Veronica Mars is it any good ?

[NotASlayer]

I really liked the initial mystery of season 3. It felt like the writers had really hit their groove, especially with the main cast now being actual young adults. I honestly wish it was stretched throughout the season like the first 3 because it really had the staying power. And you easily could have still had the subplot of who killed the Dean embedded in the middle as a way to “bring in new viewers midseason” like the network wanted.


Now I want to work on a recut of the season that moves the main storyline of “Spit & Eggs” between “Debasement Tapes” and “I Know What You’ll Do Next Summer”. Then splice a few of the conversations about victims from the first 8 episodes into some of the plots of the back half of the season. And finally the Dean’s storyline from “Spit & Eggs” into the “Lord of the Pi’s” episode

Yes, the first two seasons probably had the best balance with the seasonal arc and Mysteries of the Week. The film worked because it was a feature-length MotW. Season 4 had no balance. The differences were probably more noticeable watching them for the first time one after the other without multi-year gaps between sections. It was also noticeable that it got a lot more adult seemingly overnight!

 

[Btvs fan]

Yes, the first two seasons probably had the best balance with the seasonal arc and Mysteries of the Week. The film worked because it was a feature-length MotW. Season 4 had no balance. The differences were probably more noticeable watching them for the first time one after the other without multi-year gaps between sections. It was also noticeable that it got a lot more adult seemingly overnight!

Im on episode 8. So far Id say its ok and enjoyable enough but nothing amazing.
Without spoiling anything is Lilly death revealed this season or is it dragged out to the next as well ? Obvious Twin Peaks esq style plot there

 

[NotASlayer]

Without spoiling anything is Lilly death revealed this season or is it dragged out to the next as well ? Obvious Twin Peaks esq style plot there

This season. Can't say more without going into major spoiler territory.

 

[Btvs fan]

This season. Can't say more without going into major spoiler territory.

@Cohen
So Im 11 episodes in. Halfway through Season 1
I saw the one with Aaron Paul and its like he's got withdrawal symptoms (basically Jesse 😄) in the Police Station and writes he wants a Lawyer. I really wished Saul Goodman turned up. The cross over I never knew I wanted 😄

Also it turns out the serial killer for the episode is the arsehole guitarist. That felt left of field like the writers were like, hey we need to wrap this up and chose the only one they could think off.

Tone is an issue for me because some episodes have this dark tone but then also going with the teen show vibe which dont quite gel. Now Buffy had some similar issues but that worked because A it was a fantasy show and B they were self aware and made fun of it. "Its lucky no one checked out these books" "Yes its very convenient" VM doesn't have that style of humour

 

[NotASlayer]

In regards to this, I think Veronica Mars as a show would've worked better at College or University. The ages wouldn't have been an issue (adults study at college) and you could've still done the same storylines and character beats.

I was thinking about this and started wondering if this was at all influenced by the Nancy Drew books. In those, she's initially 16, though this was later changed so that she was 18, and then older. And from blonde to redhead! I used to read the books as a kid.

 

[Btvs fan]

I was thinking about this and started wondering if this was at all influenced by the Nancy Drew books. In those, she's initially 16, though this was later changed so that she was 18, and then older. And from blonde to redhead! I used to read the books as a kid.

I could be wrong but wasn't it on a Teen Network when it aired ? A detective show for Teens. I could see that pitch.
Im also curious how big Joel Silver was involved as he was a big Hollywood Producer

 

[NotASlayer]

I could be wrong but wasn't it on a Teen Network when it aired ? A detective show for Teens. I could see that pitch.
Im also curious how big Joel Silver was involved as he was a big Hollywood Producer

According to Wikipedia, it ran for the first two years on UPN and the third on The CW. Also, an article apparently called Veronica Mars a copycat descendant of Nancy Drew.

Silver was apparently an executive producer for the entire run.

It certainly has a similar appeal to Nancy Drew.

 

[Btvs fan]

According to Wikipedia, it ran for the first two years on UPN and the third on The CW. Also, an article apparently called Veronica Mars a copycat descendant of Nancy Drew.

Silver was apparently an executive producer for the entire run.

It certainly has a similar appeal to Nancy Drew.

Iv just seen the one where Veronica attacks the girl who accused the Teacher of sleeping with her. Yeah this episode has not aged well. To be honest Im not sure it worked in 2005 either.
I also don't like how they wrapped it up as well.

Also the scene of Veronica and Weevil making sex jokes/innuendos just reeked of the writers thinking they weew being clever.

Side note the Trump reference certainly hits hard in 2026

 

[Btvs fan]

The last few episodes have been good especially Alison Hannigan as Logans sister

 

[XanderesqueMan]

I've only seen the first three seasons, and it has been a long time since I have, but I remember enjoying the show quite a lot. Her relationship with her father is great, the mysteries are engaging, and the characters are generally interesting. On top of which, it has some of my favorite underappreciated actors, like Enrico Colantoni, who I know from Just Shoot Me! and Stargate SG-1 (only two episodes), among other things, and Christian Clemenson, who I originally know from, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., a fantastic genre-blending series starring Bruce Campbell and Julius Carey, and featuring recurring appearances from John Aston, Billy Drago, and John Pyper Ferguson, among others. Oh, sorry. I think I stopped recommending Veronica Mars and started pimping Brisco County for a minute there. Whoops. 😛

Both shows are good. Watch them both. 🙂

 

[Btvs fan]

@NotASlayer @Cohen So Iv seen the S1 final episode and it really sticks the landing. The revelation of who killed Lilly Kane works so well with what we know of him from the entire season. Plus a few episodes earlier we even cheered him as he beat up the guy who abused his daughter and laughed as he was cheerfully talking to his son while doing it. As Veronica pointed out beating up a guy while cheerfully talking to his son is psychotic.
That is both clever and accurate.
Then there was his abuse of his son and wife who committed suicide over it. Plus the multiple affairs talked about. It all adds up and works so well.

Overall I enjoyed Season 1 and will watch Season 2.

Now it wasn't perfect. I think you could probably have cut down 22 to say 15 episodes and not missed much for the overall plot. Also the actors clearly not Teenagers blurs the lines. Like the Cop dating Veronica, she's meant to be a 17 year old !

But overall yeah I liked it

 

[NotASlayer]

Yes, the signs were there, certainly in retrospect. First seasons are often a little on the shaky side, but the conclusion does work.

Using older actors as teens does cause some issues, but then again using kids has others, not only for the actual filming. If you don't have seasons /films every year and they're supposed to be every year in-universe, you end up with actors who are clearly substantially older than their supposed age by the end; Stranger Things and the Harry Potter films are prime examples.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

WTFlipping heck, are you suggesting the Harry Potter stuff wasn't reality?

 

[XanderesqueMan]

WTFlipping heck, are you suggesting the Harry Potter stuff wasn't reality?

Don't listen to them. Those were documentaries. It's okay. 😛

P.S. All I could think when I read "flipping" was Moss from IT Crowd.

Will you try the movie ?

If I can respond to these little comments (aside from a direct message), I don't know how yet, so I just quote-boxed it. 'Cause I'm clever like that. And humble. Don't forget humble. 😉 I'm open to watching the movie. I just haven't had the opportunity. I'm not interested in the reboot series, though. I am, generally, very skeptical of shows being brought back. It's rarely been done to good result.

 

[NotASlayer]

I'm open to watching the movie. I just haven't had the opportunity. I'm not interested in the reboot series, though. I am, generally, very skeptical of shows being brought back. It's rarely been done to good result.

The movie is good. The other, it's not a reboot series but season four. It's also not good.

 

[XanderesqueMan]

The movie is good. The other, it's not a reboot series but season four. It's also not good.

You're right. I said reboot. I should have said revival. Revivals do have a slightly higher chance of still being good than reboots do, but it's still not good odds. Or, as Mulder said in "The Jersey Devil," I'd like to get the odds on that one in Vegas. 😉

It's good to hear the movie is decent. I'll definitely check it out when I get the chance. I have a list of shows and films to watch about a mile long at this point. It doesn't help that I keep being drawn back to rewatch things (for instance, I am currently rewatching Stargate SG-1 / Atlantis / Universe and the original (and only) five Star Trek series right now.) If I were to make a bucket list, it would probably just be things I want to read and watch (because anything else I want to do before I die is almost certainly out reach for various reasons.)

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

I think the kids from Arrested Development make an appearance as guest stars. Sadly, it didn't protray them as a couple.

 

[Btvs fan]

@NotASlayer @Cohen @AlphaFoxtrot
@hoponlilmama
So Im on E9 of season 2. Its pretty good so far but to be frank Charisma Carpenters character feels really pointless. She was the Step Mother joke which was great for 1 episode but now she keeps coming back and trying to sleep with other students and its getting really boring.
Its also surreal seeing her and Alyson Hannigan (a Joss Whedon favourite) share the screen after an episode with a Joss Whedon cameo previously, knowing what she will say during the whole Ray Fisher stuff 15 years later !

 

[Btvs fan]

@Cohen @NotASlayer @hoponlilmama @thetopher So Iv finished Season 2 of Veronica Mars which I really enjoyed though its not without some holes in the plot.

In order for the plot to work Aaron Echolls is not charged with attempted murder of Veronica even though he literally tried to burn her alive last season ! Yeah there's no way he'd get a Not Guilty Verdict for that so they don't even mention it !

That aside it was really good and really dark. I mean wow they're doing pedophilia and abuse in this one as well as college rape, they hit the landing even if the Main character privilege button is used.

Not just the Buffy show cameos but you can definitely see the comparisons with some of the characters.
Veronicas dad is clearly her ptoto Giles. Wallace is he's proto Xander and Cindy is proto Willow
Duncan is proto Angel (complete with his own kid too)
Logan and his relationship with Veronica is proto Spuffy.

As as season in terms of episode quality its superior to 1 as the writers have found there grove with the characters and the cast know how to play them.
The actual main arc story of the first is still better though.
It reminds me a bit (again a Buffy comparison) of Seasons 2 and 3 of Buffy in that regard.
Anyway on to season 3

 

[NotASlayer]

That aside it was really good and really dark. I mean wow they're doing pedophilia and abuse in this one as well as college rape, they hit the landing even if the Main character privilege button is used.

Like I said, when it gets dark, it gets really dark. Especially when you consider the main arc of the season kicks off by killing a whole lot of people.

Veronicas dad is clearly her ptoto Giles. Wallace is he's proto Xander and Cindy is proto Willow

Who the heck is Cind... oh, Mac! 😀 I forget that she has a different name. She's probably my favourite character and sadly missing from S4.

Logan and his relationship with Veronica is proto Spuffy.

Not really. Logan, despite his - admittedly justifiable - issues is nothing like Spike when it comes to his relationship with Veronica. Honestly, his dad is closer to Spike in that respect, being a murderous abuser.

Anyway on to season 3

The college season.