25 shows to watch if you like Riverdale
By Sundi Rose
Veronica Mars
One of the smartest, most well written shows about high schoolers, it’s a total understatement to call this a “teen drama.” Veronica Mars, like Riverdale, is an astute contribution to a genre that is often dismissed as trite or fluffy.
The premise: A smart, quick-witted, worldly young lady solves crimes for her high school peers, while struggling with the power hierarchy and cliques of her situation.
Veronica Mars, played by a fresh faced and wry Kristen Bell, is the daughter of the town’s disgraced sheriff turned private investigator. Her mother left, leaving her father to raise her (mostly as a peer) all on his own. He relies on her for professional help, but he also looks to her to manage her own life.
Veronica is also a victim of high school drama and nonsense, and she’s found herself on the wrong side of the cool kids. She has enough perspective and confidence to realize how petty and insignificant it all really is, and it doesn’t stop her from being a mystery-solver extraordinaire.
Why you’ll love it: Aside from Kristen Bell being so dang winning, the show is also produced by Rob Thomas. This usually means that the female characters are multi-faceted, nuanced, and exist independently of their male counterparts. Veronica, although far too jaded for a girl her age, is charismatic and cheeky.
Veronica owns her space, and everyone else just feels like they are in orbit around her. That’s not to say that she isn’t flawed or tough to love at times. She’s akin to Betty and Veronica in that they painted as real women, not two-dimensional caricatures.
Where to find it: You can purchase all three seasons on Amazon, and it will absolutely be worth it.