# Veronica Mars: Surprisingly Not-Bad **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129 "2006-03-05T12:53:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phantom\_Dennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Phantom\_Dennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantom_Dennis)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/1 "2006-03-05T12:53:29Z")
I really like this show. I spent the last week watching the first season DVD and catching up to the latest episode. The series is currently in the middle of Season 2 and the second half will air starting on March 15th. I’m definitely hooked. The characters are refreshingly complex, the dialog is witty, and the writers are doing a decent job avoiding the conventional formulas. Better yet, it’s got season-long story arcs – a big selling point in my book. Kirsten Bell, despite being somewhat cookie-cutter in appearance (skinny, blonde, perky) – is surprisingly convincing as a tough, cynical outcast, and her dad (played by Enrico Colantoni) is charming. The show’s gotten a boatload of critical acclaim too. Now all it needs are viewers – the ratings aren’t stellar, and renewal for a third season is not 100% certain at this point. It may not be Buffy, but it’s definitely one of the best shows currently airing on network TV. Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy, has called it the “best show ever”, and he has a cameo in Season 2. Also, Alyson Hannigan and Carisma Carpenter have regular roles in season 2 (a coincidence? I think not!). If you haven’t seen it, give it a fair shake, even if you’re like me and avoid most TV. Try to watch the eps in sequence though, or you might have trouble following the longer story arcs. The season 1 DVD is available at Amazon – a little steep but worth the price. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/2 "2006-03-05T13:46:11Z")
Preaching to the choir. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/3 "2006-03-05T15:38:15Z")
Unfortunately, the ad wizards at WB put it on versus both _Lost_ and _American Idol_ in what must be the most single difficult time slot of the week. I used to watch, but since we play with the kids in the evening, I depend on my dual-recorder DVR, which is set to _American Idol_ for the wife and _Lost_ for me… ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/4 "2006-03-05T16:22:11Z")
I was skeptical at first, and didn’t watch it at all. Who needed one more show and beautiful, rich teenagers? But when a friend (the SAME friend who got me hooked on Buffy, Angel, and Firefly last year) thrust the season 1 DVDs into my hands, I gave it a chance and was hooked from the opening moments. It’s extremely well-written and well-acted, and I loved how the season-long story arc intertwined with the “mysteries of the week.” Kristen Bell grew on me a lot (and you should check her out in _Reefer Madness: The Musical_), but I think the best actors on the show are Jason Dohring, who plays Logan (the new “Spike” character), and Enrico Colantoni, who plays the severely awesome Keith Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/5 "2006-03-05T16:36:03Z")
> [@edwino](#): > > Unfortunately, the ad wizards at WB put it on versus both _Lost_ and _American Idol_ in what must be the most single difficult time slot of the week. I used to watch, but since we play with the kids in the evening, I depend on my dual-recorder DVR, which is set to _American Idol_ for the wife and _Lost_ for me… My local affiliate reruns it Sunday nights. Check your local listings, as the saying goes. Or ditch American Idol, which is a blot on the history of entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/6 "2006-03-05T17:19:24Z")
It’s difficult for me to imagine enjoying both _Veronica Mars_ and _American Idol_. But yeah, _VM_ doesn’t need to be up against _Lost_. Next season it probably won’t be though. The new CW network will likely juggle the schedule around, and I’ve heard rumors they’d like to put _VM_ and _Gilmore Girls_ back-to-back. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/7 "2006-03-05T19:12:40Z")
We’re no exactly alone. American Film Institute called it one of the Top Ten shows of 2005, with these words: > [@AFI](#): > > VERONICA MARS is a celebration of what it is to be a young woman–and a welcome alternative to the feminine model that is threatening to consume American culture. The show is smart and cool and clever–all virtues that are lauded in its geeky heroine. The show’s writing and casting also transcend the teen detective log line by not imagining Veronica as a super girl, but a teenager with a strong father figure and loyal friends who live in a community with complicated images of race, class and family–like all of us. other shows include BSG, Deadwood, Lost … all the shows that create buzz and multiple page discussion here, every week. With Kevin Smith and Joss Wheadon in guest spots, it’s cleart that this is not Nancy Drew of 2005-06, but something else. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/8 "2006-03-05T19:38:17Z")
my friends just can not accept the fact that I choose Veronica Mars over Lost. Face it, it’s a better show, possibly THE best show on TV right now. Lost never guarentees a good time anyway. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veronica-mars-surprisingly-not-bad/347129/9 "2006-03-05T21:00:05Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > My local affiliate reruns it Sunday nights. Check your local listings, as the saying goes. Or ditch American Idol, which is a blot on the history of entertainment. Unfortunately, fair is fair. I get my one show (_Lost_) and the wife gets one (_American Idol_). I’ll have to wait for the DVDs…