Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Episodes: 8
Duration: 60 min (per episode)
Veronica Mars: Season 4 (DVD) – Series Review
We have noticed over the last few years that Hollywood has pretty much run dry when it comes to its constant flow of new ideas for movies and series. This drought has sparked the reboots of many older franchises, and also the many sequels of movies that have nearly been forgotten. This time we see a new season of Veronica Mars, a series that ‘ended’ in 2007, with a movie that followed in 2014. It seemed that Kristen Bell had finally put down the mantle of the junior sleuth and was able to set her sights on other roles. Nonetheless, in 2019 a new season of Veronica Mars aired, and now we received the physical DVD box of this first//fourth season.
In a true Veronica Mars fashion, we see Veronica (Kristen Bell) immediately solve a case, and get paid by a very wealthy client. It has to be said that the detective business isn’t really that popular anymore, and that both she and her father, Keith (Enrico Colantoni), are somewhat struggling with the finances. Nonetheless, everything seems to be as we remember it, albeit with everyone just that little bit older than the previous seasons.
The story picks up its pace when a bomb goes off in Neptune, the ideal spot for spring-breakers to come and party. More bombs are discovered and this also creates a certain web of intrigues and lies, and instigates a certain race against time. The plot is quite heavy from start to finish, as you see many intertwining stories, ranging from two mobsters coming to exact certain revenge, to a pizza delivery guy that spouts conspiracy theories all over the place, to a governor that isn’t all that kosher. Add on top of that Veronica’s love relationship and certain friendships that could turn sour, and you’ll have a lot going on over the course of eight episodes.
As mentioned above, the flow is a bit all over the place. The first episode alone is a lot of information that you’ll have to process. This season isn’t really an arc with separate cases, but one big case that has to be tackled within the course of eight episodes. You’ll still like it, but you’ll have to give the series your full attention, as otherwise details will get lost in translation.
Fans of the older seasons will constantly be bombarded with familiar faces, which shows that this wasn’t just a mere reboot or continuation with a few lead characters still in tow. Of course, the series is still pretty much carried by the performance of Kristen Bell, but also Enrico Colantoni, who still plays the father role in this new season. The cast comprises pretty much all old cast members reprising their original roles of the early 00s seasons. We were happy to see how well the cast members still got on with their original roles. We were quite impressed to see all these great cast members in the same place again.
It’s sad to see that with the revival of this series, and its physical release of this newest season, that there are pretty much no special features to be found. There is only a Comic-Con 2019 panel, which spans about 25 minutes in length. There is nothing else to be found on the two discs that come with this box, and this feels like an enormous missed opportunity. It would have been nice to get some more background on the series, or perhaps the reason why they continued it after so many years.
Conclusion
Even though IMDB says this is the fourth season of the series, and the DVD box claims it’s the first season, we can still say that this new season of the series is still one worth watching. While it is handled in a more adult fashion, with more swearing and violence, we can still guarantee a proper Veronica Mars experience. This season proved to be a short but sweet next installment of the franchise, and while not every moment was on par with the original adventures, it’s still worth the watch if you’re a fan.
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