Without exception, every time I have time off from school, I watch the first two seasons of Veronica Mars. That’s forty-four episodes, each forty-five minutes long, totaling to about thirty-three hours of television. With four major vacations every year, I watch one hundred thirty two hours of Veronica Mars every year. But I can’t stop. And really, I wouldn’t want to. Veronica Mars is my ideal friend, and every time I watch these five and a half days of television, it’s like a vacation with my long distant friend. Except I can’t even guarantee Veronica would even like me. This savvy teen detective is a bit of a misanthrope. In the course of about three months, Veronica’s best friend was murdered, her mother abandoned her, and her father was run out of his job as the town sheriff. When she sided with her father rather than join the witch hunt against him, her friends abandoned her. She changed drastically from an innocent unaware girl, to a hardened seventeen-year-old going on thirty. She took the ridicule and torture from her classmates with ease, letting them bounce off her new tough exterior. I wanted to be that. I wanted to be so confident that nothing could faze me. I would always have the perfect comeback for any insult, one that would sting twice as hard. If I wanted too, I could eat lunch at my own table without any thought of people judging me. I’ve always said I don’t care what people think of me, but it’s a lie. I am always thinking. If I do this how will people react? What should I wear so people will want to be around me? What should I say to make people think I’m witty? Veronica doesn’t do that. She just does what she wants.
No one messes with Veronica Mars. Her warning, “You mess with the bull, you get the horns” has rung true on many occasions. She has friends in low places and cashes in her favors with her own types of Biblical revenge. Someone smashes her cars’ headlights; she plants a bong in his locker and gets him suspended. Someone else insults her, she runs over his new surfboard with her car. She’s not above threats; she’s not above blackmail. And when it comes down to it, she gets what she wants. Why wouldn’t you want to be like her? Sure there may be the slight moral stipulations, but she’s like a teenage Robin Hood. Shaming the rich, bringing the elite down to level ground. As long as you haven’t crossed her, she won’t bother you. Sure, her internal monologue may be kind of stinging, but no one can say they haven’t judged people in her own mind. And if you are lucky enough to be on Veronica Mars’ good side (good luck, it’s a small group) she will be the most loyal and helpful friend you have ever had. She puts her detective skills to work and gets you out of your predicaments no matter how much trouble it causes her. I have the world’s biggest “friend crush” on Veronica Mars. She is everything I want to be. She is my hero. If there were any fictional character I would make real, it would be her.
I’m not alone in my love for Veronica Mars. Though this unbelievably awesome piece of television was canceled in 2007, it still has a faithful following. Veronica Mars fans organized countless campaigns to keep the show around for a fourth season, and websites provided step-by-step instructions on how to get new fans. One campaign just raised money for Kristen Bell’s, the real life Veronica Mars, animal shelter of choice. You may ask, how would that help the show stay on the air? Really, I don’t know, but we fans can’t help our Veronica Mars devotion. Even though the show has been off the air for almost four years, fans will not give up. The latest campaigning has involved the mysterious and elusive Veronica Mars movie. Though no script has been written, no one has been cast, and no money has been put towards it, fans continue to hope that Veronica will live on through the big screen. Call us crazy, but it might just work. We have a mentality that if we could make Warner Brothers appreciate this show, it might magically reappear on our TV schedules, picking up right where it left off. Help the cause; send your letters of indignation to:
Jeff Robinov
President, Production, Warner Bros. Pictures
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522-0002
Alan F. Horn
President, & Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.
Entertainment 4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522-0002
Your envy of Veronica Mars makes complete sense. But I’m still a little unclear—do you really want to be like her or have a friend just like her?
ReplyDeleteAlso, on the hope of a Veronica Mars movie—why do you think people put so much effort into getting one final glimpse of the show? Do you feel like you need some sort of closure? If so, maybe there’s something more that you invested into the show than you realize.
--Kendall
I had never heard of this show, but am intrigued. From poking around on the web, and reading this piece, it seems as though Veronica is not your standard teenager, OR your standard private eye. How central are the case's Veronica seeks to unravel% How invested is Veronica in resolving her own issues around the significant trauma of her family situation%
ReplyDeleteFinally, I am always curious about these situations, when fans are left petitioning for another season, another album, etc. Shouldn't you, like a spurned lover, cut your losses and move on%
I am interested in the "inner monologue" you refer to in this blog post. Does this show rely heavily on voice-overs of Veronica's thoughts% Is this an essential aspect of the show% Does it make Veronica more likeable, or as you suggest in your writing, more difficult to write%
After reading your blog I have a new goal which is to watch one of these episodes. You dive into Veronica's character and paint a vivid picture to the Veronica Mar's virgins. One question I had was when you mentioned you can't stop watching is have you ever tried to stop? Do any other shows interest you or is it just this one? You also say you try hard to be tough and act like her but you still lack in complete Veronica confidance. Do you think you can achieve this state of not caring or is it only for fictional characters? I also like how you included the adress of the Warner Brother guys, very clever.
ReplyDeleteHey Maura!,
ReplyDeleteSo I had never heard of Veronica Mars before reading your piece. I now feel like I know exactly what type of person she is. You did a good job of explaining why she is a person to envy, but also why watching her may be interesting. I'm moved by your activism for renewing the show, this demonstrates your passion for the show.