Warning: Contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Veronica Mars season 4.
Hulu has released all eight episodes of Veronica Mars season 4 a week early, so what can fans expect from season 5 of the Kristen Bell mystery drama? The fourth season of Veronica Mars wasn't supposed to air until July 26, but the streaming service has dropped it early to generate extra buzz for the revival.
Veronica Mars first aired back in 2004, and its initial run on what was then UPN (now The CW) came to an end when it was cancelled after season 3. A few years later a Kickstarter was launched to fund a Veronica Mars movie, which released in 2014, and now the mystery-solving Mars is back for season 4 on Hulu. It's early days yet for the revived season, especially given the surprise nature of its release, but the first reactions have been mostly positive.
The new season of Veronica Mars finds the heroine back in her hometown of Neptune, California, and working as a private investigator alongside her father at their firm, Mars Investigations, while she's also happily living with her boyfriend, Logan. The new case sees Veronica looking into a series of bombings during Spring Break, and although Veronica Mars hasn't been renewed for season 5 yet, season 4 does leave the door open for more.
Veronica Mars Season 5 Isn't Official Yet
Hulu hasn't yet renewed Veronica Mars for season 5, although the possibility does very much exist depending on whether the demand for the series is still there. Kristen Bell has said she'd "try to do it again" if the fans want more, adding that the way creator Rob Thomas constantly reinvents the series means there's an "endless life" for the P.I. Of course, it's not just a question of if the fans want more, but if Hulu does as well.
The streaming service only announced last year that it was reviving Veronica Mars, and it's likely a little too early for them to know how well it's performed. Still, the surprise drop has generated plenty of buzz, and Veronica Mars does have a loyal, cult following, so it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see it renewed for season 5.
Possible Veronica Mars Season 5 Release Date
Pinpointing a release date for Veronica Mars season 5 does somewhat depend on when Hulu decides to renew it (assuming that actually happens). Veronica Mars season 4 was announced in August 2018, with production then lasting from October of that year until March 2019. Assuming a similar time frame, then there's no reason Veronica Mars season 5 couldn't release around the same time next year, especially if the date proves successful. Bell doesn't have too much on her slate right now since The Good Place is ending, so if things line up then a summer 2020 release date is possible for Veronica Mars season 5.
Veronica Mars Season 5 Story Details
If you've seen all eight episodes of Veronica Mars season 4, then you'll know it ends on a major shocker: after Veronica and Logan get married, they're packing for the honeymoon when he goes to move the car, and Veronica realizes too late there's a bomb inside. She's sent flying back into her apartment, but the explosion kills Logan. It ends one-year into the future, where a documentary has been made about the Spring Break bombings, and Veronica is leaving town to work on another case.
That's what Veronica Mars season 5 has to build upon. The fallout from Logan's death, even with a year jump, still needs to be felt in season 5 as we see Veronica dealing with what happened, while there's then the matter of that new case to be investigated. The latter is why the show can keep on going quite easily, but it'll be most interesting to see how it picks up after the former, because that's a major shake-up to the status quo of Veronica Mars to be explored in season 5.