Clap Your Mars Say Yeah!

Tonight i finally got to see the Veronica Mars season 2 finale Not Pictured again. So here is my review.

What I loved in this episode

i) Keith giving Veronica a pep talk after the Aaron Echolls acquittal-but then being unable to to stay away from the newspaper himself.

ii) the camera pulling back to reveal Vinny in a cell. "I'm the 60 by the way."

iii) the dream sequence. No, the dream sequence! Veronica's visit of what her life would have been like if Lily hadn't been killed. Veronica: just as witty, but more superficial. And not nearly as good a student, sinced she's going to San Diego State. And gullible. Wallace: "Oh... you're one of those." Seeing Amanda Seyfreid as Lily again. Probably for the last time, but you never know.

iv) Woody's alias at the hunting lodge: "Mr. Underhill." That's the alias Frodo assumes when he leaves the Shire at the beginning of the Fellowship of the Rings.

v) seeing Wallace's mom again. Whatever happened to her? I liked her

vi) "Close your eyes and think of England." Might be funniest line ever on V-mars and that's saying a lot.

vii) Veronica getting cheered at graduation. "Don't keep all your passwords under your stapler."

viii) "up... chuck?" If they don't find a way to fit Dick Casablancas into next season I'm going to be very pissed.

ix) Jackie's mom. Gotta love the cliche tough brooklyn mom.

x) Logan and Aaron's heartcolding reunion.

xi) Woody watching the Dukes of Hazzard. Then throwing the staghead at Keith. Keith showing he's just as handy with the taser as Veronica-maybe more so.

xii) Veronica seeing the fatal words "Not Pictured" and her moment of dark epiphany. The use of the chain of transmission of venereal disease as a major clue. Has that been done before?

xiii) "it's liquid... it's courage... it's liquid courage"

xiv) Corky's moment of glory: "that sleazoid's going to fry... bzzzty" Another character who needs to end up at "Hearst College."

xv) Mac comforting Beaver.

xvi) Veronica and Aaron riding in the elevator together. Veronica not losing it, or even reacting, to Aaron's taunting... just looking at him in the eye.

xvii) Kristin Bell's acting during the rooftop sequence. She did a good job with a scene that was filled with both exposition and potential histrionics.

xviii) Logan stopping Veronica from shooting Beaver. "You are not a killer, Veronica." 

"My name is Cassidy." Logan using his real name for the first time. Being unable to answer why not. The song that played over that moment.

xix) Mac's look of utter devestation.

xx)  "Any more freedoming tonight and i'm going to need a wheelchair." You know, I don't actually hate Kendell Casablancas. She's kind of an epic character. Aaron's last moment on earth, spent watching a younger version of himself. A narccisist to his last. "CW?" "It's a done deal."

xxi) the little girl they found to play Veronica. Absolutely perfect.

xxii)  Kendell ending up with $8mm and change.

xxiii) Veronica's description of how Logan is taking his father's death. "I didn't know you could come out during the day." Keith being tempted by what Kendell had in the briefcast.

xxiv) the strange closing shot... Veronica getting stood up by her dad. What does that portend?  

One not-so-great thing

i) Glaring plothole; if Keith changed his plans wouldn't he have tried to call Veronica and let her know? Maybe his cel phone ran out of juice. Maybe it's part of next season's mystery. Maybe it's just a reminder that, in the end, it's a TV show written in a tremendous hurry and not everything is going to make 100% sense.

All in all, that held up to the standard set by season 2. a season that, if not quite matching up to the emotional intensity of season 1, more than matched it in plot complexity and glorious characterization.

Some more random thoughts

Last season Veronica was rescued by her father. This season it was Logan. I kind of like the fact that Veronica is not a butt-kicker. Yes, it means she's always depending on men to bail her out in the end.

Given the "CW? It's a done deal" exchange and the setting up of season 3 (which they didn't do last season) it seems like Rob Thomas is pretty confident they're coming back. Either that or he's one cocky motherfucker. We'll find out for sure on Thursday.