Network interference in an effort to save the show by trying to draw in the CSI-type viewers.

Ugh. I was hoping they were going to go with something a little different this season. Season one, the least likely person to do it is given a motive in the last episode. Season two, the least likely person to do it is given a motive in the last episode. I was hoping they were setting up Veronica to think it was Tim but then reveal that, no, it really was Mindy or Hank.

Within the first five or ten minutes I called who it was going to be after I realized they weren't going to break this "tradition", but I was disappointed. Toward the end, my hopes for someone other than Tim were briefly raised again with the Papa's Cabin scene. Not to mention that it was the title of the episode, which would seem to increase the relevance.

The scene was about how Veronica and Tim were completely overthinking it. They were going off of the tree type, license plate color, etc., when "Papa's Cabin" really did just mean "Papa's Cabin". I thought they were trying to hint to the audience that this time, it's not going to be the most contrived suspect. Keith says "follow the money", but that is never the case with these arc mysteries--even when Mindy O'Dell stands to gain millions!

Not to mention that I liked Tim as a foil for Veronica, and now that Lamb is gone she really needs one. I cracked up when the stripper asked, "Do I look like I smoke?" and he paused for a moment and then said, "Yes."

Looking back at the sequence of events for the murder, can anyone put together a timeline that actually makes sense (involving Mindy, Hank, and Tim)? I can't.

It wasn't their call.

There are apparently some character bits that run throughout the five episodes, but there is no arc in the sense of bus crash/serial rapist/etc. That's what I've read, at least.

I've never been more sure of who the guilty party was as I was as this episode unfolded. It was beyond blatantly obvious.

The more I think about it, the less sense Tim the TA's entire plan makes:

- Why murder someone and then set it up as a suicide when you actually wanted it blamed on the Professor? (Only the wife hiring Keith even got the case reopened!)

- Why murder the very person who was going to ruin the career of the Professor you wanted to bring down? (Ruining his career requiring doing nothing at all!)

- Why hide the incriminating bloody clothes that you want to be found in a place where there's a good chance they would never be found and instead burnt up?

- Why pay someone to "back up" the Professor's alibi?

- Why plant the bug recording that incriminates yourself?


This mystery even makes less sense than the bus mystery from last season!

The more important question is: Did Mindy always have such a nice rack? When she was buying the boat, I was distracted by it.

Here's the timeline, as best I can recall:

?? afternoon: Keith tells the dean about the affair.

5:32 : Landry gives Tim a bad reference, unknown when Tim actually hears the call.

?, evening: Mindy picks up the deans prescription.

10:15 : Landry arrives at the hotel, watches the basketball game.

?: Tim has fight with skank girlfriend at party.

?: Mindy arrives for some hanky panky.

12:00 : the dean shows up to confront Mindy and Landry.

1:30 : Mindy leaves the hotel in her car. Landry calls Mindy to talk her out of seeing the dean*. Mindy goes to the house and then to the dean's office.

approx 2:00 : The dean's office is egged, along with Mindy's car. Mindy talks to the dean and gives him his script, leaves after "5 minutes".

?? : Landry leaves the hotel to go home.

2:30 : Mindy returns to the hotel.

?? : Tim hears the Mindy/Landry call and realizes the dean has confronted them about the affair and is drunk with a gun. Thinking he has an opportunity to fame Landry he stops by his house to get some of Landry's clothes.

3:00 : Tim kills the dean. Types up the generic suicide note emulating V's paper in order to tip off that's not a real suicide.

Later:

?: That night or perhaps some time later Tim plants the bloody cloths to set up Landry. Most likely I suspect he would take the time to ensure he doesn't leave any evidence of his own on them, like hairs, and then control when/where they are found.

?: Once the case begins to look more like murder, Landry swaps Steve and the dean's keyboard, which is in university storage in an attempt to protect Mindy.

* There is a discrepancy here. Mindy tells Keith that Landry called "to see how it went", but the recording content and timing show that Landry called soon after she left the room to try and stop her from confronting the dean.


Tim knew that by blatantly copying Veronica's paper she would know it wasn't really a suicide and get the investigation rolling. Besides, he always had the bag of bloody clothing that would "prove" Landry actually murdered the dean, it was just a matter of when/where to plant it.
I thought of this too. I guess you could say that Tim didn't know/think the dean would actually ruin Landry and thought the situation was too ripe to risk it. But then Mindy and others have said the dean had a lot of enemies, and you don't gain enemies by not screwing people over.
Perhaps Tim had more control over the clothes discovery than we know. He could have sabotaged the furnace to ensure they were found.
My current fanwank, although admittedly weak, is that when Tim heard that there was a possible alibi for Landry he setup the woman and lead V to debunking her in order to cut of that line of the investigation. If the real witness were ever found it would ruin everything.
A very good question. Removing the call would be suspicious if it didn't match the phone records, but it would definitely be worth it to remove the only evidence of Tim's motive. Also, as far as we know Tim didn't know Landry knew about the bug until Landry told him from the jail cell. He probably never though he would have to use the recordings and in his improvisation didn't think to remove the incriminating call, or didn't have time.

Thanks, wmansir.

Season 4 of Veronica Mars?

From Ask Ausiello at TVGuide.com

Question: Any news on a fourth season of Veronica Mars?— Joey
Ausiello: I just e-emailed Mars' main man Rob Thomas for an update, and here's what he wrote back: "We're very much on the fence for a fourth season. My amateur handicapping of our situation — 60/40 in our favor. We are shooting the finale as a season finale — not as a series finale. There will be no alternate. If they do try to get rid of us, we're not going to make it easy for them." I gotta tell ya, there are few things in life I enjoy more than a juicy Rob Thomas soundbite.

60/40 seems very optimistic considering the ratings.

Luckily VM's season cliffhangers aren't that compelling to begin with. The end of the first season it was "Who's at V's door?" The second season was "What was in the case that would keep Keith from seeing V at the airport?" Frankly, the resolutions weren't exactly riveting TV either.

Watch Rob Thomas up the ante this time and have V come home to find Keith's body or something.

The number one mystery I wanted solved didn't happen. What's up with Tim's hair!?!?!? Is it a wig?

"The Mystery of the Hair" is the next "arc" storyline.

I just finished the show last night and found it to have many funny moments. I must say that the one thing I really like about the mini-archs is that they don't seem nearly as "jam-packed" as the season 2 closer.

Did they hire one of the writers of Lost?

I remeber a few guys espousing who the killer was (correctly) a while back. I did not know the "least likely" rationale.
It is a bit annoying to have the killers motive etc revealed only on the last episode.
Still immensely enjoyable.
Hope theres a 4th season !

I figured it would be Tim too (sorry Tracer). That wasn't based on clues left on the show, but more a process of elimination. As others have said, the professor and the wife were just too obvious. It's a shame it wasn't them because that would have fooled me.

Finally I'm caught up with Veronica Mars. I had 5 episodes left on my PVR and yesterday being a snow day for me, it was a good time to watch them all.

I was a little underwhelmed about the Dean's death mystery arc. Now that the rest of the season is going to be stand alone episodes, I'm interested to see how that will turn out.

So there's no Logan and no Sheriff Lamb, now who is Veronica going to torment now?

Out of the 4 big mysteries VM has had, this was the weakest finale.

Having Tim kill the innocent Dean O'Dell just to get back at Landry is a reach. Right before the Dean was killed, based on his reaction, he knew who the killer was. I don't recall Tim and the Dean ever having a scene together before his death.

I know the writers lost one episode and things were left out.

This show is on the bubble for next season. If it does come back, I hope they don't get rid of the longer mystery archs. Instead of trying to cater to potential new fans by dumbing down the show, they should cater to the fans that love the show as it is. VM will always have a niche audience.

It seems that scene pertained to the visit by his wife to his office prior to his death. They never showed flashback of how the Dean was actually killed by Tim.