FAVES: Veronica Mars

Several of my favorite shows came and went too quickly.  Veronica Mars is another show with a somewhat cringe-worthy premise which perhaps contributed to its untimely demise.  But it is actually a wonderful example of quality tv lit (again, introduced to me by the enlightened Phil).  Here it is:  the life of a smart-as-a-whip high school private detective investigating the mystery of her best friend’s brutal murder.  Along the way, alliances shift, friends come and go, new cases-of-the-week arise and are resolved, and everyone learns a valuable lesson.

Sounds kind of silly or cliché, right?  Now here is what makes it awesome:

1.  It is smart, fresh, and unique.  There really isn't anything else out there like it!

2.  One of my favorite things about Veronica Mars is character development.  People on the show change dramatically over the course of a season, but remain consistently who they are so that it doesn’t seem ridiculous.  People you hate at the beginning become heroes, while others you liked and trusted let you down.  It seems to happen organically.

One of the writers' main challenges on the show is making believable high school characters likable, relatable and interesting.  And they succeed.  Veronica herself is extremely engaging so you really care about what is going on in her life.  At the same time, she is flawed, and makes serious mistakes along the way.  But because you really get to understand her motivations from the beginning, you are always pulling for her, even when her chronic trust issues are bungling up the whole operation.

3.  You just don’t know what’s going to happen.  Like my mom, I can generally predict what is going to happen on a show, and where story arcs are headed.  Predictability and common conventions can become really boring in literature, especially on television where the story needs to have a high degree of longevity to work.  But on Veronica Mars, I can very rarely predict whodunit or how a dilemma will be resolved, either in the main season mystery or in the case-of-the-week.  They always manage to keep it fresh and interesting, which makes the show consistently engaging. 

4.  It’s got a wonderful mix of comedy and drama.  The characters are all so sassy, which keeps the vibe fun even as their worlds are often in complete disarray.  But they are also amazingly capable of displaying deep and genuine emotion.

5.  The best daughter-dad relationship on television.

6.  Fabulous celebrity guest-stars (Charisma Carpenter!  Jane Lynch!  Alyson Hannigan!  Laura San Giacomo!  Joss Whedon!!!)

I recently purchased the first season (super cheap from Amazon), and started watching it with my mom, and she loves it too (so far anyway)!  If you decide to give it a go, don’t be put off by the amazing quantity of flash-backs in the pilot episode.  They’re just setting it up for you so that when the show hits its stride you won’t be bogged down about back stories. 

So if you want to give the show a go, check it out here: Veronica Mars: The Complete First Season (also the whole series is available on Netflix!)

Favorite Episodes (Season 1 heavy, probably because I haven't seen 2 or 3 in a long time):

• "The Wrath of Con" (Season 1)
• "Like a Virgin" (Season 1)
• "Silence of the Lamb" (Season 1)
• "M.A.D." (Season 1)
• "Trip to the Dentist" (Season 1)
• "Leave it to Beaver" (Season 1)
• "Green-Eyed Monster" (Season 2)
• "Ahoy Mateys" (Season 2)
• "The Rapes of Graff" (Season 2)
• "Not Pictured" (Season 2)
• "My Big Fat Greek Rush Week" (Season 3)
• "Mars, Bars" (Season 3)
• "Un-American Graffiti" (Season 3)

I look forward to seeing your comments about how much you love Veronica Mars, which clutch episodes I left of this list, or how I got it right/wrong.