Good news, fellow citizens of Neptune. The fourth season of mid-aughts teen-noir Veronica Mars just dropped on Hulu on July 19, and it’s already joined the rarefied ranks of Will & Grace and Queer Eye: That is, it’s a reboot that’s just as good as the original. Fans of the franchise (which included two fantastic seasons, a mediocre third, and a misfire of a movie) won’t be disappointed, and newcomers…well, newcomers should go back and watch season one.
But if you’re just tuning in, here’s a quick recap: Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) is the daughter of private investigator Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni). Keith was the sheriff of the seaside hamlet of Neptune, California until he “botched” the investigation of the murder of Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried). Veronica and Lilly had been best friends, but her dad’s investigation essentially leads to her becoming a friendless outcast at the start of the series. What follows is a season that revolves around Veronica discovering who done it, finding love along the way, and solving the equally pressing (and not unrelated) mystery of who raped her at a high school party. Veronica Mars handled a complicated and compelling case with witty dialogue and genuine emotion, establishing itself as one of the smartest teen dramas around.
But Veronica’s work is always about more than just the hunt for justice, though it was definitely also about that. Veronica Mars is about race and sex and class, friendship and love, entering the adult world before you’re ready. Like Buffy, it was the teen girl experience heightened to the thousandth degree. By the end, fans found themselves not just rooting for Veronica but positively screaming for her. The show inspired a fierce fanbase, which is why now, years later, Hulu has blessed us with a reboot. All caught up? Good. Mild spoilers ahead.
From the get, this new season assures us that the more things change, the more they, you know, don’t. Veronica’s first case of the season is helping a wealthy divorcée named Carson (Eliza Coupe) de-bug her smart home after her ex hacked into it. In other words, this season has all the major themes—sex, revenge, manipulation, harassment, and class conflict—fans of the series have come to expect. As for Veronica herself, she’s living (and having hot, hot sex) with boyfriend Logan (Jason Dohring), working (and bantering) with father Keith, and, naturally, solving murders. She’s a 2019 girl with a smartphone and an updated version of her school-age messenger bag, but she’s basically the same Veronica: She picks locks, she loves dogs, she rejects Logan’s marriage proposal because the wounds of her adolescence have left too much scar tissue.
