Veronica Mars: Season 2 [DVD]

Thank you Warner Home Video, for releasing the second season of my favorite television series in August instead of waiting until October as you did for Season 1.For those looking for the true heir to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in terms of a sharp script and snappy dialogue look no further than the UPN show Veronica Mars. Not since Sunnydale dropped into a deep chasm has television seen such a fabulous ensemble of talented young actors deliver such inventive dialogue in intelligent, darkly humorously directed fare.For me Tuesday nights became the most anticipated TV night of the week and I could not get enough of the show or its hot star Kristen Bell. It quickly shot up the rankings on my TiVo season pass where it now sits at number one and my Kristen Bell TiVo wish-list was set to auto-record so I would not miss any program in which she was featured. I remember the anger when my local UPN station decided to air a baseball game instead of one episode - never have I felt more like putting pen to paper to express my displeasure with a programming decision.So what is this show that induces such passion? It's a detective show, no it's a romantic drama, or is it a dark comedy? Well, in reality it is all of this and more. Set in the California city of Neptune, it paints the picture of a society split between the have's such as the rich Kane family or movie star Aaron Echoll's children and the have-nots (notably title character Veronica Mars and her friends Wallace and Weevil).Veronica is the daughter of Keith Mars, the former Sheriff, who is now a private detective. The first season centered around the investigation into the murder of Veronica's best friend Lilly and Veronica's rape and the second season centers on the investigation into a bus crash that sent a group of students over a cliff to their deaths - a bus that Veronica was supposed to be riding. In addition a second mystery that is not resolved until later in the season is who was responsible for the death of Weevil's cousin Felix.But, as Veronica continues her investigation each episode involves the investigation into a lesser mystery. From who was responsible for the death of a classmates dog to the blackmail of gay studentsVeronica (with the help of Wallace, Mac and assorted other friends) must navigate a world of pirate radio stations, Irish gangs and still vie for the Kane scholarship, which would allow her to make her dreams of attending Stanford a reality.In addition to the great script the other strength of the show is in assembling a wonderful ensemble of young actors. Led by Kristen Bell who as Veronica outdo's Buffy in the dry humor department, and ably supported by Canadian actor Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars, the two really display a true father-daughter affection for each other which apparently was true off-screen as well. In addition to this dynamic there is also Percy Daggs III as Veronica's best friend (and cohort in her investigations) Wallace and Jason Dohring appears as Logan, the bad-boy rich kid son of Aaron (played by Harry Hamlin of "Clash of the Titans" fame).Completing the talented young cast is Francis Capra as biker bad-boy Weevil and new to this season is the very appealing and spunky Tessa Thompson as Wallace's girlfriend Jackie. She was disliked initially by fans though as the season went on she became more popular - personally I had liked her from her first scene.This show needs to be seen to be believed. Sure I am a diehard fan of the show, but I defy any viewer not to became charmed by the drama, romance, humor and well drawn characters. Yes, the mysteries are solved but a lot of the fun comes in the journey towards those last episodes of the season. The season finale aired just last night and I was blown away by it. I was shocked and drawn in to every emotionally powered minute of it and fans across the internet are raving about it. Season 3 simply cannot come soon enough for me.On this DVD set of six discs we are promised a behind the scenes featurette, gag reel and deleted scenes which would be a vast improvement on the relatively bare-bones season 1 release. Warner Bros. was apparently surprised by the fan following that VERONICA MARS had developed during season 1 so they did not prepare adequately for that season's DVD release. Thankfully they were better prepared this time around.

We spent a week or so watching all the second season's episodes, as many as we had time for every evening after work. And still we wound up confused and bewildered by some of what we were watching, for every episode is so rich and dense the mind cannot hold all the information we needed to remember from show to show. At first we felt stupid. OK, I feel still stupid, but surely there has never been a TV show so packed with incident and action, not to mmention so many script pages and pages of sharp, witty, incisive dialogue. I wonder if even leading actress Kristen Bell understands the nuances of everything she's been led through. At first, we told ourselves that Season 2 isn't as compelling as Season 1, for it lacked the intriguing and heartbreaking circumstances which led Veronica, when first we met her at the beginning of her junior year, to be the pariah and punching bag of the whole school. First an "O-Niner," then a nothing. And in season two, the case of the school bus tumbling into the sea didn't seem that it would mean as much of Veronica as the death of her best girlfriend, Lily Kane.Yet soon it became clear that Veronica feels just as much guilt about not being on that schoolbus on the way home from the Sharks game, as she did about not being able to save Lily from being murdered. The school bus thing is a vivid symbol of how much Veronica, by the tyranny of class, belonged on that bus, and how she's been whoring herself out by dating first Duncan, then Logan. "Rich dude kryptonite," Dick Casablancas calls her, and the insult cuts her both ways.By the way, did the actor who plays Wallace have something else to do for the second quadrant of the season? And the actor who plays Duncan--he also must have been filming a movie or taking a vow of celibacy in a monastery. Cause he just disappears, which is great for Logan lovers. Logan Echolls, the boy you love to hate, gets more and more of a chance to shine in Season Two and after awhile, you just give in. He and Veronica seem born to be together. When they're apart, it's like magnets being ripped out of their respective fields.Not even THE WIRE has a plot so rich and multilayered. Minor characters from season one pop up in season two and expand their performances in exciting, sometimes comical ways. In fact characters from other shows (e.g. Willow and Cordelia from BUFFY and ANGEL) show up on VERONICA MARS in roles that seem like Shakespearean variations on the selves they used to inhabit. If you stick it out to the end, Season 2 has a shocking finale you will never guess beforehand, and it's one that wraps up one of the mysteries of Season One you didn't even suspect invented. From what we hear, Season Three of VERONICA MARS, on its new hybrid network the "CW," is slated to be dumbed down with smaller narrative arcs and more "stand-alone" episodes. Pity, that.

This series is only available on region 1 (US import), why has it never been released here in the UK. Not that it matters as most of the boxsets are not embedded so will play on a region 2 players.Veronica is a wannabe PI who (not unlike Jessica Fletcher) manages to interfere in her classmates' lives and families. Each episode is leading to the big show down in the final episode when all the outstanding issues are supposed to come together so we discover who is behind the bus crash, etc. Except that it doesn't make sense, in one case the accused was with little Miss Mars herself when she said that they committed a certain action, but it's only on second viewing that you see the faults with the end result.Don't get me wrong I liked the series; I just didn't think it was as good as the first.According to the website it was just before the final episode was filmed that they got the green light for season 3 and changed the story at the last minute so that they did not loose a popular lead actor. It is a shame that they didn't role it over to the next season as it appeared as rushed as it obviously was.Still worth watching though, but, please, ignore the last episode unless like me you're a glutton for punishment and want to go back over it to spot the problems with the killer.-- UPDATE after receiving some comments about the accuracy of this review --I took my information, regarding the story and the agreement for a third series, from the official website.The official website states that they were initially told that they would not be getting a 3rd season half way through the second series. They then went to the Production Company and network with a version which would lead to Veronica to joining the FBI and so changing the entire layout of the show.It was this feeder idea that was given a "dependent" green light prior to the end of the second series, on the provision that they changed the murderer's identity - the network audience opinion surveys showed that the original character chosen was very popular with audiences.They knew they WOULD get a third series, but the network pen-pushers would have final say on the story line and scripts. The storyline and the scripts were then produced and these that were given the final approval for filming. Production began in May of 2006.The whole reason that the story of the killer became so convoluted is because the end was changed to make a different person the killer.All of this information comes directly from the official Veronica Mars website and from the network website, including the fact that the final killer was changed, not once, not twice, but three times.

This was a brilliant price for a fabulous series. I won't give away any clues here but don't hesitate - this series is awesome possibly better than series one as you are more invested in the characters.Veronica Mars, teen detective sounds corny but it has got to be one of the best teen dramas produced. Set in LA, Veronica Mars tackles an issue a week while working towards resolving the overall series story arc. Veronica Mars is a fast paced and gritty show with a funny and sassy heroine that you should introduce your daughters to. I started watching this with mine and we were both hooked. Using a noir backdrop Rob Thomas has created a classic series with a huge cult fan base. Next to VM, Buffy is clunky, strained, repetitive and just lacking.AND Kickstarter raised enough money for a crowd funded film due out in 2014. Can't wait.

Veronica Mars's second season improves on its first and successfully manages to top the first year finale 'Leave it to Beaver' with 'Not Pictured', which is quite possibly the best episode to date. Despite the fact that this season has its convoluted moments it is still very good; while last seasons storyarc dealt specifically with Lily Kane's murder, season 2 sees the politically/socially destructive nature of life in Neptune - and alludes to a great deal of what happened in the first season. The tensions hinted at in the first year begin to come to a head... So it's Veronica's final year of high school and her wishes for a normal life are quickly shattered: 'Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in!'Being Veronica Mars there is murder and betrayal a plenty! Due to the events of previous year, Veronica is no longer the outcast we see her as in season 1 and therefore has to learn to deal with new romantic relationships, as well as all the attention her new reputation as an amateur PI has gained her. Not to mention the bus crash. Solving the former becomes her main focus for the season; along the way various factions within Neptune weave an intricate web of lies and deceit causing Veronica to question everything and everyone.Sheriff Lamb is in almost every episode this season and we learn how much he loves procrastination and annoying Veronica... although there are some moments that hint to a dark past. Logan is also on a self-destruct mission - does he pull himself together? You'll see. Keith, Veronica and on occasion Lamb, work together to solve the bus crash mystery - was the bus crash meant for Veronica? Was it suicide? Or perhaps something else? While newish characters like Beaver and Mac become semi-regular cast members.The snark and chemistry between the actors carries over into this season and the writing has never been better; every episode is pretty much flawless with the overarcing story flowing through the stand-alone episodes with ease. Weighting emotion, humour, noir and the advancing story in excellent fashion. Some of my favourite moments from the season include Logans somewhat drunken conversation with Veronica at the alterna-prom about their relationship being `epic', the appearance of Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter in the same scene (Buffy alum), as well as Aaron Echolls murder trial and the return of drug dealer Troy.Even though not everything about this season hangs together quite as well as it should, it was certainly a more advanced storyarc than the murder in the previous season. The events of the finale `Not Pictured' are a stroke of genius; the revelations in that episode give the whole season a new kind of darkness and manipulation. The unnerving nature of how this season ends adds to the building noir that occurs as the story builds momentum. Overall season 2 is streets ahead of season 1 and well worth buying! Truly this show is one of the best television series ever. Don't let the supposedly hokey concept fool you, "teen detective", it's that in it's most basic form. This show is for people who want intelligence, witty humour, grey moral areas and an exploration of the corrupt class social structure. Though watching season 1, if you haven't already is advised. (Also this region 1 DVD does in fact work on region 2 players).The DVD extras are a bit sparse, there are no commentaries but there are a large number of deleted scenes and a couple of featurettes discussing the Veronica Mars 'verse.Highlight episodes include: `Normal is the Watchword', `Rat Saw God', `Donut Run', `The Rapes of Graff', `I am God', 'Happy Go Lucky' and `Not Pictured'.

Love veronica mars, so chuffed I got to buy the season, even if it does have foreign writing on the package!

of 6 dvds, i missed the four and have one double so i had to send it back. they gave back the money and that's it