The TV Dad is a storied role. From the earliest and simplest family sitcom formats to perhaps television’s most famous character of all time – Homer Simpson – patriarchs have taught viewers lessons and made them laugh.

Enter the early Golden Age of Television and Keith Mars. He’s a deadpan sarcastic private eye with a daughter who everyone in town agrees means trouble, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. The two spend the average day rooting nefariousness out of their appearance-is-everything town and then retiring to gab and eat junk food for dinner at the counter. While like no other TV Dad before or likely after, he occupies a proper place in the tradition and canon.

10 Dad Game Strong

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// episode: 2.21 ❝happy go lucky❞ edit: i’m on hiatus bc i don’t really have time to run this acc anymore 😭 i may or may not post again, but i still love vmars 😙 #veronicamars #kristenbell #enricocolantoni

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Keith Mars is Neptune’s best detective. By an even greater degree he may be Neptune’s best dad. It’s not the most competitive race considering the number of fathers around the seemingly picturesque California town who are among the criminal class, but Keith does deserve a great deal of credit.

His parenting style might be described as laissez-faire – perhaps characteristic of a single dad (at least a TV one) who as often plays pal as parent. But Keith is no pushover. His apparent lack of concern here is actually a demonstration of his complete faith in his daughter.

9 But He’s Still Hip Too

In Veronica Mars‘ pilot episode, the loveable and bald Keith Mars proclaims “Who’s your daddy!” While the outdated epithet might have made viewers uncomfy, as it did Veronica, Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars is relentless in earning affection, even if it is occasionally through clunkily-delivered moments of parental cringe content.

Ultimately, Keith Mars also proves he’s hip through the occasional rise to the call to action. Wielding a gun or disarming a potential thug he is a veritable badass, allowing him to get away with all the hokeyness which is often enough a disarming veneer for the savvy detective anyway.

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8 Keith Mars Knows His Business

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#VeronicaMars #marsinvestigations #KeithMars #VeronicaMarsQuotes #VeronicaMarsMemes

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Veronica Mars viewers track the titular protagonist through every dead-end bathroom interview and monologued thought process, but little do they know the full extent of Mars Investigations’ accounts. Every once in a while, like when Veronica has shifted her work hours to Java The Hut, there is a scene which implies how busy Keith’s day-to-day is.

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Think of what it says about Mars Investigations that high-profile clients like Celeste Kane and Percy “Bone” Hamilton would know where to go. Not to mention his direct tapping by Mayor Goodman as a candidate for Sherriff. Keith Mars is at the top of his class.

7 And As An Entrepreneur, He Knows He Must Wear A Lot Of Hats

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// the full trailer is out on youtube !! swipe to see the 1-minute version and the new poster ♡♡ #veronicamars #kristenbell

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There aren’t many careers with fewer parameters than a private detective. The pay rates are flexible, the law expected to be malleable, and the hours completely based on results.

Veronica had to endure a “girls night” to follow up on a lead in ‘Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner’, which she did not do with any sort of facade. For Keith’s part, perhaps becoming an expert on Aaron Echolls’ entire hookup tree was the weirdest gig. Once, in doing his job of digging up the details on Alicia Fennel’s ex Nathan Woods, he was rebuked for overstepping. Veronica is constantly in trouble with the law. It’s a minefield for the employees of Mars Investigations, who do constantly good work and are thanked infrequently.

6 #Goals

Keith Mars engages in some self-deprecation here about any number of things. His alcoholic runaway wife was a long-time lover to imprisoned local tech magnate Jake Kane. His business has him and his daughter constantly entwined with criminals as well as the authorities. Whatever the distance between the American dream and Keith Mars’ life with Veronica, he looks to narrow it when possible, with ice cream for dinner plans, frequent vague references to “father-daughter time”, and a go-to stern dad tone.

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At the end of the day, “normal” is overrated in Neptune. Those who appear to embody it end up being the most complex and dark of anyone. And those who are cognizant of its scarcity in their own life Veronica Mars fans wouldn’t want to change one bit.

5 Let’s Get To The Bottom Of It

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Adore their relationship 😍

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Where does Veronica get her addiction to the truth? You guessed it. Ironically, this fact was confirmed by an undaunting Keith Mars in potentially the series’ most touching moment. More often his mystery-solving savvy is employed against the secrets and scandals of others. Telling people things they don’t want to know is part of the job, he has told Veronica.

Some notable highlights of Keith Mars wit include coaxing Veronica into being ink-bombed by his safe and of course tracking down frequent runaway Duncan in Cuba for a big Kane Software payday.

4 A Keen Sense Of Humor

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We love their relationship ❤️

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For the classic high-school romantic drama and an endless supply of small town, small crime twists, Veronica Mars fans could as well forget how much the show has to offer as a straight comedy. Logan is infamous for constant cynical ridiculousness, Wallace is always looking to clown, and for her part Veronica has enough quips to keep the average viewer clicking through to the next episode.

But it must be Keith Mars who provides the most pound-for-pound laughs. His nose for an opportunity to make a cutting remark is every bit as equipped as his nose for detail which is his livelihood. In this meme, he isn’t even the one making the joke, and yet his nonstop lighthearted deadpan wins the laugh.

3 A Keen Sense Of, Well Plenty…

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Who remembers this? 💕

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This interaction takes place the day Veronica loses her virginity (more officially) to Duncan. With that sixth sense that terrifies all of us who were kids once, Keith in parent-mode appears to know something is up.  How much? We can only speculate.

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A somber thought is that this unwanted telepathy is the only outlet Veronica, missing Lilly, gets after the momentous occasion. Her and Wallace don’t have a relationship like that, her mom is a lost cause, and other friends are few and far between. Somehow, Keith provides the perfect level of understanding, respect, and love, all with a few facetiously-hokey words betrayed by that strong brow.

2 Keith Mars Gave Us This Marshmellow

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#veronicamars #kristinbell #marshmallow #wallace #pilot

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Call it oversentimental, but one of Keith Mars’ greatest accomplishments is raising Veronica. She is whip-smart, unbelievably self-sufficient, and, it goes without saying, well on her way to making the family business proud someday as the head detective. Most notably, this attributive excellence comes at no cost to her kind, youthful spirit, which prioritizes friends without status and noble causes.

In other words, she’s a marshmallow. Wallace makes this remark in the series’ opening episode and the term has become a calling card for Veronica Mars superfans.

1 Number One Priority: Fun

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// merry christmas eve! ~🌟 ——— ❝one angry veronica❞ (2.10) ——— #veronicamars #kristenbell

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Enrico Colantoni plays the role of an astute detective. Enrico Colantoni plays the role of a single dad. And yet, is there any better description of Keith Mars than goofball? For joy and positivity to be the strongest essence emanating from his being among all the chaos of Neptune is an accomplishment in itself.

In Veronica Mars, every Keith Mars scene is a joy and very few are tedious. After the beloved hero, and taking into account the split votes between ‘Team Logan’ and ‘Team Duncan’, Keith Mars is the series most beloved character.

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