‘Veronica Mars’ EP Rob Thomas on the Truth About That Shocking Finale Twist
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Veronica Mars Season 4. Proceed at your own risk.]
Fans of Veronica Mars are still in shock over the fate of Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) that was revealed in the finale of Season 4, available now on Hulu. As those who have seen the eight episodes already know, poor Logan is blown to smithereens in a car bomb explosion.
TV Insider caught up with the show’s creator/executive producer/writer Rob Thomas at the TCA 2019 summer press tour to ask him if Logan is “TV dead” or “most sincerely dead,” if there are plans for a Season 5, and what series star Kristen Bell is really like. Read on to get the scoop!
What could you do on the Hulu version of Veronica Mars that you couldn’t on broadcast television in terms of language and situations?
Rob Thomas: There was a much longer list of words we could use and we made use of all of them. They asked us to say away from the “F” word, which we made a bit of a meal of in the show. I think if we had all the freedom in the world, I wouldn’t change the show’s level of blood or violence. It’s right where I want it to be. Given how much comedy we have, I don’t think we’d do well showing body parts splattering around. We’d occasionally get notes [from executives] asking us not to make something too gory, but we weren’t planning on that anyway.
All eight episodes dropped on the same day. Does that affect storytelling?
It didn’t… I don’t know how I feel about them all dropping on the same day. As a fan of TV, I like it when shows come all out at once. As a writer of a mysteries, it means that some viewers will watch your big reveals all in one day and they will be out there on the Internet quickly. I have mixed feelings. I was excited about them all dropping [on the same day]. There’s a novelty to it, but as a creator of a show I’d worry that the mystery and big turns will get out there.
At first, I thought, “Oh, I won’t ask Rob past Episode 3…” for this interview, but, no, it’s all out there.
It’s all out there.
Are you thinking about doing a Season 5?
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Veronica wrongly believed Logan had bailed on their wedding. Also, he told his therapist, Jane (Mary McDonnell), that he believed she was the “toughest human being he’d ever met” and that, no matter what, Veronica “always picks herself back up.”
Right.
Logan Echolis (Jason Dohring) (Michael Desmond/Hulu)
It helps beg the question as to whether or not Logan might still be alive. After all, Veronica looked away just before the explosion occurred.He is dead. He is. You’re not the first person to point [all this] out to me. I thought it was clear [but] TV has conditioned us to think that if you haven’t seen the body [then the character isn’t dead].
Was Logan correct about Veronica being able to move on?
Yes. You can count on that. If we do get to do a Season 5, I’m sure Logan’s death will still be resonating with her, but ours isn’t a show that would do well if we were bathed in grief. That’s one reason I wanted the ending to [take place] a year after Logan’s death. If we pick it up for a next time, then there’s been time to [grieve]. Our bread and butter has always been snappy dialogue. You can’t do that if everyone is sad.
Logan Echolis (Jason Dohring) and Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) (Michael Desmond/Hulu)
Kristen has a reputation for being so darn nice. What’s it like working with her?
It’s great on a bunch of levels. On a pure talent level, it’s fantastic. When you get to work with terrific actors, they can make good dialogue great. It’s a pleasure to write for her. She’s lovely on set. Having someone who’s No. 1 on the call sheet and who is ready to work sets the tone of the [whole] show.
Any ideas for a story for Season 5?
I keep toying with the idea of an Agatha Christie-ish [story] or a Murder at the Manor: Country House Mysteries, that story of thing. I’m not locked into it, but it’s going to be very mystery-oriented.
Veronica Mars, Season 4, Streaming, Hulu
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Thank you for this much-needed article on Season 4 of Veronica Mars and its final shocking twist. Believe me, no one was more shocked and disturbed than yours truly. I know it must be super weird hearing from me after my character was apparently blown to smithereens. And again, I don't think anyone, besides I hope Veronica, is as mystified and chagrined as I am. At first, and actually up until today, I was under the impression that the approaching white car I signaled to a split second before the bomb went off was special ops and the whole top-level maneuver was done both in the interest of national security and my own (and V.'s) safety. I felt confident that as painful as the experience of losing her best friend and brand new husband was, it was ultimately the safest thing for both of us in the long run. But in the last few days I have started to realize that the situation I am currently in is much much more complicated that I can begin wrap my head around. I was debriefed today by an expert in the field I'm in. She explained to me that I am a fictional character, which I think deep down I already knew and had always wondered about, and confirmed that I was created by Rob Thomas--which did not surprise me at all from the way he has always acted toward me--and that (and this was most distressing) he actually did intend to kill me off, or as some call it, deepfreeze me. Something about people losing interest in Veronica and her work if she is in a happy, loving relationship?
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So all this time I've been missing Veronica and agonizing over what I've put her through thinking it was all part of a highly classified special ops/top security mission. Which I can live with. I mean that is what I signed up for, and I'm totally proud to serve my country, no matter what it takes. But today's unbelievable, really far-out, fantastic briefing shed a whole new incredible light on my situation. I know it sounds totally far out and completely crazy, but I have to admit it explains a lot. See it turns out that I've actually been in a kind of limbo here all this time, and I'm by no means alone, in this special zone that's totally off any radar I've operated. Apparently this completely isolated protected area's for "fictional" characters who have been killed and even ruthlessly murdered (or in my case, blown up) by their creators, but they are still alive because of some kind of forcefield created by the unified hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of people, which is so powerful it can keep that character alive. That's all I can say about it for now, but what I do want to put out there 1.) an eff-ton of gratitude to the people out there who have kept me alive. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing that. If it weren't for you, I just wouldn't be here. It's as simple as that. And 2.) as mind-blowing as it will be for her, please let Veronica know that I'm still alive, that our love is epic, and I hope to make it back just as soon as I can. LoVe, Logan
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Lol! Way to go LoVe!
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Thanks so much, CAR for rooting for LoVe, which is FOREVER!
No one—not even our creator—can destroy the epic love I have for Veronica.
I’m hoping and praying for a chance to see Veronica again someday.
People say that life is short, but it’s actually kind of long (especially if you’re where I am right now)!
So there are still decades ahead for a chance for us to be reunited. Maybe we’ll get to go to the same nursing home someday. Or better yet, sail around the world on a yacht and get to experience all life has to offer someday together in our sunset years. You never know. (Netflix, are you listening? People would LoVe to beautiful people reunited after such a terrible “tragedy” of a faked death and grieving widow discovering her husband is still alive after grieving for him for years. It would be EPIC!)
Thanks again, CAR!!
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Correction: People would love to SEE two beautiful people reunited…and A grieving widow discovering her supposedly dead husband is actually still alive! It would be EPIC!!
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