The Veronica Mars Movie: Why You Need to See It

Almost 10 years ago, the very same day Flight Oceanic 815 crashed onto a not-so-deserted island, a young female Nancy Drew for the 21st century was introduced to audiences looking for a sharply written, well acted show. And Veronica Mars was it. The first season is one of the most perfect seasons of television ever: a "who killed Laura Palmer" type of mystery led to twists and turns and a satisfying conclusion at the end of season 1. Veronica was hilarious, quick-witted, beautiful, and an outcast at school, much like Buffy but without the supernaturalness. Her friends were multi-layered, her love life was complicated, and it became THE must-see show that season. (Along with Lost, of course.)

Season 2 was good, too; the case wasn't quite as strong, and it suffered from a few week-to-week mysteries that slowed down the overall narrative, but after a season of absolute perfection, it was bound to be not quite as perfect. It was still better than 95% of other television on at the time. The third season, on the other hand, was a disappointment. It felt like it had ended in the middle of a scene; the storyline was left unresolved, and the whole "Will she go with Logan or Piz?" question remained unanswered after it had been teased for so long. I still remember finishing the finale, thinking it was the penultimate episode, and telling my husband, "OK, let's watch the next one," only to realize THERE WAS NO NEXT ONE. We just sat there, jaws slightly open, in shock. It was like a punch in the gut.

"A long time ago, we used to be friends but I haven't thought of you lately at all."

The Dandy Warhols opening theme song might have been what made us fall in love with the show instantly in the beginning (my husband and I are huge fans of the Dandys), but its pop culture references and quick dialogue are what kept us there. And of course, there was a lot of Lost love on the show as well. Remember that time when Veronica opened the fortune cookie and her lucky numbers were 4 8 15 16 23 42? Or the time when the sheriff (V's dad) had to go out on a call and yelled out for two of his officers? "Kitsis! Horowitz! Come with me!" HA.

But where the theme song now seems apt in so many ways (a long time ago, we were all besties with Veronica and her crew), it's wrong to suggest that we haven't thought of her lately at all. In fact, when series creator Rob Thomas announced last year that they were thinking of doing a follow-up movie to finally tie up loose ends, but would need $2M to start, fans raced to Kickstarter to donate funds to get this baby moving. Within hours they'd achieved the goal, and ultimately ended up with a $6M budget. Depending on the levels, you could get a t-shirt, or a free digital download of the film the day it came out, or a signed script, and even a walk-on part at the really high levels.

The movie was released officially this past Friday (previews were the night before) and will be in theatres only until this Thursday. It's available for download on iTunes, and backers who donated $35 or more (including myself) got a free digital download.

I REALLY wanted to go see it in the theatre with other Marshmallows (what we call fans of VM) but a difficult babysitting situation arose and absolutely no one is available for the next week. So, I had to stick with the digital download. As many of you have probably read, the download was a clusterfuck of epic proportions, being offered only through Flixster, a terrible site, but you know what? If you just linked to the page, and set the thing up, and left the room, it would download 90% of it, give up, start again, get to 75%, give up, start again, and on and on and on and on until when you walked in a couple of days later, you had the movie. Ideal? In 2014, you shouldn't have to download it that many times. And despite the "download" nature of it, you don't actually have a copy on your computer and have to go to Flixster to watch it. And I'm really hoping my Internet provider doesn't say I used up all of my gigs in downloading just because it downloaded most of a 1.6G movie 50 times. Lousy? Yes.

But once it was on my computer, we hooked my computer up to the 60" television and watched it on the big screen.

And it was FANTASTIC. The writing was as sharp as it's ever been. Seeing old friends again was like going to a high school reunion. "Hey, look at her hair! Wow, he looks better than he did in high school! Whoa, what happened to THAT guy? Oh check her out. STILL a bitch."

And by the way, if you've never watched Veronica Mars and have felt left out all these years, the opening rehashes the first three seasons super-fast, so you'll be caught up. You won't get all the inside jokes, but they do re-introduce every character as they show up so you're not lost. (Only once, when Veronica went to see a former love interest, did it feel forced.)

Dick Casablancas STILL has all the best lines, and every time he's on screen my husband and I were in stitches (including a quick take he has at the actual high school reunion that is the single funniest moment in the movie). Veronica has gone away from Neptune and attended law school, and on the eve of interviewing for a job at a prestigious law firm, something terrible happens and she's called back home... to try to get Logan Echolls out of trouble. Again.

What's happened to Mac in the meantime? Weevil? Wallace? Keith Mars? Gina? And the ever-hilarious Dick? (To that last one: HE IS EXACTLY THE SAME.) You have to watch the movie to find out. I love that Kristen Bell has gone on to a successful career in movies, television, and even singing (at the end of March Break, I am SO HAPPY I don't have to listen to the Frozen soundtrack 15 times a day anymore), and yet she returned to Neptune and embraced her character like she's actually been living as Veronica all these years.

So I know the download has been unpleasant, and I know it's not in a lot of theatres. It's made $2M this past weekend on a limited release, which is a pretty stunning number. But go grab it on iTunes, hook it up to your TV (the cable isn't expensive if you don't already have one) and enjoy. So many TV shows were cancelled long before their time. But if other shows could actually find the support to bring us a movie like this one, just reuniting us with our favourite people for a mere two hours, I think the television universe would be a much, much happier one. Remember how happy Serenity made us?

I mean, hey, I know he somehow looks a bit older, but I'd still love to know what Spike's up to these days...

Come on, now, sugar... Bring it on, bring it on, yeah

Where things were at as I was writing this post.

A long time ago, we used to be friends... and Veronica Mars was one of the best shows on television. Its first season was sublime, its second season was great, and the third season... well, OK, not so great, but it had its moments. I recorded the two last episodes and decided to watch them back to back, and when I watched the final one, I realized I'd somehow watched them out of order! And... wait... nope. No, I didn't. THAT IS HOW THE SHOW ENDED. Worst series finale. Not ever, but close.

But... that means it's the perfect show, left open (I swear it ended mid-sentence) where we still have all these characters whose lives have continued and we can figure out what's happened to all of them. Veronica, Logan, Weevil, Keith... some of my all-time favourite TV characters.

As many of you know (and if you follow me on Facebook, you would have seen me geeking out about it all last week over there), there is now a Kickstarter campaign announced last week to raise $2 million for a Veronica Mars movie! Within 12 hours of its announcement, the money was raised (?!) and fans went berserk. As did, presumably, everyone involved in the project. Now they're promising explosions, car chases, and perhaps a Bollywood number if the donations continue. Originally I donated only $10 because it wouldn't take donations any higher than that from Canadians, and I sent a query to Rob Thomas through the campaign site asking why Canadians wouldn't be privy to their incentives, like t-shirts and copies of the film, and (if you have a lot of extra dough lying around) speaking roles in the film! I wasn't the only one, because within a day they'd changed the parameters and now it's open to Canadians. Not obviously so — when I went in to increase my donation, it told me I couldn't do so unless I was an American, so I told it that I was, and it let me pass (according to Thomas, we can do that, and when it comes time to get the rewards, they will be shipped to Canada... I hope he's right!)

As of this writing, with 25 days left in the campaign, they've raised $3.6 million, and new incentives are added every day. They're being careful — they're not offering 100 speaking roles to people for fear it'll probably come off as an amateur high school production — but there are still plenty of opportunities to feel like a part of history, while ensuring your favourite show gets made into a movie. What a unique and amazing fan opportunity!

So head on over and make your pledge. And watch the video, where you see all of the actors in a little movie talking about why they need to do this film (it's hilarious, especially the "Keith Mars" bits). Honestly, I believe it's that little clip that has garnered all the money from fans. It's one thing to be assured everyone is on board: it's quite another to SEE them on board.

All I can say it, as I mentioned on Facebook, I sort of hope that Joss Whedon never tries a Kickstarter campaign that offers speaking roles as incentives, or I'll have to mortgage my house.

Stuff for a Friday
Um... blogger suddenly has a feature where I can add video? Where did that come from? (See, I open a new page to start a post, see something that catches my eye, and forget what I was just doing...) Mmm... new toys.

But I shall come back to that later. First of all, my husband and I have FINALLY begun watching Big Love and I think it's amazing. The core cast is great, and every episode you can't help but put yourself into the shoes of the characters. How could a woman sleep at night knowing her husband is in another woman's bed? How do you share someone who is supposed to be loyal to you? How do you have an argument about something when you know he could just turn to the more complacent wives and favour them instead? While at the same time, look at how these women share childcare, problems, help out with groceries, laundry, etc. It's such a brilliant series, and forces me to think of polygamy, something I've barely ever thought about. I was hooked by the first episode.

Kristen Bell loves nerds. I think she and I could hang out and become best friends forever. Well, probably not. I mean, if her audience are all TV geeks, then obviously she can't say that she doesn't get these people. Read the article to see her thoughts on being asked to be on Lost and what she thinks of being on Heroes (there's a minor spoiler about the connection her character will have with others, but it didn't rattle me, and I HATE spoilers). No comment on the end of Veronica, which is pretty disappointing.

Reason #4,852 to hate Andy Rooney. Why is this crotchety old man still allowed to speak? I grew up in a house where my dad watched 60 Minutes every Sunday, religiously (that ticking noise still unnerves me, because when my bedtime was 8pm I knew you'd hear the ticking at the end and had to go to bed), and loves Andy Rooney. But I'll never forget watching the show one week in 1994 and he went off on Kurt Cobain, post-death, devoting an entire segment to asking why the hell anyone cared about this talentless loser, when this kid that he'd found in a newspaper in Podunk, Nowhere, had also died that week and no one was holding candlelight vigils to mourn him. Sigh. Don't worry... we won't be holding candlelight vigils for you, Andy. Check out Best Week Ever for a pretty funny rundown of the article. (My favourite part is where he says he can't watch baseball because unlike the good ol' days, everyone now is named Rodriguez. Um... OK, and how much is the Stamford Times paying you to put your racism on your sleeve?)

Tis the release season of TV shows on DVD, and I'm super-excited. Dexter came out this past Tuesday, so if you haven't seen it, get it. It's a darkly funny and fascinating study of a serial killer by night, forensics guy by day, who discovers another serial killer that he must investigate, and he becomes increasingly jealous by this other guy's handiwork, until clues begin surfacing that convince Dexter the guy is actually speaking to him in some way. Next Tuesday (August 28th) is the release of Heroes on DVD. This is one I plan to buy and rewatch before it starts up again on September 24th. Apparently the pilot episode has been extended to 75 minutes from 42, and includes a new introduction to Sylar. Also on that day is the release of Friday Night Lights, which ranks up there with Big Love as "that show I should totally be watching but am not." Dark Shadows, episodes 1-35, will also be released on that day. This is one of those shows I always wish I'd seen more of -- a friend lent me a few episodes on VHS a couple of years ago (you know, I should really return those to him) and I watched it and was intrigued, so I'd like to see more. Anything involving vampires has me interested.


September 4 is the release date of season 3 of The Office (yay!) and if you've seen the season, as I have, it's still worth getting it just to watch the deleted scenes. That same day is the release of 30 Rock and Robot Chicken. Oh, and Prison Break (blech).


EW.com has an interesting interview with James Marsters (and a not-so-flattering accompanying photo) in which he says that he doesn't think Joss Whedon ever "got into" Spike, and that's why there would be no Spike spinoff. I think he's wrong (uh, was Marsters not watching the Buffy finale?) but it's an interesting interview nonetheless.

A third new actor has been cast on Lost. I'm assuming these people are all Others, but time will tell.

And finally, someone posted this item in my comments yesterday (thanks, Sarah!)

Wanted: More than 30 "Lost" babies
At least 30 babies were needed to play Claire's baby Aaron last season, making casting a never-ending process. So many are needed because, well, babies age quickly, outgrowing the part in just a week or so. To play Aaron, a baby must have blond hair, blue eyes, a slightly round face, weighing between 8 and 15 pounds.

So if my son is born in mid-September, could he qualify for the next round of Aarons? My daughter had a round face, blonde hair, and blue eyes, so there's a good chance he'll look the same! And if they need 30 of these babies, does that ensure that Claire and Aaron will be on for a while?

TV Guide's Top Cult Shows
TV Guide released its top 30 fave cult shows this week, and the list is awesome. How many of these do you consider your favourite shows of all time?

*Denotes newcomer to the list
30) Strangers with Candy (1999-2000)*
29) Absolutely Fabulous (1994-2003)
28) Stargate SG-1 (1997-2007)*
27) H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1971)
26) Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1975-1978)
25) Firefly (2002-2003)*
24) Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
23) Dark Shadows (1966-1971)
22) Doctor Who (1963-present)
21) Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)

20) The Avengers (1966-1969)
19) Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
18) Veronica Mars (2004-2007)*
17) Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990)
16) Babylon 5 (1994-1998)
15) Family Guy (1999-present)
14) Battlestar Galactica (2003-present)*
13) Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989-1999)
12) Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1986-1991)
11) Jericho (2006-present)*

10) Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)
9) Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
8) The Simpsons (1989-present)
7) The Prisoner (1967-1968)
6) Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974)
5) Lost (2004-present)*
4) Farscape (1999-2003)
3) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
2) The X-Files (1993-2002)
1) Star Trek (1966-1969)

The FOX and CW announcements!!
As being reported over on E! Online right now (I've been watching their ticker all morning), the CW just announced their fall schedule... and there's nary a young private detective to be found. :::sniffle::: So it looks like Veronica Mars is toast... however, they won't give her the dignity to actually declare the time of death, and instead are teasing fans with the old, "It's not cancelled, it's just off the schedule, people. It could still come back mid-season. Oh, and make sure you look up in the air that same day to see the pigs flying in the skies over L.A." Sigh. I think a good-bye is in order. Wah. (Most news outlets are already reporting Veronica Mars has been cancelled.)

Supernatural, Smallville, and One Tree Hill have all been given the safe sign, so they'll be back in the fall. As will America's Next Top Model, but there was never any doubt about the fate of that show.

New shows (taken from Kristin's post):

Gossip Girl: A sudsy teen drama about Manhattan rich kids and the bloggy girl who keeps tabs on them. It's from The O.C. mastermind Josh Schwartz.
The Reaper: A dramedy about a bounty hunter for the devil.
Life Is Wild: A drama about a family in South Africa.
Aliens in America: A comedy about a Muslim foreign exchange student living with an American family.

Meanwhile, over on Fox, they actually picked up some scripted shows (don't worry, they'll cancel them again somewhere between weeks 2 and 8):

Back to You: a comedy about news anchors starring Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammar. Excuse me while I go make sure that isn't a misprint from the announcements from 1995. The possible saving grace? Fred Willard is in it.

K-Ville: A drama about cops in New Orleans post-Katrina. Could be interesting: It's got Anthony Anderson from The Shield, and Simone from Heroes, and Margie's husband in Fargo. Good cast, interesting premise...

Kitchen Nightmares: Please don't ruin this, please don't ruin this. For the uninitiated, one of the BEST reality shows EVER (seriously) is Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. In the U.S. it airs on the Food Network and probably BBC America, in Canada the Food Network and BBC Canada. It is freakin' brilliant. You may know Gordon Ramsay from the Fox'd-out Hell's Kitchen, the reality show where he screams at contestants to become a head chef in a restaurant. It's good, but they make him do things he wouldn't normally do, and turn him into a WAY bigger asshole than he really is. The thing is, Fox doesn't need to try. Ramsay is a foul-mouthed lunatic, unleashed on these restaurants, and I ADORE him. The premise of the show is this: A restaurant/pub/hotel bar somewhere in the UK is going downhill and the owners are bleeding money. He has one week to go in, suss out the situation, figure out a solution, and work with the people to fix it and then they have a big reopening, he leaves, and then comes back for a surprise visit a couple of months later. Sometimes he comes back and it's boarded up. Sometimes they've changed everything. Sometimes they're still bankrupt because they didn't listen to a word of advice. But it's ALWAYS entertaining. I love this show. Fox will probably ruin it by filming it on video and making him a total bastard and only doing restaurants run by rednecks who will yell back and then they'll give them the heads up that Gordon's coming back (see, the fun thing about his return visit is it ALWAYS catches them off-guard) or whatever, but I hope Fox can keep it together. I could definitely watch Gordon on my TV every night of the week. And the good part? I can become invested in the show and Fox will cancel it after 3 episodes, and oh well. I'll just go back to the better BBC version. :)

New Amsterdam: Guy who's immortal and was a Dutch soldier in New Amsterdam in the 17th century, now a cop in the 21st. Weird, but interesting. They'll cancel it before episode 9.

The Return of Jezebel James: Damn you, Fox. I WANT to boycott you SO badly and then your programming is always so much more interesting than everyone else's!! Why must you cancel with such swiftness? Argh. Anyway, this show features the double whammy of Lauren Ambrose (the inimitable Claire on Six Feet Under) and the brilliant Parker Posey. I am SO there. I don't even care what it's about. (In case you do, it's about a book editor who needs her estranged younger sister to carry her baby... oh my god, now I want to see it more...)

The Rules for Starting Over: I mention this only because it will affect one of my fave shows. This show was picked up this morning, and it stars Rashida Jones, a.k.a. Karen from The Office. Apparently on The Office they filmed 4 alternate endings for tonight's season finale, and I'm assuming now they're tacking on the ending that involves Jones leaving in some way, since she's, um, leaving. This also has Shaun Majumder, a very funny Canadian. Something about dating in your 30s and the difference from dating in your 20s. Original. The "less special" version of thirtysomething, presumably.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles: And finally, just don't bother watching this one because... oh who am I kidding. Yet another show to get completely hooked on that they will cancel by episode 6. This is linked to Terminator, and covers the years between Terminator 2 and 3, where Sarah Connor lives with her son and tries to keep him alive. It has Summer Glau (River) from Firefly. Frak. This has cancellation written all over it, but is SO intriguing.

The rest of the installments are reality, or I don't care.

I need to go mourn Veronica now. :(

Veronica Mars to Return??
Good news! (I hope.) Zap2it is reporting that Veronica Mars is nearing an actual fourth-season pick-up. Talk about leaving it to the last final moment. Here's the story:

"Veronica Mars" just might get a chance to grow up after all.

The fan-favorite drama is nearing a fourth season renewal, thanks to a reworking of the formula featuring the titular petite private eye. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a presentation for the proposed revamped show was well received at the CW, giving a boost to the show's chances.

If the new season gets off the ground, the show will have fast forwarded to a few years in the future, when Veronica (Kristen Bell) is studying at the FBI Academy. The move is a smart one since Bell has the chops and real-life years under her belt to play older than a co-ed. That would also free up Chris Lowell, who currently plays her pal/love interest Piz, to pursue his receptionist/beefcake duties over at ABC's "Private Practice," the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff starring Kate Walsh.

Although Mars" is critically acclaimed and beloved by the viewers, those viewers aren't the most plentiful when it comes to the ratings game. Hope for a continued life came in the form of creator Rob Thomas' new concept as well as the cancellation of "Gilmore Girls" and "7th Heaven," which will leave the CW with a little wiggle room for the fall.

She's Baaaaack!
And she's still sassy, folks. It's been a LONG time since Veronica Mars has been on my TV (the last episode was FEBRUARY 27... come ON, CW!). They tried putting The Pussycat Dolls in its place, because yeah, it's always fair to try some reality show in the timeslot of a serial drama and see what will do better. I watched two episodes of The Pussycat Dolls. The first episode was fascinating, like a car wreck where I just couldn't look away, not least of all because of the drag queen-looking choreographer who was one of the judges. And then I saw a second episode, and realized it just wasn't very good. Now I feel dirty that I watched it at all (but being Canadian, my viewing didn't count).

Before I talk about the episode, the big question is whether it'll last longer than the 4 episodes it's scheduled for in May, or if these really are the final four eps of Veronica. The CW's done a pretty craptastic job of advertising that it'll be back (I only knew it'd be back tonight because I marked it on a calendar about 2 months ago). They do an even more craptacular job of actually promoting it while it's on. But the most craporrific (score!) thing they've done is just leave us, the actors, and the show's producers hanging on whether or not they're going to renew it. It's May 1, and most show's were renewed in March. Veronica still doesn't know if she's coming back.

I love fan campaigns, and there's a really strong one going right now to save Veronica. You can find it here. It's co-hosted by BenBella books, the publisher who does great books on all the best shows on TV (I'll be posting a review here on their Veronica book soon). Check it out, vote, send in your postcards, and support this show. I admit season 3 has not lived up to the first two seasons, but I still love this show, and I don't want it to go away.

Highlights from tonight:
Veronica quoting Pulp Fiction while brandishing a paint gun: "Say WHAT again! I dare ya! I DOUBLE DARE YA! Check out the big brain on Brett!"

Mac and Logan pretending to reminisce about high school by alluding to teen movies.

Wallace calling Yo La Tengo "Yo Yo Taco."

Dick.

Veronica calling her boyfriend a young Omar Shariff, and saying she had desert fever.

The guest appearance by Fred Stoller as the PhotoMart dude. That guy always cracks me up.

"Non-alcoholic beer. All of the peeing, none of the fun."

Keith giving Wallace and Piz fake IDS with Biggie Smalls and Jon Bon Jovi on them.

Seeing Max again and him liking Mac. "Seriously, did my firends hire you?"

"The dude abides."

Girl: You can spend half-time in my private box.
Dick: AWESOME.

Piz kissing Veronica!
Veronica kissing Piz back!!
Elevator opening with Logan inside!!!!!!!! OH YES!
PLEASE don't let this turn into a Kate/Sawyer "I'm just trying to make Logan jealous" thing.

Lowlights:
I seriously disliked Amira, not because she's a bitch, but because the actress can't act. "Oh no. I will be disowned. Did I mention I have to marry someone against my will. Oh no. What will I do."

Her acting was matched only by the guy playing the kid who was drunk and stumbling in the street. WORST drunk acting I've ever seen, and then he put his hands up in front of his face like he was in a B-horror film.

The whole Iraqi vs. Muslim vs. rednecks "why can't be all just get along?" subplot. It was trying WAY too hard.

Wah.
Logan is sweet to Parker in a way he never was to V. :( But I'm more upset about it than Veronica seems to be.

Various stuff on a Monday
This is just a blog about a bunch of random stuff.

The final episodes of The Sopranos started airing, and the past two weeks have been fantastic. In the first episode, Tony and Carmela went to see Bobby and the ever-annoying Janice, and their adorable daughter. Tony is having serious doubts about Christopher’s loyalty, and has a serious discussion with Bobby, as if he sees him as the more trustworthy one. The highlight of the episode is a drunken game of Monopoly, Tony begins goading Janice and insulting her, something that has always driven Bobby nuts. When she takes ownership of Boardwalk, and he begins singing, “Under the boardwalk, with some guy’s schlong in Jan’s mouth” Bobby clocks him. The ensuing drunken brawl leaves Tony black and blue, Carmela’s shoulder in serious pain (she gets caught in the middle), Bobby angry and worried, and Janice even more worried. The result is a tension-filled chat between Janice and Carmela, and Bobby’s virginity is gone when Tony sends him on a hit. The episode opened with Tony being arrested on a crappy gun charge, and it ends with Bobby charging into a Montreal Laundromat and shooting a guy who grabbed a large piece of his shirt (and possibly some of Bobby’s chest hair) before dying. Bobby left it in the guy’s hand. Was Tony’s stupid arrest a foreshadowing of a much bigger one coming because Bobby left DNA evidence in the hands of the man he killed?

In the second episode, we finally see some of Christopher’s “Saw meets the Godfather” mafia horror flick, Cleaver. The movie stars Daniel Baldwin because Ben Kingsley (shockingly) turned them down (when Baldwin first walked onto the screen, I said to my husband, “What is Jack Donaghy doing there?” jokingly, and then sure enough, it was a Baldwin). The movie is bankrolled by Tony, and produced by Little Carmine. When Tony found out last season that he was going to be producing it, he said, in one of my favourite lines, “Little Carmine? It’s common knowledge, the guy’s retarded.” In this episode, however, there’s a great moment where Tony goes to see Little Carmine and LC talks about how his wife wanted him to get out of the life. It’s a discussion that really hits Tony, and you can tell he’s starting to rethink everything. Meanwhile, when he sees the movie, it involves a boss who gives orders in his basement, wears a white wifebeater with a long white robe, is banging his nephew’s fiancé, and gets killed with a meat cleaver at the end. Christopher’s revenge fantasy, perhaps? Tony certainly starts to think so. The episode ends with a gorgeous moment where the whole family is at Christopher’s baby’s christening, where Tony is now the literal godfather, and as they embrace, you know that neither man trusts the other.

Entourage has returned in a big way. Ari is no longer Vince’s agent, but he can’t let go. Last week’s episode was hilarious, where Ari turned their relationship into a romantic one, insisting that he couldn’t just be friends. He shows up at Vince’s birthday party and gets into an argument with Vince’s “new relationship,” and she serves up the insults as quickly as Ari, which is surprising. But when Ari hands over the coveted script to Medellin, Vince is stuck, and doesn’t know what to do.

This week’s episode wasn’t as much fun as the first because the Turtle/Drama story was pretty boring and typical, and the Vince/E story was similarly blah. The real action was with Ari and my beloved Lloyd. When they want to sign up a gay TV writer who takes a shine to Lloyd, Ari insists that Lloyd go to the guy’s house to sign the deal. But then he can’t live with the guilt that he’s pimped out Lloyd, and shows up in a hilarious scene where he shows up the guy in a verbal showdown. NO ONE can take on Ari in a verbal showdown and come out the winner.

Somehow I missed the 2-hour premiere of Tim Minear’s new show Drive last night (thank you Fox for typically not really advertising it) so I’m currently do*coughcough*oading it so that I can continue to watch the series. I have no idea where it’s airing in Canada, but certainly not the same night. Maybe that’s why I haven’t seen much about it here. It’s been called the highlight of the spring season, so I’m definitely pumped. PLEASE, Fox, PLEASE, do not cancel this show before it’s had a chance. PLEASE.

In other news:
Still no word on Veronica Mars. Is it in danger of cancellation?


Charla and Mirna have lived to see another day. Sigh.

Don Imus is a dick.

Um… oops?

And finally, I can’t even express in words how sad I am about the Virginia Tech shooting. The death toll is beyond comprehension. What I find shocking is that the main thing President Bush has stressed is that people have the right to bear arms. Thanks, dude. That’s what we all needed to hear at this horrific time. Rah rah guns. Maybe this is a Canadian thing to say, but this guy couldn’t have taken out 32 people with a knife. Or any weapon that wasn’t an automatic. My thoughts are with the friends and families of these people.

I don’t want to end this post on a morose moment, so instead, I’ll give you something to smile about. This video has been circulating the internet all weekend long, and it’s PRICELESS. (Thanks for sending it to me, Crissy!)

Return Dates that Matter
Sorry I haven’t been updating the blog lately. I finally got over my flu after five days, and then my husband got it, then my daughter’s nanny so I had to take my daughter all day while my husband lay in bed and moaned… it’s been a busy week. Add to that I’ve fallen behind in working on the Lost book so my evenings are now dedicated to working on the book rather than updating my blog (what a concept!) But I’m going to try to be better at this.

For now, I wanted to list some important return dates on our shows. This past Sunday saw the finales of BSG and Rome (I’ll talk about both soon, I hope), so those are off the schedule, and Lost is chugging along every week just like ABC promised. Here are some return dates to mark on your calendars

April 5 – The Office (will Michael hold a spontaneous meeting? Will Dwight’s desk be moved? Will Roy kill Jim?)
April 5 – 30 Rock
April 8 – The Sopranos, the final 9 episodes
April 8 – Entourage, season 4
April 23 – Heroes
May 1 – Veronica Mars

In other news, this past weekend’s Amazing Race had some awesome Charla and Mirna moments, as usual. They drive me INSANE but the masochist in me wants them to stay.
Mirna to ticket agent: What time does the ticket office open?
Ticket agent: 5:30 a.m.
Charla: But itta be 11 pm a-now. You calla da office now.
Ticket agent (in perfect English): I can’t call, it’s not open.
Mirna (realizing the agent must not understand English): Why-a you no do this for us? Why-a canna you help us?
Charla: Here. Pick uppa da phone. Just-a dial da numbers, clicka clicka clicka.
Ticket agent (speaking slowly because the Italians obviously don’t understand): THE. OFFICE. IS. CLOSED.
Charla: Why-a you no help us?
Mirna: Come on, Charla, obviously she just doesn’t understand.

But the best part, the part that made the entire episode worth watching, was when they finished first.

Phil: As the winners of this leg of the race…
Charla and Mirna: Yay!! Yay!! God, we love you Phil! Will you finally notice how hot we are????
Phil: …you have EACH won…
Charla and Mirna: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Phil: …your very own catamaran!
[The sound of crickets. A tumbleweed floats by.]
Charla and Mirna (I am not making this up) in unison: What’s a catamaran?
Phil stops to consider the possible responses: It’s a small chair that you can sit on in front of the fireplace.
It’s a large dog with a lot of hair. You’ve seen Afghans? Well, Catamarans are just hairier, and they shed a lot.

It's like an RV, only smaller.
[but sadly, he doesn’t]
Phil: It’s… a… sailing boat.
Charla and Mirna: Ooooooh! Well, woo! And hoo! I guess.

Today's Casting News

Yeah, I spend too much time on certain sites. Zap2it is one of them. In the past two days they've made some new casting announcements, ranging from "huh" to "WHAT?!" in my book. First, Julio Gonzalo has been cast in a new pilot for the fall. We know her best as Parker from Veronica Mars. Since Piz has been cast in the new Grey's Anatomy pilot, as I previously mentioned, this makes the second Veronica person to ensure they won't be back in the fall. However, neither one is cause for, "OH MY GOD, Veronica Mars is gonna be cancelled!" reactions just yet. The moment Kristen Bell is up for a pilot, then we can panic.

Secondly, Carla Gugino from Sin City has been cast in Entourage as Vince's new agent. Ack! The one who will replace Ari? This woman's in a worse position than Riley was showing up and trying to fill Angel's shoes. Ari is hands down the best character on television. But it's definitely a good move having a really hot actress replace him, and not another male. That would have been much harder for the actor. (Entourage is slated to begin on April 8th... YEAH!!!)

And now for the WHAT?! news.... some people (*cough*Crissy*cough*) might want to turn away now. Katee Sackhoff has just signed on for a pilot this fall. Of course, at this point all they're saying is that she'll be a "guest cast member" but that's the term they ALWAYS use for EVERYONE in a pilot that hasn't yet been picked up. She'll be joining the cast of The Bionic Woman, which will tentatively be picked up for NBC this fall. The show will star British actress Michelle Ryan, best known as Zoe Slater from EastEnders. (She's the one who moved to Albert Square with her sisters -- Kat, Moe, and Lynn -- and their dad Charlie. Soon after they arrived she found out -- horrors! -- that her older sister Kat was actually her mother (!!!!!) Kat had an affair with Anthony, but then Zoe fell in love with him. They were going to get married before Anthony woke up and realized Zoe was a whiny little girl, so he dumped her on the eve of their marriage. And then Kat slept with him again (!!!!!) And so Zoe moved out, but then she reconciled with Kat, and found new love with Dennis, who was played by Nigel Harmon, the total hottie of the series, but she didn't know that HE was actually in love with his sister (!!!!) Sharon, but he tried to stay away because, you know, SISTER and all (ok, so she was adopted... I should probably mention that), so he tried to deny his love for her but eventually they gave in to it again, and so over Christmas dinner while Zoe's fawning over him and they'd just recently moved in together, he and Sharon announce that they're actually in love and going away to NY together that night, and Zoe has a conniption, and Dennis's evil father Den grabs her and pulls her in the back room and tells her to announce to him that she's pregnant, so she does, but she hates lying to him, and he's devastated because his father (also Sharon's father) abandoned him when he was a young'un, and he can't do the same to this child, so Sharon leaves on a plane without him and Zoe almost tells him the truth but chickens out, and he resigns himself to staying with her... and since BBC Canada is a full TWO YEARS behind that's where we're at now so I'm sure something huge will happen soon and Zoe will leave the series.)

But all that aside, the question is, does this mean Starbuck is really dead?! David Eick will be producer of both shows, so there's a possibility he's doing this as some sort of publicity stunt for Battlestar Galactica, but I don't know... I just thought Starbuck had a greater purpose on the show, and I just don't buy it that she's really gone. What did the Cylons mean about her having a destiny?? I'm just very confused by this news.

Has Veronica Mars Been Cancelled?
Earlier this morning, Kristen from E! announced that, according to six sources who worked closely with the show, the series had indeed been cancelled. However, when she checked with Rob Thomas, he said if it HAD been cancelled, he certainly didn't know.

Now she and the Hollywood Reporter are suggesting that, in what sounds like a bit of a desperate move, Rob Thomas has gone back to the CW network with a "featurette" of the new season of VM, where it's set four years in the future, and Veronica is working at the FBI. Apparently Kristen Bell is the only cast member to appear in the featurette, which means the fate of the other cast members of following the show to season 4 is up in the air.

Will Veronica survive? Since most networks make their decisions in early March, it sounds to me like they've made their decision, told Thomas no, and he's asked them to give him one more chance by letting him try out this futuristic idea. Will the CW, whose numbers have been flagging overall, decide they need something new to spice up the network? An even better question might be, will the CW survive another year? The ratings of this new network -- a combination of the WB and UPN -- are less than either of those networks were individually.

One thing is probably for certain: my beloved Piz will not be returning. He's signed on to join that new Grey's Anatomy spin-off. :::Sniffle::: I guess this means he'll never find love with our girl.

Veronica Gets Her Head in the Game
It's official: Piz has NOT killed Wallace and hidden him under the floorboards of their dorm room. Wallace returned this week to little fanfare (Veronica didn't act like she hadn't seen the guy in three months, and he pretended to be knowledgeable about her relationship with Logan). The mystery of week was intriguing -- moreso than the long-term mystery of Dean O'Dell's murder: after having a big argument with his son the basketball player, the coach of the basketball team is found murdered. It's like Troy and Coach Bolton from High School Musical.... with a twist. My pal Crissy and I were DYING for a reference to the Disney film -- maybe Wallace would say he has to get his head in the game, or Veronica, in an impassioned speech to her father, would argue that they need to work in tandem on the case, "Dad, we're all in this together." Or maybe Logan could call up Veronica and moan, "Veronica, I can't take my eyes off of you." To which Veronica would reply, "Well, if you're going to continue to say 'off of,' you can just turn and walk away NOW." Wallace could be Chad, Mac could show up as Taylor, Veronica could be the Gabriella. But sadly, the writers probably figured their demographic is far too old to be caught up in High School Musical, so they didn't include any. (Crissy and I shuffle our feet, kick a couple of rocks, cough, look up at the sky, try to change the subject...)

This week's ep was a lot of fun. Dick, always living up to his name, ran away to Vegas for a quickie marriage, and wanted an annulment a day later. He promises the still-in-mourning Logan that he can have the hot sister that his girlfriend will be bringing over. My husband, expecting the hot sister when they walked in, said, "Is she a dwarf?" And he was serious. I nearly fell off the couch laughing (still my favourite moment of the episode). Ah, I love him. No, it was her 11-year-old sister, who loves video games, animated films, and romance. Her infectious enthusiasm rubs off on Logan, who comes back to the land of the living.

The basketball coach's son becomes the prime suspect, but Veronica believes he's innocent. Meanwhile, Dean O'Dell's wife is becoming more and more suspicious but insistent that she's innocent, and Keith doesn't trust her as far as he can throw her. Who's lying? Who's telling the truth? Is Veronica gullible? Is Keith missing the point?

And what happened at the end? Veronica makes cookies for the coach's son, who is sitting in jail, and hides them in a copy of a book. Next thing you know, she's being arrested for aiding and abetting the escape of the kid. My theory? He has a peanut allergy. Not a serious one, but a mild one that would cause a reaction, ambulance comes, he's moved, and he escapes en route to the hospital (or while IN the hospital). Either way, it would explain why he specifically asked for peanut butter cookies. I guess time will tell!

For any Canadians watching Veronica on Sun TV, are you as gobsmacked by those two crazy chefs who usually appear on the commercial break about 3/4 of the way through the show? They are INSANE.

In other news: America's Next Top Model is back!! February 28th will be the 2-hour season premiere. I'm SO excited!!

In the words of Bono, "Walk On"

For all the Veronica Mars fans out there, now's your chance to win a walk-on role on the show for only $25. The CW Network is offering the chance to win a role, while helping raise money for US war veterans. If you go here, you can see how to do it. Fill out the application form, send in $25 for each raffle ticket, and they'll eventually draw the name of the winner, which they promise will have some interaction with Veronica.

Oh, and this is for Americans only. I emailed them this afternoon to ask if Canucks could enter, and the guy checked with Warner and was surprised that they said no. I wasn't surprised. So Canadians are out, but I wish the best of luck to the American hopefuls who try. :)

Veronica Mars: Poughkeepsie, Tramps and Thieves

This week's episode had even better dialogue than the week before, and despite the Dean O'Dell story still being in the hands of Keith only (V just doesn't seem interested) it's getting off the ground a little bit, which is good. The "feminists" are still being demonized, which is unfortunate, but it's nice to see things a little more clearly. Also, I read yesterday that the actor who plays Weevil got sick in the summer, and his body reacted very badly to a treatment he was given, causing his face to bloat out and break into hives. He was self-conscious about it and didn't want to appear on the show until it cleared up, but they still needed to use him. That would explain why, in the fall, he looked like he'd gained 40 pounds and had been attacked by a swarm of bees. But he looked great on this week's ep.

Max didn't leave much of an impression on me the first time I saw him, but he was great last night. I liked that he was right about Chelsea, despite all the odds stacked against him. The bedroom talk between V and Logan was angst-ridden, and points to greater issues that will continue to dog them in weeks to come. The banter between V and her dad was pretty hilarious, and I LOVED her handing him the CD player and telling him to thrust his groin toward the bride-to-be when she saw him wearing the sheriff's uniform. The sheriff was back, but underused (I'd like to see more of him in upcoming eps, though I do understand that with Keith no longer a part of the sheriff's office, and no longer a suspect in anything, there isn't a LOT of reason for them to be hanging around there.

Downsides: No Mac, no Wallace, and most of all, no Piz. :(

Best moment: The discussion between Max and Veronica when he explains how he first met "Chelsea." Max tells Veronica that the love of his life is getting married. He doesn’t know where she lives, or her phone number, or even her name, but if V doesn’t find her, he’s going to take a bath with his blow dryer. Veronica asks the natural question: Does she know that YOU exist?

Max: Yes. We met at this convention thing, we got to talking, we hit it off, we ended up sitting up all night in my hotel room talking about life, the big picture, we connected on some higher plane. Last names at that point seemed trivial.
V: Uh huh, so what was the convention? Is there actually a fake term paper and stolen test provider UNION?
M: It was Comic Con.
V: You didn’t get all sweaty in your Wookie suit, did you?
M: Yuk it up. You know, it’s not all Trekkies and Star Wars. I was there because Dave Gibbons has a new graphic novel that he scripted as well as drew.
V: Sounds cooler now! So, about the one that got away. She was dressed as a Cylon and you only knew her as Six, right?
M: Her name was Chelsea. And she was in regular clothes. And yeah, after the Dave Gibbons thing I may have drifted into the Battlestar Galactica session and yeah, that’s where we met. And okay, we started out talking about how the Cylon raiders on BSG look like Batman’s car when it turns into a plane. But THEN we started talking about our crappy relationships with our parents, and Chuck Klosterman, and moral gradings.
V: And how when you see a plastic bag flying around you think there’s so much beauty in the world you can’t take it?
M: You get the picture.
V: I do. Connection. Higher plane. Then you frakked.
M: No. Sex was hardly the point. What we had was better.

Apparently, not only does V know how to use "frak" properly in a sentence these days, but she's actually watching the show!

Today's Stuff

First of all, I just realized that my previous post to this one was my 100th post. Yay! *Sniffle* First, I'd like to thank my parents for putting me on this earth. Secondly, to the fans, who have always... hey... come ON I just got up here, you can't start playing the music YET!! Oh COME ON, all I want to do is [bleep] thank the [bleep] people who got me here, and you mother[bleeeeeeeeep] are playing me off? Whatever.

[The last acceptance speech Nikki Stafford ever gave.]

Ahem. So, first on the agenda, HUGE excitement from me today: FX has announced that April 3rd will be the return date for season 6 of The Shield. I LOVE this show. I know people love House because he's such a nasty and unlikable guy, and therein lies his likability. But no, give me Vic Mackie any day. This show is dark, violent, graphic, and there have been times when I've actually looked away (like when the guy had his face pressed against an element on the stove that was turned on high.... that'll leave a mark). But it's brilliant, and no one plays nasty like the wonderful Michael Chiklis. I cannot WAIT for this show to come back. The no-doubt future Oscar winner Forest Whitaker will be reprising his role in a few episodes.

On Whedonesque today, someone posted an article where Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars was asked if she'd like to have Sarah Michelle Gellar on the show, and she said absolutely (Um... what else COULD she have said?) The article sparked a huge response from the Whedonverse community on there, talking about how disappointing the show has become, how they've lost sight of what they'd set up in season 1, and even elicited a remark from Michael Muhney, who plays Sheriff Lamb (i.e. one of Veronica's nemesisisisss, who has been underused this year). He posted simply: "There is so much truth in many of your posts...you have no idea. I wish I could expound." Crikey. What is going ON over there? I really hope VM gets a chance to redeem itself with a fourth season, rather than being remembered for its disappointing third.

On CanMag, you can read a brief interview with Yunjin Kim confirming another Sun and Jin flashback in the 16 eps of Lost that are upcoming, but I couldn't help feel uncomfortable with their choice of title on the article. "Yunjin Kim says 'Me So Lost'"?? Uh.... Is Michael Scott writing headlines for them now?

Speaking of Michael Scott, J.J. Abrams is currently shooting the next episode of The Office, so watch for a blog from Pam to appear soon (since the others either don't really update theirs, or they talk about non-Office stuff, or, in the case of BJ Novak (Ryan), post to tell people to back off on recommending The Wire to him. Ok, BJ, you can calm down now.)

"Monkey?" "As in...'Touch my'"
Veronica Mars returned this week, and the show was in superb form. The episode put more of a focus on Mac, who is such a great characters, and was underused in the first part of the season. A new guy, Bronson, has his eye on Mac, and while she's a little slow on the uptake, she finaly sees what's in front of her.

There was a moment in this episode that made me think of Buffy, and I wonder if anyone else did at the same time: Veronica and Mac are walking across the campus toward the announcement board, joking about how Veronica's going to try to save a little monkey with a banana, and all I could think of was they are totally Buffy and Willow. Same jokiness, same nervousness in Willow/Mac, same hairstyle with V/B... And then I found this online today, where Michael Muhney (who plays the cocky sheriff) was posting about how much he loves Firefly, and it was like a total merge of Joss/Rob Thomas worlds.

The mystery of the week involved a missing monkey from the school's science lab, and the suspicion of a college animal rights group called PHAT (People for Human Animal Treatment), which Veronica mishears as FAT and wonders aloud if the "fat" people stole the monkey because it was delicious. It was just one of the many moments in the episode that had me laughing out loud. Others:
"Where did you get the rats?"
"They just showed up at my door."
"Oh, like in a tiny van with a sob story about needing a place to crash?"

Veronica, Parker, and Mac pretending to be sorority sisters in love with the redneck huntin' rock singer, and Mac being a really bad actress: "Uh... the second amendment is TOTALLY my favourite." Then dressing him up in a "Meat is Murder" t-shirt without him knowing it.

Dick photographing his namesake and throwing the polaroids off the balcony, and Logan's response, "I think I told you that management asked that you stop doing that." And then talking about the Zach Braff movie Garden State as if it were a book.

OK, so they went for the obvious jokes when making fun of Canada -- the photo of a moose, Mac saying "eh," Veronica saying "aboot" (we do NOT say aboot... Americans say abowt), and playing The Barenaked Ladies -- but hey, I still found it hilarious. And then, I'm sure, the joke about the Hoff seriously offended a friend of mine (don't worry, K, I was laughing... um.... AT the joke, not with it?)

The overarching mystery is off to a bit of a slow start, and I thought Keith was a little thick walking into a bar in a town where he used to be sheriff, then became a bestselling author with his mug on the television every single night because of his role in the highest-profile case in Neptune EVER, and he tries to put one over on a guy who's lived in Neptune for several years and teaches criminal profiling. Duh.

Of course, the ending had me yelling at Veronica to wake up and stop making the same mistake again. Which is really weird, because a year ago I was yelling at Veronica to kiss Logan, kiss Logan, KISS LOGAN! And now I'm just watching her in the same pattern she always follows. See, a year ago, there was no Piz. And I love Piz. He's cute, funny, and has the best way with words, and is perfect for Veronica. Maybe too perfect? They say opposites attract and all that, but Piz is just so supersweet. And, in the end, he gets the final, perfect zinger.

Logan, canoodling Veronica: Hey Piz, what's new?
Piz: Nothing, apparently.

V is for Vendetta…and Veronica!
“What’s the word of the day, folks? Is it avuncular?”

How much did I love last night’s episode? The heartbreak! The humour! The tension! The Piz! Thank you, Rob Thomas, thank you!!

Yes, “Spit & Eggs” was the final episode of the first “mini-arc” of the season (there will be three, I’ve heard) and the controversial (for all the wrong reasons) mystery has finally been resolved and come to an end. On the one hand it was kind of sucky that both of the guys responsible for the rapes of the women at Hearst have been V’s suspects in the past, but at the same time, that made it pretty cool. They were flying under our radar BECAUSE they were Ronnie’s suspects in the past. I felt personally vindicated when the RA turned out to be responsible – right from the beginning of the season it’s been a joke with my husband and me: every time he appears on screen we’ll say, “Ooh! HE did it!!” because after all, how else is Screech gonna get any? What I don’t understand is how these two guys ended up getting together. Was Mercer once an anti-social loser like Moe? After, you know, doping and raping a bunch of women, did he develop a higher self-esteem that allowed him to rise above geekydom and into loathsome pigdom?

Logan and Veronica broke up AGAIN because he couldn’t be with her AGAIN but we know this means that he’ll just be all moony for her for the next few episodes and by the end of the season declaring that he can’t live with anyone else. And in the meantime, I hope she realizes that Piz is the coolest guy at school and we get some more awesome Piz lines. (Have I mentioned I’m in love with Piz?) Or… hmm… maybe Mac could end up with him? I love Mac, too, and I’ll let her have him.

The last scene in the episode was awesome. When I saw Logan trashing the cop car I thought, “What the hell is he doing?!” and then we see he did it all for Veronica. Sniffle… you gotta love Logan. He’s complicated, he’s an emotional basket case, but you gotta love him.

Now they’ve set us up for the next mystery, as Dean O’Dell has been found dead (by Eli… uh oh). Whodunnit? One of the gals from the Lilith House? That would be too obvious, since they were a suspect (and perpetrators) of the rapes, even if they were faking it. Could it be Veronica’s hot professor? O’Dell’s trophy wife? O’Dell’s dorky TA (Worst. Hair. EVER.), who was really pissed off at his girlfriend, stormed back to his office, found the professor there all beat up by O’Dell and then exacted his revenge? One of the people who voted to get rid of the Greeks at Hearst? Hearst herself? Piz, upset that O’Dell made the controversial announcement on his show? Wievel, so he could steal the dean’s HDTV? Wallace, desperate for more lines on the show?

Whatever it is, here’s my wish list for the next arc:

§ Give Wallace more lines, and meaningful ones like the episode where he quit the basketball team
§ Give Eli his dignity back. Make him the rocking character he was in season 1. Stop with the Latino janitor crap.
§ MORE PIZ
§ MORE MAC
§ Let’s see the mystery become really complicated
§ A few more scenes of Veronica outwitting the sheriff and making him look like an idiot
§ More Keith/Veronica sweet scenes
§ Let’s shed some more light on the whole Kendall thing, which still remains a bit of a baffler to me (not to mention I don’t believe she’s actually dead)
§ Get the TA a haircut
§ Bring back the cheery, witty, adorable Veronica, and do away with party pooper, down-in-the-dumps, ‘I’m WAY too serious’ Veronica
§ And someone tell the CW to renew the whole season!

Right Here, Right Now: Veronica Mars
Tomorrow night's Veronica Mars is being touted all over the Internet by the show itself. Since it's the last episode during November sweeps, I'm assuming they really, really need this episode to do well if the CW will renew it beyond the paltry 13 episodes it ordered at the end of the season. Of course, up here in Canada, watching it on SunTV won't help the ratings in the U.S., but if you're one of our lovely neighbours to the south, please tune in. Here's the preview, which looks AWESOME.



Is Logan kissing some other girl? Did Veronica get raped? Is she wearing a wig? Will something happen to Mac? (Please no...) I cannot WAIT. (Using Fatboy Slim as the background music makes me even more excited...) The last few eps of Veronica have truly ROCKED, despite what the nearsighted online critic at EW had to say about the last show (clearly not paying any attention and having no idea that last Tuesday's ep was NOT meant to wrap up the storyline). If you're a fan of the show, it's worth it to read the review, and then read the comments, which are pretty entertaining. :)

Oh, SNAP! -- Veronica Mars
Veronica's ep last night was the best of the season, in my opinion. FINALLY this show seems to have gotten back on track. Thank you, Rob Thomas!! It had great lines, funny dialogue, Keith was awesome (even if he has made a difficult decision that will no doubt fly back in his face in a nasty way); Logan was funny and mysterious; Piz was back and was sweet (I can't remember the last time a show introduced a new character in the third season that I took to as quickly as this guy); Wallace felt like he wasn't just inserted into the storyline, and actually had a purpose; and Veronica was back to her witty, vengeful self. The Nancy Drew mystery-of-the-week was intriguing, and we couldn't WAIT to find out whodunnit, and hope they incur the full Wrath of the Ron. (And her revenge on Ratner, who didn't actually do it, was HILARIOUS!)

We've found out Claire was faking it, and it gave me hope that maybe she was the only one, and it steers us away from the worry that it will have all been a sham. I'm still disappointed that Ronnie didn't look at the ATM photo and think maybe it was something more than what she wanted it to be. Yeah, if there's someone standing behind someone else in line looking ticked in an ATM photo, there's no doubt that person raped the one standing at the counter. Come ON. I'm glad she was proven wrong on that one so quickly. The Mercer mystery is a new twist in the bigger mystery, and I'm intrigued about where Logan was with Mercer.

Thank you, Rob Thomas, for bringing Veronica back to me. Now don't disappoint me again.

Is Veronica Going Crazy?
Dear Rob Thomas,
First of all, I want to thank you for bringing Veronica Mars into my life. She’s become my new Buffy, in a world where Buffy no longer exists except in reruns (and, presumably, on Halloween). Logan is my new Spike; Mac my new Willow; Keith Mars has become the Giles/father figure that we all watch and sigh at with deep filial love.

In season 4 of Buffy, she went to college. I worried about what might happen, but I liked the first episode. It was funny, had some great zingers, and a great huge book conked Riley in the head. (Unfortunately, it didn’t put him into a lifelong coma.) Then the second episode had the roommate, and it was funny as hell. And then… well, we all know what happened next. Military, X-Filesish crap. Hostile 17. Adam. Craziness.

But at its heart, Joss Whedon stayed true to the premise. This was a show about a woman, and it never, ever felt like a show that had been written by a man. Joss knew how to write women.

But Rob… that’s not happening in season 3 of Veronica. She went to college, and I loved the first episode. The second one was pretty good, too. But the show is becoming as strange and offputting as this picture of Kristen Bell that I'm using to illustrate my letter to you. I’m starting to get uncomfortable with this whole underlying mystery involving the “feminists.” First, you’re turning them into the loud-mouthed, abrasive, hairy-legged stereotype that jocks all make them out to be. One has a bolt through her nose and is about as cuddly as sandpaper, and the other one is just rude and obnoxious and doesn’t have a sentimental bone in her body. Secondly, the word “feminist” is pretty outmoded – most women would probably consider themselves feminists. You’re turning them into FemiNazis. My buddy Crissy and I watch this show religiously and last week she said to me, “You don’t think it’s going to turn out that the feminists are the ones orchestrating the rapes to shed more light on their cause, do you?” And we both thought about it for a minute, and then shuddered. We thought, no. The man who created Veronica Mars could NOT do that to us.

And then, in last night’s episode, the feminists were sparring with the loony National Lampoon type geeks, and the geeks made a joke about raping the “blonde in the middle” and ohmigod, don’t you know it, the blonde in the middle gets raped by the end of the episode. And suddenly our worst fears seem to be coming true.

And then there’s that whole plotline with Logan. He lies to Veronica, he looks shady when she follows him to a casino, he’s doing things behind her back, he’s flirty with his “weightlifting” buddies… and in the end Veronica says SHE is the one who is being bad and should stop being suspicious of her boyfriend? Not only did this particular episode make it look like women should accept it if their boyfriends are flirty with other girls and evasive with them, and that feminists are all bullheaded loonybins, but THEN Logan delivers the line, “This would be the first time a woman has been misled by Dick.” Nice little double entendre there.

Seriously, Rob, for the first time ever, this show feels like it’s being written by a man. A man who only knows women insofar as he’s read about them in comic books.

Weevil is back, but he’s super-puffy (think Xander in season 6), and his storyline is just… unbelievable. A college would not allow a criminal of Weevil’s caliber anywhere near the school records like that. It just wouldn’t happen. Is this your way of writing him out of the show? Just make him a janitor in the background? We had so much hope for Eli in season 1, and now it’s just gone. And Keith… what the hell is with Keith? He’s chasing mysteries we can’t figure out, and the way you left that whole Kendall scenario from the first episode is just wrong.

Look, Rob, we know this isn’t like you. We know you’ve been under a lot of pressure from the CW to make this show more user-friendly. Make the Nancy Drew mysteries shorter, more palatable, and easier to follow for those who like their dramas more CSIable. But for the rest of us, who love our cult television shows, who love the uniqueness of this show, and who care about these characters as if they were family, PLEASE don’t do this. Let’s go back to being who Veronica was last year. I can’t leave this show, no matter how bad it becomes – I just love Kristen Bell too much to ever leave. But don’t make my Tuesday nights painful ones, as I sit alone watching a show that everyone else has dropped.

And besides, with only 13 episodes ordered, you have to buck up and KEEP your original audience, or CW will give you the ax. Don’t let that happen, Rob. I’ve already lost Buffy and Angel, and I can’t handle losing Veronica, too.

Thanks for listening.