an equal-opportunity paintballer who had nothing to do with the graffiti. And he had proof. Switching on a homemade DVD that showed him and his friends targeting, among others, their teacher, Mr. Clemens.

After some spying, tailing, and another red herring, Veronica eventually found the guilty party: Derrick, a mean-lookin' redneck in a rundown old van. Derrick, you see, just hated "towel heads" (his words, in case you thought I'd temporarily lost my mind), especially since his brother came home from Iraq in a wheelchair. And especially after seeing Nasir — the guy who was supposed to marry the BG owners' daughter, Amira — pass out anti-American propaganda at the mall. But this very special episode of VM didn't leave it at that. It went for its own full-fledged Middle Eastern peace talk, with Mr. Babylon Gardens taking it upon himself to explain to Derrick what it means to be American. And then the clincher: As the happy couple turned to leave, the wife gazed at her husband and told him how very proud she was of his ''inspirational'' words. And would he now please allow their daughter to date her Jewish boyfriend?

Ahhh! Enough! Please! Make it stop! The whole plot was so shallow, built on such thinly drawn characters, that I could barely watch it. We never even learned where the Babylon Gardens family was from. (I guess it was enough for us to hear them rolling their r's.) I am all for television attempting to bridge our differences or what have you, but for VM to try to do it in an hour, alongside two other subplots, is just foolish. It's the kind of topic the show could have dealt with gracefully in the past, dedicating a handful of thoughtful episodes to it.

The underage-drinking subplot hardly helped matters. A drunk college student staggered across the street — right in front of a speeding car! Straight out of a low-grade horror flick, the guy threw up his hands to shield his terror-stricken face. Then the screen went white. The crash ended up paralyzing the poor guy, so Sheriff Mars launched an investigation into fake IDs that eventually led him to fire some of his own officers. And then...oh, who cares? It was all so dull and by the numbers. I mean, underage boozing near a college campus? Really? That's the best they could come up with?

Thank God, then, for the sparks of greatness that came when Veronica interacted with her pals. I loved seeing her talk boys with Mac and task Wallace and Piz to be her moral-support "wingmen" at Parker's birthday shindig. I even would have welcomed a few more minutes of "the Dickster," a guy who keeps his fly unzipped as a party ritual. Also, the scenes involving the new love triangle made for some compelling dramatic tension. I felt for the lovelorn Piz as Veronica cuddled up to him only to escape the creepy dude at the party. And I loved that they then enjoyed a nice, long smooch in plain view of Logan. Take that, suckah!

In all, if the VM people want to stick around for another season, they shouldn't allow the quality of the show to suffer so much. Similar to Desperate Housewives, the need to bring back the season long mysteries!

Spoilers Time!

Veronica Mars:

1. The jury is still out on our girl. There had been rumors that the show has been cancelled. However, according to creator Rob Thomas, "That's simply not true. I'm the one who called them. I didn't say we were canceled. We're not." Rob is hard at work on his season-four pitch, which sounds mind-blowingly good as you saw a few weeks back here on the blog. The CW would be completely moronic not to pick it up!

Lost:

1. The Lost finale will be the finale that everyone will be talking about all summer. Not Grey's. Not Heroes. Rumors are rampant that Lost's season-ender will "change the show for good"— possibly in sort of an Alias-y Super Bowl episode kinda way. So get ready.

2. The upcoming episode "D.O.C." explores Sun's pregnancy, and I'm told the initials in the title stand for "date of conception." So I'm guessing we'll get answers regarding the baby's father. The flashbacks in the episode include more scenes with Sun's father, Mr. Paik.

Brothers & Sisters:

1. Emily VanCamp (Rebecca) is now a series regular. Producer Greg Berlanti says that: "She's gonna be around, so we're gonna have to kill off a few people at the end of the year to make space for everybody! No, I'm kidding. You know, she definitely is, in fact, a Walker. It's not a fraud, and that's important to know. But I think the obvious thing would be to sort of try and integrate her in a happy, healthy way and make her one of the family. We really don't take that route. There are a lot of surprises coming up for her character in terms of just who she is. And you know, the person who knows the most about her is the person the Walkers trust the least, and that's Holly. In some ways, [Rebecca's presence] will make them relate to [Holly] more. But mostly, it just drives them all crazy that they have to continue to be associated with [her and vice versa]."

2. Dave Annable says that Justin may just ship off right around season finale time. But before he goes, Greg tells me he gets quite chummy with his new sis, Rebecca: "Justin is sort of the family member who takes the lead in terms of bringing her into the fold. Partially because he’s closest to her in age and partially because his sense of going back to the war and going back to Iraq makes him a little bit more determined to make his family whole before he leaves. We definitely get into what the family dynamics were and how can they be shifted now that there’s a new member."

Grey's Anatomy:

1. The death of someone close to Meredith is not her father, but someone pretty close. The really wretched thing is that it will be Meredith's fault. Or, at least, it will be perceived that way.

Ugly Betty:

1. We meet more members of the Suarez family before the season ends. In fact, I think we may be taking a trip to Mexico.

2. Before the end of the season, we meet Nikki, Alexis' sexy and fearless ex-girlfriend, who works for an extreme sports magazine. Word is she's hanging with the Meade boys again, but now that Alex(is) is no longer "available," she starts getting close to Daniel.

Heroes:

1. The symbol on Niki's back, Isaac's paintings, Hiro's sword and Mohinder's computer mean certainly is a good mystery. According to creator Tim Kring, a third meaning for the Heroes symbol soon emerges, in addition to the description of the symbol as either a helix or a combination of two Japanese characters.

Huge Veronica News!

OMG!!!! OMG!!!!! OMG!!!!!! I need to breathe for a second after reading this!

This comes from Kristin over at E! Online:

After speaking with very reliable sources this morning, I can tell you the following:

1. Creator Rob Thomas is shooting a five- to six-minute featurette of a new version of Veronica Mars, which is one of three options the CW is considering for next season. (The other options are bringing the show back in Veronica's college years or canceling the series.)

2. This new Veronica version takes place four years in the future, and features Veronica as a full-fledged FBI agent. (This morning's Hollywood Reporter says that in the new featurette, Veronica is still in the FBI Academy and that is incorrect.)

3. Kristen Bell is the only cast member who is part of this "FBI years" trailer/featurette. It it not yet known which other cast members would come on board if the CW chooses this option. Veronica's current cast and crew were informed of the featurette yesterday (hence, the widespread panic and false "cancellation" rumors running rampant--and my panic attack).

4. For better or worse, Veronica's fate has not yet decided. So keep reading and show your support below in the comments section. (Never before have I seen comments pile up so fast and so strong anywhere on E! Online. I heart you all. Keep 'em coming!)

Now back to the original story that posted last night...

You may have seen my earlier report that Veronica Mars has been canceled.

Well, let me just say that though I heard this heart-wrenching info from six—yes, six—reliable sources on both the network and studio side, and the "cancellation" rumor ran rampant around all sectors of Hollywood today, apparently the picture is more complex than a straight canceled-or-not-canceled scenario.

At this hour, here's what I can tell you:

I just heard from Veronica mastermind and showrunner Rob Thomas, who told me, "If we're canceled, I certainly don't know about it."

According to CW insiders, the network has not officially canceled Veronica Mars. However, here's the catch: It is currently considering a different format for the fourth season. From what I hear, that format would leap four years into the future and focus on Veronica as an FBI agent. Aside from returning star Kristen Bell (duh), the rest of the cast is yet to be determined, but it isn't likely that many of her current costars would be on hand.

So, bottom line: Veronica Mars could be: (1) spinning off into a new format, (2) returning in her college years or (3) getting axed.

And let me just say, number three is indeed a very real possibility, so it is most definitely time to rally the troops before it's too late! If you care about Veronica Mars and want it to survive (and if you're a fan of good TV, I know you do!), please comment below with your name and message of support. And email your friends the link to this column so they can do the same. (I will forward your comments to the powers that be at the CW.)

Then please send a "Save Veronica" postcard or letter to:

Dawn Ostroff
President of Entertainment, The CW Television Network
4000 Warner Blvd., Bldg 168
Burbank, CA 91522-0002


And pardon me while I hop on my soapbox and advise the CW: Canceling Veronica Mars would be a mistake of epic proportions. It is by far the best thing going on the Green Net, and one of the most addictive, smart, funny and well-written series ever to air. The fans would not take its demise lightly.

(P.S. That Pussycat show makes me want to gauge out my eyes.)

Now, VM fans unite! Comment away below—for the love of good TV!

Whoa....I can't believe it. I'm not sure how I feel about the FBI years Veronica. I don't think that totally revamping the show would make much sense. Hopefully, the CW will leave it be.

Another Day, Another Murder

I thought at the beginning of last night's episode that the mystery would be solved. That we'd finally get some answers to the question...Where the hell have you been, Wallace?

The opening scene sure was promising. It found Wallace and his fellow Hearst hoops-team members in the locker room, with Coach Barry chewing out his son Josh. Our Fennel boy is back! The following sequence did nothing to suggest otherwise: There sat Veronica and Wallace in the cafeteria, chatting freely about basketball-team politics over chocolate ice cream. It was like old times. Filled the heart with joy, I say.

But then the dude went and disappeared on us! We were duped,! In the end, last night's ep was no Great Return of Wallace. All we got was a few measly minutes of him. So Rob Thomas, unless you're planning on having the guy transfer to UCLA, for the love of sidekicks, bring him back full time, already. And while you're at it, give us some more Mac screen time, too. But nice work on keeping Weevil involved of late. Appreciate it.

Okay. Now that I've aired that grievance, we can move on to the rest of the episode, which was generally in line with recent return-to-form eps. As she did last week, Veronica kept from wallowing in her Loganlessness by helping her pops with the Dean O'Dell case as well as the murder of Coach Barry, whose body was found off the Pacific Coast Highway shortly after he and Josh had their blowout. Though Sheriff Lamb picked up Josh for the crime, Veronica believed Josh to be innocent (an uncharacteristic sight that inspired her father to crack, ''Did you suffer a blow to the head?''), and put credence in his claim that a disgruntled teammate, Mason, is the real killer. But I'm not so sure. There was a decidedly spooky moment on the PCH when Veronica peeked over the cliff into the ocean and Josh seemed to be creeping up behind her, ever so ominously. And the scenes from next week certainly suggest he's got a violent streak.

Keith appeared to be closing in on an O'Dell suspect when he learned that on the night of the killing, someone had taken the eggshell-tainted Volvo out of the garage of the Neptune Grand between 1:51 and 2:59 a.m., within the presumed time frame of the murder. Seems we're supposed to buy that that someone is either the widow Mindy O'Dell or her lover, Professor Landry. But again, I'm not so sure. My hunch is that the guilty party is either Richard Grieco's Steve Botando or Mindy's Goth son. The O'Dell mystery is heating up, and I'll take a few more weeks of that investigation over further mentions of the word "rape" any day. Another detail Keith and Veronica dug up: Someone in Mindy and Landry's hotel room ordered Kiss Kiss Bang Bang on pay-per-view that fateful night. Why that movie?

The only Neptune denizen who's likely to be unaware of all the corpses turning up around town is Logan, whom we found pining away under heaps of dirty clothes and a week's worth of room-service carts. I wasn't too keen on the idea of sitting through another hour of mopey-dopey Logan, but then in walked 11-year-old Heather, sister to Dick's booty call and soon-to-be-ex-wife, Melinda. Babysitting the sprightly preteen gal turned out to be just what the cheerless Mr. Echolls needed. Loved seeing him crack the faintest of smiles while discussing Neptune's best ice cream parlors with Heather. Laughed out loud when she pranced into his bedroom and asked, "Do you want me to put highlights in your hair?" It was great when Lo, after encountering Ve in the Neptune Grand elevator, snapped at Heather for believing that a simple, sincere apology would win him back his true love: "I'm not 11, and I'm not delusional. You don't know a single thing about love, Heather!" There was something so sweet about the naïveté of a little girl trying to offer relationship advice to a bad boy, especially since, in the end, her lively, pint-size self broke Logan's heartbroken spell. Dude finally left his crypt and showed up for class.

If Logan really is on the up and up, I fear for our gal Veronica. Not because she got arrested at the end of the ep (though that is kind of insane) but because there's only so long she can bury her heart in the sand before she has to actually grieve the breakup. Ms. Mars is strong, sure, but she's not made of steel.

Veronica's Heartache

Yesterday, we were treated to yet another great episode of Veronica Mars. This was fueled by the Logan-slept-with-Madison storyline. Oh, if only Madison had been lying in the lingerie shop last week, just to mess with Veronica's head. But no. She and Logan really did hook up in Aspen. Which is something Veronica is "never getting past."

Can't say I blame her. Of all the people to rebound with, Logan had to choose Madison Sinclair. As in Veronica's archenemy, her most loathed foe — not because she's a shallow, bubble-headed brat, but because, as our heroine reminded us in last night's pitch-perfect breakup scene, she's the scheming witch who roofied Veronica at a high school party, which led to her rape, and scrawled "slut" on her car the next day. "I wasn't trying to hurt you," Logan pathetically pleaded. "Really?" Veronica spat back, brimming with rage, betrayal, and heartbreak. "'Imagine if you'd tried."

So much for LoVe's "warts-and-all"' pillow talk, which seemed so romantic last week. Did Logan really think Veronica would never find out about his Aspen hookup? That he could only half confess to his mistake? Logan's transgression even hurt Dick, Madison's on-again, off-again boy toy, who until now seemed to have, as Veronica so brilliantly put it, a wadded-up Maxim magazine where his heart is supposed to be. "Not cool," a sullen Dick told Logan, after finding out about the hookup. "You don't do that to a buddy." Much as I'm pissed at Logan, I don't doubt that he's genuinely suffering now. And I'm glad he is. Each time he popped up on screen, he was either moping in bed or getting wasted and drunk-dialing his ex. Veronica, on the other hand, tortured herself by imagining the offending one-night stand. Then she started seeing Madison in every Hearst blonde with a bad shag haircut.

As always, our gal escaped her emotional turmoil by throwing herself into the sleuthing. This week's case was very interesting regarding a preacher's daughter whose unplanned pregnancy was unplannedly terminated when someone slipped her RU-486. It was a one-ep, open-and-shut investigation, but it put to rest the question of whether or not Veronica was pregnant (she isn't), reintroduced Tim the TA, and ushered in a whole religious theme. Logan left his ex a voice mail saying, "Everyone's a sinner. Judge not, Veronica." And toward the end of the episode, our heroine decided against letting Weevil cube Madison's new Mercedes thanks to the Preacher's speech on forgiveness.

No question, last night's episode, while great, was a downer. But I have to give props to Kristen Bell for her spot-on performance. She was at the top of her game. She was both wrenching in the breakup sequence and comically histrionic when she fake-cried her way into Tim's locked office. And in between the tears (both real and crocodile), she still managed to deliver her trademark zingers. To Dick, "reading" a nudie mag: "Wow, impressive! I've heard Modern Breast is a really hard class." Joking with daddy Keith Mars, as they thumbed through pro-life propaganda: "Harassing women in crisis since 1973!"

Enrico Colantoni also got to shine as her Dad, especially when he presented the father-and-daughter team to the right-to-life press as "Carson Drew and my assistant, Nancy." When he wasn't helping his kid, Keith was picking out eggshells from windshield wipers, determined to crack the Dean O'Dell case. Which, judging from next week's scenes, could get eclipsed by another murder investigation. And this time, Veronica goes and gets herself arrested.

The murder msytery intrigues me. What exactly is the story with the Volvo and the minivan? And is Richard Grieco now a suspect? It also seems Tim the TA has a "Dean O'Dell Murder" file of his own. I guess we'll see how this goes. My one gripe with the episode is the missing Piz, Wallace, Mac, and Parker.

Veronica Gets Her Groove Back

Ahhhh...that's the sound of Veronica Mars breathing in a gulp of fresh air after emerging from the great big underground black hole it's been dwelling in all season. Two solid episodes in a row. Is it me or has my beloved show finally regained its mojo?

I'm feeling optimistic. With the dreadfully drawn-out rape story line finally put to rest, last night's episode felt like a return to the old Neptune we know and love. Keith stuck to the Dean O'Dell murder case (clearly the Next Big Story Line) and, clad in his old sheriff's uniform, questioned the ladies of Lilith House. Meanwhile, Veronica delivered some superb zingers ("You didn't get all sweaty in your Wookiee suit, did you?") and even took a lovely little dig at that plastic-bag-floating-in-the-air scene from American Beauty. It was all in the name of collecting evidence for her investigation into Max the Cheater's kindred nerd spirit, Chelsea.

Or at least that's who the poor fool thought she was. Turns out Chelsea the Fan of Battlestar Galactica and Loyal Attendee of Comic-Con wasn't at all but Wendy the Hooker, a workin' girl hired by Max's friends to take his virginity. "She's the first girl who touched where his bathing suit covers," one friend told Veronica. Our heroine located Wendy and learned that no, she didn't deflower Max because yes, they really did have a connection. Max then paid Wendy's done-up, amply cleavaged madam $10,000 to buy out what was left on her whoring contract, only to be abandoned once more. Wendy skipped town, explaining in a note how she can't stand that Max doesn't look at her with the same lovey-dovey eyes he did before discovering her tawdry secret.

Now, I'm as big a sucker for a gushy love story as the next gal, but the whole pretty-hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold story line was a little saccharine for my taste. Personally, I like my TV hookers mean and conniving unless they are played by Julia Roberts. There was a moment when Veronica suspected that Wendy was conning Max, which would have made for a far more interesting plot. If the dude is gonna get jilted either way, why not just make Wendy a scammer?

Maybe because that would have meant breaking too many hearts in one episode. After last week's LoVe reunion, the couple shared a sweet pillow-talk moment, baring their souls over Leonard Cohen's "A Thousand Kisses Deep." Logan told Veronica that he's slept with exactly zero hookers, finally spilled his guts on what Mercer might have done to him in Mexico while he raped Hearst coeds, and admitted that he'd "fooled around" during their breakup. Which, of course, we all assumed was a reference to his in-car hookup with the trashy surfer chick.

But, oh, the betrayal! Turns out Logan got busy with Veronica's sworn enemy, Madison Sinclair. And that sets up some seriously juicy material for next week, which looks awesome. So they questions that stand are if the feminists have Dean O'Dell's blood on their hands and is our girl Veronica really pregnant? Where the hell are Mac, Wallace, Piz, and Parker?

State of the Union

So yesterday, we were treated to the return to TV of our beloved President George W. Bush and his State of the Union address. I could not have been any happier. We are finally going to find out his plans for the war in Iraq and the future of our economy. Today, I will summarize his key points and provide insightful political commentary.


Gotcha! Did you all really think that I would do that? If you thought I was serious, you have not been paying attention the past eight months. While the president talked, I focused on something so much more relevant and important: the return of Veronica Mars.


So, welcome back, Veronica Mars fans! That was one hell of a long holiday break, wasn't it? But how perfect is it for a show set in college to take a lengthy between-semesters vacation? After waiting nearly two months, I'm glad to be back, and "Show Me the Monkey" turned out to be one of my favorite episodes of the season. The ongoing mystery — that of Dean O'Dell's murder/suicide — is stimulating and, thankfully, has nothing to do with rape. Plus, the mix of hilarious dialogue, the save-the-animals plotline, and the focus on personal lives and character development made for great, old-fashioned TV watching. After a fall of subpar (for Veronica, that is) episodes, maybe we're back on track? Let's hope so.

On the Dean O'Dell front, how convenient was it that the cops closed up the case and ruled it a suicide? Makes it prime material for Keith and Veronica, even if Keith wasn't convinced it was worth a look at first. But after one glance at that untouched bottle of expensive scotch and the tour around the dean's office, as well as a description of the suspicious "suicide note" O'Dell supposedly left ("Goodbye, cruel world"?), he believed. By having Keith go after Hank Landry first, the writers made me think that the professor must be innocent. With most Veronica mysteries, there are several diversions along the way (e.g., the bitchy, competitive grad student Emmy, in the lab-monkey plotline). But what does implicate Professor Landry — or his creepy TA — is that the murder is shaping up to be a copycat of the scenario outlined in the paper Veronica turned in for in the professor's class. Granted, that paper was posted online, so anyone could have read it.

I can't really go any further without discussing Logan and Veronica. That sappy conversation Veronica had with Piz in the food court pushed her over the edge and back into the arms of Logan. That was the reconciliation all LoVe fans out there were hoping for. The two do have this iconic status — one of those great, undying loves a la Buffy and Angel— but are they really meant to be together? Veronica hasn't a clue about what Logan was up to while she was out finding monkeys and rats, but doesn't she know Logan's bad-boy ways by now?

In Logan's defense, he did seem somewhat remorseful for hooking up with the surfer chick (in a car on the beach, no less), who really only seemed pleased that she'd bagged Aaron Echolls' son. I will give the doomed couple this: When they got back together, it somehow felt right. But, as we all know, this relationship is more toxic than K-Fed and Britney Spears'. And judging by next week's previews, it's only about to get worse. "This is something I'm never getting past," Veronica says.

For a fleeting second there, I considered that maybe Veronica was actually thinking of taking up with Piz, after all that "when you know, you just know" stuff. I find myself rooting for the two of them. At the end of the episode, it seems Veronica noticed Piz's feelings for her after seeing the crushed look on his face when he saw her with Logan. We'll see what the future holds for them.

Speaking of college romance, this episode could also be titled "How Mac Got Her Groove Back." After Beaver used her as his beard, raped her, and kicked her to the curb last season, my favorite tech supporter was bruised and claiming that her libido was gone. Enter Bronson, the leader of People for Humane Animal Treatment (PHAT). Don't they make a cute couple? I'm rooting for them already. And how could you not cheer? About to walk away after being gutsy enough to ask Bronson to the movies, she ran back and planted one on him big time. Way to go, Mac! You deserve a good guy more than anyone else on the show. Except for maybe Parker, who was also working on getting her groove back in a very boy-crazy way.

The lab mystery was standard — Veronica literally sniffed out the rat (and the monkey!) — but intriguing because of the result. Although, as usual, Veronica solved the case and saved the day, she didn't save the day for the people who hired her. She let her personal feelings tangle things up, and she lied to the professor and the other student, saying she couldn't find the monkey. Maybe cavorting with the PHAT people got to her more than she realized. For such a hardened detective, who won't even cut those closest to her some slack, she went soft. But even though she lied, I can't fault her for wanting to save the cute, rambunctious monkey, who was going to meet an untimely demise.

I also loved the scene in which Parker, Mac, and Veronica dressed in Zeta Theta Beta sweatshirts and snapped the photo with the Ted Nugent type wearing a "Meat Is Murder" sweatshirt. Genius! And the awkwardness of the anti-fur calendar photo shoot? Simply classic. Mac looked like she wanted to jump out the window. And I even laughed when Veronica and Keith bantered about what manila was to open the episode. "Is it a substance?" said Keith. "A color maybe? In the kitchen we'll do a nice manila." To which Veronica replied, "By the time we dug him up, he turned manila."

And to finish, a treat for you all. My favorite quips from the episode, in no particular order:

· Mac, after responding to a research lab for tech support: "Wow, this is one trashed lab. All that's missing is a big hole in the wall shaped like the Hulk."

· Veronica: "We're talking monkey, as in..." Mac: "Touch mine."

· Veronica, after hearing the allegation that the "fat" (really PHAT) kids took the monkey: "Because monkeys are delicious? And dude, 'girth-challenged' is the preferred nomenclature."

· Veronica, while prepping for the PHAT meeting: "According to the PHAT website, we should stay away from fur, obviously, down, leather?" Mac: "The one day I feel like wearing a leather miniskirt!" "If it ever had a face or parent, you can't wear it." Mac: "So my mollusk shoes are cool?"

· Lab assistant: "The only way to conclusively prove test results is through an autopsy." Veronica: "So that monkey good life includes a blindfold and a last smoke?"

· Veronica, upon discovering the missing rats: "Rats!" And Veronica, after hearing that the rats just showed up at Bronson's house: "Like, in a tiny van with a sob story about needing a place to crash?"

· Dick, reprimanding Logan: "How about a little life? So what, you're just going to mope around like that guy in — what's the book where the guy's mom dies and he comes back to Jersey? He's got that motorcycle sidecar..." Logan: "Garden State was never a book." Dick: "It wasn't? Oops, so much for that paper."

· Dick and Logan's friend, after the gaggle of surfer girls passed by: "We didn't bring enough beer to make 'em hot anyway."

That's all for this week. Catch next week's episode to see what happens with Veronica and Logan.

Veronica Catches the Rapist

Wow. Last night's episode of Veronica Mars was so worth the wait. Remember that little teaser I posted yesterday? Not even that did justice to how awesome and satisfying this episode was, which is hands down the best of the season. This one wrapped up the first arc of the season with Veronica discovering the identity of the Hearst College rapist. As is usual when Veronica solves mysteries, the reveal was totally surprising with a huge dramatic build up.

I previously wanted the rape mystery to be buttoned up and done but I now understand a lot of what went on. Nonetheless, I'm eager to jump ahead again to the show's next big mystery arc — which, with its noir-ish murder, looks to be more appropriate for the show. But before I go there, let's talk about the no-holds-barred end to the first big mystery of the season.

1. It wrapped up the lingering and rape mystery. There's been a similar mystery on the show before (remember sicko Beaver raping Veronica?), but this one held its own against that.

2. Like last season's finale, this episode revealed so much — the huge payoff was sweet. For instance, we understood the importance of the prisoner-guard class project that Logan and Wallace were involved in early this season. We got a few more answers about Tim, the creepy teaching assistant. Dean O'Dell learned the identity of his wife's lover. And most important, we all discovered that there's a coaster that tests drinks for date-rape drugs!

3. The trusty gang was working together again. Piz, Wallace, Mac, and Logan — even after he broke it off with Veronica — helped her execute her mystery-solving plan at the Pi Sigs' party. They're all integral to the show, so it was wonderful to see them actually be used as such. I died laughing when Mac (so glad she's back) wondered whether the Pi Sigs would let her in even though her tube top had lost much of its glitter. Hilarious.

One interesting thing about the solution to the rape mystery was that Veronica had already gone down the Mercer road and had been reluctant to even try to clear his name. She couldn't have known that Moe, the RA, was stuck in that twisted prisoner-guard relationship with Mercer and was helping him commit the rapes. But it's curious that when Piz pointed out that Mercer's radio show was a live call-in show, she immediately accepted that as an alibi. And she believed that the date-rape drugs in his dorm room were planted there. In so many other cases, she double- and even triple-checks details, but she let these things slide. Why? Maybe because it was Logan who was urging her to clear Mercer's name.

Some of the final scenes were awesome. Veronica leaped out to zap Mercer with her Taser. He then dared to punch our dear Veronica before she very fittingly stabbed him with one of the unicorns lying around the room. Then that chase sequence seen in the preview with the background music was chilling. I was on the edge of my seat as Veronica realized that Moe was in on it too as he locked her in his room and she saw the picture of him and Mercer. I was praying as she began to pass out that she would get away. My heart raced as she hid in the closet yet was discovered by her ringing phone. Luckily she had the whistle that Parker had given her so she blew on it. Parker, just a few doors down, heard it and called out rape just in time.

While they did manage to get away, a pissed off Keith quickly tracked them and kicked open the door to the room where Moe was pulling the unicorn horn out of Mercer's leg and, more or less, told them to freeze, dirtbags! And then Logan bashed in the police car to ensure that he would be taken to their jail cell, where he probably did very bad things to a very deserving Mercer.

Some thought Piz was the rapist. However for now, it looks like he'll hang on to his good-guy status and maybe even play more of a role in the coming episodes. As for Tim, Dr. Landry's teaching assistant? I thought they might pull out some crazy story for him to be behind the rapes, but I have a feeling there will be more to his story. His rape-mystery bulletin board, if that's what it really was, pointed fingers (or circles, as Veronica noted) at several not-guilty Pi Sigs. Plus, we were treated to the blowout he had with his girlfriend at the party, where he said he'd been with "someone new" every time she had been with a frat boy. Hmm, maybe it's nothing. But maybe it's somehow connected to the next mystery and Dean O'Dell's murder.

But what of the huge mess with LoVe (Logan & Veronica, for all of you non-fans)? From the looks of it, they'll probably get back together, especially now that the polarizing rape mystery is over. I'm sure all of you huge LoVe fans out there were convulsing with pain when Logan ended his touching break-up speech to Veronica by saying, "I'm always here, if you need me. But you never need anything." Then we saw that Veronica is really more vulnerable than ever. That scene of her crying in the shower was heart-breaking. Still, I couldn't help sympathizing with Logan.

Now to Dean O'Dell and the next mystery. He's dead, and that's sad. What happened when he went to Dr. Landry's (room at the Neptune Grand? Did he kill his wife and Dr. Landry and calmly go back to his office? Or did he simply confront them, whereupon one of them came back to his office and killed him? A couple other scenarios come to mind: What if the dean killed his wife and Dr. Landry, then Tim, the teaching assistant, found out and killed the dean out of rage?

Some other suspects: the sketchy Hearst alum, Mel, who came back advocating for the Greek system; the board member whose vote was deemed void; Chip Diller, the Pi Sig president; or one of the feminists who had been staging the fake rapes. They had egged his car earlier in the episode, and his office window was being egged just before his death. Or what about suicide? So many possibilities, and sadly, we'll have to wait for answers. The show's on break through the end of January so see you then.

Veronica Mars is a Must See

If for any insane reason you have never seen Veronica Mars, you must watch tonight because it will be an amazing episode. If you have to start now, make this your first episode. This one wraps up part 1 of this season and solves the Hearst rapist mystery. Take a look at this preview to see how amazing the episode will be and tune in tonight at 9pm on the CW. I myself have seen the preview so many times, it's that good.

Veronica Attacked

Last night's final moments of Veronica Mars were especially nail-biting. The Hearst rapist had drugged our heroine and was ready to attack her....

Overall the episode was pretty good and Veronica was in top form. She has more snap than a lobster (''Consider my mind blown, and then put back together. And blown again.''). She was on a rampage this week, against both her dad and Logan. The men in her life haven't been living up to her high standards. The usually principled Keith took up seriously with the unhappily married Harmony, and the rarely principled Logan was keeping secrets about his and Mercer's alibi the night of the campus rapes during the summer. So Veronica spoke her mind and generally avoided them both, focusing instead on the mystery of the week,a visiting girl's missing boyfriend, which was a tad dull.

Veronica's investigation into someone else's relationship served to widen her and Logan's growing gap. Upon finding her boyfriend, Sully, at the police station, the hapless girlfriend, Merrill, thanked Veronica, who apologized for at first thinking Sully was cheating and avoiding the break-up chat. Merrill responded with a curt, but very appropriate, ''If I had never been in love before, I wouldn't have believed it either.'' Ouch. Does our Veronica not know love? Then what does she really have with Logan? Why does she always assume the worst about people in love? These things had to be spinning through her head.

Veronica had left things dicey with Logan the last time she'd seen him. He'd finally given up his alibi: He and Mercer ran away from a motel fire that Mercer had started in Tijuana, but she didn't like it. She responded by asking how he could just leave a burning motel without checking on the other people inside, which I could understand her disappointment. As for Keith, Veronica slammed him about Harmony: ''So if Jake Kane thought he and Mom had something special, would that have been okay?'' Ouch, again. But truly, what seemed somewhat innocent before (except for the tiny problem of Harmony being married) got nasty this week. Vinnie was working for Harmony's husband, and he threatened Keith that he'd expose the affair if Keith didn't reveal information about Kendall Casablancas and the money she owes the Fitzpatricks, with whom Veronica and Merrill had a quick, nasty run-in.

It's ironic that what Keith does for a living can so quickly be turned against him. But I feel for the guy. When he told Veronica that what he had with Harmony was real, I truly believed him. I honestly really hope that he and Harmony can find a way to be together because they have great chemistry. Over on the slow-burning rape story line, Veronica cleared Mercer's name. She proved that he was doing his call-in radio show during Parker's rape and the rape in the spring. Back to the usual suspects, Dick? Teaching assistant Foyle? The RA? At this point, I just want to move on to the second mystery. That is, until the rapist went after Veronica.

The food-court scene where her drink was drugged set things up perfectly: her hair-infested pasta, the cup abandoned for a few seconds. I was startled to see our sassy heroine so vulnerable in the last few scenes, stumbling and telling herself that she remembered this feeling and did not want "it" to happen again. I was on the edge of my seat as she turned to see a figure lurking in the shadows and watched that figure get closer. It was so nerve wracking watching as she fell and dropped the keys. I cheered for joy when she managed to set off the car alarm, allowing Logan, who had been looking for her, to hear it and run into the parking lot. He managed to get there just in time. Well almost, the rapist had managed to shave part of the back of her head.

If I were that culprit, I'd be scared now: You've unleashed the dragon. Whoever it was should have known that when Veronica Mars is attacked, she fights back. There are two episodes left in this cycle and it looks like we're in for a rollicking few weeks as this mystery gets wrapped.
Veronica's Stan Marsh-inspired final voice-over really brought the episode home: ''I think we all learned a valuable lesson about faith. You give it to the people you love. But the people who really deserve it are the ones who come through even when you don't love them enough.'' While I love Veronica's zingers, this was one of my favorite monologues so far this season. Veronica needs people, no matter how much she might pull away.

How should Veronica go after the rapist now? Can her relationship survive? Are things going to boil over with Veronica and Professor Landry? Where is Mac?

Who Framed Veronica Mars?

I thought that last night's episode of Veronica Mars was the best of the season so far. It was funny and moved along with the plot.

First, the lingering rape mystery. It appears that Claire had faked her rape. She was therefore kicked out of school, and the editor of the school paper lost her job. The Editor even left her Veronica and Dean O'Dell with a silly-sounding threat: ''You'll regret this.'' I'm guessing we haven't seen the last of her, but what's her real deal? Judging by the way she was spinning the coverage, she's got to have some stake in who's fingered as the rapist. Earlier in the season, I thought that there was something fishy about the rape accusations, but I decided against it because I thought it would sound too insensitive. Well, all bets with this situation seem to be totally off.

The college's sketchy gambling kingpin, Mercer, was arrested in connection to the rapes, but Logan defended him to Veronica, claiming the two have an alibi. Now here's where maybe we'll see a little LoVe tension, since Logan wouldn't give up said alibi. Were Logan and Mercer simply at the beach? Lovin' on some ladies? Doing some more illegal gambling? I seriously doubt that Logan was out giving blood or helping the homeless.

Veronica wasn't the only one who saw some time with Dean O'Dell this episode. Wallace was on his way into the dean's office as Veronica was on her way out. O'Dell gave Wallace the opportunity to drop the class he cheated in, but he'd also have to give up his major and his career dreams. We saw some real character from Wallace with his decision on this, as he chose to sit out the rest of the semester on the basketball team to try to at least pass the course
But even after studying hard and skipping out on the gang bowling date, he only managed a D on the next test. At least the coach wasn't too hard on him about the decision. For once, we see a coach with a bit of a heart and some understanding about something other than sports.

Veronica's plagiarism mystery ended up coming back to the creepy criminology teaching assistant, Tim. He claimed that by setting her up, he was just trying to show her the faults in Professor Wright. Yeah right. This guy has clearly had it in for Veronica since she showed him up in the first class of the year. But what's his bigger purpose on the show? Could he somehow be connected to the rapes? Will he just go away after this? Or will he be part of the mysteries for Parts 2 and 3 later on? It bugs me that he's intent on taking down a freshman like Veronica and he looks so weird and creepy. We also learned that the Dean's wife is having an affair with Professor Wright. Something's telling me they are laying the groundwork for the second arc of the season in January.

We had two other hookups were brewing. First, between Piz and Parker, but mostly just from Parker's end. In a bowling-alley scene, Parker asked Veronica to check on whether Piz liked her. When Veronica did, however, it was clear that Piz was either covering up that he is gay or so obsessed with Veronica that he couldn't fathom dating anyone else. I'm gonna go with the last one at this point. It also seemed to me like it bothered Veronica that Parker was interested in Piz. It looks like we have the beginnings of a love triangle. With LoVe looking shaky, maybe Piz will get his wish.

Second, Harmony was back! I was hoping this matchup would work out. It was nice to see Keith have a decent story line again. They've definitely got chemistry. Funny, how Keith is getting more action than most of the young and beautiful college kids on the show. So next week, more rapist action and I seriously hope Veronica doesn't get raped again!

Veronica Back in Action

Finally, Veronica Mars got me into its first ongoing mystery of the season. I guess they read my complaint last week because this week, the Hearst rapist mystery was front and center. This episode was by far the best of the young season.

I felt bad for Logan because it was another hard week for him. First he had to have dinner with Veronica's dad, which was awkward and uncomfortable for them but fun to watch. Then he met someone who he thought was his half brother, Charlie Stone, after some super-sleuthing by Veronica. Unfortunately, this ''Charlie'' ended up being a fake. He turned out to be a Vanity Fair writer looking for inside dirt on the Echolls family. They discovered this after Logan put himself out there and bonded with the guy. It really was great to see Logan punch the reporter out on the beach. The emotionally drained Logan sadly continued to leave voice-mails for the real Charlie, to no avail.

My one complaint this week is the lack of other characters. There was no Piz or Mac and Wallace was limited to one brief but pointless library scene. Instead, other non-Veronica action focused on her dad's latest case. Keith was hired by Harmony, a wife who was suspicious of her husband. Both actors were on the NBC show Just Shoot Me so they had instant chemistry. Harmony did seem a bit needy, but she thought her husband was cheating on her. If her marriage doesn't work out, Keith has been needing another love interest since things blew up with Wallace's mom. I'm definately rooting for these too. I loved their scenes together.

Back at Hearst, where the rape mystery is still swirling and the victims are pointing fingers at frat boys, Veronica was determined to crack the case. In a twist, she was hired by the Pi Sigs to restore their "good name." While she originally intended to use the opportunity to dig up dirt on the frat, she ended up proving that none of the brothers actually committed the latest crime. Hilariously, she went investigating in a boring pants suit, telling her dad, with a patented Veronica deadpan, ''Bland is the new hot.'' I'm feeling much more invested in the mystery now. Now since the frat boys seem to be out of the running, who else could the rapist be? Could it be the guy from the ATM photo? What is the other common denominator among all the girls who have been raped, besides being female and going to Hearst?

Next week we get a Halloween episode that looks to be great. Hopefully we also get some more clues.

Veronica Mars Slips (But I Still Love It)

So last night, we got another episode of Veronica Mars and I was a tad bit disappointed. They are not really providing enough attention to the main mystery for this arc: the rapes at Hearst. To me it seems as if they have made the show a tad bit too fluffy and a lot less noir in order to lure in more viewers. The rape mystery has not really made me care about it yet, unlike the past mysteries involving Meg's murder and the bus crash that captivated me instantly. Veronica herself has paid very little attention to it, which is odd considering she is a past rape victim herself (for those of you that don't know, she was date raped by Cassidy at a party, who also turned out to be responsible for the bus crash.) The Hearst administration is also weirdly unresponsive to the series of rapes. One thing that has remained intact at least is the humor of the show, that still provides endless one liners. Veronica has also remained unchanged at that is what kees the show as good as it is.

At least this week, we got treated to the return of Weevil. The last time we saw of him, Lamb was denying him a graduation walk in front of his poor grandmother by taking him away in handcuffs for killing Thumper. However, it turns out he was only charged with assault and was placed on parole. Veronica persuades her dad to hire Weevil as his assistant, which he does reluctantly. I liked seeing how much Weevil enjoyed detective work. Unfortunately, Keith was forced to fire him for beating up the father of an abused child. Veronica next sets Weevil up with a maintenance job at Hearst by having him fix the dean's car. Looks like she now has a sort of ally similar to her high school principal which was something that was missing.

We did see the return of Piz this week which was good because he can be pretty funny at times. But, we did not get to see Mac, Parker, or Wallace. I figured we would get to see more of Parker so that we would at least sympathize more about her getting raped. This week's mini mystery involved Veronica finding a pretty good-looking football player's stolen playbook. It was a pretty weak mystery as far as they weekly ones go. In the end, it turned out to be his girlfriend, who stole it so that he could get kicked off the team because they treated him badly.

Logan did a complete 180 degree turn this week. He went from caring boyfriend to bad boy all over again. Veronica started getting suspicious of the fact he did not want to hang out with her unless it was a late night booty call. Veronica brings out the tracking devices and finds him at an illegal college gambling den and rightfully calls him out on his deceit. After a brief tiff and her apology for being so paranoid, the two eventually make up sweetly in the library, with indications of hot stacks sex soon to follow.

On the rape plot front, another girl is victimized, and the theme seems to be girls vs. boys à la last year's rich vs. poor theme. He's already introduced a fair share of suspects and potential red herrings: Dick? Wallace's RA? But like I said before, I don't yet feel invested in the overall mystery. There have been few revelations that have thrown us for a loop. Hopefully that will change soon. And can we please go back to the old theme song? The new version is killing me.

Veronica Goes Greek

Last night's episode of Veronica Mars was so, so good. It featured our herione pretending to rush a sorority in order to find the Hearst rapist, who had raped poor Parker. Veronica showed us her detective skills by writing an undercover story about the Theta Beta house for the school newspaper. It was hilarious seeing her all dressed up in a 50s getup. I still prefer my more simple Veronica, but the gussied up one was hot too. Her acting drunk at the Theta Beta house party was a classic and hilarious moment. Our Veronica is a master manipulator even faking her shots. There's just something about her that makes her so endearing and makes you want to root for her.

She discovered pot growing in a secret room at the house. However, she was told that the house's den mother has cancer and used it for the nausea and pain. That is a plausible story but she shouldn't buy it so easily and look into it more. Why are there cameras that are hooked up to the den mother's room? What this story mostly did for Veronica was add some major Veronica haters. She probably won't have any friends at Theta Beta or any of the other Greek houses. Regarding the rapist, she discovered that pledges had to give up their purses upon entering the house, meaning that anyone had access to Parker's purse. So who is the rapist? It could be anyone at this point.

As for Keith, he returned to Neptune after running around the desert. I was surprised that he and the cops didn't find Kendall's dead body when they went back to the crime scene. What happened? We never actually saw her get shot, but it was implied. There's more here than meets the eye. I'm hoping Kendall comes back. Oh and we also found out that there was a multi-million dollar painting in the briefcase from last season's finale, not money. Anyway, I was glad to have him back with Veronica and hearing their usual banter. As for Wallace and Logan, they volunteered for a Sociology project involving prisoner treatment. One group of students were the guards (Wallace) and the others prisoners (Logan). The guards had to find a way to extract the location of a bomb from the prisoners. Some dude mistreated them to get the information but that didn't work. Wallace eventually tricked them into giving up the information.

Overall, this episode rocked. I can't wait for next week.

The Return Of...

Finally after waiting the whole summer, my favorite show Veronica Mars returned for a brand new season on the CW. The episode was amazing, pure Veronica. I was glad to see no major shake-ups occured as a result of the network switch. Ms. Mars started her freshman year at college bringing along Mac, Wallace, and her boyfriend Logan (just how hot was their sweaty, post-sex scene?) We saw the introduction of new characters that happen to be hotties, perky Parker (Mac's roommate) and Piz (Wallace's roommate). We also saw the introduction of the first of this season's three mysteries involving the Hearst College rapist, a storyline first introduced at the end of last season. Apparently this guy rapes his victims and then cuts off all their hair. His most recent victim turned out to be Parker, who we saw screaming in front of a mirror at the end of the episode. I'm curious to see Veronica tackle this case considering she was raped herself as was her good friend Mac by the same guy, Cassidy, who also turned out to be responsible for the bus crash of last season's mystery (still with me?).

On that note, Cassidy's brother Dick is all a mess because of what his brother did and because of his suicide. I actually felt sorry for the dude, who is usually a jerk. I was also a little suspicious of Logan who seemed to be a little distant the whole episode. Was it because of his father's murder in the season finale or something else? Now Keith, Veronica's dad, was last seen standing up his daughter at the airport for their trip to New York. It involved Kendall and a briefcase. We find out that he eventually went to NYC three days later and that the briefcase contained a lot of money. It seems Kendall needed help to skip town with a new identity with her parolee boyfriend who is also one of the Fitzpatricks (Irish mob family, still with me?). Keith was getting paid to help them skip town and away from the Fitzpatricks. Unfortunately, it seems this guy was working with his family and seems to have killed Kendall. I guess we'll find out the rest next week.

All in all, I'm glad to have my show back just as funny, smart, and mysterious as it always has been. While I will miss having one large mystery for the whole season rather than three small ones, I still love this show (although I don't like how they made the theme song so slow, oh well).