Re-Read Three: Neptune Noir Edited by Ron Thomas

After I finished Catherine of Aragon, I caught up on magazines. Then I picked up this book as I was going through some bookshelves. 

 

Neptune Noir is a collection of essays about Seasons 1 and  2 of Veronica Mars. Topics include: father-children relationships, LoVe--the Logan-Veronica romance, comparisons between Veronica and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Veronica's loss of innocence. 

Now I'm thinking about renewing or restarting my rewatch. 

More on Veronica Mars: The Movie

Still thinking about the movie--a bit more critically than I did last night.

I still stand by my statement that I loved the movie. But I think I only loved the movie because I loved the show. Someone could watch the film without seeing the show beforehand, but I don't think that viewer would necessarily like the movie. As a standalone mystery, it's just okay.

I think it was unrealistic that all the characters were still hanging out with high school friends. But apparently that was a choice made because of the Kickstarter funding campaign. Rob Thomas wanted to bring as many TV show cast members as possible.

My biggest problem is the way Veronica blew off her job offer as an attorney. She accepts a job that starts in one week, then gets a few more days before her start date. Then she just stops answering her phone when she sees the firm name on her caller id. It just seemed stupid and irresponsible.

I've read several film reviews today. They are all over the place, but most agree with me that show lovers will be happy.

Veronica Mars: The Movie

I was psyched to hear about this movie. I didn't catch it when it was first released. Tonight we watched it twice.

I loved it. Mostly I loved the ending (spoiler alert) when Veronica decided to stay in Neptune; she had a great speech about rolling around in the mud. I loved hearing the full version of "We Used to be Friends" over the end credits.

On the downside, there wasn't enough Wallace or Mac. I didn't like that their first lines were to prop Piz. I didn't care at all about Veronica's romance with Piz.

Weevil had a little more than a cameo, but I was okay with that. Maybe Dick's role was too big, but it was still a supporting role and he's just comic relief. I could write another post about how he's been whitewashed to be a viable comic relief character. Logan in the Navy also seemed odd.

I had wanted to finish all Veronica Mars episodes before I watched the movie. I blew it, but most of the references were from Season 1 anyway, except for Piz and the sex tape.

Overall, it was great to see Veronica back home.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Fifteen

The Quick and the Wed

Another unmemorable mystery of the week: Veronica is helping Wallace's girlfriend Jane. Her sister is missing after her bachelorette party.

Hannah's father agrees to change his testimony if Logan leaves Hannah alone.

Keith tells Lamb about the explosives and detonators in Terence Cook's hangar, but has second thoughts about Cook's guilt.

Cliff and Vinny are in this episode, along with Kendall, Beaver and Aaron Echolls.

"Jurors love convicting smug rich boys," a great line from Cliff to Logan.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Fourteen

Versatile Toppings

This is an unmemorable episode. My strongest memory is that Bradford Anderson guested; he later joined General Hospital. I didn't watch GH then, but he got a lot of press.

The mystery of the week involves a blackmailer who is targeting gay students at Neptune High via a chat room run by Ryan (Anderson.) There have also been a rash of muggings of pizza delivery guys.

Logan is dating Hannah Griffith; her father (the witness against Logan) is not happy. Hannah finds that Logan is right--her father is a drug user involved with the Fitzpatricks.

Keith is working to clear Terence Cook. His gut tells him Cook is innocent. But why does he have explosives and detonators?

This episode includes the great line of Dick's that Veronica is rich dude's Kryptonite.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Thirteen

Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough

It's the Winter Carnival at Neptune High to raise money for the senior trip to either Catalina or Magic Mountain. That is, until someone steals the cash box when Veronica has it. She solves two mysteries in one: who stole the cash and who stole answers to an upcoming test.

Also at the carnival: students including Madison Sinclair are nasty to Jackie because her father has been questioned about the crash; Logan flirts with a girl named Hannah, whose father claimed Logan killed Felix; Beaver and Mac are apparently an item.

Keith agrees to help Terence Cook prove he didn't blow up the bus. 

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Twelve

Rashard and Wallace Go to White Castle

This episode picks up with the reveal of Wallace's involvement in a hit-and-run accident. Wallace is going to name the driver who happens to be the best high school basketball player in years. Unfortunately, said driver Rashard and his buddies have named Wallace as the driver. Wallace and Veronica have five days to prove his innocence. Of course, they succeed with an assist from Jackie (who hadn't been seen for a few episodes.)

Weevil asks Molly Fitzpatrick about her relationship with Felix. They met at St. Mary's Church; Molly's brother is a priest there. Weevil and Logan ask Veronica to bug the church confessional, which reveals Thumper as the one dealing with the Fitzpatricks. The PCHers turn on Weevil when they learn that he's been hanging with Logan.

Keith sneaks into the evidence locker at the sheriff's department to conduct his own investigation into the bus crash. The episode ends with a news report that Sheriff Lamb is interrogating Jackie's dad, Terence Cook about the crash.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Eleven

Donut Run

Veronica finds Kendall in Duncan's bathroom. Her confrontation with Duncan leads to a very public break-up. Veronica retreats to her bedroom to listen to sad music until Sheriff Lamb arrives. Duncan has kidnapped his and Meg's baby daughter. Lamb arrests Veronica as an accomplice.

The FBI is on the case, including Lucy Lawless as a snobby agent. Sleazy PI Vinnie Van Lowe is investigating on behalf of Celeste Kane.

Midway through the episode is the reveal that everything, including the break-up, was part of a elaborate plan for Duncan to escape with the baby to Mexico. Keith is furious that Veronica played him, but is instrumental in covering for her with the FBI.

Logan and Weevil are working together to find out who killed Felix. Weevil gets a clue from a tattoo artist--Felix was involved with Molly Fitzpatrick.

Wallace has a mystery of his own involving a hit-and-run accident in Chicago. 

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Ten

One Angry Veronica

Meg has woken up. She asks Veronica not to let her parents raise her baby if something happens to her. The Aaron/Lilly sex tapes are missing.  Veronica has jury duty over Christmas break. That's just the teaser.

As indicated by the title, this episode is Neptune's version of 12 Angry Men: the defendants are a pair of 09ers accused of beating up a Hispanic girl.

Woody Goodman hires Keith to investigate what happened to the tapes. Keith deduces  that Logan bought and destroyed the tapes by his use of "Dude." Pretty tenuous evidence. Later he discovers that Deputy Leo was the seller; his goal was to help his sister with Down's Syndrome.

New Year's Eve brings sad news: Meg has died. But there's also good news: Wallace is back.

Beefcake alert: Shirtless Sheriff Lamb working out.

Trivia Note: The hold-out juror is played by Ivonne Coll. My last name is unusual; it's nice to see it.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Nine

My Mother, the Fiend

As part of Veronica's detention, Vice Principal Clemmons has her alphabetize some school records. She finds her mother's file and learns her mother and teacher Mrs. Hauser were once suspended together 25 years ago. Veronica is determined to find out more.

The girls were suspended for spreading rumors about a pregnant student. Was it Celeste Kane? Keith discovers that an abandoned baby was found in the girls' bathroom at the Neptune High prom. Veronica learns that the child is Trina Echolls, who's back in town to direct a Neptune High School production of Hamlet. Trina's mother is Mary, a former student who now works at the school. Mary is deaf and Veronica's misunderstanding of her sign language is the episode's title. (Lianne was Mary's friend.) The father: the current Neptune High principal. Veronica is impressed with Vice Principal Clemmon's Machiavellian move to have her find the file and uncover the truth.

In other developments:

Logan's revenge on Weevil ends with Weevil taped to the school flagpole, like Wallace in the pilot. Despite a fist fight between them, Logan and Weevil tentatively agree to work together to find who killed Felix.

Beaver hires Mac to set up a website for his business, the Phoenix Land Trust. Because he's only 16, he wants Kendall to be the face of his company.

Veronica finds the rat in the Mars Investigation freezer. Keith tells her that he found it in the bus.

As a class project, Veronica and Duncan have to take care of a mechanical baby. But it's Meg who is pregnant with a real child.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Eight

Ahoy, Mateys!

Veronica's efforts to help Logan lead to a scary encounter with the Fighting Fitzpatricks, a local crime family in their bar, the River Styx. The Fitzpatricks are connected to the plastic surgeon who said Logan killed Felix. It's Logan to the rescue, but Veronica flips out because he has a gun.

Weevil confronts his fellow PCH-ers; are some of them selling drugs for the Fitzpatricks?  After talking to PCHer Thumper, Weevil is unsure if Logan actually killed Felix. Some PCHers kidnap Logan to question him about Felix's death. Logan says he can't remember what happened, but vows to get back at Weevil.

Keith is investigating the harassment of the parents of Marcos Olivares, one of the bus crash casualties. Someone is leaving toy yellow buses and the scent of their son's cologne in their home. They are also getting voicemail messages from him. The harassment started after the parents sued the school district for negligence.

Veronica learns that Marcos was Captain Crunk of Ahoy, Mateys, a high school radio show. The show trashed everyone at Neptune High. Veronica and Mac track down the co-host, Imitation Crab--Vice Principal Clemmons' son Vincent, aka Butters.

Duncan is having weird dreams of angelic Meg and vixen Veronica. Meg says Duncan is the only one who can save her. He finds and opens a "private and confidential" letter addressed to Meg. "Oh my God," he says.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Seven

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

The mystery of the week is finding a child abuse victim. Duncan's been going through documents on Meg's thumb drive; Meg had been in contact with child services to help a boy between seven and 10 years old she had been babysitting.

Enter Veronica the babysitter. She gets jobs with Meg's babysitting clients. The first boy seems perfect, but draws a scary looking picture; the father is sketchy. The second kid is a terror. Another client is the Goodmans. (Woody is the baseball team owner and mayoral/county supervisor candidate--depending on the episode--who encouraged Keith to run for Sheriff.) Veronica snagged a sleepover date from Gia Goodman. Mrs. Goodman is vaguely super-creepy.

Veronica and Duncan break into Meg's bedroom to retrieve a notebook in which the child had written things such as "I deserve punishment." It's in Meg's air vent (a la Lilly.) Veronica realizes the abused child is a girl, Meg's sister Grace. They find her in a room in the back of her closet.

Mr. Manning returns home and catches Veronica and Duncan. Sheriff Lamb handcuffs them and puts them in the police car. Then Lamb checks out the secret room in the closet, releases Veronica and Duncan and parks outside the Manning home.

In other news:

Logan has moved in with Duncan--awkward.

The first Mrs. Casablancas signs over Dick Junior's and Cassidy's trust funds. But Kendall is out-of-luck. It looks as if Kendall is coming on to Duncan.

Logan needs Veronica's help--he claims he's been set up by the witness to Felix's death. The witness is a plastic surgeon, but Logan says he's not the man on the bridge. Veronica tracks the surgeon to a cigar store--known as a spot that deals drugs.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Six

Rat Saw God

Lots of action in the teaser: Lamb defeats Keith in the sheriff's race; Wallace is still out-of-town and out-of-touch; a witness tells Lamb he saw Logan kill Felix; Dick and Logan talk--Dick doesn't mind that Logan had an affair with his stepmother (better Logan than the pool boy); Abel Koontz wants Veronica's help in finding his daughter Amelia before he dies; Deputy Sachs arrests Logan.

Logan finds himself in a cell with his father Aaron. Aaron seems anguished; he claims he didn't kill Lilly. He offers to help Logan find an attorney. Legal aid type lawyer Cliff also advises Logan to get a better lawyer, but manages to get him released on bail. Logan goes home to find his house on fire (possibly revenge from Weevil and PCHer's.)

In her search for Amelia, Veronica confronts Clarence Wiedman. Later she finds Amelia--that is Amelia's body in an ice machine at a cheap motel. Wiedman arrives, tells Veronica that Amelia had extorted more money from Kane Software. They work together to find Amelia's killer. Veronica doesn't have the heart to tell Abel Koontz that Amelia's dead; she says Amelia is trying to get back home to see him before he dies.

In the bus crash mystery: Lamb tells Keith that a dead guy on the beach had Veronica's name written on his palm. Veronica advises Keith that she thinks she was the target of the bus crash. Keith breaks into the bus and finds a dead rat taped underneath one of the seats.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Five

Blast from the Past

Wallace confronts his mother about his bio-dad. She claims he used drugs when working as an undercover cop. I loved the scene when Wallace sings "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" to bio-dad. But dad had tried to contact him. Wallace is devastated by his mother's lies and cover up.

Jackie visits a psychic and discovers that someone stole her credit card and maxed it out. She turns to Veronica for help. They suspect the psychic stole the card. The psychic hosts a local public access TV show. Veronica plans to go on the show to expose her. But Jackie has set Veronica up and embarrasses her.

In the sheriff's candidate debate, Lamb surprises Keith with the news that Keith had let the school bus driver off with a warning during a DUI stop several years earlier. Because so many people still blame Driver Ed for the crash, Keith loses his lead in the race.

Veronica plants a bug in Lamb's office and discovers he's blackmailing Terence Cook, Jackie's dad. Cook has some kind of gambling problem.

Veronica also hears a phone message of another student's. It's a call from her friend on the bus--moments before the crash, there was an explosion.

Wallace fights with Veronica about taking revenge on Jackie. He doesn't believe Jackie set Veronica up on the psychic TV show. When he learns the truth, Wallace dumps Jackie as his date to the Homecoming dance. At the dance, Veronica confronts Jackie when she sees Jackie with Logan. Wallace leaves in disgust.

This episode is all over the place. We get information on the bus crash mystery. Keith loses the election. He might have won if he had released the recording of the phone call, but refuses to compromise the bus crash investigation. Terence Cook is looking suspicious. Jackie continues to be a jealous bitch.

Then, there are some over-the-top reactions in this episode. Veronica almost plays the recording of Cook at the dance to get back at Jackie. Wallace not only leaves the dance but leaves town with bio-dad.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Four

Green Eyed Monster

Veronica takes a case behind Keith's back: a woman suspects her boyfriend is cheating on her.

Update on the bus crash: Weevil tells Veronica that he got an anonymous call claiming Curly Moran caused the bus crash to punish PCHer Cervando on behalf of the Fitzpatrick gang. Veronica discovers that the call came from Logan's house.

Meg, the only survivor of the bus crash, remains in a coma. Veronica learns that Duncan's been visiting her every day. One night, Meg's sister Lizzie stops by Duncan's hotel room for help getting Meg's personal files off her laptop. She can't let her parents see them. It's Mac to the rescue; she moves Meg's personal files onto a thumb drive that she gives to Duncan.

Alicia sees the guy from Chicago in Neptune and asks Keith for help. She claims he's an abusive ex; he's also a police officer. In the final scene, Chicago guy tells Wallace he's his father.

The bus crash developments are thought-provoking. The revelation of Wallace's father is also a surprise. But this mystery of the week is weak. The client's too cartoonish and I didn't care for Veronica posing as flirty college girl to see if the boyfriend could be tempted. The mystery is only interesting as a parallel to Veronica's interest in Meg's and Duncan's relationship (and Meg's files.)

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Three

Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang

Veronica has two mysteries this week.

Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas hires Veronica to find proof that his stepmother Kendall has violated her pre-nup agreement. She gets pictures of Logan and Kendall. More importantly, she finds proof of fraud in Dick Casablanca Senior's REIT. Dick Sr. flees from SEC investigators taking off from his office helicopter pad.

Veronica is also trying to find why Curly Moran had her name written on his hand. Curly's the guy who Lamb found dead at the end of the second episode. Veronica learns he was a stunt coordinator for an Aaron Echolls film, which featured a truck veering over a bridge. Veronica is convinced the bus crash was meant for her.

In other developments, Duncan and Logan have a fist fight. Keith takes Alicia to Chicago where a man with a badge calls her Cher, and tracks her to Neptune. Veronica is unhappy with Wallace's interest in Jackie and with Jackie dating another guy.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode Two

Driver Ed

Neptune is reeling from the bus crash. Many are looking for an easy answer and find a scapegoat in the bus driver. They say he caused the crash to kill himself.

The bus driver's daughter Jessie asks Veronica to prove that her father didn't commit suicide. Veronica proves it to Jessie's satisfaction, but not to Sheriff Lamb's. Seeing Lamb act like an ass to Jessie causes Keith to decide to run for sheriff.

The episode introduces new regular Jackie; she's not very likable. Except to Wallace. He solves the mystery of who hit Jackie's dad's car on his own.

The final scene of the episode is the best. Lamb finds a dead body on the beach with "Veronica Mars" written on his palm.

A few small moments I liked:

"Magic Bus" plays as Veronica sees bus crash tee-shirts, coffee cups and hat souvenirs for sale in a convenience shop

Kevin Smith appears as the convenience shop clerk

When Wallace calls Veronica about Jackie's dad's car, he tilts his head and asks "What you doing?"

Dick telling Logan no girl wants to go to Casa de Killer.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season Two Episode One

Normal is the Watchword

It's been a while since my last Veronica Mars episode post. Now that the movie is in the works, I want to re-watch Season Two and Three before we see the film.

The opening scene has Veronica trying to get back to a normal life; she's not solving mysteries anymore--she's working at a coffee shop, Java the Hut (great name.) Keith's on TV, being interviewed about his book about Lilly.

In flashbacks, we see the resolution of one of the Season One finale cliffhangers: who was at Veronica's door in the early morning after her showdown with Aaron?

It was Logan. His appearance answers another cliffhanger question--he was beaten up by Weevil and other members of the PCH gang. They found a drunken Logan when Weevil still thought Logan had killed Lilly. Soon Leo arrives to arrest Logan--PCHer Felix has been killed in the fight with Logan.

Veronica's normal life doesn't last long: Wallace and Meg (among others) have failed their drug tests and have been kicked off the basketball team and cheerleading squad respectively. That's the mystery of the week.

More flashbacks: the case against Logan was dropped, creating more conflicts between the 09ers and the non-09ers. Veronica has broken up with Logan because of his part in the ongoing feud with the non-09ers, and has gotten back with Duncan. Meg is bitter about that development and blames Veronica. Logan is having an affair with Dick and Beaver's ex-Laker cheerleader stepmother.

The episode ends with the journalism students' field trip to Shark Stadium. The baseball team's owner is running for mayor, and introduces his daughter Gia. 09er Dick complains about a bad smell on the bus and gets a limo for the return trip. All the 09ers except Meg take the limo.

Veronica misses the bus, so Weevil gives her a lift. As they drive around a bend, they see smoke, kids rushing from the limo and learn that the bus went off the road into the water below.

The season-long mystery emerges.

Update: Veronica Mars--The Movie

I wrote about the movie here a little over six months ago.

Monday night, I saw this clip on Jezebel.

I am not "losing my shit."

Don't get me wrong; I can't wait to see this. It's one of the few upcoming films to tempt me into the theater (Catching Fire is the other.)

But what about the murder mystery? Isn't that more important than who wins the coveted title of Veronica's boyfriend?

Obviously, I think so.

I realize that the trailer is named: Veronica Mars: Love Triangle. Maybe mystery trailers will be forthcoming.

I was excited about Logan and Veronica (LoVe) in Season One. I liked when they got back together at the end of Season Two.

Veronica and Logan were boring in Season Three, as were Veronica and Piz. If I had given much thought to Veronica's post Season Three love life, I would not have expected her to stay with Piz. I would have thought of him as rebound guy. Maybe she and Logan would have ultimately ended up together, maybe not.

Veronica is too much of a fascinating character on her own to focus on who she's dating.

Veronica Mars Re-Watch: Season One

I officially completed the Season One Re-Watch by watching the deleted scenes today. I'm assuming these were deleted because of broadcast television time constraints.

Most of the scenes just add a bit of flavoring and don't impact the story. But a few had more than that.

One scene from Wrath of Con shows Veronica returning to the limo after her solo skinny dip. She taps on the window to the driver's section, gets a bottle of champagne and suggests they ditch the dance. This scene answers my gripe about the scene as shown in the original broadcast.

Russkie Business added a few scenes with Catarina and Veronica. In one, Catarina gives Veronica a gold cross that had belonged to her grandmother after Catarina's check bounced. Catarina comes to retrieve the cross. She claims that Tom used her to get close to her father and then betrayed both of them. She talks about getting her heart ripped out, just after Veronica watched Duncan lead Meg into a dance. I liked these scenes; it added layers to Catarina and her motives and reinforced that no one on this show is only good or evil.

On September 14, I wrote my first re-watch post about the first four episodes. I found that didn't work well because I couldn't remember what clues belonged to what episodes. I didn't have a schedule in mind, but figured I would watch and post about one show a week. It didn't work that way.

Yesterday, I wasn't feeling well and after watching and writing about M.A.D., I decided to do the final two episodes of the season. It's a testament to this show that I choose Veronica Mars episodes that I've seen before when I had hundreds of other options (cable, HBO on Demand, Netflix, our collection of DVD's.)

I enjoyed all 22 shows when I originally watched them. Re-watching, all are good, but some are exceptional. A Trip to the Dentist remains my favorite. I don't want to rank all of  the others in order. but I'll add Pilot and  Leave It to Beaver to the top tier. Can't forget An Echolls Family Christmas and Russkie Business (which improved upon re-watch.)

Even the weak episodes had clues to one of the season long mysteries, funny lines or character interactions. Maybe the season would have benefited from one-or-two fewer episodes or ditching one episode in favor of a two-part finale.

Overall, Season One is high quality television. 

Not sure when I'll start, but I will re-watch Season Two.
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