Veronica Mars Season 3: The times they are a changin

Oh, Season 3....I don't really even know where to begin with you. Season 3 of Veronica Mars took a show I was obsessed with and turned it into a show I could barely finish because of the problems I had with it. And it really pains my heart to have to admit that. I had heard bad things about season 3 before starting, but when the season started off strong, and I was enjoying where it was going, I just chalked it up to people being annoyed with all the changes in the show. Because I liked the changes. I liked that there were three smaller mysteries that made up the season instead of one season-long one. I think this actually solved one of the problems of season 2 with not being able to sustain interest in the season-long bus crash mystery because they had to stretch it out so much. I thought the rape mystery and both of the murder mysteries were extremely well plotted, interesting, and had great resolutions (I don't think I guessed a single culprit). They also allowed for Veronica to be fully invested in each case, and by proxy, we were too. So there are no complaints when it comes to the big mysteries. I even really liked the new characters, Piz and Parker, and thought that they added a lot to the show. Heck, even the fact that she was in college and was in a different setting didn't bother me at all. So what did bother me? Where do I start?

First, the characters, or perhaps, the lack of characters. While there were a lot of characters on the show, it felt like a lot of them got the short shrift this season. I thought that Veronica and Keith got a ton of story lines and development, which was really great and not enough can be said about the awesomeness of Kristin Bell and Enrico Colantoni. But quite a few of the secondary characters who had bigger roles in the other season seemed to be tossed to the wayside. I was excited when the season first started because there was all this potential with Wallace and Piz and Parker and Mac, but I was disappointed in the end with the amount they were on screen. Wallace, if he was even in an episode, would only be on for like, a minute which really bummed me out. I missed him. And I just felt all around that the other characters, even poor dead Sheriff Lamb (who I kind of loved in the end), were wasted. The only secondary character who I did think got enough screen time and whose extended screen time greatly improved the show was Dick Casablancas. Not only is he hilarious, but his sadness and his growth over what happened to his brother as the season went on was pretty much the only link from this season to the other, better seasons, which always reminded me of how much I used to love the show.

My other problem? Logan/Veronica. Oh yes, I'm going there. And ok, I admit it, I'm a huge LoVe shipper so I'm incredibly biased, but I just thought that a lot of their story line was handled poorly. I was really excited to see them together at the beginning of the season, and was looking forward to seeing them happily together for a while (we haven't really gotten much of that in the other seasons), but instead, the writers had to find ways to make them fight every single episode over extremely stupid things. Couldn't they have just been happy for a while? And if it was painful when they were together, it was even more painful to see them apart. I think those two deserve each other and would have ended up with each other in the long run, but having them not be together in the finale, and only sort of reconciled? That hurt. As far as Logan is concerned, I really think they should have gone the route of season 2 and given him his own story line separate from Veronica. Because I love Logan so much, but his story line this whole season was Veronica, and because of that he became kind of...sappy. He lost a lot of the snark and bite of the old Logan we all know and love. He was still my favorite character, he was just different. And because Veronica was the one doing most of the dumping, there were times when I was really upset with her, and I didn't want that to happen. I expected a lot more on the Logan/Veronica front this season, and while they gave us a lot of them, it wasn't what I wanted and therefore, the end of the season wasn't as enjoyable.

Even though season 3 had a lot of things I wasn't too happy about, I still did like it, and it was still better than most things on television. The truth is, I was so upset with the end of the season it took me 3 weeks before I could watch the finale, "The Bitch is Back". But once I did, I felt a lot better about the season I had just watched. I know it ended on a cliffhanger, but the finale gave me some kind of peace, because while watching, I was reminded why I had once loved this show so much. This episode was like a checklist of things that had once made this show so great. There was Leo and Clarence Wiedman. There was Jake Kane and memorials to Lilly and pictures of Duncan. There was Mac hacking computers and Wallace helping out on a case. There was Logan acting completely reckless, but doing it all for Veronica. But most of all, there was a detective and his daughter, one who he loved so much he was willing to sacrifice his job over, and one who loved her dad just as much back. Veronica, she was back, but more than that, Veronica Mars was back. And when Veronica walked down that street after voting for Keith in the election, I may have gotten a little emotional. Because I finally realized, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to one of the greatest shows on television.

Farewell Veronica Mars! And thanks for all the memories...

Veronica Mars Season 2: Why I hate taking the bus

This post won't be as long and complex as my season 1 post, only because I don't feel like I need to go on again about how amazing this show is. Season 2 still had some of the best acting, writing, music, character development, production values, etc. than any show on television. Instead, I just want to mention some of the differences between the two seasons and what I liked and disliked throughout season 2.

Still got those spoilers.

Season 2 was really good. Let me just state that straight off. I enjoyed season 2 an inordinate amount, and was sad when I watched the finale and knew it was all over. That being said, season 2 could not live up to season 1. I'll admit that with a season as amazing as the first, it would be really hard to match it let alone top it, but there were still some disappointments while watching season 2.

Namely, the main mystery. While the bus crash story line was a solid mystery with potential to be as interesting as the first season mystery, I felt that the season faltered a little in the execution of it. And that's not to say that the mystery didn't make sense, I just think the pacing of it was a little off. The reason why the season 1 mystery was so good was because Veronica really had a vested interest in it and was actively pursuing the truth in every episode. Veronica herself was the one who was constantly pushing the story forward. In season 2, I didn't feel like this happened as much. The reason why the last 5 or so episodes of season 2 were so good was because it felt like Veronica finally got interested in the bus story line. Throughout the season, Veronica either didn't care about the crash, or she was sidetracked by other things. I think this is fine for the show to want Veronica to care about other things, but I think it was bad for the viewers because we ended up not having as vested an interest in the story, because our protagonist didn't have a vested interest. In fact, because Veronica was never really driving a story line forward in the season, it was the other characters who had to do it for her. Often times, Keith was the one trying to figure out what was going on by breaking into the bus, investigating the mayor, helping out Terrence Cook, etc. Logan had a complex story line he was pursuing strongly every episode and Weevil had his own as well. I'm not saying that Veronica didn't care eventually, because she did. The last few episodes really clicked because of the fact that Veronica was investigating every possible lead. But because everything was saved until the end, there was so much to reveal and not enough time to reveal it, causing every episode (especially the last two) to feel overstuffed, and like there was not enough time to explore everything the amount they should have been explored. I think this hurt the cohesion of the season as a whole, and made it harder for the viewer to care about the mystery compared to the investment brought on through season 1.

The other problem I had with the season was the resolution to the mystery. The season 1 reveal of the killer was surprising, but in a way that made sense and was satisfying. The reveal that Beaver was responsible for the bus crash was surprising in a way that made sense on a plot level, but not on a character level and therefore wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be. It' s been a few days after I watched the finale and I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that Beaver was a psychotic serial killer, especially because he's been one of my favorite characters all season. But like I said before, it's not that it didn't make sense with the clues that the show had given us. I was absolutely astounded as to how every little thing came together in the end, and how seemingly minor plot points came back to be really important. The amount of planning and plotting out that had to take on the writer's behalf is extremely impressive and another reason why this show is so amazing. So that didn't bother me. What bothered me was just...it was Beaver! Ok, I know that the sweet, innocent Beaver we'd been seeing all season was supposed to be just an act, but what he actually did and how he did it is the sign of a freaking evil mastermind! Like, you don't act the way Beaver did just because you want to keep your secret! And I know, he was damaged from what happened with the mayor and constantly looked down upon by his family and others, but I guess I wanted to see more of the effects from that. Like, I wanted to see that he was turned to do what he did because of his deep emotional trauma. But in the scene where he confronts Veronica on the roof, all I saw was someone who evilly enjoyed being a serial killer. Maybe I wanted to see more remorse or emotion or I don't know. I only got that a little bit right before he jumps, when he loses the gun and starts yelling that his name is Cassidy. It seemed like maybe in that moment, what he did and the ramifications of what he did kind of fully hit him or something. He just looked like a scared, messed up kid. I guess I kind of wanted more of that, instead of thinking of Beaver as this cold hearted killer, because that just didn't seem real to me. Unfortunately, because the finale had to cram so much stuff into it, there wasn't enough time to focus on Beaver's motivations and the ramifications of what he did as much as I may have wanted them to. I'm also still unsure on how I feel about Beaver being the one who raped Veronica. It seems to invalidate all of the emotions felt in "A Trip to the Dentist", plus it felt a little cheap. Still, I've been trying to keep an open mind about the Beaver thing and hope that it will become more acceptable the more I think about it. We'll see.

Ok, but enough about all that negative stuff! I really did love this season a whole lot. Let me tell you why:

Logan/Veronica. Oh yes, I'm starting off with these two. And let me just say that when I say Logan/Veronica, I also mean Logan and Veronica. Seperately. Because I think I enjoyed their antagonistic (yet sexual tension-filled) bickering just as much as their romantic moments. I sometimes felt that when the plot lines multiplied and things got confusing on the mystery front, it was Logan and Veronica who, for me, were often times keeping me invested in the show. I love those two characters and those two actors SO much that Veronica Mars would never ever be as good without them. I think the show did an interesting thing by not having those two be together at the beginning of the season. I admit to LOVING the flashbacks of them over the summer during "Normal is the Watchword", but I actually liked that Veronica was with Duncan for half the season. Not because I like Duncan or anything. I don't really like him. He's passive and weird and boring and NOT a good match for Veronica at all. But more for the fact that having Duncan and Veronica together meant that Logan and Veronica couldn't be together. Strange words from a LoVe supporter, I know. But for me, during the season it never really felt right that those two should have rushed into a relationship. They both were preoccupied with other things. Logan, with trying to prove his innocence in the Felix murder and Veronica with...Duncan, but later with the bus crash mystery. They both weren't really at good places to start a relationship (especially Logan), and I like that they used the whole second season to build that relationship up again. Which led to some awesome scenes of them snarking at each other, yet because the actors are so good you could always sense the lingering feelings between them. Of course, I LOVED the romantic scenes they had between them as well. The "epicness" label for this post was put there all because of them. Because Logan, at the Alterna-Prom, talking about how their relationship was epic, "spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, blood shed, epic," was the absolute perfect description for what their relationship had become. There was never any doubt in my mind, since all the way back at the end of season 1, that these two were meant to be together, even with all the hardships. I knew that Veronica and boring old Duncan weren't going to last. Or Logan and stupid, naive Hannah. These were all just distractions from the main event. And when Logan embraced Veronica on the roof of the Neptune Grand in "Not Pictured", I breathed a sigh of relief. Because while everything else in the show may have been in turmoil, it finally felt like everything was as it should be.

One more thing that I really liked and I feel like I have to mention, was the emergence of some of the secondary characters. I liked that Mac got more screen time and development. I loved that Beaver got more development until, well, you know. But most of all, Dick. I'm in love with that guy, heh. And I know I'm not really supposed to since he's basically the jerky, spoiled, unsympathetic bully of the show. But I can't help it, every thing he says cracks me up. I love it when he's on screen!

Holy crap this turned into another term paper! This was supposed to be shorter than my season 1 post! Oops. Well, for those of you who have made it this far, thanks for reading. Based on how fast I got through the first 2 seasons, I'll probably be done with season 3 pretty soon. Look forward to another million word essay on that season in the near future!

Veronica Mars Season 1: A Retrospective

Based on much prompting from Good Grief, I decided to give Veronica Mars a chance. I was reluctant at first, not because I had any kind of reservations about the show, but because I didn't want to become addicted to another show. But I ultimately decided to give it a shot, mostly because it was either watch Veronica Mars or read for my communications class. And boy am I glad that I did, because even though I am now most definitely obsessed and my school work is suffering for it, it was all worth it.

gangs all here

Beware. There be spoilers ahead.

I think that Veronica Mars season 1 is one of the greatest seasons of television I've ever seen. I always knew that it was considered a "good" show, but I never knew how good it really was until watching the entire season in less than a month. So what makes it so good?

First and foremost, the mysteries. All starting with the main overarching mystery of the first season: Who killed Lilly Kane? It seems amazing that this show could sustain an entire murder mystery for the whole season, but they were able to do it because of all the smaller mysteries connected to the murder. Whether it was about Abel Koontz and his daughter, Clarence Wiedman's spying, Veronica's paternity doubts, Duncan's illness, Weevil's relationship with Lilly, Veronica's mom disappearing, Lilly's secret, etc. You have to piece together all of these mysteries in order to figure out the big one. It's a little unfortunate that I was spoiled ahead of time as to the identity of Lilly's killer, but I found that even though I knew, the season was extremely enjoyable anyways. Especially because all of the stuff with the Kane's and the coverup and Duncan wasn't actually the red herring it was made out to be. I like how Aaron killing Lilly was really shocking and surprising and kind of came out of nowhere, yet all that other stuff Veronica had been investigating all season was actually the truth as well (minus the Duncan killing Lilly part of course). The show also added some longer standing mysteries that weren't exactly connected to the murder, but ended up being some of my favorite parts of the show as well. Such as who raped Veronica (the answer to which resulted in one of my favorite episodes of television ever, "A Trip to the Dentist") and Logan's mom's suicide (which I liked because it brought Logan and Veronica closer together). But above all, I think what this show does so well is handling the smaller, contained mysteries that happen every episode. Along with Veronica Mars, I've been trying to catch up on Buffy and am currently in the middle of season 2. And while I like the show and think the overreaching myth-arcs are good, some of the "monster of the week" story lines every episode can be a little weak and cheesy (Smallville and Supernatural have this problem too). Veronica Mars however, is able to have creative, interesting cases every week whose smaller story lines reflect the bigger themes of the show.

is it LoVe?

The second reason this show is so good: the characters. Veronica Mars has some of the most interesting, complex, and well developed characters on any show I've ever seen. You can't make a Veronica Mars post about the characters without first talking about Veronica, but I actually have to make a point about the actors first. While the show creates and reveals these wonderful characters, the actors are really the ones that bring them to life. This show has one of the greatest casts I've ever seen before in a show, and they make it so fun to watch. First, Kristin Bell. I had only ever seen Kristin Bell acting on Heroes and I didn't really like her character (I didn't really like anything about Heroes season 2 so I don't know if that's saying much). But I absolutely ADORE her on Veronica Mars. Veronica is cute and spunky and snarky, but Kristin and the writers give her so many other layers that turn her into one of the most interesting characters on television. On the outside, Veronica seems to be totally put together, but deep down, the girl has a lot of issues and vulnerabilities. I was reading an interview with the creator of the show, Rob Thomas, who said that he hates writing "emotional exposition". He's very into the "show, don't tell" aspect of writing. So we don't always have to have it spelled out for us what the characters are thinking, we should figure it out for ourselves from the situation or what the actor is giving us. It's something that Veronica Mars does extremely well and it's one of the reasons that the show is of such high quality. The characters are well developed, but in a subtle, progressive way that makes sense.

No character demonstrates this better than Logan Echolls. I admit, I'm a little biased when it comes to him, because Logan is my favorite character on this show. But I really think that his character's arc and journey so far on the show demonstrates just how well this show does at developing its characters. Because Logan really did start off as the show's "obligatory psychotic jackass", and when he's introduced, it's as an antagonist, not a romantic lead. Yet as the season progresses, we see different sides to Logan and realize he's not all what he seems. I love how in the beginning of season 1 we start to see little glimpses of Logan as not just a selfish jerk. Like in "Wrath of Con" when he makes Lilly's memorial video or in "The Girl Next Door" when he gets Weevil un-suspended. It's in "Return of the Kane" however, when we begin to understand him more with the reveal that his dad abuses him, and I always feel like the episode, "Clash of the Tritons", was the first one of many that strove to explore Logan's motivations for why he acts the way he does. But when we really start to learn about that is in the episodes involving his mother's suicide and him asking Veronica for her help. And while Logan breaking down and crying on Veronica's shoulder in "Ruskie Business" is something we never thought we'd see based on his actions in the pilot, in that episode it makes perfect sense, because the show has slowly and surely revealed to us the real Logan Echolls. His closeness to Veronica at the end of the first season is believable because this show (and Jason Dohring, who I think is amazing) has led us there in ways that make sense without being too heavy handed. I remember watching their kiss in "Weapons of Class Destruction" and being totally satisfied, because I felt that this was the progression they were building for the Logan character since those early season one episodes (yes, I've been a Logan/Veronica shipper since day 1. Does that make me a bad person?). I find that the character of Logan is one of the most compelling parts of this show, because I think he wants to come across as a tough guy who lets nothing bother him, yet he's one of the most openly emotional characters on this show: he yells, he fights, he jokes, he cries. And it's always just so fascinating to me to see how he's going to react to a situation. I love Logan because he can be a total jackass, but he's also just a sad, messed up guy, who needs someone to understand him and help him. It's my opinion that that person is Veronica, but I'm a shipper at heart so I'm a bit biased, heh. I should probably stop gushing about Logan now. It's getting a little embarrassing. :)

There are other little things that I love about this show such as the music (the soundtrack is amazing! I listen to it all the time), the continuity (this show is the best at bringing back old characters and minor plot points), and the setting and lighting of the show, which really adds to the noir feel it's trying to create.

Wow. Long post is long. Ok, I'll try and finish this up. I've already started watching season 2 of this show, and while I really like it so far and can't wait to figure out the mystery of the season, I'll always have a nostalgic soft spot for season 1. Season 1 of Veronica Mars is the perfect example of a television season done right. I think I can only hope to experience something this great again.

For Good Grief: Something-Happens.com