Episode #01.03: Meet John Smith
Original Air Date: October 12, 2004
Written by: Jed Seidel
Directed by: Harry Winer
Report Card (Capsule Episode Review)
Yearbook (Recurring & Guest Stars/Character Statistics)
Drama Club (Performances: Highlights and Lowlights)
Chemistry (The Analysis of LoVe Scenes)
Journalism (The Mystery of the Week)
Study Hall (Miscellaneous Plot Details)
Extra Credit (Clues to the Season Mystery Arcs)
History (Flashbacks) (None)
Band Class (The Music of Veronica Mars)
Literature (LoVe Lines/In Memory/Quotable Quotes)
Social Science (In Reference To ... Pop Culture & The World)
Homeroom (On Second Viewing, Get a Clue)
Pep Squad Practice (Ambiguously (Or Not) Gay Logan Moments)
Detention (While the Censors Were Out to Lunch ...) (None)
Philosophy (Unanswered Questions)
Principles of Democracy (Hindsight is 20/20)
Role Call (Written/Compiled By ...)
Staff Grade: B
Membership Grade: B (60.4% / 53 votes)
Another strong episode, Meet John Smith introduces a gimmick that will be used time and time again throughout the series (at times working brilliantly, at others ... not so much): The twist! Here, the twist is a good one, showing a willingness to play with viewers and up end expectations. Once again, the continued strength of the leads (especially Bell, who seemingly just gets better and better), wonderful dialogue and crafty interweaving of the main mystery arc with the mystery of the week show that the brilliance of Veronica Mars is no fluke.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Francis Capra - Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Sydney Tamiia Poitier - Mallory Dent
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Aaron Ashmore - Troy Vandegraff
- Credit Where Credit's Due
Ryan Hansen - Dick Casablancas
- Credit Where Credit's Due
Kyle Secor - Jake Kane
- Pilot
- Credit Where Credit's Due
Amanda Seyfried - Lilly Kane
- Pilot
- Credit Where Credit's Due
Lisa Thornhill - Celeste Kane
- Pilot
Guest Stars
Eric Beck Dr. Levine
Bobby Edner Justin Smith
Melissa Leo Julia Smith
Allison MacInnis - Shelly Pomroy
Paula Marshall Rebecca James
Who's Who in Neptune
Miss Rebecca James Guidance Counselor for Neptune High.
Dr. Levine Duncan Kanes family physician.
Shelly Pomroy - Sometime girlfriend of Duncan.
Dick Casablancas - 09er jock jerk, friend of Logan and Duncan.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Paula Marshall (Rebecca James) - Nicknamed "Back!ShowKiller," Marshall has starred in several critically-acclaimed television shows that were cancelled during or after their first season, including Cupid, Rob Thomas' first television program.
Highlights
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - The acting award continues to go to Bell in this episode as she quips, sleuths and navigates the hazards of high school in yet another outing. Whether she is trading quips with Keith, cajoling Wallace, or flirting with Troy, she is full of feisty fire and energy. Bell succeeds in every aspect of her performance and with each scene the viewer is more deeply entrenched in her life and firmly on her side.
Scene One: Twirl and Stare
Just a few seconds and more about the tension between Veronica and Duncan, but it must be mentioned that Logan just can't seem to shake loose his interest in his best friend's ex. While Duncan is zombie-like and barely aware of what is going on, Logan is the one twirling and turning to stare at Veronica, making her (and us) aware that *he* is very aware of her. Of course, it's already been made clear that he's always aware of her ... if Veronica is within his sight, his gaze is invariably drawn to her. And whether she realizes it or not, more often than not, Veronica is just as aware of him as he is of her.
Uh huh.
Scene Two: Explain Again Why Logan is More Interested in DK's Ex Than Is DK
The continuing motif of Logan Echolls being interested in anything and everything Veronica Mars continues in the first scene featuring our dynamic duo. Logan and Duncan are at Duncan's locker (I believe) and Veronica notices the two, who are pretty much ignoring her. The show then does one of those moody, neato-keen special effects angles with Veronica standing still in the crowded hallway of Neptune High while the other students move in fast motion around her. The effect slows down to normal time as one of those students, one Troy Vandegraff, bumps into her.
They exchange a little chit-chat, which leads to Veronica -- who clearly is sick and tired of being an outsider recently by choice, i.e. with her refusal to go out with Troy -- to finally agree to, yes, go out with him. As they continue their conversation, Logan and Duncan walk into the shot. Initially, the two discuss girls and how they "talk." Veronica and Troy come into view and while Duncan is paying zero attention to his ex, Logan is -- big shocker! -- totally focused on them and, even from where Logan and Duncan are standing, their definitely flirty conversation. In his oh so charming (not!) way, Logan comments upon the interaction with his brand of Veronica-"affection" at this point in the game:
It's worth a note, that following this conversation, Duncan looks sick, Logan comments, then Duncan drops his bag and rushes to the bathroom. You'd think that Logan, who is sooo concerned about his best bud, would either (a) follow him or at the very least (b) look after him. Does he? Of course not. He looks back over at Veronica and Troy. All for DK. Riiight, Logan.
Scene Three: Five Seconds of LoVe
Okay, the BEST five seconds in the entire episode! Upon Duncan's return from the bathroom, he and Logan prepare to head off. To their right, Veronica rushes by with young Justin in tow and pulls him into the girls' bathroom. With an, I swear to GOD!, admiring smile upon his face, Logan says in this, again, no other word!, admiring voice: That girl is totally whack! I dunno what the motivation, direction, etc. was for this scene, but those five seconds are just delicious for LoVe shippers everywhere searching for LoVe moments in the drought of the first half of the season.
Scene Four: Logan Echolls: The Return of the Jackass.
Not much going on here, just Logan being a total jackass. I mean, really. TOTAL jackass. Duncan jumps off the bleachers, has clearly, clearly injured himself, bleeding head and all, and Logan's response is ... to shake alcohol from his trusty little flask downwind to ease the suffering? Logan, Logan, Logan. Of course, Duncan was laying with his bleeding head just about in Veronica's arms. And Troy was right beside her. Is it stretching to think that Logan was maybe peeved about their closeness to Veronica and his lack and was thus acting like an ass because he was upset that both Duncan and Troy had the fair Veronica's attention?
Nah, he was just being a total jackass.
Scene Five: A History Together
Another small scene and while the focus is obviously much more on Duncan and Veronica and her concern for him, there was definitely a connection there between Logan and Veronica. What I really liked was how after she asked if Duncan was okay, Logan cast a quick glance at her before looking at Duncan with a look on his face that Veronica's would soon match. And sure enough it did once Duncan wandered off in his drugged-out state; both Veronica and Logan stared after him, mutual expressions of pain on their faces at the return of the Donut Zombie.
It was very small, but I liked how it showed that the two do have that history together, even if it was not a romantic one, it was one of depth. We saw that indeed, a long time ago, they used to be friends. This is one of the few early scenes (and succeeded doing so in only a few seconds) that shows that clearly.
Panning across Neptune High's infamous quadrangle, we are invited to participate in a male rite of passage because three Freaks and Geeks rejects have entered their sophomore year and discovered the wonder of The Female Species. They scour the quad rating how hot the Neptune blondes are (because brunettes become invisible when scanning under hormone powered infrared).
One of the guys looks like Logan's very own Mini-Me -- complete with frosted tips, chocolate brown eyes and no sense of fashion. He singles out our favorite girl detective, smiling wistfully in memory of all the times he's perved on her when she came into the video store he works at. His friends aren't so convinced Veronica is Hot Stuff and remind their buddy that Veronica works with her dad as a private detective. They may have heard rumors of how adept she is with her taser and are trying to warn their friend that that isn't the type of 'hot' they're looking for. The Flannel Geek gives her an eight and a half as if he is the epitome of masculine ten but Mini-Me Logan thinks the private eye thing bumps up her physical hotness to a nine.
Later, Veronica and Keith stop by the video store for some quality Daddy-Daughter time. Mini-Logan is working behind the counter when a friendly lady with long brown hair walks up and thanks him for his excellent recommendation. Clearly he's a movie geek, considering his love for all things Kevin Spacey, and he proceeds to recommend Body Heat for the lady's next rental, in a very excited manner.
As his customer leaves the store, Mini-Logan catches the sound of another female voice causing his head to snap up in excitement. It's Veronica Mars, arguing with her pop over hiring Slap Shot again. She approaches his counter munching on candy and he asks if the rumors about her working as a private eye with her dad are true. Well, it's either that, or a nasty prankster has been putting up fake signs all over their business to confuse them. He asks if she can help him out with something ... private. Veronica tells him to come and talk to her at school tomorrow.
Instead of waiting for Mini-Logan to find her the next day, Veronica grabs him and drags him past The-one-and-only-original-Logan and his BFF Duncan into her office: The girls' bathroom. And all his fantasies just came true! Mr. Logan Original grins with genuine amusement, wondering why Veronica would drag off the unfinished version of himself when he's standing right there: "That girl is seriously whack." Duncan seems to agree and so do we.
Inside the girls' bathroom, Mini-Logan asks Veronica to help him find his father, who ran out on his family about ten years ago and hasn't made contact with them since. Veronica pulls a face at just how swell Mini-Logans dad sounds and asks him if he's sure he wants to find someone who abandoned him.
Pause. Um, Veronica? Do try to remember your own situation, kay? Mmkay then.
The door bursts open with people who actually want to use the toilet for its function - who knew? - Veronica jumps at the door, shoves it shut and kicks the doorstop underneath to prevent them from getting in the room again. Mini-Logan is all hers, damnit! Okay, back to business. She asks him why he would suddenly look for his dad after all this time and he tells her that his mom got laid off from her job and now works two crappy ones and they are barely getting by. He seems to be under the impression that if he finds his dead beat dad he'll actually get money from him. Instead of handing him a statistic book about single parenting and child support, Veronica asks for as much information on Mini-Logan's dad as he has.
He has no photos, no recent address (although he knows he lived with his dad in L.A. until he was about two), no social security number, no date of birth but he does have his dad's name. It's John ... Smith. Well, it should be really easy to find a guy with such a singular name! Veronica Mars, away!
Mini-Logan walks through the Neptune quadrangle with his superhero friend, Flannel Boy. Flannel Boy is asking if Mini-Logan is meeting him up at study group later. Mini-Logan has been waiting for this moment to deliver a line he never thought he'd say: "No, dude, I'm going to hook up with Veronica Mars." Flannel Boy scoffs, "Yeah, and later I'm going parasailing with Halle Berry."
It's kind of cute that sophomores see dating above their year on the same level as dating a film star. Flannel Boy as least has a refreshing grasp on reality. Mini-Logan won't be dissuaded though, he's serious, he has Veronica working a case for him - looking for his missing father. Flannel Boy feigns confusion, "Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't your dad die like seven years ago?"
Yes, that's right, Mini-Logan's grasp on the powers of darkness are already developing! And at such a young age! I'm so proud! He cockily tells his friend that it's gonna take Veronica a long time to find his dad then, huh? After all, Veronica is just a hot blonde; she has no actual brain power and will thus continue fruitlessly searching for dearly departed, John Smith, giving Mini-Logan ample time to make a move. Oh yeah. He's smooth.
Veronica and Wallace are busy putting fake Stanford Summer Program acceptance letters into envelopes and creating an equally fake Stanford Summer Program voice message on one of the Mars Investigations answering machines. Keith comes and shakes Wallace's hand as Veronica proudly introduces him as her friend. HA! She gives a little karate chop, "Take that, high school guidance counselor!"
Keith keeps looking at Wallace (possibly checking to see if he's a real boy or animatronic) and then asks Veronica what they're doing. Veronica tells her dad about the case: She's now narrowed down the number of John Smiths to an easy 440. She's hoping that the dead beat dad who ran out on his family ten years ago and hasn't contacted them since will have enough of a conscience when he receives a letter from Stanford to call and say they've got the wrong address. Wow, Veronica Mars, who knew you had this optimistic side?
Keith asks Veronica how Wallace got roped into it and I've got to say I share his sympathy. Yikes. That's a lot of envelope licking, I hope she gives Wallace some cream for the blisters that will develop on his poor slave driven fingers. Wallace tells Keith that he helped because Veronica promised to be his friend. Awwww. Keith's "I would have held out for a better offer" tells us all he's savvy enough to know that Wallace must have extorted something else out of our beloved heroine for all his hard work.
The next day at school Wallace and Veronica are tussling over her school file which he's just stolen from the administration office. It's a LOT thinner than I would expect so we can safely say that Veronica is rarely caught doing the things she does. Wallace is swelling with pride at his own investigative skills after discovering Veronica was a Grade A kiss-ass in her former life, when Mini-Logan approaches them tentatively. He asks if Veronica has any leads and she tells him they should know something by next week.
He's not really interested, he just wanted to come over so he could give her the mixed CD he burned for her yesterday ... just in case ... you know ... she wants to listen to ... something ... on a ... stakeout? Yeah, he's smooth. Not a blush in sight. Wallace bites down on his lip, heroically keeping down the guffaws that want to break loose and humiliate Mini-Logan. Awww, shucks it's kind of sweet. Must stay strong, must not laugh: This is the Fennel mantra. Finally, when Mini-Logan walks off, Wallace lets a laugh break free, "He brought you a mixed tape." Veronica is strangely protective of her sweet, little Mini-Logan. But her spy sense is starting to itch like a bitch and she asks Wallace to bring her Mini-Logan's file. It would probably be useful for Wallace's search if he knew Mini-Logan's name at this point in the episode, but hey, we won't say anything.
Wallace was able to solve two of the mysteries that Veronica did not. Firstly, Mini-Logan was dubbed Justin at birth. Secondly, Justin's file won't self destruct five seconds after Veronica Mars touches it but Justin himself might not have as much luck if the death glare she gives his file is anything to go by.
She walks up to Justin's table and tells Flannel Boy and Extra Friend to scram. She wants to talk to Justin 'alone' but the boy should not get so excited because he may not even be a boy when she's through with him. Veronica remains standing as she slides Justin's first grade evaluation form in front of him and tells him to read it to her. It's a good thing Justin didn't stand up because this moment calls for looming and a very threatening glower.
"Justin has been moody and withdrawn which isn't surprising given his father's recent ... death." Whoops indeed. Justin learns his first post-pubescent lesson: Just because you're hot and blonde doesn't mean you're brain dead. Next lesson: Beware a woman scorned. Veronica hisses that everything he's said has been a lie, he wasted her time - "That drives me crazy." What's more, this was a pretty expensive Waste-of-Time-Date because he owes her $150 in useless postage.
Clearly, Veronica is torn between having sympathy for a desperately horny guy (she is very hot after all) and opening up a can of whoop ass by throwing him across the quad. The decision is taken out of her hands when a lady from the administration office approaches Justin's table with a letter. Justin opens it up to find one of the scholarship letters that Veronica sent out. Accompanying it is another note ... handwritten by his father.
Hmm, it appears being horny may uncover lies that have been told to you since infancy so we should all do it like the educated fleas do it. Seriously though, I hope Rob Thomas isn't trying to encourage other horny young males to behave in the same manner. Like guys need an excuse to lie more.
That night, Veronica is actually *gasp* doing school work, when her father comes in and tells her she has a visitor. The description of the 'someone' as: White male, pint sized, desperate (he ain't kidding!) and not having a good day, could not be anyone else but Veronica's hapless little suitor, Justin Smith. Veronica rolls her eyes but gets up to meet Justin at the door.
He bicycled all the way to her house to 'apologize' and Veronica rightly tells him he could (should) have saved it for tomorrow. But now Justin isn't thinking about her booty, yeah, he really is deeper than that. He showed the letter to his mother and the woman went nuts, making him promise not to try and find his father. His mother told him he was better off thinking his father was dead, but it's clear Justin doesn't agree.
Veronica coldly tells Justin maybe his mother was right, causing Keith to flick his head around to her in despair. Yeah, Veronica, empathize much? The camera zooms in on Veronica's wilting face as Justin tells her that he has a dad somewhere out there in the world, how could he not try and find him? Oh dear, I guess she can't hate the little twerp, this hits too close to home. She asks him to see the letter again.
The letter's post mark was from San Diego and apparently out of the 443 John Smiths out there, only three of them were in San Diego. As Veronica searches for their addresses Keith comes in. He couldn't help but overhear, since he was eavesdropping and all. He tells Veronica that he doesn't want her to think of her mother as a villain (blech) because it's not that simple. Stupid, noble, gorgeous man! Veronica says her black and white mantra for the first time: The hero is the one that stays and the villain is the one that splits. Keith doesn't think that's a healthy perspective but Veronica retaliates that 'pining away' isn't healthy either. Ouch, right in the crotch. Poor Keith.
Veronica drives out to San Diego to photograph the three John Smiths, even though Justin would find it difficult to identify a man he hasn't seen since he was six years old. Veronica calls him up at the video store asking if he's sure he doesn't have any pictures of his dad. Justin doesn't think so since his mother when Kodak-Homicidal and cut him out of every picture she had. As he talks with Veronica his favorite customer comes up asking for service. He tells Veronica he has to go and she tells him to bring in whatever Swiss cheese photos are best. The lady customer mentions the fact that he recommended Body Heat last time she was in and asks if he has it on DVD. He says no, but he can order it in for her if she wants it.
At school, Veronica shows Justin all the shots she got of the three John Smiths. John Smith #1 is an old, married, pudgy doctor with kids. Justin takes one look at the photo and gives it a big no. John Smith #2 is a single, butch high school coach. Justin nixes him as well because of his creepy blue eyes; Justin's mother always turns off the radio when Brown Eyed Handsome Man plays because she says it reminds her of his father. That leaves John Smith #3 who inconveniently enough is wearing a pair of dark sunglasses concealing the one physical feature Justin could identify him by.
He's the most likely option and also the most likely to be a petty criminal considering Veronica followed him from a junk yard to a pawn shop to the race track. Everyone's dream dad. Justin asks if they can go back because if he sees him up close he'll be able to I.D. him. Wallace looks at Justin's puppy face and says "Give the kid a break." It's annoying that they're so condescending to the 'little' sophomore considering he's actually only one year younger than they are, but whatever. Veronica continues to fulfill Justin's fantasy of a domineering woman by telling him she's the one in charge and he must obey her at all times.
Before they split for class Justin pulls out some massacred photographs of his father. They're the best he has because all that's missing is his father's head (lovely) and you can see his hand in them. In both pictures John Smith is standing beside two very cool, vintage convertibles. John Smith was apparently a classics collector, which places some doubt over John Smith #3 who drives a convertible that's anything but classic.
Veronica tails John Smith #3 with her LeBaron, Justin sitting shot gun. Their target pulls into a parking lot beside an adult store and Veronica parks across the street ordering Justin to sit still and try not to look conspicuous. So, naturally, Justin jumps right out of the car and runs across four lanes of traffic to confront his might-be-father. Stupid but effective, and maybe Veronica will give him a spanking for being naughty later. He calls out to John Smith #3 who immediately turns around and removes his glasses. Pale grey-green eyes. Nuts.
Justin curses like a teen under PG-13 constraints (DANG!) and is about to slump back to Veronica's car when Veronica notices a post-it note on John Smith #3's dash. She picks it up and asks Justin for his father's letter, comparing the writing. It's the same! Maybe John Smith likes contacts or Justin's mother is color blind? There's only one way to find out: Keep stalking John Smith #3!
Veronica and Justin follow John Smith #3 home. As they pull up to the curb, Justin finds Veronica's good old taser and starts to play with it. Veronica treats him like her adopted child, snatching it out of his hand with a "That's dangerous and for adults only, don't be a bad boy." Veronica then tells him to stay in the car even though they always say you should never abandon your children in a vehicle. Terrible parenting skills, Veronica Mars.
She runs across the street and looks through the garage window, spying a car beneath a tarp. She breaks in hoping to find a classic car but instead she unveils a Hyundai. Tada! Somehow, she doesn't think that classifies as a classic. John Smith #3 has excellent hearing and comes bursting into the garage wielding a baseball bat. Ah, clichs, you got to love how a baseball bat is always really close by when those criminals come a-running.
John Smith #3 tells Veronica to stay where she is while he calls the police like a good little criminal. Veronica draws in all of her bravado and tells John Smith #3 he won't make that call because she knows what he does - ha! Take that, bad father-man. "What I do? I'm a parole officer." Oh, I suppose it doesn't pay to assume the worst all the time, silly me and silly Veronica.
He asks her why she was following him and she hopes that the honesty thing will stop him from wielding the bat at her head. She's too pretty to share Lilly's fate after all. She tells him that she's a friend of his son, Justin, who just wants to see him. John Smith #3 is sick of her lying, he doesn't have a son and he might as well call the cops if she isn't going to be honest. Veronica is completely convinced he IS John Smith now and scoffs "Are you trying to tell me you're not John Smith?"
Outside, Justin sees another car pulling into John Smith #3's driveway and it's a vintage green convertible. He pulls the dangerous taser out of the glove box, because if there's one thing you want to do when you meet a runaway parent after ten years, it's electrocute them lots and lots! He runs across the street to confront the driver by himself.
The door to the garage opens and John Smith #3 and Veronica stop talking to watch its progress. As it opens we see Justin run up beside the vintage car, confronting the driver who turns out to be the woman always asking him for assistance at the video store. Huh. Ummm. Justin flicks quick glances from John Smith #3, to Video Rental Woman, to Veronica and back again. Okay brain, once you catch up things will get really weird. Justin meets the brown eyes of the lady and whispers "Dad?" Well, now he understands why his mother went all bitter and psychotic with the photos. John Smith is prettier than she is.
They must have stared at each other for a long time without saying anything because in the next scene we've moved from daytime to twilight and John Smith (or should we say Joan Smith?) is out of the car. Justin is crying but he's also talking which is a good sign because at least he didn't taser her. Veronica and the guy we can only assume is John's boyfriend or husband lurk awkwardly off to the side marveling at what a pretty night it is and trying not to stare at the reunion between son and father.
Justin asks if John knew he'd thought he was dead since he was eleven and John admits that he knew Justin's mother had threatened to do that. Justin's freaked out by the video store visits and John tries to explain that he just wanted to know if his son was okay. Justin, understandably, doesn't feel so peachy, since his mother has been lying to him and his father has turned himself into a mother (only he doesn't say it so politely). Justin is genuinely bawling his eyes out now as he asks Veronica to leave and runs off. Veronica stands awkwardly between John/Joan and his/her significant other with a plastic grin: "Well, nice meeting everyone." Smooth Veronica, you've clearly been taking oratory lessons from Justin.
Veronica can't stay quiet in the awkward silence of the car. Ninety miles, she says, that's how far Justin's father drives every week to see and talk to him for a few seconds. So his father's a woman, big deal? It's clear John Smith is not a villain for splitting and this story is not so black and white. Veronica tells Justin her mother is missing too and she would give anything to know that Lianne Mars loved her enough to drive ninety miles for a few seconds of contact. And if John Smith turned out to be a normal human being instead of a villain from a comic strip, maybe Lianne had her reasons too (although we hope it wasn't a sex change).
At the video store, Justin's boss asks if he ordered Body Heat for someone and hands him a DVD that has just come in. Justin thinks for a moment and then calls up his Mother-Father - who's named himself Julia (guess she told him between daylight and twilight?) -- and tells her that he can come and borrow Body Heat if he still wants to. It's good to know that Justin is a bigger person than his hormones would have us believe.
- Veronica is walking across the school campus when Troy joins her. He has weekend plans to go cruising in his dad's sailboat, preferably with a 'wide-eyed impressionable vixen.' A little flirting and a bit of banter and he's gone, just before some random dude rushes by Veronica, bumping into her and knocking her books out of her hand. She's picking them up when Duncan suddenly stops to help her. Books recovered, there is awkward tension for a moment, and then he walks away with Logan, who turns to stare back at Veronica (yeah, Logan does the staring, not Duncan. I wonder why? Ahem ...) Really sucks to go to school with your ex, since they're always around.
Later, tense from the evening's non-conversation about Lianne, Veronica and Keith do the dishes in awkward silence. She decides to go to the library, kisses her father on the cheek and tells him not to wait up. We'll skip ahead to the next morning, when Veronica wakes up from a scary dream about making out with Duncan in his car. It's okay, Veronica. It was only a dream.
At school, Veronica sees Duncan and Logan hanging out at Duncan's locker. Veronica is sad and pouty as the world speeds by around her, but when Troy bumps into her, she comes to the decision that it's time for them to go on a date, which seems to make Troy's day. Meanwhile, Logan asks Duncan if he hooked up with Shelly the night before. Duncan complains that she's a 'talker,' which Logan commiserates about before stopping to stare at Veronica and Troy, who are chatting at her locker. Duncan tells him to let it be when Logan tries to make a big deal out of the 'new kid' hanging out with his 'trailer-park ex.'
Veronica and Troy are dining at a restaurant, as he tells a story of how he and Duncan tried to make it on to America's Funniest Home Videos by having Troy swim off the beach with a fake shark fin, while Duncan stood back to film everyone's reaction. The lifeguard's reaction, though, was to pull out a shotgun, so Duncan had to run after the lifeguard, screaming and crying for him not to shoot his friend. (Ah, these could be the future leaders of America, folks.)
After some flirting and Troy's attempt to be cool like the Fonz ('Aaaayyy.'), he programs his cell phone number into hers and walks Veronica to her car. As the evening reaches its end, she starts babbling about needing to get home, while Troy moves in for a kiss. She responds by flinching back a bit. Hint taken, awkwardness rapidly ensuing, Troy steps back, shakes her hand and makes a courtly bow before opening her door for her. Stunned by her own response, Veronica says not a word as she watches him get into his sports convertible and speed away. He's no Logan, but he's helluva sight better than Duncan.
Veronica arrives home and tries to sneak in, but Keith is reading on the couch and asks how her date was. She snarkily replies that the conversation was lousy, but the sex was fantastic, leaving Keith quite unamused. Veronica shuts herself in her bedroom, frustrated and unsure of what she's waiting for.
At school, Veronica runs to catch up with Troy. He jokes that people might think she's desperate if they see her running after him, but she thinks it might be a step up reputation wise. Veronica is worried that she gave Troy the wrong impression on their date. She had a great time, but Troy suggests that she needs more time or space and is surprised when Veronica cuts him off with a kiss.
Driving home from her wasted trip to find her mother in Arizona, Veronica cries, her spirit a little bit more broken. She parks outside Troy's house and calls him. He comes outside to find her on the verge of tears. Saying, "It's about time," he holds her as she cries.
- Duncan's floating in his family pool, listening to his mp3 player when Jake interrupts to discuss Duncan's summer plans. His friend is an advisor for a Senator and has an internship opening in Washington; he thinks Duncan should apply, expressing his interest in politics, the work he did for Schwarzenegger, blah, blah, blah. Duncan puts his headphones back on, drowning his father's voice out in favor of the Thorns.
Later, the Kanes are dining as Jake tries to explain that he wants to see Duncan passionate about something because he's worried about his college prospects if Duncan has no interests to speak of. As his parents argue, Duncan pokes numbly at his food, not really listening. When Jake emphasizes that they all lost Lilly and miss her, but that they need to move on, Duncan excuses himself to go over to Shelly's.
The next morning, Duncan is in the kitchen, when his mother reminds him to take his antidepressants. He's only been on them for six months, so he just needs a little more time. (To do what, exactly? Become even more devoid of personality?) Barely paying attention to Celeste (and really, who can blame him?), he goes to the sink and bounces the pill in his hands a few times, causing it to accidentally fall down the drain. Celeste doesn't notice the look of 'oops' on Duncan's face before she leaves or I'm sure she would have handed him another pill in two seconds flat. Thinking it over for a bit, Duncan walks away.
At school, Duncan is talking to Logan, when he suddenly becomes nauseous and runs to the bathroom. A few moments later, he splashes some water on his face, looks in the mirror and smiles. When he rejoins Logan, who asks him if he's okay, he says he's never been better.
The Kanes' maid serves them dinner as Jake mocks Celeste's suggestion that their son get a life coach. Duncan interrupts the argument to stand and make a toast. To Molly. Their old Labrador who could catch a Frisbee, but couldn't stop using the flowerbeds as her private bathroom and therefore got banished from the Kane Kingdom forever. Now, this was six years ago and Celeste thinks Duncan should just let it go, but Duncan toasts her anyway and then leaves.
The next morning, Celeste greets Duncan in the kitchen, reminding (nagging) him once again to take his pill. When she leaves, Duncan drops it down the drain. On purpose, this time.
Duncan is making out with a blonde girl in his car, who looks suspiciously like Veronica. When he whispers her name, reality makes a sudden appearance as the girl, who is actually Shelly, demands to know what he just called her. Not that there is a really good way to dig yourself out of that awkward hole, but I suspect that laughing about it is pretty darn low on the list. Duncan laughs, anyway. What a guy!
The boys sit on the bleachers, watching Neptune's lacrosse team practice. Logan, laying his head back on a friend's lap, flask in hand, tells Duncan that he thought his 'boy toy' Troy (this coming from the guy with his head in another guy's lap!) was going to join them for Happy Hour. Then, he wonders if Troy could have been 'waylaid' by Veronica. Seeming to rise to the bait, Duncan grabs Logan's flask and the two boys face off. Breaking the tension, Duncan starts making like a Kung Fu master, playing 'keep away' with Logan's flask. The two horse around a bit until Logan sits down and Duncan decides to start up a Grease revival all by himself. Everyone laughs as Duncan butchers 'Summer Nights' and Logan wonders happily what the hell's gotten into the dork. Better dork than Donut.
This very 'special' musical moment is interrupted by Dick who shouts at everyone to watch some idiot kid do a back flip off the bleachers. Freaked out, Duncan, Logan and the rest of the gang run over to see if the moron's alright. Dick laughs at their concern because the fool is lying on some large padded mats. As the kids laugh and walk away, Duncan notices Troy and Veronica walking nearby, and then sees Veronica kiss him.
Walking away, sad, Duncan hands Logan his flask, then suddenly turns and runs, yelling as he does a hand stand off the bleachers. Unlike the stupid guy who did it earlier, Duncan bounces right off of the pads and onto the cement. Veronica breaks off the kiss with Troy and runs to see if Duncan's okay. Troy joins her as Logan, Dick and the others run to see what happened. Logan laughs and asks if he's okay after his 'triple klutz.' Veronica checks the back of Duncan's head, which is bleeding pretty badly, though you wouldn't know it since Duncan's laughing over the whole thing. Logan, in one of his biggest asshole moments of the season, tells Duncan to open his mouth and starts splashing the contents of his flask down on the three of them.
Troy helps Veronica get Duncan to her car and backs off when Veronica makes it clear she doesn't need his help. As Veronica drives him to the hospital, Duncan asks if she remembers how things used to be. She tells him, rather curtly, that no, she doesn't. He pouts.
At the hospital, when a nurse assumes she is Duncan's girlfriend, Veronica corrects her. Duncan seems to want Veronica to stick around, but Jake shows up and, not happy to see her there, lets Veronica know he can handle the situation without her, so she leaves. In the examination room, Dr. Levine says there's no skull fracture. Jake is baffled as to what possessed his son to jump off the bleachers. Rather than give his father an explanation (and, really, there is no good one to be given), he asks to speak to his doctor. In private.
Dr. Levine tells Duncan that it's his decision if he wants to go cold turkey off the antidepressants. But there will be side effects to deal with: Nausea, hallucinations, vivid dreams, etc. Duncan thinks it'll be worth it.
Later, Duncan is watching television -- bowling, to be precise. Suddenly, Lilly walks in, wearing her pep squad uniform and bleeding from her fatal head wound. She wonders how he could watch such crap, but he's just plain confused how she could be there. She plops down beside him, pondering the weirdness of how her murder went down. Then she tells him that the truth is going to come out; things don't add up and he knows it. He should just break out of his stupor and wake up. Which he does, with a start, standing up and looking around to see that Lilly's no longer there.
Some time later, Duncan stands in his kitchen, staring at his pill. He considers it then swallows it down. At school, Veronica sees Duncan and Logan walk up. She smiles at him and asks how his head is. Coldly, Duncan says it's better, and then walks off as she and Logan stare after him, both aware something has changed.
- Dinner at Chez Mars. Keith tells his daughter that he got a surprise call from her guidance counselor, who wants to see him. Trying to prod for information on what he's in for at the meeting, Keith gets nothing as Veronica has no idea what it's about. (Or perhaps she's so overwhelmed by the many possible answers to this question that she feels playing dumb is the safest choice.)
In the Neptune High administration office, the school's guidance counselor, Miss Rebecca James, thanks Keith for coming in. He confesses that he was surprised by the call, but as they walk into her office, Rebecca reassures him that he shouldn't worry because Veronica is an amazing student with a great mind. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, Keith wonders why he's been called then. It seems that there's been a dramatic change in Veronica over the past year (duh) -- she's late a lot, has attitude with certain teachers, falls asleep in class and is socially isolated. Keith, starting to get a bit defensive, thinks that Veronica's doing pretty well considering the crap year she's had. Rebecca offers to have a chat with Veronica if, being a single father, he's uncomfortable talking to his daughter about these things. Keith politely declines and leaves.
Later, at Mars Investigations, while Wallace is helping Veronica with her latest mystery du jour, she pulls her 'do me a favor' routine and asks him to borrow her permanent school file. She'd like to try to figure out what exactly it is Miss James is saying to Keith. When Wallace points out that he could get expelled for that, Veronica smiles him into submission.
At school the next day, Wallace peruses Veronica's school records as she tries to grab it from him, but he's far too entertained reading about her sordid past. Her list of offenses that Wallace finds noteworthy? Calling her geometry teacher a jackass, being 'an angel' and 'a joy to have in class' for her second grade teacher, Ms. Applebaum, and writing a teacher a poem. Okay, maybe not so sordid. Unless being an eight year old ass-kisser can be called sordid.
Keith arrives at Rebecca's office to apologize for being abrupt and defensive during their earlier meeting. Rebecca kindly blows it off as being a three on the defensive parent scale. Keith confesses that maybe he's really not equipped to be the person Veronica can talk to, so he gratefully accepts Rebecca's offer to do so. Their conversation is interrupted by Rebecca's phone and when she answers it, she knocks her cup of coffee over, spilling it onto the floor. Keith helps her clean it up, taking a mental note of the store name printed on the side of the cup. He thanks her again and as he's leaving, she calls him Sheriff Mars and says he always had her vote. Keith smiles and leaves.
Later on, Keith sits alone at a coffee shop table, pretending to read the morning newspaper. Then he pretends to be surprised when Rebecca shows up, saying she didn't know he frequented the place, too. Keith laughs (oh so innocently) that he just discovered the place. And let the flirting begin.
- The episode takes place two weeks after the Pilot.
- Veronica keeps a framed picture of Lilly on her desk.
- Veronica keeps a taser in the glove compartment.
- Wallace meets Keith for the first time.
- The Kanes' maid is named Sofia.
- At dinner, one night, Veronica hesitantly asks Keith what he thinks Lianne was doing at the Camelot with Jake Kane two weeks ago. (Talk about your loaded question. And, really, what were they doing there?) Sighing in deep frustration, Keith reminds her that he told her to stay away from that case. Veronica, desperate for some answers, can't understand why he isn't looking for Lianne in Arizona. Keith begs her to stop, putting a definite end to the conversation. Extremely dissatisfied, Veronica nevertheless tries to lighten the mood a little by changing the topic to baseball. Clearly not in the mood for small talk, Keith grabs his plate and leaves the table.
After a discussion wherein Keith tries unsuccessfully to convince his daughter that her mother isn't a villain (good luck, there!), Veronica explains to him that she thinks it's healthier to paint her as one instead of pining away for her every day. Keith leaves her alone, looking mighty unhappy that his daughter has such a jaded outlook on the family situation. What he doesn't know, because Veronica isn't about to tell him, is that she's figured out exactly where Lianne is staying. Sitting at her laptop, she brings up the photo she took of the car outside the Camelot, when she was tailing Jake Kane. Finding a match on a list of Arizona state license plates, she writes down the address it's registered to:
Getting ready for school one morning, Veronica stares at the address on her board. Finally, she decides that if Lianne isn't going to come for her, she's going to have to go to her mother instead. If the roads are clear, she can make it to Arizona in four hours. Grabbing her bag and the address, she leaves for school.
That afternoon, Veronica drives through an Arizona mobile home park, glancing at the address in her hand, and spots the car she photographed outside the Camelot. Driving around to the other side of the home, she sees a blonde woman watering a flower bed. Excited, Veronica frantically cries out 'Mom!' and barely parks the car before she gets out and runs to the woman who turns around and is not Lianne. Veronica tells the woman that she is looking for Lianne Mars. The woman asks if she's Veronica and when she gets confirmation, grabs her and hugs her, identifying herself as Adrianna, a college friend of Lianne's.
Veronica eagerly looks around for signs of her mother's presence while Adrianna rambles on that she feels like she knows Veronica since Lianne talks about her all the time. Unfortunately, Lianne is no longer there. She left a couple of weeks ago. Veronica desperately asks her if Lianne told her where she was headed, and when Adrianna says she doesn't know, Veronica starts to fall apart, begging her not to lie because she needs to know where her mother is. Since Lianne thought Keith might come looking for her, she didn't tell Adrianna where she planned to go. Crushed, Veronica wonders why Lianne doesn't care about her. Adrianna insists that Veronica is all Lianne cares about. Veronica chooses to remain skeptical. As do I.
"No Blue Sky" (The Thorns)
Scene: Duncan on a sunny day in the pool, drowning out daddy's words of wisdom.
"Art" (Louque)
Scene: Troy goes in for the first kiss ... and Veronica's having none of that. Can we say awkward?
"Goodbye World" (Luke Adams)
Scene: Daddy Mars checks up on Veronica's homework-doing ability in her room. But can she chew gum at the same time?
"Edge of the Ocean" (Ivy)
Scene: Duncan's bleeding head is making a mess of the upholstery of the LeBaron on the hospital drive with his ex. Use the towel, Donut! It's there for a reason.
"Rock and a Hard Place" (Supreme Beings of Leisure)
Scene: Tracking down an on-the-run mother opens up one to a lot of voiceovers as this little ditty plays over Veronica's decision to track down said mother and then (oh the heartbreak) plays once again when she finds out that the afore-mentioned mother is on-the-run anew.
"What Are You Afraid Of" (West Indian Girl)
Scene: Driving in pain back from Arizona, Veronica reflects on her loneliness and decides she needs some comfort from a hot boy, and thus Troy gets his wish and the booty call is enabled.
LoVe Lines
Logan: (With a grin after Veronica pushed Justin into the girl's bathroom.) That girl is seriously whack!
Quotable Quotes
Justin: She's that smokin' and a private eye. That's gotta make her at least a 9.
Troy: Guess what I'm doing this weekend.
Veronica: I'm guessing it involves autoeroticism.
Keith: Have you been playing nice with the other children?
Veronica: You know, Dad, I'm old school. An eye for an eye.
Keith: I think that's actually Old Testament.
Jake: A life coach? (Laughs mockingly.)
Celeste: Didn't we just have a discussion about our son's lack of focus?
Jake: Oh no, you're -- you're right. Let's get him an astrologist, too. Maybe a past life consultant. (Still laughing.) Throw in a Pilates coach. If yours can free up some time.
Veronica: (To Keith.) Wallace is a friend of mine. (Does martial arts gesture with hands.) Take that, high school guidance counselor.
Keith: Part of me is proud, and let's just leave it at that.
Keith: So, how did she rope you into this?
Wallace: She promised me all of the answer keys to -- (Look from Veronica.) She promised to be my friend.
Keith: I'd have held out for a better offer.
Veronica: Hey, would you do me a favor?
Wallace: Why did all the hair on the back of my neck just stick up?
Wallace: You called your geometry teacher a jackass?
Veronica: That's totally taken out of context. Let me see it.
Wallace: Eh, hold up, grabby. I'm discovering a whole new side of you.
Wallace: He brought you a mix tape.
Veronica: Shut up. Hey, do me a favor.
Wallace: Please be kidding.
Keith: How was your date?
Veronica: Oh, you know. Lousy conversation, but the sex was fantastic.
Keith: That's not funny.
Veronica: I don't know, I'm pretty sure it was.
Wallace: You might want to take a look at that.
Veronica: Why, is it going to self-destruct in five seconds?
Keith: It's just that I never want you to think that your mom is the villain in all this.
Veronica: Isn't she?
Keith: No, it's not that simple.
Veronica: Yeah, it is. The hero is the one who stays and the villain is the one that splits.
Troy: Death defying stunts, gushing head wound. You're the man, brother.
Duncan: And, I almost stuck the landing!
Veronica: All right, fine. Meet me at my car after school. But remember, I'm the one in charge and you'll do what I say.
Wallace: You should have seen her before charm school.
Duncan: What are you talking about?
Hallucinated Dead Lilly: Clue in, Donut! It doesn't add up. You know that deep down inside. I wish you would just admit it to yourself, break out of your stupor. Wake up!
Veronica: Ninety miles.
Justin: What's ninety miles?
Veronica: It's the distance your dad travels every week to see you for a few seconds. Look, my mom's been missing, too, and honestly, I would give anything to feel that she cared enough about me to do that.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Tragedy blows through your life like a tornado, uprooting everything, creating chaos. You wait for the dust to settle and then you choose. You can live in the wreckage and pretend that it's still the mansion you remember. Or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild. Because after disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on. But if you're like me, you just keep chasing the storm. The problem with chasing the storm is that it wears you down, breaks your spirit. Even the experts agree. A girl needs closure.
Veronica: Doesn't she care about me?
Adrianna: You're all she cares about.
Veronica: Mark me down as skeptical.
Meet John Doe (Referenced by episode title.)
Meet John Doe (1941) is a Frank Capra comedy that stars Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. After reporter Ann Mitchell (Stanwyck) is fired from her job at a newspaper, she seeks revenge by printing a fake letter from the unemployed "John Doe." The letter sparks the interest of the public because the invented man has threatened to commit suicide due to society's ills. The paper rehires Mitchell after she has unknowingly started a political movement known as Grassroots. The paper even hires John Willoughby (Cooper) to be "John Doe" in order to milk the story for all it's worth.
Hilary Duff ... (Referenced by Justin's friend when debating the relative hotness of Sarah Kramer.)
Hilary Duff was born September 28, 1987. The Houston, Texas native made her first acting appearance alongside her sister Haylie in The Nutcracker. Her first major role was that of the young witch Wendy, alongside the friendly ghost, in Casper Meets Wendy. After that she went on to star in the Disney Channel hit, Lizzie McGuire. Duff's other major roles have included appearances in: Agent Cody Banks (2003), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and A Cinderella Story (2004).
Duff is also a successful recording artist, beloved of tweens everywhere. Her first album Metamorphosis was #1 on the Billboard 200, and sold more than two million copies. Her latest album Most Wanted also reached #1 on the Billboard 200.
Teen People ... (Referenced by Justin's friend when debating the relative hotness of Sarah Kramer.)
A teen-oriented version of People magazine first published by Time, Inc. in 1997. Teen People covers usually feature young actors and musicians who are popular with today's teen set. In addition to articles on celebrities, gossip and fashion, the magazine covers human interest stories featuring teens and their experiences, as well as articles discussing teen-related issues.
Sabre 386 ... (Referenced by Troy, discussing his weekend plans with Veronica.)
The Sabre 386 sailing yacht was launched in January and October 2004. The attention to detail is apparently known through the intricate details and safety precautions. The details make sense, but also add comfort and stability. The designers also kept up with their attention to new technology, building it to be one of the strongest and most durable sailing structures today. The result is a yacht which will endure for many years to come.
The Strokes ... (Referenced by Troy, discussing his weekend plans with Veronica.)
Formed in 1999, the Strokes is a New York rock band who has released three top ten albums. The band is made up of Julian Casablancas (no relation, I'm sure) on vocals, Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr. on guitar, Nikolai Fraiture on bass, and Fabrizio Moretti on drums. Their first album, Is This It, debuted in October 2001 to much critical praise, including being named best album of the year by Entertainment Weekly. The album includes the top 10 single, "Last Nite." The band followed up with the albums Room on Fire (2003) and First Impressions of Earth (2006).
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Referenced by Jake as he talks to a disinterested Duncan about potential summer plans.)
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Graz, Austria on July 30, 1947. He began his career as a bodybuilder, winning a number of competitions and getting his first taste of politics by being appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The Austrian he-man had always wanted to act, though. His breakthrough film was Conan the Barbarian (1982), but he's probably best known for his roles in The Terminator (1984), Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990) and Kindergarten Cop (1990).
Schwarzenegger, a registered Republican, was elected the governor of California on October 7, 2003 in a recall election, which removed Democrat Gray Davis from office. If not reelected in the 2006 gubernatorial election, his term will end on January 8, 2007. Schwarzenegger is married to Maria Shriver, a former journalist for NBC as well as a Democrat and member of America's political royalty, the Kennedys. The couple have four children.
Eye for an Eye ... (Referenced by Veronica when explaining her take on playing with the other children.)
The saying "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is simply a phrase to suggest, 'let the punishment fit the crime'. Most easily put: If they do it to you, you can do it back (you poke me, I poke you.). Keith's response of "that's actually Old Testament" is correct as this particular phrase can be found in several places of the Old Testament of The Bible.
Arizona (Referenced by Veronica as she asks Keith why he isn't looking for Lianne.)
Arizona is a state in the Southwest of the United States, with a population of about six million. It is a Four Corners state in that it borders Utah and New Mexico and touches Colorado. The state also has an international border with Mexico, making illegal immigration a problem, especially now that it has become more difficult to illegally enter California.
Arizona's desert landscape is populated with cacti and other succulent plants that can survive the dry environment. The Grand Canyon also stretches across northern Arizona for about 277 miles. The Grand Canyon National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the country.
Phoenix, Arizona is the most populated capital city in the United States. With a distance of 355 miles between San Diego and Phoenix, Veronica had to have driven for at least seven hours to try to track down her mother.
The San Diego Padres... (Referenced by Veronica while eating dinner with Keith.)
This Major National League franchise was created in 1968. They played at the San Diego Stadium until Petco Park, a dedicated baseball stadium, opened in 2004. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's, purchased the club in 1974 and his wife took it over after his death in 1984, until she sold it in 1994. The Padres won the NL pennant in 1984 but lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers. They won the pennant again in 1998 and lost the World Series to the Yankees.
Kevin Spacey ... (Referenced by Justin, when discussing the DVD Julia's just returned.)
The film and stage actor Kevin Spacey was born July 26, 1959, in South Orange, New Jersey. Spacey attended Juilliard School in New York City, studying drama, before starting his acting career. His career started off simply with a few supporting roles, finally culminating in two Oscar wins: The Usual Suspects, Best Supporting Actor (1995), and American Beauty, Best Actor (1999). Since then he's been seen in Pay It Forward (2000), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and finally being seen this summer as Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor, in Superman Returns.
Spacey has also taken directing, writing, and producing under his belt with The Big Kahuna (2000), Only Decent Criminal (2003), Beyond the Sea (2004), and The United States of Leland (2004).
Body Heat ... (Referenced by Justin when recommending another film for Julia to check out.)
The 1981 film was written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starred William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. A small-town Florida lawyer Ned Racine (Hurt) becomes involved with Matty Walker (Turner) who, with the intentions of collecting the insurance money, is plotting the murder of her husband (Richard Crenna) by using Racine's near-obsession with her.
The film was nominated for four awards, including a Golden Globe, but won none of them despite the positive reviews it received. Body Heat is known for its steamy sexuality, especially evident in one famous scene where Hurt's character breaks through the glass door of the Walker's home with an outside lawn chair while the rain pours down and Matty waits hungrily inside for him.
Body Heat made a star out of Kathleen Turner and set the standard for (no pun intended) heat in the modern era of sexuality in moviemaking for years to come. It also ushered in a brief return of the femme fatale, which Turner brought so lusciously to life with infamous lines like: "You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." The film was parodied (along with others such as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction and Sleeping with the Enemy) unsuccessfully by Carl Reiner in 1993 with Fatal Instinct (original title: Triple Indemnity) starring Armand Assante, Sean Young and Sherilyn Fenn.
Slap Shot ... (Referenced by Veronica when lamenting to Justin her father's choice in movie rentals.)
The 1977 movie starred Paul Newman as once-great hockey player Reggie Dunlop, of the Charleston Chiefs, who has gotten nowhere in his career. When the Charleston Mill suddenly closes down, it becomes important for the Chiefs to gain attendance at games and start winning, in order to get a retirement center in Florida, interested in buying them. Though along time they start winning, bigger troubles lie ahead. Though the team is optimistic about the future, no one really knows what will happen.
Slap Shot won the 1977 Award for Best Foreign Language Film, from the Hochi Film Awards, in Japan. It was also nominated for two additional awards -- one in Japan, and one in the U.S. -- but failed to win either of them.
The Cowboys ... (Referenced by Veronica when lamenting to Justin her father's choice in movie rentals.)
The 1972 western starred John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Slim Pickens, A Martinez and Bruce Dern. The story is about cattle rancher Will Anderson, who is forced to take on a group of school boys in order to get his cattle to market, in order to avoid financial ruin. The boys learn to do the work of a man, and all the while a gang of cattle thieves is in pursuit of the group.
The film won the award for best theatrical motion picture, in the Western Heritage Awards.
Antidepressants ... (Referenced by Celeste when reminding Duncan to take his pills.)
Antidepressants are professionally prescribed medication used to treat the symptoms of clinical depression. Some medications however, are used to treat pain, whether or not the patient is depressed. There are many well-known antidepressant drugs out there such as Wellbutrin, Paxil and everyone's favorite, Prozac.
Prozac, in fact, launched a catchphrase often used to describe the proliferation of antidepressants in today's society, 'The Prozac Nation.' The phrase comes from Prozac Nation (sub-titled 'Young and Depressed in America: A Memoir'), an autobiography published in 1994 and written by Elizabeth Wurtzel, which describes the author's experiences with clinical depression.
"Nowhere Man" (Referenced by Logan when talking to Duncan in the school hallway.)
"Nowhere Man" is a song recorded by the Beatles for their 1965 album, Rubber Soul. John Lennon struggled with the lyrics, and said that he ended up writing the song about himself. "I'd actually stopped trying to think of something," Lennon said. "Nothing would come. I was cheesed off and went for a lie-down, having given up. Then I thought of myself as Nowhere Man ... sitting in his nowhere land."
Lyrics:
Song by the Beatles, it was written in 1967. It appears on the Magical Mystery Tour album.
The lyrics are:
Los Angeles is California's largest city, with a population that is nearing four million. L.A. is one of the world's most diverse and dynamic cosmopolitan areas. The residents of Los Angeles represent over 140 countries and 224 languages, which has yielded many distinctive ethnic towns like Chinatown, Little Tokyo and Koreatown. It began as a small Spanish settlement in the 16th century, and became a possession of Mexico when the country gained independence from Spain in 1821. The United States eventually took control of Los Angeles during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
The entertainment industry is ever evolving, and it basically fuels the economy of the city. Hollywood, a district of L.A., has also come to embody the American film industry -- the dreams, the opportunity, the competition.
The geography of Los Angeles' 498.3 square miles varies greatly. The highest point is Sister Elsie Peak, which reaches just over five thousand feet. The Los Angeles River flows fifty-one miles through the city. The city occasionally experiences earthquakes, but mostly there are insignificant tremors that occur throughout L.A. on a daily basis, and they cannot be felt.
Life Coach ... (Referenced by Jake as he and Celeste discuss Duncan's recent lack of focus.)
Life coaching is a practice that offers support from coaches to those being coached. The coaches listen as the clients explain their problems. Usually the practice involves a professional partnership, between a coach and client, that is about the client's concern. In the process, the clients decide what steps they should take, and coaches do not give advice, or offer therapy.
Pilates Coach ... (Referenced by Jake as he and Celeste discuss Duncan's recent lack of focus.)
The Pilates method is a physical fitness system, developed in the early 1900's, by Joseph Pilates. He called it Contrology, which is a way of encouraging the use of your mind, to control your muscles. The exercise program focuses on the muscles that help keep the body well balanced, and are essential for supporting the spine.
Pilates was not designed to be a complete physical fitness discipline; it does not supply effective cardiovascular training. It also avoids high impact/high power and heavy muscular and skeletal loading, resulting in Pilates not being quite as effective at building muscle mass.
A Pilates coach is simply a certified person who runs a group through different Pilates steps, through either a class or an at-home video.
Frisbee ... (Referenced by Duncan during his toast to Molly, the Labrador.)
The word Frisbee is the most common term for the flying disc. Around 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) in diameter, it is generally made of plastic. The Frisbee is designed to fly aerodynamically when tossed with a little rotation, and can be caught by the human hand. In English: Toss the disc up, it flies across your yard, and another person can catch it. The name 'Frisbee' is actually a registered trademark of the 'Wham-O' toy company, but is used to describe all of the generically designed flying discs.
Halle Berry ... (Referenced by Owen, when scoffing at the idea that Justin's hooking up with Veronica.)
Academy Award winner Halle Maria Berry was born August 14, 1966, in Cleveland, Ohio. In the 1980's Halle went to Chicago to pursue a modeling career, as well as acting. One of her first acting jobs was a local cable show called Chicago Force. Her film appearances include: Jungle Fever (1991), The Flintstones (1994), X-Men (2000), Monster's Ball (2001), Gothika (2003), and Catwoman (2004).
In 2002, Halle won the best actress Oscar for Monster's Ball; the first African-American woman to do so. She also won an Emmy and Golden Globe in 1999, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge; in an interesting coincidence, Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-American woman to be nominated for the best actress Academy Award.
Stanford Summer Program ... (Referenced by Veronica as she records a message, pretending to be the administration office.)
A summer at Stanford University is open to all high school juniors and seniors. According to a brochure: "You will be able to see for yourself the social and academic challenges presented at Stanford; the stay will help you better understand the world, and your own academic interests." Summer visitors can take eight or ten week courses in Humanities and Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Engineering, which can be transferred as college credit.
311... (Referenced by Justin when giving Veronica a mix CD during lunch.)
311 is a funk/rock/rap band from Omaha, Nebraska. They recorded their first three albums on their own label in the early 90's. They moved to a major record label in 1993 and just released their 8th studio album Greatest Hits (1993-2003). They covered the Cure's "Love Song" for the movie Fifty First Dates and it reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Radio Chart. Their website is www.311.com.
America's Funniest Home Videos ... (Referenced by Troy when telling Veronica about his and Duncan's foolish attempt to get on the show.)
Originally appearing in 1990, America's Funniest Home Videos has the sole purpose of allowing people to submit tapes of their funniest moments that they happened to catch on tape (or often times, staged). This is done in the hopes of winning the cash prize at the end, for indeed having the 'funniest home video.' The prize is $10,000 for each weekly win, and those winning videos compete at the end of the season for a $100,000 prize.
The hosts of AFHV have included: Bob Saget (1990-1997), John Fugelsang and Daisy Fuentes (1997-2000), and Tom Bergeron (2001-present).
Happy Days / The Fonz ... (Referenced by Troy's attempt to change the music simply by hitting the jukebox with his hand.)
Happy Days was a popular television show that originally aired from 1974 to 1984; it presented the idea of life in the late 1950's America. The show revolved around the life of a middle-class family, the Cunninghams, who resided in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The show originally focused on the four Cunninghams: Howard, Marion, Richie, and Joanie (there was also Richie's older brother, but he abruptly disappeared in the second season, for no apparent reason). Later the show took focus on other characters, such as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli.
The character of Arthur Fonzarelli was originally written as a minor character, but became hugely popular, and the network could not resist writing him a larger role. Originally portrayed as a thug, soon the leather-jacketed biker became a friend to both Richie and the Cunningham family. Viewers were enchanted by his effortless personality; the way he spoke, and being able to seemingly get whatever he wants, with a snap of his fingers, or the pounding of his hand on a jukebox.
Scrabble ... (Referenced by Veronica, when she's running down the checklist of reasons she should be with Troy.)
Scrabble is the oh so popular game in which players form words using individually lettered tiles on a board. The words are formed vertically and horizontally, like in a crossword, and must appear in the standard dictionary. Each letter is worth a certain amount of points, and when placed in a word, the points are added up for a total score. The more common a letter is used in everyday English, the less points it's worth. The board is also marked with 'premium' squares, which allow a boost in the total points: double letter, triple word, etc. (Scrabble Gameboard Design)
"Self-Destruct in 5 Seconds" / Mission: Impossible (Referenced by Veronica as Wallace hands her Justin's school records.)
"This tape will self-destruct in five seconds" was first heard on the American television series Mission: Impossible (1966-1973), which was about a secret government agency called the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). Brian De Palma turned the series into a box-office hit with the 1996 film of the same name. John Woo and J.J. Abrams directed M:I-2 (2000) and M:I-3 (2006), respectively. The series of films stars Tom Cruise, who has had more than a few references on Veronica Mars. His character, Ethan Hunt, receives self-destructing assignment messages (in M:I-2, video transmitting sunglasses are used) from boss Jim Phelps, a character from the original television series.
San Diego ... (Referenced by Veronica as the origin of the letter from Justin's father.)
It is believed that the first humans settled in the San Diego area some 20,000 years ago, along the coast, and 12,000 ago in the desert area, but it was in 1542 that Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed from Mexico into the Bay and claimed the area for Spain, naming it San Miguel. At the time, there were 20-30,000 of the Kumeyaay tribe living there. In 1602, explorer Sebastian Vizcaino arrived on his ship, San Diego, and named the area for the Spanish Catholic saint, San Diego de Alcal. Then, in 1769, the first of a chain of twenty-one missions along the California coast was founded by Father Junipero Serra and the California Governor Gaspar de Portola. It was built on Presidio Hill and named Mission San Diego de Alcal. The first colonists arrived in 1774 and San Diego came under Mexican rule in 1821 when Mexico won its independence from Spain. Then, in 1848, a treaty ending the war between the U.S. and Mexico set the official international border and declared San Diego an American city. Two years later, San Diego County was created and the City of San Diego was incorporated.
Today, with a population of around 1.25 million, San Diego is the second largest city in California and the seventh largest in the nation. According to the San Diego city website, more than 96 percent of the residents are employed, with a median family income of almost $40,000. The top industries are manufacturing, defense, tourism and agriculture, with an additional focus on biotechnology/biosciences, electronics manufacturing, software, telecommunications, financial and business services, and defense and space manufacturing.
Located only 17 miles from the Mexican border, with seventy miles of coastline and an overall land area of 342.4 square miles, San Diego is also home to many popular tourist attractions, such as Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Legoland California and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Races. Professional sports teams include the San Diego Chargers (football), the Padres (baseball) and the Gulls (hockey). In addition to ten community colleges located throughout the county, the city is also home to San Diego State, the largest California State University campus, and the University of California, San Diego.
Kung Fu / "Grasshopper" ... (Referenced by Duncan as he takes Logan's flask away and wrestles with him.)
'Kung fu' is one of two popular Chinese terms that are more commonly known as Chinese martial arts. There are several philosophies around the term 'kung fu', which possess a deeper meaning. For something to truly be kung fu, the following three elements must be present: Motivation, self discipline, and time.
Based on this philosophy, a television series was created in 1972 by Ed Spielman, appropriately titled Kung Fu. The award-winning show starred David Carradine and was directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, developed and co-produced by series writer Herman Miller while David Chow (and later Kam Yuen) was the technical and kung fu advisor. Kung Fu follows the adventures of a Shaolin monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the American Old West (armed only with his skill in martial arts) as he seeks his half-brother, Danny Caine. David Carradine portrayed the adult Caine and Radames Pera portrayed the young Caine. Keye Luke (as the blind Master Po) and Philip Ahn (as Master Kan) were also members of the regular cast.
The term "Grasshopper" was a nickname given to Caine by Master Po at the monastery and has become a part of pop culture, generally referring to a student who is taught by an older, wiser teacher.
Summer Nights... (Referenced by Duncan while sitting on the bleachers with the other '09ers.)
This fluffy, romantic song is from the 1977 musical Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The song is sung by a group of high school boys hanging out on the bleachers cross-cut with high school girls in the outside cafeteria.
The lyrics are:
Considered one of the more difficult jumps performed in figure skating, the lutz was named after Austrian skater Alois Lutz, who performed the jump in 1913. While gliding in a backward curve, the skater uses the toe pick to vault into the air, rotating their body in the opposite direction and landing on the other back outside edge. The lutz is often performed in double or triple versions. Canadian Donald Jackson was the first to competitively perform a triple lutz jump, at the 1962 World Figure Skating Championships. A variation on the jump is known as the 'Tano Lutz, named after American Olympic and World Champion, Brian Boitano. Boitano modified the jump by performing the rotation with an arm raised above his head.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man ... (Referenced by Justin when explaining how he knows his father's eyes are brown.)
Found on the 1987 soundtrack album for Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll, Chuck Berry's single, "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" has been used to describe Berry himself, most notably the title of the Bruce Pegg biography, Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry.
Here are the lyrics:
The Chrysler Corporation was an American automobile company from 1925 to 1998, after which it merged with the German manufacturer Daimler-Benz AG to become DaimlerChrysler AG. The Chrysler Sebring comes in mid-size coupes, convertibles, and sedans.
A new 2007 Sebring model is set to come out later this year, but the current 2006 sedan starts at $20,730.
Honda (Referenced by Veronica as she and Justin follow the man they think is John Smith.)
Honda is a Japanese automobile company that also manufactures ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), electrical generators, marine engines and lawn and garden equipment. Honda produces the most engines in world, building over fourteen million combustion engines each year. Honda also has a line of luxury vehicles under the brand name Acura. The company's total revenue as of 2004 is over $79 billion.
Honda Motor Co. was founded by Soichiro Honda in 1948, when the Japanese market was failing in the aftermath of World War II. Knowing that people still needed a basic means of transport, Honda attached an engine to a bicycle. Honda started producing a variety of scooters and motorcycles that were efficient and inexpensive. When Honda tried to sell its automobiles in the United States, Americans were not interested in the small sizes of the cars. The slightly larger Honda Civic, however, had better success when it was introduced in 1972.
Hyundai Sonata (Referenced by Veronica as she uncovers the car in John Smith's garage.)
Hyundai is a South Korean automobile manufacturer that was founded by Chung Ju-yung in 1947. The Sonata was introduced in North America in 1989 after the success of the Hyundai Excel's release four years earlier.
The new 2007 Hyundai Sonata is a four-door sedan that starts at $17,195.
- In the video store, Veronica points to Keith to tell Justin that he has seen the movie five times.
- When Duncan returns to Logan in the hall, after getting sick in the bathroom, we see that Logan's been spending his time reading through Duncan's notebook. He replaces it in Duncan's backpack when he comes back.
- When Justin realizes Julia is his father, it is daylight outside. After the commercial break, it is dusk and quite noticeably darker.
- Justin tells Julia that hes believed his father to be dead since he was eleven, yet his first grade records -- when he was most likely six or seven years old -- mentioned his fathers death as being recent.
- Duncan inconsiderately removes the towel from the back of his head, leaving it to bleed all over Veronicas car seat. What a guy!
- While hanging out on the bleachers with Duncan, Dick and the other 09ers, the scene opens with Logan laying down with ... his head in another guy's lap. Yup. Skirting a tad beyond the edge of ambiguous, that's our Logan.
- How long has Duncan been going out with Shelly?
- What meds exactly was Duncan taking?
- How long was Lianne in Arizona?
- Is Duncans hallucination of Lilly really his subconscious trying to make him face the memory of her death?
- Troy certainly seems genuinely interested in Veronica, even though he is very likely already planning to return to his girlfriend, Shawna, in a few weeks. (As played out in episode 1.5 You Think You Know Somebody.)
- Duncan resumes taking the antidepressants at the end of this episode, but quits again sometime before Clash of the Tritons. (During his session with Rebecca James, in that episode, he mentions he is no longer taking them.)
- During Jake's poolside chat with Duncan, he mentions "what you did for Schwarzenegger" when listing government-related activities in which Duncan's participated. This seems to imply that Duncan is geared towards being a Republican. Yet, in Leave it to Beaver, Celeste complains about Governor Schwarzenegger -- who'll be attending their party -- and makes a point of reminding Jake that they are not Republicans.
- Also during Jake's poolside he mentions a summer intern program in Washington that Duncan should apply for ... ah, if only Duncan had applied, if only Duncan had gone ... no summer stalking, no fortune cookie of twu wuv! If only.
ameriott44 (Amy): Social Science
genova (Cara): Social Science
JenniferH: Report Card; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Social Science; Pep Squad Practice; Principles of Democracy
Mastermia (Maria): Yearbook; Social Science; Homeroom; Philosophy
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
PolarTruckin (Belinda): Journalism
Tar Frimmer (Joanne): Study Hall; Extra Credit; Literature; Social Science; Homeroom; Principles of Democracy
Additional Help:
Vicki: Social Science
Original Air Date: October 12, 2004
Written by: Jed Seidel
Directed by: Harry Winer
Staff Grade: B
Membership Grade: B (60.4% / 53 votes)
Another strong episode, Meet John Smith introduces a gimmick that will be used time and time again throughout the series (at times working brilliantly, at others ... not so much): The twist! Here, the twist is a good one, showing a willingness to play with viewers and up end expectations. Once again, the continued strength of the leads (especially Bell, who seemingly just gets better and better), wonderful dialogue and crafty interweaving of the main mystery arc with the mystery of the week show that the brilliance of Veronica Mars is no fluke.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Francis Capra - Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Sydney Tamiia Poitier - Mallory Dent
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Aaron Ashmore - Troy Vandegraff
Ryan Hansen - Dick Casablancas
Kyle Secor - Jake Kane
Amanda Seyfried - Lilly Kane
Lisa Thornhill - Celeste Kane
Guest Stars
Eric Beck Dr. Levine
Bobby Edner Justin Smith
Melissa Leo Julia Smith
Allison MacInnis - Shelly Pomroy
Paula Marshall Rebecca James
Who's Who in Neptune
Miss Rebecca James Guidance Counselor for Neptune High.
Dr. Levine Duncan Kanes family physician.
Shelly Pomroy - Sometime girlfriend of Duncan.
Dick Casablancas - 09er jock jerk, friend of Logan and Duncan.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Paula Marshall (Rebecca James) - Nicknamed "Back!ShowKiller," Marshall has starred in several critically-acclaimed television shows that were cancelled during or after their first season, including Cupid, Rob Thomas' first television program.
Highlights
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - The acting award continues to go to Bell in this episode as she quips, sleuths and navigates the hazards of high school in yet another outing. Whether she is trading quips with Keith, cajoling Wallace, or flirting with Troy, she is full of feisty fire and energy. Bell succeeds in every aspect of her performance and with each scene the viewer is more deeply entrenched in her life and firmly on her side.
Scene One: Twirl and Stare
Just a few seconds and more about the tension between Veronica and Duncan, but it must be mentioned that Logan just can't seem to shake loose his interest in his best friend's ex. While Duncan is zombie-like and barely aware of what is going on, Logan is the one twirling and turning to stare at Veronica, making her (and us) aware that *he* is very aware of her. Of course, it's already been made clear that he's always aware of her ... if Veronica is within his sight, his gaze is invariably drawn to her. And whether she realizes it or not, more often than not, Veronica is just as aware of him as he is of her.
Uh huh.
Scene Two: Explain Again Why Logan is More Interested in DK's Ex Than Is DK
The continuing motif of Logan Echolls being interested in anything and everything Veronica Mars continues in the first scene featuring our dynamic duo. Logan and Duncan are at Duncan's locker (I believe) and Veronica notices the two, who are pretty much ignoring her. The show then does one of those moody, neato-keen special effects angles with Veronica standing still in the crowded hallway of Neptune High while the other students move in fast motion around her. The effect slows down to normal time as one of those students, one Troy Vandegraff, bumps into her.
They exchange a little chit-chat, which leads to Veronica -- who clearly is sick and tired of being an outsider recently by choice, i.e. with her refusal to go out with Troy -- to finally agree to, yes, go out with him. As they continue their conversation, Logan and Duncan walk into the shot. Initially, the two discuss girls and how they "talk." Veronica and Troy come into view and while Duncan is paying zero attention to his ex, Logan is -- big shocker! -- totally focused on them and, even from where Logan and Duncan are standing, their definitely flirty conversation. In his oh so charming (not!) way, Logan comments upon the interaction with his brand of Veronica-"affection" at this point in the game:
- Logan: Hey, have you noticed that the new kid in town has, uh, been all over your trailer-park ex?
Duncan: Let it be, Logan.
Logan: Okay, nowhere man, you be the fool on the hill. See if I care.
It's worth a note, that following this conversation, Duncan looks sick, Logan comments, then Duncan drops his bag and rushes to the bathroom. You'd think that Logan, who is sooo concerned about his best bud, would either (a) follow him or at the very least (b) look after him. Does he? Of course not. He looks back over at Veronica and Troy. All for DK. Riiight, Logan.
Scene Three: Five Seconds of LoVe
Okay, the BEST five seconds in the entire episode! Upon Duncan's return from the bathroom, he and Logan prepare to head off. To their right, Veronica rushes by with young Justin in tow and pulls him into the girls' bathroom. With an, I swear to GOD!, admiring smile upon his face, Logan says in this, again, no other word!, admiring voice: That girl is totally whack! I dunno what the motivation, direction, etc. was for this scene, but those five seconds are just delicious for LoVe shippers everywhere searching for LoVe moments in the drought of the first half of the season.
Scene Four: Logan Echolls: The Return of the Jackass.
Not much going on here, just Logan being a total jackass. I mean, really. TOTAL jackass. Duncan jumps off the bleachers, has clearly, clearly injured himself, bleeding head and all, and Logan's response is ... to shake alcohol from his trusty little flask downwind to ease the suffering? Logan, Logan, Logan. Of course, Duncan was laying with his bleeding head just about in Veronica's arms. And Troy was right beside her. Is it stretching to think that Logan was maybe peeved about their closeness to Veronica and his lack and was thus acting like an ass because he was upset that both Duncan and Troy had the fair Veronica's attention?
Nah, he was just being a total jackass.
Scene Five: A History Together
Another small scene and while the focus is obviously much more on Duncan and Veronica and her concern for him, there was definitely a connection there between Logan and Veronica. What I really liked was how after she asked if Duncan was okay, Logan cast a quick glance at her before looking at Duncan with a look on his face that Veronica's would soon match. And sure enough it did once Duncan wandered off in his drugged-out state; both Veronica and Logan stared after him, mutual expressions of pain on their faces at the return of the Donut Zombie.
It was very small, but I liked how it showed that the two do have that history together, even if it was not a romantic one, it was one of depth. We saw that indeed, a long time ago, they used to be friends. This is one of the few early scenes (and succeeded doing so in only a few seconds) that shows that clearly.
Panning across Neptune High's infamous quadrangle, we are invited to participate in a male rite of passage because three Freaks and Geeks rejects have entered their sophomore year and discovered the wonder of The Female Species. They scour the quad rating how hot the Neptune blondes are (because brunettes become invisible when scanning under hormone powered infrared).
One of the guys looks like Logan's very own Mini-Me -- complete with frosted tips, chocolate brown eyes and no sense of fashion. He singles out our favorite girl detective, smiling wistfully in memory of all the times he's perved on her when she came into the video store he works at. His friends aren't so convinced Veronica is Hot Stuff and remind their buddy that Veronica works with her dad as a private detective. They may have heard rumors of how adept she is with her taser and are trying to warn their friend that that isn't the type of 'hot' they're looking for. The Flannel Geek gives her an eight and a half as if he is the epitome of masculine ten but Mini-Me Logan thinks the private eye thing bumps up her physical hotness to a nine.
Later, Veronica and Keith stop by the video store for some quality Daddy-Daughter time. Mini-Logan is working behind the counter when a friendly lady with long brown hair walks up and thanks him for his excellent recommendation. Clearly he's a movie geek, considering his love for all things Kevin Spacey, and he proceeds to recommend Body Heat for the lady's next rental, in a very excited manner.
As his customer leaves the store, Mini-Logan catches the sound of another female voice causing his head to snap up in excitement. It's Veronica Mars, arguing with her pop over hiring Slap Shot again. She approaches his counter munching on candy and he asks if the rumors about her working as a private eye with her dad are true. Well, it's either that, or a nasty prankster has been putting up fake signs all over their business to confuse them. He asks if she can help him out with something ... private. Veronica tells him to come and talk to her at school tomorrow.
Instead of waiting for Mini-Logan to find her the next day, Veronica grabs him and drags him past The-one-and-only-original-Logan and his BFF Duncan into her office: The girls' bathroom. And all his fantasies just came true! Mr. Logan Original grins with genuine amusement, wondering why Veronica would drag off the unfinished version of himself when he's standing right there: "That girl is seriously whack." Duncan seems to agree and so do we.
Inside the girls' bathroom, Mini-Logan asks Veronica to help him find his father, who ran out on his family about ten years ago and hasn't made contact with them since. Veronica pulls a face at just how swell Mini-Logans dad sounds and asks him if he's sure he wants to find someone who abandoned him.
Pause. Um, Veronica? Do try to remember your own situation, kay? Mmkay then.
The door bursts open with people who actually want to use the toilet for its function - who knew? - Veronica jumps at the door, shoves it shut and kicks the doorstop underneath to prevent them from getting in the room again. Mini-Logan is all hers, damnit! Okay, back to business. She asks him why he would suddenly look for his dad after all this time and he tells her that his mom got laid off from her job and now works two crappy ones and they are barely getting by. He seems to be under the impression that if he finds his dead beat dad he'll actually get money from him. Instead of handing him a statistic book about single parenting and child support, Veronica asks for as much information on Mini-Logan's dad as he has.
He has no photos, no recent address (although he knows he lived with his dad in L.A. until he was about two), no social security number, no date of birth but he does have his dad's name. It's John ... Smith. Well, it should be really easy to find a guy with such a singular name! Veronica Mars, away!
Mini-Logan walks through the Neptune quadrangle with his superhero friend, Flannel Boy. Flannel Boy is asking if Mini-Logan is meeting him up at study group later. Mini-Logan has been waiting for this moment to deliver a line he never thought he'd say: "No, dude, I'm going to hook up with Veronica Mars." Flannel Boy scoffs, "Yeah, and later I'm going parasailing with Halle Berry."
It's kind of cute that sophomores see dating above their year on the same level as dating a film star. Flannel Boy as least has a refreshing grasp on reality. Mini-Logan won't be dissuaded though, he's serious, he has Veronica working a case for him - looking for his missing father. Flannel Boy feigns confusion, "Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't your dad die like seven years ago?"
Yes, that's right, Mini-Logan's grasp on the powers of darkness are already developing! And at such a young age! I'm so proud! He cockily tells his friend that it's gonna take Veronica a long time to find his dad then, huh? After all, Veronica is just a hot blonde; she has no actual brain power and will thus continue fruitlessly searching for dearly departed, John Smith, giving Mini-Logan ample time to make a move. Oh yeah. He's smooth.
Veronica and Wallace are busy putting fake Stanford Summer Program acceptance letters into envelopes and creating an equally fake Stanford Summer Program voice message on one of the Mars Investigations answering machines. Keith comes and shakes Wallace's hand as Veronica proudly introduces him as her friend. HA! She gives a little karate chop, "Take that, high school guidance counselor!"
Keith keeps looking at Wallace (possibly checking to see if he's a real boy or animatronic) and then asks Veronica what they're doing. Veronica tells her dad about the case: She's now narrowed down the number of John Smiths to an easy 440. She's hoping that the dead beat dad who ran out on his family ten years ago and hasn't contacted them since will have enough of a conscience when he receives a letter from Stanford to call and say they've got the wrong address. Wow, Veronica Mars, who knew you had this optimistic side?
Keith asks Veronica how Wallace got roped into it and I've got to say I share his sympathy. Yikes. That's a lot of envelope licking, I hope she gives Wallace some cream for the blisters that will develop on his poor slave driven fingers. Wallace tells Keith that he helped because Veronica promised to be his friend. Awwww. Keith's "I would have held out for a better offer" tells us all he's savvy enough to know that Wallace must have extorted something else out of our beloved heroine for all his hard work.
The next day at school Wallace and Veronica are tussling over her school file which he's just stolen from the administration office. It's a LOT thinner than I would expect so we can safely say that Veronica is rarely caught doing the things she does. Wallace is swelling with pride at his own investigative skills after discovering Veronica was a Grade A kiss-ass in her former life, when Mini-Logan approaches them tentatively. He asks if Veronica has any leads and she tells him they should know something by next week.
He's not really interested, he just wanted to come over so he could give her the mixed CD he burned for her yesterday ... just in case ... you know ... she wants to listen to ... something ... on a ... stakeout? Yeah, he's smooth. Not a blush in sight. Wallace bites down on his lip, heroically keeping down the guffaws that want to break loose and humiliate Mini-Logan. Awww, shucks it's kind of sweet. Must stay strong, must not laugh: This is the Fennel mantra. Finally, when Mini-Logan walks off, Wallace lets a laugh break free, "He brought you a mixed tape." Veronica is strangely protective of her sweet, little Mini-Logan. But her spy sense is starting to itch like a bitch and she asks Wallace to bring her Mini-Logan's file. It would probably be useful for Wallace's search if he knew Mini-Logan's name at this point in the episode, but hey, we won't say anything.
Wallace was able to solve two of the mysteries that Veronica did not. Firstly, Mini-Logan was dubbed Justin at birth. Secondly, Justin's file won't self destruct five seconds after Veronica Mars touches it but Justin himself might not have as much luck if the death glare she gives his file is anything to go by.
She walks up to Justin's table and tells Flannel Boy and Extra Friend to scram. She wants to talk to Justin 'alone' but the boy should not get so excited because he may not even be a boy when she's through with him. Veronica remains standing as she slides Justin's first grade evaluation form in front of him and tells him to read it to her. It's a good thing Justin didn't stand up because this moment calls for looming and a very threatening glower.
"Justin has been moody and withdrawn which isn't surprising given his father's recent ... death." Whoops indeed. Justin learns his first post-pubescent lesson: Just because you're hot and blonde doesn't mean you're brain dead. Next lesson: Beware a woman scorned. Veronica hisses that everything he's said has been a lie, he wasted her time - "That drives me crazy." What's more, this was a pretty expensive Waste-of-Time-Date because he owes her $150 in useless postage.
Clearly, Veronica is torn between having sympathy for a desperately horny guy (she is very hot after all) and opening up a can of whoop ass by throwing him across the quad. The decision is taken out of her hands when a lady from the administration office approaches Justin's table with a letter. Justin opens it up to find one of the scholarship letters that Veronica sent out. Accompanying it is another note ... handwritten by his father.
Hmm, it appears being horny may uncover lies that have been told to you since infancy so we should all do it like the educated fleas do it. Seriously though, I hope Rob Thomas isn't trying to encourage other horny young males to behave in the same manner. Like guys need an excuse to lie more.
That night, Veronica is actually *gasp* doing school work, when her father comes in and tells her she has a visitor. The description of the 'someone' as: White male, pint sized, desperate (he ain't kidding!) and not having a good day, could not be anyone else but Veronica's hapless little suitor, Justin Smith. Veronica rolls her eyes but gets up to meet Justin at the door.
He bicycled all the way to her house to 'apologize' and Veronica rightly tells him he could (should) have saved it for tomorrow. But now Justin isn't thinking about her booty, yeah, he really is deeper than that. He showed the letter to his mother and the woman went nuts, making him promise not to try and find his father. His mother told him he was better off thinking his father was dead, but it's clear Justin doesn't agree.
Veronica coldly tells Justin maybe his mother was right, causing Keith to flick his head around to her in despair. Yeah, Veronica, empathize much? The camera zooms in on Veronica's wilting face as Justin tells her that he has a dad somewhere out there in the world, how could he not try and find him? Oh dear, I guess she can't hate the little twerp, this hits too close to home. She asks him to see the letter again.
The letter's post mark was from San Diego and apparently out of the 443 John Smiths out there, only three of them were in San Diego. As Veronica searches for their addresses Keith comes in. He couldn't help but overhear, since he was eavesdropping and all. He tells Veronica that he doesn't want her to think of her mother as a villain (blech) because it's not that simple. Stupid, noble, gorgeous man! Veronica says her black and white mantra for the first time: The hero is the one that stays and the villain is the one that splits. Keith doesn't think that's a healthy perspective but Veronica retaliates that 'pining away' isn't healthy either. Ouch, right in the crotch. Poor Keith.
Veronica drives out to San Diego to photograph the three John Smiths, even though Justin would find it difficult to identify a man he hasn't seen since he was six years old. Veronica calls him up at the video store asking if he's sure he doesn't have any pictures of his dad. Justin doesn't think so since his mother when Kodak-Homicidal and cut him out of every picture she had. As he talks with Veronica his favorite customer comes up asking for service. He tells Veronica he has to go and she tells him to bring in whatever Swiss cheese photos are best. The lady customer mentions the fact that he recommended Body Heat last time she was in and asks if he has it on DVD. He says no, but he can order it in for her if she wants it.
At school, Veronica shows Justin all the shots she got of the three John Smiths. John Smith #1 is an old, married, pudgy doctor with kids. Justin takes one look at the photo and gives it a big no. John Smith #2 is a single, butch high school coach. Justin nixes him as well because of his creepy blue eyes; Justin's mother always turns off the radio when Brown Eyed Handsome Man plays because she says it reminds her of his father. That leaves John Smith #3 who inconveniently enough is wearing a pair of dark sunglasses concealing the one physical feature Justin could identify him by.
He's the most likely option and also the most likely to be a petty criminal considering Veronica followed him from a junk yard to a pawn shop to the race track. Everyone's dream dad. Justin asks if they can go back because if he sees him up close he'll be able to I.D. him. Wallace looks at Justin's puppy face and says "Give the kid a break." It's annoying that they're so condescending to the 'little' sophomore considering he's actually only one year younger than they are, but whatever. Veronica continues to fulfill Justin's fantasy of a domineering woman by telling him she's the one in charge and he must obey her at all times.
Before they split for class Justin pulls out some massacred photographs of his father. They're the best he has because all that's missing is his father's head (lovely) and you can see his hand in them. In both pictures John Smith is standing beside two very cool, vintage convertibles. John Smith was apparently a classics collector, which places some doubt over John Smith #3 who drives a convertible that's anything but classic.
Veronica tails John Smith #3 with her LeBaron, Justin sitting shot gun. Their target pulls into a parking lot beside an adult store and Veronica parks across the street ordering Justin to sit still and try not to look conspicuous. So, naturally, Justin jumps right out of the car and runs across four lanes of traffic to confront his might-be-father. Stupid but effective, and maybe Veronica will give him a spanking for being naughty later. He calls out to John Smith #3 who immediately turns around and removes his glasses. Pale grey-green eyes. Nuts.
Justin curses like a teen under PG-13 constraints (DANG!) and is about to slump back to Veronica's car when Veronica notices a post-it note on John Smith #3's dash. She picks it up and asks Justin for his father's letter, comparing the writing. It's the same! Maybe John Smith likes contacts or Justin's mother is color blind? There's only one way to find out: Keep stalking John Smith #3!
Veronica and Justin follow John Smith #3 home. As they pull up to the curb, Justin finds Veronica's good old taser and starts to play with it. Veronica treats him like her adopted child, snatching it out of his hand with a "That's dangerous and for adults only, don't be a bad boy." Veronica then tells him to stay in the car even though they always say you should never abandon your children in a vehicle. Terrible parenting skills, Veronica Mars.
She runs across the street and looks through the garage window, spying a car beneath a tarp. She breaks in hoping to find a classic car but instead she unveils a Hyundai. Tada! Somehow, she doesn't think that classifies as a classic. John Smith #3 has excellent hearing and comes bursting into the garage wielding a baseball bat. Ah, clichs, you got to love how a baseball bat is always really close by when those criminals come a-running.
John Smith #3 tells Veronica to stay where she is while he calls the police like a good little criminal. Veronica draws in all of her bravado and tells John Smith #3 he won't make that call because she knows what he does - ha! Take that, bad father-man. "What I do? I'm a parole officer." Oh, I suppose it doesn't pay to assume the worst all the time, silly me and silly Veronica.
He asks her why she was following him and she hopes that the honesty thing will stop him from wielding the bat at her head. She's too pretty to share Lilly's fate after all. She tells him that she's a friend of his son, Justin, who just wants to see him. John Smith #3 is sick of her lying, he doesn't have a son and he might as well call the cops if she isn't going to be honest. Veronica is completely convinced he IS John Smith now and scoffs "Are you trying to tell me you're not John Smith?"
Outside, Justin sees another car pulling into John Smith #3's driveway and it's a vintage green convertible. He pulls the dangerous taser out of the glove box, because if there's one thing you want to do when you meet a runaway parent after ten years, it's electrocute them lots and lots! He runs across the street to confront the driver by himself.
The door to the garage opens and John Smith #3 and Veronica stop talking to watch its progress. As it opens we see Justin run up beside the vintage car, confronting the driver who turns out to be the woman always asking him for assistance at the video store. Huh. Ummm. Justin flicks quick glances from John Smith #3, to Video Rental Woman, to Veronica and back again. Okay brain, once you catch up things will get really weird. Justin meets the brown eyes of the lady and whispers "Dad?" Well, now he understands why his mother went all bitter and psychotic with the photos. John Smith is prettier than she is.
They must have stared at each other for a long time without saying anything because in the next scene we've moved from daytime to twilight and John Smith (or should we say Joan Smith?) is out of the car. Justin is crying but he's also talking which is a good sign because at least he didn't taser her. Veronica and the guy we can only assume is John's boyfriend or husband lurk awkwardly off to the side marveling at what a pretty night it is and trying not to stare at the reunion between son and father.
Justin asks if John knew he'd thought he was dead since he was eleven and John admits that he knew Justin's mother had threatened to do that. Justin's freaked out by the video store visits and John tries to explain that he just wanted to know if his son was okay. Justin, understandably, doesn't feel so peachy, since his mother has been lying to him and his father has turned himself into a mother (only he doesn't say it so politely). Justin is genuinely bawling his eyes out now as he asks Veronica to leave and runs off. Veronica stands awkwardly between John/Joan and his/her significant other with a plastic grin: "Well, nice meeting everyone." Smooth Veronica, you've clearly been taking oratory lessons from Justin.
Veronica can't stay quiet in the awkward silence of the car. Ninety miles, she says, that's how far Justin's father drives every week to see and talk to him for a few seconds. So his father's a woman, big deal? It's clear John Smith is not a villain for splitting and this story is not so black and white. Veronica tells Justin her mother is missing too and she would give anything to know that Lianne Mars loved her enough to drive ninety miles for a few seconds of contact. And if John Smith turned out to be a normal human being instead of a villain from a comic strip, maybe Lianne had her reasons too (although we hope it wasn't a sex change).
At the video store, Justin's boss asks if he ordered Body Heat for someone and hands him a DVD that has just come in. Justin thinks for a moment and then calls up his Mother-Father - who's named himself Julia (guess she told him between daylight and twilight?) -- and tells her that he can come and borrow Body Heat if he still wants to. It's good to know that Justin is a bigger person than his hormones would have us believe.
- Veronica is walking across the school campus when Troy joins her. He has weekend plans to go cruising in his dad's sailboat, preferably with a 'wide-eyed impressionable vixen.' A little flirting and a bit of banter and he's gone, just before some random dude rushes by Veronica, bumping into her and knocking her books out of her hand. She's picking them up when Duncan suddenly stops to help her. Books recovered, there is awkward tension for a moment, and then he walks away with Logan, who turns to stare back at Veronica (yeah, Logan does the staring, not Duncan. I wonder why? Ahem ...) Really sucks to go to school with your ex, since they're always around.
Later, tense from the evening's non-conversation about Lianne, Veronica and Keith do the dishes in awkward silence. She decides to go to the library, kisses her father on the cheek and tells him not to wait up. We'll skip ahead to the next morning, when Veronica wakes up from a scary dream about making out with Duncan in his car. It's okay, Veronica. It was only a dream.
At school, Veronica sees Duncan and Logan hanging out at Duncan's locker. Veronica is sad and pouty as the world speeds by around her, but when Troy bumps into her, she comes to the decision that it's time for them to go on a date, which seems to make Troy's day. Meanwhile, Logan asks Duncan if he hooked up with Shelly the night before. Duncan complains that she's a 'talker,' which Logan commiserates about before stopping to stare at Veronica and Troy, who are chatting at her locker. Duncan tells him to let it be when Logan tries to make a big deal out of the 'new kid' hanging out with his 'trailer-park ex.'
Veronica and Troy are dining at a restaurant, as he tells a story of how he and Duncan tried to make it on to America's Funniest Home Videos by having Troy swim off the beach with a fake shark fin, while Duncan stood back to film everyone's reaction. The lifeguard's reaction, though, was to pull out a shotgun, so Duncan had to run after the lifeguard, screaming and crying for him not to shoot his friend. (Ah, these could be the future leaders of America, folks.)
After some flirting and Troy's attempt to be cool like the Fonz ('Aaaayyy.'), he programs his cell phone number into hers and walks Veronica to her car. As the evening reaches its end, she starts babbling about needing to get home, while Troy moves in for a kiss. She responds by flinching back a bit. Hint taken, awkwardness rapidly ensuing, Troy steps back, shakes her hand and makes a courtly bow before opening her door for her. Stunned by her own response, Veronica says not a word as she watches him get into his sports convertible and speed away. He's no Logan, but he's helluva sight better than Duncan.
Veronica arrives home and tries to sneak in, but Keith is reading on the couch and asks how her date was. She snarkily replies that the conversation was lousy, but the sex was fantastic, leaving Keith quite unamused. Veronica shuts herself in her bedroom, frustrated and unsure of what she's waiting for.
At school, Veronica runs to catch up with Troy. He jokes that people might think she's desperate if they see her running after him, but she thinks it might be a step up reputation wise. Veronica is worried that she gave Troy the wrong impression on their date. She had a great time, but Troy suggests that she needs more time or space and is surprised when Veronica cuts him off with a kiss.
Driving home from her wasted trip to find her mother in Arizona, Veronica cries, her spirit a little bit more broken. She parks outside Troy's house and calls him. He comes outside to find her on the verge of tears. Saying, "It's about time," he holds her as she cries.
- Duncan's floating in his family pool, listening to his mp3 player when Jake interrupts to discuss Duncan's summer plans. His friend is an advisor for a Senator and has an internship opening in Washington; he thinks Duncan should apply, expressing his interest in politics, the work he did for Schwarzenegger, blah, blah, blah. Duncan puts his headphones back on, drowning his father's voice out in favor of the Thorns.
Later, the Kanes are dining as Jake tries to explain that he wants to see Duncan passionate about something because he's worried about his college prospects if Duncan has no interests to speak of. As his parents argue, Duncan pokes numbly at his food, not really listening. When Jake emphasizes that they all lost Lilly and miss her, but that they need to move on, Duncan excuses himself to go over to Shelly's.
The next morning, Duncan is in the kitchen, when his mother reminds him to take his antidepressants. He's only been on them for six months, so he just needs a little more time. (To do what, exactly? Become even more devoid of personality?) Barely paying attention to Celeste (and really, who can blame him?), he goes to the sink and bounces the pill in his hands a few times, causing it to accidentally fall down the drain. Celeste doesn't notice the look of 'oops' on Duncan's face before she leaves or I'm sure she would have handed him another pill in two seconds flat. Thinking it over for a bit, Duncan walks away.
At school, Duncan is talking to Logan, when he suddenly becomes nauseous and runs to the bathroom. A few moments later, he splashes some water on his face, looks in the mirror and smiles. When he rejoins Logan, who asks him if he's okay, he says he's never been better.
The Kanes' maid serves them dinner as Jake mocks Celeste's suggestion that their son get a life coach. Duncan interrupts the argument to stand and make a toast. To Molly. Their old Labrador who could catch a Frisbee, but couldn't stop using the flowerbeds as her private bathroom and therefore got banished from the Kane Kingdom forever. Now, this was six years ago and Celeste thinks Duncan should just let it go, but Duncan toasts her anyway and then leaves.
The next morning, Celeste greets Duncan in the kitchen, reminding (nagging) him once again to take his pill. When she leaves, Duncan drops it down the drain. On purpose, this time.
Duncan is making out with a blonde girl in his car, who looks suspiciously like Veronica. When he whispers her name, reality makes a sudden appearance as the girl, who is actually Shelly, demands to know what he just called her. Not that there is a really good way to dig yourself out of that awkward hole, but I suspect that laughing about it is pretty darn low on the list. Duncan laughs, anyway. What a guy!
The boys sit on the bleachers, watching Neptune's lacrosse team practice. Logan, laying his head back on a friend's lap, flask in hand, tells Duncan that he thought his 'boy toy' Troy (this coming from the guy with his head in another guy's lap!) was going to join them for Happy Hour. Then, he wonders if Troy could have been 'waylaid' by Veronica. Seeming to rise to the bait, Duncan grabs Logan's flask and the two boys face off. Breaking the tension, Duncan starts making like a Kung Fu master, playing 'keep away' with Logan's flask. The two horse around a bit until Logan sits down and Duncan decides to start up a Grease revival all by himself. Everyone laughs as Duncan butchers 'Summer Nights' and Logan wonders happily what the hell's gotten into the dork. Better dork than Donut.
This very 'special' musical moment is interrupted by Dick who shouts at everyone to watch some idiot kid do a back flip off the bleachers. Freaked out, Duncan, Logan and the rest of the gang run over to see if the moron's alright. Dick laughs at their concern because the fool is lying on some large padded mats. As the kids laugh and walk away, Duncan notices Troy and Veronica walking nearby, and then sees Veronica kiss him.
Walking away, sad, Duncan hands Logan his flask, then suddenly turns and runs, yelling as he does a hand stand off the bleachers. Unlike the stupid guy who did it earlier, Duncan bounces right off of the pads and onto the cement. Veronica breaks off the kiss with Troy and runs to see if Duncan's okay. Troy joins her as Logan, Dick and the others run to see what happened. Logan laughs and asks if he's okay after his 'triple klutz.' Veronica checks the back of Duncan's head, which is bleeding pretty badly, though you wouldn't know it since Duncan's laughing over the whole thing. Logan, in one of his biggest asshole moments of the season, tells Duncan to open his mouth and starts splashing the contents of his flask down on the three of them.
Troy helps Veronica get Duncan to her car and backs off when Veronica makes it clear she doesn't need his help. As Veronica drives him to the hospital, Duncan asks if she remembers how things used to be. She tells him, rather curtly, that no, she doesn't. He pouts.
At the hospital, when a nurse assumes she is Duncan's girlfriend, Veronica corrects her. Duncan seems to want Veronica to stick around, but Jake shows up and, not happy to see her there, lets Veronica know he can handle the situation without her, so she leaves. In the examination room, Dr. Levine says there's no skull fracture. Jake is baffled as to what possessed his son to jump off the bleachers. Rather than give his father an explanation (and, really, there is no good one to be given), he asks to speak to his doctor. In private.
Dr. Levine tells Duncan that it's his decision if he wants to go cold turkey off the antidepressants. But there will be side effects to deal with: Nausea, hallucinations, vivid dreams, etc. Duncan thinks it'll be worth it.
Later, Duncan is watching television -- bowling, to be precise. Suddenly, Lilly walks in, wearing her pep squad uniform and bleeding from her fatal head wound. She wonders how he could watch such crap, but he's just plain confused how she could be there. She plops down beside him, pondering the weirdness of how her murder went down. Then she tells him that the truth is going to come out; things don't add up and he knows it. He should just break out of his stupor and wake up. Which he does, with a start, standing up and looking around to see that Lilly's no longer there.
Some time later, Duncan stands in his kitchen, staring at his pill. He considers it then swallows it down. At school, Veronica sees Duncan and Logan walk up. She smiles at him and asks how his head is. Coldly, Duncan says it's better, and then walks off as she and Logan stare after him, both aware something has changed.
- Dinner at Chez Mars. Keith tells his daughter that he got a surprise call from her guidance counselor, who wants to see him. Trying to prod for information on what he's in for at the meeting, Keith gets nothing as Veronica has no idea what it's about. (Or perhaps she's so overwhelmed by the many possible answers to this question that she feels playing dumb is the safest choice.)
In the Neptune High administration office, the school's guidance counselor, Miss Rebecca James, thanks Keith for coming in. He confesses that he was surprised by the call, but as they walk into her office, Rebecca reassures him that he shouldn't worry because Veronica is an amazing student with a great mind. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, Keith wonders why he's been called then. It seems that there's been a dramatic change in Veronica over the past year (duh) -- she's late a lot, has attitude with certain teachers, falls asleep in class and is socially isolated. Keith, starting to get a bit defensive, thinks that Veronica's doing pretty well considering the crap year she's had. Rebecca offers to have a chat with Veronica if, being a single father, he's uncomfortable talking to his daughter about these things. Keith politely declines and leaves.
Later, at Mars Investigations, while Wallace is helping Veronica with her latest mystery du jour, she pulls her 'do me a favor' routine and asks him to borrow her permanent school file. She'd like to try to figure out what exactly it is Miss James is saying to Keith. When Wallace points out that he could get expelled for that, Veronica smiles him into submission.
At school the next day, Wallace peruses Veronica's school records as she tries to grab it from him, but he's far too entertained reading about her sordid past. Her list of offenses that Wallace finds noteworthy? Calling her geometry teacher a jackass, being 'an angel' and 'a joy to have in class' for her second grade teacher, Ms. Applebaum, and writing a teacher a poem. Okay, maybe not so sordid. Unless being an eight year old ass-kisser can be called sordid.
Keith arrives at Rebecca's office to apologize for being abrupt and defensive during their earlier meeting. Rebecca kindly blows it off as being a three on the defensive parent scale. Keith confesses that maybe he's really not equipped to be the person Veronica can talk to, so he gratefully accepts Rebecca's offer to do so. Their conversation is interrupted by Rebecca's phone and when she answers it, she knocks her cup of coffee over, spilling it onto the floor. Keith helps her clean it up, taking a mental note of the store name printed on the side of the cup. He thanks her again and as he's leaving, she calls him Sheriff Mars and says he always had her vote. Keith smiles and leaves.
Later on, Keith sits alone at a coffee shop table, pretending to read the morning newspaper. Then he pretends to be surprised when Rebecca shows up, saying she didn't know he frequented the place, too. Keith laughs (oh so innocently) that he just discovered the place. And let the flirting begin.
- The episode takes place two weeks after the Pilot.
- Veronica keeps a framed picture of Lilly on her desk.
- Veronica keeps a taser in the glove compartment.
- Wallace meets Keith for the first time.
- The Kanes' maid is named Sofia.
- At dinner, one night, Veronica hesitantly asks Keith what he thinks Lianne was doing at the Camelot with Jake Kane two weeks ago. (Talk about your loaded question. And, really, what were they doing there?) Sighing in deep frustration, Keith reminds her that he told her to stay away from that case. Veronica, desperate for some answers, can't understand why he isn't looking for Lianne in Arizona. Keith begs her to stop, putting a definite end to the conversation. Extremely dissatisfied, Veronica nevertheless tries to lighten the mood a little by changing the topic to baseball. Clearly not in the mood for small talk, Keith grabs his plate and leaves the table.
After a discussion wherein Keith tries unsuccessfully to convince his daughter that her mother isn't a villain (good luck, there!), Veronica explains to him that she thinks it's healthier to paint her as one instead of pining away for her every day. Keith leaves her alone, looking mighty unhappy that his daughter has such a jaded outlook on the family situation. What he doesn't know, because Veronica isn't about to tell him, is that she's figured out exactly where Lianne is staying. Sitting at her laptop, she brings up the photo she took of the car outside the Camelot, when she was tailing Jake Kane. Finding a match on a list of Arizona state license plates, she writes down the address it's registered to:
- 304 Paraket Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85207
Getting ready for school one morning, Veronica stares at the address on her board. Finally, she decides that if Lianne isn't going to come for her, she's going to have to go to her mother instead. If the roads are clear, she can make it to Arizona in four hours. Grabbing her bag and the address, she leaves for school.
That afternoon, Veronica drives through an Arizona mobile home park, glancing at the address in her hand, and spots the car she photographed outside the Camelot. Driving around to the other side of the home, she sees a blonde woman watering a flower bed. Excited, Veronica frantically cries out 'Mom!' and barely parks the car before she gets out and runs to the woman who turns around and is not Lianne. Veronica tells the woman that she is looking for Lianne Mars. The woman asks if she's Veronica and when she gets confirmation, grabs her and hugs her, identifying herself as Adrianna, a college friend of Lianne's.
Veronica eagerly looks around for signs of her mother's presence while Adrianna rambles on that she feels like she knows Veronica since Lianne talks about her all the time. Unfortunately, Lianne is no longer there. She left a couple of weeks ago. Veronica desperately asks her if Lianne told her where she was headed, and when Adrianna says she doesn't know, Veronica starts to fall apart, begging her not to lie because she needs to know where her mother is. Since Lianne thought Keith might come looking for her, she didn't tell Adrianna where she planned to go. Crushed, Veronica wonders why Lianne doesn't care about her. Adrianna insists that Veronica is all Lianne cares about. Veronica chooses to remain skeptical. As do I.
"No Blue Sky" (The Thorns)
Scene: Duncan on a sunny day in the pool, drowning out daddy's words of wisdom.
"Art" (Louque)
Scene: Troy goes in for the first kiss ... and Veronica's having none of that. Can we say awkward?
"Goodbye World" (Luke Adams)
Scene: Daddy Mars checks up on Veronica's homework-doing ability in her room. But can she chew gum at the same time?
"Edge of the Ocean" (Ivy)
Scene: Duncan's bleeding head is making a mess of the upholstery of the LeBaron on the hospital drive with his ex. Use the towel, Donut! It's there for a reason.
"Rock and a Hard Place" (Supreme Beings of Leisure)
Scene: Tracking down an on-the-run mother opens up one to a lot of voiceovers as this little ditty plays over Veronica's decision to track down said mother and then (oh the heartbreak) plays once again when she finds out that the afore-mentioned mother is on-the-run anew.
"What Are You Afraid Of" (West Indian Girl)
Scene: Driving in pain back from Arizona, Veronica reflects on her loneliness and decides she needs some comfort from a hot boy, and thus Troy gets his wish and the booty call is enabled.
LoVe Lines
Logan: (With a grin after Veronica pushed Justin into the girl's bathroom.) That girl is seriously whack!
Quotable Quotes
Justin: She's that smokin' and a private eye. That's gotta make her at least a 9.
Troy: Guess what I'm doing this weekend.
Veronica: I'm guessing it involves autoeroticism.
Keith: Have you been playing nice with the other children?
Veronica: You know, Dad, I'm old school. An eye for an eye.
Keith: I think that's actually Old Testament.
Jake: A life coach? (Laughs mockingly.)
Celeste: Didn't we just have a discussion about our son's lack of focus?
Jake: Oh no, you're -- you're right. Let's get him an astrologist, too. Maybe a past life consultant. (Still laughing.) Throw in a Pilates coach. If yours can free up some time.
Veronica: (To Keith.) Wallace is a friend of mine. (Does martial arts gesture with hands.) Take that, high school guidance counselor.
Keith: Part of me is proud, and let's just leave it at that.
Keith: So, how did she rope you into this?
Wallace: She promised me all of the answer keys to -- (Look from Veronica.) She promised to be my friend.
Keith: I'd have held out for a better offer.
Veronica: Hey, would you do me a favor?
Wallace: Why did all the hair on the back of my neck just stick up?
Wallace: You called your geometry teacher a jackass?
Veronica: That's totally taken out of context. Let me see it.
Wallace: Eh, hold up, grabby. I'm discovering a whole new side of you.
Wallace: He brought you a mix tape.
Veronica: Shut up. Hey, do me a favor.
Wallace: Please be kidding.
Keith: How was your date?
Veronica: Oh, you know. Lousy conversation, but the sex was fantastic.
Keith: That's not funny.
Veronica: I don't know, I'm pretty sure it was.
Wallace: You might want to take a look at that.
Veronica: Why, is it going to self-destruct in five seconds?
Keith: It's just that I never want you to think that your mom is the villain in all this.
Veronica: Isn't she?
Keith: No, it's not that simple.
Veronica: Yeah, it is. The hero is the one who stays and the villain is the one that splits.
Troy: Death defying stunts, gushing head wound. You're the man, brother.
Duncan: And, I almost stuck the landing!
Veronica: All right, fine. Meet me at my car after school. But remember, I'm the one in charge and you'll do what I say.
Wallace: You should have seen her before charm school.
Duncan: What are you talking about?
Hallucinated Dead Lilly: Clue in, Donut! It doesn't add up. You know that deep down inside. I wish you would just admit it to yourself, break out of your stupor. Wake up!
Veronica: Ninety miles.
Justin: What's ninety miles?
Veronica: It's the distance your dad travels every week to see you for a few seconds. Look, my mom's been missing, too, and honestly, I would give anything to feel that she cared enough about me to do that.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Tragedy blows through your life like a tornado, uprooting everything, creating chaos. You wait for the dust to settle and then you choose. You can live in the wreckage and pretend that it's still the mansion you remember. Or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild. Because after disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on. But if you're like me, you just keep chasing the storm. The problem with chasing the storm is that it wears you down, breaks your spirit. Even the experts agree. A girl needs closure.
Veronica: Doesn't she care about me?
Adrianna: You're all she cares about.
Veronica: Mark me down as skeptical.
Meet John Doe (Referenced by episode title.)
Meet John Doe (1941) is a Frank Capra comedy that stars Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. After reporter Ann Mitchell (Stanwyck) is fired from her job at a newspaper, she seeks revenge by printing a fake letter from the unemployed "John Doe." The letter sparks the interest of the public because the invented man has threatened to commit suicide due to society's ills. The paper rehires Mitchell after she has unknowingly started a political movement known as Grassroots. The paper even hires John Willoughby (Cooper) to be "John Doe" in order to milk the story for all it's worth.
Hilary Duff ... (Referenced by Justin's friend when debating the relative hotness of Sarah Kramer.)
Hilary Duff was born September 28, 1987. The Houston, Texas native made her first acting appearance alongside her sister Haylie in The Nutcracker. Her first major role was that of the young witch Wendy, alongside the friendly ghost, in Casper Meets Wendy. After that she went on to star in the Disney Channel hit, Lizzie McGuire. Duff's other major roles have included appearances in: Agent Cody Banks (2003), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and A Cinderella Story (2004).
Duff is also a successful recording artist, beloved of tweens everywhere. Her first album Metamorphosis was #1 on the Billboard 200, and sold more than two million copies. Her latest album Most Wanted also reached #1 on the Billboard 200.
Teen People ... (Referenced by Justin's friend when debating the relative hotness of Sarah Kramer.)
A teen-oriented version of People magazine first published by Time, Inc. in 1997. Teen People covers usually feature young actors and musicians who are popular with today's teen set. In addition to articles on celebrities, gossip and fashion, the magazine covers human interest stories featuring teens and their experiences, as well as articles discussing teen-related issues.
Sabre 386 ... (Referenced by Troy, discussing his weekend plans with Veronica.)
The Sabre 386 sailing yacht was launched in January and October 2004. The attention to detail is apparently known through the intricate details and safety precautions. The details make sense, but also add comfort and stability. The designers also kept up with their attention to new technology, building it to be one of the strongest and most durable sailing structures today. The result is a yacht which will endure for many years to come.
The Strokes ... (Referenced by Troy, discussing his weekend plans with Veronica.)
Formed in 1999, the Strokes is a New York rock band who has released three top ten albums. The band is made up of Julian Casablancas (no relation, I'm sure) on vocals, Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond, Jr. on guitar, Nikolai Fraiture on bass, and Fabrizio Moretti on drums. Their first album, Is This It, debuted in October 2001 to much critical praise, including being named best album of the year by Entertainment Weekly. The album includes the top 10 single, "Last Nite." The band followed up with the albums Room on Fire (2003) and First Impressions of Earth (2006).
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Referenced by Jake as he talks to a disinterested Duncan about potential summer plans.)
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Graz, Austria on July 30, 1947. He began his career as a bodybuilder, winning a number of competitions and getting his first taste of politics by being appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The Austrian he-man had always wanted to act, though. His breakthrough film was Conan the Barbarian (1982), but he's probably best known for his roles in The Terminator (1984), Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990) and Kindergarten Cop (1990).
Schwarzenegger, a registered Republican, was elected the governor of California on October 7, 2003 in a recall election, which removed Democrat Gray Davis from office. If not reelected in the 2006 gubernatorial election, his term will end on January 8, 2007. Schwarzenegger is married to Maria Shriver, a former journalist for NBC as well as a Democrat and member of America's political royalty, the Kennedys. The couple have four children.
Eye for an Eye ... (Referenced by Veronica when explaining her take on playing with the other children.)
The saying "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is simply a phrase to suggest, 'let the punishment fit the crime'. Most easily put: If they do it to you, you can do it back (you poke me, I poke you.). Keith's response of "that's actually Old Testament" is correct as this particular phrase can be found in several places of the Old Testament of The Bible.
Arizona (Referenced by Veronica as she asks Keith why he isn't looking for Lianne.)
Arizona is a state in the Southwest of the United States, with a population of about six million. It is a Four Corners state in that it borders Utah and New Mexico and touches Colorado. The state also has an international border with Mexico, making illegal immigration a problem, especially now that it has become more difficult to illegally enter California.
Arizona's desert landscape is populated with cacti and other succulent plants that can survive the dry environment. The Grand Canyon also stretches across northern Arizona for about 277 miles. The Grand Canyon National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the country.
Phoenix, Arizona is the most populated capital city in the United States. With a distance of 355 miles between San Diego and Phoenix, Veronica had to have driven for at least seven hours to try to track down her mother.
The San Diego Padres... (Referenced by Veronica while eating dinner with Keith.)
This Major National League franchise was created in 1968. They played at the San Diego Stadium until Petco Park, a dedicated baseball stadium, opened in 2004. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's, purchased the club in 1974 and his wife took it over after his death in 1984, until she sold it in 1994. The Padres won the NL pennant in 1984 but lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers. They won the pennant again in 1998 and lost the World Series to the Yankees.
Kevin Spacey ... (Referenced by Justin, when discussing the DVD Julia's just returned.)
The film and stage actor Kevin Spacey was born July 26, 1959, in South Orange, New Jersey. Spacey attended Juilliard School in New York City, studying drama, before starting his acting career. His career started off simply with a few supporting roles, finally culminating in two Oscar wins: The Usual Suspects, Best Supporting Actor (1995), and American Beauty, Best Actor (1999). Since then he's been seen in Pay It Forward (2000), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and finally being seen this summer as Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor, in Superman Returns.
Spacey has also taken directing, writing, and producing under his belt with The Big Kahuna (2000), Only Decent Criminal (2003), Beyond the Sea (2004), and The United States of Leland (2004).
Body Heat ... (Referenced by Justin when recommending another film for Julia to check out.)
The 1981 film was written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starred William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. A small-town Florida lawyer Ned Racine (Hurt) becomes involved with Matty Walker (Turner) who, with the intentions of collecting the insurance money, is plotting the murder of her husband (Richard Crenna) by using Racine's near-obsession with her.
The film was nominated for four awards, including a Golden Globe, but won none of them despite the positive reviews it received. Body Heat is known for its steamy sexuality, especially evident in one famous scene where Hurt's character breaks through the glass door of the Walker's home with an outside lawn chair while the rain pours down and Matty waits hungrily inside for him.
Body Heat made a star out of Kathleen Turner and set the standard for (no pun intended) heat in the modern era of sexuality in moviemaking for years to come. It also ushered in a brief return of the femme fatale, which Turner brought so lusciously to life with infamous lines like: "You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." The film was parodied (along with others such as Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction and Sleeping with the Enemy) unsuccessfully by Carl Reiner in 1993 with Fatal Instinct (original title: Triple Indemnity) starring Armand Assante, Sean Young and Sherilyn Fenn.
Slap Shot ... (Referenced by Veronica when lamenting to Justin her father's choice in movie rentals.)
The 1977 movie starred Paul Newman as once-great hockey player Reggie Dunlop, of the Charleston Chiefs, who has gotten nowhere in his career. When the Charleston Mill suddenly closes down, it becomes important for the Chiefs to gain attendance at games and start winning, in order to get a retirement center in Florida, interested in buying them. Though along time they start winning, bigger troubles lie ahead. Though the team is optimistic about the future, no one really knows what will happen.
Slap Shot won the 1977 Award for Best Foreign Language Film, from the Hochi Film Awards, in Japan. It was also nominated for two additional awards -- one in Japan, and one in the U.S. -- but failed to win either of them.
The Cowboys ... (Referenced by Veronica when lamenting to Justin her father's choice in movie rentals.)
The 1972 western starred John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Slim Pickens, A Martinez and Bruce Dern. The story is about cattle rancher Will Anderson, who is forced to take on a group of school boys in order to get his cattle to market, in order to avoid financial ruin. The boys learn to do the work of a man, and all the while a gang of cattle thieves is in pursuit of the group.
The film won the award for best theatrical motion picture, in the Western Heritage Awards.
Antidepressants ... (Referenced by Celeste when reminding Duncan to take his pills.)
Antidepressants are professionally prescribed medication used to treat the symptoms of clinical depression. Some medications however, are used to treat pain, whether or not the patient is depressed. There are many well-known antidepressant drugs out there such as Wellbutrin, Paxil and everyone's favorite, Prozac.
Prozac, in fact, launched a catchphrase often used to describe the proliferation of antidepressants in today's society, 'The Prozac Nation.' The phrase comes from Prozac Nation (sub-titled 'Young and Depressed in America: A Memoir'), an autobiography published in 1994 and written by Elizabeth Wurtzel, which describes the author's experiences with clinical depression.
"Nowhere Man" (Referenced by Logan when talking to Duncan in the school hallway.)
"Nowhere Man" is a song recorded by the Beatles for their 1965 album, Rubber Soul. John Lennon struggled with the lyrics, and said that he ended up writing the song about himself. "I'd actually stopped trying to think of something," Lennon said. "Nothing would come. I was cheesed off and went for a lie-down, having given up. Then I thought of myself as Nowhere Man ... sitting in his nowhere land."
Lyrics:
- He's a real nowhere man,
Sitting in his nowhere land,
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody.
Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man, please listen,
You don't know what you're missing,
Nowhere man, the world is at your command.
He's as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nowhere man can you see me at all?
Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man, don't worry,
Take your time, don't hurry,
Leave it all till somebody else
Lend you a hand.
He's a real nowhere man,
Sitting in his nowhere land,
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody
Song by the Beatles, it was written in 1967. It appears on the Magical Mystery Tour album.
The lyrics are:
- Day after day alone on the hill,
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still,
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning around.
Well on his way his head in a cloud,
The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him,
Or the sound he appears to make,
And he never seems to notice,
But the fool on the hill ...
Nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do.
And he never shows his feelings,
But the fool on the hill ...
Los Angeles is California's largest city, with a population that is nearing four million. L.A. is one of the world's most diverse and dynamic cosmopolitan areas. The residents of Los Angeles represent over 140 countries and 224 languages, which has yielded many distinctive ethnic towns like Chinatown, Little Tokyo and Koreatown. It began as a small Spanish settlement in the 16th century, and became a possession of Mexico when the country gained independence from Spain in 1821. The United States eventually took control of Los Angeles during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
The entertainment industry is ever evolving, and it basically fuels the economy of the city. Hollywood, a district of L.A., has also come to embody the American film industry -- the dreams, the opportunity, the competition.
The geography of Los Angeles' 498.3 square miles varies greatly. The highest point is Sister Elsie Peak, which reaches just over five thousand feet. The Los Angeles River flows fifty-one miles through the city. The city occasionally experiences earthquakes, but mostly there are insignificant tremors that occur throughout L.A. on a daily basis, and they cannot be felt.
Life Coach ... (Referenced by Jake as he and Celeste discuss Duncan's recent lack of focus.)
Life coaching is a practice that offers support from coaches to those being coached. The coaches listen as the clients explain their problems. Usually the practice involves a professional partnership, between a coach and client, that is about the client's concern. In the process, the clients decide what steps they should take, and coaches do not give advice, or offer therapy.
Pilates Coach ... (Referenced by Jake as he and Celeste discuss Duncan's recent lack of focus.)
The Pilates method is a physical fitness system, developed in the early 1900's, by Joseph Pilates. He called it Contrology, which is a way of encouraging the use of your mind, to control your muscles. The exercise program focuses on the muscles that help keep the body well balanced, and are essential for supporting the spine.
Pilates was not designed to be a complete physical fitness discipline; it does not supply effective cardiovascular training. It also avoids high impact/high power and heavy muscular and skeletal loading, resulting in Pilates not being quite as effective at building muscle mass.
A Pilates coach is simply a certified person who runs a group through different Pilates steps, through either a class or an at-home video.
Frisbee ... (Referenced by Duncan during his toast to Molly, the Labrador.)
The word Frisbee is the most common term for the flying disc. Around 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) in diameter, it is generally made of plastic. The Frisbee is designed to fly aerodynamically when tossed with a little rotation, and can be caught by the human hand. In English: Toss the disc up, it flies across your yard, and another person can catch it. The name 'Frisbee' is actually a registered trademark of the 'Wham-O' toy company, but is used to describe all of the generically designed flying discs.
Halle Berry ... (Referenced by Owen, when scoffing at the idea that Justin's hooking up with Veronica.)
Academy Award winner Halle Maria Berry was born August 14, 1966, in Cleveland, Ohio. In the 1980's Halle went to Chicago to pursue a modeling career, as well as acting. One of her first acting jobs was a local cable show called Chicago Force. Her film appearances include: Jungle Fever (1991), The Flintstones (1994), X-Men (2000), Monster's Ball (2001), Gothika (2003), and Catwoman (2004).
In 2002, Halle won the best actress Oscar for Monster's Ball; the first African-American woman to do so. She also won an Emmy and Golden Globe in 1999, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge; in an interesting coincidence, Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-American woman to be nominated for the best actress Academy Award.
Stanford Summer Program ... (Referenced by Veronica as she records a message, pretending to be the administration office.)
A summer at Stanford University is open to all high school juniors and seniors. According to a brochure: "You will be able to see for yourself the social and academic challenges presented at Stanford; the stay will help you better understand the world, and your own academic interests." Summer visitors can take eight or ten week courses in Humanities and Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Engineering, which can be transferred as college credit.
311... (Referenced by Justin when giving Veronica a mix CD during lunch.)
311 is a funk/rock/rap band from Omaha, Nebraska. They recorded their first three albums on their own label in the early 90's. They moved to a major record label in 1993 and just released their 8th studio album Greatest Hits (1993-2003). They covered the Cure's "Love Song" for the movie Fifty First Dates and it reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Radio Chart. Their website is www.311.com.
America's Funniest Home Videos ... (Referenced by Troy when telling Veronica about his and Duncan's foolish attempt to get on the show.)
Originally appearing in 1990, America's Funniest Home Videos has the sole purpose of allowing people to submit tapes of their funniest moments that they happened to catch on tape (or often times, staged). This is done in the hopes of winning the cash prize at the end, for indeed having the 'funniest home video.' The prize is $10,000 for each weekly win, and those winning videos compete at the end of the season for a $100,000 prize.
The hosts of AFHV have included: Bob Saget (1990-1997), John Fugelsang and Daisy Fuentes (1997-2000), and Tom Bergeron (2001-present).
Happy Days / The Fonz ... (Referenced by Troy's attempt to change the music simply by hitting the jukebox with his hand.)
Happy Days was a popular television show that originally aired from 1974 to 1984; it presented the idea of life in the late 1950's America. The show revolved around the life of a middle-class family, the Cunninghams, who resided in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The show originally focused on the four Cunninghams: Howard, Marion, Richie, and Joanie (there was also Richie's older brother, but he abruptly disappeared in the second season, for no apparent reason). Later the show took focus on other characters, such as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli.
The character of Arthur Fonzarelli was originally written as a minor character, but became hugely popular, and the network could not resist writing him a larger role. Originally portrayed as a thug, soon the leather-jacketed biker became a friend to both Richie and the Cunningham family. Viewers were enchanted by his effortless personality; the way he spoke, and being able to seemingly get whatever he wants, with a snap of his fingers, or the pounding of his hand on a jukebox.
Scrabble ... (Referenced by Veronica, when she's running down the checklist of reasons she should be with Troy.)
Scrabble is the oh so popular game in which players form words using individually lettered tiles on a board. The words are formed vertically and horizontally, like in a crossword, and must appear in the standard dictionary. Each letter is worth a certain amount of points, and when placed in a word, the points are added up for a total score. The more common a letter is used in everyday English, the less points it's worth. The board is also marked with 'premium' squares, which allow a boost in the total points: double letter, triple word, etc. (Scrabble Gameboard Design)
"Self-Destruct in 5 Seconds" / Mission: Impossible (Referenced by Veronica as Wallace hands her Justin's school records.)
"This tape will self-destruct in five seconds" was first heard on the American television series Mission: Impossible (1966-1973), which was about a secret government agency called the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). Brian De Palma turned the series into a box-office hit with the 1996 film of the same name. John Woo and J.J. Abrams directed M:I-2 (2000) and M:I-3 (2006), respectively. The series of films stars Tom Cruise, who has had more than a few references on Veronica Mars. His character, Ethan Hunt, receives self-destructing assignment messages (in M:I-2, video transmitting sunglasses are used) from boss Jim Phelps, a character from the original television series.
San Diego ... (Referenced by Veronica as the origin of the letter from Justin's father.)
It is believed that the first humans settled in the San Diego area some 20,000 years ago, along the coast, and 12,000 ago in the desert area, but it was in 1542 that Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed from Mexico into the Bay and claimed the area for Spain, naming it San Miguel. At the time, there were 20-30,000 of the Kumeyaay tribe living there. In 1602, explorer Sebastian Vizcaino arrived on his ship, San Diego, and named the area for the Spanish Catholic saint, San Diego de Alcal. Then, in 1769, the first of a chain of twenty-one missions along the California coast was founded by Father Junipero Serra and the California Governor Gaspar de Portola. It was built on Presidio Hill and named Mission San Diego de Alcal. The first colonists arrived in 1774 and San Diego came under Mexican rule in 1821 when Mexico won its independence from Spain. Then, in 1848, a treaty ending the war between the U.S. and Mexico set the official international border and declared San Diego an American city. Two years later, San Diego County was created and the City of San Diego was incorporated.
Today, with a population of around 1.25 million, San Diego is the second largest city in California and the seventh largest in the nation. According to the San Diego city website, more than 96 percent of the residents are employed, with a median family income of almost $40,000. The top industries are manufacturing, defense, tourism and agriculture, with an additional focus on biotechnology/biosciences, electronics manufacturing, software, telecommunications, financial and business services, and defense and space manufacturing.
Located only 17 miles from the Mexican border, with seventy miles of coastline and an overall land area of 342.4 square miles, San Diego is also home to many popular tourist attractions, such as Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Legoland California and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Races. Professional sports teams include the San Diego Chargers (football), the Padres (baseball) and the Gulls (hockey). In addition to ten community colleges located throughout the county, the city is also home to San Diego State, the largest California State University campus, and the University of California, San Diego.
Kung Fu / "Grasshopper" ... (Referenced by Duncan as he takes Logan's flask away and wrestles with him.)
'Kung fu' is one of two popular Chinese terms that are more commonly known as Chinese martial arts. There are several philosophies around the term 'kung fu', which possess a deeper meaning. For something to truly be kung fu, the following three elements must be present: Motivation, self discipline, and time.
Based on this philosophy, a television series was created in 1972 by Ed Spielman, appropriately titled Kung Fu. The award-winning show starred David Carradine and was directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, developed and co-produced by series writer Herman Miller while David Chow (and later Kam Yuen) was the technical and kung fu advisor. Kung Fu follows the adventures of a Shaolin monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the American Old West (armed only with his skill in martial arts) as he seeks his half-brother, Danny Caine. David Carradine portrayed the adult Caine and Radames Pera portrayed the young Caine. Keye Luke (as the blind Master Po) and Philip Ahn (as Master Kan) were also members of the regular cast.
The term "Grasshopper" was a nickname given to Caine by Master Po at the monastery and has become a part of pop culture, generally referring to a student who is taught by an older, wiser teacher.
Summer Nights... (Referenced by Duncan while sitting on the bleachers with the other '09ers.)
This fluffy, romantic song is from the 1977 musical Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The song is sung by a group of high school boys hanging out on the bleachers cross-cut with high school girls in the outside cafeteria.
The lyrics are:
- Summer lovin' had me a blast
Summer lovin', happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
I met a boy, cute as can be
Summer days driftin' away,
To uh-oh those summer nights
Tell me more, tell me more,
Did you get very far?
Tell me more, tell me more,
Like, does he have a car?
She swam by me, she got a cramp
He went by me, got my suit damp
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
He showed off, splashing around
Summer sun, something's begun,
But uh-oh those summer nights
Tell me more, tell me more,
Was it love at first sight?
Tell me more, tell me more,
Did she put up a fight?
Took her bowlin' in the Arcade
We went strollin', drank lemonade
We made out under the dock
we stayed up until ten o'clock
Summer fling don't mean a thing,
But uh-oh those summer nights
Tell me more, tell me more,
But you don't gotta brag
Tell me more, tell me more,
Cause he sounds like a drag
He got friendly, holdin' my hand
Well she got friendly, down in the sand
He was sweet, just turned eighteen
Well she was good, you know what I mean
Summer heat, boy and girl meet,
But uh-oh those summer nights
Tell me more, tell me more,
How much dough did he spend?
Tell me more, tell me more,
Could she get me a friend?
It turned colder, that's where it ends
So I told her we'd still be friends
Then we made our true love vow
Wonder what she's doin' now
Summer dreams ripped at the seams,
But oh, those summer nights
Considered one of the more difficult jumps performed in figure skating, the lutz was named after Austrian skater Alois Lutz, who performed the jump in 1913. While gliding in a backward curve, the skater uses the toe pick to vault into the air, rotating their body in the opposite direction and landing on the other back outside edge. The lutz is often performed in double or triple versions. Canadian Donald Jackson was the first to competitively perform a triple lutz jump, at the 1962 World Figure Skating Championships. A variation on the jump is known as the 'Tano Lutz, named after American Olympic and World Champion, Brian Boitano. Boitano modified the jump by performing the rotation with an arm raised above his head.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man ... (Referenced by Justin when explaining how he knows his father's eyes are brown.)
Found on the 1987 soundtrack album for Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll, Chuck Berry's single, "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" has been used to describe Berry himself, most notably the title of the Bruce Pegg biography, Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry.
Here are the lyrics:
- Arrested on charges of unemployment,
he was sitting in the witness stand
The judge's wife called up the district attorney
Said you free that brown eyed man
You want your job you better free that brown eyed man
Flying across the desert in a TWA,
I saw a woman walking across the sand
She been a walkin' thirty miles en route to Bombay
To get a brown eyed handsome man
Her destination was a brown eyed handsome man
Way back in history three thousand years
In fact ever since the world began
There's been a whole lot of good women sheddin' tears
For a brown eyed handsome man
It's a lot of trouble was brown eyed handsome man
Beautiful daughter couldn't make up her mind
Between a doctor and a lawyer man
Her mother told her darlin' go out and find yourself
A brown eyed handsome man
Just like your daddy, he's a brown eyed handsome man
Milo Venus was a beautiful lass
She had the world in the palm of her hand
But she lost both her arms in a wrestling match
To get brown eyed handsome man
She fought and won herself a brown eyed handsome man
Two, three count with nobody on
He hit a high fly into the stand
Rounding third he was headed for home
It was a brown eyed handsome man
That won the game; it was a brown eyed handsome man
The Chrysler Corporation was an American automobile company from 1925 to 1998, after which it merged with the German manufacturer Daimler-Benz AG to become DaimlerChrysler AG. The Chrysler Sebring comes in mid-size coupes, convertibles, and sedans.
A new 2007 Sebring model is set to come out later this year, but the current 2006 sedan starts at $20,730.
Honda (Referenced by Veronica as she and Justin follow the man they think is John Smith.)
Honda is a Japanese automobile company that also manufactures ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), electrical generators, marine engines and lawn and garden equipment. Honda produces the most engines in world, building over fourteen million combustion engines each year. Honda also has a line of luxury vehicles under the brand name Acura. The company's total revenue as of 2004 is over $79 billion.
Honda Motor Co. was founded by Soichiro Honda in 1948, when the Japanese market was failing in the aftermath of World War II. Knowing that people still needed a basic means of transport, Honda attached an engine to a bicycle. Honda started producing a variety of scooters and motorcycles that were efficient and inexpensive. When Honda tried to sell its automobiles in the United States, Americans were not interested in the small sizes of the cars. The slightly larger Honda Civic, however, had better success when it was introduced in 1972.
Hyundai Sonata (Referenced by Veronica as she uncovers the car in John Smith's garage.)
Hyundai is a South Korean automobile manufacturer that was founded by Chung Ju-yung in 1947. The Sonata was introduced in North America in 1989 after the success of the Hyundai Excel's release four years earlier.
The new 2007 Hyundai Sonata is a four-door sedan that starts at $17,195.
- In the video store, Veronica points to Keith to tell Justin that he has seen the movie five times.
- When Duncan returns to Logan in the hall, after getting sick in the bathroom, we see that Logan's been spending his time reading through Duncan's notebook. He replaces it in Duncan's backpack when he comes back.
- When Justin realizes Julia is his father, it is daylight outside. After the commercial break, it is dusk and quite noticeably darker.
- Justin tells Julia that hes believed his father to be dead since he was eleven, yet his first grade records -- when he was most likely six or seven years old -- mentioned his fathers death as being recent.
- Duncan inconsiderately removes the towel from the back of his head, leaving it to bleed all over Veronicas car seat. What a guy!
- While hanging out on the bleachers with Duncan, Dick and the other 09ers, the scene opens with Logan laying down with ... his head in another guy's lap. Yup. Skirting a tad beyond the edge of ambiguous, that's our Logan.
- How long has Duncan been going out with Shelly?
- What meds exactly was Duncan taking?
- How long was Lianne in Arizona?
- Is Duncans hallucination of Lilly really his subconscious trying to make him face the memory of her death?
- Troy certainly seems genuinely interested in Veronica, even though he is very likely already planning to return to his girlfriend, Shawna, in a few weeks. (As played out in episode 1.5 You Think You Know Somebody.)
- Duncan resumes taking the antidepressants at the end of this episode, but quits again sometime before Clash of the Tritons. (During his session with Rebecca James, in that episode, he mentions he is no longer taking them.)
- During Jake's poolside chat with Duncan, he mentions "what you did for Schwarzenegger" when listing government-related activities in which Duncan's participated. This seems to imply that Duncan is geared towards being a Republican. Yet, in Leave it to Beaver, Celeste complains about Governor Schwarzenegger -- who'll be attending their party -- and makes a point of reminding Jake that they are not Republicans.
- Also during Jake's poolside he mentions a summer intern program in Washington that Duncan should apply for ... ah, if only Duncan had applied, if only Duncan had gone ... no summer stalking, no fortune cookie of twu wuv! If only.
ameriott44 (Amy): Social Science
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JenniferH: Report Card; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Social Science; Pep Squad Practice; Principles of Democracy
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