Veronica Mars 2.22 Not Pictured

Just like Leave it to Beaver, Not Pictured is an inescapable hit of adrenaline, excitement, big reveals and emotionally crippling performances. Last season it was obvious we were after the wrong guy, but did anyone see this one coming? Season One was very linear, and a lot less expansive than season two was, yet Not Pictured is just as successful in tying up a year’s worth of plots that were, for lack of a better term, all over the place. It still manages to set up a third season incredibly well, though. It’s one of the show’s best efforts, and given how frequently the show hit the top of the amazing scale, that’s saying a lot.

Veronica Mars 2.21 Happy Go Lucky

Call me a stick in the mud, but some things are better left alone. Like the resolution of last season’s mystery. There was finality and a nice sense of closure for Veronica where Lily was concerned, and all this trial business kind of dug the whole thing up, essentially undermining the emotional repair that went on during the past year. Then again, if the digging up of old wounds is this great, who am I to complain?

Veronica Mars 2.20 Look Who's Stalking

This is where the mega-tonne of clues and partial facts about the bus crash start to come together. This episode was all about straightening up a lot of what we knew, and tying it in with this new damaging information about one of Neptune’s finest. It’s also one of the show’s creepiest episodes, as it sets about to bring the season to a dark and disturbing conclusion.

Veronica Mars 2.19 Nevermind the Buttocks

Just as Plan B was about wrapping up one of the season’s biggest arcs, Nevermind the Buttocks is about tidying up the left over plot threads by making sense of some of the players it introduced. Though it’s an episode that lacks a stronger stand-alone case, it’s more credible in its clever meshing of both the longer running plots, and the shorter episodic one.

Veronica Mars 2.18 I Am God

I Am God was never really about advancing the story through twists and reveals; it was all about the people that Neptune had lost as a result of this horrific accident. It’s an examination of how hard Veronica’s dedication to solving this mystery has been hitting her, a new-age adaption of her past focus on Lily’s murder. It explores that effect through amazing visuals and some really insightful dialogue; it’s another classic.

Veronica Mars 2.17 Plan B

At this point there were a number of various plots that were starting to take over. Plan B was all about wrapping up, at least in part, one of the season’s biggest arcs; who killed Felix? There were also a lot of other plots floating around, and though Plan B lacked structure, it feels like the year’s stories are already building towards something.

Veronica Mars 2.16 The Rapes of Graff

For an episode that’s essentially a Veronica Does College trial run, it’s still extremely successful. It combines the familiar and the unknown with a returning face, and an entirely new location for us to enjoy. Among other things, it’s a comfort to know that this series could continue to thrive even beyond Neptune High.

Veronica Mars 2.15 The Quick and the Wed

Sometimes there are secluded mysteries that tend to drag Veronica Mars down a little. The Quick and the Wed was all a little too dull; a case with very little build up and all the excitement of a drying wall, but I like that this show still decorates its weaker stories with strong character work. In these situations it’s the dialogue and interaction that save the whole thing.

Veronica Mars 2.14 Versatile Toppings

Versatile Toppings tackles a heavy issue with remarkable ease and realism, a feat that is rarely accomplished with being too preachy and demoralizing. It also drives the increasingly complicated bus crash story forward, a story that’s continuing to line up suspects and scenarios to widen our field of possible culprits. There’s a lot to like about this episode, but mostly it’s Veronica herself that makes such a cumbersome situation seem so breezy and entertaining.

Veronica Mars 2.13 Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough

This is the funniest episode this show ever produced. Even though it focuses on a heavy topic - Veronica helping someone to get through what she had to face alone when her Dad was the man facing public scrutiny – it’s the amazing quips, put-downs and snark that shine through; a striking example of how strong this show’s writing could be, even in the face of a standard, and seemingly dried up idea.

Veronica Mars 2.12 Rashard and Wallace Go to White Castle

Given his lengthy absent earlier this season, it’s only natural that an episode heavily centred on Mr Fennell would be so important this point. He’s got all the makings of a totally passable character, yet he’s one of the most beloved, and I’m one of the fans who believe he deserved far more screen-time than he ended up getting, especially later on.

Veronica Mars 2.11 Donut Run

It’s hard to be on the receiving end of the major punking. Just like Keith, the Mannings, the Kanes and even the FBI, we were played. The rushed quality of Duncan’ exit aside and you’ve got an amazing episode that continues to pull amazing twists and turns even after the big 30 minute reveal. It’s a stellar example of how well this show can turn a seemingly standard event into a potentially monumental one.

Veronica Mars 2.10 One Angry Veronica

I think this is the first episode that bored me a little. There’s a rule book somewhere that trial based episodes always have to be tedious in some way, and this episode really took that to heart. It’s not necessarily a bad episode, and the writing is still strong, but against the backdrop of episodes that have set the bar so high, it’s hard not to see the flaws.

Veronica Mars 2.09 My Mother, the Fiend

This episode tackles a number of familiar themes from the previous season by including a couple of familiar names and faces, and is filled with both touching moments and truly amazing take-downs. It chronicles Veronica’s constant struggle with her mother’s depravity, and how often she’s forced to help clean up the messes she leaves in her wake.

Veronica Mars 2.08 Ahoy, Mateys!

Felix’s murder seems to get a bit more screen-time than the major bus crash early on this season. While the constant back and forth of Logan and Weevil’s rivalry is a bit tedious, it’s a clever depiction of the major class divide. Veronica’s case this week didn't see too much excitment other than painting a better picture of someone who could end up becoming a major clue in solving this year’s mystery.

Veronica Mars 2.07 'Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner'

Stellar use of minor characters and incredibly intelligent script make this episode one the series’ best. The lighter cases are usually lots of fun, ‘Like a Virgin’ proved that much, but when it goes dark, it sets itself aside from any other show remotely in its genre and proves what an amazing out of the box series it is. While the attention grabbling case is the main focus this week, the episode also gives its on-going stories some attention, continuously moving the forward.

Veronica Mars 2.06 'Rat Saw God'

An abundance of call-backs make this episode an important one in tying up a few loose ends left from last season. It sparks up a few interesting combinations and as usual plays up the characters that have the greatest dialogue together.

Veronica Mars 2.05 'Blast from the Past'

‘Veronica Mars’ has always had the ability to skew a little bit more into one genre than the other. This episode is a bit more teen, than noir and while we’re presented with a big slap in the face for mis-trusting Veronica, the episode is again, bit of a step down from the stellar quality we’ve been used to during the first season.

Veronica Mars 2.04 'Green Eyed Monster'

Something about ‘Green Eyed Monster’ felt more like the type of series we’re used to. Though it still lacked a certain something, it felt a lot more cohesive than ‘Cheatty Cheatty...’ in that we got to see Veronica tackle something that takes her a little closer to home. Though the episode’s theme of jealousy leads to some damaging characterisation on Veronica’s part, it was still a well-crafted episode with more than a few points of poignancy.

Veronica Mars 2.03 'Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang'

One of the seemingly standard plot threads that began in the premiere came into play here. Veronica’s discovery of Logan’s “side project” was inevitable especially considering the abundance of attention the series has been giving their separation. A lot of the second season involves Logan and Veronica throwing daggers at each other, figuratively speaking of course this isn’t a Joss show, and it gets tiresome after a while.