Release Date: 10/23/07

The Show

Having never spent too much time watching the UPN network, or The U, or the current iteration called The CW, I missed checking out Veronica Mars during its inaugural season. Compared by critics to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the series about a teen detective actually surprised me in its depth and engaging material throughout the season. While the second season on DVD hooked me in, the The Complete Third Season took things to another level as the story became that much more engaging and thrilling.

As the first season ended, many questions were answered and a few more raised much to the audience’s enjoyment. The second season kicked things off by taking care of that nasty little cliffhanger of who was at Veronica’s (Kristen Bell) door. The third season sees our hero entering her freshman year of college at Hearst College. Of course, the sexy young detective is at it again with new cases to tackle with new characters, new answers, and verbose dialogue. While the series’ young cast may turn off some initially, a few episodes will turn that around quickly. The story arc is compelling, including the conclusion of an on-campus rape case that began in the prior season, and each episode does plenty right to keep viewers moving through the season at a very satisfying pace.

The 6-disc set includes all 20 episodes from the third season with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. Welcome Wagon
2. My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
3. Wichita Linebacker
4. Charlie Don’t Surf
Disc 2
1. President Evil
2. Hi, Infidelity
3. Of Vice and Men
4. Lord of the π’s
Disc 3
1. Spit & Eggs
2. Show Me the Monkey
3. Poughkeepsie, Tramps and Thieves
4. There’s Got to Be a Morning After Pill
Disc 4
1. Postgame Mortem
2. Mars, Bars
3. Papa’s Cabin
4. Un-American Graffiti
Disc 5
1. Debasement Tapes
2. I Know What You’ll Do Next Summer
3. Weevils Wobble
4. The Bitch is Back

The DVD

The main menu comes with a short introduction and scrolling photos of the cast in the background with music. Submenus are silent with static images in the background.

The video transfer is offered in 1.85:1 Widescreen Format. The picture looks fantastic in this widescreen presentation. The bright clothing really pops and detail levels are more than sufficient. This is how a television show shot within the last year or so should look like on DVD. Kudos to the producers for not skimping on the discs and only allowing 4 episodes per disc.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound is adequate with crisp and clear dialogue. It’s mainly a front loaded experience, but for what you need, it does the job just fine. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish.

The Extras

The 6-disc set comes in a foldout digipack with the discs overlapped on top of each over 3 flaps. It’s all encased in a cardboard box. Included is an insert booklet that contains an episode guide that has original air dates and show descriptions. All bonus options are found on Disc 6.

There are 24-minutes of Additional Scenes with an introduction from director Rob Thomas.

The Season 4 Presentation runs about 12-minutes and offers a collection of clips from the show.

Pitching Season 4 offers an 18-minute piece that goes into the inception of the season with lengthy clips from the show infused within. Interviews with the cast and crew are included.

Going Undercover with Rob Thomas offers 9 separate featurettes that take you into the mind of the series creator.

The bonus options round out with an 7-minute Gag Reel and a Webisode Gallery that includes 5 webisodes and a Play All option.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Veronica Mars – The Complete Third Season continues to be a strong series with plenty of fun episodes. The DVD set also includes a decent amount of bonus options to make this a worthy purchase.

- Morris Tang