Revisiting Mars

Recently, I was asked if I still watch Veronica Mars, since I don't blog about it anymore. I guess I was just trying to keep the number of TV shows I talk about in check, so there'd be other stuff here to read about too.

But the fact is, not only do I still watch it and love it, but with the way Battlestar Galactica has stumbled a bit in season three, Veronica Mars is now my favorite show currently running. I think the way they've traded one season-long "uber mystery" for the "mini arcs" of this year hasn't hurt their game at all.

If I had to find something negative to say about the show, it might be that they haven't used some of the secondary characters particularly well this season. Wallace has been "Sir Not Appearing In This Episode" quite a lot this year, and he doesn't always really have anything good to do when he does. Mac got promoted to regular status, and Parker and Piz were added to the mix, but you hardly see them either.

But it's a minor issue. Everything about the show has been great. The relationship between Keith and Veronica must be the best parent/child relationship on the air. The "Hearst rapes" storyline that began the season was strong, and had all the fun twists and turns of past ongoing plots. The recently-wrapped-up Dean O'Dell murder was even better, as it touched on the same tones as the original season one "Lilly Kane murder" story -- someone Veronica cared about had been taken from her.

Now, for what could be (but I hope isn't) the show's final few episodes, they're in brand new territory. Keith's back to sheriff again (interrim sheriff, anyway), as has always been in the backstory but never seen on the show. The loss of Lamb as a foil for Keith and Veronica is a shame, but it opens up some doors to do something different for a while, and that's good too.

I think the quality is just as good now as it's ever been, and I hope they get rewarded with a fourth season.