Tag Archives: Veronica Mars

veronica

Get up to speed before Veronica Mars release

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.

heroes

Heroes? Seven shows more deserving of revival

We are fortunate to live in a world where cancellation doesn’t always mean the end of our favorite television shows. Series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel live on in comic book form. A year ago, Rob Thomas launched a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign for a Veronica Mars film, which will be in theaters March 14, nearly a year to the day after that historic Kickstarter launch. Fans of the Fox program 24 were delighted to hear the show would be back for a limited run this spring, four years after it ended. There are even rumors swirling around the Internet about the cult hit Farscape getting a film, possibly sooner rather than later.

Jumping on the series revival bandwagon, NBC announced last weekend they would be bringing back their sci-fi drama Heroes for a limited 13-episode run sometime in 2015. The concept of Heroes — ordinary people suddenly discovering they have superhuman powers — was interesting, and the first season of the show was excellent. The first season episode “Company Man” still stands out in my memory as a brilliant hour of television. However, season two came along with new characters that changed the entire show. Then the 2007-08 writers’ strike happened, and everything just went downhill from there. I stayed with the show until its disappointing season four finale and was grateful NBC cancelled the show, thus making the decision for me whether or not to watch season five.

All of this makes NBC’s decision to bring back Heroes a little perplexing. Why would they decide to bring this show back now, especially after it ended at such a low point, and having already alienated most of its fanbase? It makes sense for Fox to bring back 24, a show fans still love, but why Heroes? Why not a show fans would actually like to see again, like The West Wing?

Of course, there are logistical and financial hurdles, but we can dream, can’t we? It got me to thinking: What other shows would I like to see come back, even if just for a limited run of 13 episodes?

Alphas (SyFy)

If NBCUniversal really wanted to bring back a show about people with superhuman abilities, why not turn to one of their other properties and give Alphas a real conclusion? This is a show that fans actually want to see return and receive a proper send-off, tying up all the loose ends left by the second season finale. I feel like the show was just finding its footing and then ended with a cliffhanger that will never be resolved; and there’s nothing more frustrating than an unresolved cliffhanger. At the very least, they could give us a movie to wrap up the series.

Pushing Daisies (ABC)

While Pushing Daisies writers at least had enough warning of cancellation to give viewers some closure, it still felt rushed and was disappointing to say goodbye to this show. I loved the quirkiness, the vibrant color palette of the sets and costumes, and the wonderful cast. The show was a critical darling and received decent ratings early in its first season, then became a victim of the writers’ strike. ABC opted not to bring the show back after the strike, instead waiting until fall to debut season two. By then, 10 months had passed and the show lost a lot of viewers. It wasn’t even given a full 22-episode second season, only airing 13 episodes. A comic series was in the works through DC Comics imprint WildStorm; however, DC shut down WildStorm before the comic was ever printed. There’s been talk of a Pushing Daisies revival — especially after rumors surfaced about series creator Bryan Fuller discussing the ins and outs of a Kickstarter campaign with Thomas after the Veronica Mars launch — but nothing has been confirmed.

Twin Peaks (ABC)

Twin Peaks is another well-loved series full of quirky characters that was cancelled too soon. While a prequel film was produced after the series’ cancellation, what fans really want to know is what happens to Kyle MacLachlan’s Special Agent Dale Cooper after the cliffhanger in the second season finale. The show itself has become a staple of pop culture, with references still being made in current television shows: the USA series Psych even did a tribute episode a few years ago, titled “Dual Spires,” which featured several original cast members. David Lynch’s style is unique and difficult to pin down to a certain genre, and it would be a welcome change from all the reality television and formulaic crime dramas currently on television. The year 2015 would also be the perfect time to bring the series back, as it would mark 25 years since the show’s original premiere.

The Pretender (NBC)

Does anyone else still wonder whatever became of Jarod? NBC cancelled The Pretender after four seasons, and then TNT aired two made-for-TV movies that still didn’t answer all the questions fans had. If anything, they just brought up more questions. I’m definitely more interested in learning what’s been happening with Jarod and whether the Centre is still in business than I am in meeting new Heroes. Besides, Michael T. Weiss hasn’t been too busy lately, and I’m sure Andrea Parker could take a break from Pretty Little Liars long enough to create at least a couple more movies, if not a miniseries.

Moonlight (CBS)

Moonlight was a show that premiered early in the vampire craze — perhaps too early. It premiered on CBS a year before HBO introduced us to Vampire Bill and Sookie on True Blood and Twilight opened at the box office. The show, starring a then-relatively-unknown Alex O’Loughlin and Veronica Mars’ Jason Dohring as modern vampires who could walk in daylight, also suffered from the writers’ strike as its first season was shortened to just 16 episodes and CBS opted not to renew it for a second season. While the series finale didn’t entirely leave fans hanging, there were still a few loose ends that could be used to create a miniseries based on the show. Sure, O’Loughlin is currently starring in Hawaii Five-O, but who wouldn’t rather see him return to being broody vampire Mick St. James? Plus, Dohring and Sophia Myles don’t seem to be too overwhelmed with work these days.

Freaks and Geeks (NBC)

Another show on a lot of “Cancelled Too Soon” lists is NBC’s Freaks and Geeks, which first aired back in 1999. The show was cancelled after 12 episodes, and fans had to rally to get the three of remaining completed episodes aired. The final three didn’t air on television until Fox Family Channel aired the show in 2000. Like many good shows canceled too soon, Freaks and Geeks has developed a devoted cult following in the years since it originally aired. Most of the cast, which included James Franco, John Francis Daley, Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel, has become much more recognizable since then, but surely a short miniseries or two-hour movie wouldn’t be out of the question. Let’s see what Lindsay’s (Cardellini) high school reunion is like, because we all know those can be just as awkward as high school itself.

Firefly (Fox)

While Firefly has had more life since its cancellation than most shows — in truth, it will never truly die — I just felt this list wouldn’t be complete without including one of fandom’s most unjustly canceled series. Fox essentially self-destructed this series from the beginning, by opting not to air the original pilot episode first. Viewers were a little confused by the order of the episodes, but that didn’t prevent fans from instantly falling in love with the show. Despite only having one season of 14 episodes, some of which never even aired during its initial run, the series maintains an extremely loyal fanbase that only grows as more and more people are introduced to the show. Since cancellation, the series has lived on in several comic series as well as the major motion picture, Serenity, which finally answered many of the questions surrounding the character of River. In 2012, fans at Comic-Con were able to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series with the cast as well as creator Joss Whedon. While most of the cast has been busy these last few years, and Whedon is spending most of his time with some small project about superheroes calling themselves Avengers, I’m sure if given the chance they would all love to bring these characters back to life again.

These are just a few shows deserving a second chance that I came up with. Feel free to add your own in the comments below.