TV Buff

I watched the last episode of season 1 of Veronica Mars again and it reminded me so much why this show is one of the best shows currently on air.

It goes without saying that Kristen Bell as the title character carries the show with aplomb. Thorugh all the things that she has gone through and has done on the show, you cannot help but share in her emotions. She embodies the character so much that you feel attached to what is happening and what will happen next.

I love the fact that they do not characterize Veronica as an uber-good character. Her best friend Lily Kane, whose murder is the sustaining mystery of the premiere season, is a beeyotch, one you would not consider to be a role model for teens her age. They are unapologetic in dealing with topics such as rape, adultery and such with such panache that it does not appear to be vulgar and gauche. Just part of good storytelling.

Enrico Colantoni first came into attention as Elliot on Just Shoot Me. Frankly, I never bought his act on that show. In VM, I was a little skeptical about his being cast as Keith Mars, Veronica’s father and a private investigator to boot. However, after seeing the show, I couldn’t imagine anyone else being Keith Mars. The chemistry between him and Kristen is perfectly seen on screen that you just know that they have a wonderful working relationship.

The characters around the father-daughter show how the whole is so much more the sum of its parts. The characters of Logan, Weevil and Duncan are given a lot of development that works to make the stories richer and compelling. For me, just one episode was enough to make me hooked for the rest of the season.

As someone who still dreams of producing/writing a television show, I appreciate how much thoughtful planning goes into the production of this show. Pay attention to everything and there is just enough foreshadowing to tell you what will happen next. But despite all that, the direction it takes still manages to take your breath away during the reveal.

Despite pulling in modest ratings during it’s first season run, fans have been hooked to the series with niche industry people attaching their names to the show. For the second season, Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) and Kevin Smith (Dogma, Chasing Amy, Mallrats) are both slated to appear as guests. Kevin Smith has this to say about VM in his blog:

This is, hands-down, the best show on television right now, and proof that TV can be far better than cinema. The cast is pretty uniformly excellent, and the dialogue crackles. Excellent characterization – even with the day-players – makes it the most engaging new show I’ve seen since “Degrassi: The Next Generation”, but the heart and soul of the show is the relationship between Father and Daughter, Keith and Veronica Mars.

The fact that Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni (“Those poor people…” from the severely underrated “Galaxy Quest”) weren’t Emmy nominated proves how fucking out of touch and useless the Emmy Awards are to begin with. The tender and witty repartee between these two wonderful actors makes you want to be a better parent. And a big shout-out to Jason Dohring’s Logan Echolls - a masterfully designed and performed nemesis whose twists and turns are always credible.

All said, I’m at the edge of my seat waiting for the second season to start.

(Season 2 begins on September 28. Shown on Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00 PM on UPN. For the Philippines, VM airs on cable channel etc, Wednesdays at 8:00-9:00 PM)