John Crichton
First Post
I know everyone is talking about either Lost, Smallville, Enterprise or Battlestar Galactica and with good reason. But we shouldn't ignore Veronica Mars. This show is easily (and I say this without hesitation) the best the network has ever produced. Yes, better than seasons 6 & 7 of Buffy. And way better than Enterprise.
http://www.upn.com/shows/veronica_mars/ - Official Site. Worth checking out.
Return of the Kane is the 6th episode of the show and by this point the main characters are becoming very familiar. A good rythm is established between the overall plot (the mysterious murder of Lilly Kane), the father/daughter relationship between Keith & Veronica, Veronica's relationships with her former friends (which include her former boyfriend, Duncan Kane) and the reveals we get each week about the supporting cast. This week we get a closer look at Duncan and Logan (son of a famous actor and all-around ass).
I'm not going to go crazy with a plot recap but I'll hit the important stuff:
<LI> Wanda Varner runs for class president to break the socially elite student's hold on school fringe benefit policies. Wanda is a former pep-squad member who is not-so-peppy anymore.
<LI>Duncan Kane runs against her, but not by his own doing at first.
<LI>Logan Echolls organizes illegal boxing matches with the homeless and gets busted. We learn that his dad beats him with implied frequency.
<LI>Veronica has another dream about Lilly.
<LI>Keith Mars has given up on the murder case because he just wants to move on. Veronica uncovers evidence that we can assume ropes him back in.
<LI>We see why Veronica was so attracted to Duncan who has essentially been the human equivalent of a bump on a log through the series run so far.
<LI>Duncan comes through. One of the best parts of the episode.
I'm really liking how the writers dangle more clues, potential motives and the like regarding Lilly's murder. Every time I think that I could have the murderer pinned we get more of the story that points to someone else. Additionally, it is great to have a character who is smart and that we believe is smart (not just written that way). We can see that her father is incredibly intelligent and resourceful which has rubbed off on Veronica in the best way.
The show also makes good use of flashbacks which actually feel like a quick jump into Veronica's mind. Take this week: we see that Duncan is a really good guy without much prejudice. He defends the little guy and can't stand bullies. We can actually see a little bit of what could make him special. We keep hearing from other characters that he is smart, talented and destined for great things but we can't even start to see why until now. Add in that Veronica was in love with the guy. There had to be a reason and we get our first taste.
The student election scandal was the backdrop for all of this. Nothing too special here with the exception of Veronica doing her investigation bit. A lesser show would have lingered on this plotline for too long but instead we get the meta-plot cleverly mixed in along with some solid character building between Veronica and Duncan.
My last thoughts go to the easily hateable Logan. He has essentially been a painful thorn in Veronica's side until now. Kicking it up a notch this week he insults a war veteran trying to bribe him into street fighting, gets caught in the process, embarresses his father and further compounds things by blindsiding his father during a public apology for his illegal boxing stunt. It will be interesting to learn more about Logan and why he is so twisted.
Overall, a solid and worthy showing this week. I could use more of the Lilly Kane murder meta-plot but I'm sure they are saving that for sweeps and the end of the season. Kristen Bell continues to carry the show, walking the line between snarky, smart, emotional and driven all at the same time.
Final Score: 3 out of 4 stars.
The Ratings Breakdown
4 = Classic. Blew me away from start to finish.
3 = Very good. Entertaining and a worthwhile experience.
2 = Average. Watchable but flawed.
1 = Terrible. Unwatchable dreck.
0 = I wish I had that time back. So bad that I may never watch the show again.
http://www.upn.com/shows/veronica_mars/ - Official Site. Worth checking out.
Return of the Kane is the 6th episode of the show and by this point the main characters are becoming very familiar. A good rythm is established between the overall plot (the mysterious murder of Lilly Kane), the father/daughter relationship between Keith & Veronica, Veronica's relationships with her former friends (which include her former boyfriend, Duncan Kane) and the reveals we get each week about the supporting cast. This week we get a closer look at Duncan and Logan (son of a famous actor and all-around ass).
I'm not going to go crazy with a plot recap but I'll hit the important stuff:
<LI> Wanda Varner runs for class president to break the socially elite student's hold on school fringe benefit policies. Wanda is a former pep-squad member who is not-so-peppy anymore.
<LI>Duncan Kane runs against her, but not by his own doing at first.
<LI>Logan Echolls organizes illegal boxing matches with the homeless and gets busted. We learn that his dad beats him with implied frequency.
<LI>Veronica has another dream about Lilly.
<LI>Keith Mars has given up on the murder case because he just wants to move on. Veronica uncovers evidence that we can assume ropes him back in.
<LI>We see why Veronica was so attracted to Duncan who has essentially been the human equivalent of a bump on a log through the series run so far.
<LI>Duncan comes through. One of the best parts of the episode.
I'm really liking how the writers dangle more clues, potential motives and the like regarding Lilly's murder. Every time I think that I could have the murderer pinned we get more of the story that points to someone else. Additionally, it is great to have a character who is smart and that we believe is smart (not just written that way). We can see that her father is incredibly intelligent and resourceful which has rubbed off on Veronica in the best way.
The show also makes good use of flashbacks which actually feel like a quick jump into Veronica's mind. Take this week: we see that Duncan is a really good guy without much prejudice. He defends the little guy and can't stand bullies. We can actually see a little bit of what could make him special. We keep hearing from other characters that he is smart, talented and destined for great things but we can't even start to see why until now. Add in that Veronica was in love with the guy. There had to be a reason and we get our first taste.
The student election scandal was the backdrop for all of this. Nothing too special here with the exception of Veronica doing her investigation bit. A lesser show would have lingered on this plotline for too long but instead we get the meta-plot cleverly mixed in along with some solid character building between Veronica and Duncan.
My last thoughts go to the easily hateable Logan. He has essentially been a painful thorn in Veronica's side until now. Kicking it up a notch this week he insults a war veteran trying to bribe him into street fighting, gets caught in the process, embarresses his father and further compounds things by blindsiding his father during a public apology for his illegal boxing stunt. It will be interesting to learn more about Logan and why he is so twisted.
Overall, a solid and worthy showing this week. I could use more of the Lilly Kane murder meta-plot but I'm sure they are saving that for sweeps and the end of the season. Kristen Bell continues to carry the show, walking the line between snarky, smart, emotional and driven all at the same time.
Final Score: 3 out of 4 stars.
The Ratings Breakdown
4 = Classic. Blew me away from start to finish.
3 = Very good. Entertaining and a worthwhile experience.
2 = Average. Watchable but flawed.
1 = Terrible. Unwatchable dreck.
0 = I wish I had that time back. So bad that I may never watch the show again.
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