Buffy The Vampire Slayer

I understand fans’ desire to read the scripts of their favorite shows before the episodes air. I have no desire to do that, since I’m personally of the opinion that scripts can’t begin to convey what the final product — the actual footage of a TV show — can.

Case in point: Tuesday’s episode of "Veronica Mars," titled "Look Who’s Stalking."

The party scene between Logan and Veronica and the morning-after scene at Logan’s door were probably, on the page, fairly straightforward.

But thanks to the acting skills of Jason Dohring and Kristen Bell, those scenes were, to quote Logan, "epic." The emotion and meaning conveyed in their glances, pauses and silences spoke volumes. The words were important, but they were just one part of what made those scenes intense and moving.

I’m going to say it, and my status as a slobbering "Buffy"/"Angel" fanatic be darned: I love the Logan and Veronica relationship more than I dug the Buffy and Angel affair. Yes, that was epic too, and had all the prerequisites of romantic doomed love, but we knew that was never going to work out.

What gives Logan and Veronica’s scenes that extra magic is the passionate hope, nurtured by many "V.M." fans, that things will eventually work out between these crazy kids. I mean, it could work out, right? Logan can actually walk around in the daylight and everything, so darn it, I have to believe these two have a shot at happiness together.

Kudos to Rob Thomas and his writing staff for making the vulnerability and sarcasm and smarts of these two so palpable. Logan and Veronica really are a TV couple for the ages. It may not ever work out between them — since when do tortured couples like this settle down long-term? Oh, let’s not talk about that. I just know I’m glued to the screen every time they’re together.

There really aren’t enough words in my humble vocabulary to do justice to the performances of these actors. So I’ll just say that I watched all their "Stalking" scenes three times. And I might just watch them again tonight.