TV Show Plug: Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars is one of the most intelligent, sophisticated and addictive series currently on television. I'd hate to simply call it a detective show because I feel like that sells short everything it does so well. I've been obsessed with this (UPN) show since late 2004; I got turned onto it from this NPR fall 2004 television show discussion. (It's the first show they review.) It took me a few months before I actually managed to catch an episode but after that it was all over -- I started to make sure I was around whenever it aired and have been watching it religiously ever since.

If you like the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer television series, you'll like Veronica Mars. It's basically Buffy as a detective. The similarities are astounding. Like Buffy, Veronica is an intelligent high-school female. She's independent. She's not in the in-crowd but has her own small gang of friends. She's being raised by a single-parent. Still like Buffy, each episode has a particular story arc and yet there is a season long major difficulty that needs to be solved; progress is also made toward this major goal each episode. Yet, like Buffy, it's not the plot and problems to solve that make these such good shows but rather the relationships between the characters and how they evolve over time play a significant role. The only differences are: (a) Buffy slays vampires and demons (with the occasional help of magic) while Veronica catches criminals (with the help of detective, forensic, and social engineering skills), and (b) the writing, while good, lacks the lyrical offbeat quality started by Joss Whedon with Buffy that served as a distinguishing feature of that show.

In short, Veronica Mars is an awesome show. You should start watching this season (episode four just aired) before the season arc advances too far (and you feel like you've missed a lot).