OT Friday Thread: Marshmallows

Partly on account of a string of DMs asking about ages-old episodes of Veronica Mars (I hope "the backstreets" line was a Springsteen nod), I've been rewatching the show with boundless glee.

1. The saddest part of the whole experience is watching as Kristen Bell gets the role perfectly suited for her--one which she slays--but one that stands out on her curriculum vitae in that she has never had any other role anywhere near as good as this one. It's unlikely that this is through any fault of Bell's. It stands to reason that the combination of her cute, girl-next-door charm and her diminutive size limit her casting possibilities in the eyes of studio executives. Whose potential have you glimpsed (in any walk of life) that assured you of their greatness only to see external factors get in the way of that potential?

2. Over the course of these episodes that I haven't seen in almost a decade, a bunch of actors who I didn't know at the time but have grown to admire since have popped up in small roles, particularly Ari Graynor, Aaron Paul, and Jessica Chastain. I had the same experience going back and seeing actors I'd later grown to appreciate in old episodes of The X-Files. What person, place, or thing did you not appreciate until far after you were first exposed to them/it?

3. The first season of Veronica Mars is damn near perfect storytelling. A deft juggling of multiple storylines with an intoxicating blend of suspense, humor, and drama. What's the last bit of perfect storytelling you've been fortunate enough to catch?

4. There are good dads and bad dads. Keith Mars is inarguably a good dad. Aaron Echolls? Not so much. Who is the worst father you can think of and what makes him so spectacularly bad?

5. Some pretty awful things happened to Veronica in high school. Her best friend was murdered. She was raped. What's the worst thing that happened to you in high school (other than all of it)?

Boner #1: Logan or Duncan?

Boner #2: Mac or Wallace?