Ah the time has come to bid a fond farewell to Veronica Mars. Some critics called her a Nancy Drew for a new generation, but most of the target audience that flocked to Veronica Mars likely woudn’t get that reference. Sadly I fall in the older crowd that initially was drawn by Kristen Bell’s stunning good looks, but then got hooked on the witty banner and clever crime solving in real life situations.
I will keep the rest of my comments hidden here as they are likely to involve spoilers.
Tonight’s episode was off to a rocky start since I was bitter about the series being cancelled and was not hopeful of a solid resolution. I despise when shows are cut short and the writers are not given a chance to give a proper farewell to the characters. Its the fans that are still watching, and sad as it is we are hoping to wring out just one more dose of our show, and you are robbing even that from us.
That being said, the show was promoted as the Season Finale, and despite early announcement that the show was canned, they didnt change any of the info to reflect that. Even the official CW website is directing you to watcht the Two Hour Season Finale. Bleh. So not right. It wasnt a two hour episode at all. It was the last two episodes they didnt want to drag out over two weeks. Get em out and over with. Call it a two hour. Whatever.
Then the blatant product placement. It is almost like they had a quota to drop certain products (which we have come to expect from CW shows) but they were so blatant here. Mac comments that Veronica Mars is using a Venus razor, then in the very next scene someone comments on her wild new “economical Saturn Hybrid” and compliments her environmentally conscious choice. Ick.
All this and we still haven’t got to the story.
So the plot was pretty decent in the first of the two episodes. I always liked Weevil and how he is unwaveringly loyal to Veronica despite the numerous times he seems to toe that line tempting to cross it. Veronica comes through for him. Typical fare for VM, and a good episode.
The second episode it really ramps up. A tape is sent around the net with Veronica and Piz getting to know each other biblically. The dark side of Veronica is let out and she abuses her power a little too much but all fun for us to watch.
I already stopped liking Logan so when he beats the crap out of Piz, I am no further impressed. He loses his girl Parker over it too, but near the end he stands up to someone he knows is connected and dishes out the beating to the right person and even appologizes rather earnestly to Piz. A little redemption there.
But this brings me to my BIGGEST problem with tonight’s episode. Veronica and Wallace trip over a secret society like the Skull and Bones called The Castle and Veronica crosses the line to expose the group.
I liked how her rash decision to steal the Castle leader’s hard drive leads to a criminal investigation which puts her father in a really bad position. It is implied that Keith loses the election for Sherrif when he is accused of interfering with the investigation. I like that there were reprocussions for crossing that line. Even for a Private Investigator.
But all that aside (the good parts of the episode) this storyline had enough meat to really have carried an entire season. I half wonder if this was the intention and the story was dropped and resolved in one episode. That makes it all hurt even more.
So the series ends pretty much the way it began. Veronica is the outcast at school mocked and whispered about amid judging stares. Keith (presumably) goes back to being a private investigator.
Top that off with Veronica in a happy relationship with a guy who has no baggage.
So you would think I would be happy with this ending.
No.
But even when you see the breakup coming, you still dont want to see it go.
Thanks for 3 good years Veronica Mars.
Comments
Dawn Ostroff is officially the worst television network president ever for letting the only show that was actually both well written AND well acted go. Now, The CW only has Smallville and Supernatural. Every other show that is aired on that network is completely and utterly worthless and I can’t believe that they let Veronica Mars end that way. It was the best show on television and it didn’t even get the chance to have a proper finale. I absolutely refuse to believe that that was the ending that Rob Thomas would have given the show if The CW had actually showed some respect and allowed the show to continue and be ended in a way that befits how wonderful the show was for three years. Ostroff ran UPN into the ground, and now she’s doing the same thing to The CW. I wonder when the next merger with another failing network is going to be? My money is on next spring, at the latest.
Overall I really enjoyed the last two episodes - probably the highlight of the third season actually. Hated the series ending with dangling story threads. Maybe CW will relent to a point and ask for a two hour movie to bring proper closure to the series.
Logan may have really cooked his goose this time.
One has to wonder if the show was called something else besides Veronica Mars would it have fared better?
Emily, I agree about your passion and love for the show. But honestly VM has been suffering low ratings for the last two seasons out of three. This was inevitable.
Fox has a MUCH higher rate of ditching quality shows, but still the networks will line up what they think will get them ratings regardless how you or I feel about the shows.
Ajaxlou, I wonder how you think the name of the show would change the ratings. If it was called Mars Investigations it would still be the same show.
If anyoneis to blame for the cancellation i the 1.4 million viewers that tuned out over the season. The first episode of the season had 3.5 million viewers, the last episode had 2,14. The penultimate episode had 1.88. From a finacial standpoint it would be stupid to renew it. That is the harsh reality. It is not ostroff’s fault
Hey Rodney - a lot of guys equate Veronica Mars as a chick show a la Gilmour Girls. Mars Investigations is actually a great title - you are a genius.
32 year old (straight) guy commenting here. I loved Veronica Mars for the well written characters and storylines, and originally got hooked on it based on the overall season arc storylines. I thought the first season was one of the better seasons of television in a long time. However, I have to admit that the final 5 episodes of this season, the “stand alones” really worked well, and I wonder if maybe the show would have had a better chance of success had it always been that type of show. It’s tough to get viewers involved in a show (even one getting incredible press and reviews) when they don’t have any clue as to what’s going on in the story. Meanwhile, you could have had someone jump in on these final eps and they easily could have picked it up.
Serials walk that fine line when it comes to will they succeed or not. For every “Heroes”, “24″, and (stretch?) “Prison Break”, there are going to be a dozen shows like “Invasion”, “The Nine”, “Jericho”, “Vanished”, “Drive”, etc.
You might be better off establishing a show as a stand alone series of stories, building viewership over a couple of seasons, and then if you want to go into a serial arc you already have the built in audience to make it work. “X-Files” is one of the perfect examples of this.
In the end, television is losing a great show no doubt. Let’s just all make sure we watch Rob Thomas’ next creation and let’s hope it deserves our viewship.