Film & TV Writer Caitlin Rock shines a light on the underrated 2000s teen drama Veronica Mars, exploring what makes it so beloved among fans
Content Warning: mention of sexual harrassment
Veronica Mars is rarely ranked alongside other 2000s teen dramas such as Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, or Gossip Girl. In 2004, the opening line – ‘This is my school. If you go here, your parents are either millionaires, or your parents work for millionaires. Neptune, California: a town without the middle class.’ – introduced us to teenage detective Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), as she investigates the murder of her best friend, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried), which tore her world apart. She fights against an unjust system of local policing and her ever-present economic struggles, whilst also navigating new friendships and the complexities of high school relationships.
The fan-funded 2014 movie is evidence that Veronica Mars is immensely well-loved by those who have watched it, but has been generally severely underestimated and underappreciated.
The fan-funded 2014 movie is evidence that Veronica Mars is immensely well-loved by those who have watched it, but has been generally severely underestimated and underappreciated. For this reason, I am going to make a case for why this is the perfect show to watch and fall in love with.
Whilst each season has an overarching mystery, each episode also features its own self-contained mystery, striking the perfect balance of keeping us invested in who the ‘Big Bad’ is, whilst also making it consumable in small single-episode bites.
Veronica Mars is a paragon of a detective show that does not feel like sycophantic copaganda, where the viewers are actually able to become invested in the mystery without the guilt of rooting for police to serve justice to predominantly marginalised criminals. In Neptune, the corrupt Sheriff’s Department is often the enemy, as they fail to take Veronica’s own sexual assault seriously, and routinely ignore vital evidence in the name of wrapping up a case as quickly and cleanly as possible.
If you are watching the show for this class commentary, you might want to switch it off after the credits roll on the masterpiece that is Season 2 Episode 22, ‘Not Pictured’. Unless you want to be disappointed by the way it takes a turn towards more traditional attitudes towards justice and crime. Not such a turn, though, that the original political messaging is entirely betrayed. However, by this point, you will have probably become so invested in the characters’ lives that you cannot help but watch the following two seasons and movie.
A highlight of the show is the friendship between Veronica and new kid Wallace Fennell (Percy Daggs III), which develops quickly into a supportive platonic connection, making the viewer smile every time Wallace pops up on screen to help Veronica out with a case or simply to laugh and joke around with her. This, as well as her Gilmore Girls-esque close relationship with her single father, makes the show incredibly heartwarming and emotionally hard hitting at points – especially when core relationships are jeopardised by the plot.
Veronica sits at the heart of the show, making it intensely re-watchable.
Veronica herself is also a fiercely complex character, defeating high school bullies and idiotic cops alike, with witty one-liners that feel perfectly in line with her sarcastic and carefree persona that hides how deeply she has been hurt. Even after all the mysteries are uncovered – slowly and gratifying – Veronica sits at the heart of the show, making it intensely re-watchable.
Overall, if you are looking for a mix of class commentary, mystery, humour, and heart, Veronica Mars is the perfect combination of this, packaged into a gripping four season and film run.
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