Seasons 1, 2, and 3 (So Far) Recap

High school would have been so much easier if only I was as ballsy and witty as Veronica Mars. What teenage girl doesn't wish she could stand up for what's right, cut effortlessly across racial and socioeconomic lines, date the rich, popular guys, and think up snarky come-backs to every insult hurled her way? Mix that with a parent who's more like a best friend, a talent with technological gadgets and a lucrative small business helping out friends and digging up people's dirty secrets and Miss Mars has got to be the coolest chick on (television) earth.

Neptune's class wars, violent crime, and psychotic movie stars have provided Veronica with enough complicated mysteries to unravel that she'll surely have a place waiting for her in Langley, if she were the type to work for the government, that is. But in the meantime, the girl's got to get her education.

How does she have time to study when she's always chasing after a trail of no-goodness? Who knows, but I guess it wouldn't be much fun to watch Veronica sit in front of her computer writing term papers all night. On January 23 our lovely heroine will be back onscreen and back on Hearst campus, ready to solve the next big mystery in sunny California.

Let's recap the last two and a half seasons to see where we stand at this point. I must say, Veronica's life isn't the easiest one to stay on top of. Am I the only one who still doesn't quite understand what happened with the whole bus crash thing? I swear I was paying attention...I think you have to be nuts enough to watch episodes over and over again (and I know you people are out there) to follow every plot thread and interpret every nuanced conversation, squeezing each last drop of drama out of the TV set. 

OK, let me get down to business:

Season One: Her best friend Lilly has been murdered. Her boyfriend Duncan dumped her. Her dad the sheriff thinks Lilly's snobby parents have something to do with their daughter's death. Her rich friends have turned their backs on her. Then she gets raped...or does she? We meet her new best buddy Wallace. Lots of drama involving high school relationships back in the '80s, a guy named Curly, an alcoholic mother, V starts dating Lilly's ex Logan (weird), and then we find out that Logan's dad killed Lilly to keep their affair (ewww) quiet. When V uncovers the mystery, Logan's daddy goes completely psychotic and tries to burn her up, kill her dad, but then gets hit by a truck. The end. 

Season Two: V's not dating Logan anymore and eventually she gets back with safe (boring) Duncan. Logan is accused of murdering a member of the Mexican motorcycle gang, the PCHers, during a drunken escapade. With a little help from Veronica, Logan gets off the hook. A school bus goes over a cliff killing almost everyone on board. After a long convoluted story arc we find out that sweet little Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas planted a bomb on the bus to kill two guys who were about to expose the mayor as a child molester, because it would have meant admitting that he too was molested. Wallace has a girlfriend. Oh, and Duncan steals his baby birthed by his comatose ex-girlfriend and absconds to Mexico never to be seen again (hello, Days of Our Lives!).

Season Three (so far): Veronica and the rest of the crew go off to Hearst College, which just happens to be in Neptune. Soon V is hunting a rapist-cum-barber and making enemies left (feminists) and right (frat boys). She's back with Logan, who seriously needs to get into therapy. She's getting good grades, at least in criminal psychology, where she's found a jealous competitor in a bad wig (right?). Wallace isn't getting good grades. V's daddy, Keith, follows his heart and begins an extramarital affair with one of his clients after getting into a wicked car accident (life's too short, y'all). And then next thing you know, Dean O'Dell's kaput. 

So stay tuned for the continuing adventures of our favorite private eye extraordinaire... Maybe Duncan will return from Mexico so she can continue her alternating dating regimen. Maybe Weevil will get on a Tae Bo kick and regain his sex appeal. Maybe somebody will explain to me the whole Fitzpatrick situation. Whatever happens, Veronica will surely kick butt and deliver a boatload of sassafrass.

iTunes Links

Veronica Mars - Series
Veronica Mars - Season 3