In the third episode of the fourth season of Veronica Mars, the investigation into the Sea Sprite bomber goes to some strange places before it gets even more shocking. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Veronica.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of racism, torture, revenge porn.
Hi, this season is ruining my life, I’M SO GLAD I’M BACK ON MY VERONICA MARS BULLSHIT.
A Night Out
Hey, at least one good thing happened in this episode, right? I got the sense that Logan and Veronica are in a much better place than they were in “Chino and the Man,†so it was nice to see them enjoy a night out in Neptune with Nicole, WHO I AM ENJOYING A LOT. (I have feelings about The Good Place, for the record.) This season is really heavy, for the most part, so opening with some levity? Bravo. Also, hungover Veronica is so damn FUNNY.Â
Blackmailing
Because Veronica Mars tends to be intricately plotted, it’s hard to guess who the actual villain is. As is the case with this episode, the audience often doesn’t know crucial things about the characters. I suspected something was up with Daniel Maloof, but I’m also not sure the bombings are necessarily targeting him. Maybe that is so, but something feels too easy about the emails he is getting, urging him to re-run for Congress. At the same time, I could see how it would fit. The second bombing could be guilting Daniel into running again, and thus far, guilt and shame has already been successfully employed against the man. The whole thing is just so fucked up, y’all. And yet, I still think there’s more to this.Â
Matty
Oh no, I have feelings about them bonding. Oh no, I have feelings about how Veronica sees Matty as someone she can mentor. OH NO. I honestly wouldn’t have felt this suspicious of this, but given the end of the episode? I’m worried. This show has a great way of making me see everyone as a potential villain. That being said, I don’t buy Matty as one; the death of her father was too personal, and she would have tried to get him out of that lobby if she’d planted the bomb, right? Yet even if I’m right, Matty worked with Veronica to get closure. And just a day or so after that, there’s a second bombing. All of that closure is gone. Matty is back at square one. Will she be angrier? More dedicated to finding the murder of her father? How will her new friendship with Veronica change?
A Twist
Well, bravo for the writers setting up Daniel and Alonzo’s confrontation, but then taking it to a place I absolutely did not expect. And I mean that in multiple ways! Yes, the Carrs kidnapping Daniel and then torturing him in the most racist way imaginable was a shock. (And lord, immensely disturbing to watch.) But it was through this that an interesting proposition was made, and given the end of the episode, I don’t know how this will play out. Daniel’s offer of a hundred grand wasn’t surprising, but asking Alonzo and his partner to murder the Carrs??? Look, I get why he wanted to do it, but I didn’t think he had it in him. Yet this only happens because Perry Walsh is named as the bomber. So, will Alonzo go back to suspecting that Daniel was behind everything? Did they actually kill the Carrs?
BUT THEN THIS GETS EVEN WORSE. Y’all, I didn’t recognize Claudia until she was talking to Weevil, and then EVERYTHING CAME RUSHING BACK, and now I am FREAKING OUT. Alonzo is interested in Weevil’s sister. HELP. THIS CAN’T END WELL.
The Bomber is Caught
I think Veronica is on to something, and I feel like the Chino connection is way too juicy to ignore. I get that Keith also tried to get more information from Clyde, who I continue to NOT TRUST AT ALL. But I’m not sold that this connection is pointless, and I wasn’t before the second bomb exploded. The N.U.T.T. subplot makes way too much sense! What if this is all a means to draw spring break celebrations away from Neptune? I know from three seasons of this show that Big Dick Casablancas is FUCKING TERRIBLE, and honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him if he—or Clyde—orchestrated this entire thing as a business maneuver. It’s absolutely evil, but out of character for him? No, I don’t think so.Â
At the same time: I’m watching Veronica Mars. Is this show actually going to give us the answer to the mystery in the third episode? I suspect it won’t happen until the last one. Still, this is a very intriguing twist, in part because it will allow the writers another chance to explore class and privilege in Neptune. How badly does Big Dick want to gentrify and “clean up†the town? I know it’s only loosely connected, but that’s why I think the scene with Keith at the upscale hospital is so important. Money buys you access to privilege in so very many ways, and Keith, with Clyde’s help, is exposed to one of them. (Yes, that worries me. Is he trying to compromise Keith?) What will people in this town do to keep their level of privilege and access safe? Will they repeatedly bomb and murder other citizens?
The video for “Keep Calm and Party On†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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