Veronica Mars Season 2 Retrospective

Here is Part 2 in a series looking back at this wonderful cult hit TV show in anticipation of release of the film…

“I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed.”

In my retrospective of season 1 I mentioned a scene in the pilot set to the song “Girls” by Death in Vegas. I made note of this scene for its excellent and compelling use of form, flashback, and music as a means to evoke strong emotions and empathy for the series’ main character, Veronica. To this day it is a scene I remember for its bleak imagery and harsh message and what it meant overall for the tone of Veronica Mars as a TV show. There is a scene in Season 2 that has a similar effect on me. Once again it is a vital music choice that at first compelled me. The song is “Air” by Run. In the final scene of the 7th episode of season 2, “Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner,” Veronica and Duncan are investigating a case regarding a child who is severely emotionally abused by their parents. The child, as it turns out, is the younger sister of Meg Manning. We see Meg’s little sister locked in a secret room in her closet. We see Duncan and Veronica get caught by Meg’s father. Finally, we see how the notoriously awful Sheriff Don Lamb handles the situation. It is a scene that epitomizes this show. We see heretofore unseen layers of characters we thought we know. There is always something else lying underneath the surface. Sometimes it is something sleazy, sometimes it is an unexpected tenderness.

For the most part, the scene described above is not about Veronica. Season 2’s major mysteries – the horrific bus crash that kills 6 Neptune High students and the murder of PCH club member Felix, of which Logan is accused – do not hold the same direct emotional connection that the Lilly Kane murder of season 1 has to Veronica. Many fans of the show are quick to point this fact out, often as a means of criticism towards the season. While I am the first to admit that Veronica’s strong lack of emotional involvement in the overarching mysteries is accurate, I also don’t necessarily see it as a negative. It would have been easy for Rob Thomas and his team of writers to murder someone else close to Veronica or construct another mystery that had a similar connection. Instead, they clearly have other intentions and they are ones that I find highly ambitious. When I first watched Season 2 I was convinced that it was even better than Season 1. That’s no small task seeing as how beautifully constructed the first season is. Now, upon re-watch, I do not think it is better. That being said, I do think it is just about equally as good, but for very different reasons.

Season 2 takes many elements that were introduced in season 1 and gives them sharper focus, expanding on them and in turn making the world of Neptune, California more dynamic, compelling, and grimy. Neptune is not a good town, and season 2 goes to great lengths to show its many facets and develop the many individuals who live there. There is more violence, more sleaze, and more gravitas, and it is all designed to make some very clear points. Neptune is a town in decay. I talked about the scene from episode 7 above to illustrate that far more so than the first season this second season makes its emotional moments about other characters and other scenarios. Veronica is of course still the main character, and she remains one of the most amazing television heroines, yet we also take a more macro approach. The show really hammers home the notion of the class warfare that is occurring in Neptune, and in many ways this is at the center of all of the season’s stories and arcs. Class (and to a lesser extent racial) issues are developed and studied in such a way this season that it almost serves as a thematic manifesto on the issue. The bus crashes with only the lower class students on board, as the wealthy elite ride behind in a limousine. The murder of Felix and the accusal of Logan creates a sharply divided line. The show introduces a new character, Woody Goodman (portrayed with a surprising amount of depth and smarm by 80s icon Steve Guttenberg), an incredibly wealthy man who owns the local baseball team, The Sharks, who also happens to be the town mayor. Woody introduces a bill to incorporate the town, which would in effect insulate all of the wealthy homes and communities and leave the lower class folks left out to dry. We also meet Woody’s daughter, Gia, who becomes friends with Veronica. The season introduces a local Irish crime syndicate, The Fitzpatricks, who end up involved in a variety of stories, and their presence adds tension and grit to the proceedings. Although we had a gang in season 1 (the PCHers), the Fitzpatricks are far more realistic and far more scary.

A multitude of other plots are developed throughout the course of the season, including a sharper focus on the Casablancas family (brothers Dick and Cassidy aka Beaver join the opening credits) and in particular Mr. Casablancas’ shady business dealings and stepmom Kendall’s (Charisma Carpenter, just another in the show’s long line of Buffy references; Joss Whedon also appears in a small role) affair with Logan and her other various dubious choices. We meet professional baseball player Terrence Cook and his daughter Jackie (portrayed by Tessa Thompson, who is in the opening credits) who dates Wallace and causes a lot of trouble for Veronica. In a particularly sharp episode the difficult issue of homosexuality is dealt with in surprisingly deft and unique fashion. The season also features the saga of Meg Manning, the only person to survive the crash, who finds herself in a coma and pregnant with Duncan’s baby. The trial of Aaron Echolls occurs and it is a doozy, leading to shocking and satisfying results. The characters also graduate from high school.

Season 2 is one of the most plot heavy seasons of television I can recall, and Rob Thomas and his writers throw a huge amount of information at viewers on a week by week basis. The narrative becomes increasingly complex  and intelligently structured, and what is most remarkable and what I find truly incredible is that every last detail, even those that seemed utterly insignificant, tie together by the time we reach episode 22. This is clearly a season of television that was meticulously designed and mapped from the very beginning, which is simply a joy to behold. The show even takes the time to continue on and tie up loose ends from season 1. What we lose in Veronica’s emotional investment in the mystery arcs we more than make up for in pure quality and breadth of storytelling. Ambitious, no?

All the while the show maintains so many of the wonderful elements that made me fall in love with it in the first place. The wit, the noir elements, the play on high school drama tropes, the beautiful balance of tones, the wide array of characters both lead and supporting. The production value and style of the show is improved from the first season, with better and more moody cinematography and stronger directing across the board. The season still manages to hit some incredible emotional highs (the finale makes me cry more than any other episode of the show) and brings new depths to characters that we thought we knew or were relatively thinly drawn previously. The relationships between characters deepen – Veronica and Keith are simply one of the best parent/sibling pairings there is – and go in some unexpected places. Weevil’s arc is a roller coaster; his entire existence is put into question and Francis Capra’s charisma only grows stronger. I love that Mac (Tina Majorino) becomes a more vital player and is given a character beyond just that of Veronica’s computer friend. I also love that the show gets rid of Duncan, arguably its most boring character, in a fitting and perhaps more badass fashion than he actually deserved. Finally, Logan’s popularity amongst watchers in season 1 is taken to good effect as he becomes an even more pivotal and compelling character, living alone in The Neptune Grand hotel and attempting to beat the murder rap. The performances by the entire cast, but especially Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, and Enrico Colantoni are incredible.

Season 2 certainly has more contrasting opinions than the first. It is not as universally loved, and is certainly subjected to more criticism than the first. For me it remains a great season of television and a perfect showcase for the show’s wide variety of strengths. I remember watching the show each week in my college dorm room, trying to keep track of everything that was going on and all of the various plot threads. I was often overjoyed with the twists and turns, compelled by the characters, and utterly in love with both Logan and Veronica. (As in love as one can be with fictional characters, anyways). It remains one of the most joyous and memorable TV watching experiences of my life.

Best Episodes 

5. Normal is the Watchword (9.28.05) – The season’s first episode does a fantastic job of both resetting and subverting the status quo of the series. It cleverly subverts expectations to tie up the first season’s cliffhangers, and uses Veronica’s narration and flashbacks to its advantage. A mini-mystery involving Wallace (and others) wrongly failing a drug test is a fun way to get back into the swing of things, and allows us to be reintroduced into the world of Neptune without rehashing or pandering. Finally, the episode sets into place the many threads of season 2, including the introduction of a variety of new characters and the stunning and shocking bus crash in the episode’s final moments.

4. I Am God (4.11.06) – I’d wager that this is one of the most polarizing episodes in the show’s run, yet I absolutely love it. It doubles down on the surreal (what imagery!) and utilizes a series of odd dream sequences to fuel Veronica’s investigation of the bus crash. The dreams give us insight into the individuals that were on the bus and opens up a slew of new questions regarding motivation. It’s strange, compelling, and unlike any other episode of Veronica Mars. Kristen Bell’s performance is stellar as the dreams begin to alter her demeanor and her emotions.

3. Donut Run (1.25.06) – The first episode of the series creator/writer Rob Thomas directed, Donut Run is a fond farewell to one of the show’s original characters, Duncan Kane (this episode features Teddy Dunn’s best work on the show), and an absolutely terrific caper. Here’s the thing, though. This time, the episode is structured so that the caper is pulled not only on the characters but on the audience. It’s a gambit that pays off in a big way. A variety of moving pieces and characters, including the return of the great Vinnie Van Lowe, and some hilarious/parodic emoting from Veronica fuel the strong narrative and conclude one of the season’s major arcs.

2. Ain’t No Magic Mountain High Enough (2.8.06) – Although it features movement on the arcs, in many ways this episode functions similarly to my favorite episode of season 1, “An Echolls Family Christmas.” Like that great episode this one features an insular case and a wide variety of suspects we already like and know as Neptune High holds a Winter Carnival and the cash box is stolen right from under Veronica’s nose. This affords us the opportunity to explore the current state of characters like Weevil, Jackie, and Madison as Veronica attempts to solve the case. The narrative is almost labyrinthine as new revelations and gleefully enjoyable twists unfold. This episode is a great showcase for Neptune High School (and Principal Clemmons) and features Veronica at her most awesome and resourceful.

1. Not Pictured (5.9.06) – I will not give away the finale’s secrets. I will say that it is an incredibly intense and overwhelmingly emotional episode of television that brilliantly brings together multitudinous elements in satisfying, air tight fashion. Surprises galore, high school graduation, and the romantic reunion we have all yearned for (their LoVe is epic, after all!). This is Veronica Mars at its very best.

Next up… Season 3.