Fans were treated for an early surprise when Hulu dropped season four of Kristen Bell’s Veronica Mars on July 19 during the show’s appearance at San Diego Comic-Con. The eight-episode series was previously announced to premiere on July 26. 

Bell was asked how they got Hulu to release season four a week early. She jokingly blames journalist Mike Ausiello for making it happen. 

“Well we, because it’s done, finished,” Bell said. “It’s supposed to be released in a week, and blame it on Mike Ausiello. He asked ‘did you get everything you wanted for your birthday?’ The answer was no. One of the things I wanted for my birthday because I celebrate all month was for people to see and enjoy the show that we worked really hard on and that I just hope they’re entertained by and love again, and I just called him out and said ‘drop it right now if you love me’ and they did it.”

According to The Wrap, the official logline for season four of Veronica Mars reads: “Spring breakers are getting murdered in Neptune, thereby decimating the seaside town’s lifeblood tourist industry. After Mars Investigations is hired by the parents of one of the victims to find their son’s killer, Veronica is drawn into an epic eight-episode mystery that pits the enclave’s wealthy elites, who would rather put an end to the month-long bacchanalia, against a working class that relies on the cash influx that comes with being the West Coast’s answer to Daytona Beach.”

After three seasons and a movie, things have changed a bit for Veronica and other characters in the newest season. 

“Yeah it’s interesting there’s, little things have changed in her life but the majority of it is that her perspective has changed,” Bell said. “You know we did the first three seasons when she was in high school, then we did the movie and the movie was a love letter to the fans. It was every Easter Egg, everything that they would want to see because we kickstarted it, and that was their movie. This new season is a darker world for Veronica.”

You can now binge-watch the mystery drama on Hulu.