Meg Was So Underrated On 'Veronica Mars'

If I had to pick a favorite blonde on Veronica Mars , there would be no contest: The winner is, obviously, Veronica Mars herself. But while I could talk all day about why our feisty blonde heroine is just the absolute best, there is one Neptune blonde that doesn't get nearly as much attention — and that's Meg Manning. Meg didn't have a huge role on Veronica Mars (at least, not in the same way as characters like Weevil and Logan did) but she did have a vital one.

Much like Veronica herself, Meg was a Neptune outlier, albeit for very different reasons than Veronica. She was living proof that one did not have to be cruel to be beloved and popular at Neptune High, and that standing by your morals was important — no matter what the cost. She was definitely a diamond in the rough at Neptune High, and definitely one of the show's most underrated of characters.

Meg was only on Veronica Mars for two seasons (and she was devastatingly comatose for the majority of Season 2), but I like to think that her character left a lasting impression on Veronica — and, hopefully, fans. Here's why Meg was the best, and deserves way more credit than she ever got:

1. She Saved Veronica From Embarrassment

When Veronica's awful classmates stole her clothes and threw them in the toilet, Meg stepped up and handed Veronica her own cheerleader outfit — despite the fact the her 09er friends would give her trouble for it later.

2. She Was The Only 09er Veronica Actually Trusted

To say that Veronica had trust issues would be an understatement, but Meg somehow was able to break down all of Veronica's walls. Unlike the rest of the 09ers, Meg was kind, despite her social circle.

3. Meg Challenged Veronica

Veronica spent so much of high school hardened, jaded, and cynical — the exact opposite of Meg. After running into trouble at school, Meg took Veronica's advice to "get tough," but she didn't think Veronica's "get even" advice was as sound. It was one of the first times that someone challenged Veronica's view on the world, and as a result, Veronica actually listened.

4. She Was Fiercely Protective

We learn about how far Meg will go to protect the people she loves only after she becomes comatose from the bus accident in Season 2. As Veronica and Duncan discover, Meg once called a help hotline to seek protection for the child that she babysits for — but it was actually a cover to get her own family investigated in an attempt to protect her siblings from her conservative, abusive parents. Meg's ability to remain kind to others despite the strife in her home life was rare for the show (see: Logan) and it spoke a lot about the strengths in Meg's character.

5. She Was Good For Duncan

This might be a controversial opinion if literally anyone was actually Team Duncan/Veronica. Since I'm assuming the world is divided into either Team Piz or Team Logan, I feel comfortable saying that, at the end of the day, Duncan should have fully moved on from Veronica and truly fell for Meg. Sure, they didn't have as deep or as complicated a past, but Meg was good to Duncan, and might have actually been good for him, too — if only he let her.

6. She Wasn't Exactly Pollyanna

Though Meg was kind, she wasn't to the point of being unrealistic. When Meg held a grudge against Veronica Season 2 after the teen private detective and Duncan got back together, it solidified the fact that Meg was an actual human being and not some representation of Veronica's lost innocence. I mean, anyone would be angry if their ex dumped them to get back with their significant other — and, in Meg's case, she was pregnant with Duncan's baby when he did just that. Veronica has cut people down for way less.

7. She Was Forgiving

Though she got angry sometimes, she also recognized when she was wrong and hurt people. After waking up from her coma, she apologized to Veronica for being less-than-kind after she learned that Veronica and Duncan had gotten back together. Sadly, that was the last conversation Meg and Veronica would ever have — Meg died shortly after. And the show lost a great character in the process.

Who else misses this show a lot now?

Images: Warner Bros. Television; veronicaneptunes (5), heartalonatal, rianisnotapotato/Tumblr