'Veronica Mars' & Lilly Kane Were BFF For A Reason

The great tragedy of Veronica Mars is that the Veronica we know and love is a completely different person than the one she was when her best friend, Lilly Kane, was still alive. The mystery of the first season is who really killed Lilly Kane, and so many red herrings are thrown at us that it's nearly impossible to guess the real culprit until it's almost too late for Veronica to survive the experience. When Lilly was alive, Veronica was her sidekick, her confidante, her best friend, and her almost sister-in-law. (And her almost sister, period, but that's a plot line for another day.) Although the two seemed completely different, their bond was a bond that would last beyond death.

But were they as different as they seemed? Veronica picked up a lot of Lilly's traits after her death, sure, and even went out of her way to do things that were meaningful to her and Lilly that she hadn't had the courage to do while Lilly was still alive. (Remember that time she went skinny dipping on her way to the dance with Troy Vandegraff?) There can be no doubt that Lilly had a profound effect on Veronica, and helped her become the person that she was when we met her, both intentionally and unintentionally. How much did Veronica and Lilly really have in common at the end of the day?

Let's take a look.

Image: Warner Bros. Television; Dawn Foster/Bustle