I feel kind of a poseur even proposing a Veronica Mars chatty chat, but hey, I got UPN so I could watch this season off one episode. So, if people show up to discuss the season opener, we’ll make this the second weekly TV show chatty thread and if they don’t, it will never appear here again. Here’s the episode description for "Normal is the Watchword":
After the summer fireworks caused by a dangerous confrontation with Lilly Kane’s murderer and a surprising visitor at her door, Veronica attempts to settle into "normal" life, complete with a new after-school job and a return to the popular fold at Neptune High, but she gets pulled back into the investigation business when Wallace is kicked off the basketball team for testing positive for drugs.
Meanwhile, Keith sits down with reporter Julie Chen (guest starring as herself) to discuss his new book on the Lilly Kane murder, "Big Murder, Small Town." Later, after seeing his father arrested for murder and being charged and tried for murder himself, Logan seeks refuge from the paparazzi and relaxes poolside at the Casablancas mansion with buddies Dick and "Beaver" and their sexy stepmother Kendall (guest star Charisma Carpenter).
Steve Guttenberg guest stars as Woody Goodman, a charismatic major league baseball team owner and leading candidate in the local mayor’s race; UPN’s AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL winner Naima Mora guest stars as journalism teacher Ms. Dumas; and Jeffery Sams guest stars as a famous baseball player from Goodman’s team.
Oooh, an ANTM (feel free to work in chat about that as well in this thread) product, I mean person, placement. See you later. Maybe.
Updated: This was apparently the most viewed episode of VM ever, which can only be a good thing. (Thank you, Miss Tyra.) This is the same general ratings area as Gilmore Girls, so hopefully that bodes well for the network to continue to stand by the show.
just so you know – I’ve heard this episode spoilers the big mysteries (unsurprisingly) from last season.
(and I shall be by after to rant and rave on it 🙂 )
I seem to have a pattern of getting into most series late in the game, so everything is spoiled when I go back. But it’s always slightly different than what I picture from the fallout, so that’s okay.
lalala not reading the description!
(Although discussion is a Good Thing, even if I’ll always be about 24 hours behind everyone else.)
SPOILERS!
First: Niall should be banned (banned!) for not reminding me about VM.
Second: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Cassandra on ANTM – your hair is all gone!
Third: I am unhappy with the boyfriend situation, though she will be doing Weevil soon and that will be ok.
Fourth: good mysteries so far
Fifth: what happened to the third tape?
Keith & Veronica – excellent. “You’ll really like these guys”.
Wallace & Veronica – excellent.
Boyfriend situation… uh. I’m not thrilled at this point, but I see why they chose to go this way for structural reasons. We get to continue the ‘dark side’ of Logan and the quadrangle (pentagle, I guess, with Kendall) gives a lots of way to play red herring through the season.
Charisma Carpenter, typecast, but looking good.
I do approve of the heightened background tension in Neptune and the whole ‘chose a side’ motif. I think there’s a chance to say a lot there, and some notes that can be worked into nice recurring themes through the season.
Well, not knowing much of anything about last season, I’m sure I missed a ton, but I found a lot to like here too. Like, Chris, I’m intrigued at where they will take the class war, a dead interesting choice.
I’m also not sold on the boyfriend situation. The guy she’s with (I’m still learning their names) is so BLAND. Oh well.
I love Mr. Mars.
Chance – ANTM: I love that they ruined Cassandra! That was my favorite, favorite thing. I hope the new haircut really does make her look like she’s being poisoned by Satanists. Best quote of the evening (paraphrased): “Pageants make you a better woman; modeling’s more of a career.”
Quick question – we can assume everyone who’s reading the comments has seen the show? I was being vague up above because I wasn’t sure what the spoiler rules were.
Who could not love Mr Mars? He’s so awesome.
Yes, boyfriend is bland central – he was a walking zombie all through last season.
Hee – I loved that quote too. It’s going to be YEARS before. I think she’s one of those they’ll keep around long enough (like Robyn) that she’ll be convinced she’s going to win and when she goes she’ll be bitching all the way.
The drug testing storyline was pretty weak I thought, and I’m glad if got resolved pretty easily and a bit early on. But the ending definitely has me convinced that season 2 may be as good as season 1.
I’m glad Logan hasn’t changed all that much – I was afraid they were going to take away all his bite.
I like Duncan. I also liked Riley. So there. :-p
Messy, messy episode, even leaving aside the fact that I was on the verge of shouting ‘no! no!’ at the screen through the whole first half. Good setup, though. And not enough Keith or Mac.
Would you believe that Duncan’s affect is actually a massive improvement over last season? I actually spotted some chemistry between him and Veronica (although, in all fairness, Kristen Bell has chemistry with inanimate objects, she’s just that good).
The episode itself I found a bit slow and too concerned with filling us in on the backstory, but the last five minutes were chilling. Poor Meg! I hope she starts showing up in flashbacks like Lilly.
I’m of two minds about the ep. I found it a bit plodding, and I agree with Abigail that it seemed way to busy in catching new viewers up on the backstory.
I also found Meg’s behaviour out of character, and that bothered me. Poor Meg.
But… it’s VM. It’s back. The first Big Mystery fits well withing established continuity. The second… I suspect it will as well.