Justin Cox
We Used to Be Friends, A Long Time Ago
No, this isn’t going to be some sappy post about the way things once were. “We used to be friends, a long time ago” is the first line to the theme song for Veronica Mars and that, my friends, is what this post is about.
I will confess, I have never seen an episode of this show on television — well, not a complete episode at least. I watched about 10 minutes of one a few weeks back and I was completely lost. I had heard the show was cleaver though, so I decided to pick up the first disc of the season one DVD from Blockbuster Online — just to give it a try. That disc lead to the rental of the rest of the set. Yes boys and girls, Veronica Mars is pretty good.
The premise of the show (at least the first season as I know absolutely nothing about the season that is currently airing) follows the main character, Veronica Mars, who is a junior in high school and part time private detective. Her father used to be sheriff and is now a full time private detective. Each episode centers around Veronica (played by the very cute Kristen Bell) trying to solve a case that ranges anywhere from lost dogs to secret clubs to preventing her high school from being blown up.
There is also one case that spans the entire season. This is the murder of Veronica’s best friend Lilly. A year before the show takes place Lilly is murdered and Veronica’s father –then sheriff — believes Lilly’s family was involved. The extremely wealthy family that they are force Mr. Mars to loose his sheriff job — which is why he is now a private detective. As the season progresses Veronica and her father gather more clues that lead to the eventual solving of the case.
The show, while not to complicated or deep, is pretty decent. The various cases are usually pretty goofy though the season long murder case is carried out very well, leaving just enough information to keep the viewer ready for the next episode. The show is funny at times though it does drop into the cheesy zone here and there — especially in the first few episodes. For instance there is a scene where Paris Hilton shows up on a pink Vespa and another where the pretty boy “09er” gang has a showdown with the “other side of the tracks” Hispanic motorcycle gang.
Overall Veronica Mars is a pretty good show and worth checking out if you’re looking for an interesting tv series to get wrapped up in one weekend.
4/30/06
Shannon
Okay, I haven’t seen the show, but is it just me or does it sound an awful lot like the Nancy Drew books?
to Shannon
8/23/06
Fall TV 2006 » Justin Cox’s Mindless Chatter
[...] 9:00 pm This time slot will be my first use of the DVR during the week. Over on FOX, the new show Standoff will be debuting on September 5th. This show pairs Office Space’s Ron Livingston with Anna Espinosa herself, Gina Torres as FBI hostage negotiators. Interesting casting yes, but the show looks like it could be edgy enough to maintain interest while supplementing layered characters to carry over story lines from week to week. While Standoff is running on FOX, CW will bring Veronica Mars back for it’s third season on October 3rd. When I first discovered Kristen Bell Veronica and her friends I was instantly hooked. The second season was recently released on DVD and should start arriving through Blockbuster Online tomorrow. An interview with the show’s creator, Rob Thomas, reveled that VM has only been brought back for an initial 13 episodes this season and that if viewership doesn’t increase, the show might be doomed. Hopefully airing directly after Gilmore Girls will help and Kristen Bell Veronica Mars will get to stick around for a full year. [...]
to Fall TV 2006 » Justin Cox’s Mindless Chatter