My husband and I finished the new season of Veronica Mars last night. We spaced it out over four days, averaging two episodes each night, that way we could savor it a bit more. After completing the season, I have thoughts… There’s spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t seen it, now’s the time to stop reading.
On the other side of watching season four, I’m left with an empty feeling. Instead of hope for the future of the series, I’m feeling as if it’s the end of the show as I know it. Ok, here’s a MAJOR SPOILER – STOP IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW…
Logan Echolls, a key component of the series from the very first episode, Veronica’s epic love, is killed in a bomb in the season finale, right after they've gotten married. His death was something that seemed fairly obvious to me early on in the season, but still when it happened, after the vindication wore off, I was left heartbroken.
Logan and Veronica's relationship felt doomed from the first episode of the season. Logan was on the path of stability and redemption, and Veronica couldn't help but miss the volatile Logan of days past, part of her wishing he'd stop trying to better himself altogether. Veronica's character was even more jaded and hardened to the world, and it seemed to Logan. This storyline wasn't my favorite, but it would have been interesting to see the roles reversed and how Veronica becomes the volatile one in the relationship.
Instead, a little over midway through, it seems as though they abandoned this storyline, as the two miraculously got on the same page about their relationship, with Veronica ultimately realizing she wants to marry Logan just the way he is. I gotta say, I feel cheated. I understand the movie was for the fans, and knew season four would be a grittier, noir take on Veronica, and obviously, she can't get her happy end if the series is to continue - but they didn't need to kill off Logan to accomplish that. He's such an integral part of the show, and there was a lot to explore in terms of Veronica's demons. It makes me sad how under utilized he was in, what ended up being, his last season.
As I continue to ponder the finale, I also wonder, was this the end goal all along, or did the showrunner and writers solely introduced Logan’s death as a new jumping off point for a much more “adult” series? An end to her previous life and an open door for a new one? I fear that's the case, and I’m left mourning what would have been had the series never been canceled in the first place.
Veronica Mars, both the character and the show, will never be the same without Logan Echolls, his fierce loyalty, and his perfectly-timed snide remarks. Jason Dohring, thank you for bringing to life such a complex, funny, and honest character - you will be sorely missed.