Veronica Mars "The Bitch Is Back" Review (3x20)

“Veronica Mars, she’s a marshmallow.”

“The Bitch Is Back” brings the series full circle, placing many of its characters into situations reminiscent of those from the pilot. “It’s like high school all over again,” Veronica notes as she walks into the cafeteria, surveying the people snickering at her and whispering about her sex tape. It’s Veronica against the cold, harsh world again, a world rife with classism and racism and sexism squeezing in on her at every second. She’s a mocked outcast a la high school, and she’s pissed off. And as we all know, there are very few things in the television world that are more entertaining to watch than a pissed off Veronica Mars.

So, we get Veronica in all her vengeful glory, spitting out blistering comebacks at an unrealistically high pace and singing “Bad Day” as she waits in the dark with a taser. This is Veronica on a mission, and the “find the source” sequence is easily one of the most entertaining sequences this show has ever produced. I’m not too big a fan of what happens next with Jake Kane and Castle, but the sex tape storyline is a good way to set up the ending thematically. Because of it, we return to Wallace doing whatever’s necessary to help Veronica, Mac being her awesome self, and Logan making clear why he and Veronica worked better than Veronica and Piz. Even though Veronica doesn’t want Logan to take things into his own hands, the two seem to share an understanding that is nowhere near as strong with Piz. Veronica and Logan understand that burning need for revenge, for justice, and the fact that they’re broken in similar ways only makes their connection stronger.

And on the subject of connections, that’s very much what this show is built upon. It’s easy to view this series as consisting of Veronica being a one-woman wrecking ball/tiny blonde one annoying like the wind, but the simple truth is that she couldn’t have done this without others: the flagpole-taped laughingstock turned best friend, by her side through thick and thin. The biker gang leader, representing a different world in Neptune. The ex boyfriend, extremely protective of her. The dog, eager to be her backup. The computer wiz, ready to help her solve cases. And of course, the father, willing to destroy evidence in order to protect his daughter. It’s a big moment for a guy who’s supposed to uphold the law in Neptune, and it’s a sign that the more things change, the more things stay the same. Once again, he might very well be voted out, and Veronica’s left casting an uncertain vote for someone we all know is the right person for the job. What’s right isn’t necessarily what happens, though, and Veronica has learned that lesson more times than she can count. All she can do is stand by the person she cares about and keep pushing on.

“Tragedy blows through your life like a tornado, uprooting everything. Creating chaos. You wait for the dust to settle, and then you choose. You can live in the wreckage and pretend it’s still the mansion you remember, or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild.”

GRADE: B+

SEASON GRADE: B

SERIES GRADE: B+/A-

OTHER THOUGHTS:

-Really lovely final shot.

-It’s always nice to see some old friends again–Clarence Wiedman, Leo, Lilly’s face, etc.–but as I mentioned above, the Jake Kane storyline is weak here. Yes, it’s fitting thematically, but when you only have 40 minutes left in the series, bringing back a character like him leads to an underdeveloped storyline, iffy characterization, and rushed plot points. I get that we want to go back to the beginning here, but there has to be a smoother way to do it. Still, kudos to the writers for making do with all the network intervention and whatnot.

– “It’s like you’re this giant jackass pinata, begging for someone to beat the candy out of you.”

-I will miss Logan and his inspirational messages.

-The season 4 pitch is definitely an interesting concept, although I’d anticipate it being tough to capture that earlier season magic with such a new setting (as exemplified by much of season 3). However, with a completely different direction here, it would be intriguing to see where Thomas and co. take the show. Also, WALTON GOGGINS?! DOES THIS MEAN WE MISSED OUT ON A SEASON FOUR WITH WALTON GOGGINS?! Damn it.