Thursday, February 07, 2008

The Veronica Martian Chronicles

A long time ago, we used to be friends… Unfortunately, you were nowhere near as cool as Veronica Mars so I stopped calling.

Veronica Mars, the Nancy Drew for the new millennium is about as cool as it gets. Actually, she’s so cool that it requires suspension of disbelief, but that’s ok. I was pretty late to this series (partially because it was only slowly picked up by Canadian networks during its initial run), but have enjoyed marathon DVD sessions. This is a bit of a tweener series – probably too hip for the CSI crowd and too complex for the ‘I want Heidi Montag’s life’ crown. Hence, like all superior shows it dies a premature death. I’ve just finished the second season and I have been reluctant eyeing Season 3 on my local video store’s shelf. As I did with Freaks & Geeks and Like Arrested Development, I try to savour every episode – relishing every witty retort, every clever detective technique.

Season 2 was a real improvement over the 1st one. Getting rid of the whole Kane family saga was wise, as the Lily flashbacks grew tiresome and Duncan was the show’s weakest character (and actor). We also get to see the more sinister elements in Neptune, as Veronica is now contending with tough gangs rather than simply wannabe frat boys. I’m constantly impressed with the writing – the ability to lace a good mystery with plenty of witty banter is a real skill, and it is done beautifully here. If you’ve ever wanted to know all about Veronica Mars, but were afraid to ask, take a chance. Pick it up and see what everyone missed while it was on.

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