Veronica Mars 1.22 'Leave it to Beaver'

When dealing with a season of television with such a serialized format, the season finale is normally surrounded with high expectations and a lot of scrutiny. ‘Leave it to Beaver’ is a fittingly brilliant conclusion, especially for a season as mind-blowing as this one. Everything came to a head and we got all the answers we’ve been waiting for with Lilly’s murderer revealed in alarmingly fantastic fashion. The episode itself constantly builds and builds and has so many different moments of extreme emotion there isn’t one part of it that doesn’t seem pivotal.

In the first season finale ‘Leave it to Beaver’ Veronica learns who was really behind Lilly’s death, but she inadvertently winds up in mortal danger when the real murderer finds out that she has learned the truth. Keith makes some changes when Lianne returns home to her family.

The episode kicks off with Logan’s alibi being blown. I almost hate to rag on this episode, but I always found it weird that we spend almost half the hour thinking he was the one responsible when it’s painfully obvious he’s not. Not only does it make very little sense, but the writers spent the entire season showing how un-opposing a guy he really is, with his character being broken down more and more each week. The fact that all of the evidence is stacked against him is makes it plausible enough to allow the episode to retain its brilliance, though.

One of my favourite parts of the episode is the discovery of Veronica’s bilogical father. Her true lineage was one of the season’s most heartbreaking stories, and really messed with the show’s most powerful dynamics. Both Bell and Colantoni’s undeniable chemistry comes out in spades, and the emotion of the scene is almost resonant. The truth coming out here was timed brilliantly, and makes his heroic act later on in the episode even more special.

The moment of truth arrives in a face-slapping moment of shock and horror. The “I know what happened” line sparks a flashback that explains everything perfectly that, though detailed, isn’t over exposed. A year’s worth of storylines all click into place, with the flashback filling in all of the gaps, while also making sure that all the clues we’ve learned up until now aren’t ignored, or made insignificant; even Lilly’s parking ticket is explained.

All of the necessary development of Aaron’s dark nature pays off, and his uncovering as a killer, though shocking, is totally believable. There’s nothing worse than a big reveal of someone who doesn’t seem like a likely candidate. Veronica and Keith’s confrontation with Aaron is full of 90’s psycho thriller vibes, but doesn’t feel like a completely different series; instead it’s an almost fitting climax. Veronica and her father’s relationship once again becomes the heart of the story when Keith rushes to her side. I have to admit, that part gets to me every time.

With the truth revealed, the series never forgets that when the real story comes out, it can never end in a perfectly happy ending for all those involved, with Jake Kane now arrested and Logan’s family in ruins. Her friendship with Lilly is given a shout-out though, and the sweet scene of the two young women together echoes the closure that Veronica has finally gotten, while also ensuring that she will never forget her best friend.

I’m almost glad that Lianne left. As Veronica said herself “I bet on you and I lost”. Dealing with a loved one with a serious problem is rarely cut and paste, and even though it felt a little too “up in the air” with Lianne running off with the reward money and leaving Keith and her daughter seemingly for good, it almost seems appropriate that she let them down in the end just as she had before. Some sort of closure would have been nice though as this is the last we ever see of her, since she pulls a Drusilla, (appearing only in flashbacks) after this.

As a season finale, this episode is the perfect culmination of all that had happened over the course of the first season, and ends on a fittingly subtle cliff-hanger ensuring that though Veronica’s struggle over the last two years has finally come to an end, the story isn’t over yet; instant classic.

10/10