Veronica Mars 1.01 'Pilot'

‘Veronica Mars’ never got the time of day. Whether it was its ratings, which were always below network average, exposure, since pretty much nobody knew this series existed, or recognition, when it was passed over due to its affiliation with other cheap inferior teen dramas. Mars deserved acceptance on all those fronts and more because despite its somewhat silly sounding premise, the show was never anything less than stellar, at least during the first two years anyway. The pilot has always been a favourite of mine, and not just because it’s where it all began, but because in so many ways, it’s the perfect first episode and it's one that most series could only ever dream of.

It’s quite obvious that the series knew exactly what direction it wanted to go with from the beginning. The pilot is evidence of a script that was so obviously given a lot of time and effort by Rob Thomas to allow viewers to see the series he had envisioned. All the dialogue is witty and precise, the characters well thought out and cast and the tone of the show painstakingly definitive.

It’s easy to see where the ‘Buffy’ comparisons come from, given the superb wit and attitude that protagonist Veronica possesses. In many ways Veronica is often superior to our favourite vampire slayer, since she was always more relatable, but maybe that was down to the absence of super powers, I don’t know. Bell was never once off her game once during the show’s 3 year run, always showcasing the major talent that in a few years she would come to receive recognition for. Veronica’s prickly exterior isn’t something she was born with, she created it out of necessity and this series takes that and breaks it down over the course of the first season making it easy to root for her as she sets out to prove her family’s innocence.

The rest of the cast were no duds either, each of them bringing a different vibe to the series, whether it’s the wisecracking bad boy charisma Jason Dohring gives Logan or the likeable qualities that Percy Daggs creates in Wallace almost all the characters were interesting and appealing in their own way. Even the background characters were a fascinating bunch. That’s something that I’ve always liked about this series; how it creates such a sense of community not just within the high school, but in Neptune itself. It’s something that 'Gilmore Girls' does in a similar manner with Stars Hollow.

The pilot showcases the shows ability to make each and every character a pivotal part of the series with small characters like Cliff whose fun persona makes Veronica’s takedown of Lamb even more fantastic to watch. The chemistry among almost all of them is undeniable and no more so than with Bell and Enrico Colantoni, who make one of the greatest father daughter pairings television has ever seen.

The series’ noir aspects weren’t what drew me to it initially but they’ve since become one of my favourite things about it, separating it from others shows of similar nature. The pilot shows just how amazingly the teen drama meshes with the dark mysteries and introduces us to the murder that we will spend a year solving and why it matters so much to Veronica. I think Lily’s death was the best story the series ever did, given the personal element that was attached for Veronica. The espionage and detective parts make this series a load of fun and they convey how seriously clever the show’s writers were.

I could easily continue these fanboy ramblings forever, but I think it’s pretty easy to see just how much I adore ‘Veronica Mars’ and what a great, and easy start it had. Full marks.

10/10