Just another one of the sarcastic quotes from Veronica Mars, the high school detective that solves everyone's cases, whether it be the norm or from the realm of the strange. This is the best show that WAS on television that I bet you, dear reader, didn't watch. If you know my other favorite TV shows, you can kinda guess why I got into this show. Being as though Alias with Jennifer Garner and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Gellar are two of my all-time favs, you can tell where this is going. Hot female lead with smarts and who can probably kick your a*s. (Really, you still can't say a*s on this site???) Ok, well Ms. Mars doesn't get into any fistfights, but her mind and sleuthing skills more than make up for that. Not gonna lie, I might have doomed this show to be canceled since I didn't watch an episode once it started airing; I just never heard a lot about it.

It didn't help that it was aired on the network that's more jumbled than a puzzle around a two-year old, the WB, then to the CW Network. But unfortunately for the show, it never got the ratings to keep it going. I bought this DVD set at Best Buy when it was on sale for $15! You can't beat a sale like that. Ok, enough of my rambling, onto what makes this show one of the best I've ever seen.

Veronica Mars is our latest teen heroine, played by beautiful Kristen Bell. She's definitely not your typical teen, as she is a smart and sassy sleuth who helps out her doting father, Keith, played by Enrico Colantoni. He is the lead private investigator at Mars Investigations with Veronica helping him out in reception but with a much larger role than your typical secretary as she does stakeouts and works cases her father can't deal with at the moment. Of course, there is a background to this lil' family affair, as Keith used to be the sheriff of the good ol' fictional town of Neptune, California. But in a botched (at least to the townspeople) investigation in which he accuses Veronica's best friend, Lilly Kane's (Amanda Seyfried) dad, Jake, (Kyle Secor) of murdering her, then he and her are ostracized from the rest of the town and is subsequently run out of office when the supposed real killer confesses and is sent to death row. Yes, there is much intrigue and mystery to this particular murder and is a main vehicle in driving this show the entire season.

Meanwhile, Veronica has to put up the rich and snotty "09ers," the group of kids she used to be "in" with, because she stuck with her father and refused to believe that he was accusing the wrong person. The 09ers are the group of kids from the fictional area code 90909; they are the ridiculously rich whose mommies and daddies are celebrities and they tool around school in Porsches and Hummers. Part of this illustrious group is Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), who used to date Lilly and blames Veronica for her death and goes out of his way to make her life miserable. His best friend is Duncan Kane (Teddy Dunn), who used to date Veronica and they still have a cordial relationship. Of course, this conflicts with Logan's vendettas against Veronica, but that is a whole other story in this tangled web of a season! Logan's dad is Aaron (Harry Hamlin), a movie star who plays a very prominent role during the year.

Being that she is an outcast, Veronica finds some unique friends in Wallace Fennel (Percy Daggs III), whom she cuts down from a humiliation pole (the high school's flag pole in the center of the courtyard) because Weevil, aka, Eli Navarro (Francis Capra), put him up there in retaliation for snitching on him and his motorcycle gang. Wallace is a great friend for Veronica; they really seem to connect with each other and manage to have a relationship that is really close, yet still just remain platonic friends, nothing more. Weevil, on the other hand, is a very good friend to have since he has a lot of street smarts and helps out Veronica in many a sticky situation. He does seem to get into multiple scraps of trouble though, as being a leader of a gang will do to someone; although Veronica returns his favors by getting him out of trouble as well. She also meets a computer genius (there's one in every school!) named affectionately "Mac," (Tina Majorino) who becomes a good friend and trusted girl confidant.

As mentioned, the Lilly Kane murder case is the focus of the season, as Veronica desperately wants to get to the bottom of it, while dealing with her demons of being drugged and raped at a party, her mother leaving her and her father, and the consequences she faces from backing Keith. It's a complex situation, but she manages to come out with a lot of solutions in her cases, even when faced with multiple obstacles. Of course, she finds time for romance, with a boy from school and a deputy at the police office. These are just minor distractions though, as she has much more to deal with than love.

The whole show is a tangled weave of a mystery, with authentic high school (ok, authentic to a degree; these damn kids are all too obscenely rich!) situations that show how cruel and mean kids are to each other. The cases that Veronica and her dad solve are increasingly wild and sometimes very dangerous, which makes for a tense environment. There are several flashbacks in which Lilly and Veronica are portrayed, which gives a glimpse into how they became friends and how Lilly was murdered, albeit with many different variations. I really got addicted to it from the first episode; I ended up finishing the whole season in just three days! It's very hard-hitting; I mean, the first episode deals with a rape and murder in a high school environment. The acting by everyone is darn good, with Bell being the obvious star, as her witty phrases and genuine emotion make for great drama. Colantoni's portrayal of a father is what I yearn to be, with being doting, but at the same time, firm in what he tells his daughter, and supports her at all times through thick and thin. Their chemistry is excellent.

Overall, Veronica Mars is a show that just shouldn't be missed. I am genuinely sad for it being canceled, I desperately wish the series would have continued on to a fourth season. It seems like too many crap TV shows (ahem, reality) are left to be aired, while smart, witty and excellently written shows such as this are dumped. Well, if you like intrigue, drama, and a little romance, wrapped around excellent characters, this is the show for you.




Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older