Thursday, March 13, 2014

Veronica Mars Week 2014: For the LoVe of Marshmallows: The Evolution of Logan and Veronica

On the eve of the premiere of the Veronica Mars movie, I wanted look back at one of the most pivotal relationships on the show, one that should be revisited in the movie. Of course, I’m talking about Logan and Veronica. I’ve read some interviews of late about how these two have grown up and matured since last we saw them. I admit, I was a big LoVe shipper when I watched the series and not just because Jason Dohring and Kristen Bell are beautiful, attractive people. I was drawn into their epic dance.

When we first find them, they are at odds. Veronica has fallen out of the popular crowd now that her best friend Lily (Logan’s girlfriend) has died. But even if Logan acts like he doesn’t care about Veronica, he does. Sure at first Veronica is trying to repair her relationship with boyfriend Duncan (Lily’s big brother). But, it becomes obvious in episode 18 of season 1 that Logan has feelings for Veronica. After all, he beats the crap out of a suspect DEA agent to save Veronica’s life. And they share their first kiss. What I wouldn’t give to have kissed that boy.

Sure Logan has some issues but don’t we all? Whatever his other flaws, Logan has a fierce sense of protectiveness when it comes to Veronica. Maybe it was that they were both so touched by the tragedy of Lily’s death (after all it was Logan’s own father who killed her) that drew them together and made Logan see any sleight against Veronica as an offense punishable by a beat down. I’m not saying that taking a swing at people was always the right answer but sometimes it was justified. Namely when he gets himself arrested in season 3 so he can have a personal beat down of the man who tried to rape Veronica. Hell, he would have been justified in pounding the snot out of Beaver for actually raping Veronica in high school but the Beave took his own life before that could happen. Perhaps the one that was the least justified was when Logan heard about a semi-scandalous sex tape of Veronica and Piz got out that spurred him to pummel the radio DJ. Now, I was never a fan of Veronica and Piz as a couple but he didn’t deserve that.

Veronica wasn’t without her flaws in their relationship, either. I think if Veronica had given Logan a chance to mature in their relationship, they might have had a real shot together way back when. But her own trust issues always got in the way. We all understand she was afraid of relationships and being intimate with people because of her past. Plus there were other people in her life who came and went as they pleased (her mother for instance). But I really think she and Logan would have had a shot if she’d learned to be a little more trusting. They weren’t perfect by any means as individuals but they could have made a better effort. I always enjoyed the storylines that were investigated more when they were a couple. Something about their energy just made the show more fun for me.

We left our epic pair at odds with one another and not having spoken for nearly a decade. As much as I rooted for LoVe to succeed during the show’s run, I am excited to know that they will play a large part in the film. As much as Rob Thomas says he wants his own daughter to end up with someone like Piz (which I can see the reason for that), I think he is a LoVe fan at heart. If you’ve followed any news about the storyline for the movie, you know that Veronica gets pulled back into her old life of snooping and detective work when Logan is accused of killing his pop star girlfriend. Fans will note that this wasn’t the first time Logan’s been accused of murder. He also faced charges for the death of a PCH biker. And Veronica was knee-deep in his case back then, too. Supposedly Veronica is only going to help Logan find a reputable attorney but she ends up trying to solve the mystery. That should surprise no one. Oh and attend their ten year high school reunion. Because who doesn’t want to see where all our favorite Neptune residents ended up.

By all accounts both Logan and Veronica have done a bit of growing up when we find them at the beginning of the movie. One hopes that Logan is a little less prove to beating the crap out of people who put Veronica in danger and hopefully she will have learned to be get over her own insecurities. She’s a strong woman for God sake. This LoVe fan is hoping for an ending that is befitting this couple (i.e. they end up together). They had such passion when they were together. It was intense and crazy at times but it honestly reminded me of some of the relationships Buffy had (in case you missed it, Jen did a comparison of Buffy and Veronica Mars yesterday so check it out). To me, Logan and Veronica is very reminiscent of Buffy and Spike while Veronica and Piz were much more in the realm of Buffy and Riley (after he was not a super soldier but before he turned into a completely useless suck bag). Really, I swear that’s not a dig at Chris Lowell because I like him as an actor. And again, if any of you read this blog regularly, you know I’m a huge Spuffy fan. So it really shouldn’t be a shock that LoVe is my favorite ship to sale in this fandom.

We will be seeing the Veronica Mars movie on release day (and as backers are expecting additional copies of the film and the shooting script at some point). We will be reporting back to you on our thoughts on the film probably over the weekend so look for that. I know I speak for both Jen and I when I say that we are proud to have been part of a movement that brought this great character and couple back to life. See you soon Marshmallows!

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