Nancy Drew Season 4 Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot And More Details

Over the years, the CW has cultivated a particular brand home to vampires, superheroes, and teen drama. Most recently, the network has been known for the genuinely escapist and brilliant fever dream that is "Riverdale." The once straightforward mystery show has exceeded everyone's wildest dreams and become equally baffling and entertaining as it leans heavily into the supernatural. Shows like this have laid the groundwork for other moody shows of its kind, such as "Nancy Drew."

The series also starts as a mystery show based on familiar characters who were given a dark makeover. Supernatural elements have been part of the series' bones as young detective Nancy Drew (Kennedy McMann) encounters hauntings and specters in her bid to find out the truth about Lucy Sable's gruesome death. "Nancy Drew" has been going on strong for three seasons, but sadly, things are wrapping up with Season 4. With that in mind, let's take a look at everything about the last season of "Nancy Drew."

Fans of many CW series were disappointed in 2022, as TV shows with supernatural leanings were axed by the network in what was described as a calculated decision (via Deadline). Luckily for viewers of the mystery series, "Nancy Drew" still has some life in it.

With its final renewal occurring in March 2022, many have wondered when they can expect to see the last season. According to Kennedy McMann's Twitter, filming started in July. Just a few months later in December, an emotional McMann took to Instagram and revealed that the show had finished filming. "I started this journey at 22 and finish now at 26," she wrote. "I've grown up, I've gotten married, I've bought a house, I've found myself, I've lived an absolute childhood dream. This experience has completely changed my life. What an incredible gift."

As for when the show will air, we now know exactly when Season 4 will start and stop. Expect to see the first episode air on May 31, 2023 at 8 PM ET on The CW. Then prepare to say farewell to Nancy Drew and company on August 23 (via Variety).

Per the CW's official synopsis (via TVLine), the central case of "Nancy Drew" in its fourth and final season involves Nancy snooping around to recover bodies that have disappeared from the local cemetery at Horseshoe Bay. Either grave-robbers stole them from right out of the ground and absconded with them for unknown and likely nefarious reasons, or those bodies revived of their own accord, meaning Nancy and her loyal team may face some kind of zombie uprising. A few more unexplained if not paranormal events lead Nancy to believe that a supernatural event is underway, as if all of the horrible deeds and buried secrets associated with the town are coming back to torment the guilty.

But since "Nancy Drew" is a CW show for young adults, there's plenty of romantic entanglements. Nancy finds herself in a love rectangle, wanting to be with her beloved Ace (who has his eye on another) but undeniably attracted to another.

As the namesake for the CW series and the highly influential series of mystery books, there would be no Horseshoe Bay without Nancy Drew. And thanks to Nancy's efforts at the end of Season 3, the town was saved from Temperance's calamity. After the witch intends to destroy the entire town of Horseshoe Bay, Nancy defeats Temperance and goes on to fight another day. Nancy will continue to solve crimes in Season 4 after opening her own investigatory business named after herself. Though she is on her own in her new business venture, Kennedy McMann confirmed for Collider that the rest of the Drew Crew would also return in the upcoming season. But this time with different jobs as they enter adulthood.

"From a career perspective even, they're all starting their official adult lives in a lot of ways. They've moved out of their parents' houses if they lived there before," McMann reported. "Nancy's opened her investigator business. George is studying law. Bess is the new Keeper of the Historical Society. Nick is sorta figuring out where he stands with everything now that Nick and George are broken up. Ace just started working at the morgue." 

Though separate for the time being, Bess (Maddison Jaizani), George (Leah Lewis), Nick (Tunji Kasim), and Ace are all slated to return for Season 4. Fans can also expect the return of Carson (Scott Wolf) and Jean (Erica Cerra), according to TV Insider.

"Nancy Drew" started with a pedigree that any teen drama would wish for. After successes with "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl," Deadline reported that "Nancy Drew" would be developed by none other than dream team Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Schwartz was the youngest showrunner at the time when he created "The O.C." at 26 years old (via The Wall Street Journal). Schwartz and Savage's involvement made "Nancy Drew" an easy sell, but the mind behind the series is writer Noga Landau. 

In addition to pitching and writing the first episode, Landau acknowledged to Entertainment Weekly that it was her idea that Nancy's first mystery would be the one about her parentage. Since then, she has assumed showrunning duties alongside executive producer Melinda Hsu Taylor. Taylor is an experienced writer in fantasy series with credits including "Lost" as well as "The Vampire Diaries" (via IMDb). Landau and Taylor's sharing showrunning duties has been part of the show's DNA since its inception and will continue into Season 4. From the first mystery about Lucy Sable's death to the increasing supernatural presence in Horseshoe Bay, they can be thanked for the series' specific tone and surprising twists.

The trailer for the fourth and final season of "Nancy Drew" promises a story that's both a ton of fun and super spooky. It would seem that Nancy's hometown of Horseshoe Bay is in the midst of some kind of evil uprising. Bodies in the local cemetery are walking around on their own, and it's up to Nancy and her loyal team to find out why that's happening, and also how to stop it. The trailer hints at a "Nancy Drew" season full of even more unexplained, frightening, and paranormal events. Demons, ghosts, strange rituals, giant and disgusting spiders, and mystical symbols will all pose challenges to Nancy in the final season of the series. Nancy, as always, remains unfazed, plucky, and proactive, approaching these menaces with her trademark attitude — they're just more kooky things for her to investigate and solve. 

While the cast and crew of "Nancy Drew" was in the midst of filming its fourth season in October 2022, Deadline reported that The CW had decided to make this batch of episodes the last it would order, effectively canceling the series in advance of what will be its final season. Sources in the know said that the cancellation had long been on the table, with negotiations beginning before The CW was sold to Nexstar Media Group (via Deadline). The idea to end now likely relates to the new owners looking to cut costs, and as older shows cost more to produce, Nexstar doesn't have a lot of veteran series left on The CW.

The advance notice at least gives "Nancy Drew" creators a chance to write and shoot a proper and conclusive series finale. "We are so honored and proud to have brought Nancy Drew's iconic determination, individuality, and resilience to life in a years-long collaboration with incredible creative talents in front of the camera, behind the scenes, and among our studio and network partners," showrunners Noga Landau and Melinda Hsu Taylor said in a statement. "Season 4 will be a worthy and resonant payoff for their continued love and support."

Before Season 4 charges full steam ahead in 2023, fans may want to refresh themselves on all the twists and turns that "Nancy Drew" offers. With three seasons of content, there are more than enough streaming hours to fill viewers' time before the season premiere. Though Netflix has often been the home base for CW content such as "Riverdale" and "Supernatural," "Nancy Drew" will not be found there. The YA drama shares the home with prestige dramas such as "House of the Dragon" and "The White Lotus." Viewers can stream the first three seasons of "Nancy Drew" as long as they have an HBO Max subscription.

But if you haven't shelled out for the streaming platform, all is not lost. There is still a chance to watch "Nancy Drew" for free, even if you don't have a cable subscription. Every episode of Season 3 is available to watch for a limited time on The CW's website. But fans at the show should hurry because once the offer expires, only the last five episodes will be available to watch.