Veronica Mars is truly a show with nine lives. Since ending its initial run in 2007, the series has returned in the form of a movie, thanks to a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign. After the film, I expected that would be the end for everyone’s favorite sleuth. However, lo and behold, the series returns yet again with a eight-episode run courtesy of Hulu. I was very excited to hear of this return; I wasn’t completely satisfied with the way things ended in the movie. Sure, the resurrection of Love (the coupling of Logan and Veronica) was great, and I was glad to see that Logan made something of himself. The story just didn’t feel complete, especially with the way they left things with Weevil. Thankfully, the new season provided me with the answers I needed, though they were bittersweet.
Season 4 picks up after the events of the movie. Veronica has left her life in New York and partnered with her father in the family firm, Mars Investigation. Business is slow. That is, until a bomb is detonated at a beachfront hotel. As expected, Veronica becomes ingrained in the investigation, which leads to confrontations with old enemies, like Liam Fitzpatrick, and possibly new ones, like two Mexican cartel soldiers (Clifton Collins Jr. and Frank Gallegos).
It took moment to adjust back into the series, and to re-familiarize myself with the series. Once that was accomplished, it was like rereading your favorite books. Watching Kristen Bell embody the character reminded me of why the series was so popular to begin. She is still fierce, and now she is packing heat (to find out when that started, you will need to familiarize yourself with the book series). Bell in the role just fits like a glove. Dohring is much the same, but as we learned in the film, Logan has undergone some significant character development. This holds true for the series, as he is no longer the hothead that he once was. Don’t worry, he still punches people, because let’s face it, that would be completely out of character if he didn’t; but now he has military training to bolster his already well-developed skills.
Continuing in its established format, Veronica must solve a mystery that spans the length of the season; this time around she is lookingin to a bombing at a beachfront hotel that resulted in several deaths and even more injuries. This story arc starts off very intriguing with many different potential suspects, but loses steam in the second half of the season. Truth be told, I was kind of disappointed with the reveal. Not the series’ best work. To this day, the best reveal has to be the Cassidy reveal (shoutout to Kyle Gallner).
To the season’s credit, I was very impressed with how many people returned to make the show happen, including Max Greenfield as now-FBI-agent Leo D’Amato, though his return does have complications for LoVe. It would have been nice to see Tina Majorino return as Max, but sadly it was not in the cards. She was missed, but luckily newcomer Kirby Howell-Baptiste was abile to help Veronica out, along with the ever-faithful Wallace Fennel. I do wish we got more Veronica/Wallace interaction, as that was an important bedrock of the show’s initial run.
As you would expect, the Veronica-Logan relationship was a key focal point of the season, and I can say that the couple had some big things in store, including one major event that was completely shocking and life-changing. I truly did not see it coming and was still processing days later. Not sure it was the right move, but it holds true to their epic love story.
It is unclear if the series will return for fifth season. Given that it has only used two of its nine lives, I wouldn’t be surprised. However, it is safe to say the landscape of that season will be drastically different. On the other hand, though, if this was the end, I would be satisfied with the conclusion that was provided. I’m not 100 percent happy with how everything worked out, but I am satisfied, more so than I was after the movie.
