Veronica March Season 4, Episode 1: Criticism of "Spring Break Forever"

Veronica Mars has very few places to take Veronica Mars after her unofficial expulsion from primetime television in 2007.

The return of the series as an exclusivity produced by Hulu does not take Veronica in the planned way of working with the FBI, or even as a lawyer – which, in a way, is a disappointment considering of his career. Instead, the show brings her back to her hometown of Neptune. And although we all know Neptune very well – no number of bombings, murders or serial rapes would surprise us at this point – the creator Rob Thomas has decided to return to the tradition, in giving a very distinct tone from the beginning. . Neptune is a city full of opposing forces, and this is becoming more and more of a problem for its inhabitants.

The entire "class division" at Neptune has always been part of the world of Veronica Mars, but the distinction has not always been significantly illustrated, with the exception of the first themes discussed in Season 2, when Logan presumed that the murder of a PCHer was tense. peak.

Is Matty Ross the new Mars of Veronica?

But Season 4 begins with an explicit emphasis on this tension and introduces the viewer Sea Sprite, a hotel that seems to be the favorite place for spring break. The awakening begins in the midst of the festivities, but not everyone is having fun.

Patton Oswalt plays the role of an unsuspecting pizza delivery man, Penn Epner, who has clearly delivered more than his share of pies to the Sea Sprite – and not just during the spring break. The show establishes Penn's story with the place through a series of beautiful, well-directed eyes, directed towards the springtime celebrations and their casual attitudes, titled to him, and shared with the new character Matty Ross and his father, owner of the Sea Sprite – all three equally tired of this particular type of customer. Penn's disgust for spring break is a direct reflection of what becomes the theme of the first; warring factions in conflict with Neptune, now more than ever.

Matty and her father, meanwhile, immediately recall the mischievous father-daughter dynamic between Keith and Veronica Mars. It is clear that Matty has the same devoted and loving – but at the same time insubordinate – attitude of Veronica. So it's not surprising that Veronica, now 29, is taking her so quickly at the end of the episode.

The 09ers against … literally everyone

The dynamics of the characters is not the only time the show is trying to really make home understand that there is a growing gap between the rich and powerful young women spread around Neptune and the increasingly displaced families who " just try to pay the rent, "Veronica notes with empathy at the beginning of the first.

This is what happens when Veronica's first client – a divorcing woman – casually mocks the $ 90,000 monthly settlement her ex-husband originally offered her. In response, Veronica blinked slightly, and quickly decided to raise her fees by an exorbitant amount when her client pulled out her checkbook and wondered, "Was not it $ 300 a day?" An hour, "retorts Veronica. It's a quick calculation, Veronica.

Veronica may have given up the life of a lawyer and a future outside of Neptune, but she will certainly not miss an opportunity to capitalize on the growth of the city. She remains the insightful and spiritual eye that we have always known. She has just tied a gun instead of a stun gun.

Keith and other Veronica customers also feel the heat that drives them out of the market as real estate moguls try to buy their local businesses at a low price in hopes of building condos as Neptune continues to sink . And they are not opposed to vulgar tactics – which sets the stage for Neptune's latest crime wave and Veronica's latest case – a terrible series of bombings in the city.

Veronica + Logan Forever

But there is another theme introduced in the first that has nothing to do with Neptune, the crime resolution or the Sea Sprite incident. Throughout the series, Veronica has wavered between boyfriends and crushes, but Logan Echolls has been her "finale". His return is welcome in Season 4, even though it's reintroduced in the most Baywatchian way possible, with a slow motion beach walk sensation as he runs his fingers through his wet hair.

But Logan seems different, not just because of his new intelligence officer navy bod. He is much more muted, even if he certainly does not miss his jeers. Despite Veronica's attempts to harass him, he seems to have a better idea of ​​how he responds to her, and it's an interesting indication of how he has matured. Upon arrival, Veronica puts his bag in his bag, action he would have already countered in school and high school, but that does not seem to annoy him anymore. The way he reacts seems to suggest that he knows who Veronica is and what his tendencies are, and he allows him to delve into his affairs, questioning him, without leaving a sly comment.

I can not help but recall a moment in Season 3, right in the middle of one of their breaks, where Logan leaves a drunken message of sadness over Veronica's voicemail. Before he could apologize for sleeping with his nemesis, he wickedly comments that she was probably too busy beating a confession from one of her friends to be able to pick up the phone. "If you dig deep enough," says Logan, "you will find that everyone is sinful."

It is his defensive version of asking for forgiveness; her advocacy to understand from her. It actually says: People deserve their privacy and may even deserve at least the benefit of the doubt. At the time, when Veronica challenged her nasty father, Logan did not want to sit down as she pleased. After all, he has never been known to have followed the edict to say nothing at all when you have nothing nice to say.

But more than 10 years later, he's a different person now. He is an adult man, with a job, responsibilities, a new perspective and a new appreciation of Veronica. This small gesture of acquiescence is an indication that he is willing to accept his weaknesses – something he has never really done before.

This is a new facet of Logan, but there is also the impression that it could hurt his personality. Who is Logan except for his sharp retorts and his juvenile confidence? It's also a stark contrast to Veronica, who seems more agile than ever. When Logan tries to romantically confront Veronica with the next steps in their relationship, she immediately stops fearing.

Veronica has never managed emotional conflicts well. she generally prefers to float a conversation rather than analyze her tendencies and feelings. But with over a decade of relationships behind them, you'll probably think she'd be more than willing to at least give her the opportunity to react before she leaves.

Veronica Mars: Season 4

Back to his old stuff

It's refreshing to see the evolution of the series's secondary characters and the consistency of their comic jokes, which have always been at the heart of the series. But at least in the first episode, Veronica's old antics give her character a sense of arrested development when everyone around her grew up and moved on.

And maybe that's the point.

Veronica's education was not exactly the most relatable experience of the teenager. A disturbing experience of loss, lies, betrayal and confusion in a teenager naturally left her further away from the daily concerns of year-end balls and her popularity. But now she's an adult, an adult who has always known the true love of her father, her best friend, Wallace, and her boyfriend, Logan (though he was not a gentleman). Just wait until she can at least maintain a sufficient social interest to hold Wallace's newborn baby or accept a series of Cards Against Humanity with more enthusiasm – but she does not can not even put his phone long enough at dinner table to pretend to be interested in the life of his friends or let them share hers. She is apparently more consumed than ever before by her cases.

At the end of the episode, Keith asks Veronica how Logan reacted to her recent actions, and she seems embarrassed not to bother him further.

"He seems to be out of step, without fear. He behaves like an emotionally mature adult. I caught him playing with a baby, "she says.

"You give up this clown," replies his father, sarcastically. Until now, in season 4 of Veronica Mars, little has changed. At Neptune or with Veronica.