DVD REVIEW: Veronica Mars – Season One

By Appa the Gypsy

Veronica Mars is seriously amazing. If you’ve never seen an episode, then I am instructing you to get the hell off this webpage and go watch it. Watch ALL OF IT! Now.

But, seriously, Veronica Mars is one of those shows that just stands out. In a viewing context populated by crime shows, TV dramas and reality shows, the makers of Veronica Mars decided to go for a mix of the two genres that weren’t just plain ridiculous. That would be the crime show and the TV drama, if you were at all confused.

Season one of Veronica Mars follows the title character (played by Kristen Bell) as she tries to come to terms with the upheaval in her life caused by the unsolved murder of her best friend, Lilly Kane (played by Amanda Seyfried, of Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls fame). As Veronica searches for answers to questions that everyone else in Neptune, California, appears to have stopped asking, she helps out her father, solving cases for his work as a Private Detective, making for one hell of an interesting life for this “average”, all-American high school girl.

Quirky, complex, and unafraid of getting a little gritty, Veronica Mars is a refreshing change from the average teen drama. What really makes the show stand out is the snappy scripting, flawless casting, and the interesting shooting style. The show makes use of unusual shot types, and eye-catching colour grading to give it this mysterious and surreal quality, as we navigate high school life with Veronica.

Telling the back story of the town of Neptune through flashbacks, and teaching her lessons through the cases she tries to solve, the show avoids feeling too episodic with the overarching story of the Lilly Kane murder case, and the fallout in Veronica’s life following the death of her friend. But don’t think that this show is all mystery and crime solving, and no drama! With a cast of unforgettable characters, from Veronica’s loveable father to her adorably kind best friend, Wallace, her ex-boyfriend and brother to her deceased friend, Duncan, and her possible love interest, witty, scathing and complicated Logan, you’ll find yourself becoming ever-so-attached to the lives of these people.

Once you’re hooked on the visual wonderment that is this show, there is no going back. Despite being discontinued after only three seasons, Veronica Marsstands out as one of the best TV dramas of its decade. I know I did find it hard to actually get into the show, because the first few episodes are rather intense and information driven (and the second one features a cameo from Paris Hilton), but once you get past that, it goes from really good to truly epic, and I know I found it hard to stop once I’d really gotten into it. And you’ll love the twists and turns the show takes to reach the dark, dramatic, and heart

stopping season finale that leaves all your questions answered and resolves everything beautifully, only to leave you sitting on the end of your seat in the last few minutes, suddenly blinded by your overwhelming need to watch season two immediately.

Well, if you’re not convinced now, you should just scroll up and read this review again. It’s pretty stellar. And Veronica Mars is deserving of all the praise I’ve given it. Give it a shot! But don’t cry when it’s over the way I may or may not have done…

Also, how can you not love this theme song and credit sequence? So cool!