And by that I mean me writing about the TV series Veronica Mars. I thought it'd be appropriate to re-visit this show after the news that the creator has started fundraising for a movie with most of the cast ready to be attached.
I started watching Veronica Mars after being recommended by a friend. Although at first, I avoided the show as the concept sounded a bit silly-teen private detective solving crimes each week. To me it just sounded like Nancy Drew the series. After the watching the pilot however, I fell in love. With the writing, the supporting characters and their relationships with one another but most importantly, with Veronica herself as played by Kristen Bell. A character who embodies independence, sassiness and a desire to find the truth. I'm glad I decided to ignore my initial thoughts of the show and go ahead and give it a chance.
The whole concept is a lot darker than I would originally imagined: girl's best friend is brutally murdered, girl's father is the sheriff who accuses the wrong man of murder-who happens to be father of girl's boyfriend and girl's murdered best friend. The pilot starts as Veronica's life has already crumbled-she is no longer one of the popular kids at school, in fact she's pretty much despised but she soon starts a friendship with Wallace, after helping him deal with the school's motorcycle gang. The only one person she can count on is her dad-the former sheriff-turned-private eye. Veronica helps her dad on cases and it is here where the series could have become corny but with the quick-witted writing and the dark subjects featured, it becomes gripping, engaging and humourous. In fact, the whole of the first season plays like a murder mystery with side-stories featuring different cases. The genre is like a film-noir, drama, dark comedy all rolled into one in a high school setting. The series is so well-thought out by the show's creator Rob Thomas, that there are small details used in season 1 that are revealed further on in season 2. The characters develop over time instead of staying the same two-dimensional ways that other shows are guilty of yet not straying too far from their original intentions. The chemistry shared amongst all of the cast members is unlike any I've seen in the past-or since. Not only does Bell have on-screen chemistry with Jason Dohring who plays Logan Echolls- her enemy (to begin with), but she also has amazing chemistry with Enrico Colantoni who plays her on-screen father Keith Mars. Their father-daughter relationship is one of the best in a drama, sparking off one another, riffing in a way that's comparable to live theatre plays, constant quick-paced. Let's also not forget her chemistry with Percy Daggs III who plays her loyal best friend Wallace whose conversations with each other is normally where the humour comes through.
Even with weaker episodes dotted here and there in seasons 1 and 2, it was still better than most of the shows on today's television. Alas, as Veronica Mars reached season 3 it was cancelled-a lot sooner than it should have been. And even though season 3 was the weakest of all seasons, it sill had potential to go further. Which is why the news of a movie, helped out with fans' donations, has spread like wildfire and has everyone talking of the possibilities that may happen with their favourite characters. Veronica Mars is witty, at times amusing, and other times heartbreaking, and if you haven't already watched it, you are definitely missing out. I give this TV series as a whole 4.5 out of 5 ****1/2.
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