A Marshmallow Confesses: I’m Team Piz (Now)

I’ve been a Marshmallow since the very first episode of Veronica Mars aired on UPN back in 2004, immediately taken in by the sharp writing and excellent portrayals of the characters populating Neptune, CA. Since the series ended in 2007, I’ve rewatched the first two seasons several times, but it was just last month that I fired up season 3 again, determined to plow through the whole series before the movie debuts on March 14.

See, I was one of those fans who wasn’t too keen on season 3 when it aired. I remember feeling a little resentful to be in a new location, asked to care about mysteries involving a bunch of new characters I wasn’t emotionally invested in yet, who had little history with Veronica. The LoVe relationship kept me preoccupied for the bulk of the season; I didn’t care who killed the Dean and the serial rapist storyline felt like a retread after two seasons of dealing with Veronica’s rape, then Mac’s rape.

The introduction of Piz was a huge issue within the fandom, and I fell with many in not liking him. Who was this interloper with an obvious crush on our heroine? We wanted LoVe! We’d been waiting more than a year for LoVe to be the real thing! Knowing that (spoiler alert!) Veronica and Piz are together in the movie, which I backed during the Kickstarter campaign, was a bitter pill to swallow. How could Rob Thomas do this to us?

But after watching season 3 again at last, after viewing Veronica’s two suitors through more mature eyes, I get it. And I’m officially Team Piz, at least unless and until the movie convinces me otherwise.

Veronica and Logan were hot together, no question. That unexpected kiss in “Weapons of Class Destruction”? Swoon worthy. When the two of them were in sync, they were amazing together. Their relationship, to paraphrase Logan, had the potential to be epic, and I really wanted it to realize that potential. But with so much baggage between them, with youth’s unwillingness to compromise, that early relationship was doomed.

Veronica’s nature is to suspect, to question, to dig for answers. Logan had too many secrets, too many mistakes in his past, too much immaturity for a successful relationship at 18 and 19 years old. I mean, a relationship at that age is already unlikely to stand the test of time, but add in multiple deaths, physical abuse, drugs, drinking, and a history of irresponsibility, and it collapses.

To be fair, Logan did start to show signs of growing up toward the end of season 3, taking Veronica’s words to Parker about him to heart: “That’s just how he is.” The Logan we saw during the series rarely thought about how his choices and actions would affect others, about what others really needed from him, he just acted on impulse. Even as he tried to change, when he found out about the sex tape involving Piz and Veronica, he regressed to his impulsive habits, beating both the alleged and the actual perpetrators. As heartbreaking as it was to watch, I think Veronica was right to rebuff him for “protecting” her.

Yes, Logan was often misunderstood. He had a big heart, a desire to love and be loved, but was trapped in a childlike state of fear and acting out that was an obvious result of his upbringing. Still, watching him again years later, I found myself getting frustrated with his slack-jawed stare as he hoped to be appreciated but waited to be chastised. Obviously Veronica got tired of it sooner than I did.

Piz, on the other hand, fell for Veronica immediately but didn’t do anything about it once he found out she was dating Logan. He didn’t try to break up her relationship, he respected that she was with someone else, and he gave Veronica some space after the break up. He never pushed, but he wasn’t a pushover either. He stood up for himself when it counted, he had genuine ambitions and put in the work to reach his career goals. He supported Veronica, even when he didn’t really understand what she was up to, but he also offered the voice of reason on occasion.

We had just begun to see the Veronica/Piz relationship blossom and to explore Piz more when the series ended, but based on what we saw in season 3, he was a good match for her. He provided stability and support, he was confident and respectful, he had ambition and drive, and overall, he was a decent human being. Somehow I doubt you’d find any incidents of “bum fighting” or smuggling drugs over the border in his past.

As Veronica told Mac, her relationship with Piz wasn’t a roller coaster, but she could do without both the adrenaline and nausea. Years later, I understand and agree.

The next chapter in the Veronica-Piz-Logan story unfolds when Veronica Mars: The Movie debuts Friday, March 14. Check here for a theater near you, or pre-order the digital version, also available March 14.

Photo: Jason Dohring, Kristin Bell, and Chris Lowell at Comic Con 2013