Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Since its debut in 2005, UPN’s “Veronica Mars” has been called a baby “Buffy.”

Critics, rightfully, hailed that “VM,” like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” was a sharply written and subversive peek at youth culture disguised as a one-note genre show, this time mining the detective genre instead of horror.

Add to that the casting of itsy-bitsy blond Kristen Bell as “VM’s” bright, but outcast, fashion savvy teen protagonist and the “Buffy” allusions ring true - minus the occasional vampire or demon attack.

Series creator Rob Thomas (so not the Matchbox Twenty guy) has even cited the influence of “Buffy” and gives “Buffy” creator Joss Whedon a cameo in season two.

“VM” delivers everything that made “Buffy” such an original and compelling watch but elevates the formula with blunt, risky social commentary, dense plotting, exceptionally staged mysteries and novel-worthy character development.

The versatile Bell plays Veronica with courage, wit and intelligence. As an amateur sleuth, she helps her private investigator dad (Enrico Colantoni) solve the many mysteries in the economically and racially polarized town of Neptune, Calif.

As season two begins, Veronica is just coming off the tumultuous ride of season one: She solved the murder of her best friend, restored her disgraced father’s good name and fell in love with her ex-boyfriend’s best pal.

Still, some questions remain: Who raped her at a local kegger? Can she sustain a relationship with a brash bad boy who’s on trial for murder? Will there be repercussions for putting a resourceful sociopath behind bars?

These are heavy questions, but the show is never a downer thanks to the rich dialogue and dynamic characters, many of whom are sure to become small screen classics, the standout being Jason Dohring’s sarcastic rich boy Logan Echolls.

Veronica slowly finds her answers while solving the mystery of the week - Who rigged the basketball team’s drug test results? Who’s blackmailing the school’s gay community?

Veronica’s off-the-charts smarts and cleverness are sometimes hard to buy, so it makes sense that the naturally clever and loose Colantoni plays her dad. Bell and Colantoni have the best father-daughter dynamic on TV, and it helps that Veronica’s relationship with her dad is about trust and respect - there’s little room for teen angst in the Mars home.

The show demands strict viewer attention, with as many as five different plot lines building and feeding into each other in every episode. It might take newbies a little time to catch up and get used to the fast pace of season two, but attentive viewers are rewarded with real surprises and dramatic payoffs.

The season long mystery arc - involving the orchestration of a deadly school bus crash - isn’t as compelling as the first season’s, but it builds to an explosive climax.

The terrific cast and well-written characters should keep those put off by the convoluted plots watching.

Those willing to dive into Veronica’s world of mystery head first will find a wholly engaging new TV addiction. Calling all “Buffy” fans, version 2.0 has arrived.

Key features: Tons of deleted scenes and two worth watching “making of” featurettes.

‘Veronica Mars: The Complete Second Season’ 5 stars (out of 5) Starring: Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, Jason Dhoring Specs: Six discs containing all season two episodes