I just watched the Veronica Mars final - finally. I spoilered myself beforehand accidentally... I was prepared. This is why it took me so long to watch, why I didn’t enjoy the season as much as I initially thought I would. Anyway. What’s wrong with it? The better question would be probably: What could they have done worse?
Starters: I didn’t like the movie much because it appeared to be a treasure hunt for old characters without good reason and a semi-good plot. Fan service naturally - I accepted it and don’t value it any less. At least it gave me closure - a happy end. What I didn’t realize and didn’t appreciate enough at the time (as I see know) was that they played out much of the character strengths - even the supporting ones. They stayed in character. Some of them had not many appearances but at least it were good ones. This time they presented a lot of new characters I couldn’t care less about (maybe Nicole, but she wasn‘t given any closure either). None of the beloved characters beside Keith gotten anything good or real. I really feel bad for Wallace. Weevil got his few moments but not nearly enough. And what pisses me off the most how badly they were handled. They appeared, served and were never seen again like... what? So Dick got an acting job somewhere else... Aha. Thanks for nothing. Nicole broke off properly and gone without being mentioned by Veronica (thanks for this reminder how shitty she was this season). Let's talk about Wallace... he could have been in this season or not. Wouldn’t have made a difference for anyone. And that’s so sad. We got so many scenes with Big Dick instead - what for? I could go on and on with this shitty character treatment and development. Well I won’t. Because in my opinion the root of the problem is not necessarily the character design its more a symptom.
Instead of giving us the season we expected and loved (a big plot underlined by many small cases which made Veronica Veronica and the other characters shine), they gave us this one big murder mystery short series without properly thinking it threw. Instead of Veronica investigating and being in the focus all the time we had many persons following one and the same case. Well, let’s just say: Wouldn’t have missed the Mexicans, wouldn’t have missed the probably very expansive sidekick of Big Dick. Wouldn’t have missed the Murderheads... Really, I wouldn’t have. They tried a different perspective here, new writing. I guess it’s because times change, right? People do as well? Worth a shot. What we’re used seeing determines what we like - well, we used to see a well-scripted Veronica Mars. This wasn’t it. If we wanted to see some detective murder case we could watch one of many one-season series that pop out of nowhere right now - but we didn’t want that. Well, I didn’t want it. I wanted good old Veronica Mars. Same Witt, interesting cases, good characters. If they would have gone the old ways you could have given all the characters so much more space. In episode three comes a case up where Veronica needs Weevil and they can figure out there problems (not solving them, they get the opportunity briefly in episode 5), in episode six Wallace need Veronicas to help for something in the school (and she tells him how boring she finds his life and he can tell her to back off because it’s none of her business to judge and that they can have together-time like they used to without her being anything near a healthy environment) - you get the idea, right? Classic PI stuff. They screwed that chance up for what? Red Hearings as some of the others are calling it. The idea of the bombing was good, but it wasn’t good enough to carry the show we loved through a whole season.
And this is why I wouldn’t have liked this season - but there was hope you know. Maybe it would have been back next season - all these things wouldn’t have mattered if they just sticked to the Status Quo ( I wouldn’t have needed the wedding, honest). Instead they showed us a total screwed LoVe - but we’re used to that, right? They need to be screwed up thats part of what they are. And as I agree with many of you, Veronica treated Logan especially badly for no reason, I think that was something genius. This was a relationship they could actually have transfered into next season, that was adult. Even though I think they missed big opportunities here for Jason Dohring to show off more than his muscles (his amazing acting skills for example) and even though it was getting on my nerves how Veronica tried to justified her no constantly and badly - it was kind of realistic. It was interesting to see that one was developping and the other wasn’t. And instead of figuring this out ... they killed him off? What for? I totally agree with all of you that their reasoning is total bs. I mean, come on. The adult thing to do wouldn’t need a killing - it would have been a therapy (or even a break up; a mature one where they stay friends afterwards). If you didn’t like the dynamics of a married PI - why didn’t they remembered that they gave the husband the perfect job for that. Just imagine having Logan away for a few episodes, come back, having them in couples therapy. It could have been a perfectbliss without him being killed and Veronica going backwards by reacting the exact same way x years ago when her friend was murdered. Congratulation all you did was making it unrealistic- by having a character that is probably never going to change.
Worst part? They didn’tt take time. They didn’t show it. It is so cruel, so shitty, so full of fear. I can only think of two reasons to do it that way 1) it was easier to shoot, an easy get out for a character you don’t want anymore. It’s cheap
2) they wanted to keep all options open and thats just... wrong. Let’s see how they like it and then we decide finally. I swear to good if they show up next season and tell us it was all a pr-stunt or it was planned all along - that would just be stupid. So there is no way this can end well. Therefore..
Veronica Mars, we used to be friends....