Veronica Mars is now on Hulu, and so it’s time to prepare for Veronica Mars Season 4, which drops on Hulu on July 26th.

Whether you’re a first-time viewer or a longtime fan, this list is sure to help you prepare for the Season 4 premiere. Below are the most essential episodes to help you ground yourself in the Veronica Mars mythology or remind you of why you fell in love with the show in the first place.

All episodes are listed in the order in which they aired. To protect the uninitiated, we’ve tried to keep this spoiler-lite so as not to reveal all the twists and turns, but read at your own risk!

1. Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)

The 4-1-1: With rape, murder, and class wars as consistent undercurrents to everyday drama, it’s clear that Neptune, California is no Capeside or Stars Hollow. Things are far more complicated than that.

Zoom in on Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), who somehow is at the center of some of Neptune’s greatest challenges. Veronica takes it upon herself to solve the murder of her best friend, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried).

Lilly’s murder also happens to be the catalyst for Veronica’s break up with her boyfriend (Lilly’s brother Duncan), fall out with her friends, the derailment of her father’s career, and her parents’ marriage.

So… totally low stakes.

Why It’s Essential: Not only does this episode lay the foundation for the entire series, introducing key characters in Neptune like amateur sleuth Veronica, her private investigator father/former town sheriff, Keith (Enrico Colantoni), and allies Wallace (Percy Daggs III) and Weevil (Francis Capra), it masterfully sets up the central mystery — the first of many for the show.

The pilot also makes it clear that the show, true to its film noir influences, is going to be much darker than other teen-centric fares.

Consider it an appetizer for greater things to come.

2. The Wrath of Con (Season 1 Episode 4)

The 4-1-1: Wallace, Keith, and Veronica team up to recover money Wallace’s crush, Georgia, was duped and scammed into giving to a group of gamers.

It’s a long con — Georgia thinks she’s helping a down-on-his-luck trust fund kid when the kid is actually an actor who thinks he’s part of a reality prank show. The gamers think they’re getting away with it. There are multiple disguises and even more tongue-in-cheek humor.

Bookending the episode is a video tribute to Lilly — the wild, real one, not the sanitized version her mother tries to present — lovingly put together by Logan, even Weevil sheds a tear.

Why It’s Essential: This is where Veronica Mars really gets fun.

While the mystery is quite the romp, the episode is also filled with flashbacks of Veronica and Lilly’s friendship, and the video tribute at the end impacts our characters in a variety of ways. The sensitive yet playful approach to Lilly’s video tribute is the first indication that maybe Logan (Jason Dohring) isn’t quite the jerk he initially seems to be.

3. Like a Virgin (Season 1 Episode 8)

The 4-1-1: Veronica’s “mystery of the week” involves her trying to solve who is publishing falsified purity tests for students at school. Meanwhile, Keith gets to play hero, helping rid Wallace and his mother of a potentially dangerous tenant.

Veronica also hears a disturbing rumor from Abel Koontz (Christian Clemenson), the man currently in prison for Lilly’s murder.

Why It’s Essential: This isn’t essential because of its plot (I mean, hello, the inclusion of a purity test at all is fairly silly, particularly with modern day context), but because it marks the first appearances of three key figures in the series: good girl Meg (Alona Tal), computer whiz and future Veronica-bff Mac (Tina Marjorino), and sinister Abel Koontz, quickly telegraphing who each of them is as a character.

All three of these characters play larger roles in later episodes, particularly Meg and Mac, and without giving away too many spoilers, Koontz’s revelation leaves Veronica spinning and questioning her relationship with her father.

4. An Echolls Family Christmas (Season 1 Episode 10)

The 4-1-1: Keith and Veronica each have cases of their own to solve. Keith investigates whether Logan’s father Aaron (Harry Hamlin) is cheating on his mother (played by Hamlin’s real-life wife, Lisa Rinna).

Meanwhile, Weevil, upset he was not able to collect his rightful winnings, enlists Veronica to investigate how the money pot at the poker game disappeared.

Why It’s Essential: Much beloved by Marshmallows (what Veronica Mars fans proudly call themselves), this episode succeeds on multiple levels.

It addresses some of main themes that Veronica Mars returns to time and time again throughout its entire run: the tension between the haves and the have-nots and the gap between someone’s public persona and their private lives.

Amidst the more serious themes are also some delicious one-liners and a memorable Christmas party gone awry. It’s not every day that a fête culminates in a stabbing.

5. Mars Vs. Mars (Season 1 Episode 14)

The 4-1-1: Despite their primarily antagonistic relationship, Logan (Jason Dohring) and Veronica team up to find his missing mother. Recent reports say she jumped to her death, but Logan remains convinced she’s alive.

Ever the busy private eye, Veronica investigates Duncan’s mysterious illness and discovers information about Abel Koontz that convinces her he’s helping cover for Lilly’s true murderer.

She also becomes embroiled in a sexual assault case, as class gossip Carrie Bishop (Leighton Meester) accuses beloved history teacher Mr. Rooks (Adam Scott) of sleeping with her and throwing money at her to go away when she became pregnant.

Why It’s Essential: Other than the thoughtful observations of how often we make excuses for seemingly “good” guys at the expense of women, this episode highlights how well the series utilizes guest stars. The show regularly casting compelling current and future stars.

Besides the aforementioned Scott and Meester, this episode also features a pre-New Girl Max Greenfield. This is also the introduction of Carrie Bishop and Susan Knight, who both play significant roles in the Veronica Mars movie.

Logan and Veronica’s relationship noticeably thaws as they are drawn closer and closer together and the tension here is a clear sign of things to come.

6. Ruskie Business (Season 1 Episode 15)

The 4-1-1: Meg recruits Veronica to help her identify her secret admirer before the big spring dance.

After charges on Logan’s mother’s credit card give him hope that she is alive after all, Veronica and Logan discover his half-sister, Trina (Alyson Hannigan), is behind the charges, and he has to accept that his mother is dead and gone. Lastly, Veronica is finally reunited with her estranged mother, Lianne (Corinne Bohrer).

Why It’s Essential: This marks a turning point in multiple relationships. Upon finding out Duncan has a crush on Meg, Veronica finally has to deal with her unresolved feelings for him, clearing a path for a new romance to develop in her life.

Relatedly, after some finality in Logan’s mother’s disappearance case, Logan collapses in tears in Veronica’s arms. It’s the softest and weakest we’ve seen him up to this point, and the emotional tension and momentum between these two — as surprising as it is — continues to gain steam.

Given how Logan is written in early parts of the series, it’s a significant achievement that the show does such an impressive and organic reversal on his character.

7. Weapons of Class Destruction (Season 1 Episode 18)

The 4-1-1: Jonathan Taylor Thomas (remember him?!) makes a rare acting appearance, the Lilly Kane case heats up as Duncan, convinced he murdered his sister in a fugue, runs away, and Wallace and Veronica’s parents start dating.

Why It’s Essential: Despite all of that, this episode is mostly about the culmination of multiple episodes of tension as Veronica and Logan share a kiss. Logan and Veronica (LoVe) is the ship of dreams and finally sets sail.

It’s the beginning of their epic romance, and their first kiss hits you right in the heart. It’s worth rewinding and watching over and over again.

8. A Trip to the Dentist (Season 1 Episode 21)

The 4-1-1: The season-long mystery to what happened to Veronica at Shelly Pomroy’s party finally is resolved, accompanied by a guilt-ridden confession from Duncan that only adds to the layers of confusion in his relationship with Veronica.

At the same time, Logan and Veronica’s relationship gets revealed to the whole school in grand fashion, and Veronica discovers a hidden camera above the bed in Logan’s pool house.

Why It’s Essential: Rape culture and the after-effects of rape are both addressed throughout the entirety of Veronica Mars, so this isn’t the last time this plotline surfaces, but it’s an important step in Veronica’s journey in figuring out who drugged and raped her at a party.

This episode also marks significant turning points in the Veronica/Logan and Veronica/Duncan relationships, and Veronica’s discovery of the hidden sex camera in Logan’s pool house ends up being a huge key in her getting to the bottom of Lilly’s murder.

The second to last episode of the season essentially pulls together 20 episodes of clues, red herrings, and dead-ends and sets us up for a heart-racing conclusion.

9. Leave It To Beaver (Season 1 Episode 22)

The 4-1-1: Veronica finally uncovers who murdered Lilly but doing so leaves her in the murderer’s crosshairs. She only narrowly escapes with the help of Keith.

Upon discovering that her mother, recently returned from rehab, is still drinking and has wasted all of Veronica’s college funds, Veronica draws a line in the sand and kicks her mother out of the house.

Why It’s Essential: With strong performances all around, there’s not a weak link to be found in this episode. Amanda Seyfried is particularly good (her moments with Veronica at the tail end of the episode feel like a bittersweet goodbye), and Harry Hamlin does his creepiest work on record.

For any fans of the Keith-Veronica dynamic, the confirmation that she is, in fact, his daughter and her ecstatic relief to see him save the day are all-star moments. They share a relationship with a lot of highlights, but few moments between them are as heartwarming as those.

Lastly, Veronica Mars consistently has solid season finales, but its first season’s conclusion is unquestionably its strongest.

10. Normal is the Watchword (Season 2 Episode 1)

The 4-1-1: Jam-packed with plot lines that will continue throughout the whole season, it’s hard to know where to start.

There’s a bus crash that takes out the bulk of Neputune High’s journalism students, including Meg, who’s been harboring unclear resentment towards Veronica as of late. Veronica, Logan, and Duncan are playing romantic musical chairs, and Logan is accused of murdering someone in Weevil’s gang.

Why It’s Essential: This serves as the introduction of Kendall (Charisma Carpenter), Gia Goodman (Krysten Ritter), and politician Woody Goodman (Steven Gutenberg). They will all have a lot to do over the course of the season, and Gia will pop up again in the movie, so sit back, get comfortable, and get acquainted.

In addition to new faces, Dick (Ryan Hansen) and Beaver (Kyle Gallner) get promoted from recurring characters to season regulars, and this absolutely matters.

The plotlines surrounding the bus crash and Logan’s alleged crime also drive home the fact that at its core, the show isn’t just about a junior sleuth; it’s about race, class, and power.

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