There are so many posts you could do about Veronica Mars. This could be a post about my favorite episodes; it could be a post with the best Kristen Bell clips from the series; heck we could debate Logan vs. Piz until the end of time. But, rather than do that (just start googling, I am sure you will find articles about all those topics), I thought it more appropriate to explain why I love this show and this girl so dang much. So, here you go.
I was a late-to-the-party marshmallow. I started watching season 1 of Veronica Mars about a year ago. However, I can honestly say, from the pilot episode I was hooked. Hooked in a large part because of Veronica herself.
Veronica is a worthy lead character, a worthy heroine, and a darn good role model. She is smart, quick, resourceful, resilient, funny, sarcastic, and loyal. She could be me (or more realistically, a better version of me) and that is what is awesome. Veronica doesn’t need superpowers to overcome obstacles; she is incredibly capable of figuring things out for herself (although, it wouldn’t hurt for her to ask for help sometimes). This seems to be a rare thing in female lead actors these days. Moreover, I think her best quality is that she does not care about what people think of her. She knows who she is and she is comfortable with it. This is a challenge for most adults, much less a highschool girl who is certainly not having a pleasant time in highschool. We don’t often see strong female role models who are capable to standing up for what they believe in or the people who they believe in and that is what makes Veronica and her show incredibly special.
I don’t want you to think that I am blind to Veronica’s faults. Because, I certainly know that she has them. But, isn’t that what also makes this show even better? The lead character isn’t perfect. She isn’t necessarily an impossible standard for someone to achieve. Moreover, watching Veronica cope with her trust issues, dishonesty, and her own judgmental issues, helps the viewers realize that these are qualities they should try to stay away from in their own lives. We all go through some crappy situations in our lives and it is obvious that Veronica has had more than her fair share, but isn’t there something positive and inspiring about a girl who can keep going on and living her life (even if she has a few emotional scars from it)?
Now, we can’t have a conversation about Veronica without also addressing her father and her friends. Veronica and Keith’s relationship is by far the single best relationship of the show. Keith has managed to raise a smart and independent daughter all on his own. I think the most important quality about Keith is that he respects his daughter. I know he doesn’t always agree with her or her decisions, but in the end, we (and she) always know that Keith will be there for Veronica and that unfaltering love and devotion is what makes Keith a great dad. Great father/daughter relationships aren’t found very often on TV and especially a father/daughter relationship where both parties try their best to be honest with each other. Let’s face it, Keith and Veronica are special.
And, finally, we come to her friends: Wallace, Mac, and Weevil. Wallace is a gem. He is the best friend that anyone would be lucky to have. Further, the Wallace and Veronica relationship is again a tool to demonstrate that Veronica is not perfect–she does take advantage of Wallace’s friendship. But, true friends are there for you always and are even willing to call you on your sh*t. Wallace is a true friend.
What can you say about Mac, other than that she is completely awesome. I think one of the best parts of season 3 of Veronica Mars is that Mac is given a chance to be a more developed character. What’s special about the Veronica and Mac relationship is that both girls are willing to let the other person shine. They are two girls who are not in any sort of competition with the other and that, my friends, we don’t see very often on TV.
I am not sure that everyone would consider “Weevil” to be Veronica’s friend, but over the course of the show I think it has become clear that Veronica and Weevil hold a special place for each other in their hearts. And, Weevil is able to bring out Veronica’s sense of loyalty and ability to see the best in a person and those are qualities that make Veronica great. Plus, watching Weevil and Veronica hatch schemes together is nothing but great TV.
I know I didn’t talk about the many “boyfriends” of Veronica Mars in this post because, while I love the constant Logan vs. Piz debate (let’s be real, Duncan never stood a chance…but then again, Leo was pretty awesome), the love-triangle dynamic is not what this show was about. It was about a girl who overcame a lot of obstacles in her life to become the kick-ass person that she is. She ain’t perfect, but in my eyes she is truly something special. And, I can’t wait to see her on the big-screen. Can’t you tell?
Now if only I could decide which Veronica Mars shirt to wear…
-LJ
Yeah, Bitch! TV! 