Whoever told me about Veronica Mars...

thanks! Someone here recommended that series as an "if you liked Buffy, then..." thing, and it took me this long to get up to it on my Netflix queue, but I'm 8 episodes into it now and hooked.

I think it's fantastic that teenagers are getting such grittier shows and more mature portrayals than they did when I was in that demographic. I mean, we had fluffy stuff and stereotypical melodrama (90210), but I really think that TV-- and to a lesser extent, movies-- are doing a better job of not condescending in their treatment of teen characters. You think?

Far as I can tell, there will never be another Buffy, and I'm going to walk this earth a pale shell of a human, forever bemoaning the loss of the Greatest TV Series Ever on the Planet. But I still need entertainment, so I take the scraps I'm given. This is the most promising series I've seen since then. I don't agree that the dialogue is "trying" to sound teen... I actually like that there's less of the slangy expressions than they used in Buffy, which sometimes came across as cloying to me ("chocolatey goodness," "all fangy," etc.).

The other plus/minus thing is that so far, there are no characters at all who are getting on my nerves-- and there are almost ALWAYS characters who get on my nerves (even in Buffy/Angel-- Dawn, Buffy's mom, and Connor bugged me). OTOH, there are also no characters who I've completely fallen in love with.

Still, I know you're right that it doesn't work across the board. My husband was almost as obsessive about Buffy and Angel as I was, and he's not loving Veronica Mars at all. I think that's the lack of vampires, though.

Yes!

But I'm still bummed that the Spike TV movie never came to pass. That was a hot rumor for a while.

I liked the way Brandon fell deeply in love with a new woman each episode. But you had to know it was REALLY meaningful when the pyromaniac girl lasted-- what? at least 4 episodes, no?

You are so wise!

When the next DVD comes in, I'll give that a whirl.

Bartholomew said:

Buffy is gone, and the world is a better place for it.

Click to expand...

Okay. A duel at high noon it is, then.