Leave It to Beaver (Veronica Mars)

Last updated

"Leave It to Beaver"
Veronica Mars episode
Copy of VM 1x22 LItB 837.jpg
After solving the murder of her best friend Lilly Kane, Veronica dreams about their reunion. Veronica's final promise to Lilly is that she could never forget about her.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 22
Directed by Michael Fields
Story byRob Thomas
Teleplay by Rob Thomas
Diane Ruggiero
Production code2T5721
Original air dateMay 10, 2005 (2005-05-10)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"A Trip to the Dentist"		Next →
"Normal Is the Watchword"
Veronica Mars season 1
List of episodes

"Leave It to Beaver" is the twenty-second and final episode of the first season of the American television series Veronica Mars . Series creator Rob Thomas wrote the story, and collaborated with Diane Ruggiero to write the teleplay. The season finale was directed by Michael Fields, and was first aired on May 10, 2005, in the United States on UPN.

Contents

The finale concludes the storyline of Lilly Kane's murder, as Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) finally discovers the identity of the murderer after investigating the mystery with her father Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) throughout the season. Thomas said that the finale was more ambitious than the average episode, requiring a larger budget and more filming than usual. "Leave It to Beaver" was watched by 2.99 million American viewers on its original airing. Critical reaction to the episode was generally positive, and several critics praised Thomas' use of red herrings.

Background

The first season revolves around Veronica's investigation of her best friend Lilly's murder. Prior to the murder, Veronica was dumped by her boyfriend, Duncan Kane (Teddy Dunn), who was also Lilly's brother. After Lilly was killed, Veronica's father, County Sheriff Keith Mars, accused Lilly's father, popular software billionaire Jake Kane (Kyle Secor), of being involved in the murder. This provoked Neptune's wrath and Keith's ousting as sheriff in a recall election. Veronica's mother, Lianne Mars (Corinne Bohrer), developed a drinking problem and left town. Veronica's "09er" friends—wealthy students from the fictional 90909 ZIP code —forced her to choose between them and her father; Veronica chose her father.

After being voted out as sheriff, Keith opens a private investigation agency, Mars Investigations, where Veronica works part-time. Veronica helps her father solve cases and conducts her own investigations on behalf of friends and acquaintances at school. Veronica discovers new evidence which suggests that Abel Koontz (Christian Clemenson), the man imprisoned after confessing to Lilly's murder, is innocent. As Veronica delves deeper into the murder case, she also works on other investigations, seeks her mother's whereabouts and deals with the aftermath of being drugged and raped during an "09er" party. Things get more complicated when Veronica falls into a relationship with Lilly's ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), who for a time held Veronica partly responsible for Lilly's death and went out of his way to harass her.

In the previous episode, Keith proves the innocence of convicted murderer Koontz, who had falsely confessed to murdering Lilly. Veronica, who believed that she had been raped the previous year at a party, discovers that she and Duncan had sex while under the influence of GHB; Duncan left that next morning because he believed Veronica was his sister. Veronica spends time with her boyfriend Logan in his pool house, but discovers a hidden video system linking to cameras focused on the bed. Veronica is shocked and goes home, only to find her mother Lianne has returned from rehab.

Plot

After reading a newspaper article revealing Koontz's innocence, Duncan demands the truth from his parents, Jake and Celeste Kane (Lisa Thornhill), who tell him that they arrived home one night to find Duncan covered in blood and holding Lilly's body. Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas (Kyle Gallner) tells Veronica that on the weekend of Lilly's murder, he had gone surfing in Mexico with Logan and Dick Casablancas (Ryan Hansen), but that Logan had driven back to Neptune to see Lilly. Veronica and Keith discover that a shot glass Logan bought for Lilly in Mexico is on the list of evidence found in Lilly's bedroom and car. Talking to Keith on the phone, Veronica suggests that Logan is the murderer; she is overheard by the leader of the Latino biker gang PCHers, Eli "Weevil" Navarro (Francis Capra), who had a relationship with Lilly.

Keith ends his relationship with Wallace's mother Alicia Fennel (Erica Gimpel), to give Lianne a second chance. He sues the Kanes for refusing to pay the $50,000 reward for finding Duncan; they agree to pay if Veronica signs away any future claim to their estate. Once Veronica signs, Keith shows her the DNA test that proves he is her father, meaning Veronica was never a potential Kane heir.

Logan is arrested, and once released he angrily breaks up with Veronica for providing the evidence against him. He tells her that when he saw Lilly after returning from Mexico, he knew their relationship was over and wrote her a letter, which he left in Lilly's car along with the shot glass. Veronica realizes that the letter was never found, and sneaks into a dinner party at the Kane household to search Lilly's room for it. Duncan finds her in the room, and they discover several videotapes which show Lilly having an affair with Logan's father, Aaron Echolls (Harry Hamlin). Veronica concludes that when Aaron learned that Lilly had taken the tapes and she refused to return them, he killed her in a fit of rage, leading to Duncan's discovery of Lilly's body and his parents' mistaken belief that he killed her.

In Lilly's room, as a hidden person watches from a closet, Veronica calls Keith and tells him that she will bring home the tapes, noting that Aaron is at the party. Before she leaves, Veronica tells Duncan that they are not related. Elsewhere, Logan drunkenly stands on a bridge railing; Weevil and the PCHers arrive and menacingly close in on him.

As she drives home, Veronica discovers Aaron is in the back seat of her car, and intentionally crashes into a power pole to escape him. Although both are knocked unconscious, Veronica awakens first and flees to the back porch of a nearby house, hiding the tapes in various places as she runs. Aaron traps Veronica in a refrigerator on the porch, demanding she reveal where the tapes are, and when Keith arrives, Aaron sets the refrigerator on fire. Keith is burnt while freeing Veronica, and Aaron is hit by a truck while trying to escape. The police arrive and Keith and Aaron are taken away on stretchers as Aaron is read his rights. Jake vows to see Aaron fry for his actions and is also arrested, for obstruction of justice.

Keith wakes up in hospital to find Alicia by his side. Veronica arrives home and tells her mother to leave; she knows that Lianne is still drinking and did not finish her rehab. Lianne packs her bags, taking the $50,000 Kane settlement check as she leaves.

Veronica dreams about floating on pool rafts with Lilly, in a pool covered with flowers, and they say their final goodbyes. Veronica wakes up and answers the door, telling the unseen visitor, "I was hoping it would be you."

Production

Rob Thomas was so impressed by Amanda Seyfried that he used her three or four more times than he initially had planned in the first season. Amanda Seyfried-crop.jpg
Rob Thomas was so impressed by Amanda Seyfried that he used her three or four more times than he initially had planned in the first season.

The first season of Veronica Mars features a different "case of the week" each episode, and the season-long mystery of Lilly Kane's murder. [2] In addition to developing a separate mystery for each episode, the writers also had to provide clues that would lead to the murder's resolution in the season finale. [3] The murder mystery plot was planned from the beginning of the season and the killer's identity remained the same throughout production. Thomas said that at the beginning of the season, "I know the broad strokes, I know who did it, I know how it was done, I know the big arcs, but we're always filling in the details. Those are week to week. It's a week to week challenge in the writers room figuring out how much information we want to dole out to the audience." [4]

Although series creator Rob Thomas always planned on Harry Hamlin's character Aaron Echolls as the murderer, this reveal almost didn't happen because Hamlin was almost unavailable to shoot the season finale due to a movie he had booked in Australia. However, he decided to continue on Veronica Mars instead. [5]

Although the season's plan was changed very little, Thomas said that Logan became a much bigger character than anticipated. Thomas attributed this to Jason Dohring being an engaging performer, and the crew wanting to write scenes for him. While the budget for each episode was around $1.7 million, an extra $400,000 was spent for the finale. Filming was extended by one full day with the first unit and an extra three days of filming with the second unit. Thomas promised that there would be "more action than you've ever seen on Veronica Mars." [4]

Speaking about the episode's filming, Thomas said, "our final Lilly moment is just beautiful. I think Veronica and Lilly saying goodbye to each other is what people want to see. As much as who killed Lilly Kane." [6] For the finale, Thomas promised "80 percent total satisfaction. People will know who killed Lilly Kane. And there won't be that twist at the end that 'perhaps they didn't do it.' I'm not going to be leaving people like that. However, at the end of the episode, it gives us a pretty big cliffhanger question as well." [4]

Reception

Ratings

"Leave It to Beaver" was watched by 2.99 million American viewers on its original airing, ranking number 98 out of 112 in the weekly charts. [7] This was an increase over the pilot, which was viewed by 2.49 million American viewers. [8] The first season averaged 2.5 million viewers per episode. [9]

Reviews

Many reviewers praised Kristen Bell's performance in the episode, with one reviewer writing that she "churned out gut-wrenching, Emmy-worthy scenes." Kristen Bell Frozen premiere 2013 (cropped).jpg
Many reviewers praised Kristen Bell's performance in the episode, with one reviewer writing that she "churned out gut-wrenching, Emmy-worthy scenes."

Jesse Hassenger of PopMatters found the finale to be "breathlessly paced". [11] However, the writer was also dissatisfied with the cliffhanger, and hoped that the second season would not increase the series' focus on Veronica's relationships. Hassenger wrote, "so far, the series has eschewed the relationship angst so common in other teen-centric shows; Neptune hearts get broken, yes, but the show never stoops to that will-they-or-won't-they dynamic. Veronica is that rare television character who's too interesting for love triangles." [11] Filip Vukcevic of IGN thought that while the resolution of the murder was satisfying, it could have been better; "I liked the way everything played out, but I didn't get the Sixth Sense moment I was hoping for. I wanted the season finale to blow my mind, instead all it got out of me was, 'Ah, I see. That's cool.'" [2] Vukcevic wrote that the pace of the season increased exponentially, and was at its best during the final episode. [2] Both reviewers praised Rob Thomas's use of red herrings. Vukcevic felt that "as the finale approaches you are led to believe that the murderer could be any one of several different people - not any easy thing to pull off convincingly. What makes good TV is audience participation. If you feel for a character or are puzzling out a mystery, you're involved. And when you're involved, you're having a good time." [2] Hassenger cited Lianne, Duncan and Logan as the main red herrings. [11]

Mike Duffy of the Detroit Free Press included the episode on his list of "12 season finales you won't want to miss", citing "great writing, a merrily dark sense of humor and Bell's self-assured smart-girl charm" as the main reasons to watch. [12] Screenwriter and director Kevin Smith praised the "seat-of-your-pants" season finale, writing that it managed to "thread the needle with the Lilly Kane murder so well, it never feels marginalized or played out over 22 episodes". [13] Smith compared the year-long murder mystery to that of Twin Peaks , stating that "unlike Peaks, when the murderer is revealed and the storyline wrapped up in the final [episode], it doesn't feel like the show's outlived its relevance; thanks to the crisp writing, the deft fleshing-out of the Mars universe and the endearing cast, you’re left wanting Veronica's story to continue." [13]

Price Peterson, writing for TV.com , gave the episode an extremely positive review, writing that it was "stellar…just a perfect hour of television and a fantastic end to the season. I still can't believe how well they pulled off the mystery. I did NOT see Aaron Echolls as the killer." [14] Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club gave a glowing review, praising the Keith-Veronica dynamic, the conclusions to the story arcs, and the final sequence after it is revealed that Aaron is the murderer. "It’s also an interesting choice to have the reveal come about two-thirds of the way through the episode, and have the episode end with a dramatic chase and fight scene. Veronica has so rarely been in direct personal danger that having Aaron Echolls chase and capture her, and having Keith show up for a brutal fight and rescue, is jarring. And I think it is effective." [15] Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A". [16]

Give Me My Remote listed the episode as the third best episode of Veronica Mars , writing "everything about this episode is superb, from the plotlines, to the stunts, and the performances. Kristen Bell, in particular, churned out gut- wrenching, Emmy- worthy scenes." [10] IGN ranked the episode as the best episode of Veronica Mars, writing "Once you realize Aaron is the one, you're glued to your seat for the rest of the episode, possibly hiding behind a blanket. Getting to this reveal was worth the season-long wait." [17] BuzzFeed listed the episode as the second best episode of the series, calling it "one of the most intense, thrilling, and emotional episodes of the show." [18] On a similar list, TVLine ranked the episode as the fourth best episode of the show. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veronica Mars (character)</span> Fictional character

Veronica Mars is the fictional protagonist, occasional narrator, and antiheroine of the American television series Veronica Mars, which aired on UPN from 2004 to 2006 and on The CW from 2006 to 2007. The character was portrayed by Kristen Bell through the duration of the series. Following the show's cancellation, Bell reprised her role in the 2014 film continuation and the 2019 revival that was released on Hulu. The character, created by Rob Thomas, was originally male and the protagonist of his unproduced novel Untitled Rob Thomas Teen Detective Novel, which eventually became the basis of the series. After the work transitioned from novel to television series, Thomas changed the character's gender from male to female because he believed that a noir piece told from a female point of view would be more interesting.

Pilot (<i>Veronica Mars</i>) 1st episode of the 1st season of Veronica Mars

The pilot episode of the television series Veronica Mars premiered on UPN on September 22, 2004. It was written by series creator Rob Thomas, and directed by Mark Piznarski. Set in the fictional town of Neptune, the pilot introduces Kristen Bell as the title character, a high-school student moonlighting as a private investigator under the wing of her detective father. Two separate mysteries are presented in the episode, which are explored throughout the season and resolved in the final and penultimate episodes.

"Credit Where Credit's Due" is the second episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Written by series creator Rob Thomas and directed by Mark Piznarski, who also directed the pilot, the episode originally aired on UPN on September 28, 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Return of the Kane</span> 6th episode of the 1st season of Veronica Mars

"Return of the Kane" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. The episode's teleplay was written by Phil Klemmer, with story by series creator Rob Thomas and was directed by Sarah Pia Anderson. The episode premiered on UPN on November 2, 2004.

"An Echolls Family Christmas" is the tenth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Written by Diane Ruggiero and directed by Nick Marck, the episode premiered on UPN on December 14, 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clash of the Tritons</span> 12th episode of the 1st season of Veronica Mars

"Clash of the Tritons" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Co-written by Phil Klemmer and Aury Wallington and directed by David Barrett, the episode premiered on UPN on January 11, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruskie Business</span> 15th episode of the 1st season of Veronica Mars

"Ruskie Business" is the fifteenth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Written by Phil Klemmer and John Enbom and directed by Guy Bee, the episode premiered on UPN on February 22, 2005.

"Kanes and Abel's" is the seventeenth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Written by Carolyn Murray and directed by Nick Marck, the episode premiered on UPN on April 5, 2005.

Hot Dogs (<i>Veronica Mars</i>) 19th episode of the 1st season of Veronica Mars

"Hot Dogs" is the nineteenth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Written by Dayna Lynne North and directed by Nick Marck, the episode originally aired on UPN on April 19, 2005.

"M.A.D." is the twentieth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Written by Phil Klemmer and John Enbom and directed by John Kretchmer, the episode premiered on April 26, 2005 on UPN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Trip to the Dentist</span> 21st episode of the 1st season of Veronica Mars

"A Trip to the Dentist" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. Written by Diane Ruggiero and directed by Marcos Siega, the episode premiered on UPN on May 3, 2005.

"Normal Is the Watchword" is the season premiere of the second season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars, and the twenty-third episode overall. Written by series creator Rob Thomas and directed by John Kretchmer, the episode premiered on UPN on September 28, 2005.

"My Mother, the Fiend" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars and the thirty-first episode overall. Directed by Nick Marck, the episode was co-written by Phil Klemmer and Dayna Lynne North. It was first aired on November 30, 2005, on UPN.

"One Angry Veronica" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars, and the thirty-second episode overall. Written by Russell Smith and directed by John T. Kretchmer, the episode premiered on UPN on December 7, 2005.

"Happy Go Lucky" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the second season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars, and the forty-third episode overall. Written by Diane Ruggiero and directed by Steve Gomer, the episode premiered on UPN on May 2, 2006.

"Not Pictured" is the second season finale of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars, serving as the twenty-second episode of the season and the forty-fourth episode overall. Co-written by series creator Rob Thomas and John Enbom and directed by John Kretchmer, the episode premiered on UPN on May 9, 2006. In this episode, Veronica learns the identity of the person responsible for the Neptune High bus crash. Meanwhile, Veronica and her classmates graduate from high school, and Neptune reacts to Aaron Echolls being acquitted.

Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during UPN's last two years, and ended its original run on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Later being continued with a film released on March 14,2014, and by an eight-episode fourth season. Set in the fictional town of Neptune, the series starred Kristen Bell as the title character, a student who progressed from high school to college during the series while moonlighting as a private investigator under the wing of her detective father.

<i>Veronica Mars</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of Veronica Mars, an American drama television series created by Rob Thomas, premiered on UPN in the United States on September 22, 2004. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Television, Silver Pictures Television and Rob Thomas Productions, and Joel Silver and Thomas served as the executive producers.

References

  1. ↑ Thomas, Rob. ""Pilot" commentary". SlaveRats.com. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Vukcevic, Filip (October 19, 2005). "Veronica Mars: Season 1 Review". IGN . Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  3. ↑ Porter, Rick (September 28, 2005). "Mystery deepens on Mars". The Providence Journal . Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 Cortez, Carl (May 9, 2005). "Exclusive Interview: Veronica Mars Creator Rob Thomas". iFMagazine.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2005. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ Thomas, Kaitlin (March 14, 2014). "Veronica Mars at PaleyFest: 9 Things You Might Not Have Known About the Series and the Movie". TV.com . Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ Aurthur, Kate (April 17, 2005). "Television: Character; A Season-Long Whodunit Must Soon Say Who Did". The New York Times . Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet . May 17, 2005. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. September 24, 2004. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Primetime series". The Hollywood Reporter . May 27, 2005. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  10. 1 2 Skerry, Kath (December 8, 2008). "Take 5: Veronica Mars Top 5 Episodes". Give Me My Remote. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Hassenger, Jesse (May 17, 2005). "Crafty (And Just My Type)". PopMatters . Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  12. ↑ Duffy, Mike (May 9, 2005). "Must-see TV". The Roanoke Times . Landmark Media Enterprises. Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  13. 1 2 Smith, Kevin (September 3, 2005). "My Boring-Ass Life: Kevin Smith's Online Diary". silentbobspeaks.com (via Internet Archive). Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2008.
  14. ↑ Peterson, Price (June 16, 2012). "The Veronica Mars Season 1 Dossier: Episodes 17-22". TV.com . Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  15. ↑ Kaiser, Rowan (August 19, 2011). "Review: Veronica Mars: "Leave It to Beaver"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Veronica Mars Leave It To Beaver Recap". Television Without Pity . May 9, 2005. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  17. ↑ Ratcliffe, Amy (March 13, 2014). "The Top 10 Veronica Mars Episodes". IGN . Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  18. ↑ Bordages, Anais (March 10, 2014). "The Definitive Ranking of All "Veronica Mars" Episodes". BuzzFeed . Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  19. ↑ Roots, Kimberly (March 14, 2014). "Every Veronica Mars Episode, Worst To Best, Plus Some Key Info to Prep You For the Movie". TVLine . Retrieved May 10, 2015.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.