Veronica Mars 3.09: Spit and Eggs

Spit and Eggs is more than just a thrill ride. It's an accomplished episode that masterfully ties up the season's opening arc, and convincingly sets up the following one. It's full of great character insight, surprising twists, game-changing acts of love and a killer chase sequence. Toy unicorns; who knew, right?!

There is so much to love about it. ‘Right Here, Right Now’ (one of my favourite dance tracks); Mac’s triumphant return (you really miss her when she’s gone); the OMFGness of Mercer actually being the rapist after all; the amazing chase sequence that follows that; Parker saving the day; Logan getting himself arrested...

The episode took the storyline that we’d seen unfold since the season’s beginning and interwove it with all of the clues and characters that had been involved in it from the very beginning; like the prisoner/guard experiment which suddenly made a lot of sense. Spit and Eggs also got the creepy vibe which you’d expect from a story like this, especially with Moe’s hair collection falling on Veronica; I’m shuddering just thinking about it.

But if the idea behind the big set-up to Dean O’Dell’s murder was for the big shock at the end, it wasn’t very successful. If you didn’t know a murder was coming they made it painfully obvious. What it did right was line up all of the potential suspects and scenarios that could be run though once it lands on Veronica and Keith to figure out who was responsible, which is obviously what’s going to happen next.

After a few weeks of constant melodrama, Logan finally pulls the plug on his relationship with Veronica. There’s no doubt that she’s been a constant pain in the ass these past few weeks, but if you think about it, it’s nothing she can help. Ever since Lilly died she’s been forced to look after herself, and hasn’t really relied upon a significant other half for anything. Duncan was never really the big hero, more a sensitive shoulder to cry on whenever she needed it. Logan was constantly trying to become her valiant protector, and that’s something she’s never needed, or wanted. Watching her break down you can see that there’s still a lot that she keeps bottled up inside; maybe she ought to re-think her stance on a Prince Charming.

And with that, the first arc of season 3 is done. It’s definitely a strong one, and the idea of smaller mysteries definitely worked out well in this instance, but it’ll take a lot to recreate another that is written with such precision, and strengthened by ties to a hard-hitting motif. And, finished with an episode like this obviously. I'll say it again; watch out for those toy unicorns!

10/10