Veronica Mars: Who knew?

Well, you know, I mean, besides apparently everyone but me.

In my defense, when the show began two years ago, I did call the fact that I would undoubtedly fall in love with it a couple of years down the line and kick myself for not catching on sooner. Which? Exactly what happened. I think my problem initially was that I heard from too many people (real ones and critics alike) that the show was the next Buffy. Don't get me wrong, I can see the comparison. Sassy little blonde, battling the doers-of-wrong in an affluent Californian suburb? Sure. But with that kind of build-up, I was bound to be disappointed. Combine that with inconvenient scheduling and it was a no-go.

But when I found out they were putting it on after Gilmore Girls on the new CW wunderstation, I thought I should give it another shot, and boy am I glad I did. Is it a replacement for Buffy? Well, no. But it is smart and funny, both in the writing and the acting. Kristin Bell and Enrico Colantoni create likeable leads in Veronica and her father respectively, and the supporting cast, though rather undeveloped so far in my own viewing, shows promise. The overarching mystery of Lily Kane's murder is intriguing and well-balanced with the smaller Mystery of the Week one-shots; think Nancy Drew, with an edge. And as an added bonus? Great music. In the handful of episodes I've watched so far, I've heard The Dandy Warhols, Death in Vegas, The Streets, Fountains of Wayne (in a particularly welcome deep cut from their second album), Longwave, and The Stills.

The first season is available on dvd now, and the second season will be out in August. So buy, rent, or borrow, and get caught up in time for season three.