What on earth even compelled me to start watching Season One of "Veronica Mars," I have no idea. Rob Thomas' girl detective show bears all the trademarks of Must-Miss TV, as far as I'm concerned. To wit:
- It's on UPN, a channel that prides itself as the home of Mo'Nique sitcoms, pro-wrestling and bad "Star Trek" spin-offs.
- It stars a plucky but sarcastic heroine who's heavy on the sass, attitude and "girl power."
- It features a guest appearance in an early episode by Paris Hilton.
But it had received some good reviews, and I had to admit that the idea of a detective show combined with a teen soap opera "90210" kind of show held some appeal for me. So, I figured...what the hell? Laser Blazer rentals are free. I so rarely get the chance to really get involved in an hour-long serial TV drama...Why not rent disc 1 and see how it goes?
And what can I say? I got hooked almost immediately.
"Veronica Mars" works for two reasons: the delicate skill of creator Rob Thomas and his writing staff, and the charisma of star Kristin Bell. Specifically, Thomas manages to combine a realistic, well-observed high school setting with some rather outlandish crime/mystery stories without ever losing his footing. Though some of the individual scenarios, episode to episode, are kind of far-fetched, Veronica, her classmates and her hometown of Neptune, CA never slip entirely into the realm of goofy fictional camp.
This sets "Mars" apart from, oh, say, I don't know...a show like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon goes for a similar effect - mixing relatable high school dramatics with a fanciful action-horror premise. It went okay for about a season, I suppose, but then the thing just became too ridiculous. Somewhere amidst the preening vampires, tortured tragic romance plotlines, musical episodes and bad kung fu fighting, Whedon forgot that mass audiences care more about likable characters in recognizable scenarios than complicated, goofy genre theatrics. That's why he has a hardcore fanbase of odd obsessive dorks while mainstream audiences basically ignore him.
On "Veronica Mars," no matter how twisty and unpredictable her cases get, Bell and the cast keep the show grounded. It may not be plausible or realistic, but it's believably real for Veronica, and that's what keeps the viewer involved.
Well, that and the fact that Thomas has devised a rather ingenious over-arching mystery to tie everything together. At season's opening, Veronica has become a pariah at Neptune High School. Her father was the sheriff of this oddly-segregated Southern California beach town, where wealthy families (called 909-ers after their area code) live side-by-side with the working class families in their employ. When Veronica's best friend, billionaire software heiress Lily Kane, is murdered at her lavish home, her dad fingers Lily's powerful father. So Dad is run out of his job, another man is arrested and convicted of the crime, and Veronica's mother runs off, leaving the family.
Yeah, that first episode is pretty much a downer. In fact, Thomas is never tempted for a moment to go easy on Veronica. Part of the charm of the character is her resilience, and this "pluck," I suppose you could call it, allows Thomas to get away with tormenting his main character in a way most show creators wouldn't dare. During this season, she will be ostracized by each and every member of the school, she will be harassed repeatedly by the school's administration, the identity of her biological father will be called into question, she will be drugged and raped at a house party, she will be spied upon, investigated, threatened, tailed, accused of all manner of perversion and deviant behavior, and will be locked in a refrigerator. And I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff as well.
But, like I said, Thomas avoids making this material feel oppressive or overwrought by moving the show at a speedy clip and injecting just enough humor and entertaining sub-plots into the proceedings. Now that he's no longer the sheriff, Veronica's father Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoli) opens a private detective business, and together they crack all manner of cases. (Veronica also tends to take on work privately for classmates, investigating things like kidnapped pets and sexual liasons captured on cell phone video).
I'll admit that some of the cases, week to week, are a bit silly. One in particular, concerning the whereabouts of a video store clerk's father, is far too preposterous to be believed. It is, to be fair, an early episode, when the show was just finding its footing, and there are more clever or amusing cases than otherwise. But still, not every case works as well as the next.
What it really comes down to is the solution to the big mystery - who killed Lily Kane - and when it comes, it's satisfying, but not exactly a revelation. Considering he had an entire season to develop a mystery, Thomas could have made his solution a bit more complex. It hinges on one character basically burying a psychotic personality for an entire season worth of shows. There are clues scattered throughout, of course, but the killer becomes something of a mad dog at season's end, which is after all a bit unlikely.
But it's a small gripe. Overall, the mysteries are fun and well-handled, frequently unpredictable without being too goofy.
The show, however, would probably not remain as bouyant and entertaining without Kristin Bell as Veronica. First of all, she's a really cute, attractive girl, which never hurts when you're committing to watching 22 episodes of a show.
But I don't want this to sound like I'm saying nice things about the woman just because she's cute. Bell does really nice work here as Veronica. Mainly, she actually brings some authority to the role. Veronica's a petite blonde 17 year old who has to have a commanding presence, and Bell is self-assured enough to carry this off without question. in the premiere episode, in the opening scene, she's called upon to mouth off to an entire motorcycle gang (more on them in a moment), and she does so believably. This is the first image you get of Veronica, and there's never any doubt that she really is the sort of person who could fend for herself against some heavy obstacles.
As for the supporting cast, I'd say it goes about 50/50. Some actors really shine in their roles, like Colantoli as Veronica's dad. You may remember him from his role as the horny photographer on "Just Shoot Me," but just try to put that entire experience out of your mind. I also enjoyed Percy Daggs III as Veronica's buddy Wallace and Harry Hamlin (!) as movie star and Neptune resident Aaron Echolls.
Others don't fare quite as well. The leader of that aforementioned "biker gang" is Weevil (Francis Capra), a patently ludicrous character who is meant to be threatening, but who is obviously just a huge softy. No amount of tattoos or friends in wifebeaters could make this guy or his biker buddies seem menacing, and every time they are called upon to kick some ass or threaten violence, it always seem forced. I understand that they have to fit into Veronica's world, and therefore can't be too terrifying or dangerous. But they are, after all, supposed to be a gang of hoodlums. They should at least give good loom.
And the two male leads, Veronica's former boyfriend (and the murdered girl's brother) Duncan Kane (Teddy Dunn) and the dead girl's boyfriend (and Veronica's new squeeze) Logan Echolls (Jason Doring).
Granted, they don't have easy roles. Despite being an all-around wholesome nice guy, Duncan is also a prime suspect in his sister's murder for the entire season. A series of clues indicate that he might have an uncontrollable violent streak. Another subplot hints around the idea that Veronica and Duncan may, in addition to being former lovers, may also be closely related, an incestuous idea that ties the show neatly in with the private detective/film noir tradition. So, by nature, the part is kind of conflicted and scattered. But Dunn just fails to make much of an impression at all.
Doring as well has a challenge with the part. He begins the show as the villain - Lily's flame who can't get over Veronica's father's botching of the case - and winds up ostensibly as a hero. But, again, it's just kind of a dull performance. Logan tends to fall back on sarcastic quipping, and it grows tiresome pretty quickly.
I suppose Thomas wants to keep Veronica at the center of the show, but it would be nice if there was a single character who was actually her equal on any level. Perhaps she meets such an individual in Season #2, currently airing on UPN but unseen by me. I'll have to wait until it comes to DVD to check it out. Hopefully, I'll still be working at The Blazer and able to rent them for free, because though I enjoy the show, I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay $50 for another season of episodes.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed VM (and I know you must have been expecting this from one of Whedon's odd obsessive dorks) but you missed the mark entirely there. You don't like Buffy, that's fine. That's a personal opinion, but you dismiss it far too lightly. All of Whedon's shows have been hailed by critics and Buffy is taught in universities. You really need to rethink your argument that popular opinion = good. Desperate Housewives is a perfect example of the problem with that logic. In fact, the most creative and intelligent shows on television have never been big with the masses (yet they love According to Jim).
ReplyDeleteWell, disagreement is certainly your right, but I can't say that your argument here is particularly compelling.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I don't care what TV critics think. Let's get that out of the way right off the bat. I can't think of a single TV critic whose opinion I trust, mainly because these are all people who really really like TV, whereas I think there are only a handful of good TV shows on at any given time. At least, good scripted TV shows.
And a professor using "Buffy" in a classroom setting has no bearing on its overall level of quality. It only means that the teacher feels there is some important subtext running throughout "Buffy" that somehow relates to a concept he or she is exploring in class (like post-feminist culture or something). It's hardly a stamp of approval in terms of artistic or entertainment merit.
Finally, I have never ever once made the argument that popular opinion = good. I simply commented that the show's failure to grab a large audience despite a MASSIVE MEDIA AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN exemplifies some of Whedon's failures as a writer. There are many many many shows that are not hugely popular but that I still find worthwhile.
My real concept for that paragraph was to express how "Buffy" was beloved as a GENRE show appealing to a small fanbase that, I suspect, would love any show occupying that genre. (Fantasy-horror-soap opera). If this were the 70's, you'd all be obsessing over "Dark Shadows," trust me. In other words, the fervent, obsessive nature of his fanbase has less to do with his talent and more to do with his choice of subject matter.
Anyway, thanks for reading!
Thanks for the reply. We still disagree, but I'll admit my argument in present form is not well articulated. Good points made, esp the university bit. I still feel that his inability to draw large crowds has more to do with the genres in which he writes than his writing ability, but again, I can see your point. And yes, I probably would've loved Dark Shadows. Very interesting read regardless of our opinions.
ReplyDeleteOh I wanted to add one final point about the TV critics. They have their faults no doubt, but had it not been for critics, I never would have discovered Deadwood. Which would have been a crime. A freaking federal offense. So I am willing to forgive them much for that introduction.
ReplyDeleteI know everyone has a right to their own opinion, but don't label something that's fairly popular like BTVS into "cultish" territory. BTVS was popular for years and got solid ratings for years until the quality fell off. Then it fell into the area of a "cult" show where only the most hardcore viewers stayed. I was a huge fan of BTVS and I could barely get through the last season when I rented it. I get mad when people dismiss it as a "cult" show like Star Trek or Dark Angel when its so much more than that. I bet you never really even watched it that much and if you did it was probably in the later years when it was a shell of its former self. Otherwise you wouldn't be slamming a show that's very similar in style and quality to VM, which is a show that you said that you liked. Rent the 1st and 3rd seasons and then come to me with a better excuse as to why you don't like the show. It has more layers of depth then just about anything that's ever been on tv. If anything VM is a show for "odd obsesive dorks" because almost no one watches it.
ReplyDeleteEric...
ReplyDeleteHere's a hint as to why people say you're favorite show is a "cult show."
Rent the 1st and 3rd seasons and then come to me with a better excuse as to why you don't like the show. It has more layers of depth then just about anything that's ever been on tv.
Hate to break it to you, man, but you're a nerd who likes cult TV shows. That's like the Nerd Who Likes Cult TV Shows credo you just typed. It's no big deal...There are many, many others like you, and we're all of us nerds of some sort or another here on the blogosphere. I say, relax and come to grips with your Nerddom rather than try to pretend the opinions of society at large conform to your nerdish tastes.
Lons,
ReplyDeleteI do see where your coming from. I do like some shows that are different, but most of my taste is actually mainstream. Most popular shows are popular for are reason (like Friends) and most cult shows are cult for a reason (just about anything Sci-Fi). Cult shows have limited appeal but satisfy the indended demographic. Buffy is what I call a quasi-Cult show like 24 and Heroes. It's not a big hit, but it does have a significant number of casual fans along with the fanboys (it's different but has more then one thing to satisfy an audience). I've known both.
All I'm saying, is that I like a variety of things, and that even if you don't care for something, at least give it the respect it deserves. 24 isn't really my thing, it's just too unbelievable for me, but it IS very well done and it CAN be very entertaining, and that's why I have respect for it. If I judged the show though by this year though (according to its fans), I would think that it was an overrated piece of crap. Most shows, even the best ones, decline over a certain period of time and it's unfair to judge without seeing the whole thing. Joss Whedon is an overrated writer, most of his stuff is only decent, BUT he has done some great writing at times (early BTVS), which is why he's been given that respect by people, even by casual fans like of couple of my friends. That's kind of the way I feel about Lost, 24, and The Shield. FYI Buffy was my favorite show only for a short period of time, other shows like The Sopranos, Friends, House, Everwood, and Veronica Mars have been my favorite at certain points too.