VERONICA MARS Ep. 3-001 "Welcome Wagon"

Rating: 3

For the firts time since this show's debut 2 years ago I watched an entire episode of this popular 'sleeper' hit series. I heard so much about this one (having two pals who are addicted to this series could sure help keep a gal updated), and almost every time I tune in to Entertainment Tonight or some such shows I'll hear something about this show or whatnot.

It's a so-so show; it didn't really get me hooked until like the last 10-15 minutes of Tuesday night's season three opener. Heck, I wouldn't have watched it if Gilmore Girls didn't precede it. I was surprised to see "Mac" played by that girl from Andre and Corrina, Corrina. But after seeing the teaser trailers for the 3rd season opener I figured, what the heck? Let's check out what has gotten two of my gal pals hooked on this show.

The dialogue was cool, in my standards anyway. I like the way Veronica (Kristen Bell) talks. And there was that cheesy, but cute line between Veronica & Piz (Chris Lowell) after she gave him a lift to the police station (it has something to do with Mars riding a Saturn in Neptune -- and Veronica replied using the lovely and always pun-worthy planet, Uranus, before switching to the next scene inside the police station).

But with the sharp dialogue aside, the pace was...oh blubber! That's all I can say about that with a matching eye-rolling to give more emphasis. Good thing I was doing some crafts stuff otherwise I would've turned my T.V. off before I could reach the (in my opinion) best part: when Kendall (Charisma Carpenter) got into...let's just say there's a mess involving her (don't wanna spoil the episode for those who hasn't seen it yet) and Keith (Enrico Colantoni) witnessed it. And another push that got this third season opener episode rolling was Parker (Julie Gonzalo), Mac's (Tina Majorino) player roommate, waking up to something very horrific (again, not wanting to spoil the show for those who hasn't seen it yet).

Kristen Bell is still cute (no wonder my cousin's crushing on her BIG TIME). I really love her character's cool, cocky demeanor. She made Veronica seem adorably...in your face? I couldn't help but just like Veronica! But Veronica & Logan's (Jason Dohring) scenes didn't give me the giggles. Granted last Tuesday's episode is my first FULL VM episode I watched, their cute scene in the beginning when Logan said something about making Veronica a 'butch' after they watched a Clint Eastwood marathon wasn't the stuff giggle-factors create. Heck, I giggled more while watching two characters from Bones interact and play down this 'sizzling' attraction (and it's my first time watching an entire episode of it too -- but that's for another review) than watch Veronica & Logans' scenes (I saw clips of their first kiss and THAT was giggle-icious!).

Overall, I say the last few minutes of Tuesday night's episode saved this show for me. Now I wanna watch next week's episode and find out how our college super sleuth sniff out a campus serial rapist...