TV on DVD: Veronica Mars (The Complete Third Season)

Creator: Rob Thomas
Starring: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Ryan Hansen, Tina Majornino, Micheal Muhney, Chris Lowell, Francis Capra, Julie Gonzalo
Original Airdate: 2006-2007

*** (out of ****)

"Now that we're on the CW, I feel like we're finally on the right network. As long as we hold most of the Gilmore Girls audience, we'll be successful. That's what we need to accomplish this year." -Veronica Mars Creator Rob Thomas

I wasn't there when Rob Thomas made that statement but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that a CW executive was pointing a loaded gun directly at his head when he did. Anyone who's actually seen Veronica Mars knows that it ISN'T THAT KIND OF SHOW. And as long as network executives tried to shape it into one and gain that coveted teen demographic the more we realize the actual problem and why it really struggled in the ratings. It was on the wrong network…twice. Networks that just didn't deserve the show and had no idea what to do with it.

The audience who would have watched the show don't watch UPN or the CW but rather than try and promote the show for what it was (the best written and acted drama of the decade) they decided the show must have some creative problems that need fixing. It didn't, at least until they stepped in. All this off screen drama concerning the fate of Veronica Mars came to a head in its third and final season, one considered even by the show's most loyal devotees to be a massive disappointment plagued with creative issues.

Fans of the show are probably looking at my rating above, scratching their heads and thinking three and a half stars is excessive. That I'm bias. You're thinking three stars seems more on the mark. But that's the thing. Giving this season three stars would be like some kind of admission that even when this show isn't at its absolute best it can be categorized as "good," "average" or in the slightest bit comparable with anything else on television. What's really scary is despite the network clearly running interference it's still better than anything on television.

While I found some of the changes made to the show this season to be questionable (and there are times when you can almost see the network notes onscreen) I can't say I was angered or offended by any of them or that the overall integrity of the series was compromised. But there was something in this DVD set I was angered by and it had nothing to do with the third season. Instead, it was on a bonus disc of special features, one of which gives us a glimpse of what the show would have become in its fourth season had it been renewed and paints its cancellation in a whole different light for me.

Season 3 should stand as a warning sign against network meddling and what can happen when the wrong element of a show is emphasized. It's a testament to Thomas and his writers that by the end they were able to overcome this intrusion, finish strong and deliver a reasonably satisfying conclusion. It's also worth noting that this final season is nowhere near the disaster everyone has made it out to be and at worst it's merely uneven. A step down only in comparison to the other two. Haters are quick to point out the flaws but may have missed the flashes of brilliance that come in the form of interesting new directions for certain characters, a couple of great guest starring performances, and Thomas' refusal to lose sight of "the big picture," even when we we fear he has.

My first reaction upon popping in Season 3 was that it was a completely different show. Actually that was clear from the second I saw the DVD packaging, which is noticeably different and sleeker than that of the previous two seasons. It's obvious, with the show moving out of high school and into college an effort was made to make it seem more "mature," which is ironic considering there was nothing in the slightest bit immature about it to begin with. This carries over to the new opening, which features an opening title sequence that better emphasizes the noir aspect of the show and a slower, darker re-mix of the contagiously catchy Dandy Warhols theme song, "We Used To be Friends."

At least the change in the title sequence was a good idea and probably overdue, but unfortunately the tone of it is more applicable to the previous seasons than this one, which is the most lightweight of the three. The look of the show itself is even a little different as it appears it was shot on a higher budget this time around with more interesting camera work and in higher definition. My eyes could be playing tricks on me here, but although the same soft colors fans have been accustomed to are used, it appears to have been shot darker. The biggest change this season though has nothing to do with aesthetics, but narrative.

Hearing complaints from viewers that the second season's bus crash mystery was "too complicated" (which at times it was) Thomas takes a different approach to the mysteries this season, doing away with one giant story arc that pays off huge in the finale and instead replacing it with one mystery that wraps up halfway through the season and a second that concludes just before the final episode. The goal of making this season simpler and more accessible to casual viewers is accomplished but it comes at the expense of the forward moving momentum that were trademarks of the first two. It's simple, but at times it feels maybe too simple. It's almost as if the writers thought the audience was too stupid to follow a complex season-long mystery. With the show's future in doubt right up until the very last episode we got 20 episodes instead of the usual 22.
Unsurprisingly (and likely unavoidably) the shift of the setting from high school to college hurts the show some. The value of the high school setting was seeing how Neptune High was a microcosm of the class system in the town and reflected its prejudices and corruption. It hit on a universal truth that's reflected in high schools in wealthy ZIPs across the country. College is different. There isn't as much of a struggle and the dramatic potential is considerably lessened. So here the writers are called upon to do more to create it.

If the second season opened up the town of Neptune the first half of Season 3 closes it off, quarantining us at Hearst College. Anyone who attended college would be thankful if it bared little resemblance to the depressing Hearst, which boasts an entire student population consisting of sleazy frat boys and militant feminists whose extracurricular activities include rape, faking rape, murder, gambling and kidnapping. Good thing one of their incoming freshmen is Veronica Mars.

The season starts off on a note of confusion since when we last left Veronica we were under the impression she'd be attending Stanford. Now all of the sudden she's at Hearst joining her best friend Wallace Fennell (Percy Daggs III), who's there on a basketball scholarship. The lack of explanation is related to the final change Thomas (or more likely "the network") implemented on the show. In the opening episodes of this season the underlying mythology and references to past events are downplayed so not to confuse potential new viewers who have never seen the show.

There's a clearly conscious effort to start with a clean slate on a new network in what was a "do or die" situation for this series. But notice I say "downplayed" and not forgotten as will be evident as the season wears on. There is a quick wrap up to a lingering plot thread and cliffhanger from the second season finale in the first episode (3-1: "Welcome Wagon") and it's interesting in that it's the only time in the series where we see Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) in a position of real helplessness and weakness. He's bruised, battered, and really has no one to blame but himself. Like Veronica, we've come to view him as completely infallible, a notion that's challenged this season as Keith makes some morally questionable decisions. He even begins an affair with a married woman (guest star Laura San Giacomo), even if that relationship feels independent from everything else plot-wise and a little tacked on.

The shift to college puts the writers in an awkward position of having to come up with a new set of characters to fill the void left by Veronica's graduation from Neptune High. If Principal Clemmons served as Veronica's foil and sometime nemesis in high school, a similar role is assumed at Hearst by Dean Cyrus O' Dell, played by guest star Ed Begley Jr. And fans of Begley's guest starring performance in the other great cancelled show of this decade, Arrested Development, will be pleased to discover that this time around he has all of his hair in place. The character is written as kind of a buffoon but Begely brings so much more to the role, investing him with real depth and making him a likeable guy who always seems to be in on the joke. His lively performance helps save the more problematic portions in the first half of this season.

In an interesting development that carries throughout much of the season, Veronica becomes the star protégé of cocky criminology professor Hank Landry (Patrick Fabian) who has all the connections to hook her up with a summer internship in the FBI, but seems to be struggling more with personal problems of his own. He also has a teaching assistant who just might be the most unintentionally hilarious character in Veronica Mars history. For some reason I just laughed every time he appeared onscreen. Helping some was the actor playing him, who will look eerily familiar to diehard fans of the series.
Unintentional or not, anyone who enjoys this show for its comedy will have the most to laugh at by far in this season. You really do have to wonder how much of it was intended to be taken seriously at all and it's hard to get that upset at any of the flaws precisely because of that reason. When you have Veronica investigating the kidnapping of guest star Patty Hearst and Richard Grieco as a meth head abducted for his bone marrow you can't help but just sit back and have fun. Those who can let go and do that will find a lot to love about the third season, but those who can't probably won't care for it at all.

Michael Muhney and Tina Majornino, who both had big recurring roles in the first two seasons as Sheriff Don Lamb and Veronica's pal Mac, become series regulars, but it's in billing only as neither seem to have any more screen time. You could actually argue Muhney has less than ever. And unfortunately many times during this season the writers seem more preoccupied with Mac's love life than her helping Veronica solve cases. What they do well, however, is subtly address the tragedy that befell both Mac and the irritating Dick Casablancas (Ryan Hansen) at the end of the second season.

Without giving too much away I really liked how they showed how both were impacted differently and handled it in a way befitting their personalities. Casablancas reaches new unlikable heights with his abrasive and the over-the-top behavior but a twist late in the season teases us with the possibility we didn't think could exist: That he may actually have a soul. With so much focus on the newer characters the unfortunate consequence is that two of the most likeable regulars in the series are given very little to do this season.

Wallace is hardly seen or heard from until later episodes while Eli "Weevil" Navarro (Francis Capra) isn't given much more, but unfortunately I have a feeling that had more to do with the actor's health problems than neglect from the writers. That's a shame since Capra's done such tremendous work on the show, but it should be noted that he still has a couple of really strong episodes, including one early on (3-3: "Witchita Linebacker") where we see him in an interesting role we're not accustomed to, interacting and working with a major character he hasn't had any contact with over the course of the series.

There's a theory that's been floating around among fans that the character of Veronica is meaner this season and despite Thomas' denials on the issue I actually do think there's some truth to it. In fact, you could argue there are many instances early on where she comes off as a complete bitch.

Perhaps tired of being let down constantly by those who love her and victimized by the system, this attitude seems to take over her investigation into the first big mystery, the series of on-campus rapes that started last season. Criticisms have been lobbied against this storyline claiming that Veronica lacks the personal connection to this mystery that she had with the two previous cases in the series, which is probably true to an extent. But, really, how much longer can she go with everyone she's close to dying? What they're also forgetting is that Veronica herself is a victim of rape and many of her actions and harsh behavior could justifiably stem from that. She wants to get at the truth at any cost possible since she, of all people, knows what it's like to be dragged through the mud and have no one on your side.

Appropriately, and nicely harkening back to the first two seasons, this investigation once again puts Veronica on the outside looking in and makes her public enemy number to the social factions on campus. The revelation of the rapist isn't a shock, or even much of a surprise, but the episode that reveals it (3-9: "Spit and Eggs," the only episode in the series directed by Rob Thomas) sure is exciting and marks one of the very few times in the show's run when Veronica is put in immediate physical harm.

From there it's off and running with the second mystery, which concerns the potential murder of a prominent faculty member at Hearst. This fares better than the rape storyline largely because we actually grow to care about the victim. Unfortunately, it's REALLY obvious who the killer is and for the first time we're actually a few steps ahead of Veronica and she kind of comes off looking like an idiot for being an episode or two too slow to figure it out. Still, when the reveal comes (3-15: "Papa's Cabin") it makes for one of the most clever and entertaining scenes of the season.

One of the qualities we love most about Veronica is her reckless, rebellious attitude, but now she's called out on it by those closest to her as she continually risks her safety. Her behavior is becomes selfish (especially during the rape case) pushing away the people who love her. The relationship between Veronica and Logan (Jason Dohring) which was invested with such subtle depth the previous two seasons unfortunately turns into a glorified soap opera at times during this one. On again. Off again. On again. Off again. But that didn't bother me as much as the fact that it became the focal point of the show and crime solving was pushed aside to make room for it.

This is especially true of one episode where Logan is left to care for a little girl (3-13: "Postgame Mortem") and the whole universe seems to revolve around his relationship with Veronica. It's really the only major issue I have with the third season and I'm convinced the CW, in a silly attempt to lure in female teenage viewers and gain the "Gilmore Girls audience," are completely responsible for it. There are quite a few episodes toward the middle part of the season spent with Logan hauled up in the Neptune Grand Hotel moping. We should thank our lucky stars though that this material is being handled by two actors with the talent of Bell and Dohring because I can't even begin to think what a disaster this could have turned into without them to carry it.

When I reviewed the second season I said I could pretty much watch these characters do anything. Little did I know that theory would be put to the test.  Dohring deserves special praise here because this is the first time we get to see what he can do with writing that isn't at an "A" level and you could even argue in this season he's saddled with the series' all-time weakest material. But he still comes through. I believed he was a good actor before but after watching Season 3 I realize he was even better than I originally thought. He also has one of his best episodes at the start of the season (3-4: "Charlie Don't Surf"), where Logan's dysfunctional family past starts to rear its ugly head again.

A third wheel is even introduced into Veronica and Logan's relationship in the form of Wallace's roommate and campus D.J., Stosh "Piz" Piznarski (Chris Lowell), as Thomas exploits fans' over-protectiveness of Veronica and unwavering belief that only Logan deserves to be with her. The character of Piz starts off on an annoying foot, but as the season progresses a funny thing happens and he almost becomes likeable in his straightforward nice guy simplicity, at least to the point where we're not completely enraged to see Veronica with him. An attempt to pair off Logan with someone else (played another new addition, Julie Gonzalo) is less effective.

There's a big debate among fans whether Logan and Veronica are better together or apart. While the characters have been through the wringer and certainly earned the right to be a couple I can't say I care all that much. As long as the two of them are onscreen together in any capacity the viewer wins, so long as that storyline doesn't take over the show like it did at times during this season. Their relationship works best when it's subtly worked into the show, but doesn't have enough gas to exist independently outside of the other storylines. That's the one big miscalculation in Season 3. The show's in top form when Veronica is out in the field solving mysteries and the strongest episodes of this third season can match up with any of the strongest ones from the second.

The genius of the series is how it always finds a way to but Veronica in new and fresh situations, and even when the situations aren't new and fresh, they seem like they are because they're played so well and Bell is such a pro. This is true of possibly my favorite episode of this season, 3-11: "Poughkeepsie, Tramps and Thieves," where Veronica helps a geeky student track down a girl he met at Comic-Con. Full of twists, turns, reversals and surprises the mystery showcases everything that's so great about this show. I also got a feeling of déjà vu as I watched because I could swear the episode looked very familiar to me. Then it occurred to me this may have been the one episode I caught a part of when the series originally aired.

With the finish line in sight it's almost as if the writers had a fire lit underneath them as they approached the final episode (3-20: "The Bitch is Back"). A new mystery presents itself that's so compelling it could easily compete with anything from the first two seasons. There's the shocking return of a familiar face from Season 1 and big steps are made to get back to the mythology of the show and the class warfare of Neptune.

Keith Mars takes a very interesting turn as we get to see his character in a different capacity. You could claim a lot of supporting characters are brushed aside this season but you couldn't dare make that comment about Keith, who's given enough emphasis to consider renaming the show, Keith Mars. Certain aspects of the show may have been shortchanged this season but the relationship between Keith and Veronica hasn't.

Toward the end we're also treated to pretty great guest performances, specifically from Paul Rudd as a washed up rock star (3-17: "Debasement Tapes'). Rudd is an actor with many fans and I'm betting he earned some more with his hilarious turn in that episode. Ken Marino pops back in at just the right time as private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe and finally plays the major role I've been hoping he would throughout the entire series. What I like most about this character is even though he acts like a complete moron that's all it is, an act. He's a smart detective and an opportunist who's always playing a game or an angle.

Of all the recurring characters that travel through the revolving door that's Neptune Van Lowe is by far my favorite and if you think about it the only one who's a formidable opponent for Keith and Veronica. He's as smart as they are, except he's playing dumb. Marino is an actor who can shift from comedy to drama at the flip of a switch and we're never quite sure whether he's serious or not, making his presence that much more intriguing. The latter episodes suggest that he was set up to take an even larger role in the next season, which doesn't help to soften the already painful blow of losing this series.

In the final stretch Logan comes out of his self-induced depression and starts shows a spark we haven't seen from him since the first season. It's such a dramatic turnaround it makes me wonder if Thomas really did have a plan and was building him up for this the entire season. Wallace and Weevil who seemed to be in seclusion for much of the season come out of hiding in the final two episodes with the former having a scene in the finale more reminiscent of Saw than Veronica Mars.

There were some criticisms that with the prospect of a Season 4 very much still in the air, Thomas left some things open causing the final episode to feel more like a season finale than a series one. I disagree. I think he knew it was the end and the evidence can be seen in the show's final moments. If you pay attention to the last line of dialogue in the series and who says it we're reminded what this show at its core was REALLY about the whole time, making the fact that it didn't find a wider audience that much sadder.

There were some changes and an obvious tug-of-war with the network but enough of the elements that make this show special were retained, making this DVD set an easy buy for fans. I was overcome with a sense of dread as I neared that final disc knowing I'd never again have the chance to see a first-run episode of my favorite show. As a stand alone series you're not likely find better entertainment than this and I think a casual viewer with no previous knowledge of Veronica Mars would probably find this season more accessible and enjoyable than the second, even if it isn't up to its level creatively.

This is the only DVD set of the three seasons to contain a bonus disc with a variety of special features. It's still not enough for my taste, but it's noteworthy in that it contains something unprecedented for a cancelled television series: a look into what the next season would look like had the show continued...and it isn't pretty. Even those who had big problems with the third season will be crying and begging to run back to Hearst College after watching this horror of a presentation created by Thomas with the intention of selling the CW executives on a fourth season.

It's kind of sad to watch the interview with the defeated Thomas as he attempts to explain why the entire show has to be overhauled and flash-forwarded four years into the future with Veronica as a rookie FBI agent. You get the impression that he really doesn't want to do it but his hand has been forced and it's the only way he can keep the show on the air. He's been trumped by the network and is grasping at straws, attempting to create a new vision of the show that will please them. This is not in any way a criticism of Thomas, as I can't even imagine the pressure he must have been under having created the smartest show on television that no one watched and being told by executives (who had no idea how to market it) that it's not good enough.

Thomas says he was pleased to hear that many fans, while not crazy about the idea, would have remained on board and embraced the show if it meant the character of Veronica could stay on TV. I'm sorry to say I wouldn't have been one of them. To me it's more important that the essence of the series not be compromised and I'm relieved the CW didn't buy the pitch for another season if that was in any way a taste of what we'd get. It just wouldn't be the same Veronica Mars. I can't say I was thrilled about the prospect of a sophomore year at Hearst either, but the final episodes of the third season suggested had we continued down that road the show could have possibly returned to Season 1 form, making this FBI idea even worse.

Other than a great supporting turn from veteran character actor Bob Gunton (who adds his name to the elite list of guest stars) Thomas' FBI "presentation" is the longest 12 minutes in Veronica Mars history. Believe it or not, I actually do see the temptation to move Veronica to the Bureau and have her work on the largest scale possible since she's more than earned her pass out of dead-end Neptune. But it's still a temptation that should be resisted.

If you watch crime shows like CSI or Law and Order it's almost a joke how much smarter the character of Veronica is than all of them and how silly those storylines look in comparison to anything on this show. The case of a missing pet feels more important than a double murder on any of these trite police shows and Veronica could run circles around any supposed "forensics expert." Which is why the show shouldn't go there. She's different, and it's important she stays that way. Without the lawless corruption of Neptune to fight against, there's nothing to drive the character of Veronica anymore. It doesn't seem right that she'd now be on the side of the system she's spent all this time battling.
This new vision would also be a complete betrayal, doing away with all the great supporting characters we've become so attached to over the course of the series and, if this short glimpse was any indication, replaced them with far blander ones. In many ways this short pitch to the network proves just how invaluable the entire cast has been throughout the course of the series. Doing away with Keith, Logan and Wallace would be like driving a stake through the heart of the show. Even while recognizing this was just a rough version of what we'd eventually see, it was more than enough to cause concern. Thomas even boasts that this new show would be shot differently and have a Grey's Anatomy feel to it, mixing "adventure and romance." Ugh.

According to him, the plan all along was to eventually send Veronica to the FBI, but that's something I don't EVER want to see regardless of how far into the future it is. Veronica's true calling is as a P.I. working with her father at Mars Investigations because what goes down in Neptune is far more important than anything that happens on a lame police procedural.

The only big question that remains is whether we really have seen the last of Veronica Mars. As a television series we definitely have but now with the trend of cancelled shows being turned into feature films (Firefly, Sex and the City and The X-Files to name a few) there have been rumblings that Veronica could end up on the big screen at some point. At first I was against the idea, but it actually kind of makes sense. Veronica Mars has always felt like a story wide enough in scope that it almost couldn't be contained on the small screen. And with DVD having given it greater exposure, it's possible it could also find a wider audience in theaters.

This is the kind of show that could have spoken to a large cross-section of audiences if it were just on the right network and marketed properly. That it had to come down to something so simple and correctable is sad, but true. Because of its uniqueness it was perhaps always destined to always remain a cult show, which is maybe the higher compliment. If it was a huge mainstream success, the series would likely feel less like "ours."

The prospect of a movie is largely dependent on whether Thomas wants to write it (which he says he does) and Bell wants to star in it (an iffier prospect since her Hollywood stock is justifiably rising). There's also the issue of finding a balance between pleasing fans of the show by tying up unresolved story threads and attracting the many casual moviegoers who haven't seen it. If this does ever come to pass, I'd very much like the first scene to be Veronica throwing down her FBI badge and returning to Neptune as a giant middle finger to the CW for screwing over this show. But even if we never get a feature film, I can honestly express satisfaction that it ended before we witnessed a deterioration that would have adversly shaped our view of the series.

TV on DVD: Veronica Mars (The Complete Second Season)

Creator: Rob Thomas
Starring: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Teddy Dunn, Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, Tessa Thompson, Ryan Hansen, Kyle Gallner
Original Airdate: 2005-2006


★★★ 1/2 (out of ★★★★)

After watching and reviewing the first season of Veronica Mars I told myself it would be a long time before I reviewed another full season of television. Honestly, when it ended I had a tough time even watching television again. After that experience I've discovered that every movie and TV show I watch now looks a little…WORSE. Looking back at my film reviews since then I noticed that I hardly had a positive word to say about anything and I don't think that's a coincidence. I've been spoiled, and as a result, everything's a little less fun now. The worst episode of this show is better than just about any movie I've seen in the past year.

The first season finale of Veronica Mars was one of the very few times I can remember watching a form of entertainment where my pulse was racing, my heart was pounding, my palms were sweating and I felt legitimate fear for the characters. I didn't know what would happen next and I was almost afraid to find out. It contained a twist so shocking I'm surprised I made it through the episode in one piece. But beyond just being shocking it made complete sense and the clues were there all along. Every piece of the puzzle we were given throughout the entire season started to fit into place and the momentum the show built episode by episode exploded like a powder keg. As a result, nothing was held back and, in a rare television anomaly, we weren't left with a frustrating cliffhanger.

Creator Rob Thomas put it all out there in that episode and as I watched I realized something I hadn't the entire season: How attached you become to the character of Veronica. While everything she did was dangerous there wasn't a single time during that first season, outside of the finale, where she was in immediate physical danger, even if in many instances you'd think she would be. She inched closer and closer to it but when it did come the tension was absolutely unbearable. Just the possibility of anything happening to this character that I grew to really care about over the span of 22 episodes was enough to have me screaming at the television. It's a testament to Bell's performance and the A+ quality writing that supports the show.

Everyone I know has grown tired of me ranting and raving like a lunatic about this show for the past month but they'll have to put up with it a while longer. I also have a feeling it didn't go over too well at Thanksgiving dinner when we had to each say what we were thankful for this year and my immediate response was "Veronica Mars." With my addiction in full swing there was no way I could NOT watch the polarizing second season, but the main reason I decided to review it is because it sure makes for an interesting case study: How do you follow-up the greatest season of American television ever produced?

Let's put something in perspective immediately: The second season of Veronica Mars isn't nearly as strong as the first. Now let's put something else in perspective: Neither is any other season of any show that's ever aired. The question now becomes whether you judge its sophomore season on its own terms or in comparison to the towering masterpiece that was season one. Looking at the star rating above you could probably guess which I chose. The second season has been the subject of great debate amongst even the most diehard Mars fans. Some absolutely despise it and see no reason why the show should have continued past Season 1, while I've spoken to others who actually prefer it over the first. After watching it I can understand exactly where both sides are coming from, even if I don't necessarily agree with either.

There is great value to be found in this season but to truly be able to wrap your head around it requires you to readjust your view of the show and examine it from a "big picture" perspective. The second season can't be viewed as a stand-alone entity or even in direct comparison to the first but rather as a chapter in a continuing saga not unlike, say, something like Star Wars. Whereas the first season focused entirely on Veronica and her battle as an outsider, the second opens up the town of Neptune and fleshes out all of the supporting characters, widening the scope of the story.

If someone told me that they thought the heart and soul of the series resided in its second year I'd have a tough time arguing with them. If they also claimed that, while obviously sloppier than the preceding season, it provided more pure fun I'd have trouble shooting them down on that as well. First seasons are called first seasons precisely for that reason: THEY COME FIRST. Second seasons can't be first seasons. The characters have to move on, as much as we may not want them to.

Watching the second season opener ("Normal is the Watchword") can be best described as coming down from a huge high and landing back on Earth. It was a shaky start and my immediate reaction to the first few episodes was bewilderment as they try to cram a lot in as far as introducing new characters and setting up what will become the big story arc of the season.

I could be wrong here but it almost appeared that there was a little pressure by the network to make the show more mainstream and bring in the teen viewers immediately by focusing more on Veronica's romantic entanglements early on rather than actual mystery solving. She even tackles a real part-time job as a barista at a coffee shop at the insistence of her father before we move on to this season's rather convoluted big mystery, a school bus crash that may or may not be related to the now solved Lilly Kane murder case.

Wrapping around that is a secondary storyline involving a fatal stabbing that could also be directly connected to the crash. While this doesn't carry nearly the same emotional weight as the murder case of the previous season and Veronica doesn't have the same immediate connection to it, the closer she gets the more we realize that could change. Really, the entire town of Neptune is deeply connected to it and the underlying theme that was touched on earlier in the series, but fully exploited here is the class struggle between the haves and the have-nots of Neptune. Tensions are higher than they've ever been as a battle rages between the 09ers and the PCHers, with Veronica sandwiched right in the middle as she enters her senior year. After the events that transpired last season Veronica isn't the outsider she once was but it makes little difference because she still feels like one.

This bus crash mystery covers so much ground and is so far-reaching you'd probably need a diagram to chart all the season's characters and their potential involvement in it. It also marks the first time we're introduced to some supporting characters that are unlikable and really take a while to warm up to. But that's the beauty of this show. It has a master plan and characters we rolled are eyes at in early episodes as useless poor additions to the show end up playing a bigger role than anticipated. Everything and everyone is important it just takes a little longer to fully present itself, which may have been the cause of some criticisms labeled against this season when it aired. On DVD however, it's much more obvious how each episode links together and the continuity is pretty much seamless.

After the creative euphoria that was the first season many actors and actresses were probably knocking down the door to just so much as earn a guest spot on the show so it's no surprise this season is fully loaded. There are a ton of cameo appearances from the likes of Kevin Smith, Joss Whedon, Lucy Lawless, Kristin Cavallari, and Arrested Development's Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat. But the two biggest additions this season are Steve Guttenberg as a suspiciously upbeat Mayoral candidate harboring a dark secret and Charisma Carpenter as the scheming trophy stepmother to obnoxious rich boy Dick Casablancas (Ryan Hansen) and his little brother Cassidy a.k.a. "Beaver" (Kyle Gallner). Dick and "Beaver," who both played a small but pivotal role in the first season finale, are given a promotion here to full-fledged supporting characters who get a ton of face time.
Fans of Veronica's sidekick and best friend Wallace Fennell (Percy Daggs III) will be happy to know that he steps out from the sidelines this season and plays a major role in key episodes. He even gets a girlfriend, new student Jackie Cook (Tessa Thompson) and of all the characters it takes a while to warm up to, hers arguably takes the longest. Eli "Weevil" Navarro (Francis Capra), might get the biggest bump as he's a key figure in the two big mysteries while Teddy Dunn's Duncan Kane kind of gets the shaft, as he admittedly isn't given nearly as much to do this season. I don't have much of a problem with that though since his sister's murder was solved and Dunn is easily the weakest actor on the show.

The two most important relationships in Veronica's life are deepened further this season. The first, which has always been the beating heart of the show, is her seemingly unbreakable bond with her father, Keith (Enrico Colantoni). While it's still unbreakable it does suffer some growing pains as Veronica's lies and deception (as well intentioned as they may seem sometimes) put an emotional strain on Keith and in a landmark terrific episode (Episode 11-"Donut Run") she goes too far, basically using him and putting them both in danger.

With everything that goes on in this show as far as plot, without these brilliantly realized characters none of it would hold together and it would seem like a jumbled mess. We're reminded of that every time there's an apartment or office scene with Veronica and Keith. It's those real father-daughter moments, whether it be loud, quiet, or funny ones, that make the human aspect of this show so special. Despite all the craziness that unfolds in Neptune the show is never winking at us and is always has its foot planted firmly in reality when it comes to thoughts and behaviors.

The love-hate relationship between Veronica and 09er bad boy Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), which went through a roller-coaster ride last season, is always still simmering just below the surface in this one. At one point it's described as "epic" and I couldn't possibly think of a more accurate description. Looking back at the series it occurred to me that the episodes that prominently featured Dohring were noticeably stronger than those that didn't. I've already talked about what a travesty it is that Bell was never recognized with an Emmy, but that Colantoni and Dohring never received supporting actor nominations is just as unfair. They're the backbone of this series.

Once this season gets going it really hits the ground running, delivering some episodes that actually do match the first in entertainment value if not writing quality. We're treated to Veronica's investigations into the corporate corruption, the Irish mob, child abuse, rape, adultery, pirate radio and blackmail, many of which intertwine the big story arc and deliver the satisfying, unpredictable twists we've become accustomed to.

One of the coolest things about the show is how rewards diehard viewers by tying up loose ends as details from season's past keep springing up. It barely occurred to me that although Lilly Kane's murder was solved last season, the perpetrator (who I wouldn't dare reveal) still actually has to be convicted of the crime.
Even the most minor characters, who barely stopped in for a cup of coffee in season one return, but are expanded upon and developed so much more this time around that they could star in a spin-off of their own. The smarmy Sheriff Don Lamb (Michael Muhney) is a busy man this season and Ken Marino's goofball private eye Vinnie Van Lowe (whose Hall and Oates serenade to Veronica was one of last season's funniest moments) pops in again in a more important role. Guest star Harry Hamlin, who gave the performance of his life last season as Aaron Echolls is back as is his bitchy, D-level actress daughter Trina (Alyson Hannigan) in one memorable episode.

Not just knowledge, but intricate, detailed knowledge of the first season is mandatory in order to appreciate the second at all, which couldn't have helped the show any in the ratings department. Ironically, the highest rated episode in the series' history (Episode 10-"One Angry Veronica") is the one most reviled by hardcore fans, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that it was the most accessible to casual viewers and didn't require any past knowledge of the show's mythology to appreciate. It also (along with Episode 16-"The Rapes of Graff") helps set up what everyone tells me is the problematic third and final season of the series, where Rob Thomas supposedly buckled under the pressure to gain more viewers and made sacrifices creatively. I'll soon find out if that's really the case.

While Veronica may not be as central a focus as she was in the first season, Kristen Bell's performance is just as important, if not more so since there are a few chinks in the show's armor she has the task of covering up this season with her innate charm and likeability. And does she ever. Her character, as well as all the others, were so well developed initially that I'm convinced everyone could have walked onscreen to just do laundry for Season 2 and it would have still been fascinating. Fortunately, they do a lot more than that.

In a later episode I noticed a small detail that tipped me off as to just smart the writing in this series really is. Two characters were forced to work together and all of the sudden it hit me that they haven't even shared screen time since the pilot episode. This despite the fact they're two of the biggest characters on the show! I can't understand how they could even pull something like that off and it goes to show you just how broad in scope the story arc is. When episodes ended I often found myself scratching my head wondering how anyone could have possibly had the creativity to come up with this stuff. Supposedly Thomas knew exactly where Season 2 was going to go before Season 1 even aired and I believe it. You can really tell that this is a show with a big plan already in place and the writers just work backwords from there.

The season finale (Episode 22-"Not Pictured") contains the most memorable flashback in the show's history as well as a huge twist that, while not quite as shocking or tightly plotted as the previous season's, is still an absolute jaw dropper. It's also a little more far-fetched. I think the key for the viewer to figure out who was behind the "big mystery" each season is to look at ALL THE CLUES sprinkled about in every episode, not just the ones directly related to the case. You have to watch all the characters' behaviors…carefully.
The finale is a stretch but when it ended I could honestly say that it holds up to logical scrutiny and makes sense. It likely plays even better on repeated viewings once you know the resolution. It's a funny thing when you love a show so much that it can almost do no wrong in your eyes and you become blind to any flaws it may have. Or you see those flaws, but simply don't care and embrace them. You're having too good a time to do otherwise. It's strange that I've now become of those geeky hardcore Veronica Mars fans I used to laugh at a couple of years ago when I didn't even want to bother watching a "stupid show" about a teen detective. What the hell was I thinking?

Unlike the Season 1 DVD set that didn't contain a single special feature outside of a few deleted scenes, this does have some, but it's still a shameful, disappointing amount considering the quality of this series. In addition to some deleted scenes there's a short feature entitled "A Day On the Set of Veronica Mars" as Kristen Bell lets us tag along with her during a day of shooting. For anyone who's as taken with Bell as I am, any extra minutes spent with her is nothing to take for granted. After viewing it that fuzzy line separating the character and the actress playing her suddenly becomes even fuzzier. There's also a gag reel full of bloopers and outtakes that's surprisingly quite funny.

We hear the term "sophomore slump" a lot in television and I've found myself earlier in the year defending lackluster second seasons of current TV dramas like Friday Night Lights and Heroes, which in comparison to this look completely incompetent to me now. I've all but stopped watching one and you could probably guess the only reason I still watch Heroes. When she leaves, so do I. Since we've already lost Veronica Mars, I can't think of any future cancellation that could possibly bother me.

It's nearly impossible writing an effective second season when expectations are so high but when it was over I couldn't think of anything that could have been done better and it did seem like a natural progression. The first season established Veronica Mars as one of the best and smartest television dramas around. Season 2 just seals the deal.

TV on DVD: Veronica Mars (The Complete First Season)

Creator: Rob Thomas
Starring: Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Francis Capra, Enrico Colantoni, Teddy Dunn, Amanda Seyfried
Original Airdate: 2004

**** (out of ****)

"Why is Veronica Mars so good? It bears no resemblance to life as I know it but I can't take my eyes off the damn thing." -Stephen King

"Best. Show. Ever." -Joss Whedon

"Some of the best TV ever produced." -Kevin Smith

When you have those people saying things like that about a television show you know we're dealing with something special. Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to listen to them when Veronica Mars first aired on the now defunct UPN network in Fall 2004 and later concluded in 2007 on the CW.

No, it's not that I sampled the show and decided it wasn't for me, but rather I didn't even give it a chance and refused to watch a "teen drama" about a high school sleuth. "You have to see Veronica Mars!" everyone told me with such fervor you'd think that my life was somehow incomplete having not viewed it. They said the same thing about Arrested Development and I ended up cursing myself for not listening originally. The same mistake will never be made again. When people whose opinions I hold at a high regard and genuinely respect tell me to watch something I'm going to watch it. I've learned my lesson.

As a critic I feel it's my duty in every review to share with people why something does or doesn't work and why. That should really be the job of every critic. What then do you do in the case of something like Veronica Mars, a show so original and unlike anything before it or since on television that it has to actually be experienced to fully understand how it's so special? It doesn't present itself as obviously brilliant right away, but it sneaks up on you slowly and I think what makes it so is tough to pin down and explain its genius.

For the longest time I avoided watching Arrested Development out of the fear that it couldn't possibly live up to the incredible expectations that surrounded it. Those fears were unfounded. I had the same fear with Veronica Mars but now after watching it I can officially say it's not as good as everyone has been telling me. It's FAR BETTER.

It's been a year since Veronica Mars (a revelatory Kristen Bell) ran with the in-crowd at Southern California's Neptune High and her best friend Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried) was brutally murdered. Her sheriff father, Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) wrongfully accused Lilly's billionaire dad of the crime, causing him to lose his job as the real murderer sits on death row. The Mars family's reputation is shattered and they're held up for public ridicule by most of the residents of the posh Neptune zip. Complicating things further for Veronica is her relationship with Lilly's brother, Duncan Kane (Teddy Dunn), which crumbles as result of her father's obsession with the case.

Veronica has a choice: Her father or her friends. She chooses her father and that decision leaves her a social outcast who spends most her spare time assisting her dad at his recently opened "Mars Investigations" detective agency. Her mother made her choice and fled, leaving the family high and dry, although her reasons for doing so may be more complicated than we're led to believe. Keith still holds on to the belief the wrong man is in jail for the crime but has lost hope that any justice will be served. Veronica hasn't and stages her own investigation to find out who really killed Lilly Kane, how it connects to her mother, and most painfully, find the guy who took her innocence one night when she was drugged. Each episode unravels this major story arc while also focusing on the "mystery of the week" where Veronica uses her investigative skills to solve crimes, each of which someway or another involve the students of Neptune High and sometimes involves the help of her new best friend Wallace Fennel (Percy Daggs III).

What I like most about these cases in every episode is that they're not just throwaways meant to stall time while the writers take their sweet time unveiling the secrets of the big murder and frustrate viewers. This isn't The X-Files Lost, or even Heroes where all of the sudden the creators decide to just take a break from giving us new information out of fear they'll burn through the story too quickly. This show's creator, Rob Thomas, knows better. The main storyline, the murder of Lilly Kane and Veronica's quest for answers, is always in the front of our minds in every single episode and never takes a breather.

In each one we're presented with flashbacks, more clues and new information as Veronica briskly moves closer to the truth and many of those cases directly relate to the big case. And if they don't, they relate directly to Veronica's feelings about it. There were only a few instances (like Episode 4- "The Wrath of Con") where I thought they deviated from that game plan and went out of its comfort zone, suffering a little because of it. Of course that's not to say any episodes are bad because there isn't a single stinker among them.

Some of these cases are so intricately plotted and cleverly written they seem more like something you'd see on the big screen and just the pilot episode alone tied together more loose ends than most shows' entire seasons are capable of. The third episode ("Meet John Smith") has an absolute jaw dropper of a twist in one of Veronica's cases involving a boy looking for his father that I didn't see coming from 10,000 miles away. I nearly hit the floor. Not only was it shocking and made total sense, it exposed an important emotional truth about Veronica's relationship with her own mother. Television shows are not supposed to be this smart. There are surprises on top of surprises and twists on top of twists and as each piece of the puzzle is pieced together something new is learned about every character we previously assumed we knew everything about. How good is this show? Even a cameo appearance from Paris Hilton can't ruin it.

Where it succeeds the most, however, is within the halls of Neptune High and its frank depiction of high school as the worst time of anyone's life, especially Veronica's. There's a villain, Lilly's ex-boyfriend and Duncan's buddy Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), the spoiled son of a famous self-absorbed actor (Harry Hamlin, in what I'm guessing isn't much of a stretch). At first he seems determined to make Veronica's life at Neptune a living hell but as each episode unfolds the layers are slowly peeled away and we realize he may not exactly be who we thought he was. He's a jerk for sure, but there's more to it than that. No character on this show can be put into easily classifiable categories and each one is written with depth and importance. And it's done all in the midst of storylines involving attempted murder, rape, affairs, homeless fight clubs and cults.

The relationship between Veronica and her father is at the heart of the show and how they deal together with their sullied reputations and the absence of their mother. I like how the character of Keith is just a good man who cares about his daughter and believes in doing the right thing. That's not something you see often on television and Colantoni plays him superbly. Music also plays a big role on Veronica Mars, but it isn't used the same way as most other shows featuring teenagers. Rather than blasting the latest hit song of the week in every scene it seems there was a concerted effort for the music to fit what's happening at that moment. It slides right in and feels like an organic extension of the show, not just an add on meant to sell CD's.

Lately there's been a lot of controversy surrounding just how much writers contribute to a television show. I think all these protesters in the Writer's Guild should tape scripts of Veronica Mars to their signs because no show better illustrates the importance of writers than this. Without the writing we'd have nothing, but that's not to overlook the actors who deliver those words. One of which, there would be no show without. There isn't enough space here or enough praise available to properly do justice to the work how Bell does as the title character.

On the surface Veronica seems like a cute, plucky teen girl but the second she opens her mouth the acerbic, sharp-tongued sarcastic wit comes flying out and you realize she's not someone you want to mess with. But she's also hurt. And angry. Bell conveys her as someone who struggles everyday to stay strong in the face of it all, yet manages to get the job done. Every other show on TV now brags about how they have a strong female character as its lead. But do they really?

She's a real heroine and one of the few female characters to ever appear on television (maybe the only one) that could actually qualify as a positive female role model. Even though it explores serious issues and adult themes, parents actually didn't need to hide their kids when this program came on. That's a first. Had anyone but Bell been cast in the lead I'm convinced the show wouldn't have worked. Christina Ricci's a good actress but just thinking that she almost got this role makes me uneasy. Really, the thought of anyone but Bell in it makes me uneasy. Now I understand why every network was fighting over her when this show ended.And I don't believe for a second that I'm not in the target demographic for the show. Every age group and gender is in the target audience, no matter what the ratings may have said. This isn't a drama for teens like The O.C. or Dawson's Creek even if it was narrowly and mistakenly marketed as such. This is a drama for everyone and is operating at a whole other level that those shows couldn't even come close to touching.

It's easy to be upset at its cancellation but it's hard to be TOO UPSET. It's clear Kristen Bell is going to become a huge star and this hurts her as much as the demise of Dark Angel hurt Jessica Alba's career. Except with one key difference: Bell has talent. I have no idea whether this went out at a creative high yet, but as much as I love accentuating the negative I think we should all just be grateful a show this original made it to the air at all. What to make of the fact that neither the show nor Bell was ever nominated for an Emmy?

I don't even remember what I was doing in the Fall of '04 when this premiered but it couldn't have been anything productive and I have no excuse for not watching it. It did appear like UPN and the CW did do everything they could to save it and even aired some episodes on CBS in the summer of '05 hoping it would help ratings, which it did, at least for a little while. I don't know why this didn't do better. Maybe the country just wasn't ready for a show like this. Part of the problem may have been that it's becoming harder for the public to make viewing commitments every week.

A show like this that unfolds a huge story arc over the course of the season with episodes feeding into one makes it hard to truly appreciate unless you were watching since the pilot. Arrested Development had the same issue, but that issue also makes it the perfect viewing experience on DVD. That now nearly every television show is available on DVD is one of the most positive developments to come out of the entertainment industry in recent years and has allowed underappreciated or overlooked shows to find an audience.

Luckily, the grave injustice that surrounds its cancellation hasn't fallen on deaf ears and has been widely acknowledged as a terrible mistake. How this wasn't the number one show on television is a mystery Veronica probably couldn't even solve. As little as it may console its fans, the networks now seem much more likely to give fledgling shows a chance to find an audience. You don't hear the word "cancellation" as much as you used to and the networks are more patient. There's no doubt Veronica Mars played a big role in that, but I must admit it makes my blood boil that a show like Jericho is saved, while this lies in the television graveyard. The networks were just too late coming to their senses.

If you've seen Veronica Mars then you already know how special it is but if you haven't don't watch it based on my recommendation. I don't deserve to recommend it because as a viewer who didn't watch I share in the blame of its cancellation. But if you happen to hear a voice inside your head saying you have no interest in watching it-- make it go away. Fast. Moving on to season 2 will be challenging because this is a tough act to follow, but more challenging will be when I eject the final disc from season three and my time with these characters has ended. Then it's back to what we have (or don't have) on the air now- a frightening prospect. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to handle that.