Written by Michael Vacchiano
Hulu’s revival of the short-lived, cult favorite series starts off strong thanks to leading lady Kristen Bell and an intriguing mystery
Nearly 15 years ago, the teen mystery/noir series Veronica Mars made its initial debut. After three seasons before being abruptly cancelled, and a Kickstarter-funded feature film in between, the show is back and its loyal fan base (affectionately dubbed “Marshmallows”) are rejoicing. Writer/creator Rob Thomas (no, not the one from Matchbox 20) and star Kristen Bell have worked with streaming giant Hulu to make a revival that feels modern but still calls to mind the classic tone. A decade and a half is a long time, but the Season 4 premiere episode “Spring Break Forever” is a clear indication that the tone and style of the series, and its title amateur sleuth, are grown up and yet still the same.
Set about five years after the events of the movie, Veronica has officially relocated back to her fictional California hometown of Neptune after forgoing a career as a New York corporate lawyer. Working alongside her father Keith (Enrico Colantoni) at his Mars Investigations office, she takes random freelance jobs as a private detective for various clients. From rich divorcees to working-class immigrants, the duo struggle with the balance of having to pay their bills while also maintaining a level of self-respectability. As if that wasn’t enough, the annual madness of Spring Break has hit their beachside community as seemingly every college student in SoCal has arrived for a week of partying.
However, Veronica and Keith get more than they bargained for when a bombing takes place at a small oceanside motel, killing four people including the manager. They are soon hired by an Arab-American congressman, whose younger brother was injured in the explosion, to find those responsible as he believes he could be a political target. While it may appear that our beloved Veronica has now become a female Jack Ryan, the real intrigue in Mars’s season premiere branches off from another victim in the bombing. News of said incident spreads south of the Mexican border, where it turns out one of the students killed was the nephew of a Tijuana crime boss’s ex-wife. What are the odds?! Regardless, he soon dispatches a pair of henchmen to Neptune to conduct their own form of “investigating”.
The anchor and core strength of the show has always been its sassy and quick-witted heroine, and Bell easily slides right back into the part of the feisty Veronica. Her sharp one-liners and keen narration continue to move the story along as only she can, and it’s awesome to see the actress back in her breakout role. The same can also be said for Colantoni, whose father/daughter dynamic with Bell is just as entertaining now as it’s always been. The pair affectionately toss verbal barbs at each other while still showing mutual care and concern. Keith easily maintains his loving and protective nature towards his only child while begrudgingly accepting that he can’t change her adventurous nature.
Besides her professional life, the premiere also focuses on Veronica’s personal one as well, particularly her long-lasting relationship with boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring). The reformed wealthy bad boy, who constantly travels as a Naval Intelligence officer, is ready to fully commit and settle down with the woman he loves. The emotionally-guarded Veronica has no interest in being “legally tied down,” as she puts it. This is enforced even further when her and Logan have dinner at old friend Wallace Fennel’s (Percy Daggs III) house, who is now a happily married father.
The Season 4 premiere of Veronica Mars brings back plenty of the touches of show’s earlier run, including long-time cast members and the incredible performance of Kristen Bell as the title character herself. Guest stars this season who make their debuts here include Patton Oswalt (as a pizza delivery man injured in the bombing) and Clifton Collins Jr. (as one of the Mexican henchmen). But creator Rob Thomas deserves credit for taking some risks in bringing the series to newer and more adult levels. Even the show’s fun and bouncy Dandy Warhols theme “We Used to Be Friends” is replaced by an updated, slower and James Bond-esque version sung by Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde. Veronica herself may not quite be on 007 level, but I still love the character nonetheless. Here’s hoping the rest of this new season will do her justice…as she herself dishes some out.
Veronica Mars Season 4, which dropped a week early, is currently streaming on Hulu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt0QuaQ0huk
