Spring breakers are getting murdered in Neptune, thereby decimating the seaside town’s lifeblood tourist industry. After Mars Investigations is hired by the parents of one of the victims to find their son’s killer, Veronica (Kristen Bell) is drawn into an epic eight-episode mystery that pits the enclave’s wealthy elites, who would rather put an end to the month-long bacchanalia, against a working-class that relies on the cash influx that comes with being the West Coast’s answer to Daytona Beach.
It’s been 15 years since the original TV debut but “Veronica Mars” is still going strong. When it first aired, television itself was in a different era. 2004 brought us a lot of memorable series. “Lost” had just started up, “The Apprentice” had just kicked off its first season, it was a start for a lot of well-known stories, including Veronica Mars.
Kristen Bell starred as a high school student who worked part-time as a private-eye for her dad’s firm. She was like the modern-day Nancy Drew and fans loved it. The show thrived because of its teen melodrama that was shown in an adult way. It was exciting and new, it hadn’t been done like this before. But just as a lot of time has passed since its debut, a lot of time has passed for Veronica and a lot has happened since she last graced the screen. While she had already left law school in the 2014 film she is now back working for her father’s agency where arguably she thrives as a character. The series, albeit a very long film in a way, seeing as how the eight episodes aren’t broken up by smaller less important cases, hits hard with bombs exploding on the seafront causing near-death situations to threaten the closure of the beach. It’s a serial bomber that Mars must catch.
The suspect list is almost as long as the new list of castmates. To name a few, Patton Oswalt, a conspiracy theorist, as well as a pizza delivery driver, plays the wiry character well. J.K. Simmons plays the average role of an ex-con that works for a deep-pocketed big wig of the city. Both actors fit their roles perfectly.
With this being the show’s fourth network to call home you’d think that it would almost be on its last leg but after watching this season I cannot see “Veronica Mars” going anywhere for a while. This show has a lot going for it. It is written well, the plot is well thought out and the characters, returning and new, aren’t shallow in the least. It’s a recipe for success that can hopefully be replicated.
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