The first season of Veronica Mars is one of the single best produced seasons of television. It has something to say about class and power. It says it with sharp writing and inspiration from classic noir and Twin Peaks. I remember watching it in two sittings with a friend the summer before the third season started--we sat in her bed watching it for hours and it literally changed how I viewed television and narratives. I don’t know how many people I’ve introduced the first season to, but it’s at least a dozen and every single one of them finished it. It is such a powerful season that does so many inventive things and has maybe one bad episode (Echoll’s Family Christmas is such a good episode that it offsets any negatives).
The third season was such a letdown because it was none of those things. UPN going away and becoming the CW impacted it, along with the issues of transitioning to college. It feels kind of inevitable after rewatching the show as an adult because while Veronica is whip smart and gorgeous and brave, she always sides with the entrenched power and she rarely “believes women” when given the option. I think this was sometimes intentional satire, but not always. It’s been a few years since I rewatched the series (and skipped the third season entirely) so I can’t recall details, just the feeling of disappointment in her for making the lives of victims harder after what she’s been through. For me, the third season embodied all of the studio notes and mismatched beliefs that I could ignore in the better seasons.
thank you so much! I 100% agree the first season is just stellar. I don't know anyone who's seen it and doesn't at least respect it (I forced my mom to watch it, she didn't like it and we got into a huge fight, hahahaha). I wish it ended up on more "best of" lists. I guess the girls who get it, GET IT.
Veronica's absolutely a product of her environment, and I'm glad she isn't right 100% of the time or she'd be a pretty uninteresting character. To my mind, she doesn't believe ANYONE, except maybe wallace and mac.
Even in the weak episodes, the acting is so good i don't care. Damn, now I wanna do a rewatch...
The first season of Veronica Mars is one of the single best produced seasons of television. It has something to say about class and power. It says it with sharp writing and inspiration from classic noir and Twin Peaks. I remember watching it in two sittings with a friend the summer before the third season started--we sat in her bed watching it for hours and it literally changed how I viewed television and narratives. I don’t know how many people I’ve introduced the first season to, but it’s at least a dozen and every single one of them finished it. It is such a powerful season that does so many inventive things and has maybe one bad episode (Echoll’s Family Christmas is such a good episode that it offsets any negatives).
The third season was such a letdown because it was none of those things. UPN going away and becoming the CW impacted it, along with the issues of transitioning to college. It feels kind of inevitable after rewatching the show as an adult because while Veronica is whip smart and gorgeous and brave, she always sides with the entrenched power and she rarely “believes women” when given the option. I think this was sometimes intentional satire, but not always. It’s been a few years since I rewatched the series (and skipped the third season entirely) so I can’t recall details, just the feeling of disappointment in her for making the lives of victims harder after what she’s been through. For me, the third season embodied all of the studio notes and mismatched beliefs that I could ignore in the better seasons.
Wonderful piece :)
thank you so much! I 100% agree the first season is just stellar. I don't know anyone who's seen it and doesn't at least respect it (I forced my mom to watch it, she didn't like it and we got into a huge fight, hahahaha). I wish it ended up on more "best of" lists. I guess the girls who get it, GET IT.
Veronica's absolutely a product of her environment, and I'm glad she isn't right 100% of the time or she'd be a pretty uninteresting character. To my mind, she doesn't believe ANYONE, except maybe wallace and mac.
Even in the weak episodes, the acting is so good i don't care. Damn, now I wanna do a rewatch...