Calling all Marshmallows!
It’s happening. Our movie comes out tomorrow. The movie we wished for on every birthday cake for the past seven years. The movie we included on our Christmas lists just in case Santa was a fan and had some pull with Warner Bros. brass. The movie we willed to fruition and helped fund.
Now, I know we’re all busy ironing our Team Mars shirts for the big day, but before we revel in the unbelievable excitement, let’s celebrate the series one last time.
For those of you who have never heard of/are not fans of the canceled-too-soon television show or the record-setting Kickstarter film, you are about to enter a whole new planet. Neptune, to be exact, was the picturesque California town where badass teen sleuth Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) worked her stealthy skills to uncover every scandal from her locker to the Pacific Coast Highway.
Veronica Mars was a one-stop shop. It had it all: teen drama, crime intrigue, love stories, witty dialogue and dark elements all wrapped up in a film noir package. It was unlike its peers in that its protagonist was the opposite of selfish. She didn’t spend episode upon episode griping about her tragic adolescent life or make situations about her. Veronica selflessly sacrificed her time, albeit for an hourly rate, to make the lives of others better.
She stood up for Wallace when he was the new kid at school and was duct-taped to the flag pole—naked. She threw herself into investigating the Hearst College rapes when her best friend’s roommate was victimized. She helped her good friend Weevil out of several jams by proving his innocence, which was a consistently daunting task. She fought tooth and nail to hunt down her best friend Lilly Kane’s murderer.
Also, Veronica was the kind of character with whom everyone could identify. She wasn’t spoiled and she didn’t take things for granted. Veronica’s backstory is a rough one—an absent mother, a date rape, a slain best friend—and it allows you to get inside her head. We know how and why she makes her choices because we know what makes her tick. And even though she was rough around the edges (see: carries a taser in her bag), she was a big ole softy. Hence: Veronica Mars, she’s a marshmallow.
Aside from a stellar lead character and actress, the show itself was sharp and smart. Creator and executive producer Rob Thomas crafted characters and stories that were entertaining and challenging. The case of the week kept the story fresh while the over-arching season-long mystery was a puzzle the viewer pieced together with Veronica.
And now the beloved show has returned with a new mystery to get Ron back in the game. To the delight of many Veronica Mars fans, the franchise is enjoying a second life with its current pop cultural relevance. What does the future hold for Veronica Mars? For starters, a new book series and a spin-off web series starring Ryan Hansen as Dick Casablancas. Maybe if we keep wishing on those candles and keep asking Santa, we’ll get even more Veronica Mars. Until then, we have 64 episodes, a movie and a couple rad soundtracks to tide us over. So, turn up The Dandy Warhols and be cool, Soda Pop.
Episodes to Check Out Before the Movie:
1. “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)
2. “Drinking the Kool-Aid” (Season 1, Episode 9)
3. “Leave It To Beaver” (Season 1, Episode 22)
4. “Driver Ed” (Season 2, Episode 2)
5. “Rat Saw God” (Season 2, Episode 6)
6. “Not Pictured” (Season 2, Episode 22)
7. “My Big Fat Greek Rush Week” (Season 3, Episode 2)
8. “The Bitch is Back” (Season 3, Episode 20)
In case you want to watch them all, all 3 seasons of Veronica Mars are available to stream on Amazon Prime, and the film of the same name is available via digital download and AMC theaters beginning tomorrow.
PHOTO CREDIT:
http://mashable.com/2014/01/09/veronica-mars-amazon-prime/
http://www.salon.com/2013/03/13/the_captialist_veronica_mars_movie/