22 episodes · 2004

The season revolves around Veronica Mars, a high school student and private investigator in the fictional Southern California seaside town of Neptune. When Veronica's best friend, Lilly Kane, is murdered, her life falls apart. Her father, County Sheriff Keith Mars, accuses Lilly's father of being involved in the murder. This provokes Neptune's wrath and Keith's ousting as sheriff in a recall election. Veronica's mother, Lianne, develops a drinking problem and leaves town. Veronica's "09er" friends—wealthy students from the fictional 90909 ZIP code—force her to choose between them and her father; she chooses her father. Keith opens a private investigation agency, Mars Investigations, where Veronica works part-time.

22 episodes · 2005

The season begins with the introduction of two new cases: when a school bus full of Neptune High students plunges off a cliff, killing almost everyone on board, Veronica Mars makes it her mission to discover why the bus crashed. Logan Echolls is accused of killing a Pacific Coast Highway biker gang member after drunkenly picking a fight with Eli "Weevil" Navarro and the PCHers.