Ten Statements--No, Wait, Eleven!About....VERONICA MARS (2014)

Welcome back, O Angel of Vengeance...I agree with Logan
when he says you should always wear this!

1) I know that making a film liberates you from certain things, but it’s still weird for me to hear the characters cursing from time to time.

2) I love how writer/director/series creator Rob Thomas finds a way to squeeze in as many of the show’s recurring characters as possible I was particularly happy to see Veronica bailed out by my favorite character of all, Daran orris' Cliff).  The second act set piece of the high school reunion does allow Thomas to drag in such obscure characters as Korny while also setting up the plot thread that will lead Veronica to the solution of the mystery.

3) There are a couple of really shocking cameos.  Besides Jamie Lee Curtis, whose presence in the film is spoiled by the trailer (and, to be fair, has her cameo extremely early in the film), there’s a surprising and extremely funny extended cameo in the second act that totally blindsided me, and also provides the basis for the post-credit sequence.

4) I am somewhat disappointed that Kristen Bell only dons what I like to call her ‘Angel of Vengeance’

It''s interesting how this shot echoes the first shot of the
pilot...

black gear once, a outfit that makes her look so good that I had to agree with Jason Dohring’s Logan when he says “You should dress like this all the time.”

5) The violence has been upped--there’s a moment involving a hit and run that is as graphic as it is shocking because of the victims involved--but it doesn’t seem out of place in Veronica’s world.  After all, Thomas consciously patterned the series after classic hardboiled detective fiction.

6) If there’s one frustrating thing, it’s the way the subplot about the corruption in the Neptune police department, headed by Jerry O’Connell’s Sheriff Dan Lamb never goes anywhere.  This is established very early on, and there are implications that this corruption has a hand in both the A and B plots, but it’s never resolved.  Even Lamb’s final comeuppance is unconnected to this subplot.

7) I am heartened that the film is very clear that the central relationship is not the one between Veronica and Logan, but between Veronica and Enrico Colantoni’s Keith Mars.  The chemistry between the two is still palatable and immediate, and watching them interact together is a joy to behold.

The Three Musketeers of Neptune High are on the case again!

8) As the series always did, the use of music is very effective.  The way Thomas sneaks in an acoustic version of the show’s theme in the first act to represent Veronica’s distance from her former life is great, and this is probably the only film that would think to use a Luther Vandross song in a suspenseful action sequence.

9)  It is amazing how some recurring members of the cast--Francis Capra’s Weevil, Amanda Noret’s Madison, Brandon Hillock’s Deputy Sachs--seemed to have not changed a bit.  On the other hand, it’s rather shocking to see how other cast members--in particular, Ken Marino’s Vinnie Van Lowe and Duane Daniels’ Principal Clemmons--have not aged well at all.

10) I sort of gathered where Veronica’s character arc was going to end up, but it still didn’t stop me from feeling a frisson of pleasure when she reached that final moment, kicked up her heels and finished her monologue about being an addict.

11) Perhaps the single coolest moment?  The title card at the end where Thomas thanks all of us Marsmellows for their undying devotion and the legions of us who kicked in to the Kickstarter to make this all happen.

Overall...I admit, I’m biased.  I love returning to Neptune and spending two hours with my beloved friends.  I just hope this film makes enough money that a second film will be warranted, because I missed seeing Kristen Bell as The Angel of Vengeance.

Ten Statements About....VERONICA MARS SEASON ONE, EPISODE TWENTY 'M.A.D' (2006)

"Let me resolve this quickly, 'cause I have a finale to attend
next week."

"It's all fun and games until you get my foot up your ass."

1) See that slight, red-headed kid next to Ryan Hansen's Dick Casablancas in the opening scene? That's Kyle Gallner, straight from the Smallville episode 'Run,' playing Cassidy 'Beaver' Casablancas. He may not even be called by name at this point, but trust me--he's going to become one of the most important cast members of Season Two.

2) See, this is an example of an A Plot that works: no bad actors, no stoppage of the overarc plots whenever it's onscreen, and a villain who is clever enough to figure out who is behind his harassment and step things up when the A Plot needs complicating.

3) Since the A Plot (and the 'Missing Duncan' thread of the overarc) involves some cyber-snooping, it's time for Tina Majorino to return as Mac. I have to wonder if Thomas and company looked at the chemistry between Bell and Majorino and decided that this was their Holmes and Watson, because Wallace slowly starts being de-emphasized as the series moves forward--to the point where he even disappears from the show for a while in Season Two.

4) One of the reasons this A Plot works is due to Natalia Baron's Carmen. Unlike last episode's turn by Claire Titleman's Mandy, Baron shows a degree of subtlety in her distress, choosing to underplay her feelings while being very clear about them. In fact, the only time she threatens to get cartoony is when we see the glimpses of the 'Popcicle Girl' video, which comes off as someone trying to act scandalously without truly wanting to be scandalous.

5) At the eighteen minute mark or so, we hit a scene that is ostensively about the continuing Logan/Veronica relationship, and seems to end two minutes or so later with Aaron Echolls telling Veronica how he is happy with the two of them together. It's a wonderful scene that makes you feel good...and it is the Single Greatest Swerve in Season One. Writers Phil Klemmer and John Enbon block this out so well--and at this point we identify with Veronica so much that we look upon it as a stamp of approval--that we're not going to realize how badly we've been played until this story fully plays out.

TV's Cliff McCormick...smoooooth.

6) Man, I would pay to see a Daran Norris and Kristen Bell buddy-cop movie. I'm sorry, but they work so well off each other.

7) If there is one thing that bothers me about the A Plot, it's that Klemmer and Enbon play around with tying the situation between Carmen and Tad with one of the show's major themes--namely, class. It's implied several times that there is a perception among some people in the school of Carmen dating Tad to get out of the neighborhood, and of her being with him because she wants to be white..but it's never fully explored. It's an issue that's sort of left out there in the fringes of this story, brought up but never fully addressed.



Yeah, I didn't mention this...but this
happens.  A lot.



8) And now, a positive thing about our writers for this episode--the way they manage to skillfully dovetail the A Plot right back into the overarc, setting us up for the resolution of one of the major mysteries that have been playing in the background since the pilot, is just amazing.

9) And in a similar vien--not only does the final scene feature a clever callback to the pilot, it further pushes the series back onto the track for the climax. We don't even realize that we've experienced the last A Plot some ten minutes ago and Everything Is Going To Be Answered until it's too late.

10) And yes...this is the final A Plot of Season One. The final two episodes will be all about the overarc...and trust me when I say things are going to be getting fast and furious from here on out.

Overall...an excellent episode that masterfully transitions us from the A Plot structure to what amounts as a two-part finale for the overarc. Lots of juiciness overall.

Ten Statements About....VERONICA MARS SEASON ONE, EPISODE EIGHT 'Like A Virgin' (2004)

Needless to say...in my dreams, she's not wearing a bra.  But
then, sometimes in my dreams, she turns into a giant bird and
pecks at my eyes....

"Meg, you're the last good person in this school. I believe cartoon birds braided your hair this morning. If you want, I can find out who posted that test for you. It'll clear you name, and make somebody pay...unless there's a fairy godmother already on it."

1) While it is true we get two new character introductions--Alona Tal's Meg, who will become very significant towards the end of this season, and Erica Gimpel as Wallace's mother Alice, who becomes extremely significant to Keith Mars' character arc--I can't help but point out the second appearance of Daran Norris' Cliff McCormack, who plays a part in this episode's B plot surrounding Abel Koontz. I really, really like Cliff...he's funny, and an excellent foil for Veronica.
 

2) I enjoy how, in the last scene before the credits (we're still in The Land of The Extraordinarily Long Teaser), Veronica is basking in the chaos caused by the Purity Test Purchase scheme...until she sees that it hurts someone she cares about. That slow transition from schoolgirl taking some pleasure in karmic payback to the private detective seeker of vengeance for Meg is another indication of why Rob Thomas needed Kristen Bell for this series to work.

3) And here, at the 9:30 mark, we are introduced to Tina Majorino's Mac. Mac becomes the Willow to Veronica's Buffy very, very rapidly--there's a large chunk of Season Two where she pretty much replaces Wallace whole--and, much like Alyson Hannigan in the Whedon-verse, Tina Majorino injects some serious nerd cool into the series.

4) Alona Tal does fulfill a vital function in this season--namely, she gives the 09'ers a human face. Up until this point, all we've seen of them outside of the series regulars are a bunch of douches up to no good--Tal is an inherently likeable actress, and that likability rubs off on Meg to give Veronica an ally on the inside. Granted, next season she gets pretty badly messed up, but now...

This may not be The Face of Evil...but Christian Clemmenson
makes you believe it is.

5) Since this episode revolves around reputations, we get a fairly keen insight into how Veronica feels about her present reputation--and it's very telling that the only time she's upset by what is being said about her is during a scene with Wallace where she learns what his mother thinks of her.

6) To this day...whenever I think of Enrico Colantoni, the first thing that pops into my head is the scene in this episode where he bullies Alice Fennel's tenant into moving. At turns ice-cold and humorous, Colantoni thoroughly sells us on how Keith Mars is Not A Man To Mess With. The sight of him howling, mad eyed and pointing at the con man, who is practically driven to tears, is priceless.

7) The final resolution as to who put up the Purity Test website is subtle, and serves to shore up the cred of the person behind it--and since the true, nasty villains are exposed as not being connected to this mastermind, it assures us that this person will be back.

8) I know that the scene with Abel Koontz is there mainly to set up what will be a major thread in the overarc's second act...but get a load of Christian Clemmenson. Starting out as cordial and buying into Veronica's deception, he effortlessly becomes more and more sinister until he mocks her for not knowing certain facts about background. Clemmenson (who will go from here to become a sideshow in David E. Kelley's Boston Legal) is truly scary in this moment.

9) I know I have praised Bell in the past for her acting...but as much as I understand how Clemmenson's performance should be enough to send Veronica into a teary panic attack...well, I don't buy the teary panic she evokes.

Every hero needs a nerdy, technologically gifted sidekick,
Veronica...here's yours...

10) You know...I'm somewhat shocked at how much each episode is crammed with. Between the A and B plot, and the Keith Mars/Alice Fennel subplot and all the introductions, I didn't realize this is missing such major characters as Logan and Weevil.

Overall...a whole lot happens here, and a whole lot of it is good on so many levels. A definite improvement after the 'very special episode' of last week.

Ten Statements About....VERONICA MARS SEASON ONE, EPISODE ONE 'Pilot' (2004)

"And the longest running gag on BETTER IN THE DARK
is born..."

"I used to think I knew what tore our family apart. Now I'm sure I don't. But I promise this: I will find out what really happened, and I will bring this family back together again. I'm sorry, is that mushy? Well, you know what they say. Veronica Mars, she's a marshmallow."
 

1) I am not a fan of 'taking a popular song and making it your theme song,' but there's something very, very right about using The Dandy Warhols' "We Used To Be Friends" as this series' theme--yes, the song was extant before the series, but it sums up one of the primary conflicts of the show perfectly....

2) As with all pilots, this one is terribly exposition-heavy--although writer/creator Rob Thomas takes the time to put the show's 'mini-done-in-one-mystery that slowly helps advance the main mystery' format firmly in place.

3) In a series full of rich supporting characters...I have to admit my total and absolute favorite is Daran Norris' Cliff McCormack, the lawyer who works with both Veronica and her dad. It's the combination of his game-show-host voice and his attitude that cracks me up every time. The dialogue, which is choice Thomas Chandler-manque, doesn't hurt, either.

4) Given that this was a series aimed primarily at teens, it's a very brutal one. The gruesome shots of Lily Kane's body, the tasteful-but-frank handling of Veronica's rape, and the footage of how a strip club gets out of paying fines for underage drinking pretty much bear out that this is meant to be a hardboiled detective show hiding out in a teen drama's body.

5) And speaking of the mystery-in-a-teen-drama's-body...this show's central backbone is the relationship between Veronica and Enrico Colantoni's Keith Mars. If these two mismatched actors didn't have the chemistry between them to convince us that yes, they're father and daughter and yes, they truly love each other, the show would have crumbled on the spot.

(Incidentally, Bell and her on-screen mother, Corinne Bohrer, do look scarily alike)

6) Another great chemisty choice--Percy Daggs III's Wallace, who acts as Watson to Veronica's Holmes pretty damn perfectly.

Okay, the screen cap doesn't make it look so hot...
but trust me on this one...

7) For those who have always wondered....33:14....that's the moment in the pilot when I fell in love with The Beautiful One...

.

8) Pilot director Mark Piznarski (who gets immortalized in Season Three, where one of Veronica's romantic interests is named for him) manages to successfully balance the tension between the sunny teen-drama-esque moments with the darker, moodier mystery moments.

9) It's interesting, given how their characters develop throughout the rest of the series, how antagonistic both Jason Dohring's Logan and Francis Capra's Weevil is. Logan, in particular, seems downright sinister in this early episode.

Easily the show's strength is the chemistry between
these two people

10) Thomas' script seems to be setting up a Wizard of Oz metaphor here, down to the catch phrase of Michael Muhney's Sherrif Lamb . I'm not sure if it works one hundred percent, given where this season's plotline goes.

Overall...I can forgive the fact that this is pretty much Veronica Mars: The Show Bible (the fact that this was originally a young adult novel Thomas tried to sell to Simon and Shuster really shows), since the show's casting and dialogue rings so amazingly well. This sets up what we're going to see over the course of the next three seasons pretty damn near perfectly.