Veronica Mars season 4 premiere: Spring Break Forever

Veronica Mars is hot on the case when a bombing interrupts the spring break celebrations.

It’s been a long time since we last checked in with Veronica Mars but the much anticipated Hulu revival dropped a week early today! There’s a lot of familiarity in “Spring Break Forever” because Kristen Bell seamlessly steps back into this universe. However, both Bell and Thomas have cautioned that this series isn’t going to revolve around fanservice as the movie did. It’s understandable, that project was literally paid for by fans but this time around it’s time a new story.

So what exactly does this episode accomplish? Well, fans do get a bit of nostalgia since the premiere is checking in with all of our favorite characters and kicking off the latest mystery. “Spring Break Forever” passes by quickly with some typical Veronica narration filling in any questions the audience might have about what’s happened in her life.

Veronica Mars — “Spring Break Forever” – Episode 401 — Panic spreads through Neptune when a bomb goes off during spring break. Veronica and Keith are hired by the wealthy family of one victim injured in the bombing to find out who is responsible. Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) and Karsyn Farr (Eliza Coupe), shown. (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

Back to the PI grind

More from Show Snob

After the movie, Veronica has abandoned her plans to be a successful New York City lawyer with her drama free boyfriend Piz to return to Neptune as a PI. The show doesn’t shy away from the ramifications of that choice. She traded in Piz for the love of her life, Logan, but their relationship isn’t nearly as uncomplicated (but more on that later). However, she has college debt and rent to pay that being a detective just can’t cover.

She helps a newly divorced woman (played by Eliza Coupe) figure out why all of the electronics in her home aren’t working. Turns out, her husband knows the wifi password and he’s been the one messing with her. Not to mention, he’s also planted cameras around her house like a complete creep. Luckily, the two women get their vengeance and Veronica gets paid six grand after raising her price to $300 an hour.

Veronica Mars — “Spring Break Forever” – Episode 401 — Panic spreads through Neptune when a bomb goes off during spring break. Veronica and Keith are hired by the wealthy family of one victim injured in the bombing to find out who is responsible. Lisa (Ashleigh Morgan), Renee (April Nelson), Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), and Logan Echolis (Jason Dohring), shown. (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

It’s a LoVe reunion!

Anyone who was worried that Veronica and Logan weren’t able to sustain their relationship after the final movie credits were wrong. The couple is still together and making it work despite Logan’s long absences. He surprises her over spring break by returning early, much to her joy. The two kick things off as they usually do, some witty banter while other girls gawk on at the effect Veronica has over him. In case fans didn’t believe Veronica Mars would be more mature this time around, the couple has a steamy sex scene to say hello.

However, their adorable bliss doesn’t last long once Veronica starts snooping through his bag for clues about where he’s been. All she finds is an engagement ring that Logan planted knowing what she would do when he got back. It’s a romantic and tender moment, which comes to a screeching halt when Veronica immediately turns him down. Being a private eye and her parents’ destroyed marriage has made her cynical to the very idea. He doesn’t push the subject, but it’s clear neither is content with what happened. At least the two have a new dog named Pony, even though we do miss Back-up.

Veronica Mars — “Spring Break Forever” – Episode 401 — Panic spreads through Neptune when a bomb goes off during spring break. Veronica and Keith are hired by the wealthy family of one victim injured in the bombing to find out who is responsible. Hu (Franois Chau) and Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), shown. (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

A rat problem

Keith is also still hard at work but “Spring Break Forever” already sows some seeds of problem. He’s walking with a cane and he’s forgetting minor details. Poor Keith looks like he’s in bad shape but it doesn’t seem like Veronica has begun to worry. He takes a case at a local grocery store where someone keeps dumping rats. Unfortunately, he’s not being paid nearly enough but it goes to show that Keith is still one of the most lovable characters on the show.

Veronica Mars also skirts around the “no cursing” rule with a hilarious joke. Keith claims he’s in a competition with Veronica over who can go without swearing the longest. Instead of a curse, he just mutters “cuss” in some variation. It’s fun to see the father-daughter bond still remain the same after so many years.

Big Dick and his NUTTs

Would it be Veronica Mars without one of the wealthy 09er families stirring up trouble? Aaron Echolls is out of the picture, the Kanes have fallen far from grace, which just leaves Big Dick Casablancas. Yes he’s out of the big house and is now intent on “fixing” Neptune. His beautification committee, NUTTs, is essentially trying to hurt smaller businesses and people who don’t fit in with the ideal look of Neptune.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste joins the cast as Nicole Malloy, the new nightclub owner of a place called Comrade Quacks. It’s packed by the spring break crowd and she vehemently opposes Dick Sr. and his NUTTs. Not to mention, she’s a complete badass. At her bar, a guy forces a drunken girl’s head on his lap while his friends try to photograph it. She tells him to get off before punching him in the face. Her security handles the friends and she demands they leave and the girl’s “sh*tty friends” take her home.

Veronica Mars — “Spring Break Forever” – Episode 401 — Panic spreads through Neptune when a bomb goes off during spring break. Veronica and Keith are hired by the wealthy family of one victim injured in the bombing to find out who is responsible. Amalia Maloof (Jacqueline Antaramian) and Daniel Maloof (Mido Hamada), shown. (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

The Sea Sprite Motel

Everyone is partying at a rundown Neptune motel on the beach except for a group of nerds who were at Comrade Quacks the night before, the motel owner and his daughter, a pizza guy, and a young couple trying to get a refund. Why are they important? Let’s break it down.

The nerds have a kid named Gabriel Flores (Rudy Martinez) who seems to get along with everyone. However, he just wants to study so he goes down to the office to find out why the wifi is down. It turns out he is the nephew of the ex-wife of El Despiadado, a famous Mexican cartel leader.

The motel owner isn’t actually supposed to be in the front office. He’s arguing with a kid who wants a refund while his daughter, Matty (Izabela Vidovic), eagerly awaits the opportunity to eat pizza. Her dad sends her to the car to get her homework while he finishes figuring out what’s happening.

The young couple is Tawny Carr (Chanel Marriott) and Alex Maloof (Paul Karmiryan) who were at Comrade Quacks the night before as well. Alex is the younger brother of a Arab-American senator who’s family can’t stand Tawny. In fact, they even offered her fifty thousand dollars to dump him but she refused and instead they got engaged.

Unfortunately, Tawny’s friend Jillian (Grace Eberle) brings down her make-up bag and flirts with the handsy jerk from the night before, who turns out to be a law student.

Finally, Penn Epner (Patton Oswalt) is the disgruntled pizza delivery guy who is sent all over the motel trying to find the source of his deliveries before dropping in at the front desk. He’s friends with Matty and the owner so he brings them some food before departing.

What’s important about all of these people? Well they’re all at the scene of the crime.

Veronica Mars — “Spring Break Forever” – Episode 101 — Panic spreads through Neptune when a bomb goes off during spring break. Veronica and Keith are hired by the wealthy family of one victim injured in the bombing to find out who is responsible. Cliff McCormack (Daran Norris) and Penn Epner (Patton Oswalt), shown. (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

The bombing

As Matty is in her car and Penn is just getting into his, the office building explodes. We find out later that Jillian and Alex both survive but everyone else inside is dead on the scene. Penn is injured by some shrapnel, but he’s ostensibly fine. Especially because all of the survivors are paid a visit by none other than Cliff McCormack looking to score his next client.

However, Veronica Mars is more focused on getting our titular character involved. She can’t focus on a delightful night at Wallace’s even though the site of Logan playing with baby Noah Fennel disturbs her. Instead, she’s delighted to learn the Maloof family is interested in hiring Mars Investigation to discover the real culprit. Keith agrees and the case has officially begun.

Veronica Mars — “Spring Break Forever” – Episode 401 — Panic spreads through Neptune when a bomb goes off during spring break. Veronica and Keith are hired by the wealthy family of one victim injured in the bombing to find out who is responsible. Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) and Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), shown. (Photo by: Michael Desmond/Hulu)

dark. Next. Veronica Mars character refresher: Who’s returning to Neptune for the revival?

Final thoughts

Every person in this bombing could’ve been the actual target. It’s unlikely that this was random, considering the series has always managed to tie together every act. The Maloof family clearly wanted Tawny out of the picture. Gabriel could’ve been the target by a rival Cartel (but some members are coming to avenge him), the law student seemed to have a penchant for getting himself into trouble, and the motel owner was in charge of a dump that would Dick Sr and NUTTs must’ve hated. Thankfully, Veronica and Keith are on the case to figure out exactly what happened.

It also looks like the series is setting up a potential protege/new generation. Matty can be seen sniffing around the crime scene and it certainly looks like she’s staging her own investigation. Maybe Mars Investigations will find someone new to answer calls now that they have two PIs officially on the books.

What did you think of the Veronica Mars season 4 premiere? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!

Home/Hulu