TV Review: Veronica Mars (original series)
Joelene Pynnonen says: Almost a decade after the series premiered, Veronica Mars is making a comeback, this time on the big screens. With the release date set for next year, now is a perfect time to revisit the original TV show that captivated thousands.
The series follows the eponymous main character, Veronica (Kristen Bell), as she navigates her way through a high school that has recently become hostile to her. The reason for this unfolds thorough a series of flashbacks. Veronica’s best friend, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried), was brutally murdered and Veronica’s father, County Sheriff Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), accused Lilly’s billionaire father of the crime. The small but wealthy community proceeds to force Keith out of his job. He opens a private investigation agency and Veronica works there after school.
There’s something about teenage detectives that appeals to me, and this series was no exception. It’s one of those gems that take a few episodes to get into and then suddenly it hooks you so badly that you pull all-nighters to get through it and your workmates think that you’re hung-over. There is a charm about Veronica Mars. It’s one of those shows that puts entertainment first but still manages to be clever, without being pretentious.
The Veronica Mars character very much steals the show. She’s an outcast and is struggling to come to terms with that when so recently she was part of the school’s inner circle. It would be easy for the show to become mired in angst, but it takes a more pleasant turn. While Veronica no longer has the status that she once had, she is witty, resourceful and proactive. She remakes herself so that she’s indispensable to the school in another way, by solving the myriad of problems and mysteries that students bring her. Her confidence is based in her intellect, her ability to problem-solve and her remaining friends, not in what general society thinks of her.
The chemistry is the other thing that gets me. All of the characters have it with each other, despite them all being very different people. Kristen Bell has an easy, natural acting ability that makes the scenes she’s in shine and it’s a lot of fun to watch her interact with both the people who hate Veronica and the people who love her in the series. While her interactions with both Wallace and Lilly are probably some of my favourite TV depictions of friendship, it is her relationship with her father that constantly makes me want more. He’s protective of her but they also have a quirky, off-beat bond. Rather than loving one another because they’re related, they are connected on a deeper level. Veronica doesn’t tell Keith everything but he knows who she is and he respects her for it.
The brilliance of Veronica Mars stems from a combination of many things, but at heart it is a teen series that focuses on wonderful characterisation, entertaining dialogue and some amazing performances. It’s definitely something to watch before the movie comes out.
