Veronica Mars: What Happened? It's Still a Mystery

My apologies for the unscheduled absence yesterday. I hope everyone took the opportunity to spend the day with loved ones and is enjoying the day off today.

Now on to today's events. Most people who know me had to have known that this day was coming since the very beginning. For those of you who didn't, my name is Calhoun and I'm a "Veronica Mars" addict. Sadly, I know for a fact that there are many others in the same boat as me since the spunky blond premiered on UPN in 2004. I guess just not enough to save the show from its cancellation, but in the case of season 3, that might not have been such a bad thing. Airing it the same night as "Gilmore Girls" somehow managed to cheapen the show in an effort to appeal to the same demographic. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

At the heart of the show are engaging characters, intriguing cases and just enough comedy and drama to make it worth your while. Kristen Bell, who since then has had the good fortune of making it big, leads the cast as the titular character. She's smart, quippy, and cute as a button, but that shouldn't undercut her sleuthing skills. It sounds like a weak premise for a show and there are definite moments where suspension of disbelief is an absolute must, but if you've got that down you're good to go. Along for the ride is her former-sheriff dad, who serves as an interesting addition. The interaction between the two ranges from heartfelt and genuine to the more quirky and comedic. It's not an absolute staple of the show past season 1, at least for me, but it's just so enjoyable that it definitely doesn't distract. In terms of friends, the typically anti-social Veronica has Wallace and Mac. Wallace is her go-to guy, but in terms of acting and character development, Mac comes out strongly in the lead with her "outsider" status and her comedic sensibility. Although there's a lot more to the cast than these 4 characters, they're easily the most notable and enjoyable additions to the cast.

However, besides the characters, the mysteries are the real reason to watch. the first 2 seasons follow a high-profile case throughout the season and each weekly mystery usually gets veronica closer to the truth. Once again, it sounds so lame, but to see it in practice is something entirely different. The witty solutions and the carefully unfolding plot are incredibly impressive, especially for a weekly show. The time investment in these season long mysteries is mind-blowing, but just a testament to the show. Season 3, as previously mentioned, is a departure from all things Veronica. The season-long mystery is abandoned for several mysteries that play out over the course of several episodes. Needless to say, the pay-off is less than astounding and the season as a whole suffers for it. Nevertheless, there are some fun episodes of season 3 such as Paul Rudd's guest stint, but the magic that kept the show alive for the first 2 seasons is gone.

Still, through it all, it is the tone of the show that kept me coming back for more. The quick pop-culture quips and the steely exterior and heart of gold Veronica are enough to win just about anyone over. Sadly, it became a casualty in the merging of the WB and UPN into the CW. When the world was forced to say goodbye to Veronica Mars it was all too soon, and now that the rumors of a movie have been indefinitely put on hold, it's looking even uglier. Still, I'll always have those 3 years...