The Return of ‘Veronica Mars’

As Veronica Mars returns to The CW tonight for what is likely to be its final five episodes (Spread over three weeks with a 2-hour finale on the 22^nd), I can’t help but be a little bit nostalgic. After all, Veronica Mars was one of the shows that I was a bit late to, catching up after the 5^th episode. Even watching the opening episodes out of order, I couldn’t help but become entangled within a fascinating character study and an overarching mystery story. Perhaps it is fitting that I watched it out of order, then, considering that this final set of episodes will be the first without an overall narrative leading them.

With the mystery of Dean O’Dell’s murder solved, we find ourselves at a loss: what drives Veronica forward in the absence of this mystery? She went from Lily’s death in the first season to the bus crash in the next, and then had little to no time to react before entering the rape storyline, which moved quickly into Dean O’Dell’s apparent suicide. The show has always been operating in this serialized fashion, although featuring various sideplots at the same time, and the loss of that could be seen as a loss of part of the show’s identity.

However, we need to consider just what that identity is. If this was a show purely about mystery, about a serial plot to go along with each season, we never would have gotten three seasons. It is the characters that drive Veronica Mars forward, in the end, which is why I believe that this five-episode experiment of sorts should prove enjoyable for fans of the series. Now, the show will have a chance to have its characters act and interact without worrying about connecting them to a core mystery. The mysteries of the week can be organized without worrying about the bus crash, or Lily’s death, but about who these characters are and where they should be headed dramatically.

So, in the spirit of these new character-based episodes, let’s take a little time to run down where the characters stood before this very long hiatus:

Veronica: Well, things were somewhat complicated for Veronica. She finished solving the Dean’s murder case, and felt pretty good about it, but personally she’s somewhat conflicted. She and Logan seem to be broken up for good at this point, which is clearly on her mind, and yet she’s really moving forward with a relatively clean slate. How long it stays that uncomplicated, of course, we’ll have to see.

Keith: Keith is now the interim Sheriff after the untimely death of Sheriff Lamb at the hands of Ricky Putando. He’s taking to the job well, and is likely to run for election when the time comes to hire a new sheriff. This is likely to leave the P.I. business in Veronica’s hands, but Keith is likely okay with this, as if he has a choice.

Logan: After getting over his post-Veronica stupor thanks to a small child who enjoys some GameCube, Logan decided to experience the world around him…which seems to mean seeing Parker naked, or at least planning to. His relationship with Parker is in its early stages, but he’s cleared it with Veronica so I’m guessing he’s going to make his move. In tonight’s episode, I read something about a birthday party. Logan: Party Planner? Sureee.

Wallace: Our resident basketball phenom is…well, I don’t really know what Wallace is up to, since the show never really let us into his head. I can only hope that with Logan out of the picture and Veronica without an emotionally crippling mystery to solve that Wallace returns into her life. Their dynamic is one of the show’s strong points, and it should be highlighted more often.

Mac: Everyone favourite techie is currently in a fairly good headspace, as far as we can tell from her brief screentime (Thanks to Tina Majorino being busy filming Big Love). She’s officially overcome the post-Beaver era through her relationship and hot sex (What? It’s true!) with animal-lover Bronson, and they appear to be quite in love. And, the good news is that this brief reality will be expanded: as the initially planned mystery for these five episodes was to involve Mac, she’s present in all five episodes. Which is fantastic news.

The Forgotten: They’re in the main credits, but they haven’t had that much of an impact this season. Parker has been fairly absent for the past while, even within her relationship with Logan. Piz, meanwhile, has clearly pined after our heroine, Veronica, but has yet to really do much other than host a radio show. Dick remains solid comic relief, but we really haven’t had a chance to investigate his character at any depth. And, while I love Weevil, he really hasn’t had a major role to play even with his maintenance position at the university. They each suffered from the same problem: if the main mystery didn’t pertain to them, they had nothing to do. Now, without that mystery, all four should have a chance at breaking out.

And, in the end, these five episodes are a chance for the show to break free. If enough people watch, and if the creative side of things is as strong as they’re capable of, there’s still a slim chance of renewal in some form. I have faith in Rob Thomas and Co. to get the job done, so I’ll be doing my part in watching tonight. The CW, 9pm EST, right after Gilmore Girls.