The Girl Detective

[coalescent]

I just finished watching the first season of Veronica Mars. Everyone had said, 'oh, it gets much better in the second half of the season'; I'd been enjoying the first half so much that I'd basically ignored them, but they were right. Somewhere around what I guess must have been February sweeps there's a tipping point, and you just have to keep watching. I went through the last, what, eight? Nine? episodes in three days. Five of them today. I haven't had that sort of visceral reaction to a TV show for a while.

And yeah, you get worried, because you think there's no way they can do the setup justice. Answers are always less interesting than questions. And saying 'but this case is an exception!' is always risky, because it raises expectations still further. I know that. And the true test of something like this season of Veronica Mars is whether it stands up to rewatching. But since I'm looking forward to finding out if it passes that test--and I'm pretty sure it will--I don't feel too bad about saying:

I think the first season of Veronica Mars is the best piece of sustained storytelling I've ever seen on television.

It's not my favourite TV show. Not quite. But the plotting, the pacing, the characters, the complexity--they all make for a hugely dense, rich, vibrant, emotionally satisfying, balanced text, one that shuffles an amazing number of plots and characters and ideas on a weekly basis, managing to work in strong single-episode stories while advancing the ongoing plot in a way that no other show I've ever seen has done. It answers the questions it raises, and it does so without feeling either falsely drawn out in the middle or inelegantly rushed towards the end.

I'm not saying it's perfect: there are always niggles. That's part of the fun, after all. But it's really, really hard to believe that season two can match the level they've set here. It's hard to imagine they can come up with a story with as much personal involvement for Veronica, with parts for all the existing characters, without seeming contrived. Plus, the show is no longer new, and nothing is ever as special second time around. But hey, that doesn't matter: this season stands alone. I'll be buying the DVDs as soon as they're available, and I'll be tuning in in September hoping for the best.

In the meantime, two things:

1. Link me! I need reviews, commentary, discussion, and (aside from a few peoples' memories) I don't know where to look.
2. I'll be at the ton on Thursday. Anyone want copies of the pilot? :-)

Comments

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

I don't know if they're of interest, but I've indexed my commentaries/reactions (and some of them have links to other commentaries, etc.). ohimesamamama has some excellent in-depth analyses. rilina had some...I forget who else.

I admittedly have little TV viewing experience, but I am convinced this season is the single finest season of TV I've watched. (There are others I love dearly, and Angel remains, irrationally, my favourite show ever--but oh, I have hope/trepidation for S2.)

I am insta-buying the DVDs myself. :-p

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Angel is #1 for me, too, crazy worldbuilding and over-elaborate plotting and melodrama and characterisation issues and all. :)

There is a thesis waiting to be written, or possibly already written somewhere, on the relationship between the MEverse and the VMverse, and not in a shallow 'look, it's the new Buffy!' way. I saw somewhere that Rob Thomas said he hadn't seen much Buffy; that may well be true, but I'm pretty sure this show would not have been made in the form it's in if Buffy had not existed. There are things it shares with Buffy, and some things it does better and some it does worse, but for all that it's an easy comparison I think it's more than a superficial one. And it's an interesting comparison to Angel too, for different reasons, although I'm even more sure that's not deliberate (don't laugh, but I thought Veronica had a couple of Angel-ish moments, even). I already found this analysis of the moral universes of the two shows (spoilers up to VM 1x21), but I'm sure there's more to be said.

Thanks for the other links! I will investigate...

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

Usual suspects (aside from poor snowking and his por ded hard drive), someone send me some CDs so I can see if it's any good before Niall explodes with excitement.

[vonniek.livejournal.com]

I think the first season of Veronica Mars is the best piece of sustained storytelling I've ever seen on television.

I'm in agreement with you here. (Yeah, bet you're shocked. *g*) Moreover, it holds up remarkably well in rewatching. Generally, I think a given Jossverse season can be counted on to have more dazzling individual episodes than VM, but I have rarely seen anything to equal this season of VM in terms of sheer nconsistent excellence of storytelling and characterizations. In terms of the degree of affection/emotional investment in the characters, the VM peeps are already pretty high up there along with BTVS and Angel gang for me--which is something given that it only had one meager season to get me invested instead 7/5.

S2 worries me, because I fear we have no way to go but down. *beans self on the head for negativity*

Links!

I echo Yoon's recommendation of ohimesamamama's posts. She writes probably the best in-depth essays in this fandom I've come across. I particularly adore her essay on A Trip to the Dentist, which was probably my favorite episode of the season, despite my quibbles. And her thoughts on the finale are pretty much mine, except way better articulated. (I liked the emotional resolutions, especially the Keith/Veronica bits, better than the plot resolutions)

rat_slaves has a few terrific essays on various themes. The recent posts are mostly about the discussion of Rob Thomas's other show, "Cupid", but if you scroll back to April/May posts, you'll more VMars related posts.

rilina's commentaries on all the episodes. Man, I friggin' love the tags function.

All my VM posts are here, some of which you've looked at already. Yoon already linked to hers. I love Yoon's posts.

musesfool's VMars entries. The last essay on VM as neo-noir and the ensuing discussion is particularly interesting.

minnow1212 has quite a few episode commentaries, which are generally short but insightful.

coffee_and_ink on A Trip to the Dentist and Leave It to Beaver.

fox1013's episode reactions provides an interesting counterpart to the generally positive reactions, as Fox hated the season finale. Apparently there is a small but vocal group of intelligent fans who felt similarly about the finale, although I haven't read widely in that circle in order not to get my mellow harshed.

I could dig up more, but you've got enough to get started, I think. *g* Oh! And Mars Investigations has a links to a bunch of reviews by the press, pretty much unanimously positive.

Now, go on and pimp! Pimp like the wind! *g*

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I'm in agreement with you here. (Yeah, bet you're shocked. *g*)

I would never have expected that! :)

Moreover, it holds up remarkably well in rewatching. Generally, I think a given Jossverse season can be counted on to have more dazzling individual episodes than VM, but I have rarely seen anything to equal this season of VM in terms of sheer nconsistent excellence of storytelling and characterizations.

Yeah, I think that's about fair. The closest B/A come for me is Buffy season three, which I would say has the highest average quality level of any MEverse season, and has a hell of an emotional throughline. But even there the overall plotting is ... less than tight. :)

But then, the formats are also very different. For all that the individual episodes of VM do stand alone, they don't stand alone as much as your typical Buffy episode. So in a way you wouldn't expect as many standouts, simply because there's less episode-to-episode variation. A closer comparison in terms of arc is probably Babylon 5, but with a one-season novel structure instead of a five-season novel structure.

In terms of the degree of affection/emotional investment in the characters, the VM peeps are already pretty high up there along with BTVS and Angel gang for me--which is something given that it only had one meager season to get me invested instead 7/5.

*nods*

I don't know how I'd feel if I went and rewatched early Buffy, though--my love for most of the characters (if not the concepts) was pretty severely dented by S6/7.

Links!

Mmm ... links ...

Now, go on and pimp! Pimp like the wind! *g*

I'm pimping, I'm pimping! Sheesh. Admittedly, I'm mostly limited to pimping to non-US folks but they all count, right?

[pikelet.livejournal.com]

In other news, The Inside is apparently as good as dead.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Yeah, so I've heard. I have two episodes languishing unwatched on my hard drive somewhere ...

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Aw yeah.

I have good VM stuff in my memories. Though a lot of it is just fun things.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I'm over here from Vonnie's journal. It's so nice to see new people discovering this show! I wrote episode reviews (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=thepouncer&keyword=Veronica+Mars&filter=all) at various points through the season, but have yet to rewatch. I think I'm saving it for later in the summer, closer to the S2 premiere.

[greengolux.livejournal.com]

2. I'll be at the ton on Thursday. Anyone want copies of the pilot?

Yes please thank you.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I'll burn as much as I can before then. Hmm. Are there plugs in the pub? If so I could just sit there and burn as required...

[inigo.livejournal.com]

Hey Niall, long time, no talk. You've already been given the main links, so this is just me saying hi.

I'm surprised it took you this long to get into Veronica Mars. I assumed umta would have been buzzing about this one from the start. Gosh, we can argue again. Except I can't really find anything to argue about from what you've written above. Particularly this "I think the first season of Veronica Mars is the best piece of sustained storytelling I've ever seen on television."

Have you any ideas on getting the damn thing shown over here? I've written to the Beeb and C4 and Living without any joy. Maybe we can start a movement.

Picklepocket aka InigoMontoya aka getsagrip aka Debra.

[fba.livejournal.com]

Your stalking powers are weak if it has taken you *this* long to track him down!

[inigo.livejournal.com]

Pfft. I always knew where to find him. What took him so long to find Veronica, that's the question.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I blame Dan Milburn for not telling me about it sooner. And then I blame me for leaving a dozen episodes unwatched on my hard drive for about three months.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Wow. Everyone's on lj! (Though I don't think I ever persuaded Helen to get one, sadly.)

umta has died a natural death, although the gang's all here if you look around ... no ideas about getting it shown on UK TV. It's the sort of thing I would assume Sky or E4 would pick up at some point, though, even if nobody terrestrial does.

Except I can't really find anything to argue about from what you've written above. Particularly this "I think the first season of Veronica Mars is the best piece of sustained storytelling I've ever seen on television."

I suggest we leave it there and don't pick apart exactly how qualified that statement is. ;-)

[pikelet.livejournal.com]

I suggest we leave it there and don't pick apart exactly how qualified that statement is

/ME THROWS COLD WATER

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

What's that, a pre-emptive strike?

[immortalradical.livejournal.com]

GOOD CALL.

[inigo.livejournal.com]

I wrote to Sky as well. I wish there was some central resource where you could just find out if a show has been picked up, even if they won't tell you when it will air. It's been known for a long time that C4 has Lost.

Hi to the gang. My lj life is pretty much exclusively Veronica Mars, hence the lack of greetings sooner. Sorry to hear Helen's not around. You must be losing your charm if you couldn't convince her.

I would love to hear your qualifications. I've been aching for an intelligent point of view on any negative aspects or from those who don't like the show. It's a rare thing. TV.com manages two negative reviews - one that seems to mistake VM for Reefer Madness and the other that complains that KB isn't pretty enough to wank to.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

It's nothing major, I just think the finale was a bit less tight and a bit less affecting than some of the earlier episodes, and in particular 1x21. For a variety of reasons, partly to do with the tricks used to get the plot moving. There's also one particular relationship on the show that doesn't really excite me (see how I scrupulously avoid spoilers ... in this post at least).

I can see myself rewatching the whole lot at some point, so further thoughts may come then. Either that, or roll on September. :)

[majuran.livejournal.com]

I wish there was some central resource where you could just find out if a show has been picked up, even if they won't tell you when it will air.

You probably know this already but digitalspy.co.uk is usually fairly good at reporting that kind of stuff.

[snowking.livejournal.com]

other that complains that KB isn't pretty enough to wank to.

Madness!

Err...

[snowking.livejournal.com]

I've just found the discs of 1-10 I have. Should I give these to G-dizzle on Thursday or post them to L-Bat?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I'll let you know when I've seen how many CDs I get burned this evening...