A long time ago, we used to be friends …
Nearly 10 years ago, fan*dom was introduced to a spunky, charismatic high school student who spent her free time moonlighting as a private investigator. Veronica Mars is a classic noir detective series featuring a witty female lead with equally smart writing that has developed cult status over the years. Fans of the show, known as “Marshmallows,” remain steadfastly loyal to the cast and series creator Rob Thomas, who has always said he would love to bring the show back in some form following its cancellation after only three seasons.
Prospects for a revival always seemed dim. The show stayed off the air for six years. Then, finally, Kickstarter made a second chance possible.
One year ago today, fan*s all over the world woke up to find Thomas’ announcement of a Kickstarter campaign to bring Veronica Mars to the big screen. The decision to turn to Kickstarter to fund the film was entirely unprecedented — this would be the biggest endeavor of its kind on the crowdfunding site. However, the fan*s were determined to see it happen. Within less than 12 hours of Thomas’ announcement, the entire $2 million goal had been met, and the project would go on to raise over $5.7 million, with more than 91,000 backers, setting several Kickstarter records in the process.
Now, here we are, a year later, and the finished movie will be released in select theaters across the country in just a few hours. If you’re not fortunate enough to have a theater playing the movie near you, it will also be released digitally through iTunes and Amazon as well as via cable on-demand services. This way, everyone in the United States — and in many countries around the world — has the opportunity to see the movie the day it opens in theaters. The best part about this movie is knowing the fan*s made it possible; I myself am one of those 91,000 Kickstarter backers and cannot wait to see the final product.
If you’re anything like me, you had every intention of rewatching all three seasons of Veronica Mars during the run-up to the movie release. Of course, life has gotten in the way and derailed those plans somewhere in the middle of season 3. In case you need a refresher, fear not! Here is a quick summary of each season, plus a selection of the most relevant episodes to rewatch if you have some time before seeing the movie.
Season 1
The series started nearly a year after the murder of Veronica’s best friend, Lily. Before Lily’s death, Veronica had everything going for her: she was in her school’s popular clique, the “09ers”; she was dating Lily’s brother, Duncan; and her father was the sheriff. When the show begins, nearly a year has passed, and Veronica is now an outsider with no friends. Duncan had broken up with her shortly before Lily’s death and still does not speak to her. Sheriff Mars tried to pin the murder on Lily’s father and lost his job. Veronica was date-raped at a party. Veronica meets Wallace, the new kid at school, and they form a friendship and partnership as Veronica begins to slowly uncover clues to Lily’s murder, as well as her own rape.
Episodes to watch:
Episode 1: “Pilot” — Remind yourself where it all began by watching the pilot episode. Of course, you will probably end up falling in love with the show all over again and want to just keep watching everything from that point on.
Episode 18: “Weapons of Class Destruction” — This one isn’t really central to the overall arc of the season, but this was the episode where the romance between Veronica and “bad boy” Logan, or LoVe, began. There isn’t a single LoVe shipper out there who isn’t hoping they finally get their happily ever after in the movie. Plus, this episode brings us JTT with a mullet.
Episode 21: “A Trip to the Dentist” — After discovering the drugs used on her the night she was raped came from a source she least expected, Veronica becomes determined to find out what really happened — with unexpected results.
Episode 22: “Leave it to Beaver” — In the season finale, Veronica finally learns the truth about Lily’s murder. What I love most about this series is all the twists and turns and how I couldn’t predict any of the revelations that occurred in this episode.
Season 2
The second season’s mystery involves the crash of a bus full of students, including the sole survivor, Meg. Veronica becomes obsessed with solving the case, as she initially believes she may have been the target. Lily’s alleged murderer faces charges and the trial impacts Logan and Veronica. Logan finds himself framed for murder and enlists the help of Veronica and even his rival, Weevil, to help prove his innocence.
Episode 1: “Normal is the Watchword” — The season 2 premiere answers the question fan*s were pondering all summer: Who was at the door? It also fills in the gaps between the finale and the premiere, which takes place at the start of a new school year. This episode is frustrates shippers, because it is not revealed until the very end if Veronica has chosen Logan or Duncan.
Episode 11: “Donut Run” — In order to protect Meg’s (and his) baby, Duncan disappears with his daughter. This episode was an example of great storytelling as the viewer realizes halfway through they’ve been fooled along with nearly everyone else in the series.
Episode 16: “Rapes of Graff” — This episode doesn’t have much to do with the season arc, but it sets up one of the main plot lines for season 3. While visiting local Hearst College for a weekend, Veronica gets involved in a rape investigation. As an added bonus, Arrested Development‘s Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat both guest-star.
Episode 21: “Happy Go Lucky” — After nearly two full seasons, we finally get some closure in the case of Lily’s murder when Veronica, her father, and Logan testify at the trial. The last few minutes of this episode took me completely by surprise, but there was definite closure for more than one story line.
Episode 22: “Not Pictured” — The identity of the person responsible for the bus crash is revealed, and it’s someone I didn’t even have on my suspect list. Not only that, but we also get a shocking reveal about Veronica’s rape that I’m pretty sure no one saw coming. This episode was one big emotional roller coaster ride, but so well done.
If you have extra time: Watch episode 20, “Look Who’s Stalking,” if for nothing else than to see Logan’s confession to Veronica. His brief monologue in that scene is “epic.”
Season 3
With the launch of The CW, Season 3 gets a slightly more polished look and new opening credits. Veronica begins her first semester at Hearst College and revisits the Hearst rapist case first introduced the previous year. This season also takes a different approach to the overall season arc, as the season is essentially split in two. One case is solved halfway through the season, while a new case is introduced at the same time. LoVe shippers are finally allowed to see what a real relationship between Logan and Veronica is like, while Veronica’s friend Mac and Logan’s friend Dick both deal with the repercussions of the second season finale.
Episode 1: “Welcome Wagon” — In the season premiere, we’re introduced to Wallace’s new roommate, the adorable “Piz,” who almost immediately develops a crush on Veronica. We also learn the campus rapist is still at work, setting up the first arc of the season. This time, Veronica feels responsible; she discovers she was in the room with the rapist and his victim without realizing it.
Episode 6: “Hi, Infidelity” — Mac’s roommate, Parker, recognizes the cologne of her rapist on Mercer, a friend of Logan’s. When the police arrest Mercer, Logan asks Veronica to help clear him. Veronica also investigates why her she was accused of plagiarism and learns her professor, Dr. Landry, is hiding a secret.
Episode 9: “Spit & Eggs” — Veronica solves the Hearst rapist case and finds herself in danger. The Dean learns his wife is having an affair and we are introduced to the case that will drive the second half of the season. The identity of the rapist wasn’t too much of a surprise after episode 6, but there was still an interesting twist in the reveal.
Episodes 19-20: “Weevils Wobble But They Don’t Go Down” and “The Bitch is Back” — The two-part series finale is required viewing before seeing the new movie. In fact, if you only have time for a few episodes, I would skip right to the end of this season and watch these two. At least then you’ll be reminded where everything ended — and what little resolution there was to be had.
Bonus: In a last ditch effort to get CW executives to renew the series, Thomas put together a 12-minute mini-pilot featuring Veronica as a new FBI agent. The sequence was then included in the third season DVD set. Since Veronica is a lawyer in the movie, it’s unlikely any of this material has been incorporated into the canon, but it’s fun to watch, and Justified fans will recognize Walton Goggins as Veronica’s FBI boss.
Never seen Veronica Mars?
No worries. The first couple minutes of the film have already been released online, and they involve a nicely edited clip show with one of Veronica’s familiar voice-overs, hitting all the necessary highlights of the series. I’m sure you can come into this without having seen any of the series and still follow what’s happening.
But if you have time this afternoon and want to catch a few episodes before you see the movie, the first and last episode of all three seasons will likely give you most of the information you need. Everything in between is just icing on the cake.
Beyond the Movie
After waiting seven years for Veronica to return, the best news is the fact that the movie isn’t the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new one. Thomas has already announced the first of several Veronica Mars novels which will take place after the movie ends.
So don’t worry, Marshmallows! There’s plenty more Veronica to come, and you won’t have to wait seven more years to enjoy it.