Where Was Tina Majorino’s Mac in ‘Veronica Mars’ Season 4?

Veronica Mars Mac
The CW

Veronica Mars fans who tuned in to Season 4 were treated to plenty of familiar faces, but there was one notable absence: Tina Majorino’s Mac.

Fortunately, the series did address the fact that she wasn’t around — she was said to be AWOL in Istanbul — and now TVLine has revealed why that was the case. According to series creator Rob Thomas, it stemmed from a discussion with the actress about her role in the revival on Hulu.

“When we spoke, she asked me what her storyline would be, and I bluntly said, ‘Well, you won’t have your own storyline,'” he explained. “I told her that the series-regular characters are taking a backseat to the [over-arching] mystery.”

Majorino confirmed that was why she didn’t return. “The schedule reflected to me the diminished value of Mac in this new world of Veronica Mars,” she said. “There was no room for my beloved hacker queen and, as conversations continued, that only became more clear. So, I made the decision not to participate.”

She added that she “was so pleased” with where the movie left Mac. “I didn’t want to demean that by making an appearance that would not satisfy me, Mac, or the viewers,” she explained.

For those wondering why Mac was in Istanbul, Thomas shared that he just wanted to make it clear that “she was off the grid” and it was a place he’d “had a pleasant vacation.”

The fourth season of Veronica Mars was originally set to drop on Friday, July 26, but it was released a week early. While fans might not be sure how they feel about the series continuing after its finale shocker, Thomas and Kristen Bell haven’t ruled out a potential Season 5 and the actress taking on the role of Veronica Mars once again.

“I’ll play [her] until everyone in Neptune is dead,” she said at the show’s Comic-Con panel.

While that doesn’t mean that fans will necessarily see Mac again if the show does return for a fifth season, at least they know she’s out there.

Veronica Mars, Season 4, Streaming now, Hulu