The teen detective series “Veronica Mars” (8 p.m., UPN) uses high school as a dark metaphor for a cruel society. But it’s Veronica’s methods of coping that set her apart from, say, “Kim Possible.”

In tonight’s episode, perky Veronica (Kristen Bell) is beset by crises on all sides. Her dad has decided to date his best friend’s mother, despite the fact that Veronica’s long lost mother has promised to return home after her long-needed rehab. Meanwhile Veronica is still searching for her friend’s killer.

If this weren’t harsh enough, Neptune High is beset with a series of bomb threats. The administration tries to cover up the threats with a number of “routine” fire drills, but Veronica will have none of it. In addition to her freelance detective work, she’s also the ace reporter on the school’s paper. She blows the lid off the principal’s subterfuge and then discovers that a creepy newcomer and a longtime bully might be behind the threats as well as an ominous Web site with a ticking clock counting down to something truly, deeply dreadful.

While the “Veronica” storyline is creepy enough, the show seems to celebrate our heroine’s dubious tactics. And they appear to be adapted from the KGB’s teen division. The brassy blond thinks nothing of spying on her classmates, listening in on their phone conversations, and stealing their confidential school records. It’s well-known around Neptune High that Veronica has a file on everyone. But apparently that’s cool, because she’s pretty and hip and laces her conversation with pop cultural references.

Other highlights

• Vows are renewed on “Gilmore Girls” (7 p.m., WB).
• Longitudes and attitudes on “The Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS).
• A political candidate struggles to survive on “House” (8 p.m., Fox).
• “Frontline” (8 p.m., PBS) profiles presidential adviser Karl Rove.
• A birthday distraction on “The Office” (8:30 p.m., NBC).
• A hardened case is accused of battering his mother on “Judging Amy” (9 p.m., CBS).
• Preying on the weak on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m., NBC).
• A costly oversight on “Blind Justice” (9 p.m., ABC).