13 Essential Veronica Mars Episodes to Watch Before Season 4

So you don't have time to watch or rewatch all of Veronica Mars before the beloved TV series starring Kristen Bell as a private detective returns for its eight-episode revival on Hulu? That's OK! We know that life can be pretty busy and that not everyone has the ability to make watching three seasons of Veronica Mars a top priority in their life. That's why we've curated the following list that hits only the absolutely essential episodes.

These 13 episodes feature the most important moments from the show's first three seasons -- and don't worry, we made sure to include all the highs of Veronica and Logan's (Jason Dohring) relationship because we're not heartless monsters. So go make some popcorn, grab your version of Backup, and settle in for an abbreviated binge sesh. (And if you don't have time to read them, here's what happened in the two Veronica Mars books that were published following the movie!)

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1. "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)
A perfect hour of television leading to a perfect season of television, the Veronica Mars pilot sets up the show's first season-long mystery: the murder of Veronica's best friend, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried). It's also where we meet the show's main cast, which includes Wallace Fennel (Percy Daggs III), the new kid in town who becomes Veronica's best friend; Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), the best father ever and the former sheriff who now works as a private eye; Duncan "He Used to Be My Boyfriend" Kane (Teddy Dunn), Veronica's ex and Lilly's brother; Eli "Weevil" Navarro (Francis Capra), the leader of the PCH motorcycle gang; and Logan Echolls, Neptune High's "obligatory psychotic jackass," Lilly's former boyfriend, and Veronica's main love interest (eventually).

2. "An Echolls Family Christmas" (Season 1, Episode 10)
In addition to just being a fun hour of TV that brings together Veronica, Weevil, Logan, and Duncan after money goes missing following a poker game, "An Echolls Family Christmas" also plays a role in Logan's ongoing arc, which had been quite slow until this point. The episode finds a stalker threatening Logan's abusive movie star father, Aaron Echolls (Harry Hamlin), and through the investigation we learn some sad but not-terribly-surprising secrets about Aaron that later contribute to the disappearance of Logan's mother Lynn (Lisa Rinna), a development that naturally devastates Logan.

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3. "Ruskie Business" (Season 1, Episode 15)
In "Ruskie Business," Logan refuses to believe his mother is dead and hires Veronica to find her since Lynn's body was never found after she reportedly jumped from the Coronado Bridge. After staking out a nearby hotel where one of her credit cards was used, Logan eventually discovers it wasn't his mother who was camped out there, but his half-sister, Trina (Alyson Hannigan). Veronica then comforts Logan as he comes to accept that his mother is really dead, further deepening their friendship in the process.

4. "Weapons of Class Destruction" (Season 1, Episode 18)
Also known as the episode in which Veronica and Logan first kiss, "Weapons of Class Destruction" is a must-watch for shippers, but it's also necessary viewing to understand how one of the defining relationships of the show tipped from friendly to romantic. The show had been developing Logan and Veronica's friendship for a while, but the kiss almost comes out of nowhere -- and yet makes perfect sense in hindsight. In the episode, Logan swoops in and saves Veronica from a would-be kidnapper played by guest star Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Sure, it turns out he was an undercover federal agent investigating bomb threats, but the point is that Logan punched JTT, and it was so swoon-worthy that Veronica kissed Logan to show her appreciation for his chivalry, and the world of Veronica Mars was never quite the same after that.

5. "A Trip to the Dentist" (Season 1, Episode 21)
One of the ongoing storylines of Veronica Mars' first season involved Veronica's rape at Shelly Pomroy's party prior to the start of the series. In "A Trip to the Dentist," Veronica learns the truth about what happened to her that night and that Logan, who Veronica has been seeing, had unknowingly played a role in it by supplying the drugs that were used to spike Veronica's drink. We also learn why Duncan broke up with Veronica so suddenly: He believed she was his sister! Of course, Duncan revealing this information to Veronica led to one of the most memorable (and hilarious) moments in the show's history:

6. "Leave It to Beaver" (Season 1, Episode 22)
Veronica finally solves Lilly's murder in the Season 1 finale, "Leave It to Beaver," but it doesn't come without its fair share of danger. After discovering that Lilly had been having an affair with Aaron Echolls and that he had recorded them having sex, it doesn't take long for Veronica to figure out what happened from there. She eventually recovers the tapes but is attacked herself, and although Keith saves his daughter and closes the case that had cost him his job as sheriff, Veronica and Logan -- who was jumped by the PCHers on the bridge while all of this was happening -- are both changed forever by the knowledge of what happened to Lilly.

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7. "Normal Is the Watchword" (Season 2, Episode 1)
The Season 2 premiere, "Normal Is the Watchword," resolves the Season 1 cliffhanger of who was at Veronica's door, but after learning how off the rails Logan went after being accused of murdering Felix during the fight on the bridge in the Season 1 finale, we find out Veronica is now dating Duncan again and that Logan is sleeping with Dick (Ryan Hansen) and Beaver's (Kyle Gallner) stepmom, Kendall (Charisma Carpenter). The premiere also introduces us to a new character, Gia Goodman, played by Krysten Ritter, and the season's overarching mystery, which involves a bus crash that kills a number of Neptune High students -- and nearly Veronica, who was supposed to be on the bus when it went over a cliff.

8. "Donut Run" (Season 2, Episode 11)
"Donut Run" is the final series regular appearance of Teddy Dunn as Duncan, as the episode sees him flee to Mexico with his newborn daughter, Lilly (the child's mother, Meg [Alona Tal], died as a result of injuries sustained in the bus crash). His exit, which Veronica helps orchestrate, paves the way for Veronica and Logan, who fans were more emotionally invested in, to eventually reunite down the line. The episode also checks in on another ongoing story thread as Logan and Weevil team up to find out who really killed Felix that night on the bridge, while Wallace returns to Neptune after going to Chicago with his father earlier in the season.

9. "Look Who's Stalking" (Season 2, Episode 20)
Like "Weapons of Class Destruction" before it, "Look Who's Stalking" makes this list almost entirely because of what it means for Logan and Veronica's on-again, off-again relationship. After the Neptune High prom was canceled, Logan throws an Alterna-Prom where he drunkenly delivers what is now considered to be one of the most iconic lines of the entire series: "I thought our story was epic, you know? You and me. ... Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined. Bloodshed. Epic." But when Veronica shows up at Logan's door the next day, she finds out he doesn't remember what he said. The episode also sees Veronica diagnosed with chlamydia, which is important later on.

10. "Not Pictured" (Season 2, Episode 22)
The Season 2 finale, the last episode of the show to air on UPN, is an emotionally taxing hour that wraps up a number of Season 2's ongoing storylines in surprisingly twisty fashion, including that Cassidy is responsible for the bus crash, while revisiting some old ones in order to reveal that Veronica actually was raped the night of Shelly Pomroy's party, and that her rapist is responsible for giving her the aforementioned chlamydia. The episode also sees Veronica and Logan finally rekindle their relationship, much to shippers' delight. Although "Not Pictured" is one of the show's best outings, it is also it's most heartbreaking.

11. "Welcome Wagon" (Season 3, Episode 1)
After moving to The CW for its third season, Veronica Mars was forced to abandon the season-long mysteries that made it stand out in favor of shorter multi-episode mystery arcs that would theoretically allow viewers to jump in any time and not be totally confused. The Season 3 premiere, which sees Veronica begin her freshman year of college, introduces a mystery that is actually tied to a story first introduced in a Season 2 episode: a serial rapist is targeting women at Hearst College. And although Logan and Veronica are still going strong, "Welcome Wagon" also introduces Stosh "Piz" Piznarski (Chris Lowell) as Wallace's new roommate and Veronica's future love interest, thus igniting a love triangle that would divide fans and follow the show all the way through the movie.

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12. "Spit & Eggs" (Season 3, Episode 9)
The rape storyline is concluded in "Spit & Eggs," but as we've come to learn, solving the case often comes at a dangerous price for Veronica, and our favorite teen detective almost becomes the rapist's latest victim in the process. This episode also introduces the next mystery arc as well, as Hearst's Dean O'Dell (Ed Begley Jr.) is found murdered in his office.

13. "The Bitch Is Back" (Season 3, Episode 20)
Although the Dean's murder is actually solved in Episode 15, you can skip that episode in the interest of time and move straight on to the Season 3 finale. "The Bitch Is Back" is the last we see of Veronica until the film picks up nine years later, and that's a shame because the episode ends on a cliffhanger. Did Keith win the election? Which attractive boy did Veronica actually choose? This was one heck of a sad ending for our favorite private detective. Thank God it's no longer the end.

Veronica Mars Season 4 premieres Friday, July 26 on Hulu. Seasons 1 through 3 are also available on Hulu.