Caleb Speaks Clever

Cited by the likes of Stephen King and Joss Whedon as one of their favorite TV shows, Veronica Mars is currently wrapping up it’s 3rd season and kicking up a lot of dust with its fans. Possesing a simular fan base to that of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (teenage girls and “geeky” boys who enjoy sharp witted dialogue,) the show has a nitch within the flood of reality and call-in shows that plague the American networks these days. It’s the story of a girl who investigates mysteries in her fictional hometown of Saturn, California

On this week’s episode, one of the show’s regulars, Sheriff Don Lamb(Played by Michael Muhney left,) was killed during a routine arrest. The sudden death of what was a main character in the show has been received by fans with both positive and negative feelings. On one side, Lamb’s death maintains the “twist” aspect of the show which it’s viewers have enjoyed since episode one. Also, Veronica’s father, the former Sheriff, got his job back in what seemed like moments after Lamb was diagnosed as dead.

According to the Veronica Mars message boards on TV.com the shocking death of who was admittingly an asshole 0f a character has disenfranchised many fans of the show further. Said one blogger:

“Ok so they killed off Sheriff Lamb… I’m still not quite mentally processing that and I’m in two minds as to what I actually thought about this episode. But I’m so very beyond glad that I spoiled myself because I wouldn’t have wanted to watch that unprepared.”

On the other hand, fans such as myself and my girlfriend, thought the episode was amazing. For most VM fans, this season has been shitty. It started with a rape mystery, and now is moving it’s way into a murder mystery, which is much more appropos for the show’s “noir” tone. Luckily, this view is being shared by much of the TV.com community, who loved this week’s episode. One viewer said as much, giving the episode a 10 out of 10:

“…this episode brings back the old days when people were getting offed left and right, the crimes and investigations were exciting, and Keith was the damn man! It’s true, I wish they would have merely incapacitated Lamb for a bit, then had him come back and have to work under Keity or vie for the top spot of Sheriff. But a death is a death and the fact that we’ve had like four in the last few episodes means that we’re back on track!”

Of the 12 posts about the aforementioned episode, titled “Mars, Bars”, 4 gave the episode a perfect 10, one gave it a 9.6, one 9.5, one 9.4, two 8.5s and two 7s. The show it’s self has been in limbo of being cancelled since season one, with the current plans for what will happen next season still in question. One fan saw the death of such a pivitol character as a sign of the show’s end:

“He was needed, he is needed. With this, I see the shows producers knowing that the end is coming soon. With Keith sheriff and Veronica in college, there is no, ‘Outsider’ mentality to the Mars clan. Now it is almost, ‘back to normal.’ So, I really see this being the last season. Now, saying that, I don’t want it to be, at all, I want to see the show go on at least 2 more years, but I really don’t see that happening anymore.”

Personally, i think that the show is finally on the up and up. It sucks for fans of the show who have been anxious about the possibility of it ending abruptly like so many other great shows (e.g: “Over There”, “Angel” and of course, Pauly Shore’s sitcom “Pauly”). As of now, the show has been confirmed for a 4th season, but how long that will last is a matter of opinion…