Ali
While most agree it’s a moodier, more adult take on the classic CW-drama, critics also claim the new incarnation of “Veronica Mars” is an out-and-out winner!
Before it previews at Comic-Con on Friday, the fourth go-round in the Rob Thomas-created teen detective dramedy was shot around to various critics for their take.
TV Line says, “Good thing Kristen Bell is such a ball of snarky sunshine, as comfortable and winning in the role as she was 15 years ago. The girl we met sitting outside Neptune High is definitely there still, but Veronica has gone through a lot since her best friend was murdered back in the day. Bell uses every bit of those in-between years to give her alter ego a wariness that brings out her rougher edges. At one point, when a man in a position of power is ashamed because he was caught in some online sexual shenanigans, Bell instantly turns Veronica’s been-there-seen-that attitude into a very of-the-times anger: “He’s not even within p—y-grabbing range,” she rails. “Who even cares anymore? I thought that’s what we’re all learning: Nothing matters.” Translation: This detective isn’t hard-boiled yet, but she’s getting there.”
NY Post says, “Hulu also allows wider license with sex and swearing, the latter of which is a running joke between Veronica and Keith, wagering to see who can go the longest without saying the f-word. As for the former, Veronica and Logan have a couple of steamy scenes in the first two episodes that recall the best of their early clinches — with a distinctly more adult feel.
Bell, who stars on NBC’s “The Good Place,” is a masterful narrator, and to hear and see her return to the scene of, well, many crimes is a thing of beauty.”
E! Online says, “The new eight-episode season stays true to what made the show so great in the first place—and builds on it. Veronica Mars—the show and the character—has grown up, just as its original audience has. The series, which originally followed a high school character, transitioned to adulthood nicely, as did its mystery. The mystery pacing works well on a streamer, telling a contained open and shut story while upping the stakes. There are no filler episodes to keep the wheels turning. While nothing will ever compare to the first season’s Lilly Kane murder mystery, the mad bomber of Neptune does provide plenty of twists and turns, even if Veronica isn’t overly emotionally invested in the case.”
US Weekly says, “That said, about half way through the new season, the romances and friendships jump back into the front seat, and it leads to a ride worth getting on — even if you weren’t a fan of the original show. Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni seamlessly slide back into their roles and their chemistry and hilarious banter is better than ever. Veronica, in particular, is more witty and has gotten wiser through years. Hint: Pay close attention to that voice over. After the season’s end, it may even be worth going back and listening from the beginning. (I know I did.)”
Variety says, “The “Veronica Mars” characters navigating Neptune in their advancing age make for much more interesting stories over the course of Hulu’s eight episodes than the movie ever attempted. Bell and Colantoni are still aces as they both trade snappy comebacks at each other and struggle to accept Keith’s deteriorating health. Bell and Dohring’s once white-hot chemistry has undeniably cooled, but the new dynamic works as Veronica and Logan reevaluate their relationship and the often unhealthy ways they relate to each other. (Veronica’s flirty teasing with Max Greenfield’s dimply federal agent Leo, thankfully, remains perfectly intact.) And after everything Neptune’s put him through, it’s genuinely lovely to see Wallace settle into a happy groove with his family and job, Veronica’s restless eye-rolling about it be damned.”
The Atlantic says, “Hulu’s Season 4 is moodier than the original series and less nostalgic than the film revival. But its darker sensibility yields a strangely cynical story.”
“Veronica Mars” returns to Hulu July 26.
