20 Years a Marshmallow: Veronica Mars 20 Years Later

Buffy is often cited as a show that helped shaped television, opening the door for strong female leads and storylines that weren’t resolved in one episode. One of the shows that seems to walk in Buffy’s footsteps is Veronica Mars, a show I started to watch on the recommendation of a friend, and I did find it similar to Buffy. It has a strong lead, it blends genres (Buffy is teen horror and Veronica is teen noir), and it explores being an outsider in highschool. While I miss the supernatural element of Buffy in Veronica (the bring-your-own-metaphor aspect of the supernatural is great for teen audiences), it did fill a void left by Buffy coming to an end.

It even shares some cast, with Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter appearing in guest roles, and some directors, with John T. Kretchmer and Nick Marck directing episodes on both shows.

The goal of this project is to explore the themes of Veronica Mars through the lens of a Buffy fan, drawing out similarities and differences between the two shows and how they present the teen experience. Because I watched Veronica Mars on DVD (and was able to binge watch all the seasons), this time I will be taking my time, watching each episode on the same day it aired, 20 years later.

I hope you enjoy the ride!