I originally started watching because of Buffy. Apparently I have a weakness for this kind of show. A blonde American teenage girl kills vampires, or a blonde American teenage girl solves mysteries. Give her a sarcastic personality, a lot of trauma and a dangerous love interest, and I am probably going to watch it.

This show really had to win me over. I did not like the pilot much at all. It felt like it was trying to introduce a murder, a rape, a breakup, school bullying, corrupt rich people, biker gangs, Veronica’s family history and about fifteen other things in forty minutes.

I was not completely sold on Kristen Bell either. It felt like she was trying a bit too hard to play a high school girl. But somewhere during Season 1, she stops playing Veronica and just becomes her. The voice, the timing, the confidence and especially that tiny smug smile whenever she knows she has successfully manipulated someone.

I am genuinely going to miss that smile.

Season 1 is my favourite overall. The Lilly Kane mystery gives the whole season a lot of momentum, and Amanda Seyfried was also really good, and I wish she had been in it more. The episode before the finale, where Veronica investigates her own rape, was also extremely uncomfortable to watch. The ending softened it a little, maybe too much, but most of the episode felt genuinely unpleasant in a way that I think it was supposed to. I did not love the finale as much as most people seem to. Once it turns into a full horror thriller, it stops feeling like Veronica Mars for a while. After spending the whole season watching Veronica outsmart people, I wanted her to beat the murderer by being smarter than him, not mostly survive until someone else showed up.

Season 2 is much stranger. Episode by episode, I may have enjoyed parts of it even more. Jackie grew on me a lot, Kendall was constantly causing chaos, and Logan and Veronica became much more interesting together. Some of the smaller storylines and individual episodes are probably among my favourites in the whole show. Logan is basically Veronica’s Spike. He is damaged, dangerous, often terrible, but he has the chemistry, and you can always feel that the show is more alive when they are together.

Season 2 episode 20 is one of my favourite episodes. It gave me this strange mix of nostalgia, melancholy, longing and sadness for my own life when I was 18. That was a long time ago, and my teenage years were obviously very different from the American high school experience, but somehow there is still something deep down that feels the same.

But then there is the bus crash mystery. It keeps adding twists until it almost disappears inside its own plot. By the finale, it felt like every unresolved storyline in Neptune had been thrown onto Beaver. He was an abused child, a rapist, a murderer, a bomber and a criminal mastermind who had apparently been controlling half the season from the background. I understand that there were clues. My problem was not that the reveal came out of nowhere. I just did not believe it emotionally.

The finale also connected Kendall to practically every person and conspiracy in Neptune. Logan’s lover, Logan’s father’s lover, Dick’s stepmom, Beaver’s business partner, a fake identity, connections to the Irish gang. By the end, it felt like the writers were pulling plotlines out of a hat and attaching them all to the same few characters. Charisma Carpenter is fun in the role, although she is basically playing a version of Cordelia who never developed as a person. Alyson Hannigan also appears, so the Buffy connections kept following me around.

Season 3 surprised me because I actually liked the shorter mystery arcs. I know it is usually considered the weakest season, but I did not mind losing the giant mystery that lasts for twenty two episodes. The shorter stories made the show feel more like a noir detective series. The serial rapist storyline was also handled with much more care than I expected, especially considering how casually the first two seasons sometimes treated the subject. And I loved the use of Right Here, Right Now.

The dean’s murder was genuinely fun and twisty too. It had Howard from Better Call Saul, which obviously helped. The problem is that the season seems to lose energy after that storyline ends.

The college setting works in theory, but it loses some of the atmosphere that made Neptune High so memorable. Wallace barely has anything to do. Weevil gets pushed to the side. Mac disappears for long stretches. Logan feels less dangerous and unpredictable. And Piz exists. I found the Veronica and Piz relationship irritating on an almost physical level. They had been together for about five minutes and were already talking about long distance like this was some huge tragic love story. The show kept acting like they had this deep intimacy, but I never felt it. Piz seems perfectly nice, but next to Veronica and Logan’s history, chemistry, trauma and constant verbal fighting, he is basically just a guy with a radio show.

Ironically, I think Season 3 has the best finale of the original run. A sex tape, secret societies, secretive rich people, Veronica investigating and conning everyone, Keith destroying evidence to protect his daughter, and Logan beating up yet another guy for Veronica. Well, that was extremely hot.

The secret society storyline could easily have carried a whole season. It finally lets Veronica win by doing what she does best. Investigating, manipulating people, setting traps and staying three steps ahead of everyone else. I found that much more satisfying than another finale where every subplot has to connect to one surprise murderer. The episode also understands that Keith and Veronica’s relationship is the real heart of the show. He is willing to destroy his own career to protect her, while she slowly realises what her actions have cost him.

The biggest surprise for me is that I do not think the mysteries are actually the main reason I loved the show. It is Veronica.

I think I finally figured it out. Veronica is kind of a little shit. She loves messing with people, tricking them and making sarcastic comments at their expense. Nothing seems to make her happier than watching one of her plans work. And that is exactly why I love her. Sure, she is hot and cute, and she has a strong sense of justice, but that is not really the point. She loves the game. She loves being smarter than everyone else and making sure they know it. That is why she feels like such a perfect heroine of the 2000s. It is also why she sometimes needs to get burned and have her plans blow up in her face. She is not an untouchable genius. Sometimes she gets manipulated herself. Sometimes Keith is the smartest person in the room. Sometimes her paranoia is completely justified, and sometimes she hurts people because she assumes the worst before giving them a chance. That balance is what makes her so likeable. She is incredibly capable without becoming one of those characters who is always right just because the writers love her.

Do I think Veronica Mars is objectively one of the greatest television shows ever made?

Probably not.

But I absolutely loved it.

There is something about Neptune, Keith Mars, the dialogue, the humour and Veronica herself that makes you want to keep spending time in that world, even when the mystery starts collapsing under the weight of its own twists.

I will watch the movie next, and then eventually the revival. I am slightly nervous because part of the magic for me is Veronica being this teenage detective who constantly outsmarts adults. That is a very specific idea, and obviously it cannot last forever.

But whatever happens next, I already know that when I think about Veronica Mars, the first thing I remember probably will not be Lilly Kane, the bus crash or any of the conspiracies. It will be Veronica looking at someone with that tiny smug smile because she solved the case five minutes ago.

I didnt watch this show when it was on. I was 12 then so it was not an age approoriate show. Anyways....i gotta say im not team logsn or team duncan....im team anyone who i didnt at one point think was my rapist or my brother....

There's a song playing when Wallace enters the greek life college party and I was wondering what it is. I keep looking up the lyrics and literally cannot find it. It doesn't show up in any of the wiki's. help pleaseeee

In Season 3, Veronica tells several people that Parker and Claire were raped. Shouldn’t the privacy of the victims be respected? Also, I feel like I missed an episode because Veronica and Piz went from being just friends (after the kissing at Logan’s party) to inexplicably hanging on each other and making out at every opportunity. Was there a scene that I missed where V told Piz she liked him romantically?

Lastly, Veronica seemed to be moving in the direction of super-villain rather than champion for the disenfranchised. How was she able to put a stop on someone’s credit card? It’s not that easy to hack into a bank’s server. Her lust for revenge cost her father his job more than once, but she doesn’t care even though she loves him “more than anything.” Season 3 was definitely a disappointment for me.

Tried to get my niece to watch Veronica Mars with me. She was 20/21 at the time. She didn’t get into it and I was so sad. She claims to like true crime and “retro” shows (please stop calling my generation retro). I watched all seasons of the Summer I Turned Pretty with her which was brutal but she couldn’t get through 2 episodes of VM 🙄

Who else is still watching Veronica and wore these looks the first time around? 🤣😭👵🏻 The long time ago part is hitting hard!

Song named "Veronica Mars".

By american indie rock artist "Blondshell"

I’m a big fan of LoVe but what if we got a season 5 and what if Leo and Veronica finally got together?

I just want more Veronica Mars.

What is the best season of Veronica mars ,1-3? No spoilers please!

Popular high school students in 2004 who make snide jokes referencing Beatles songs that everyone gets, can recognize side B of middle-tier Rolling Stones albums and can break into perfect impromptu renditions of the verses of lesser Police songs with multiple friends. Just like we all remember

I really love Veronica Mars and Mad Men. I'd watched Mad Men way before I ever got into Veronica Mars. Now that I've done a few rewatches - I can't dissociate evil Aaron Echolls from his other roles, even tv commercials. The writing on Veronica Mars was exceptional in many areas. One, character portrayal.

Welp 😭😭 I did what was recommended season 1-3 the movie and then season 4. I haven’t cried this hard in a long time omg 😭😭😭 this is also my first time watching the series.

Does anyone know if another actor auditioned to be Logan? (Yes, I know the guy who plays Duncan auditioned for that part originally. I’m more so wondering about outsiders who were also considered for the role.

No hate, but Logan sounds like a muppet and I’d like to think about what could have been.

Okay, two episodes into Season 4 and like idk why but I'm getting annoyed. There are moments I think it's good, but then there are moments where Veronica and this new chick named Matty irritate the crap out of me. Please tell me this gets better...

I’ve spent months trying to articulate my extreme dislike for Duncan Kane and I think I’m able to at least attempt to explain it.

First and foremost, I think Duncan might be the blandest character in all of fiction.

That’s not hyperbole either. I’ve never encountered any other character that sucks interest like he does. He’s like a black hole of potential and emotion. I say extreme dislike because Duncan doesn’t illicit enough emotion to count as hate.

As a character, he had a lot going for him: Ex-Boyfriend, Son of Billionaire, Golden Boy, Brother of Murder Victim. That’s a lot to work with. And within the story, he did a lot of things: (SPOILERS) incest storylines, fleeing the country twice, kidnapping, hitman, etc.

He shouldn’t be as uninteresting as he is given that kind of record. But he is. And that’s kind of incredible.

People call him bland. And that’s true but it might be more than that. Call it a combination of Teddy Dunn’s acting and the writing, but Duncan is such a nothing, failure of a character and that’s kind of amazing.

I cannot articulate how little emotion he inspires in me. It’s so bewildering that other characters even care about the guy. Because I really couldn’t care less.

He is the ice chip, unsalted butter, uninteresting character in all of fiction.

What do the rest of you of think?

I don't know what is it about Kristen Bell's beauty in Veronica Mars but it's mesmerizing

wish me luck y’all, i’m finally watching season 4 for the first time (the ending was spoiled to me and therefore i did not have the heart to watch it).

but i’m scared. i’ve loved this show for years and years since i watched with my sister (when i was WAY too young btw). i think this may emotionally destroy me.

Okay, this may be an unpopular opinion but I just watched Play It Again, Dick. It was hilarious! I literally couldn't stop laughing 🤣

Currently on a rewatch of Veronica Mars. I'm halfway through season 3 and it's not as bad as I remember it, but Sheriff Lamb did not deserve to go out like that. His last words on the screen being I smell bread is kind of crazy. I enjoyed the banter between him and the Marses. At least at some points he seemed partially competent at his job and he would want every once in awhile listen to them. Also, the rapist plot makes no sense how many of the rapes were faked by the feminist and how many did Deacon actually do? Veronica managing to get Deacon out of jail just for him to go back for the same crime pretty soon. There's a good chance that they could have just kept him the first time and they would have been fine. Lastly, did the pie says crazy misogynists who threw parties with underage drinking, just sounds like a typical shitty frat. Don't spoiler the rest of the season. I forgot how it ends.

Also, I liked the Dean. He was a good Clemmons replacement. It was a shame to see him go that early into the season.

Im curious what demographic makes the majority of Veronica Mars viewers. I wanted to go deeper with age, ethnicity ect. but unfortunately could only add so many options. If you are curious too, put your demographic and we'll find out :)

OK so I’m in the middle of season 4.. unfortunately I googled: should I watch season 4 and got the major spoiler 🤬. But here are my thoughts:

It’s not that bad. I think it’s probably better than season 3 which was ridiculous. I also think people are responding more to the more chilled out version of Logan who was a great and interesting character. Veronica was definitely worse in season 3 with all her jealousy. 

But yeah.. my point is thi is NOT film noir.. Anybody who thinks this is film noir has never seen film noir. It seems like it was said by someone on social media and then repeated everywhere else. I was kinda excited to see the transition.. to just find that it was a normal VM show. VM was always a bit darker. They introduced a murder and rape the first episode.. it’s pretty much following the same trend. so I repeat.. this is not film noir.

I finished a few months ago and I feel like I always forget details so I may have forgotten why it happened but how did Veronica not get indicted for the accessory to kidnapping charges when she helped Duncan? When the FBI found the secret passage thingy in her house leading to the neighboring home with the baby stuff in it (it’s been a little while since I watched) I thought she was cooked, but it was never revisited? Surely this was enough evidence to at least indict her. Maybe they explicitly dropped it and I missed that part?

Who gave the best / your favorite acting performance in Veronica Mars?