Episode #01.06: Return of the Kane
Original Air Date: November 02, 2004
Written by: Phil Klemmer, Rob Thomas (Story)
Directed by: Sarah Pia Anderson
Report Card (Capsule Episode Review)
Yearbook (Recurring & Guest Stars/Character Statistics)
Drama Club (Performances: Highlights and Lowlights)
Chemistry (The Analysis of LoVe Scenes)
Journalism (The Mystery of the Week)
Study Hall (Miscellaneous Plot Details)
Extra Credit (Clues to the Season Mystery Arcs)
History (Flashbacks)
Band Class (The Music of Veronica Mars)
Literature (LoVe Lines/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) (None)
Detention (While the Censors Were Out to Lunch) (None)
Philosophy (Unanswered Questions)
Principles of Democracy (Hindsight is 20/20)
Grade: A
Membership Grade: B (43.6% / 55 votes)
One of the strongest episodes of the series run, Return of the Kane impresses with stellar story, writing and acting (but for one unfortunate exception -- guest star Rachel Roth). The A-story is compelling, involving not only the mystery of the week concerning school elections, but also adding indepth shading of Duncan's character. Meanwhile, the B-story (the introduction of Logan's family and their horrible dysfunction) offers a wallop of character background for our definitely no longer one-note obligatory pyschotic jackass.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Sydney Tamiia Poitier - Mallory Dent
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Brad Bufanda - Felix Toombs
- Pilot
- Credit Where Credit's Due
- The Wrath of Con
Jonathan Chesner - Corny
- Pilot
Duane Daniels - Van Clemmons
- Pilot
Ryan Hansen - Dick Casablancas
- Credit Where Credit's Due
- Meet John Smith
Brandon Hillock - Deputy Sacks
- Pilot
- Credit Where Credit's Due
Kyle Secor - Jake Kane
- Pilot
- Credit Where Credit's Due
- Meet John Smith
- The Wrath of Con
Amanda Seyfried - Lilly Kane
- Pilot
- Credit Where Credit's Due
- Meet John Smith
- The Wrath of Con
Guest Stars
Reginald Ballard - Dice (Homeless Veteran)
Harry Hamlin - Aaron Echolls
Jane Lynch - Mrs. Donaldson
Amanda Noret - Madison Sinclair
Lisa Rinna - Lynn Echolls
Rachel Roth - Wanda Varner
Who's Who in Neptune
Dice - Homeless veteran who washes windows for tips at a Neptune Gas Station.
Aaron Echolls - Logan's twenty-million-a-picture father to whom appearance is everything and discipline is swiftly met.
Mrs. Donaldson - The Student Counsel Advisor at Neptune High who sees Veronica as a trouble-maker.
Madison Sinclair - Spoiled, selfish 09er at Neptune High who is Mrs. Donaldson's student aide.
Lynn Echolls - Logan's mother, a former actress, who is quite fond of her highball.
Wanda Varner - Student at Neptune High, a former pep squad member, who's tired of the 09er special treatment and decides to do something about it. Friend of Veronica's from the good ole days.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Harry Hamlin (Aaron Echolls) - Best known for his work as hunky lawyer, Michael Kuzak, on L.A. Law from 1986 to 1991, Hamlin was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 1987. Prior to that, Hamlin starred in the camp classic Clash of the Titans, as well as the controversial Making Love in which he played an openly gay man awakening a married doctor to his own homosexuality. Hamlin is married to Lisa Rinna (below).
Lisa Rinna (Lynn Echolls) - Lisa Rinna co-hosts Soapnet's Soap Talk and her soap roots come via two sudsers: The daytime hit, Days of Our Lives where she played the original Billie Reed and Melrose Place where she vamped it up as Taylor for the 96-98 seasons. Rinna has been married to on-screen VM husband, Harry Hamlin, since 1997. They have two daughters.
Highlights
Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) - Step back Neptune as the Echolls' take center stage. Return of the Kane offers another standout performance by Jason Dohring that is layered with secrets, bravado, a healthy dash of jackassery and ultimately hidden suffering. The show unfolds at a breakneck pace culminating in the scene that could serve as an acting tutorial. As Dohring slowly opens the closet door and selects a belt his eyes speak volumes. Haunting and heartbreaking, we the viewer suddenly understand so much more about Logan Echolls.
Lowlights
Rachel Roth (Wanda Varner) - Rachel Roth plays a prominent role in Return of the Kane as the student who is attempting to upset the status quo and provide an outlet for the non-privileged non09er class. In so doing, the actress chooses to play the role of Wanda Varner in an aggressive, in your face style that initially serves to underline her character and induce the viewer to side with Veronica's choice to help her. Unfortunately, Roth continues to play the part on that strictly one note level throughout the entire episode leaving the viewer unemotionally invested in her character and in complete and total sympathy with Duncan's triumph.
A stronger actress would have added some hidden depths and layers to her portrayal, showing the conflict she felt in betraying her friends to maintain her own personal status. This would have added a poignant layer to the ethical choices many viewers are faced with every day. Instead, the final confrontation between Veronica and Wanda plays more as a "Gotcha, don't let the stage door hit you on your way off of the set" than "I made a poor choice that I regret and I'm sorry I betrayed you" scene.
Scene One: Ceasefire
I think Logan honestly means it. In this dinky, lone scene, Veronica once again accuses Logan of something that he didn't do. With feigned pain overwrought with sarcasm, Logan tells her: "I just don't have time to be responsible for everything that goes wrong in your life." And again, going back to sentence one, I think he means it. We've seen a thawing of their interaction throughout the last three four episodes and while this line is delivered with snark, it also includes a real air of frustration.
Maybe, this accusation is just the final straw for him. He has, obviously, given her so much reason in the past to automatically assume the worst of him. When she does so once again, based pretty much on nothing but dislike, I think he is just plain tired of it ... especially after the events in The Wrath of Con. Maybe he is tired of being her whipping boy or maybe he is tired of the overt animosity period. Future episodes will tell, but it sure seems like it to me. Again, listen to his tone of voice, but also pay attention to the slight over-the-top-ness of his flamboyant hand gestures that are just not as flamboyant as usual, as well as his body language when he walks away. Yes, he does the hand gesture he often employs with Veronica, but it's barely noticeable and he looks after her not with that staring intensity, but with, again, a tint of frustration. I do believe he's just tired of it and wants it to end.
However, since Logan was the one who started this little war, he has to be the one to finally stop it and he has to go through different stages in order to get there. Stage one has to be a ceasefire of hostility. And considering his response, despite the snark, is much less loaded than of late and cares that note of resignation, one can only imagine he's getting very near that state of ceasefire.
Duncans father encourages his reluctant son to run for student council to beef up his college applications. Duncan in true Duncan fashion laughs off his well meaning and very cute father. Meanwhile, Miss Dent volunteers a reluctant Veronica to do a story on the school election. (Hmm, I am seeing a trend of reluctant teenagers.) Veronica, who has lived in Neptune for longer than five seconds, lays out for Miss Dent the way that the election will go culminating in 09er glory. However, to make her teacher happy, Veronica agrees to do an investigative piece.
She begins by interviewing Wanda Varner, the front runner for ASB President. Wanda, an old Pep Squad friend of Veronicas, has also left behind the cozy environs of 09erhood. Of course she did it by a choice involving lots of eyeliner, combat boots and by dating a PCH biker, but other than that they are two peas in a pod. Wanda is running on a platform of doing away with the Pirate points that favor the 09er clique. Logan, seeing his privileged status threatened comes up with a plan. The shocking part of it? He apparently goes to his father for help because suddenly Duncan has a hot shit campaign ad that stars Aaron, singing Duncans praises. Logan has it aired at school much to Duncans surprise.
Even though Duncan begs people not to vote for him, when the winners are announced, he has won ASB President, carrying more than half the student body. Not bad for someone who didnt even want to run. Even though Veronica called this outcome, she feels that something is rotten in the state of Neptune. She approaches the Student Council Advisor, Mrs. Donaldson, who is quite the officious bitch, to see the ballots which she has the right to review.
Mrs. Donaldson refuses out of hand and goes on to say that Veronica needs a faculty member to make the request. Enter Miss Dent who is happy to see Veronica throwing herself into her story and makes the request. Mrs. Donaldson decides that the best way to handle the situation is to patronize Miss Dent and insult Veronica. She is surprised when her ploy doesnt work and is forced to hand over the ballots.
Veronica and Wallace rescan the ballots but everything seems to be in order, other than the fact that Veronica inexplicably knows Wallaces student ID number by heart. Veronica finds a ballot that says Wanda Rulz, but the person voted for Duncan. Using her super snoop skills Veronica declares the game afoot and tracks down the student in art class. There she finds that the candidates were written in a different order than when she voted. Classes who would vote for Duncan got the correct instructions and classes where people would vote for Wanda got them reversed, so that people were actually voting for Duncan when they thought they were voting for Wanda.
After a little quality time with Clemmons, Mrs. Donaldson coughs up the name of the aide who made and handed out the instructions, one Miss Madison Sinclair. And, I have to say that my respect level for Madison rose a great deal at that point. It never occurred to me that she was smart enough to think up something like this. I guess what they say about monkeys locked in a room with typewriters will eventually write War and Peace must be true as well.
As Mrs. Donaldson insists that nothing underhanded happened an entire class who were duped by Madisons scheme begs to differ. Veronica suggests that they have a run-off election between Duncan and Wanda and the motion carries. And in a move that must have sweetened Veronicas victory, Madison loses her student council seat and her student aide job which leaves her with no way to earn her precious pirate points. Hope you like the cafeteria food, Maddy.
Jake, who seems much more excited than Duncan, tries to motivate his mopey son to become engaged. Hey, if Jake wants to throw the resources of his multi-million dollar company my way, I certainly wouldnt say no. Duncan, however, is made from sterner stuff and seems unmoved by his fathers excitement. Though in the end they do share some nice, and heretofore unseen, father-son bonding time.
The next day at school Veronica is shocked to see 'Narc' written all over Wandas campaign posters. Since as we all know, she is a marshmallow and she offers to help her make more posters. Veronica, full of righteous indignation, confronts Logan accusing him of starting the smear campaign, which he denies. Did you blink? Because if you did, you missed our Logan/Veronica scene for the episode.
The next day Veronica has moved from sign maker to campaign supporter and is handing out bumper stickers. She is surprised (boy, she is surprised a lot these days) when Weevil refuses to take one because he wont be voting for a narc. She presses for details and he tells her that someone ratted out Felix for having the welcome to Neptune signs in his bedroom one week after he started dating Wanda. If she wanted him in juvie after one week, he must have been a terrible boyfriend.
Veronica, who does not seem to question Weevils information, decides to set up a sting. She invites Wanda to a rave the following day and tells her that she will bring the drugs while Wanda brings chips and dips. Wanda, who does not seem to think it strange that the former sheriffs daughter does drugs, agrees readily.
To make sure that there is no tampering with the election this time, Clemmons broadcasts the ballot instructions as students dutifully vote. Veronica gets notified that her locker is going to be searched. She finds Clemmons and a deputy at her locker which they search along with her bag, but find nothing. (What, no heart with Clemmons face as a pin up? He must have been so disappointed.) When the results are read, Duncan is student body president.
Veronica confronts Wanda who gives her a sob story about how the sheriffs department caught her holding and agreed to keep it off her record if she informed on other students. Veronica, more than a little disgusted that she would narc on her classmates, informs Wanda that she voted for Duncan. Oh snap.
We close as Mrs. Donaldson introduces the new ASB president. Duncan, who seemed to have been infected with some of his fathers enthusiasm, announces that he is expanding the pirate point program to basically make every student eligible. Jake Kane stands in the doorway looking very proud, and kinda hot.
- Logan, dressed in his robe, uses a motor scooter to get the newspaper where he is inundated with people on a star tour. Logan is very unhappy to see them there. His father, on the other hand, is happy to smile for the fans and sign autographs. He makes Logan pose with him for photographs reminding him that the fans pay for his lifestyle.
- Logan is at the local gas station when he and Dick Casablancas meet a homeless vet washing window shields for tips. Logan offers him $100, saying that he is putting together an amateur boxing night but the man refuses. A few nights later we see Logan has organized a bum fight on the beach. A couple of days after that Dick tells Logan to check out The Smoking Gun website and there he sees footage of the bum fight.
That night Logan sneaks into his house, but his father is waiting for him. Aaron has been fielding phone calls all evening regarding Logan and he tells him that he will have to fix the situation. He takes Logan to a homeless kitchen to serve soup and for a photo op. During the reporters interview after Aaron tells everyone what a great heart Logan has, Logan announces that his father will donate $500,000 to the Neptune Food Bank. When they get home Logan is forced to choose a belt from his fathers closet which he is then beaten with. We see his mother sitting outside drinking, listening to the slaps of the belt.
- The Echolls house is on a star tour and they have an electronic gate to keep lookie-loos out. The house number is 15663.
- Duncan plays soccer and has twice been All-league.
- Duncan is editor of the school newspaper, the Neptune Navigator.
- Duncan has a 3.924 GPA and was a member of the National Honors society; he was also a national merit semi-finalist and is an "all-around righteous dude."
- Wallaces father is dead.
- Pirate points are earned for doing school activities. Without them, you are denied privileges such as having food delivered.
- Apparently dessert for dinner night is nothing new in the Mars household.
- Neptune High has a televised TV channel for school events.
- School candidates running for school offices air campaign videos.
- Miss Dent is left handed.
- Wallaces student ID number is 43059.
- Wanda and Veronica used to be in pep squad together.
- Veronica has a guide to colleges, but says that she has not picked where she wants to go.
- Wanda wants to go to Williams University.
- Aaron does charity work and has a Christmas movie coming out.
- Aaron is verbally and physically abusive toward Logan.
- Felix and Wanda are dating and you can see them together having lunch in the teaser.
- Felix earned a month of highway cleanup for stealing all the Welcome to Neptune signs.
- Aaron drives a silver convertible corvette.
- Aarons father was not educated and he worked at an automobile plant in Pontiac, Michigan.
- Aaron starred in a movie called Hair Trigger.
- Mrs. Donaldson is the Student Council Adviser.
- Duncan does not seem as elitist as the other 09ers.
- The other ASB candidates are: Laura Hildebrand, Steve Whacker and Melissa Lewis.
- The other student election winners announced are Brian Gibson (Secretary) and Katie Keenan (Vice-President).
- The Smoking Gun story--
- Veronica learns during a TV news segment that Abel Koontz has fired his court appointed lawyer. If he does not file any more appeals he is scheduled to die by lethal injection in the following year. Also, in the footage of Lamb holding up the evidence, you can see that there is a heart on Lillys left white Ked.
Veronica asks Keith what he is going to do since he does not believe Koontz is guilty and he says he is going to do nothing. Veronica breaks into her fathers safe and re-reads the murder files. She finds pictures taken in Lillys room after her death, scans them into her computer and sees the backpack and shoes in the picture.
Veronica calls a local news station and asks for a copy of the footage that showed on the TV. Veronica goes to return the photos to the safe and discovers that her father has changed the combination. She originally lies to her father when the tape comes, but then confesses. Her father tells her that he is over trying to solve the case but she shows him the photo and the video and when he asks what Abel was doing with Lillys things we fade to black.
- Abel Koontz confessed to the murder.
- Wanda heard rumors that Weevil and Lilly were an item.
- Veronica adds Duncan to her suspect list since Lilly was alive hours after the coroners official time of death.
- Veronica sees Lilly in her bedroom, but I guess technically its a hallucination.
- Veronica remembers drawing the heart on Lillys shoe and writing Duncan inside.
- Lunch time with Lilly, Logan, Veronica and Duncan
"Still in Love Song" (The Stills)
Scene: Logan needs gas and a lesson in pride and humility -- but he ain't getting it yet. Well, okay, yeah he gets the gas. So, yeah, my bad ... he at least gets the gas.
"Feel Alright" (The Red Onions)
Scene: Proof positive that he didn't get the above lesson ... yeah, the junior Mr. Echolls plays the role of Don King in this late-night, skid-row boxing match. Logan, Logan, Logan.
"Bandido" (Daniel Indart)
Scene: And on the other end of the spectrum ... we see Donut (The Good) with Jake (The Even Better) while they sneak in some Mexican behind Celeste's back and discuss the allure of summa cum laude wood-carving.
"I'm In A Way" (The Rite Flyers)
Scene: Veronica gets some musical love as she and Wanda recall the good ole days of pep squad bliss with glitter, sharpie pens and cardboard.
"Ventura Highway" (America)
Scene: That lesson in pride and humility -- here it comes: Feeding the homeless, setting up dear ole dad and paying the consequences.
LoVe Lines
Veronica: Bravo, Logan. It's a new low. And just when the critics were having some doubts.
Logan: Mmm. Must be talking about your, uh, narc friend, W-W-W-Wanda. Well isn't it time that you found another bad guy. (With mock anguish.) Look, I just don't have time to be responsible for every little thing that goes wrong in your life. (He gives a dry chuckle.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica: My dad's gone a little nutty with all these father-daughter days.
Wallace: Yeah, see me on the other hand, would love to go to the zoo with my dad.
Veronica: Wallace, don't
Wallace: But he's dead, so.
Veronica: Okay. I hate myself. Are you happy?
Wallace: Um-hum.
Madison: Pirate points are earned by being a contributing member of the school. You get them for being in student council, for sports.
Ms. Dent: Cheerleading?
Madison: (Obnoxiously.) Is a sport.
Wallace: Who is that girl?
Veronica: That? Is Wanda Varner. Used to be in pep squad together.
Wallace: You two seem less peppy.
Veronica: Tough day?
Keith: (Phillip Marlowe impersonation.) That ain't the half of it. See, this dame walks in and you shoulda seen the getaway sticks on her. Says something's hinky with her old man.
Veronica: D'ya put the screws to him?
Keith: You ain't kidding. He sang like a canary.
Veronica: Well, you're in luck, Phillip Marlowe, because it's dessert for dinner night and I've got a whole sundae thing set up here.
Keith: You know if Child Services finds out about this, they will take you away.
Veronica: Well, that's a risk I'm willing to take.
Keith: Honey, shouldn't we try something at the base of the food pyramid? You know, fruits and vegetables?
Veronica: (Gasping.) What is that? (Scooping with her spoon.) A maraschino cherry?
Keith: I hate to break it to you, honey, but nobody in Neptune cares what I believe in. They didn't care when I was Sheriff, they sure as hell don't care now. This town's gonna have to find another conspiracy nut.
(Dream) Lilly: Check you out, Veronica Mars. (Standing in front of Veronica's closet, holding up a black outfit.) You're like a rocker chick now. You and I? We'd have a lot of fun together ... yeah. If, um, you know, if I wasn't dead and stuff.
Veronica: Why are you here?
(Dream) Lilly: Don't you watch any horror movies? (Ominously.) My soul is doomed to walk the earth until justice has been served.
Veronica: Really?
(Dream) Lilly: Yeah, that, and, as kind of a side project, I dispense fashion advice.
Veronica: Why would he have wanted to kill you?
(Dream) Lilly: Honestly. I was awesome, right?
Ms. Dent: Morning, Veronica. I was thinking maybe you'd be interested in covering the election for the student newspaper.
Veronica: Sure. I'll write it up this afternoon.
Ms. Dent: The election's tomorrow.
Veronica: And I can already see the headline. Brown-nosing, resume-packer wins in a landslide.
Ms. Dent: Maybe you wanna dig a little bit deeper.
Logan: Hey dude. Can she do that?
Duncan: Student council giveth, student council taketh away.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: If Lilly's ghost is going to haunt me until justice has been served, then I better get my ass in gear.
Ms. Dent: Oh, I'm happy to help, Veronica. I just find it difficult to believe that someone would try and tamper with the student council election.
Veronica: Well, you're new.
Veronica: Hey, student 43059! Who the hell is candidate E and why did you vote for her?
Wallace: You think I'm not voting for the sister? And for what possible reason do you have my student ID number memorized?
Veronica: Well if "Wanda rulez," why'd you vote for Duncan, you head case? I wanna find out who this kid is and what art room he voted in.
Wallace: Yeah, and I want a statue of myself in the main lobby, holding a musket, staring down danger. (He pauses with a smile.) Since we're talking about stuff we want.
Veronica: (Smiles sweetly.) Please?
Wallace: How hard was that?
Veronica: (Cheerfully.) Hi, Madison. I heard you lost your student aide gig and your student council spot. If I may be so bold as to make a recommendation -- on Fridays, uh, Sloppy Joes are your best bet.
Jake: Look. Your happiness. Is all I've ever wanted.
Duncan: Well what if I find happiness living in a grass hut, carving driftwood figurines for tourists?
Jake: I feel confident you have grander ambitions than that. But, if you're, uh, happy and committed to driftwood carving, be the best driftwood carver you can be. After you've graduated from Stanford, Law School, summa cum laude. (Duncan laughs.) See that! You're already smiling.
Veronica: Well, why don't you come over tonight and we'll make new posters. (With fake enthusiasm.) And I'll get some puffy paint and an Avril Lavigne CD and it'll be just like our pep squad days!
Wanda: (Claps.) Awesome! (Strikes a perky pose with hands on hips.)
Veronica: (Laughs, but then stops abruptly.) Okay, don't do that.
Veronica: So, was it your idea or did you just play it your usual way?
Duncan: What's my usual way?
Veronica: Oh, you know, Duncan. You don't initiate trouble. You don't initiate much of anything anymore.
Duncan: Don't stop there, Veronica. Say it. What's my usual way?
Veronica: (Enunciates carefully.)You stand idly by.
Aaron: (On cell phone.) Vince, what's happening? (Pause.) Yeah, I got the script. I've seen better writing on cereal boxes. (Guffaws.) Oh, big deal. The man hasn't made a watchable movie since the seventies. Are they gonna meet my quote? (Pause.) Hot damn! (To Logan.) Son! How do you argue with eight figures? Ya can't. Can't be done. (Back on the phone.) 'Kay, have 'em draw up the contract.
Homeless Vet: (To Logan.) Hey, it's Don King. Hey, you find some sucker who's willing to make a bitch outta hisself for cash?
Veronica Mars Voiceover: You'd think I'd quit being surprised at finding a knife in my back.
Clemmons: The Sheriff's Department has asked me --
Veronica: I could just give you my locker combination, save us all a lot of trouble. (Opens locker. Sacks pulls out her backpack and searches it.)
Deputy Sacks: Nothing.
Veronica: There's a couple of suckers. (Off their looks.) In the bag. If you want one.
Veronica: I'm lying. You know I'm lying. I don't want things to be like this between us anymore.
Keith: Like what?
Veronica: Like our own game of spy vs. spy.
Return of the King ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
Return of the King is the final book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The series is an exceptionally famous fantasy trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien made into a superlative film trilogy with all three films receiving countless Oscar-nominations, including a Best Picture win for the above-mentioned final installment, The Return of the King.
There really is no way to adequately condense the summary of this book into a paragraph or two. There are so many characters, so many stories, so many threads woven and interwoven in a compelling mix of fantasy, character, war and love that a paragraph or two simply can not do justice to Tolkien's masterpiece. To read a longer summary that captures a better feel for all that takes place in this third book, go here. Without going into any details, let's just say that the quest to destroy the One Ring is concluded and the power of the Dark Lord is finally defeated while everybody (except for one character who finds his death in the first chapter of the book) has a happy ending.
San Diego Zoo ... (Referenced when Wallace and Veronica are talking early in the episode and Veronica is bemoaning that her dad wants to go to the zoo to spend quality time.)
The world famous San Diego Zoo and its companion The Wild Animal Park are run by the Zoological Society of San Diego. It was founded in 1916 and currently boasts the largest zoological membership in the world. It is a conservation, education, and recreation organization dedicated to the reproduction, protection, and exhibition of animals, plants, and their habitats.
The Department of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species -- CRES -- was founded in 1975 and is one of the largest zoo-based research centers in the world. In 2004 the SD Zoological society received the National Award for Museum Service. The Zoo covers 100 acres and is home to 4000 rare and endangered animals. The Wild Animal Park is an expansive wildlife sanctuary that is home to more than 3500 animals.
Phillip Marlowe ... (Referenced after Keith did a Humphrey Bogart impression, right before the proper dinner discussion mentioned below.)
The quintessential hard boiled private eye was created by Raymond Chandler who was born in 1888 in Chicago. Chandler's first book, "The Big Sleep," was published in 1939 and he would go on to write six other Marlowe books. His character was famous for his hard boiled speech as well as liking liquor, women, and working alone which he did in his independent detective agency in LA. The Big Sleep was turned into a movie in 1946 directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart as the wisecracking private eye. Other famous actors to play Marlowe include William Powell, Robert Montgomery, James Garner, Elliot Gould, and Robert Mitchum.
The Food Pyramid ... (Referenced when Keith was discussing what should constitute a proper dinner with Veronica, as opposed to the sundae she was eating.)
The Food Pyramid was developed by the US Department of Agriculture in 1992. It served as a nutritional guide outlining basic serving sizes and generally recommended servings of the basic five food groups. The bottom of the pyramid was breads, with the next level being vegetables and fruits, milk and meat share the next level and the tip of the triangle was fat. It was updated in 2005 from one pyramid to a collection of several, each tailored to different sexes, ages, activity level and lifestyles.
The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away (Referenced by Duncan to Logan about the Pirate Points as he says "Student council giveth, student council taketh away.")
"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" is taken from Job, chapter 1, verses 20-21 in the King James Version of the Bible which states:
U.S. Marine Corps (Referenced by the homeless vet right before Logan asks him to participate in his boxing match.)
The Marine Corps or United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military, responsible for providing the military, elite force soldiers for defense from the sea. Originally, at their inception, they were commissioned as the "Continental Marines"(1775). They are under the authority of the United States Department of the Navy and ultimately, the President.
They are the second smallest military service in the US, having only 180,00 active members and about 40,000 reservists. The only military branch smaller is the US Coast Guard. The Marine Corps have a long history of serving to protect freedom and have served in every conflict in US History. Their ability to rapidly respond to regional crises makes it an important tool for American foreign policy.
The current mission for the Marine Corps is divided into three primary areas. First, the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and other land operations to support naval campaigns. Secondly, the development of tactics, technique, and equipment used by amphibious landing forces. And lastly, they follow any other duties as the President may direct.
Balboa Park (Referenced by Logan as fighter "Lightning Mike's" home.)
Balboa Park is an historic landmark, representing the work of some of the most well-loved Mexican immigrants, turned politicians of the time. It was and is a cultural center to celebrate the influence of the Mexican culture on America. The park is located in San Diego, California and is considered a community treasure.
It was originally established in 1835, as a place dedicated to public recreational use and appreciation of nature. It also represented the social culture of that time and desire for community among immigrants of all nations. It is over 47,000 acres and houses many attractions including: a park, a community theatre, a museum, shops, restaurants and the world famous, San Diego Zoo.
Other interesting facts, the park houses the world's largest outdoor organ, located in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. There is also a replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, fondly called the Old Globe Theatre located within the park's grounds. There are quaint cottages with themes from throughout the world, in keeping with interesting flavors from each culture. However, the real signature is the architecture, which is clearly represented in the Mexican style of airy arches and elaborate gardens.
It's largest attraction is the Balboa Park Golf Complex, that boasts an 18-hole golf course and a 9-hole executive course. However, the most interesting added feature is a bell tower added in 1914, that has sometimes been considered the "Liberty Bell of the West".
Stanford Law School ... (Referenced when Jake and Duncan were discussing his future.)
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located near Palo Alto, California in Silicon Valley. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law. It employs about 50 faculty and hosts over 500 students who are working towards their Juris Doctor.
Stanford Law School is considered one of the most prestigious law schools in the United States. In 2006, and for seven of the last nine years, US News & World Report has ranked Stanford Law School second in its annual rankings of law schools. Along with Harvard Law School and Yale Law School, Stanford typically places among the top three law schools in the reputation scores attributed to it by law professors and by lawyers and judges.
Summa Cum Laude . . . (Referenced by Jake when expressing his hopes for Duncan's future.)
'Summa Cum Laude' is a latin phrase used in tertiary education to denote those students who graduate: "with highest distinction." This is not to be confused with, "magna cum laude" which denotes 'high distinction' not highest.
Narc (Referenced by Wanda to Veronica after people have spray painted it on her posters and car.)
A Narc (or sometimes spelled Nark), is a person who notifies authorities of illicit activity, betraying someone that trusted them in the process. As represented in the episode, Return of the Kane, Wanda Varner was "narcing" on other students as a plea bargain to avoid her own police charge of drug possession. Weevil took great exception to this, due to Wanda turning in Felix as a drug user. Weevil and his boys, then proceeded to spray paint "Narc" on anything of Wanda's that would stand still. The moral of the story isoh, who are we kidding. This is Veronica Mars, there is no moral to the story. This is the land of many shades of gray, they were both wrong and karma has a way of finding you and biting you right in the hind quarters.
An interesting side note: The root of the term actually comes from 'narcotics officer.' Thus, it has a special connection to turning people in who are selling/using drugs because officers who did sting operations would entrap people before getting them in trouble. Just like Wanda did.
Avril Lavigne ... (Referenced when Veronica and Wanda decide to make some new campaign posters.)
A young pop singer, whose pop-punk sound hit the music scene with a bang when the 17-year old released her first Arista-label-release Let Go in 2002. The first single, "Complicated" was a huge radio smash as was every other single released from the album. That chart-topping success along with Lavigne's signature look (shirt and men's tie) as well as her skater-punk persona drove the album to sales of 15 million worldwide. Her follow-up release, Under My Skin, released in 2004 hit #1 on Billboard Charts, has already seen great success with its first single, "Don't Tell Me" and the follow-up "My Happy Ending."
W-w-w-anda ... (Referenced when Veronica accuses of Logan of setting up Wanda Varner.)
Reference to the Movie A Fish Called Wanda. The movie written by John Cleese was released in 1988 and starred Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cleese and Michael Palin. Kevin Kline won an Oscar for the role of Otto in which he makes fun of Michael Palin's Ken who has a stutter. One of his most quoted lines is "It's K-K-K-Ken c-c-c-coming to k-k-k-kill me."
The Smoking Gun Website ... (Referenced when Dick informs Logan that he's on the internet -- Logan finds out that his Skid-Boxing exploits have made it onto this famous site.)
Started by William Bastone, "The Smoking Gun" was created as a way for the editor, who covered organized crime for the Village Voice, to reveal interesting court documents that didn't find its way into news stories. The site has a specific area for mug shots of famous people as well as another that posts the contract riders of entertainers. It has made a name for itself by finding the unpublished background of reality show stars from Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire, American Idol and Survivor. The site is owned by Court TV.
Ivy League / Baby Ivy (Referenced by Wanda as she asks Veronica about her college plans.)
Ivy League refers to an athletic conference of eight private colleges and universities located in the Northeast of the United States: Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Columbia University in New York City, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The conference was established in 1954, but the schools have been around as early as 1701. The academic excellence of these eight institutions is consistently recognized by the U.S. News & World Report's published yearly list of college and university rankings.
Admission to the Ivies is highly selective, with admission rates ranging from 8.6 percent for Yale to 24.7 percent for Cornell. Admitted students typically have SAT Math and Verbal composites well over 1400 and are in the top ten percent of their high school classes. Really, though, Ivy admissions give a whole new meaning to the term "crapshoot". Admissions committees also do not ignore non-academic factors like legacy status, race/ethnicity or state of residence.
The Ivy League sponsors 33 men's and women's sports, and each schools has, on average, more than 35 varsity teams. All eight institutions rank among the top twenty of NCAA Division I schools for the number of sports offered to men and women.
Seven Sisters ... (as referenced by Wanda Varner in her conversation about choice colleges)
Seven Sisters references a name given to seven women only, liberal arts colleges in 1927 (the colleges themselves were all founded between 1837 and 1889). The colleges are: Mount Holyoke College, Vassar College, Wellesley College, Smith College, Radcliffe College, Bryn Mawr College and Barnard College. As of today, only five of the seven colleges still operate as exclusively women's colleges. Most recently, Radcliffe College was dissolved and merged with Harvard University in 1999. Harvard acknowledged the "Radcliffe heritage", by naming one of their schools of study after it (Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in Women's Studies at Harvard University).
Initially, the Seven Sister colleges were established to give women who were interested in a higher education, an opportunity to learn outside of a sometimes stifling, male world of academia. They also gave many of there graduates opportunities as professors and high raking college officials. They are considered the female equivalent of the "Ivy League".
Williams University ... (Referenced by Wanda when she and Veronica were making posters as the college she wanted to attend.)
Williams College, another Ivy League school, is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Although slightly less rigid than Stanford, academic standards at Williams College are also extremely high. More than 90% of enrolled students scored over a 600 on both the verbal and mathematical portions of the SATs. More than half of them scored better than a 700 on both. Only about 19% of the people who apply to Williams are admitted. If admitted, students will pay about $38,000 a year for room and board (so Wanda may indeed have to rob a bank if she gets in to this school).
SATs (Referenced by Wanda as she discusses her college hopes with Veronica.)
The SAT exam is a standardized test administered to high school students applying to college. The test measures both math and verbal skills. Recently, the exam also evaluates students' writing abilities. On the math and verbal sections students can score up to 800 (1600 total available points). On the writing students can receive anywhere from a 1- 6.
These scores are often criticized as being arbitrary (after all what is the standard to which they are holding students) and culturally biased (in favor of a white middles class upbringing). Despite these criticisms however, the test continues to be an educational institution, helping universities select students for admission and scholarships, terrorizing students, and relieving parents of more than $100 each time their son or daughter must take (or retake) the exam.
Fun facts: SAT used to stand for Scholastic Aptitude Test. Now it stands for nothing. The acronym has simply become the test's name.
Access Hollywood ... (Referenced by Aaron as one of the many callers he's having to deal with in the wake of the Smoking Gun story.)
Access Hollywood is a nationally syndicated, entertainment/pseudo news television program that airs in the United States. It reports on the gossip and goings-on of celebrities from the music, television and movie industries. Premiering in 1996, it quickly earned a reputation as a very pro-celebrity show. While it purports to give in-depth interviews and analyses, Access Hollywood segments consist of little more than fluffy sound bites and promotion for upcoming entertainment events, CDs, television shows, and movies while occasionally passing along idle speculation and rumors. It is in the same vein as Entertainment Tonight and E! News Live, but is considered to be the most trivial.
Entertainment Tonight ... (Referenced by Aaron as one of the many callers he's having to deal with in the wake of the Smoking Gun story.)
The most well-known of the entertainment-tabloid journalism shows that features daily gossip on the lives of celebrities, personal and career-wise. While the show has featured several hosts throughout the years the most well known are John Tesh (who later went on to have a successful, if ridiculed music career), Leeza Gibbons (who moved onto Extra and her own radio show) and Bob Goen, the current co-host. The most famous of them all is Mary Hart who has been with the show since its debut in 1982, who is known for insuring her legs (highly praised gams) and whose voice caused a viewer to have a seizures, which was chronicled in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1991.
E! ... (Referenced by Aaron as one of the many callers he's having to deal with in the wake of the Smoking Gun story.)
We all know E! as the network that brought us Kristin Veitch (a.k.a. Wanda a.k.a Wrongda), she of the enthusiastic Veronica Mars love (okay and love of every other show she decides to champion, which is ... every other show on network television, but she did bring nonstop gushing attention to VM, we'll give her that). Anyhoo, E! did not begin with Kristin Veitch's love of all things Veronica Mars (yes, even the Donut. I know, eww.) Actually, E! Entertainment Television has been around since 1987.
Launched as Movietime by former President of CNN and MSNBC, Rick Kaplan, it was designed as a low-budget service airing movie trailers and interviews with the stars. In June of 1990, the network was renamed E! Entertainment Television in order to emphasize its widening coverage of all things celebrity: Film, television, music, related awards shows, along with Hollywood news, gossip and fashion. As of 2005, E! is owned by a joint venture between Comcast (50%), The Walt Disney Company (40%), and Liberty Media (10%) and today, is available to eighty million subscribers in the U.S. and 400 million homes internationally.
Ecstasy ("Capital E") ... (Referenced by Veronica as she tells Wanda she can get party provisions "with a capital E.")
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)
Scantron (Referenced by Clemmons as he broadcasts the election ballot voting instructions.)
Scantron is the name of the company that makes those "beautiful" exam answer sheets that pretty much everyone has used at some point in their education (predominantly used in the United States). It is a tool used to make capturing and organizing data easier, in most cases the results of a test or survey.
Anyone who has used a "scantron", knows that they must be completed with a number 2 pencil and that you must never stray outside the lines. Otherwise, you will have to take that horrible biology test that you crammed for the night before, again. And we both know, there is no way that lightning will strike twice, in that you will remember which bacteria is most deadly (or in this case deadly to your GPA). Hence, teachers everywhere proclaim, "do it right the first time or feel the wrath of the re-test".
Don King ... (Referenced when Logan and Aaron were at the gas station.)
Born in 1932, Don King is a well known boxing promoter. His first career was as a numbers racketeer in Ohio. He was convicted of second degree murder in 1966 and received a life sentence. After a private meeting between King's lawyer and the judge, the conviction was reduced to nonnegligent homicide, sparking rumors of an organized crime connection when King walked. He came to national prominence in 1974 by sponsoring the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire commonly known as "The Rumble in the Jungle." More recently he actively campaigned for the re-election of George W Bush.
Pontiac, Michigan (Referenced by Aaron as he tells the press about his father.)
Pontiac is a city that was established in 1861. The city was named after Native American Leader, Cheif Pontiac. Pontiac is located on the edges of Detroit, Michigan. Location wise, it sits in the southeast corner of the state. Pontiac uses it's proximity to the water and some of the countries major cities to great advantage. It is a city with a rich history in the manufacturing fields, most predominently the automobile industry. Automobile manufacturer, General Motors and it's subsidiary, Pontiac, are based out of the city. Pontiac was named with pride, after it's geographic home (Man, I still miss those old Pontiac 6000'sAh, memories both misty and water colored).
The population in Pontiac is roughly 67,000 residents. It is a city that has serious poverty issues, with the median household family income, somewhere around $36,400. Despite it's location in the middle of some very affluent suburbs, it remains one of the poorest cities in Michigan.
Pontiac reminds you a bit of Neptune, it seems to be a place where the very rich and very poor intersect for the sake of money and cars. It always comes back to money or bling, doesn't it.
Spy vs. Spy (From MAD magazine) ... (Referenced in the final scene between Veronica and Keith when discussing them both working separately on Lilly's case.)
A popular cartoon in the humor magazine, MAD, "Spy vs. Spy" is arguably the most popular one the famous magazine for adolescence has ever featured, running at top speed for over thirty years. MAD was founded in 1952 by publisher William Gaines and editor Harvey Kurtzman. The magazine features satire on pop culture as well as your standard-variety yuks. Alfred E. Neuman, pictured below, is the magazine's long-time official mascot, first appearing in 1954.
- Keiths awful Bogart impersonation.
- The regular titles dont play because the network asked that the show give an extra few seconds for election results.
- Veronica votes for Wanda the first time.
- The metalwork is behind the entrance to Mars Investigations but it was not there in the Pilot.
- Veronica has great hair in this episode.
- Wandas aggressively happy fake cheer at her locker.
- When Logan goes home in the dark, in the last shot of Aaron you can see Lynn coming down the hallway in the distance of the medium shot. This no doubt led into the scene of Lynn comforting Logan that was (unfortunately) cut as seen in this released still shot.
- Right before the homeless vet asks Logan if he's found himself "some sucker who's willing to make a bitch outta hisself for cash," Aaron had been discussing the inability to turn down "eight figures." Right before they drive away, Logan gazes at Aaron with a look of utter loathing, bordering on hate and disgust that pretty much answers the vet's question.
- The song, "Ventura Highway" had already begun playing during the foodbank scene and then right after Logan announced the half a million dollar donation, Aaron looks at him, and as he does, the lyric playing is "thanks a lot, son, just the same." Just brilliant.
- Why does Veronica see Lilly not as she looked on the last day of her life? I mean for a dead girl shes got an awesome wardrobe.
- How was Duncan able to keep his GPA up with Lillys death and everything else going on?
- Did Logan make the video for Duncan? How did he get his father to participate?
- How long has Miss Dent been teaching at the school if she didnt know about pirate points?
- How did Abel Koontz get the shoes and backpack after Lilly was dead and the police were there?
- Why does Veronica have Wallaces student ID number memorized?
- What does Mrs. Donaldson teach?
- Did Jake know that Logan was going to do the video for Duncan?
- When Veronica confronts Duncan about how he idly stands by, was she referring to how he let his parents treat Lilly when she was alive?
- Logan had to know that his father would find out about the bum fights. Why did he do it?
- Did Weevil spill the beans and start the Wanda as Narc campaign to get back at her for what she did to Felix?
- If Duncan did not want to be student body president, why didnt he pull his name from the election?
- Why doesnt Lynn stop the beating?
- What happened to Duncans sticker? It is not on Veronicas locker when it is searched.
- How did Keith know that Veronica was in the safe?
- People have been on death row for decades. Why is Abel even without appeals scheduled to die so quickly?
- The Lilly murder files as they appear on Veronicas computer are different in future episodes.
- When Weidman and the Kanes set up Abel Koontz, how did they not realize that the shoes and backpack had already been photographed?
- When Jake says that he wants to see Duncan engaged in life is he aware of the side effects from the medication that Duncan takes? Isnt zombie Duncan kind of the point?
- If there were rumors about Lilly and Weevil, how did Veronica know nothing about it? Or, Logan for that matter.
- Did anyone else want to puke when Aaron was going on about Logan embarrassing the family? Hello kettle, this is pot youre black!
- All the reasons why Keith wanted to solve the case and he didnt get any of them. Sad.
Written/Compiled By:
JenniferH: Report Card; Chemistry; Band Class; Social Science
Mastermia (Maria): Yearbook; Journalism; Social Science; Study Hall; Extra Credit; Philosophy; Homeroom; Principles of Democracy; History
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
Polartruckin (Belinda): Social Science
SeluciaV (Alli): Social Science
Tar Frimmer (Joanne): Study Hall; Literature
Original Air Date: November 02, 2004
Written by: Phil Klemmer, Rob Thomas (Story)
Directed by: Sarah Pia Anderson
Grade: A
Membership Grade: B (43.6% / 55 votes)
One of the strongest episodes of the series run, Return of the Kane impresses with stellar story, writing and acting (but for one unfortunate exception -- guest star Rachel Roth). The A-story is compelling, involving not only the mystery of the week concerning school elections, but also adding indepth shading of Duncan's character. Meanwhile, the B-story (the introduction of Logan's family and their horrible dysfunction) offers a wallop of character background for our definitely no longer one-note obligatory pyschotic jackass.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Sydney Tamiia Poitier - Mallory Dent
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Brad Bufanda - Felix Toombs
Jonathan Chesner - Corny
Duane Daniels - Van Clemmons
Ryan Hansen - Dick Casablancas
Brandon Hillock - Deputy Sacks
Kyle Secor - Jake Kane
Amanda Seyfried - Lilly Kane
Guest Stars
Reginald Ballard - Dice (Homeless Veteran)
Harry Hamlin - Aaron Echolls
Jane Lynch - Mrs. Donaldson
Amanda Noret - Madison Sinclair
Lisa Rinna - Lynn Echolls
Rachel Roth - Wanda Varner
Who's Who in Neptune
Dice - Homeless veteran who washes windows for tips at a Neptune Gas Station.
Aaron Echolls - Logan's twenty-million-a-picture father to whom appearance is everything and discipline is swiftly met.
Mrs. Donaldson - The Student Counsel Advisor at Neptune High who sees Veronica as a trouble-maker.
Madison Sinclair - Spoiled, selfish 09er at Neptune High who is Mrs. Donaldson's student aide.
Lynn Echolls - Logan's mother, a former actress, who is quite fond of her highball.
Wanda Varner - Student at Neptune High, a former pep squad member, who's tired of the 09er special treatment and decides to do something about it. Friend of Veronica's from the good ole days.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Harry Hamlin (Aaron Echolls) - Best known for his work as hunky lawyer, Michael Kuzak, on L.A. Law from 1986 to 1991, Hamlin was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 1987. Prior to that, Hamlin starred in the camp classic Clash of the Titans, as well as the controversial Making Love in which he played an openly gay man awakening a married doctor to his own homosexuality. Hamlin is married to Lisa Rinna (below).
Lisa Rinna (Lynn Echolls) - Lisa Rinna co-hosts Soapnet's Soap Talk and her soap roots come via two sudsers: The daytime hit, Days of Our Lives where she played the original Billie Reed and Melrose Place where she vamped it up as Taylor for the 96-98 seasons. Rinna has been married to on-screen VM husband, Harry Hamlin, since 1997. They have two daughters.
Highlights
Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) - Step back Neptune as the Echolls' take center stage. Return of the Kane offers another standout performance by Jason Dohring that is layered with secrets, bravado, a healthy dash of jackassery and ultimately hidden suffering. The show unfolds at a breakneck pace culminating in the scene that could serve as an acting tutorial. As Dohring slowly opens the closet door and selects a belt his eyes speak volumes. Haunting and heartbreaking, we the viewer suddenly understand so much more about Logan Echolls.
Lowlights
Rachel Roth (Wanda Varner) - Rachel Roth plays a prominent role in Return of the Kane as the student who is attempting to upset the status quo and provide an outlet for the non-privileged non09er class. In so doing, the actress chooses to play the role of Wanda Varner in an aggressive, in your face style that initially serves to underline her character and induce the viewer to side with Veronica's choice to help her. Unfortunately, Roth continues to play the part on that strictly one note level throughout the entire episode leaving the viewer unemotionally invested in her character and in complete and total sympathy with Duncan's triumph.
A stronger actress would have added some hidden depths and layers to her portrayal, showing the conflict she felt in betraying her friends to maintain her own personal status. This would have added a poignant layer to the ethical choices many viewers are faced with every day. Instead, the final confrontation between Veronica and Wanda plays more as a "Gotcha, don't let the stage door hit you on your way off of the set" than "I made a poor choice that I regret and I'm sorry I betrayed you" scene.
Scene One: Ceasefire
I think Logan honestly means it. In this dinky, lone scene, Veronica once again accuses Logan of something that he didn't do. With feigned pain overwrought with sarcasm, Logan tells her: "I just don't have time to be responsible for everything that goes wrong in your life." And again, going back to sentence one, I think he means it. We've seen a thawing of their interaction throughout the last three four episodes and while this line is delivered with snark, it also includes a real air of frustration.
Maybe, this accusation is just the final straw for him. He has, obviously, given her so much reason in the past to automatically assume the worst of him. When she does so once again, based pretty much on nothing but dislike, I think he is just plain tired of it ... especially after the events in The Wrath of Con. Maybe he is tired of being her whipping boy or maybe he is tired of the overt animosity period. Future episodes will tell, but it sure seems like it to me. Again, listen to his tone of voice, but also pay attention to the slight over-the-top-ness of his flamboyant hand gestures that are just not as flamboyant as usual, as well as his body language when he walks away. Yes, he does the hand gesture he often employs with Veronica, but it's barely noticeable and he looks after her not with that staring intensity, but with, again, a tint of frustration. I do believe he's just tired of it and wants it to end.
However, since Logan was the one who started this little war, he has to be the one to finally stop it and he has to go through different stages in order to get there. Stage one has to be a ceasefire of hostility. And considering his response, despite the snark, is much less loaded than of late and cares that note of resignation, one can only imagine he's getting very near that state of ceasefire.
Duncans father encourages his reluctant son to run for student council to beef up his college applications. Duncan in true Duncan fashion laughs off his well meaning and very cute father. Meanwhile, Miss Dent volunteers a reluctant Veronica to do a story on the school election. (Hmm, I am seeing a trend of reluctant teenagers.) Veronica, who has lived in Neptune for longer than five seconds, lays out for Miss Dent the way that the election will go culminating in 09er glory. However, to make her teacher happy, Veronica agrees to do an investigative piece.
She begins by interviewing Wanda Varner, the front runner for ASB President. Wanda, an old Pep Squad friend of Veronicas, has also left behind the cozy environs of 09erhood. Of course she did it by a choice involving lots of eyeliner, combat boots and by dating a PCH biker, but other than that they are two peas in a pod. Wanda is running on a platform of doing away with the Pirate points that favor the 09er clique. Logan, seeing his privileged status threatened comes up with a plan. The shocking part of it? He apparently goes to his father for help because suddenly Duncan has a hot shit campaign ad that stars Aaron, singing Duncans praises. Logan has it aired at school much to Duncans surprise.
Even though Duncan begs people not to vote for him, when the winners are announced, he has won ASB President, carrying more than half the student body. Not bad for someone who didnt even want to run. Even though Veronica called this outcome, she feels that something is rotten in the state of Neptune. She approaches the Student Council Advisor, Mrs. Donaldson, who is quite the officious bitch, to see the ballots which she has the right to review.
Mrs. Donaldson refuses out of hand and goes on to say that Veronica needs a faculty member to make the request. Enter Miss Dent who is happy to see Veronica throwing herself into her story and makes the request. Mrs. Donaldson decides that the best way to handle the situation is to patronize Miss Dent and insult Veronica. She is surprised when her ploy doesnt work and is forced to hand over the ballots.
Veronica and Wallace rescan the ballots but everything seems to be in order, other than the fact that Veronica inexplicably knows Wallaces student ID number by heart. Veronica finds a ballot that says Wanda Rulz, but the person voted for Duncan. Using her super snoop skills Veronica declares the game afoot and tracks down the student in art class. There she finds that the candidates were written in a different order than when she voted. Classes who would vote for Duncan got the correct instructions and classes where people would vote for Wanda got them reversed, so that people were actually voting for Duncan when they thought they were voting for Wanda.
After a little quality time with Clemmons, Mrs. Donaldson coughs up the name of the aide who made and handed out the instructions, one Miss Madison Sinclair. And, I have to say that my respect level for Madison rose a great deal at that point. It never occurred to me that she was smart enough to think up something like this. I guess what they say about monkeys locked in a room with typewriters will eventually write War and Peace must be true as well.
As Mrs. Donaldson insists that nothing underhanded happened an entire class who were duped by Madisons scheme begs to differ. Veronica suggests that they have a run-off election between Duncan and Wanda and the motion carries. And in a move that must have sweetened Veronicas victory, Madison loses her student council seat and her student aide job which leaves her with no way to earn her precious pirate points. Hope you like the cafeteria food, Maddy.
Jake, who seems much more excited than Duncan, tries to motivate his mopey son to become engaged. Hey, if Jake wants to throw the resources of his multi-million dollar company my way, I certainly wouldnt say no. Duncan, however, is made from sterner stuff and seems unmoved by his fathers excitement. Though in the end they do share some nice, and heretofore unseen, father-son bonding time.
The next day at school Veronica is shocked to see 'Narc' written all over Wandas campaign posters. Since as we all know, she is a marshmallow and she offers to help her make more posters. Veronica, full of righteous indignation, confronts Logan accusing him of starting the smear campaign, which he denies. Did you blink? Because if you did, you missed our Logan/Veronica scene for the episode.
The next day Veronica has moved from sign maker to campaign supporter and is handing out bumper stickers. She is surprised (boy, she is surprised a lot these days) when Weevil refuses to take one because he wont be voting for a narc. She presses for details and he tells her that someone ratted out Felix for having the welcome to Neptune signs in his bedroom one week after he started dating Wanda. If she wanted him in juvie after one week, he must have been a terrible boyfriend.
Veronica, who does not seem to question Weevils information, decides to set up a sting. She invites Wanda to a rave the following day and tells her that she will bring the drugs while Wanda brings chips and dips. Wanda, who does not seem to think it strange that the former sheriffs daughter does drugs, agrees readily.
To make sure that there is no tampering with the election this time, Clemmons broadcasts the ballot instructions as students dutifully vote. Veronica gets notified that her locker is going to be searched. She finds Clemmons and a deputy at her locker which they search along with her bag, but find nothing. (What, no heart with Clemmons face as a pin up? He must have been so disappointed.) When the results are read, Duncan is student body president.
Veronica confronts Wanda who gives her a sob story about how the sheriffs department caught her holding and agreed to keep it off her record if she informed on other students. Veronica, more than a little disgusted that she would narc on her classmates, informs Wanda that she voted for Duncan. Oh snap.
We close as Mrs. Donaldson introduces the new ASB president. Duncan, who seemed to have been infected with some of his fathers enthusiasm, announces that he is expanding the pirate point program to basically make every student eligible. Jake Kane stands in the doorway looking very proud, and kinda hot.
- Logan, dressed in his robe, uses a motor scooter to get the newspaper where he is inundated with people on a star tour. Logan is very unhappy to see them there. His father, on the other hand, is happy to smile for the fans and sign autographs. He makes Logan pose with him for photographs reminding him that the fans pay for his lifestyle.
- Logan is at the local gas station when he and Dick Casablancas meet a homeless vet washing window shields for tips. Logan offers him $100, saying that he is putting together an amateur boxing night but the man refuses. A few nights later we see Logan has organized a bum fight on the beach. A couple of days after that Dick tells Logan to check out The Smoking Gun website and there he sees footage of the bum fight.
That night Logan sneaks into his house, but his father is waiting for him. Aaron has been fielding phone calls all evening regarding Logan and he tells him that he will have to fix the situation. He takes Logan to a homeless kitchen to serve soup and for a photo op. During the reporters interview after Aaron tells everyone what a great heart Logan has, Logan announces that his father will donate $500,000 to the Neptune Food Bank. When they get home Logan is forced to choose a belt from his fathers closet which he is then beaten with. We see his mother sitting outside drinking, listening to the slaps of the belt.
- The Echolls house is on a star tour and they have an electronic gate to keep lookie-loos out. The house number is 15663.
- Duncan plays soccer and has twice been All-league.
- Duncan is editor of the school newspaper, the Neptune Navigator.
- Duncan has a 3.924 GPA and was a member of the National Honors society; he was also a national merit semi-finalist and is an "all-around righteous dude."
- Wallaces father is dead.
- Pirate points are earned for doing school activities. Without them, you are denied privileges such as having food delivered.
- Apparently dessert for dinner night is nothing new in the Mars household.
- Neptune High has a televised TV channel for school events.
- School candidates running for school offices air campaign videos.
- Miss Dent is left handed.
- Wallaces student ID number is 43059.
- Wanda and Veronica used to be in pep squad together.
- Veronica has a guide to colleges, but says that she has not picked where she wants to go.
- Wanda wants to go to Williams University.
- Aaron does charity work and has a Christmas movie coming out.
- Aaron is verbally and physically abusive toward Logan.
- Felix and Wanda are dating and you can see them together having lunch in the teaser.
- Felix earned a month of highway cleanup for stealing all the Welcome to Neptune signs.
- Aaron drives a silver convertible corvette.
- Aarons father was not educated and he worked at an automobile plant in Pontiac, Michigan.
- Aaron starred in a movie called Hair Trigger.
- Mrs. Donaldson is the Student Council Adviser.
- Duncan does not seem as elitist as the other 09ers.
- The other ASB candidates are: Laura Hildebrand, Steve Whacker and Melissa Lewis.
- The other student election winners announced are Brian Gibson (Secretary) and Katie Keenan (Vice-President).
- The Smoking Gun story--
A-Lister's Link to Twisted Pastime
Aaron Echolls' son caught bruising bums for cash
October 23 - In a twisted and horrific act of brutality, Aaron Echolls' son, Logan Echolls, has been participating in organized fights. The only catch is, the fighters are homeless men. A tip to TSG led to the obtainment of a video tape shot by a spectator. The footage clearly captures Logan smiling and cheering on a bum battle. No word as of yet from Aaron's publicist for comment on the matter. But we are sure the Echolls' household is none too pleased with this barbaric act tarnishing their Hollywood perfection.
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*CAUTION* Contains Graphic Images
- Veronica learns during a TV news segment that Abel Koontz has fired his court appointed lawyer. If he does not file any more appeals he is scheduled to die by lethal injection in the following year. Also, in the footage of Lamb holding up the evidence, you can see that there is a heart on Lillys left white Ked.
Veronica asks Keith what he is going to do since he does not believe Koontz is guilty and he says he is going to do nothing. Veronica breaks into her fathers safe and re-reads the murder files. She finds pictures taken in Lillys room after her death, scans them into her computer and sees the backpack and shoes in the picture.
Veronica calls a local news station and asks for a copy of the footage that showed on the TV. Veronica goes to return the photos to the safe and discovers that her father has changed the combination. She originally lies to her father when the tape comes, but then confesses. Her father tells her that he is over trying to solve the case but she shows him the photo and the video and when he asks what Abel was doing with Lillys things we fade to black.
- Abel Koontz confessed to the murder.
- Wanda heard rumors that Weevil and Lilly were an item.
- Veronica adds Duncan to her suspect list since Lilly was alive hours after the coroners official time of death.
- Veronica sees Lilly in her bedroom, but I guess technically its a hallucination.
- Veronica remembers drawing the heart on Lillys shoe and writing Duncan inside.
- Lunch time with Lilly, Logan, Veronica and Duncan
"Still in Love Song" (The Stills)
Scene: Logan needs gas and a lesson in pride and humility -- but he ain't getting it yet. Well, okay, yeah he gets the gas. So, yeah, my bad ... he at least gets the gas.
"Feel Alright" (The Red Onions)
Scene: Proof positive that he didn't get the above lesson ... yeah, the junior Mr. Echolls plays the role of Don King in this late-night, skid-row boxing match. Logan, Logan, Logan.
"Bandido" (Daniel Indart)
Scene: And on the other end of the spectrum ... we see Donut (The Good) with Jake (The Even Better) while they sneak in some Mexican behind Celeste's back and discuss the allure of summa cum laude wood-carving.
"I'm In A Way" (The Rite Flyers)
Scene: Veronica gets some musical love as she and Wanda recall the good ole days of pep squad bliss with glitter, sharpie pens and cardboard.
"Ventura Highway" (America)
Scene: That lesson in pride and humility -- here it comes: Feeding the homeless, setting up dear ole dad and paying the consequences.
LoVe Lines
Veronica: Bravo, Logan. It's a new low. And just when the critics were having some doubts.
Logan: Mmm. Must be talking about your, uh, narc friend, W-W-W-Wanda. Well isn't it time that you found another bad guy. (With mock anguish.) Look, I just don't have time to be responsible for every little thing that goes wrong in your life. (He gives a dry chuckle.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica: My dad's gone a little nutty with all these father-daughter days.
Wallace: Yeah, see me on the other hand, would love to go to the zoo with my dad.
Veronica: Wallace, don't
Wallace: But he's dead, so.
Veronica: Okay. I hate myself. Are you happy?
Wallace: Um-hum.
Madison: Pirate points are earned by being a contributing member of the school. You get them for being in student council, for sports.
Ms. Dent: Cheerleading?
Madison: (Obnoxiously.) Is a sport.
Wallace: Who is that girl?
Veronica: That? Is Wanda Varner. Used to be in pep squad together.
Wallace: You two seem less peppy.
Veronica: Tough day?
Keith: (Phillip Marlowe impersonation.) That ain't the half of it. See, this dame walks in and you shoulda seen the getaway sticks on her. Says something's hinky with her old man.
Veronica: D'ya put the screws to him?
Keith: You ain't kidding. He sang like a canary.
Veronica: Well, you're in luck, Phillip Marlowe, because it's dessert for dinner night and I've got a whole sundae thing set up here.
Keith: You know if Child Services finds out about this, they will take you away.
Veronica: Well, that's a risk I'm willing to take.
Keith: Honey, shouldn't we try something at the base of the food pyramid? You know, fruits and vegetables?
Veronica: (Gasping.) What is that? (Scooping with her spoon.) A maraschino cherry?
Keith: I hate to break it to you, honey, but nobody in Neptune cares what I believe in. They didn't care when I was Sheriff, they sure as hell don't care now. This town's gonna have to find another conspiracy nut.
(Dream) Lilly: Check you out, Veronica Mars. (Standing in front of Veronica's closet, holding up a black outfit.) You're like a rocker chick now. You and I? We'd have a lot of fun together ... yeah. If, um, you know, if I wasn't dead and stuff.
Veronica: Why are you here?
(Dream) Lilly: Don't you watch any horror movies? (Ominously.) My soul is doomed to walk the earth until justice has been served.
Veronica: Really?
(Dream) Lilly: Yeah, that, and, as kind of a side project, I dispense fashion advice.
Veronica: Why would he have wanted to kill you?
(Dream) Lilly: Honestly. I was awesome, right?
Ms. Dent: Morning, Veronica. I was thinking maybe you'd be interested in covering the election for the student newspaper.
Veronica: Sure. I'll write it up this afternoon.
Ms. Dent: The election's tomorrow.
Veronica: And I can already see the headline. Brown-nosing, resume-packer wins in a landslide.
Ms. Dent: Maybe you wanna dig a little bit deeper.
Logan: Hey dude. Can she do that?
Duncan: Student council giveth, student council taketh away.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: If Lilly's ghost is going to haunt me until justice has been served, then I better get my ass in gear.
Ms. Dent: Oh, I'm happy to help, Veronica. I just find it difficult to believe that someone would try and tamper with the student council election.
Veronica: Well, you're new.
Veronica: Hey, student 43059! Who the hell is candidate E and why did you vote for her?
Wallace: You think I'm not voting for the sister? And for what possible reason do you have my student ID number memorized?
Veronica: Well if "Wanda rulez," why'd you vote for Duncan, you head case? I wanna find out who this kid is and what art room he voted in.
Wallace: Yeah, and I want a statue of myself in the main lobby, holding a musket, staring down danger. (He pauses with a smile.) Since we're talking about stuff we want.
Veronica: (Smiles sweetly.) Please?
Wallace: How hard was that?
Veronica: (Cheerfully.) Hi, Madison. I heard you lost your student aide gig and your student council spot. If I may be so bold as to make a recommendation -- on Fridays, uh, Sloppy Joes are your best bet.
Jake: Look. Your happiness. Is all I've ever wanted.
Duncan: Well what if I find happiness living in a grass hut, carving driftwood figurines for tourists?
Jake: I feel confident you have grander ambitions than that. But, if you're, uh, happy and committed to driftwood carving, be the best driftwood carver you can be. After you've graduated from Stanford, Law School, summa cum laude. (Duncan laughs.) See that! You're already smiling.
Veronica: Well, why don't you come over tonight and we'll make new posters. (With fake enthusiasm.) And I'll get some puffy paint and an Avril Lavigne CD and it'll be just like our pep squad days!
Wanda: (Claps.) Awesome! (Strikes a perky pose with hands on hips.)
Veronica: (Laughs, but then stops abruptly.) Okay, don't do that.
Veronica: So, was it your idea or did you just play it your usual way?
Duncan: What's my usual way?
Veronica: Oh, you know, Duncan. You don't initiate trouble. You don't initiate much of anything anymore.
Duncan: Don't stop there, Veronica. Say it. What's my usual way?
Veronica: (Enunciates carefully.)You stand idly by.
Aaron: (On cell phone.) Vince, what's happening? (Pause.) Yeah, I got the script. I've seen better writing on cereal boxes. (Guffaws.) Oh, big deal. The man hasn't made a watchable movie since the seventies. Are they gonna meet my quote? (Pause.) Hot damn! (To Logan.) Son! How do you argue with eight figures? Ya can't. Can't be done. (Back on the phone.) 'Kay, have 'em draw up the contract.
Homeless Vet: (To Logan.) Hey, it's Don King. Hey, you find some sucker who's willing to make a bitch outta hisself for cash?
Veronica Mars Voiceover: You'd think I'd quit being surprised at finding a knife in my back.
Clemmons: The Sheriff's Department has asked me --
Veronica: I could just give you my locker combination, save us all a lot of trouble. (Opens locker. Sacks pulls out her backpack and searches it.)
Deputy Sacks: Nothing.
Veronica: There's a couple of suckers. (Off their looks.) In the bag. If you want one.
Veronica: I'm lying. You know I'm lying. I don't want things to be like this between us anymore.
Keith: Like what?
Veronica: Like our own game of spy vs. spy.
Return of the King ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
Return of the King is the final book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The series is an exceptionally famous fantasy trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien made into a superlative film trilogy with all three films receiving countless Oscar-nominations, including a Best Picture win for the above-mentioned final installment, The Return of the King.
There really is no way to adequately condense the summary of this book into a paragraph or two. There are so many characters, so many stories, so many threads woven and interwoven in a compelling mix of fantasy, character, war and love that a paragraph or two simply can not do justice to Tolkien's masterpiece. To read a longer summary that captures a better feel for all that takes place in this third book, go here. Without going into any details, let's just say that the quest to destroy the One Ring is concluded and the power of the Dark Lord is finally defeated while everybody (except for one character who finds his death in the first chapter of the book) has a happy ending.
San Diego Zoo ... (Referenced when Wallace and Veronica are talking early in the episode and Veronica is bemoaning that her dad wants to go to the zoo to spend quality time.)
The world famous San Diego Zoo and its companion The Wild Animal Park are run by the Zoological Society of San Diego. It was founded in 1916 and currently boasts the largest zoological membership in the world. It is a conservation, education, and recreation organization dedicated to the reproduction, protection, and exhibition of animals, plants, and their habitats.
The Department of Conservation and Research for Endangered Species -- CRES -- was founded in 1975 and is one of the largest zoo-based research centers in the world. In 2004 the SD Zoological society received the National Award for Museum Service. The Zoo covers 100 acres and is home to 4000 rare and endangered animals. The Wild Animal Park is an expansive wildlife sanctuary that is home to more than 3500 animals.
Phillip Marlowe ... (Referenced after Keith did a Humphrey Bogart impression, right before the proper dinner discussion mentioned below.)
The quintessential hard boiled private eye was created by Raymond Chandler who was born in 1888 in Chicago. Chandler's first book, "The Big Sleep," was published in 1939 and he would go on to write six other Marlowe books. His character was famous for his hard boiled speech as well as liking liquor, women, and working alone which he did in his independent detective agency in LA. The Big Sleep was turned into a movie in 1946 directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart as the wisecracking private eye. Other famous actors to play Marlowe include William Powell, Robert Montgomery, James Garner, Elliot Gould, and Robert Mitchum.
The Food Pyramid ... (Referenced when Keith was discussing what should constitute a proper dinner with Veronica, as opposed to the sundae she was eating.)
The Food Pyramid was developed by the US Department of Agriculture in 1992. It served as a nutritional guide outlining basic serving sizes and generally recommended servings of the basic five food groups. The bottom of the pyramid was breads, with the next level being vegetables and fruits, milk and meat share the next level and the tip of the triangle was fat. It was updated in 2005 from one pyramid to a collection of several, each tailored to different sexes, ages, activity level and lifestyles.
The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away (Referenced by Duncan to Logan about the Pirate Points as he says "Student council giveth, student council taketh away.")
"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" is taken from Job, chapter 1, verses 20-21 in the King James Version of the Bible which states:
- Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
U.S. Marine Corps (Referenced by the homeless vet right before Logan asks him to participate in his boxing match.)
The Marine Corps or United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military, responsible for providing the military, elite force soldiers for defense from the sea. Originally, at their inception, they were commissioned as the "Continental Marines"(1775). They are under the authority of the United States Department of the Navy and ultimately, the President.
They are the second smallest military service in the US, having only 180,00 active members and about 40,000 reservists. The only military branch smaller is the US Coast Guard. The Marine Corps have a long history of serving to protect freedom and have served in every conflict in US History. Their ability to rapidly respond to regional crises makes it an important tool for American foreign policy.
The current mission for the Marine Corps is divided into three primary areas. First, the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and other land operations to support naval campaigns. Secondly, the development of tactics, technique, and equipment used by amphibious landing forces. And lastly, they follow any other duties as the President may direct.
Balboa Park (Referenced by Logan as fighter "Lightning Mike's" home.)
Balboa Park is an historic landmark, representing the work of some of the most well-loved Mexican immigrants, turned politicians of the time. It was and is a cultural center to celebrate the influence of the Mexican culture on America. The park is located in San Diego, California and is considered a community treasure.
It was originally established in 1835, as a place dedicated to public recreational use and appreciation of nature. It also represented the social culture of that time and desire for community among immigrants of all nations. It is over 47,000 acres and houses many attractions including: a park, a community theatre, a museum, shops, restaurants and the world famous, San Diego Zoo.
Other interesting facts, the park houses the world's largest outdoor organ, located in the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. There is also a replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, fondly called the Old Globe Theatre located within the park's grounds. There are quaint cottages with themes from throughout the world, in keeping with interesting flavors from each culture. However, the real signature is the architecture, which is clearly represented in the Mexican style of airy arches and elaborate gardens.
It's largest attraction is the Balboa Park Golf Complex, that boasts an 18-hole golf course and a 9-hole executive course. However, the most interesting added feature is a bell tower added in 1914, that has sometimes been considered the "Liberty Bell of the West".
Stanford Law School ... (Referenced when Jake and Duncan were discussing his future.)
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located near Palo Alto, California in Silicon Valley. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law. It employs about 50 faculty and hosts over 500 students who are working towards their Juris Doctor.
Stanford Law School is considered one of the most prestigious law schools in the United States. In 2006, and for seven of the last nine years, US News & World Report has ranked Stanford Law School second in its annual rankings of law schools. Along with Harvard Law School and Yale Law School, Stanford typically places among the top three law schools in the reputation scores attributed to it by law professors and by lawyers and judges.
Summa Cum Laude . . . (Referenced by Jake when expressing his hopes for Duncan's future.)
'Summa Cum Laude' is a latin phrase used in tertiary education to denote those students who graduate: "with highest distinction." This is not to be confused with, "magna cum laude" which denotes 'high distinction' not highest.
Narc (Referenced by Wanda to Veronica after people have spray painted it on her posters and car.)
A Narc (or sometimes spelled Nark), is a person who notifies authorities of illicit activity, betraying someone that trusted them in the process. As represented in the episode, Return of the Kane, Wanda Varner was "narcing" on other students as a plea bargain to avoid her own police charge of drug possession. Weevil took great exception to this, due to Wanda turning in Felix as a drug user. Weevil and his boys, then proceeded to spray paint "Narc" on anything of Wanda's that would stand still. The moral of the story isoh, who are we kidding. This is Veronica Mars, there is no moral to the story. This is the land of many shades of gray, they were both wrong and karma has a way of finding you and biting you right in the hind quarters.
An interesting side note: The root of the term actually comes from 'narcotics officer.' Thus, it has a special connection to turning people in who are selling/using drugs because officers who did sting operations would entrap people before getting them in trouble. Just like Wanda did.
Avril Lavigne ... (Referenced when Veronica and Wanda decide to make some new campaign posters.)
A young pop singer, whose pop-punk sound hit the music scene with a bang when the 17-year old released her first Arista-label-release Let Go in 2002. The first single, "Complicated" was a huge radio smash as was every other single released from the album. That chart-topping success along with Lavigne's signature look (shirt and men's tie) as well as her skater-punk persona drove the album to sales of 15 million worldwide. Her follow-up release, Under My Skin, released in 2004 hit #1 on Billboard Charts, has already seen great success with its first single, "Don't Tell Me" and the follow-up "My Happy Ending."
W-w-w-anda ... (Referenced when Veronica accuses of Logan of setting up Wanda Varner.)
Reference to the Movie A Fish Called Wanda. The movie written by John Cleese was released in 1988 and starred Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cleese and Michael Palin. Kevin Kline won an Oscar for the role of Otto in which he makes fun of Michael Palin's Ken who has a stutter. One of his most quoted lines is "It's K-K-K-Ken c-c-c-coming to k-k-k-kill me."
The Smoking Gun Website ... (Referenced when Dick informs Logan that he's on the internet -- Logan finds out that his Skid-Boxing exploits have made it onto this famous site.)
Started by William Bastone, "The Smoking Gun" was created as a way for the editor, who covered organized crime for the Village Voice, to reveal interesting court documents that didn't find its way into news stories. The site has a specific area for mug shots of famous people as well as another that posts the contract riders of entertainers. It has made a name for itself by finding the unpublished background of reality show stars from Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire, American Idol and Survivor. The site is owned by Court TV.
Ivy League / Baby Ivy (Referenced by Wanda as she asks Veronica about her college plans.)
Ivy League refers to an athletic conference of eight private colleges and universities located in the Northeast of the United States: Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Columbia University in New York City, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The conference was established in 1954, but the schools have been around as early as 1701. The academic excellence of these eight institutions is consistently recognized by the U.S. News & World Report's published yearly list of college and university rankings.
Admission to the Ivies is highly selective, with admission rates ranging from 8.6 percent for Yale to 24.7 percent for Cornell. Admitted students typically have SAT Math and Verbal composites well over 1400 and are in the top ten percent of their high school classes. Really, though, Ivy admissions give a whole new meaning to the term "crapshoot". Admissions committees also do not ignore non-academic factors like legacy status, race/ethnicity or state of residence.
The Ivy League sponsors 33 men's and women's sports, and each schools has, on average, more than 35 varsity teams. All eight institutions rank among the top twenty of NCAA Division I schools for the number of sports offered to men and women.
Seven Sisters ... (as referenced by Wanda Varner in her conversation about choice colleges)
Seven Sisters references a name given to seven women only, liberal arts colleges in 1927 (the colleges themselves were all founded between 1837 and 1889). The colleges are: Mount Holyoke College, Vassar College, Wellesley College, Smith College, Radcliffe College, Bryn Mawr College and Barnard College. As of today, only five of the seven colleges still operate as exclusively women's colleges. Most recently, Radcliffe College was dissolved and merged with Harvard University in 1999. Harvard acknowledged the "Radcliffe heritage", by naming one of their schools of study after it (Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in Women's Studies at Harvard University).
Initially, the Seven Sister colleges were established to give women who were interested in a higher education, an opportunity to learn outside of a sometimes stifling, male world of academia. They also gave many of there graduates opportunities as professors and high raking college officials. They are considered the female equivalent of the "Ivy League".
Williams University ... (Referenced by Wanda when she and Veronica were making posters as the college she wanted to attend.)
Williams College, another Ivy League school, is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Although slightly less rigid than Stanford, academic standards at Williams College are also extremely high. More than 90% of enrolled students scored over a 600 on both the verbal and mathematical portions of the SATs. More than half of them scored better than a 700 on both. Only about 19% of the people who apply to Williams are admitted. If admitted, students will pay about $38,000 a year for room and board (so Wanda may indeed have to rob a bank if she gets in to this school).
SATs (Referenced by Wanda as she discusses her college hopes with Veronica.)
The SAT exam is a standardized test administered to high school students applying to college. The test measures both math and verbal skills. Recently, the exam also evaluates students' writing abilities. On the math and verbal sections students can score up to 800 (1600 total available points). On the writing students can receive anywhere from a 1- 6.
These scores are often criticized as being arbitrary (after all what is the standard to which they are holding students) and culturally biased (in favor of a white middles class upbringing). Despite these criticisms however, the test continues to be an educational institution, helping universities select students for admission and scholarships, terrorizing students, and relieving parents of more than $100 each time their son or daughter must take (or retake) the exam.
Fun facts: SAT used to stand for Scholastic Aptitude Test. Now it stands for nothing. The acronym has simply become the test's name.
Access Hollywood ... (Referenced by Aaron as one of the many callers he's having to deal with in the wake of the Smoking Gun story.)
Access Hollywood is a nationally syndicated, entertainment/pseudo news television program that airs in the United States. It reports on the gossip and goings-on of celebrities from the music, television and movie industries. Premiering in 1996, it quickly earned a reputation as a very pro-celebrity show. While it purports to give in-depth interviews and analyses, Access Hollywood segments consist of little more than fluffy sound bites and promotion for upcoming entertainment events, CDs, television shows, and movies while occasionally passing along idle speculation and rumors. It is in the same vein as Entertainment Tonight and E! News Live, but is considered to be the most trivial.
Entertainment Tonight ... (Referenced by Aaron as one of the many callers he's having to deal with in the wake of the Smoking Gun story.)
The most well-known of the entertainment-tabloid journalism shows that features daily gossip on the lives of celebrities, personal and career-wise. While the show has featured several hosts throughout the years the most well known are John Tesh (who later went on to have a successful, if ridiculed music career), Leeza Gibbons (who moved onto Extra and her own radio show) and Bob Goen, the current co-host. The most famous of them all is Mary Hart who has been with the show since its debut in 1982, who is known for insuring her legs (highly praised gams) and whose voice caused a viewer to have a seizures, which was chronicled in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1991.
E! ... (Referenced by Aaron as one of the many callers he's having to deal with in the wake of the Smoking Gun story.)
We all know E! as the network that brought us Kristin Veitch (a.k.a. Wanda a.k.a Wrongda), she of the enthusiastic Veronica Mars love (okay and love of every other show she decides to champion, which is ... every other show on network television, but she did bring nonstop gushing attention to VM, we'll give her that). Anyhoo, E! did not begin with Kristin Veitch's love of all things Veronica Mars (yes, even the Donut. I know, eww.) Actually, E! Entertainment Television has been around since 1987.
Launched as Movietime by former President of CNN and MSNBC, Rick Kaplan, it was designed as a low-budget service airing movie trailers and interviews with the stars. In June of 1990, the network was renamed E! Entertainment Television in order to emphasize its widening coverage of all things celebrity: Film, television, music, related awards shows, along with Hollywood news, gossip and fashion. As of 2005, E! is owned by a joint venture between Comcast (50%), The Walt Disney Company (40%), and Liberty Media (10%) and today, is available to eighty million subscribers in the U.S. and 400 million homes internationally.
Ecstasy ("Capital E") ... (Referenced by Veronica as she tells Wanda she can get party provisions "with a capital E.")
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)
Scantron (Referenced by Clemmons as he broadcasts the election ballot voting instructions.)
Scantron is the name of the company that makes those "beautiful" exam answer sheets that pretty much everyone has used at some point in their education (predominantly used in the United States). It is a tool used to make capturing and organizing data easier, in most cases the results of a test or survey.
Anyone who has used a "scantron", knows that they must be completed with a number 2 pencil and that you must never stray outside the lines. Otherwise, you will have to take that horrible biology test that you crammed for the night before, again. And we both know, there is no way that lightning will strike twice, in that you will remember which bacteria is most deadly (or in this case deadly to your GPA). Hence, teachers everywhere proclaim, "do it right the first time or feel the wrath of the re-test".
Don King ... (Referenced when Logan and Aaron were at the gas station.)
Born in 1932, Don King is a well known boxing promoter. His first career was as a numbers racketeer in Ohio. He was convicted of second degree murder in 1966 and received a life sentence. After a private meeting between King's lawyer and the judge, the conviction was reduced to nonnegligent homicide, sparking rumors of an organized crime connection when King walked. He came to national prominence in 1974 by sponsoring the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire commonly known as "The Rumble in the Jungle." More recently he actively campaigned for the re-election of George W Bush.
Pontiac, Michigan (Referenced by Aaron as he tells the press about his father.)
Pontiac is a city that was established in 1861. The city was named after Native American Leader, Cheif Pontiac. Pontiac is located on the edges of Detroit, Michigan. Location wise, it sits in the southeast corner of the state. Pontiac uses it's proximity to the water and some of the countries major cities to great advantage. It is a city with a rich history in the manufacturing fields, most predominently the automobile industry. Automobile manufacturer, General Motors and it's subsidiary, Pontiac, are based out of the city. Pontiac was named with pride, after it's geographic home (Man, I still miss those old Pontiac 6000'sAh, memories both misty and water colored).
The population in Pontiac is roughly 67,000 residents. It is a city that has serious poverty issues, with the median household family income, somewhere around $36,400. Despite it's location in the middle of some very affluent suburbs, it remains one of the poorest cities in Michigan.
Pontiac reminds you a bit of Neptune, it seems to be a place where the very rich and very poor intersect for the sake of money and cars. It always comes back to money or bling, doesn't it.
Spy vs. Spy (From MAD magazine) ... (Referenced in the final scene between Veronica and Keith when discussing them both working separately on Lilly's case.)
A popular cartoon in the humor magazine, MAD, "Spy vs. Spy" is arguably the most popular one the famous magazine for adolescence has ever featured, running at top speed for over thirty years. MAD was founded in 1952 by publisher William Gaines and editor Harvey Kurtzman. The magazine features satire on pop culture as well as your standard-variety yuks. Alfred E. Neuman, pictured below, is the magazine's long-time official mascot, first appearing in 1954.
- Keiths awful Bogart impersonation.
- The regular titles dont play because the network asked that the show give an extra few seconds for election results.
- Veronica votes for Wanda the first time.
- The metalwork is behind the entrance to Mars Investigations but it was not there in the Pilot.
- Veronica has great hair in this episode.
- Wandas aggressively happy fake cheer at her locker.
- When Logan goes home in the dark, in the last shot of Aaron you can see Lynn coming down the hallway in the distance of the medium shot. This no doubt led into the scene of Lynn comforting Logan that was (unfortunately) cut as seen in this released still shot.
- Right before the homeless vet asks Logan if he's found himself "some sucker who's willing to make a bitch outta hisself for cash," Aaron had been discussing the inability to turn down "eight figures." Right before they drive away, Logan gazes at Aaron with a look of utter loathing, bordering on hate and disgust that pretty much answers the vet's question.
- The song, "Ventura Highway" had already begun playing during the foodbank scene and then right after Logan announced the half a million dollar donation, Aaron looks at him, and as he does, the lyric playing is "thanks a lot, son, just the same." Just brilliant.
- Why does Veronica see Lilly not as she looked on the last day of her life? I mean for a dead girl shes got an awesome wardrobe.
- How was Duncan able to keep his GPA up with Lillys death and everything else going on?
- Did Logan make the video for Duncan? How did he get his father to participate?
- How long has Miss Dent been teaching at the school if she didnt know about pirate points?
- How did Abel Koontz get the shoes and backpack after Lilly was dead and the police were there?
- Why does Veronica have Wallaces student ID number memorized?
- What does Mrs. Donaldson teach?
- Did Jake know that Logan was going to do the video for Duncan?
- When Veronica confronts Duncan about how he idly stands by, was she referring to how he let his parents treat Lilly when she was alive?
- Logan had to know that his father would find out about the bum fights. Why did he do it?
- Did Weevil spill the beans and start the Wanda as Narc campaign to get back at her for what she did to Felix?
- If Duncan did not want to be student body president, why didnt he pull his name from the election?
- Why doesnt Lynn stop the beating?
- What happened to Duncans sticker? It is not on Veronicas locker when it is searched.
- How did Keith know that Veronica was in the safe?
- People have been on death row for decades. Why is Abel even without appeals scheduled to die so quickly?
- The Lilly murder files as they appear on Veronicas computer are different in future episodes.
- When Weidman and the Kanes set up Abel Koontz, how did they not realize that the shoes and backpack had already been photographed?
- When Jake says that he wants to see Duncan engaged in life is he aware of the side effects from the medication that Duncan takes? Isnt zombie Duncan kind of the point?
- If there were rumors about Lilly and Weevil, how did Veronica know nothing about it? Or, Logan for that matter.
- Did anyone else want to puke when Aaron was going on about Logan embarrassing the family? Hello kettle, this is pot youre black!
- All the reasons why Keith wanted to solve the case and he didnt get any of them. Sad.
Written/Compiled By:
JenniferH: Report Card; Chemistry; Band Class; Social Science
Mastermia (Maria): Yearbook; Journalism; Social Science; Study Hall; Extra Credit; Philosophy; Homeroom; Principles of Democracy; History
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
Polartruckin (Belinda): Social Science
SeluciaV (Alli): Social Science
Tar Frimmer (Joanne): Study Hall; Literature
