Of Vice and Men

"Of Vice and Men"
Veronica Mars episode
Veronica reaches for her car keys as the Hearst serial rapist approaches. Director Harry Winer created the sequence with fast cutting and quick dissolves in order to give the episode a visually complex scene, an aspect of production which series creator Rob Thomas thought was often neglected on the show.[1]
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 7
Directed by	Harry Winer
Written by	Phil Klemmer
Production code	3T5807
Original air date	November 14, 2006 (2006-11-14)
Guest appearances
Laura San Giacomo as Harmony Chase Amanda Walsh as Meryl Rod Rowland as Liam Fitzpatrick Ken Marino as Vinnie Van Lowe Taylor Sheridan as Danny Boyd Ryan Devlin as Mercer Hayes Patrick Fabian as Professor Hank Landry Andrew McClain as Moe Slater Charlie Weber as Glen
Episode chronology
← Previous "Hi, Infidelity" Next → "Lord of the Pi's"
Veronica Mars season 3
List of episodes

"Of Vice and Men" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars, and the fifty-first episode overall. Written by Phil Klemmer and directed by Harry Winer, the episode premiered on The CW on November 14, 2006. The series depicts the adventures of Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) as she deals with life as a college student while moonlighting as a private detective.

In this episode, Veronica helps a student, Meryl (Amanda Walsh) locate her missing boyfriend. Meanwhile, with Mercer (Ryan Devlin) imprisoned for the campus rapes, Veronica tries to find the truth. This investigation leads to an instance in which Veronica is drugged and a part of her hair is removed by a mysterious figure. In addition, Keith (Enrico Colantoni) questions the morality of his relationship with Harmony (Laura San Giacomo), leading to their breakup.

"Of Vice and Men" was one of Rob Thomas's favorite episodes from the season. It features the final appearance of San Giacomo and the reappearance of Ken Marino's character, rival detective Vinnie Van Lowe. The episode received 2.69 million viewers in its original broadcast and was given mixed reviews from television critics, with critics being divided on Veronica's increasing sarcastic behavior and the final scene involving a drugged Veronica. Eric Goldman of IGN wrote that there were some "very strong scenes in the second half", while Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club called the final scene "slightly manipulative."