Episode #01.18: Weapons of Class Destruction
Original Air Date: April 12, 2005
Written by: Jed Seidel
Directed by: John T. Kretchmer
Report Card (Capsule Episode Review)
Yearbook (Recurring & Guest Stars/Character Statistics)
Drama Club (Performances: Highlights and Lowlights) (None)
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)
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)
Grade: A
Membership: A (93.1% / 72 votes)
How memorable would Weapons of Class Destruction be if not for The Kiss? Due to the ecstatic shockwave that moment created it is quite impossible to know. True, the mystery of the week is strong -- even if the 'famous' guest star at the center of it is not. Also, the B story did have a few flaws (revolving mostly around Teddy Dunn's performance and confusion in Duncan's arc). However, at the end of the day, what this episode is judged on because this is what it is very much remembered for is The Kiss. That scene, that song, that sweeping camera, that kiss, that look. And that was wonderful, thus the A.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Francis Capra - Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Jonathan Chesner - Corny
- Pilot
- Return of the Kane
Duane Daniels - Van Clemmons
- Pilot
- Return of the Kane
- Clash of the Tritons
- The Girl Next Door
- Mars vs. Mars
- Betty and Veronica
- Kanes & Abel's
Erica Gimpel - Alicia Fennel
- Like a Virgin
Max Greenfield - Deputy Leo D'Amato
- Silence of the Lamb
- Mars vs. Mars
- Ruskie Business
- Betty and Veronica
Tina Majorino - Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
- Like a Virgin
- Silence of the Lamb
Alona Tal - Meg Manning
- Like a Virgin
- Ruskie Business
- Betty and Veronica
Guest Stars
Joey Lauren Adams - Geena Stafford
Michael McMillian - Pete Comiscky
Theo Rossi - Norris Clayton
Jonathan Taylor Thomas - Ben
Who's Who in Neptune
Miss Stafford - Former Pep Squad advisor, now running the Journalism class for an on-maternity-leave Miss Dent. (An explanation for Sydney Tamiia Poitier's absence.)
Norris Clayton - A bully from Neptune High who has a fondness for fancy, schmancy weapons, scaring people and Veronica Mars (even in her pre-kick-ass years).
Pete Comiscky - Bullied-upon student from Neptune High, a specific target of Norris, which makes Petey, a computer geek, mighty unhappy.
Ben - Undercover ATF agent who does what he has to do to keep his perfect capture record intact.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Joey Lauren Adams (Geena Stafford) - Best known as the bisexual girlfriend of Ben Affleck's Holden McNeil in Chasing Amy, written and directed by Kevin Smith. Adams dated Smith for several years and despite a break-up returned to reprise her role as Alyssa Jones in his feature, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Ben) - Familiar to fans of ABC's comedy line-up of the '90's, Thomas grew up in front of the camera from 1991 to 1998 and in the process became the resident heartthrob of Home Improvement.
Scene One: Classroom Flirtation
I'm rather confused as to the placement of Veronica, Logan and Duncan in this first scene. It's as if both Veronica/Logan fans and the Veronica/Duncan fans were being given one last even playing field to choose for whom they wanted to root. The scene begins with Veronica calling Duncan super-cute (not once, but twice!) as she stares intently at him. Sure, it's part of a smart-ass voiceover, but she DOES call him super-cute (which, personally, I just don't get, but that's neither here nor there) and she IS staring intently at him. So, score one for the fans of VD. Of course, that victory is followed by a touchdown from the crowd cheering on team LoVe.
We get all of these absolutely, totally high-school, I like him/I like her back and forth looks and smiles. Veronica even does one of those 'it really wasn't that funny, but he said it and so I'm going to giggle in appreciation because I want him to know that I appreciate him' laughs followed by the patented, followed by 'is he looking at me to see that I'm appreciating him' looks. Ah, the looks. Let's talk more about the looks. They are the 'out of the corner of your eye' looks, the 'sideway glances taken every few seconds' looks. The latter are seen especially from Logan because apparently he's in the stage where he believes that if he does not actually see her she might just disappear. In addition to the looks and the smiles and the giggles, you also have the source of the laughter: Logan is trying to make funnies specifically for Veronica (and let's note that ever-important distinction) as opposed to most of the previous year and a half funnies designed specifically to insult Veronica.
But then -- then post fire-drill, as everyone is walking out of the classroom, we get an overly friendly discussion between Veronica and Duncan that falls under the category of 'trying too hard talking about something, anything just so that you can be close to one another' and poor Logan is left a few students behind and then several students behind them to talk to an extra. So what was the point of the tinge of closeness between Veronica and Duncan bookending a center of flirting between Veronica and Logan? Now, I'm not saying that anything between VD before and after the looks and the smiles and the giggles between LoVe was flirting because it could absolutely be read as not, but because it WAS Veronica and Duncan, there is that history ...
Eh, who cares, right? We got the looks and the smiles and the giggles. And those were thoroughly enjoyable and considering the angst-o-meter on this show, I'm thinking we should just take what good times we get and don't look a gift horse in the mouth, damnit!
Scene Two: And the Role of the White Knight is Played By ...
There is one thing I adore about the phone conversation and one thing that slightly, well, bugs. First the good, Veronica clearly looks to see who is calling her before she answers and as she begins speaking, she has a smile on her face. Awwwwwww! Logan's number (or name?) made her smile. Double awwwwwwww! Now the buggy -- she makes the comment "you would have loved it" after telling him that Duncan took her head off. I understand where the comment came from (duh!), but I felt that if that was going to be re-introduced as such, it should have been acknowledged by Logan in some way. This rather reminds me of my major issue with one particular scene in Kanes and Abel's:
I'm tickled by the fact that Logan is positioned continually in the room as to easily protect Veronica. When she is in the bathroom, Logan is standing next to the opening, essentially between her and Ben. And when she comes out, even though he moves, he stays within a few feet of her. He's so darn sweet. And it makes one almost wonder though, if he had ever felt that he had to protect Lynn from Aaron and thus why he was so aware of where he needed to be just in case? Anyhoo, moving along.
Of course, that protective vibe continues in full force when Ben asks him to leave the room. We get the funny 21 Jump Street allusion and then this I really love: Yes, he's still playing the White Knight card when Veronica tells him it's okay by his 'leave the door open/I'll be right out here' bit, but what is really fabulous about this moment is that he listens to her. He doesn't play all brute force, I am Man, hear me roar! He listens to her, trusts that she can take care of herself, and, yes, lets her know that if she needs him, he's only a few seconds away. Sigh. I heart Logan.
Scene Three: Something Happens
Did Veronica mean to kiss Logan on the cheek or the lips? That is the one question I always find myself asking when she leans up to give him that small peck. He didn't move, so it wasn't that. Was it a misfire -- incorrectly judging where the kiss would land based on height difference? It's possible that Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring never actually physically rehearsed this scene because they wanted it to be as natural as possible. I don't know. I've just always wondered -- why the kiss on the corner of the lips? Why not just on the lips? (Which, in and of itself, would have just been weird.) Why not on the cheek? I dunno.
What I don't question at all, ever, is the feelings and thoughts going through both Veronica and Logan's minds after she places that small kiss on him. And that is all thanks to just how truly amazing both actors are. There is not one word of dialogue in this scene past the first few seconds in the beginning:
All of that is conveyed in a mere few seconds solely by the body language, facial expressions and what can be read in the eyes of these two young actors. Just wow.
As for The Kiss itself, I must confess that I've watched it about a thousand times by now and I've looked at all of the different angles (both literal and not) and I forever remain in the 'it was perfectly executed' camp. It wasn't a perfect kiss per se, but it was perfectly executed. It was awkward, it was desperate, it was confused, it was passionate -- before, during and after and it perfectly fit where they are right now as two people trying to figure out what this thing is between them without really trying. It was a first kiss that was unexpected but once the moment hit and The Kiss became inevitable, it was as if The Kiss was as necessary as breathing to the both of them and there was so much there in that moment, that they were left grasping for a hold as desperately as they could. Worked for me.
And the aftermath of The Kiss worked as well too. I adore the looks between them, again saying so very much. As wonderful as The Kiss is itself, it's really the intense staring that passes between them that really and truly sells the scene. Especially Jason Dohring's big brown eyes. They were just made for this scene. Sigh ... ahem, anyway. I also particularly loved how his hands go to encircle her waist again and it's THAT movement that seems to wake them up to where the hell they are and what the hell they just did.
And then it's like a free-for-all -- he pulled away, she stepped back, he stepped back, she ran away, he started to follow for the slightest of seconds and then stopped and just stared at her as she ran downstairs, as she got to her car, meeting her gaze as she stared back up at him while a cross between a shiver, a shudder and sigh wracked her body. And as she got in her car and drove away, he still stood there staring.
Pretty damn intense. I don't know what crack Rob Thomas was smoking!
Scene Four: Can You Say Awkward?
And the title pretty much says it all. The interaction between Logan and Veronica runs about 30 seconds in this final scene and it's pretty much all about the looks ... again. Geesh, are we sensing a theme for this episode? Back and forth, we've got her looking at him and him looking back and both reads pretty much amount to "What the hell do we do now?"
So, when I heard that this episode featured the kid from Home Improvement, and then watched as the show opened with Veronica macking on Leo, without even so much as a warning to avert my eyes, I was tempted to skip it. Guess that would have been a mistake. Given the slightly important LoVe scene to be analyzed below, you may be equally tempted to skip this recap. Ill do my best to make that a mistake of similar proportions.
We open in journalism class, taught by Joey Lauren Adams, who will always be Ben Afflecks one true lesbian love to me. Here, shes Miss Stafford, former pep-squad instructor and new journalism teacher, replacing the pregnant Miss Dent. Her favorite expression is to tell the class theyre "burning daylight," which in this case, may refer to the smoldering looks passing between Logan and Veronica.
They're considering your standard high school newspaper stories - drug use by principals, sadistic old crones - before the third fire drill of the week leads them to a thrilling fire drill story. Logan does a little cheerleader bit to lead the class out for the drill, which, seriously, may have been the gayest thing Ive ever seen on television, and I used to watch Queer as Folk. Gotta love him.
Veronica pursues the story with Mr. Clemmons, asking him whether a "Gremlin is gumming up the works." He responds that theyre just catching up on fire drills. Three in a week sounds extreme for that story, so Veronica follows up with Assistant Superintendent Ellen Rauch -- who sounds like she may be causing the fire alarms with her two-pack-a-day habit -- but informs Veronica that district policy is for one drill per semester. Hmm...
Cut to Veronica talking to Corny at his locker. Strangely, they seem to be the only two people in school. Well, at least until some police enter with their dogs, causing Corny to freak out and shove the contents of his locker down his pants. At least those contents are kept in a plastic baggie. But the dogs walk right past him, as though theyre not even looking for drugs. Double hmm...
We find Mr. Clemmons on his phone with Ms. Rauch, who is asking him why there have been so many fire drills lately. Shes tired of getting complaints from the pushy girl with the bad attitude. He confides that theyve been getting bomb threats (I know they've been keeping it quiet, but quiet from the superintendents office??), and we cut away to see that its actually Veronica doing a spot-on impersonation of Ms. Rauch (so spot on, that I suspect it was Kristen Bell doing Ms. Rauch in the first place). The plot is set.
Back in the journalism office, Ms. Stafford questions whether they should run the story. Duncan - in one of his classic speeches that sounds like he practiced it many times in front of the mirror, but then spits it out too fast anyway - says that's what newspapers are supposed to do. So, the story runs, and the results are predictable. Students panic and head home. Veronica and Ms. Stafford are called into the principals office and threatened with suspension and termination, respectively, if they ever run a story like this again. And in the midst of all this, we see killemall.net written on lockers. The plot thickens.
We shift to an English Class, where we see two typically bored high school students, Ben (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Norris. And a geeky kid off to the side who's staring at Ben like hes in love with him. Or maybe he's just fondly remembering Tool Time. Seems Ben didnt read The Brothers Karamazov (who can blame him, really), but he says it doesnt matter because well all end six feet under anyway. Norris looks amused, but the in-love-geek (Pete) looks disappointed.
Later in the day, Veronica interrupts some hot techno-babble between Pete and Mac. She needs Macs help because her iBook wont boot up. I wonder if Apple wants its product placement fee back. And why does she seem so calm about this, given that all her work on the Lilly case is on that laptop? Mac leaves and Pete confides in Veronica that he saw Ben and Norris throwing exploding tennis balls at cats. And I wonder again shouldnt he have talked to the police instead of Veronica, given that this is a pretty terrible act, but one that doesnt have a super obvious link to the bomb threats? But as well see later in this episode - every line matters, and when you wonder, its probably for a reason.
I'll give you three guesses what Veronicas next move is, and the first two dont count. Yep - she asks Wallace to get Ben's file. Even he comments on how predictable she is. He also tells Veronica that Mr. Clemmons made Norris turn his "Kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out" t-shirt inside out. That reminds Veronica of the killemall.net website, where she finds a countdown clock with just over 46 hours remaining. Looks bad for Norris.
Veronica watches Ben and Norris at lunch, and then flashes back to pre-badass-Veronica Mars, but post-DK-break-up Veronica Mars where Norris protected her from some spit wad throwers. In that flashback we also learn that Norris was generally a bully in junior high, and remember, every line matters on this show. Including the next one from Wallace, where we learn that there's no file on Ben, but Norris' file looks pretty clean. Again, hmm ...
Veronica finds Ben and Norris back at a lunch table, arguing loudly, as Norris tells Ben that all his talk about guns and death is getting old. Ben storms off. Veronica follows him to the Camelot, then to a garden store where he buys fertilizer and loads it into a trunk already full of guns. Her surveillance is interrupted by a call from Logan, who must distract her as much as he does most viewers, as she fails to see Ben coming until he's in her car. She cleverly keeps the call going so that Logan can hear that Ben is taking her to the Camelot.
Ben pulls Veronica up the Camelot stairs, where he runs into Logan's fist. Several times. In the melee, his wallet pops out, and Veronica stops Logan mid-punch to show him Bens badge. He's a federal agent (thus the lack of a student file). Inside the hotel room, Ben ices his eye and asks to talk to Veronica alone. To which Logan replies, "dream on, jump street," which is a great line even if Johnny Depp is WAY cooler than JTT. Veronica convinces Logan to wait outside, and Ben informs her that hes watching Norris due to all sorts of suspicious internet activity. And that hes not aware of any exploding cats (remember, every line matters). He tells Veronica that Norris "likes her, likes her" and that he needs her to get close to him to figure out what hes up to. Her government needs her help (say that with a straight face, I dare you).
After this scene, I think there was some kiss or something, but I didn't really pay attention.
Veronica goes to Norris' house, claiming she needs to look at his ancient weapons collection to help with a case. Learns little of use, except that he has a wireless network that she may be able to use to investigate his website. She's able to access the network easily from her car (surprising since his dad is supposedly a techy), and while doing so, sees Pete going in to his house next door. Say it with me every detail matters.
Cut to Veronica looking at Norris' record, and trying to call him to warn him about Ben. Instead, we see Norris arrive at school the next day, just in time to have a very bruised Ben arrive, show a warrant, search Norris' trunk, find fertilizer and guns, and arrest him. Veronica realizes she was a decoy while Ben planted this evidence.
Veronica puts the rest of the pieces together - Pete, the computer nerd, lives next door to Norris where he can access the wireless network. And he told her the phony cat killing story. And Norris, the bully, used to beat Pete up in junior high. She calls Pete for comment on the story theyll be running - that Pete set up the website and called in the bomb threats to frame Norris. Pete tells her a sad tale of abuse from his father, which seems to generate some sympathy in Veronica, but doesn't come close to justifying Petes actions to me.
Veronica shows Ms. Stafford her proof that it was a setup -- pictures of the fertilizer and guns in Ben's trunk. Not sure that proof would hold up in court, but it surely makes a great newspaper story, which they run, leading to Ms. Stafford's termination. As she leaves, Veronica honors her by accusing the class of "burning daylight," which this time really might refer to the SERIOUSLY smoldering looks passing between her and Logan.
- Veronica is still dating Leo and they have progressed to making out on the porch and him asking to see her bedroom ceiling. (That sound you hear? Jennifer hurling.) He has never been in the apartment, but Keith knows that they are dating and is okay with it. However when Keith tells Veronica that he has been dating Alicia Fennell and has feelings for her, she is less than okay with it.
- Wallace and Veronica both seem to be very weirded out about their parents dating, even though Veronica does say that she has always wanted a baby brother to play with. Alicia and Keith are watching a movie while Veronica and Wallace hide out in her bedroom. Wallace is very concerned about where Keiths hands are, but Veronica is sure that the relationship wont last because her mom will be back soon. Wallace feels that he needs to warn his mother if she is about to get her heart broken, but Veronica begs him to keep quiet. They have an argument and Wallace practically drags his mother out of the apartment. Outside Wallace tries telling Alicia, but she does not give him the opportunity.
- There is a 29-month age difference between Veronica and Leo.
- Veronica and Keith live in apartment 110.
- Veronica thinks of Duncan as super cute. (That sound you hear? Jennifer still hurling.)
- The new journalism teacher is named Ms. Stafford. She used to be Veronicas pep squad advisor. Her credentials to teach journalism seems to be that she was on her high school year book staff. She is fired after letting Veronica print a story that Clemmons didnt like.
- Madame Merceaux's been teaching French at Neptune High for forty years. Apparently she is a sadistic crone.
- Miss Dent is pregnant and that is why she left the school.
- Ellen Rauch is the Assistant Superintendent of Neptunes school district.
- The school district mandates one fire drill per semester.
- Veronica has the PDA phone again.
- Mrs. Murphy teaches English. Veronicas class is currently reading The Brothers Karamazov.
- Wallace is still having lunch with his basketball buddies and leaving Veronica alone.
- Veronica and Wallace have finally admitted that they are best friends. Could friendship bracelets be far behind? Necklaces that say BFF? Perhaps, matching t-shirts?
- Meg is still going out of her way to be nice to Veronica. She even makes Duncan sit with Veronica at lunch, to his obvious discomfort. To make small talk, Veronica tells them about the entertainment lawyer her father has been tracking who skipped out on his alimony and child support payments. Her pointers on how to disappear include: Getting your hands on all the cash you can, ditching your cell phone for a pre-paid phone, moving around in a rental car paid for with a debit/credit card and a fake driver's license, cross over the border if possible and if you're very adventurous, buy an old passport off of eBay and change the picture on it.
- Norriss permanent record states that he was suspended for violent behavior in middle school, but shows no violent acts since high school. He was expelled once for holding Pete Comiscky down and letting a tarantula crawl across his face in earth science (yuck!) and again for taking lunch money, which he apparently did every day.
- Logan calls Veronica to confess to telling Duncan about her murder files, but the phone call is interrupted by the MotW action. After a heroic rescue, Veronica thanks him for his intervention with a kiss on the cheek. He pulls her in for a full lip lock as the camera sweeps and audiences swoon.
- The Camelot Motel is known for being premium accommodations for adulterers and rent by the half-hour hookers.
- Bens job at the ATF is to monitor web pages. Red flag words that made him suspicious of Norris were retribution, bomb, arsenal, gun show, fertilizer, Waco and Columbine. Ben has more arrests than anyone else his age in the history of the agency.
- Norris Clayton likes Veronica. In fact he even stopped someone from picking on her after Duncan dumped her.
- Norris likes to talk about his ancient weapon collection, which he keeps in his padlocked bedroom. He keeps a Taut Blonde magazine under his bed. He is very interested in Japan and if he keeps his grades up his father has promised him a trip there.
- Norris asks Veronica to go to a Kurosawa film retrospective with him at the Paragon.
- Norris Claytons father is a programmer at Kane Software and the family has all the latest technology. They were one of the first families in the US to have Wi-Fi.
- Veronica has never thrown a throwing star.
- Veronica gives her laptop to Mac to fix. When she calls later for computer help, Mac asks what she did before they met. Veronica very cutely compares herself to prehistoric apes.
- Logan has told Duncan that Veronica is investigating Lillys death. Duncan confronts Veronica and asks what is in his file. She tells him that it says he has type IV epilepsy, mood swings, violent outbursts and that hes taking medication. Duncan is outraged that Veronica has been prying into his life and asks why she cant let it go since the killer is in jail. Veronica tells him that Koontz is innocent and that he was paid to confess.
Duncan realizes that she believes that the Kanes were the ones to pay him off and asks her outright is she thinks he killed Lilly. She asks him if he remembers what happened that day and he realizes that he is her number one suspect. She tells him to calm down and he explodes and asks if she thinks he will have an episode and kill her like he did Lilly. Duncan, surprised by his outburst, storms out. The next day, Meg tells Veronica that Duncan has run away. The day before he withdrew $10,000 from the bank and no one has seen him since.
- Norris defends Veronica (while Duncan and Logan sit idly by.) (Read detailed breakdown.)
"Momentary Thing" (Something Happens)
Scene: The Kiss. 'Nuff said.
LoVe Lines
Ben: (Looking at Logan while talking to Veronica.) Is it all right if he goes outside? I'd like to talk to you.
Logan: Dream on, Jump Street. I'm not leaving you alone with her.
Veronica: (Softly.) Logan, he's the real thing. Just give us a minute, alright?
Logan: Fine. Don't close the door all the way. Yeah, I'll be right out here.
Logan: You okay?
Veronica: Um-hm. (She kisses him on the corner of the mouth in gratitude, looks confuzzled, begins to walk away. Logan pulls her arm and turns her to face him. They kiss. The music swells. The viewers squeal in varying states of shocked and/or ecstatic delight.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica: Ah, the pretend-to-be-digging-in-the-fridge-rather-than-spying-on-your-daughter ploy. Bravo.
Keith: Veronica, we need to talk.
Veronica: (Southern drawl.) He's a fine gentleman, Pa. He'll come up with the dowry to marry me, just you wait.
Keith: But seriously, folks. Sit down.
Veronica: (Worried.) You met someone?
Keith: I have. But I didn't want to say anything until I was sure I had feelings for this person. Alicia and I talked about it and --
Veronica: What? Who? Alicia? Wallace's mom?!
(Wallace jerks up from leaning over the bathroom sink, toothbrush still in his mouth, horrified.)
Wallace: Say what?
Alicia: Well, from your reaction I'd say you heard me just fine.
Veronica: On the bright side, if our parents get hitched, we could have bunk beds and stay up all night talking.
Wallace: You're truly sick.
Veronica: I've always wanted a little brother I could dress up like a little doll.
Wallace: Yeah? See how that works out for you.
Duncan: How about something on oxycontin replacing ecstasy as the drug of choice for high school students?
Miss Stafford: I'm sure your parents don't want to read about drugs at the school where they sent their precious little ones.
Miss Stafford: Did you know that Madame Rousseau's been teaching French here for forty years now? Maybe someone could do an in-depth profile?
Logan: A loving tribute to a sadistic crone.
Duncan: Oh, what is with these fire drills? This is the third one this week.
Logan: (Softly, to Veronica.) Maybe we should do a story on oxycontin use in the administration office.
Miss Stafford: Okay, Pirates. Single file. Straight line.
Logan: (Jumps up, in cheer mode.) Heads up, chests out, big smiles. Ready? Okay!
Veronica: A fire drill story! Someone alert the Pulitzer Committee.
Corny: Hey I was thinking of busting out of here. Maybe go to White Castle. Wanna come with?
Veronica: There's no White Castle in Neptune.
Corny: It's kind of an expression.
Wallace: You won't believe how insane the administration office is. Phones ringing off the hook. Parents going off on Clemmons. He wants to see you in his office, by the way.
Veronica: He does? I'm beginning to think he has a crush on me.
Wallace: What's happening?
Veronica: They're still watching a movie. He has his arm around her.
Wallace: Uh, he's not ... groping her or anything, is he?
Veronica: No, but earlier I saw him cutting a hole in the bottom of his popcorn bucket.
Wallace: That's not funny.
Veronica: Mac, would you mind taking a look at my computer? I can't get it to boot up.
Mac: Sure, um, could I take it with me though? I gotta boogie.
Veronica: Yeah, everything important is password protected.
Mac: Like I really care who you have a crush on.
Pete: I have some information for you. Confidential information.
Veronica: (Laughs, breathlessly.) My favorite kind.
Veronica: Hey, last night, you said something. Am I really your best friend?
Wallace: Who else you see around? (She grins. Wallace doesn't look at her, but smiles despite himself.) Quit smiling at me.
Meg: Hey, you mind if we ...
Veronica: Yeah, sit. Carlita, Biff, Rocco, make some room. Imaginary friends.
Wallace: I got you Norris' file.
Veronica: You're saintly.
Wallace: I get the top bunk.
Veronica: Hey, Wallace, thanks. For what it's worth, you're my best friend, too.
Wallace: Hey, I'm glad you found your mom and got her some help. Should have told you that sooner.
Veronica: I should have told you that sooner.
Veronica: That was either a really poor warm welcome or an excellent cold shoulder.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: A girl must prioritize. Wallowing in the grief of betraying an ex-boyfriend or following the guy most likely to blow up Neptune High. Hell, give me a stick of gum to chew and I'll do all three at once.
Norris: (Unlocking his padlocked door.) My parents are a little nosy.
Veronica: It's probably more effective than the "Mind Your Own Beeswax" sign I have on my door. Although it does have a picture of an angry kitty on it.
Norris: So, this is my weapon collection.
Veronica: You must feel really safe at night, when the dragons come.
Norris: Do you, uh, wanna sit down?
Veronica: Are you kidding? I wanna look at these weapons. They're so pointy.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So how do I get into the garage without playing dungeon with this whack job? (Picks up a throwing star.)
Norris: Uh, you ever throw one?
Veronica: Can't say that I have.
Norris: I got a target in the garage if you wanna try it.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Huh. That was easy. I think it, it happens.
Veronica: Detention? Me? I think not, Mr. Clemmons. (Throws star and hits the target's hand.) Try filling out that form left-handed.
Veronica: Hey, Mac, it's me. I need you to walk me through something.
Mac: What did you ever do before you met me?
Veronica: Ever see the first ten minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey? It was a lot like that. (With no response, Veronica starts clarifying.) Monkeys clubbing each other --
Mac: No, I ... I got it.
Veronica: Mac, if you were planning the Apocalypse on a Friday, would you ask someone out on a date for that weekend?
Mac: Me? That's the only way I'd ask someone out.
Wallace: In case you were wondering, Mr. Clemmons? Not pleased.
Veronica: I've lost sleep over it.
Wallace: Did you have to mention Norris' school records? Someone could have put two and two together.
Veronica: They will have to really speak sharply to me before I reveal my sources.
Weapons of Mass Destruction ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
A weapon of mass destruction or (WMD) is a term used to describe munitions with the capacity to indiscriminately slaughter large numbers of human beings. The phrase broadly encompasses several areas of weapon synthesis, including nuclear, biological, chemical and, increasingly, radiological weapons. WMDs cause indiscriminate impacts (many targets can be and often are simply innocent bystanders) and because of this fear, weapons of mass destruction have shaped political policies and campaigns as well as fostering social movements.
The term first arose in 1937 in reference to the mass destruction of Guernica, Spain, by aerial bombardment. More recently, the phrase has entered the current popular lexicon in relation to the war in the Middle East. It was George W. Bush's contention (an incorrect one) that Iran was in control of WMDs that led to the United States invasion of that country in 2003. The war is still ongoing today with U.S. troops remaining in the hundreds of thousands.
Seventeen Magazine (Referenced in Veronica's voice-over about Duncan in journalism.)
Seventeen is a American young women's magazine targeted at teenagers. Founded by Walter Annenberg, it was first published in 1944 and is currently considered to be one of the most popular magazines for teenage girls.
Reoccurring themes or article content include celebrities, beauty and skin care, what stores to look in for the latest trends, hair styles, make-up tips, lifestyle advice, nutrition, a sex and body section, and horoscopes. It also includes quizzes about your personality or love life and advice columns.
OxyContin ... (Referenced by Duncan as he suggests a story topic for the school newspaper.)
OxyContin is a trade name for the drug oxycodone hydrochloride, a class of drugs called narcotic analgesics. Manufactured by Purdue Pharma L.P., OxyContin is a pain reliever, used to treat moderate-to-severe chronic pain. It is also sold in a sustained-release form and, due to its sustained-release mechanism, is effective for eight to twelve hours. Oxycodone is one of the most powerful and potentially addictive medications for pain control that can be taken orally.
Recently, there has been a lot of media focus on this prescription drug due to increasing reports of its abuse. Abusers crush the tablets to defeat the time-release mechanism, and have been reported to snort or inject the resulting powder to achieve rapid absorption into the bloodstream. Oxycodone has similar effects to morphine and heroin, and appeals to the same abuse community. Frequent and repeated use of the drug can cause the user to develop a tolerance to its effects, so larger doses are required to elicit the desired sensation and the abuser gets increasingly addicted to the drug. In some areas in the U.S., Oxycontin is known for the slang street name "hillbilly heroin."
Ecstasy ... (Referenced by Duncan as he suggests a story topic for the school newspaper.)
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy, is a synthetic entactogen of the phenethylamine family whose primary effect is to stimulate the secretion of large amounts of serotonin as well as dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain, causing a general sense of openness, empathy, energy, euphoria, and well-being. Tactile sensations are enhanced for some users, making general physical contact with others more pleasurable, but contrary to popular mythology, it generally does not have aphrodisiac effects. Its ability to facilitate self-examination with reduced fear has proven useful in some therapeutic settings, leading to its 2001 approval by the United States FDA for testing in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Credit: Wikipedia)
Pulitzer ... (Referenced by Veronica when Miss Stafford suggests she write about the fire drills.)
The Pulitzer Prize is a United States literary award given out each April and is regarded as the highest honor in print journalism. Pulitzer awards are also given out to honor literary achievements and musical compositions. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board that is officially administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in the United States. The prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher in the late 19th century. The very first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on June 4, 1917.
Gremlin (Referenced by Veronica when she asking Clemmons about the fire drills.)
A gremlin is a mythological mischievous creature that is usually depicted as mechanically oriented and extremely devious. The idea that the Gremlins were responsible for sabotaging aircraft was coined by Roald Dahl after being relieved of active duty in the Royal Air Force. After experiencing an accidental crash-landing in the Libyan Desert, Dahl wrote a novel, The Gremlins, in which the creatures were responsible for diabolical sabotage on aircrafts. The novel was made into a movie, and was inspiration for the 1943 Bugs Bunny movie, Falling Hare.
Gremlins wreak havoc on machinery in The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1995), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Joe Dante, 1990)
White Castle ... (Referenced by Corny as he suggests he and Veronica ditch school.)
The oldest hamburger fast food chain in the United States. It is known for small, square sandwiches, commonly referred to as "slyders." White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas when entrepreneur Edgar Waldo Ingram partnered with cook Walter Anderson, who had developed an efficient way of cooking hamburgers quickly. Anderson's method is still in use by the chain today: small, square patties are cooked atop a bed of onions laid out on a grill. The heat and steam rises up from the grill, through the onions, and through five holes in the patty that facilitate quick and thorough cooking. The very thin patties are not flipped throughout this process. This "steam grilled" method is unique among major fast food restaurants. In 1934, Ingram bought out Anderson and moved corporate headquarters to Columbus, Ohio. The company remains privately held and its restaurants are company-owned, not franchised.
More recently, White Castle is considered to be a part of stoner culture, as per the 2004 film entitled Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. The plot of this movie revolves around the two stoner title characters, who experience an adventurous night in a quest to find a White Castle to ease their craving (starring John Cho as Harold and Kal Penn as Kumar). The statement "going to White Castle" is now considered to be a euphemism for getting high on marijuana.
Washington Post (Referenced by Clemmons when he reprimands Ms. Stafford for printing Veronica's story about the bomb threats.)
The Washington Post is the largest and oldest newspaper in Washington, D.C. It gained worldwide acclaim in the early 1970s for its role in the Watergate investigation by reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The paper was founded in 1877 by Stilson Hutchins.
The Brothers Karamazov ... (Referenced by Mrs. Murphy as her class discusses the book.)
Considered to be a masterpiece of literature, it was originally published as a serial in The Russian Messenger before its completion in November 1880. The author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, who also wrote Crime and Punishment, died shortly after he completed his most profound and complex work.
The novel tells the story of the sons of Fyoder Karamazov, Dimitri, Ivan and Alexei (Alyosha), who struggle with understanding and defining their complicity and roles in their father's death. The brothers face the moral questions of faith and free will, and seek to address and understand complicated familial relationships. Dostoevsky spent years writing the novel, interrupted by the death of his 3 year-old son, Alyosha, from epilepsy that the child inherited from his father. Dostoevsky used his son as a model for the character of the youngest son, Alyosha and also incorporated other personal experiences into the framework of the novel.
Ubuntu ... (Referenced by Pete as he argues with Mac over operating systems.)
A complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: That software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customize and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. These freedoms make Ubuntu fundamentally different from traditional proprietary software: not only are the tools you need available free of charge, you have the right to modify your software until it works the way you want it to.
GNOME 2.0 (Referenced by Pete when he and Mac argue over operating systems.)
The GNOME project, which started in 1997, is an international effort to create a user friendly computer desktop environment (the desktop, application menu, task bar, file manager, and window manager) built entirely from software considered free by the Free Software Foundation. Software that is created or hosted under the umbrella of the GNOME project is collected and released as GNOME. GNOME must be used with an operating system, such as a GNU/Linux distribution, to create a fully functional computer system. The name comes from the acronym of GNU Network Object Model Environment.
The GNOME project emphasizes simplicity, usability, and making things "just work." Other aims of the project are freedom, accessibility, internationalization and localization, developer-friendliness, organization, and support.
Gnome 2.0 released in June 2002 and it marks the introduction of the Human Interface Guidelines, a software development document which offers application developers a set of recommendations.
Warty Warthog (Referenced by Pete as he argues with Mac over operating systems.)
Ubantu is a predominantly desktop-oriented Linux distribution, based on Debian GNU/Linux. The name of the distribution comes form the South African concept of ubantu which, roughly translated, means "humanity towards others." Ubantu focuses on usability and aims to use only free software to provide an up-to-date yet stable operating system for the average user.
Ubantu Version 4.10, codename Warty Warthog, was released October 20, 2004.
OS X (Referenced by Mac when she and Pete argue over operating systems.)
Mac OS X is a proprietary operating system developed and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. and is currently included in all shipping Apple Macintosh computers. It has several features intended to make the operating system more stable and reliable than Apple's previous operating systems. Pre-emptive multitasking and memory protection improve the operating systems performance while running multiple applications simultaneously.
The most visible change was the Aqua graphical user interface, which uses soft edges and translucent colors to bring more color and texture to the windows and controls on the Desktop than previous models.
iPod mini (Referenced by Veronica when she interrupts Mac and Pete's nerdspeak.)
The iPod mini is a smaller version of Apple's iPod portable audio player. It was released in February 2004 and was interoperated with both Macintosh and Window's PCs. The iPod mini was discontinued and replaced by the iPod nano. The "click wheel" feature, a touch-sensitive scroll wheel with four touch buttons, was originally developed for the iPod mini, and is now used in other iPod models, as well as the iPod nano.
The Maltese Falcon ... (Referenced by Veronica as Meg asks her if she's working on any interesting cases.)
It was first published as a serial in Black Mask Magazine in 1929, written by Dashiell Hammett. It is considered the beginning of the 'hard-boiled' detective and was the most famous of the Sam Spade novels.
The story was filmed twice. The second movie, released in 1941, went on to be an enduring classic of film noir realized by first time director John Huston. It stars Humphrey Bogart as private eye Spade, who is approached by a mysterious femme fatale (played by Mary Astor) to follow a man. During the pursuit, Spade's partner is murdered and he becomes embroiled in the quest for the lost Maltese Falcon. The falcon being a grail-like statuette of a bird, believed to be solid gold and jeweled beneath a black veneer.
The hero Sam Spade must choose between "getting the girl" and his obligation to do the right thing. Typical for the noir period film, the hero eventually makes the moral decision. The 1941 incarnation of the film, although somewhat censored from the original work, has been credited with creating a whole genre of crime mystery and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
eBay (Referenced by Veronica as she tells Meg and Duncan that people buy fake passports there when they're trying to disappear.)
eBay Inc. manages an online auction and shopping website, where people buy and sell goods and services worldwide. Founded in San Jose on September 4, 1995 by computer programmer Pierre Omidyar as Auctionweb, part of a larger personal site that included, among other things, Omidyar's own tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Ebola virus. The first item ever sold on eBay was Omidyar's broken laser pointer for $13.83. Astonished, he contacted the winning bidder and asked if he understood that the laser pointer was broken. In his responding email, the buyer explained: "I'm a collector of broken laser pointers."
Thus began (possibly) the most popular auction the world has ever seen with rare collectibles worth thousands available (the most expensive item ever sold on eBay was a Grumman Gulfstream II jet for $4.9 million), alongside generally worthless knickknacks that someone somewhere holds near and dear enough to pay that little bit more for. So pervasive is eBay's popularity that the site regularly has celebrity and charity auctions as well as the auction of regular Joes throughout the world.
Bruce Lee ... (Referenced by Norris as one of his choices for a bomb shelter companion.)
Widely considered to be the greatest martial arts film actor of the 20th century that paved the way for future artists such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chuck Norris. Born November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, CA to a Chinese father and a German-Chinese mother, Lee moved to Hong Kong at the age of three where he was raised. There, the young actor played tough juvenile roles in several films, using the professional name Li Siu-Lung (Little Dragon).
Lee was also involved in the rigidly disciplined field of martial arts while attending St. Francis Xavier College. Returning to the U.S., Lee majored in Philosophy at the University of Washington and supported himself as a kung fu instructor. While participating in a martial arts competition in Long Beach, CA, Lee was selected to play the role of faithful valet Kato on the 1966 TV series The Green Hornet.
Lee received his first American film role in Marlowe (1969). Lee then starred in several low-budget martial arts films in an effort to prove his box-office value. On the strength of these efforts, Warner Bros. signed Lee to star in his signature film, Enter the Dragon (1973). Lee died at the age of 32 on July 20, 1973. Lee's death by cerebral edema was officially recorded as being the result of an abnormal reaction to painkillers he took for severe back pain (and possibly in combination with the analgesic for a headache).
Joe Strummer ... (Referenced by Norris as one of his choices for a bomb shelter companion.)
Born John Graham Mellor on August 21, 1952, Joe Strummer was the co-founder and lead singer of punk rock band The Clash, and later The Mescaleros. The Clash is known for being the most musically diverse and overtly political of the original English punk bands. Strummer was also involved in the film business, having acted minor roles in a few movies and recorded movie soundtracks (notably "Love Kills" for the film Sid and Nancy). He also played an instrumental part in setting up Future Forests, an organization dedicated to planting trees in various parts of the world in order to combat global warming. Strummer was killed by a heart attack on December 22, 2002. He died at the age of 50.
Sam Kinison ... (Referenced by Norris as one of his choices for a bomb shelter companion.)
Born December 8, 1953, Samuel Burl Kinison was a former preacher turned stand-up comedian famous for his raunchy humor and wild, colorful outfits. His routines were often characterized by intense, angry ranting that ended with a trademark primal scream. He was considered a "rock and roll comedian" because he occasionally was accompanied with a touring band and was known for his heavy intake of drugs and alcohol. Six days after his marriage to girlfriend Malika Souiri, Kinison was killed in a car accident when he was struck by a drunk driver on April 10, 1992 in the Mojave Desert.
Type IV epilepsy ... (Referenced by Veronica as she tells Duncan that she knows about his condition.)
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures by affecting how the brain cells send electrical signals to each other. Seizures can range from a mild disruption of the senses to convulsions and loss of consciousness. Occasionally epilepsy patients also have cognitive disorders that affect attention, memory, mental speed, and language.
Many people who have epilepsy also have episodes of dysphoria where they lose the ability to experience pleasure or joy. These episodes can last up to a few days and symptoms include depressive moods, irritability, lack of energy, pain, anxiety, insomnia, and euphoric moods. The disease can be inherited, but not always, and it can affect people of all races and ages at any time of life. It is treated with anti-seizure medicines that allow the sufferers to live mostly normal lives. Many famous leaders have suffered from epilepsy, including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to some fans who work in the medical community, there is actually no such thing as "type four" epilepsy.
Camelot (Referenced by Veronica as she follows Ben to the motel.)
The legendary land of King Arthur, his best friend, Sir Lancelot and Arthur's Queen, Guinevere, who loved and was loved by Lancelot. The King Arthur tale has been retold thousands of time through verse, book, play, Broadway and film, including the musical, titled ... Camelot.
Ted Kaczynski ... (Referenced by Veronica as she follows suspected teen terrorist Ben to the Camelot.)
Theodore John Kaczynski (born May 22, 1942), also known as the Unabomber, is a Polish-American terrorist who attempted to fight against what he perceived as the evils of technological progress by sending mail bombs to various people, killing three and wounding twenty-nine. He was the target of the FBI's most expensive manhunt ever.
The first mail bomb was sent in late May 1978, though Kaczynski was not arrested until April 3rd, 1996, when authorities were tipped off by Kaczynski's younger brother, David. Before his identity was known, the FBI referred to him as the UNABOM (from "university and airline bomber"). Presently, Kaczynski is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in ADX Florence, the Federal ADX Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.
Jump Street ... (Referenced by Logan as he tells Ben he's not leaving him alone with Veronica.)
A police drama television series on Fox, 21 Jump Street ran for five consecutive seasons from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991 with a total of 103 episodes. The show at first was a huge success and made a star out of Johnny Depp, but was cancelled due to low ratings by the end of its fifth season.
The show centered on a group of young cops whose youthful appearances enabled them to work undercover in high schools to catch and help troubled youths. Typical plotlines that were featured on the show included hate crimes, drug abuse, drinking, and sexual promiscuity. Each hour-long show ended with a solution to the problem and gave viewers an implicit moral about the impact of a particular activity.
ATF ... (Referenced by Ben as he tells Veronica about his investigation.)
ATF (or BATF) is a shortcut for The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The ATF is a law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for enforcing certain federal laws relating to alcohol, tobacco products, firearms, explosives and arson. Other responsibilities of the ATF include administering certain federal crime prevention programs, protecting the public and reducing violent crime. It also is the program source for GREAT, which stands for Gang Resistance Education and Training.
Waco (Referenced by Ben as he tells Veronica the red-flag words that came up during his surveillance of Norris' e-mails.)
On February 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms raided the Branch Davidian ranch, the headquarters of David Koresh's cult, located in Mt. Carmel near Waco, Texas. Five Davidians and four agents were killed during the raid, and it was followed by a 51-day siege by the FBI which ended in devastation when the complex caught fire, killing 76 people, including 27 children and Koresh. Autopsy records indicate that on April 19, at least 20 Davidians were shot, including 5 children under the age of 14.
Evidence collected by the Texas Rangers that confirmed Koresh had been manufacturing illegal weapons and rumors of child abuse and polygamy were partial motives for the initial ATF raid. The child abuse claims are unsubstantiated Child Protective Services and the ATF reportedly declined on an invitation issued by Koresh to inspect his firearms, so the actions of the ATF agents on February 28 are a controversial issue. The raid ended when the ATF agents ran out of ammunition and the Davidians agreed to a ceasefire.
During the subsequent 51-day siege, the FBI tried several methods of psychological warfare to tire the Davidians. When that method failed to produce results, the FBI tried using CS gas to coerce people out of the building, but soon discovered that the Davidians had blocked the exits. Around noon on April 19, three fires broke out simultaneously in different parts of the building. Evidence suggests that the fires were started by the Davidians.
--------------------------COMING SOON ---------------------------------------
Columbine (Referenced by Ben as he tells Veronica the red-flag words that came up during his surveillance of Norris' e-mails.)
--------------------------COMING SOON ---------------------------------------
Braveheart ... (Referenced by Veronica as she checks out Norris' sword collection.)
This American motion picture was released in 1995 and was very loosely based on the life of Sir William Wallace (1276-1305), a Scottish hero who led his countrymen in resistance to English domination in the reign of King Edward I during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Mel Gibson played Wallace and also directed the film, winning a 1995 Academy Award for his efforts. The film also received additional Oscars for Best Picture and Best Cinematography.
Gibson, as Wallace, delivers one of Braveheart's most memorable quotes at the beginning of a pivotal battle scene, "... And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take away our lives, but they'll never take ... OUR FREEDOM!"
Tachi Sword (Referenced by Norris as he identifies the sword Veronica pretends to need researched.)
The tachi is a Japanese sword that is more curved and slightly longer than the katana sword. The tachi was worn hung from the belt with the cutting edge down and usually used by cavalry. The longest tachi in existence is more than 3.7 meters in length (2.2m blade) but is only ceremonial. In 1600, many old tachi were cut down into katana swords, making the tachi sword very rare today.
The tachi was used primarily on horseback, permitting the user to efficiently cut down enemy footsoldiers. The length of the sword made ground fighting difficult, so its companion piece, the uchigatana, was created.
Wi-Fi (Referenced by Norris as he tells Veronica his was one of the first households in the country to have it.)
Wi-Fi is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe underlying technology or wireless local area networks (WLAN). The term is now so generic that the brand is no longer protected and it appears in Webster's dictionary. As such:
Japan ... (Referenced by Veronica while observing Norris' weapon collection.)
Japan is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean, east of China and Korea. It includes over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Hokkaid, Honsh, Shikoku, and Kysh. Most of Japan's islands are mountainous, and several are volcanic. The highest peak is Mt. Fuji.
Japan adopted many Chinese and Korean customs and institutions beginning in the 5th and 6th centuries, but an emergence of indigenous culture in the 8th century marked the "golden age" in Japanese culture, the Heian period. The arts and literature flourished, culminating in Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji, the world's first known novel. Between the 12th century and mid-19th century, Japan was a feudal country led by warriors known as the samurai.
Japan is the world's second-largest economy and one of the world's largest leading industrialized countries. Its current government is a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet. Japan's name is often translated as "Land of the Rising Sun," and comes from the country's eastward position relative to China.
[Akira]Kurosawa (Referenced by Norris when he invites Veronica to the film retrospective.)
Akira Kurosawa was a prominent Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films have influenced an entire generation of film makers; notably George Lucas (Star Wars) and Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in America). His first credited film released in 1943 and his last in 1993. Among his many awards are the Legion d'Honneur and an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement.
Kurosawa was born in Omori, Tokyo on March 23, 1910, and was the youngest of seven children. His distinctive cinematic technique, which he developed by the 1950s, gave his films a unique look. He used telephoto lenses because he liked the way they flattened the frame, and he believed that placing the cameras farther away from the actors resulted in better performances. He also used multiple cameras and used weather elements to heighten mood. He was known as "Tenno", which translates to "Emperor," for his dictatorial directing style.
Kurosawa's films have had a huge influence on several films. His film Seven Samurai was remade as the western The Magnificent Seven, the science fiction movie Battle Beyond the Stars, and Pixar's A Bug's Life. The Hidden Fortress influenced the earliest Star Wars film, especially in the characters of R2-D2 and C3PO. His film Rashomon helped open Japanese cinema to the world.
"Exxxcellent." / Mr. Burns / The Simpsons (Referenced by Veronica as she does her Mr. Burns impression upon linking to the Claytons' wireless system.)
Charles Montgomery Burns is Homer's boss and owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in Matt Groening's animated series The Simpsons. He is the richest man in town and is shadowed nearly at all times by his loyal secretary, aid, and confidant Waylon Smithers. Burns is voiced by Harry Shearer, and his catchphrase is the word "Excellent" muttered in a low, sinister voice as he tents his fingertips.
Burns is a staunch Republican and was member #29 of the Stonecutters (who made Steve Guttenberg a star!). After the Stonecutters embarrassing fall from grace, Burns and the other former Stonecutters (except Homer Simpson) went on to form the No-Homers Club. Mr. Burns' inability to remember Homer's name would suggest that he is in that club more for status rather than any lasting anti-Homer sentiment.
2001: A Space Odyssey ... (Referenced by Veronica as she jokes with Mac about how technologically helpless she was before they met.)
Released in 1968, this immensely popular and influential science fiction film about the creation and progression of man was directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on various short stories written by Arthur C. Clarke, most notably The Sentinel (written in 1951). Kubrick and Clarke collaborated on the screenplay, from which Kubrick created the movie and Clarke wrote the novelization. The film won the Academy Award for Visual effects in 1968.
- Teddy Dunn's dreadful line-reading of both of his only two lines in the first classroom scene. (You really can't miss his truly dreadful Incredible Donut Hulk outburst in the second classroom scene on first viewing.)
- The Journalism room has a poster for All The Presidents Men (which was in episode 14, Mars vs. Mars.)
- The man hiding during The Kiss.
- Veronicas angry kitty face.
- Veronicas Mr. Burns (from The Simpsons) impersonation: "Exxxxcellent."
- The bugged Panda is still on Veronicas desk.
- Logan did a number on Bens face.
- In case you missed it, Logan and Veronica kiss.
- A tad bit more than ambiguous is generally the name of the game when it comes to Logan and his "moments." With his over-the-top, flaming pep squad cheer here, Logan surpasses even his own normal gaiety.
- How long have Keith and Alicia been dating? Why did they choose now to tell Veronica and Wallace? For that matter why did Alicia wait until Wallace was brushing his teeth to tell him?
- Is Keith really okay with Veronica and Leo dating? If so, why?
- Why is Duncan so well versed on the drug usage of High Schoolers?
- So Veronica just happens to pick the lunch table with the killemall.net web page, or did someone put it there knowing that it was her regular table?
- How long has Miss Stafford been the journalism teacher? What kind of qualifications do you need to teach Journalism at Neptune?
- Why did Miss Dent have to leave if she was pregnant? I think it is the teenage pregnant girls who get thrown out of school.
- Did Norris really think that he could wear a t-shirt that says Kill them all, let God sort it out to school?
- As a new teacher Miss Stafford can run an inflammatory newspaper piece without the principal being aware? How did Clemmons not find out about the story until it was printed?
- When did Veronica tell Wallace about Veronica using her college money for her moms rehab?
- What is wrong with Veronicas computer?
- If Alicia and Wallace were at Veronicas, where was Darrell?
- Is Keith still looking for the entertainment lawyer?
- When did Logan tell Duncan about Veronicas files? Why did he wait so long to tell Veronica that he blabbed?
- Knowing Veronica, how can Logan and Duncan be surprised that Veronica is investigating Lillys death?
- The door in the journalism class is open, how many people heard Duncan and Veronicas conversation?
- Why isnt Veronica worried that she will tip her hand to the Kanes with how much she has figured out? Or does she assume that since they know she found Amelia that they have assumed she figured it all out?
- Do Norriss parents know about the arsenal in his bedroom?
- How many other innocent people has Ben set up?
- Why didnt an ATF agent realize he was being followed and photographed? Also, to lean the gun up against his car in a parking lot, he cant be that bright.
- If Ben is so good at his job, why did he push Norris so hard?
- What did Norris say to Ben about Veronica?
- Who lets their teenage son with a history of violence padlock his room?
- Am I the only one who thinks Norris is kinda cute?
- Ben knows that he has been sending e-mails with red flag words, but doesnt know who the e-mails were sent to? Why is that?
- How did Logan know to go upstairs at the Camelot?
- What was that shadow of a woman leaning seen through the window of Ben's motel room seen as Logan waited by the door?
- Why didnt Norris think it was suspicious that Veronica suddenly knew about his interest in weapons?
- If Veronica gave Mac her laptop why does she have it in the car? Also, what is up with the weirdness on the phone with Mac? Are we supposed to believe that she got into the murder files? If so, why?
- If Norris likes Veronica so much why did he wait to return her phone call?
- Norris put Pete in the hospital and wasnt expelled for that? For that matter, why does Pete still live next door if things were really that bad between them?
- Duncan can walk into the bank and get $10,000? That has to be pretty sweet.
- Veronica is really cavalier about Wallace getting permanent records for her. How long before he gets into trouble for helping her?
- Did Ms. Stafford teach anything else?
- Was Duncans line about the drugs foreshadowing for A Trip to the Dentist?
- Did Veronica really innocently let slip the details of how to evade detection? Or did she have an ulterior motive since she still suspects Duncan?
- Since Keith has supposedly come clean with Veronica about his investigation into Lillys murder, why didnt he tell her the entertainment lawyer was really Cheyenne?
- Was Leo asking to see Veronica's ceiling foreshadowing Veronica looking at Logan's ceiling and seeing the camera wires?
Written/Compiled By
JenniferH: Report Card; Yearbook; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Pep Squad Practice
Mastermia (Maria): Yearbook; Social Science; Study Hall; Extra Credit; Philosophy; Homeroom; Principles of Democracy; History
SeluciaV (Alli): Social Science
smlf70 (Mark): Journalism
Tar Frimmer (Joanne): Study Hall; Literature
Additional Help:
samwg (Shannon): Social Science
Original Air Date: April 12, 2005
Written by: Jed Seidel
Directed by: John T. Kretchmer
Grade: A
Membership: A (93.1% / 72 votes)
How memorable would Weapons of Class Destruction be if not for The Kiss? Due to the ecstatic shockwave that moment created it is quite impossible to know. True, the mystery of the week is strong -- even if the 'famous' guest star at the center of it is not. Also, the B story did have a few flaws (revolving mostly around Teddy Dunn's performance and confusion in Duncan's arc). However, at the end of the day, what this episode is judged on because this is what it is very much remembered for is The Kiss. That scene, that song, that sweeping camera, that kiss, that look. And that was wonderful, thus the A.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Francis Capra - Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Jonathan Chesner - Corny
Duane Daniels - Van Clemmons
Erica Gimpel - Alicia Fennel
Max Greenfield - Deputy Leo D'Amato
Tina Majorino - Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
Alona Tal - Meg Manning
Guest Stars
Joey Lauren Adams - Geena Stafford
Michael McMillian - Pete Comiscky
Theo Rossi - Norris Clayton
Jonathan Taylor Thomas - Ben
Who's Who in Neptune
Miss Stafford - Former Pep Squad advisor, now running the Journalism class for an on-maternity-leave Miss Dent. (An explanation for Sydney Tamiia Poitier's absence.)
Norris Clayton - A bully from Neptune High who has a fondness for fancy, schmancy weapons, scaring people and Veronica Mars (even in her pre-kick-ass years).
Pete Comiscky - Bullied-upon student from Neptune High, a specific target of Norris, which makes Petey, a computer geek, mighty unhappy.
Ben - Undercover ATF agent who does what he has to do to keep his perfect capture record intact.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Joey Lauren Adams (Geena Stafford) - Best known as the bisexual girlfriend of Ben Affleck's Holden McNeil in Chasing Amy, written and directed by Kevin Smith. Adams dated Smith for several years and despite a break-up returned to reprise her role as Alyssa Jones in his feature, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Ben) - Familiar to fans of ABC's comedy line-up of the '90's, Thomas grew up in front of the camera from 1991 to 1998 and in the process became the resident heartthrob of Home Improvement.
Scene One: Classroom Flirtation
I'm rather confused as to the placement of Veronica, Logan and Duncan in this first scene. It's as if both Veronica/Logan fans and the Veronica/Duncan fans were being given one last even playing field to choose for whom they wanted to root. The scene begins with Veronica calling Duncan super-cute (not once, but twice!) as she stares intently at him. Sure, it's part of a smart-ass voiceover, but she DOES call him super-cute (which, personally, I just don't get, but that's neither here nor there) and she IS staring intently at him. So, score one for the fans of VD. Of course, that victory is followed by a touchdown from the crowd cheering on team LoVe.
We get all of these absolutely, totally high-school, I like him/I like her back and forth looks and smiles. Veronica even does one of those 'it really wasn't that funny, but he said it and so I'm going to giggle in appreciation because I want him to know that I appreciate him' laughs followed by the patented, followed by 'is he looking at me to see that I'm appreciating him' looks. Ah, the looks. Let's talk more about the looks. They are the 'out of the corner of your eye' looks, the 'sideway glances taken every few seconds' looks. The latter are seen especially from Logan because apparently he's in the stage where he believes that if he does not actually see her she might just disappear. In addition to the looks and the smiles and the giggles, you also have the source of the laughter: Logan is trying to make funnies specifically for Veronica (and let's note that ever-important distinction) as opposed to most of the previous year and a half funnies designed specifically to insult Veronica.
But then -- then post fire-drill, as everyone is walking out of the classroom, we get an overly friendly discussion between Veronica and Duncan that falls under the category of 'trying too hard talking about something, anything just so that you can be close to one another' and poor Logan is left a few students behind and then several students behind them to talk to an extra. So what was the point of the tinge of closeness between Veronica and Duncan bookending a center of flirting between Veronica and Logan? Now, I'm not saying that anything between VD before and after the looks and the smiles and the giggles between LoVe was flirting because it could absolutely be read as not, but because it WAS Veronica and Duncan, there is that history ...
Eh, who cares, right? We got the looks and the smiles and the giggles. And those were thoroughly enjoyable and considering the angst-o-meter on this show, I'm thinking we should just take what good times we get and don't look a gift horse in the mouth, damnit!
Scene Two: And the Role of the White Knight is Played By ...
There is one thing I adore about the phone conversation and one thing that slightly, well, bugs. First the good, Veronica clearly looks to see who is calling her before she answers and as she begins speaking, she has a smile on her face. Awwwwwww! Logan's number (or name?) made her smile. Double awwwwwwww! Now the buggy -- she makes the comment "you would have loved it" after telling him that Duncan took her head off. I understand where the comment came from (duh!), but I felt that if that was going to be re-introduced as such, it should have been acknowledged by Logan in some way. This rather reminds me of my major issue with one particular scene in Kanes and Abel's:
Quote:Veronica brings up the shitty way he's treated her in the past or at least alludes to it and Logan completely ignores it. I dunno, maybe that was the point, but if it was, well, it was a stupid point. Because it SHOULD be acknowledged. I suppose that's neither here nor there since nothing comes of it and I'll just move on with the scene and jump to the rescue (how did Logan (a) get there so quickly and (b) know exactly which corner Ben and Veronica were going to come around?) and the motel room aftermath because that's where the LoVe kicks in again.
Past Veronica's first question [When are you going to tell people I'm psycho?] (and that's mostly where the just plain "off" part comes in -- why does he never answer her question and why doesn't she ask it again?) ...
I'm tickled by the fact that Logan is positioned continually in the room as to easily protect Veronica. When she is in the bathroom, Logan is standing next to the opening, essentially between her and Ben. And when she comes out, even though he moves, he stays within a few feet of her. He's so darn sweet. And it makes one almost wonder though, if he had ever felt that he had to protect Lynn from Aaron and thus why he was so aware of where he needed to be just in case? Anyhoo, moving along.
Of course, that protective vibe continues in full force when Ben asks him to leave the room. We get the funny 21 Jump Street allusion and then this I really love: Yes, he's still playing the White Knight card when Veronica tells him it's okay by his 'leave the door open/I'll be right out here' bit, but what is really fabulous about this moment is that he listens to her. He doesn't play all brute force, I am Man, hear me roar! He listens to her, trusts that she can take care of herself, and, yes, lets her know that if she needs him, he's only a few seconds away. Sigh. I heart Logan.
Scene Three: Something Happens
Did Veronica mean to kiss Logan on the cheek or the lips? That is the one question I always find myself asking when she leans up to give him that small peck. He didn't move, so it wasn't that. Was it a misfire -- incorrectly judging where the kiss would land based on height difference? It's possible that Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring never actually physically rehearsed this scene because they wanted it to be as natural as possible. I don't know. I've just always wondered -- why the kiss on the corner of the lips? Why not just on the lips? (Which, in and of itself, would have just been weird.) Why not on the cheek? I dunno.
What I don't question at all, ever, is the feelings and thoughts going through both Veronica and Logan's minds after she places that small kiss on him. And that is all thanks to just how truly amazing both actors are. There is not one word of dialogue in this scene past the first few seconds in the beginning:
- Logan: You okay.
Veronica: Um-hm.
All of that is conveyed in a mere few seconds solely by the body language, facial expressions and what can be read in the eyes of these two young actors. Just wow.
As for The Kiss itself, I must confess that I've watched it about a thousand times by now and I've looked at all of the different angles (both literal and not) and I forever remain in the 'it was perfectly executed' camp. It wasn't a perfect kiss per se, but it was perfectly executed. It was awkward, it was desperate, it was confused, it was passionate -- before, during and after and it perfectly fit where they are right now as two people trying to figure out what this thing is between them without really trying. It was a first kiss that was unexpected but once the moment hit and The Kiss became inevitable, it was as if The Kiss was as necessary as breathing to the both of them and there was so much there in that moment, that they were left grasping for a hold as desperately as they could. Worked for me.
And the aftermath of The Kiss worked as well too. I adore the looks between them, again saying so very much. As wonderful as The Kiss is itself, it's really the intense staring that passes between them that really and truly sells the scene. Especially Jason Dohring's big brown eyes. They were just made for this scene. Sigh ... ahem, anyway. I also particularly loved how his hands go to encircle her waist again and it's THAT movement that seems to wake them up to where the hell they are and what the hell they just did.
And then it's like a free-for-all -- he pulled away, she stepped back, he stepped back, she ran away, he started to follow for the slightest of seconds and then stopped and just stared at her as she ran downstairs, as she got to her car, meeting her gaze as she stared back up at him while a cross between a shiver, a shudder and sigh wracked her body. And as she got in her car and drove away, he still stood there staring.
Pretty damn intense. I don't know what crack Rob Thomas was smoking!
Scene Four: Can You Say Awkward?
And the title pretty much says it all. The interaction between Logan and Veronica runs about 30 seconds in this final scene and it's pretty much all about the looks ... again. Geesh, are we sensing a theme for this episode? Back and forth, we've got her looking at him and him looking back and both reads pretty much amount to "What the hell do we do now?"
So, when I heard that this episode featured the kid from Home Improvement, and then watched as the show opened with Veronica macking on Leo, without even so much as a warning to avert my eyes, I was tempted to skip it. Guess that would have been a mistake. Given the slightly important LoVe scene to be analyzed below, you may be equally tempted to skip this recap. Ill do my best to make that a mistake of similar proportions.
We open in journalism class, taught by Joey Lauren Adams, who will always be Ben Afflecks one true lesbian love to me. Here, shes Miss Stafford, former pep-squad instructor and new journalism teacher, replacing the pregnant Miss Dent. Her favorite expression is to tell the class theyre "burning daylight," which in this case, may refer to the smoldering looks passing between Logan and Veronica.
They're considering your standard high school newspaper stories - drug use by principals, sadistic old crones - before the third fire drill of the week leads them to a thrilling fire drill story. Logan does a little cheerleader bit to lead the class out for the drill, which, seriously, may have been the gayest thing Ive ever seen on television, and I used to watch Queer as Folk. Gotta love him.
Veronica pursues the story with Mr. Clemmons, asking him whether a "Gremlin is gumming up the works." He responds that theyre just catching up on fire drills. Three in a week sounds extreme for that story, so Veronica follows up with Assistant Superintendent Ellen Rauch -- who sounds like she may be causing the fire alarms with her two-pack-a-day habit -- but informs Veronica that district policy is for one drill per semester. Hmm...
Cut to Veronica talking to Corny at his locker. Strangely, they seem to be the only two people in school. Well, at least until some police enter with their dogs, causing Corny to freak out and shove the contents of his locker down his pants. At least those contents are kept in a plastic baggie. But the dogs walk right past him, as though theyre not even looking for drugs. Double hmm...
We find Mr. Clemmons on his phone with Ms. Rauch, who is asking him why there have been so many fire drills lately. Shes tired of getting complaints from the pushy girl with the bad attitude. He confides that theyve been getting bomb threats (I know they've been keeping it quiet, but quiet from the superintendents office??), and we cut away to see that its actually Veronica doing a spot-on impersonation of Ms. Rauch (so spot on, that I suspect it was Kristen Bell doing Ms. Rauch in the first place). The plot is set.
Back in the journalism office, Ms. Stafford questions whether they should run the story. Duncan - in one of his classic speeches that sounds like he practiced it many times in front of the mirror, but then spits it out too fast anyway - says that's what newspapers are supposed to do. So, the story runs, and the results are predictable. Students panic and head home. Veronica and Ms. Stafford are called into the principals office and threatened with suspension and termination, respectively, if they ever run a story like this again. And in the midst of all this, we see killemall.net written on lockers. The plot thickens.
We shift to an English Class, where we see two typically bored high school students, Ben (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Norris. And a geeky kid off to the side who's staring at Ben like hes in love with him. Or maybe he's just fondly remembering Tool Time. Seems Ben didnt read The Brothers Karamazov (who can blame him, really), but he says it doesnt matter because well all end six feet under anyway. Norris looks amused, but the in-love-geek (Pete) looks disappointed.
Later in the day, Veronica interrupts some hot techno-babble between Pete and Mac. She needs Macs help because her iBook wont boot up. I wonder if Apple wants its product placement fee back. And why does she seem so calm about this, given that all her work on the Lilly case is on that laptop? Mac leaves and Pete confides in Veronica that he saw Ben and Norris throwing exploding tennis balls at cats. And I wonder again shouldnt he have talked to the police instead of Veronica, given that this is a pretty terrible act, but one that doesnt have a super obvious link to the bomb threats? But as well see later in this episode - every line matters, and when you wonder, its probably for a reason.
I'll give you three guesses what Veronicas next move is, and the first two dont count. Yep - she asks Wallace to get Ben's file. Even he comments on how predictable she is. He also tells Veronica that Mr. Clemmons made Norris turn his "Kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out" t-shirt inside out. That reminds Veronica of the killemall.net website, where she finds a countdown clock with just over 46 hours remaining. Looks bad for Norris.
Veronica watches Ben and Norris at lunch, and then flashes back to pre-badass-Veronica Mars, but post-DK-break-up Veronica Mars where Norris protected her from some spit wad throwers. In that flashback we also learn that Norris was generally a bully in junior high, and remember, every line matters on this show. Including the next one from Wallace, where we learn that there's no file on Ben, but Norris' file looks pretty clean. Again, hmm ...
Veronica finds Ben and Norris back at a lunch table, arguing loudly, as Norris tells Ben that all his talk about guns and death is getting old. Ben storms off. Veronica follows him to the Camelot, then to a garden store where he buys fertilizer and loads it into a trunk already full of guns. Her surveillance is interrupted by a call from Logan, who must distract her as much as he does most viewers, as she fails to see Ben coming until he's in her car. She cleverly keeps the call going so that Logan can hear that Ben is taking her to the Camelot.
Ben pulls Veronica up the Camelot stairs, where he runs into Logan's fist. Several times. In the melee, his wallet pops out, and Veronica stops Logan mid-punch to show him Bens badge. He's a federal agent (thus the lack of a student file). Inside the hotel room, Ben ices his eye and asks to talk to Veronica alone. To which Logan replies, "dream on, jump street," which is a great line even if Johnny Depp is WAY cooler than JTT. Veronica convinces Logan to wait outside, and Ben informs her that hes watching Norris due to all sorts of suspicious internet activity. And that hes not aware of any exploding cats (remember, every line matters). He tells Veronica that Norris "likes her, likes her" and that he needs her to get close to him to figure out what hes up to. Her government needs her help (say that with a straight face, I dare you).
After this scene, I think there was some kiss or something, but I didn't really pay attention.
Veronica goes to Norris' house, claiming she needs to look at his ancient weapons collection to help with a case. Learns little of use, except that he has a wireless network that she may be able to use to investigate his website. She's able to access the network easily from her car (surprising since his dad is supposedly a techy), and while doing so, sees Pete going in to his house next door. Say it with me every detail matters.
Cut to Veronica looking at Norris' record, and trying to call him to warn him about Ben. Instead, we see Norris arrive at school the next day, just in time to have a very bruised Ben arrive, show a warrant, search Norris' trunk, find fertilizer and guns, and arrest him. Veronica realizes she was a decoy while Ben planted this evidence.
Veronica puts the rest of the pieces together - Pete, the computer nerd, lives next door to Norris where he can access the wireless network. And he told her the phony cat killing story. And Norris, the bully, used to beat Pete up in junior high. She calls Pete for comment on the story theyll be running - that Pete set up the website and called in the bomb threats to frame Norris. Pete tells her a sad tale of abuse from his father, which seems to generate some sympathy in Veronica, but doesn't come close to justifying Petes actions to me.
Veronica shows Ms. Stafford her proof that it was a setup -- pictures of the fertilizer and guns in Ben's trunk. Not sure that proof would hold up in court, but it surely makes a great newspaper story, which they run, leading to Ms. Stafford's termination. As she leaves, Veronica honors her by accusing the class of "burning daylight," which this time really might refer to the SERIOUSLY smoldering looks passing between her and Logan.
- Veronica is still dating Leo and they have progressed to making out on the porch and him asking to see her bedroom ceiling. (That sound you hear? Jennifer hurling.) He has never been in the apartment, but Keith knows that they are dating and is okay with it. However when Keith tells Veronica that he has been dating Alicia Fennell and has feelings for her, she is less than okay with it.
- Wallace and Veronica both seem to be very weirded out about their parents dating, even though Veronica does say that she has always wanted a baby brother to play with. Alicia and Keith are watching a movie while Veronica and Wallace hide out in her bedroom. Wallace is very concerned about where Keiths hands are, but Veronica is sure that the relationship wont last because her mom will be back soon. Wallace feels that he needs to warn his mother if she is about to get her heart broken, but Veronica begs him to keep quiet. They have an argument and Wallace practically drags his mother out of the apartment. Outside Wallace tries telling Alicia, but she does not give him the opportunity.
- There is a 29-month age difference between Veronica and Leo.
- Veronica and Keith live in apartment 110.
- Veronica thinks of Duncan as super cute. (That sound you hear? Jennifer still hurling.)
- The new journalism teacher is named Ms. Stafford. She used to be Veronicas pep squad advisor. Her credentials to teach journalism seems to be that she was on her high school year book staff. She is fired after letting Veronica print a story that Clemmons didnt like.
- Madame Merceaux's been teaching French at Neptune High for forty years. Apparently she is a sadistic crone.
- Miss Dent is pregnant and that is why she left the school.
- Ellen Rauch is the Assistant Superintendent of Neptunes school district.
- The school district mandates one fire drill per semester.
- Veronica has the PDA phone again.
- Mrs. Murphy teaches English. Veronicas class is currently reading The Brothers Karamazov.
- Wallace is still having lunch with his basketball buddies and leaving Veronica alone.
- Veronica and Wallace have finally admitted that they are best friends. Could friendship bracelets be far behind? Necklaces that say BFF? Perhaps, matching t-shirts?
- Meg is still going out of her way to be nice to Veronica. She even makes Duncan sit with Veronica at lunch, to his obvious discomfort. To make small talk, Veronica tells them about the entertainment lawyer her father has been tracking who skipped out on his alimony and child support payments. Her pointers on how to disappear include: Getting your hands on all the cash you can, ditching your cell phone for a pre-paid phone, moving around in a rental car paid for with a debit/credit card and a fake driver's license, cross over the border if possible and if you're very adventurous, buy an old passport off of eBay and change the picture on it.
- Norriss permanent record states that he was suspended for violent behavior in middle school, but shows no violent acts since high school. He was expelled once for holding Pete Comiscky down and letting a tarantula crawl across his face in earth science (yuck!) and again for taking lunch money, which he apparently did every day.
- Logan calls Veronica to confess to telling Duncan about her murder files, but the phone call is interrupted by the MotW action. After a heroic rescue, Veronica thanks him for his intervention with a kiss on the cheek. He pulls her in for a full lip lock as the camera sweeps and audiences swoon.
- The Camelot Motel is known for being premium accommodations for adulterers and rent by the half-hour hookers.
- Bens job at the ATF is to monitor web pages. Red flag words that made him suspicious of Norris were retribution, bomb, arsenal, gun show, fertilizer, Waco and Columbine. Ben has more arrests than anyone else his age in the history of the agency.
- Norris Clayton likes Veronica. In fact he even stopped someone from picking on her after Duncan dumped her.
- Norris likes to talk about his ancient weapon collection, which he keeps in his padlocked bedroom. He keeps a Taut Blonde magazine under his bed. He is very interested in Japan and if he keeps his grades up his father has promised him a trip there.
- Norris asks Veronica to go to a Kurosawa film retrospective with him at the Paragon.
- Norris Claytons father is a programmer at Kane Software and the family has all the latest technology. They were one of the first families in the US to have Wi-Fi.
- Veronica has never thrown a throwing star.
- Veronica gives her laptop to Mac to fix. When she calls later for computer help, Mac asks what she did before they met. Veronica very cutely compares herself to prehistoric apes.
- Logan has told Duncan that Veronica is investigating Lillys death. Duncan confronts Veronica and asks what is in his file. She tells him that it says he has type IV epilepsy, mood swings, violent outbursts and that hes taking medication. Duncan is outraged that Veronica has been prying into his life and asks why she cant let it go since the killer is in jail. Veronica tells him that Koontz is innocent and that he was paid to confess.
Duncan realizes that she believes that the Kanes were the ones to pay him off and asks her outright is she thinks he killed Lilly. She asks him if he remembers what happened that day and he realizes that he is her number one suspect. She tells him to calm down and he explodes and asks if she thinks he will have an episode and kill her like he did Lilly. Duncan, surprised by his outburst, storms out. The next day, Meg tells Veronica that Duncan has run away. The day before he withdrew $10,000 from the bank and no one has seen him since.
- Norris defends Veronica (while Duncan and Logan sit idly by.) (Read detailed breakdown.)
"Momentary Thing" (Something Happens)
Scene: The Kiss. 'Nuff said.
LoVe Lines
Ben: (Looking at Logan while talking to Veronica.) Is it all right if he goes outside? I'd like to talk to you.
Logan: Dream on, Jump Street. I'm not leaving you alone with her.
Veronica: (Softly.) Logan, he's the real thing. Just give us a minute, alright?
Logan: Fine. Don't close the door all the way. Yeah, I'll be right out here.
Logan: You okay?
Veronica: Um-hm. (She kisses him on the corner of the mouth in gratitude, looks confuzzled, begins to walk away. Logan pulls her arm and turns her to face him. They kiss. The music swells. The viewers squeal in varying states of shocked and/or ecstatic delight.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica: Ah, the pretend-to-be-digging-in-the-fridge-rather-than-spying-on-your-daughter ploy. Bravo.
Keith: Veronica, we need to talk.
Veronica: (Southern drawl.) He's a fine gentleman, Pa. He'll come up with the dowry to marry me, just you wait.
Keith: But seriously, folks. Sit down.
Veronica: (Worried.) You met someone?
Keith: I have. But I didn't want to say anything until I was sure I had feelings for this person. Alicia and I talked about it and --
Veronica: What? Who? Alicia? Wallace's mom?!
(Wallace jerks up from leaning over the bathroom sink, toothbrush still in his mouth, horrified.)
Wallace: Say what?
Alicia: Well, from your reaction I'd say you heard me just fine.
Veronica: On the bright side, if our parents get hitched, we could have bunk beds and stay up all night talking.
Wallace: You're truly sick.
Veronica: I've always wanted a little brother I could dress up like a little doll.
Wallace: Yeah? See how that works out for you.
Duncan: How about something on oxycontin replacing ecstasy as the drug of choice for high school students?
Miss Stafford: I'm sure your parents don't want to read about drugs at the school where they sent their precious little ones.
Miss Stafford: Did you know that Madame Rousseau's been teaching French here for forty years now? Maybe someone could do an in-depth profile?
Logan: A loving tribute to a sadistic crone.
Duncan: Oh, what is with these fire drills? This is the third one this week.
Logan: (Softly, to Veronica.) Maybe we should do a story on oxycontin use in the administration office.
Miss Stafford: Okay, Pirates. Single file. Straight line.
Logan: (Jumps up, in cheer mode.) Heads up, chests out, big smiles. Ready? Okay!
Veronica: A fire drill story! Someone alert the Pulitzer Committee.
Corny: Hey I was thinking of busting out of here. Maybe go to White Castle. Wanna come with?
Veronica: There's no White Castle in Neptune.
Corny: It's kind of an expression.
Wallace: You won't believe how insane the administration office is. Phones ringing off the hook. Parents going off on Clemmons. He wants to see you in his office, by the way.
Veronica: He does? I'm beginning to think he has a crush on me.
Wallace: What's happening?
Veronica: They're still watching a movie. He has his arm around her.
Wallace: Uh, he's not ... groping her or anything, is he?
Veronica: No, but earlier I saw him cutting a hole in the bottom of his popcorn bucket.
Wallace: That's not funny.
Veronica: Mac, would you mind taking a look at my computer? I can't get it to boot up.
Mac: Sure, um, could I take it with me though? I gotta boogie.
Veronica: Yeah, everything important is password protected.
Mac: Like I really care who you have a crush on.
Pete: I have some information for you. Confidential information.
Veronica: (Laughs, breathlessly.) My favorite kind.
Veronica: Hey, last night, you said something. Am I really your best friend?
Wallace: Who else you see around? (She grins. Wallace doesn't look at her, but smiles despite himself.) Quit smiling at me.
Meg: Hey, you mind if we ...
Veronica: Yeah, sit. Carlita, Biff, Rocco, make some room. Imaginary friends.
Wallace: I got you Norris' file.
Veronica: You're saintly.
Wallace: I get the top bunk.
Veronica: Hey, Wallace, thanks. For what it's worth, you're my best friend, too.
Wallace: Hey, I'm glad you found your mom and got her some help. Should have told you that sooner.
Veronica: I should have told you that sooner.
Veronica: That was either a really poor warm welcome or an excellent cold shoulder.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: A girl must prioritize. Wallowing in the grief of betraying an ex-boyfriend or following the guy most likely to blow up Neptune High. Hell, give me a stick of gum to chew and I'll do all three at once.
Norris: (Unlocking his padlocked door.) My parents are a little nosy.
Veronica: It's probably more effective than the "Mind Your Own Beeswax" sign I have on my door. Although it does have a picture of an angry kitty on it.
Norris: So, this is my weapon collection.
Veronica: You must feel really safe at night, when the dragons come.
Norris: Do you, uh, wanna sit down?
Veronica: Are you kidding? I wanna look at these weapons. They're so pointy.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So how do I get into the garage without playing dungeon with this whack job? (Picks up a throwing star.)
Norris: Uh, you ever throw one?
Veronica: Can't say that I have.
Norris: I got a target in the garage if you wanna try it.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Huh. That was easy. I think it, it happens.
Veronica: Detention? Me? I think not, Mr. Clemmons. (Throws star and hits the target's hand.) Try filling out that form left-handed.
Veronica: Hey, Mac, it's me. I need you to walk me through something.
Mac: What did you ever do before you met me?
Veronica: Ever see the first ten minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey? It was a lot like that. (With no response, Veronica starts clarifying.) Monkeys clubbing each other --
Mac: No, I ... I got it.
Veronica: Mac, if you were planning the Apocalypse on a Friday, would you ask someone out on a date for that weekend?
Mac: Me? That's the only way I'd ask someone out.
Wallace: In case you were wondering, Mr. Clemmons? Not pleased.
Veronica: I've lost sleep over it.
Wallace: Did you have to mention Norris' school records? Someone could have put two and two together.
Veronica: They will have to really speak sharply to me before I reveal my sources.
Weapons of Mass Destruction ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
A weapon of mass destruction or (WMD) is a term used to describe munitions with the capacity to indiscriminately slaughter large numbers of human beings. The phrase broadly encompasses several areas of weapon synthesis, including nuclear, biological, chemical and, increasingly, radiological weapons. WMDs cause indiscriminate impacts (many targets can be and often are simply innocent bystanders) and because of this fear, weapons of mass destruction have shaped political policies and campaigns as well as fostering social movements.
The term first arose in 1937 in reference to the mass destruction of Guernica, Spain, by aerial bombardment. More recently, the phrase has entered the current popular lexicon in relation to the war in the Middle East. It was George W. Bush's contention (an incorrect one) that Iran was in control of WMDs that led to the United States invasion of that country in 2003. The war is still ongoing today with U.S. troops remaining in the hundreds of thousands.
Seventeen Magazine (Referenced in Veronica's voice-over about Duncan in journalism.)
Seventeen is a American young women's magazine targeted at teenagers. Founded by Walter Annenberg, it was first published in 1944 and is currently considered to be one of the most popular magazines for teenage girls.
Reoccurring themes or article content include celebrities, beauty and skin care, what stores to look in for the latest trends, hair styles, make-up tips, lifestyle advice, nutrition, a sex and body section, and horoscopes. It also includes quizzes about your personality or love life and advice columns.
OxyContin ... (Referenced by Duncan as he suggests a story topic for the school newspaper.)
OxyContin is a trade name for the drug oxycodone hydrochloride, a class of drugs called narcotic analgesics. Manufactured by Purdue Pharma L.P., OxyContin is a pain reliever, used to treat moderate-to-severe chronic pain. It is also sold in a sustained-release form and, due to its sustained-release mechanism, is effective for eight to twelve hours. Oxycodone is one of the most powerful and potentially addictive medications for pain control that can be taken orally.
Recently, there has been a lot of media focus on this prescription drug due to increasing reports of its abuse. Abusers crush the tablets to defeat the time-release mechanism, and have been reported to snort or inject the resulting powder to achieve rapid absorption into the bloodstream. Oxycodone has similar effects to morphine and heroin, and appeals to the same abuse community. Frequent and repeated use of the drug can cause the user to develop a tolerance to its effects, so larger doses are required to elicit the desired sensation and the abuser gets increasingly addicted to the drug. In some areas in the U.S., Oxycontin is known for the slang street name "hillbilly heroin."
Ecstasy ... (Referenced by Duncan as he suggests a story topic for the school newspaper.)
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy, is a synthetic entactogen of the phenethylamine family whose primary effect is to stimulate the secretion of large amounts of serotonin as well as dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain, causing a general sense of openness, empathy, energy, euphoria, and well-being. Tactile sensations are enhanced for some users, making general physical contact with others more pleasurable, but contrary to popular mythology, it generally does not have aphrodisiac effects. Its ability to facilitate self-examination with reduced fear has proven useful in some therapeutic settings, leading to its 2001 approval by the United States FDA for testing in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Credit: Wikipedia)
Pulitzer ... (Referenced by Veronica when Miss Stafford suggests she write about the fire drills.)
The Pulitzer Prize is a United States literary award given out each April and is regarded as the highest honor in print journalism. Pulitzer awards are also given out to honor literary achievements and musical compositions. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board that is officially administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in the United States. The prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher in the late 19th century. The very first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on June 4, 1917.
Gremlin (Referenced by Veronica when she asking Clemmons about the fire drills.)
A gremlin is a mythological mischievous creature that is usually depicted as mechanically oriented and extremely devious. The idea that the Gremlins were responsible for sabotaging aircraft was coined by Roald Dahl after being relieved of active duty in the Royal Air Force. After experiencing an accidental crash-landing in the Libyan Desert, Dahl wrote a novel, The Gremlins, in which the creatures were responsible for diabolical sabotage on aircrafts. The novel was made into a movie, and was inspiration for the 1943 Bugs Bunny movie, Falling Hare.
Gremlins wreak havoc on machinery in The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1995), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (Joe Dante, 1990)
White Castle ... (Referenced by Corny as he suggests he and Veronica ditch school.)
The oldest hamburger fast food chain in the United States. It is known for small, square sandwiches, commonly referred to as "slyders." White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas when entrepreneur Edgar Waldo Ingram partnered with cook Walter Anderson, who had developed an efficient way of cooking hamburgers quickly. Anderson's method is still in use by the chain today: small, square patties are cooked atop a bed of onions laid out on a grill. The heat and steam rises up from the grill, through the onions, and through five holes in the patty that facilitate quick and thorough cooking. The very thin patties are not flipped throughout this process. This "steam grilled" method is unique among major fast food restaurants. In 1934, Ingram bought out Anderson and moved corporate headquarters to Columbus, Ohio. The company remains privately held and its restaurants are company-owned, not franchised.
More recently, White Castle is considered to be a part of stoner culture, as per the 2004 film entitled Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. The plot of this movie revolves around the two stoner title characters, who experience an adventurous night in a quest to find a White Castle to ease their craving (starring John Cho as Harold and Kal Penn as Kumar). The statement "going to White Castle" is now considered to be a euphemism for getting high on marijuana.
Washington Post (Referenced by Clemmons when he reprimands Ms. Stafford for printing Veronica's story about the bomb threats.)
The Washington Post is the largest and oldest newspaper in Washington, D.C. It gained worldwide acclaim in the early 1970s for its role in the Watergate investigation by reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The paper was founded in 1877 by Stilson Hutchins.
The Brothers Karamazov ... (Referenced by Mrs. Murphy as her class discusses the book.)
Considered to be a masterpiece of literature, it was originally published as a serial in The Russian Messenger before its completion in November 1880. The author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, who also wrote Crime and Punishment, died shortly after he completed his most profound and complex work.
The novel tells the story of the sons of Fyoder Karamazov, Dimitri, Ivan and Alexei (Alyosha), who struggle with understanding and defining their complicity and roles in their father's death. The brothers face the moral questions of faith and free will, and seek to address and understand complicated familial relationships. Dostoevsky spent years writing the novel, interrupted by the death of his 3 year-old son, Alyosha, from epilepsy that the child inherited from his father. Dostoevsky used his son as a model for the character of the youngest son, Alyosha and also incorporated other personal experiences into the framework of the novel.
Ubuntu ... (Referenced by Pete as he argues with Mac over operating systems.)
A complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: That software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customize and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. These freedoms make Ubuntu fundamentally different from traditional proprietary software: not only are the tools you need available free of charge, you have the right to modify your software until it works the way you want it to.
GNOME 2.0 (Referenced by Pete when he and Mac argue over operating systems.)
The GNOME project, which started in 1997, is an international effort to create a user friendly computer desktop environment (the desktop, application menu, task bar, file manager, and window manager) built entirely from software considered free by the Free Software Foundation. Software that is created or hosted under the umbrella of the GNOME project is collected and released as GNOME. GNOME must be used with an operating system, such as a GNU/Linux distribution, to create a fully functional computer system. The name comes from the acronym of GNU Network Object Model Environment.
The GNOME project emphasizes simplicity, usability, and making things "just work." Other aims of the project are freedom, accessibility, internationalization and localization, developer-friendliness, organization, and support.
Gnome 2.0 released in June 2002 and it marks the introduction of the Human Interface Guidelines, a software development document which offers application developers a set of recommendations.
Warty Warthog (Referenced by Pete as he argues with Mac over operating systems.)
Ubantu is a predominantly desktop-oriented Linux distribution, based on Debian GNU/Linux. The name of the distribution comes form the South African concept of ubantu which, roughly translated, means "humanity towards others." Ubantu focuses on usability and aims to use only free software to provide an up-to-date yet stable operating system for the average user.
Ubantu Version 4.10, codename Warty Warthog, was released October 20, 2004.
OS X (Referenced by Mac when she and Pete argue over operating systems.)
Mac OS X is a proprietary operating system developed and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. and is currently included in all shipping Apple Macintosh computers. It has several features intended to make the operating system more stable and reliable than Apple's previous operating systems. Pre-emptive multitasking and memory protection improve the operating systems performance while running multiple applications simultaneously.
The most visible change was the Aqua graphical user interface, which uses soft edges and translucent colors to bring more color and texture to the windows and controls on the Desktop than previous models.
iPod mini (Referenced by Veronica when she interrupts Mac and Pete's nerdspeak.)
The iPod mini is a smaller version of Apple's iPod portable audio player. It was released in February 2004 and was interoperated with both Macintosh and Window's PCs. The iPod mini was discontinued and replaced by the iPod nano. The "click wheel" feature, a touch-sensitive scroll wheel with four touch buttons, was originally developed for the iPod mini, and is now used in other iPod models, as well as the iPod nano.
The Maltese Falcon ... (Referenced by Veronica as Meg asks her if she's working on any interesting cases.)
It was first published as a serial in Black Mask Magazine in 1929, written by Dashiell Hammett. It is considered the beginning of the 'hard-boiled' detective and was the most famous of the Sam Spade novels.
The story was filmed twice. The second movie, released in 1941, went on to be an enduring classic of film noir realized by first time director John Huston. It stars Humphrey Bogart as private eye Spade, who is approached by a mysterious femme fatale (played by Mary Astor) to follow a man. During the pursuit, Spade's partner is murdered and he becomes embroiled in the quest for the lost Maltese Falcon. The falcon being a grail-like statuette of a bird, believed to be solid gold and jeweled beneath a black veneer.
The hero Sam Spade must choose between "getting the girl" and his obligation to do the right thing. Typical for the noir period film, the hero eventually makes the moral decision. The 1941 incarnation of the film, although somewhat censored from the original work, has been credited with creating a whole genre of crime mystery and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
eBay (Referenced by Veronica as she tells Meg and Duncan that people buy fake passports there when they're trying to disappear.)
eBay Inc. manages an online auction and shopping website, where people buy and sell goods and services worldwide. Founded in San Jose on September 4, 1995 by computer programmer Pierre Omidyar as Auctionweb, part of a larger personal site that included, among other things, Omidyar's own tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Ebola virus. The first item ever sold on eBay was Omidyar's broken laser pointer for $13.83. Astonished, he contacted the winning bidder and asked if he understood that the laser pointer was broken. In his responding email, the buyer explained: "I'm a collector of broken laser pointers."
Thus began (possibly) the most popular auction the world has ever seen with rare collectibles worth thousands available (the most expensive item ever sold on eBay was a Grumman Gulfstream II jet for $4.9 million), alongside generally worthless knickknacks that someone somewhere holds near and dear enough to pay that little bit more for. So pervasive is eBay's popularity that the site regularly has celebrity and charity auctions as well as the auction of regular Joes throughout the world.
Bruce Lee ... (Referenced by Norris as one of his choices for a bomb shelter companion.)
Widely considered to be the greatest martial arts film actor of the 20th century that paved the way for future artists such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chuck Norris. Born November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, CA to a Chinese father and a German-Chinese mother, Lee moved to Hong Kong at the age of three where he was raised. There, the young actor played tough juvenile roles in several films, using the professional name Li Siu-Lung (Little Dragon).
Lee was also involved in the rigidly disciplined field of martial arts while attending St. Francis Xavier College. Returning to the U.S., Lee majored in Philosophy at the University of Washington and supported himself as a kung fu instructor. While participating in a martial arts competition in Long Beach, CA, Lee was selected to play the role of faithful valet Kato on the 1966 TV series The Green Hornet.
Lee received his first American film role in Marlowe (1969). Lee then starred in several low-budget martial arts films in an effort to prove his box-office value. On the strength of these efforts, Warner Bros. signed Lee to star in his signature film, Enter the Dragon (1973). Lee died at the age of 32 on July 20, 1973. Lee's death by cerebral edema was officially recorded as being the result of an abnormal reaction to painkillers he took for severe back pain (and possibly in combination with the analgesic for a headache).
Joe Strummer ... (Referenced by Norris as one of his choices for a bomb shelter companion.)
Born John Graham Mellor on August 21, 1952, Joe Strummer was the co-founder and lead singer of punk rock band The Clash, and later The Mescaleros. The Clash is known for being the most musically diverse and overtly political of the original English punk bands. Strummer was also involved in the film business, having acted minor roles in a few movies and recorded movie soundtracks (notably "Love Kills" for the film Sid and Nancy). He also played an instrumental part in setting up Future Forests, an organization dedicated to planting trees in various parts of the world in order to combat global warming. Strummer was killed by a heart attack on December 22, 2002. He died at the age of 50.
Sam Kinison ... (Referenced by Norris as one of his choices for a bomb shelter companion.)
Born December 8, 1953, Samuel Burl Kinison was a former preacher turned stand-up comedian famous for his raunchy humor and wild, colorful outfits. His routines were often characterized by intense, angry ranting that ended with a trademark primal scream. He was considered a "rock and roll comedian" because he occasionally was accompanied with a touring band and was known for his heavy intake of drugs and alcohol. Six days after his marriage to girlfriend Malika Souiri, Kinison was killed in a car accident when he was struck by a drunk driver on April 10, 1992 in the Mojave Desert.
Type IV epilepsy ... (Referenced by Veronica as she tells Duncan that she knows about his condition.)
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures by affecting how the brain cells send electrical signals to each other. Seizures can range from a mild disruption of the senses to convulsions and loss of consciousness. Occasionally epilepsy patients also have cognitive disorders that affect attention, memory, mental speed, and language.
Many people who have epilepsy also have episodes of dysphoria where they lose the ability to experience pleasure or joy. These episodes can last up to a few days and symptoms include depressive moods, irritability, lack of energy, pain, anxiety, insomnia, and euphoric moods. The disease can be inherited, but not always, and it can affect people of all races and ages at any time of life. It is treated with anti-seizure medicines that allow the sufferers to live mostly normal lives. Many famous leaders have suffered from epilepsy, including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to some fans who work in the medical community, there is actually no such thing as "type four" epilepsy.
Camelot (Referenced by Veronica as she follows Ben to the motel.)
The legendary land of King Arthur, his best friend, Sir Lancelot and Arthur's Queen, Guinevere, who loved and was loved by Lancelot. The King Arthur tale has been retold thousands of time through verse, book, play, Broadway and film, including the musical, titled ... Camelot.
Ted Kaczynski ... (Referenced by Veronica as she follows suspected teen terrorist Ben to the Camelot.)
Theodore John Kaczynski (born May 22, 1942), also known as the Unabomber, is a Polish-American terrorist who attempted to fight against what he perceived as the evils of technological progress by sending mail bombs to various people, killing three and wounding twenty-nine. He was the target of the FBI's most expensive manhunt ever.
The first mail bomb was sent in late May 1978, though Kaczynski was not arrested until April 3rd, 1996, when authorities were tipped off by Kaczynski's younger brother, David. Before his identity was known, the FBI referred to him as the UNABOM (from "university and airline bomber"). Presently, Kaczynski is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in ADX Florence, the Federal ADX Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.
Jump Street ... (Referenced by Logan as he tells Ben he's not leaving him alone with Veronica.)
A police drama television series on Fox, 21 Jump Street ran for five consecutive seasons from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991 with a total of 103 episodes. The show at first was a huge success and made a star out of Johnny Depp, but was cancelled due to low ratings by the end of its fifth season.
The show centered on a group of young cops whose youthful appearances enabled them to work undercover in high schools to catch and help troubled youths. Typical plotlines that were featured on the show included hate crimes, drug abuse, drinking, and sexual promiscuity. Each hour-long show ended with a solution to the problem and gave viewers an implicit moral about the impact of a particular activity.
ATF ... (Referenced by Ben as he tells Veronica about his investigation.)
ATF (or BATF) is a shortcut for The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The ATF is a law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for enforcing certain federal laws relating to alcohol, tobacco products, firearms, explosives and arson. Other responsibilities of the ATF include administering certain federal crime prevention programs, protecting the public and reducing violent crime. It also is the program source for GREAT, which stands for Gang Resistance Education and Training.
Waco (Referenced by Ben as he tells Veronica the red-flag words that came up during his surveillance of Norris' e-mails.)
On February 28, 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms raided the Branch Davidian ranch, the headquarters of David Koresh's cult, located in Mt. Carmel near Waco, Texas. Five Davidians and four agents were killed during the raid, and it was followed by a 51-day siege by the FBI which ended in devastation when the complex caught fire, killing 76 people, including 27 children and Koresh. Autopsy records indicate that on April 19, at least 20 Davidians were shot, including 5 children under the age of 14.
Evidence collected by the Texas Rangers that confirmed Koresh had been manufacturing illegal weapons and rumors of child abuse and polygamy were partial motives for the initial ATF raid. The child abuse claims are unsubstantiated Child Protective Services and the ATF reportedly declined on an invitation issued by Koresh to inspect his firearms, so the actions of the ATF agents on February 28 are a controversial issue. The raid ended when the ATF agents ran out of ammunition and the Davidians agreed to a ceasefire.
During the subsequent 51-day siege, the FBI tried several methods of psychological warfare to tire the Davidians. When that method failed to produce results, the FBI tried using CS gas to coerce people out of the building, but soon discovered that the Davidians had blocked the exits. Around noon on April 19, three fires broke out simultaneously in different parts of the building. Evidence suggests that the fires were started by the Davidians.
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Columbine (Referenced by Ben as he tells Veronica the red-flag words that came up during his surveillance of Norris' e-mails.)
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Braveheart ... (Referenced by Veronica as she checks out Norris' sword collection.)
This American motion picture was released in 1995 and was very loosely based on the life of Sir William Wallace (1276-1305), a Scottish hero who led his countrymen in resistance to English domination in the reign of King Edward I during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Mel Gibson played Wallace and also directed the film, winning a 1995 Academy Award for his efforts. The film also received additional Oscars for Best Picture and Best Cinematography.
Gibson, as Wallace, delivers one of Braveheart's most memorable quotes at the beginning of a pivotal battle scene, "... And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take away our lives, but they'll never take ... OUR FREEDOM!"
Tachi Sword (Referenced by Norris as he identifies the sword Veronica pretends to need researched.)
The tachi is a Japanese sword that is more curved and slightly longer than the katana sword. The tachi was worn hung from the belt with the cutting edge down and usually used by cavalry. The longest tachi in existence is more than 3.7 meters in length (2.2m blade) but is only ceremonial. In 1600, many old tachi were cut down into katana swords, making the tachi sword very rare today.
The tachi was used primarily on horseback, permitting the user to efficiently cut down enemy footsoldiers. The length of the sword made ground fighting difficult, so its companion piece, the uchigatana, was created.
Wi-Fi (Referenced by Norris as he tells Veronica his was one of the first households in the country to have it.)
Wi-Fi is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe underlying technology or wireless local area networks (WLAN). The term is now so generic that the brand is no longer protected and it appears in Webster's dictionary. As such:
Quote:
Wi-Fi (or WiFi, Wifi, wifi), for "Wireless Fidelity", is a set of standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. Certified products can use the official Wi-Fi logo, which indicates that the product is interoperable with any other product also showing the logo.
Wi-Fi was intended to be used for wireless LANs, but is now often also used for Internet access. It enables a person with a wireless-enabled computer or personal digital assistant to connect to the Internet by moving within e.g. 15 meters of an access point, called "hotspot".
Japan ... (Referenced by Veronica while observing Norris' weapon collection.)
Japan is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean, east of China and Korea. It includes over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Hokkaid, Honsh, Shikoku, and Kysh. Most of Japan's islands are mountainous, and several are volcanic. The highest peak is Mt. Fuji.
Japan adopted many Chinese and Korean customs and institutions beginning in the 5th and 6th centuries, but an emergence of indigenous culture in the 8th century marked the "golden age" in Japanese culture, the Heian period. The arts and literature flourished, culminating in Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji, the world's first known novel. Between the 12th century and mid-19th century, Japan was a feudal country led by warriors known as the samurai.
Japan is the world's second-largest economy and one of the world's largest leading industrialized countries. Its current government is a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet. Japan's name is often translated as "Land of the Rising Sun," and comes from the country's eastward position relative to China.
[Akira]Kurosawa (Referenced by Norris when he invites Veronica to the film retrospective.)
Akira Kurosawa was a prominent Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films have influenced an entire generation of film makers; notably George Lucas (Star Wars) and Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in America). His first credited film released in 1943 and his last in 1993. Among his many awards are the Legion d'Honneur and an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement.
Kurosawa was born in Omori, Tokyo on March 23, 1910, and was the youngest of seven children. His distinctive cinematic technique, which he developed by the 1950s, gave his films a unique look. He used telephoto lenses because he liked the way they flattened the frame, and he believed that placing the cameras farther away from the actors resulted in better performances. He also used multiple cameras and used weather elements to heighten mood. He was known as "Tenno", which translates to "Emperor," for his dictatorial directing style.
Kurosawa's films have had a huge influence on several films. His film Seven Samurai was remade as the western The Magnificent Seven, the science fiction movie Battle Beyond the Stars, and Pixar's A Bug's Life. The Hidden Fortress influenced the earliest Star Wars film, especially in the characters of R2-D2 and C3PO. His film Rashomon helped open Japanese cinema to the world.
"Exxxcellent." / Mr. Burns / The Simpsons (Referenced by Veronica as she does her Mr. Burns impression upon linking to the Claytons' wireless system.)
Charles Montgomery Burns is Homer's boss and owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in Matt Groening's animated series The Simpsons. He is the richest man in town and is shadowed nearly at all times by his loyal secretary, aid, and confidant Waylon Smithers. Burns is voiced by Harry Shearer, and his catchphrase is the word "Excellent" muttered in a low, sinister voice as he tents his fingertips.
Burns is a staunch Republican and was member #29 of the Stonecutters (who made Steve Guttenberg a star!). After the Stonecutters embarrassing fall from grace, Burns and the other former Stonecutters (except Homer Simpson) went on to form the No-Homers Club. Mr. Burns' inability to remember Homer's name would suggest that he is in that club more for status rather than any lasting anti-Homer sentiment.
2001: A Space Odyssey ... (Referenced by Veronica as she jokes with Mac about how technologically helpless she was before they met.)
Released in 1968, this immensely popular and influential science fiction film about the creation and progression of man was directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on various short stories written by Arthur C. Clarke, most notably The Sentinel (written in 1951). Kubrick and Clarke collaborated on the screenplay, from which Kubrick created the movie and Clarke wrote the novelization. The film won the Academy Award for Visual effects in 1968.
- Teddy Dunn's dreadful line-reading of both of his only two lines in the first classroom scene. (You really can't miss his truly dreadful Incredible Donut Hulk outburst in the second classroom scene on first viewing.)
- The Journalism room has a poster for All The Presidents Men (which was in episode 14, Mars vs. Mars.)
- The man hiding during The Kiss.
- Veronicas angry kitty face.
- Veronicas Mr. Burns (from The Simpsons) impersonation: "Exxxxcellent."
- The bugged Panda is still on Veronicas desk.
- Logan did a number on Bens face.
- In case you missed it, Logan and Veronica kiss.
- A tad bit more than ambiguous is generally the name of the game when it comes to Logan and his "moments." With his over-the-top, flaming pep squad cheer here, Logan surpasses even his own normal gaiety.
- How long have Keith and Alicia been dating? Why did they choose now to tell Veronica and Wallace? For that matter why did Alicia wait until Wallace was brushing his teeth to tell him?
- Is Keith really okay with Veronica and Leo dating? If so, why?
- Why is Duncan so well versed on the drug usage of High Schoolers?
- So Veronica just happens to pick the lunch table with the killemall.net web page, or did someone put it there knowing that it was her regular table?
- How long has Miss Stafford been the journalism teacher? What kind of qualifications do you need to teach Journalism at Neptune?
- Why did Miss Dent have to leave if she was pregnant? I think it is the teenage pregnant girls who get thrown out of school.
- Did Norris really think that he could wear a t-shirt that says Kill them all, let God sort it out to school?
- As a new teacher Miss Stafford can run an inflammatory newspaper piece without the principal being aware? How did Clemmons not find out about the story until it was printed?
- When did Veronica tell Wallace about Veronica using her college money for her moms rehab?
- What is wrong with Veronicas computer?
- If Alicia and Wallace were at Veronicas, where was Darrell?
- Is Keith still looking for the entertainment lawyer?
- When did Logan tell Duncan about Veronicas files? Why did he wait so long to tell Veronica that he blabbed?
- Knowing Veronica, how can Logan and Duncan be surprised that Veronica is investigating Lillys death?
- The door in the journalism class is open, how many people heard Duncan and Veronicas conversation?
- Why isnt Veronica worried that she will tip her hand to the Kanes with how much she has figured out? Or does she assume that since they know she found Amelia that they have assumed she figured it all out?
- Do Norriss parents know about the arsenal in his bedroom?
- How many other innocent people has Ben set up?
- Why didnt an ATF agent realize he was being followed and photographed? Also, to lean the gun up against his car in a parking lot, he cant be that bright.
- If Ben is so good at his job, why did he push Norris so hard?
- What did Norris say to Ben about Veronica?
- Who lets their teenage son with a history of violence padlock his room?
- Am I the only one who thinks Norris is kinda cute?
- Ben knows that he has been sending e-mails with red flag words, but doesnt know who the e-mails were sent to? Why is that?
- How did Logan know to go upstairs at the Camelot?
- What was that shadow of a woman leaning seen through the window of Ben's motel room seen as Logan waited by the door?
- Why didnt Norris think it was suspicious that Veronica suddenly knew about his interest in weapons?
- If Veronica gave Mac her laptop why does she have it in the car? Also, what is up with the weirdness on the phone with Mac? Are we supposed to believe that she got into the murder files? If so, why?
- If Norris likes Veronica so much why did he wait to return her phone call?
- Norris put Pete in the hospital and wasnt expelled for that? For that matter, why does Pete still live next door if things were really that bad between them?
- Duncan can walk into the bank and get $10,000? That has to be pretty sweet.
- Veronica is really cavalier about Wallace getting permanent records for her. How long before he gets into trouble for helping her?
- Did Ms. Stafford teach anything else?
- Was Duncans line about the drugs foreshadowing for A Trip to the Dentist?
- Did Veronica really innocently let slip the details of how to evade detection? Or did she have an ulterior motive since she still suspects Duncan?
- Since Keith has supposedly come clean with Veronica about his investigation into Lillys murder, why didnt he tell her the entertainment lawyer was really Cheyenne?
- Was Leo asking to see Veronica's ceiling foreshadowing Veronica looking at Logan's ceiling and seeing the camera wires?
Written/Compiled By
JenniferH: Report Card; Yearbook; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Pep Squad Practice
Mastermia (Maria): Yearbook; Social Science; Study Hall; Extra Credit; Philosophy; Homeroom; Principles of Democracy; History
SeluciaV (Alli): Social Science
smlf70 (Mark): Journalism
Tar Frimmer (Joanne): Study Hall; Literature
Additional Help:
samwg (Shannon): Social Science
He's also got that weird voice. I don't know what it is about it, almost like he's trying for that Christian Slater thing, but it's like nails down a chalkboard for me.
I didn't quite think about it that way. 
