Episode #03.10: Show Me the Monkey
Original Air Date: January 23, 2007
Written by: John Enbom & Robby Hull (Story by Enbom)
Directed by: Nick Marck
Report Card (Capsule Episode Review)
Yearbook (Recurring & Guest Stars/Character Statistics)
Drama Club (Performances: Highlights and Lowlights)
Chemistry (The Analysis of LoVe Scenes)
Journalism (The Mystery of the Week)
Study Hall (Miscellaneous Plot Details)
Extra Credit (Clues to the Season Mystery Arcs)
History (Flashbacks) (None)
Band Class (The Music of Veronica Mars)
Literature (LoVe Lines/In Memory/Quotable Quotes)
Social Science (In Reference To ... Pop Culture & The World)
Homeroom (On Second Viewing, Get a Clue)
Pep Squad Practice (Ambiguously (Or Not) Gay Logan Moments)
Detention (While the Censors Were Out to Lunch ...)
Philosophy (Unanswered Questions)
Principles of Democracy (Hindsight is 20/20)
Extra Curricular Activities (Beyond the Broadcast)
Role Call (Written/Compiled By ...)
Staff Grade: A
Membership Median Grade: A
In a wonderful return to form and a snazzy punch to begin the new year, Show Me the Monkey featured pretty much everything that makes Veronica Mars what it is: Great performances, great writing, quips (but not over the top or out of control), great relationships between Veronica and various characters, with a touch of mystery. As well the hints and tidbits of the season's second mystery arc were very well done. Finally, for LoVe fans we saw a miserable Logan and Veronica without one another and happy as could be once reunited.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Percy Daggs III - Wallace Fennel
Michael Muhney - Sheriff Don Lamb
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Patrick Fabian - Professor Hank Landry
- Welcome Wagon
- Hi, Infidelity
- Of Vice and Men
- Spit & Eggs
Brandon Hillock - Deputy Sacks
- Season One Appearances
- Season Two Appearances
- Welcome Wagon
- President Evil
- Lord of the Pi's
- Spit & Eggs
Jaime Ray Newman - Mindy O'Dell
- President Evil
- Hi, Infidelity
- Spit & Eggs
David Tom - Chip Diller
- Season Two Appearances
- My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
- Charlie Don't Surf
- Lord of the Pi's
- Spit & Eggs
Guest Stars
Amelia Jean Alvarez - Amy Pope
Adriana DeMeo - Darla
Chip Joslin - Ed Argent
Eric Jungman - Gilbert T. Pardy
Katie - Oscar (aka #25)
Michael Mitchell - Bronson Pope
Linara Washington - Pauline
Brittany Ishibashi - Emi
Jackie Tohn - Party Organizer
Greg Wayne - Sam
Who's Who in Neptune
Amy Pope - Bronson Pope's sister.
Darla - Hearst student and P.H.A.T. member who wanted to picket at Ed Argent's concert.
Ed Argent - Classic rocker who enjoys bow hunting.
Gilbert Thomas Pardy - Hearst student who works in the research lab where the monkey was stolen and research was destroyed.
Oscar (aka #25) - Capuchin monkey who was stolen from Gil's and Pauline's research lab.
Bronson Pope - Hearst student who runs P.H.A.T. and takes a liking to Mac.
Pauline - Hearst student who works in the research lab where the monkey was stolen and research was destroyed.
Emi - Hearst student who works in the research lab adjacent to Gil's and Pauline's lab.
Party Organizer - Hearst student and Bennis Hall resident who organized the Around the World dorm party.
Sam - Hearst student and P.H.AT. member who asks Veronica and Mac to prove themselves.
Hey! It's That Monkey!
Katie (Oscar, aka #25) - Katie has had an illustrious career in Hollywood. She first came to prominence as Ross Geller's monkey Marcel on Friends. She was also the Anaheim Angels' Rally Monkey during their 2002 run to the World Series title. During key moments in games she would psych up fans by bouncing around to House of Pain's "Jump Around" and often held a sign declaring it to be "RALLY TIME!!!" Katie's job as Rally Monkey also landed her various appearances on the talk-show circuit. She also appeared in a number of feature films, including Outbreak, Ace Ventura II: When Nature Calls, Addicted to Love, George of the Jungle, Instinct, and Flintstones II: Viva Rock Vegas.
Left to right: Katie as Marcel in Friends (with David Schwimmer as Ross Geller); Katie as the
Rally Monkey for the Anaheim Angels; Katie appearing with ESPN's Gary Miller on Up Close.
In You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, the gang sings "There is no team like the best team, which is our team right here." I kind of felt like singing:
Highlights
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - A delightful acting performance by Kristen Bell anchored and invigorated an engaging mystery of the week. Running an entire gamut of emotions, Bell showed once again how when she is on, she is on, baby (to channel Phoebe on Friends). Bell effectively showed in both her facial expressions and body language every emotion that Veronica Mars was experiencing. Jennifer describes in beautiful detail every emotion Veronica experiences in her interactions with Logan in her chemistry analysis. Gone were the undying layers of brittleness and lack of empathy that seemed to characterize her character portrayal in the fall arc. Instead, Belldisplayed a likeable, sympathetic heroine that puts the viewer on her team. Go Veronica Mars!
Tina Majorino (Mac) - Joining Bell on the all girl acting team was Tina Majorino in a strong, layered performance. Majorino excels in showing us a snarky, witty, defensive Mac. Show us the Monkey gave her an opportunity to show a more vulnerable side to Mac and Majorino hit it out of the park. Charming, nervous, and surprisingly passionate, she showed once again why she is such a valuable addition to the show.
Scene One: Veronica Time
One of the reasons this scene really worked for me is because it is the only time viewers have been given the impression that Veronica moped this long over a failed relationship beyond the silent dump. And, of course, there was so much more that went into that (Lilly's death, her rape, her mother's abandonment, her friends' abandonment, her age, he was her first boyfriend). Here, we saw that even after almost two months, Veronica was still effected by even the mere sight of Logan in the same location as she. And that it was even effecting her eating. This is quite the contrast to what we picked up through the flashbacks in Normal is the Watchword, where frankly, Veronica didn't seem to care all that much. Less than a month later after breaking up with him, she gleefully embarked on a new relationship with an old flame. This time around, it's twice the length of time and Veronica very clearly has not even begun to get over it yet.
Now, I'm not going to include the other scenes in this analysis that illustrate the above point due to the lack of surface Logan discussion, but I'll briefly reflect upon them here. Six weeks later and Veronica still can't bring herself to even really think about dating, unless pushed. And even then, she does it with a half-hearted measure and clearly is not only not connecting with anyone; she's not even trying to connect. Why? Because her heart belongs with Logan. This is even further illustrated by her discussion with Piz later on.
While he was clearly still crushing on Veronica and was -- in that scene specifically -- laying his groundwork for a move from friend to more, Veronica was oblivious to his train of thought. Yes, she appreciated what he was saying, and she applied his philosophy to herself, but she did so without getting what was his motive behind what he said. In other words, there was bonding, but it was of a completely superficial sort. He was thinking of establishing a connection between them, meanwhile she was thinking of re-establishing her connection with Logan and both were completely unaware of not only the object of each other's thoughts, but both misread each other's intentions completely.
Veronica just thought he was offering a philosophy of life, being a friend, while Piz was applying that philosophy directly to her and how she is the "something good" as opposed to the "just something" for him. On the other hand, Veronica was admitting to herself that settling for "just something" would never do for her when she had "something good," i.e. Logan, in her life. Meanwhile, Piz thought that she was on the same wavelength as he in regards to a potential future between them. The fact that they were both thinking of two completely different aspects of this bonding discussion and that neither one had a clue that they were showed that even at the closest we've seen them, they are still so very far apart.
Returning to this first scene, essentially the Veronica we saw stabbing at her food in the food court so focused on Logan was an outward image of what was going on inside throughout the entire episode. Logan would not be forgotten and she was not willing to settle for anything less than him.
And speaking of that stabbing food, I don't know if this was deliberate but since I hold director Nick Marck in such high esteem, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that it was. Even though this was the half-way point of the season, by starting a new mystery and relationship arc, it played as a "premiere" episode of sorts. And, of course, the actual premiere of this show offered viewers their first glimpse of Logan through Veronica ... who was stabbing at her food, paying attention to Logan and not the meal before her. Again, whether intentional or not, it was a nice callback.
Although, obviously, the emotion involved was completely different. Hate had been Veronica's motivation in the Pilot, two and a half years later it is love. Say it with me now ... awww!
Scene Two: Reunited and It Feels So Good
Like their first kiss, part of what works so well for this one is the complete lack of dialogue. It's interesting because the preview for this episode including Logan opening the door to Veronica and saying her name with a question mark. However, in the aired broadcast, neither spoke. I think with both options open to the editor(s), the right choice was made. The look on both of their faces sold the scene more effectively than any words could have and would have, I believe, in fact distracted from the mood the moment created. The music was pulsating behind them and we were getting action from both sides at different moments. Logan sitting there, silent and still until the knock at the door and then he was up and moving -- a fluid grace to those movements I might add -- and there stood Veronica, silent and still. And then she was taking action, moving into his arms.
But let me back up and give their expressions more attention. Like with The Kiss, it was so easy to know exactly everything that was going through their minds based on the emotions evident on their face. Obviously this is an area in which both Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring excel. Hooray for us! On Logan's face, you could read surprise that she was there, hope for why she was there, a touch of fear of what was to come and then a quick flash of wanting as she rushed to embrace him. On Veronica's, we saw anxiety that he didn't want her, hope that he would and silent pleading to take her back just before there was an unspoken 'to hell with it' as she just threw caution to the wind and threw herself at him, hoping he would catch her. And of course he did.
I know many believe that this reunion will be short-lived and therefore hold little importance. I disagree with the latter point. This is the first time we know indubitably, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Veronica swallowed her pride and without any actual knowledge of the reception awaiting her, took the bulls by the horn and took a chance in a relationship. She likely called Logan in A Trip to the Dentist to apologize about her accusations, but (1) he came to her and (2) they were technically, actively still involved and she knew exactly where he stood with her. He wanted her and she was essentially allowing him back into her life. There is a similar note to her showing up at the Grand in Look Who's Stalking. While she did (like here) go to him, she knew exactly how he felt as he had confessed all the night before. Despite the result, when Veronica decided to go to him, there was no anxiety that she was unwanted.
The same cannot be said this time. Logan broke up with her six weeks before. And he clearly had held fast to that conviction. For all she knew, Logan could have moved on, could have been living the fast life, gotten into another relationship, etc. As far as the audience is aware the two have no mutual friends (and, no, Wallace doesn't count; he and Logan share a class, we've never seen them portrayed as "friends"), so Veronica would have no knowledge of what he's doing. So she not only took a chance ... she took a big chance. She swallowed her pride big-time on the hope that Logan missed her as much as she missed him, was as miserable as she. And that for one Veronica Mars is a pretty huge step.
Will it all fall apart? Likely. Has she learned her lesson in regards to their relationship? Likely not. After all, with the lack of dialogue, it's an easy assumption to make that once that door closed the two didn't sit down to hash out their issues, but instead tore their clothes off and went at it like wild bunnies. However, like other steps that Veronica has taken that haven't truly, well, taken ... she is still making an effort and that shows at least a willingness to try. And that is something that we have yet to see her do with anyone else. She does love Logan; I just don't believe she knows how to deal with the nature of that loving yet.
This, though, was a step. Another baby one and like her previous steps, it may (probably will) be retraced ... but each time she takes a step it shows that there is an acquiescence that the very stubborn, very intractable Veronica Mars is able to give in regards to Logan Echolls. This is a good thing.
As for the kiss itself, I did love how they couldn't keep their hands off of each other once they connected. And my goodness, the angle and direction of this shot truly showed just how tiny Kristen Bell is in Jason Dohring's arms. And that even added a measure of vulnerability and trust to the moment and was yet another point in the pluses column of how these two work so well on screen together. One other note, not so much analysis as observation but ... how hot was it the way Logan shut the door with his leg, refusing to let go of Veronica once she was in his arms for even the instant it would have taken to close it with his hand? Way, way hot. Muy Caliente!
Sweeping, romantic, desperate, full of passion and yearning ... that is what that kiss was. Another word for it: Epic.
Scene Three: Breakfast for Two
I know many felt that this scene was a disappointment because it seemed more about Piz than Logan and Veronica. On a pure shipper level, yes, I would have preferred to not have it at all. However, from a dramatic point of view I had no problem with it. I believe it made perfect sense that it didn't end on the kiss, but instead on the Piz and LoVe scene. The conversation between Veronica and Piz earlier brought up Piz's crush and so there was that thread being played out in this episode. Had we not seen a reaction scene from Piz finding out that she was back with Logan (where she belongs, ahem), it would have been left dangling and would we have really wanted that aspect drawn out into another episode? No. The inclusion of this scene actually gave us a bit of closure for the time being. (Yes, grumble, for the time being ... but I'm thankful for small favors.)
I also just plain enjoyed other aspects of the scene. The intro of Veronica sitting there was just nice. She looked so relaxed and rather at peace. Even the way she was tapping/running her fingers over the table was done gently. She was content, a slight, almost dreamy smile on her face. When Piz walked up, yes, she smiled widely, but I don't think it was for Piz, but instead merely because she was happy. And when a person is truly happy, they want to share that happiness. Furthermore, when Piz offered to buy breakfast, she didn't look upset or guilty. Her expression was one of disappointment for him because, well, she had other plans.
Finally -- the bestest! -- when Logan came up behind her and then sat down, Veronica turned to look at him and she was genuinely smiling. A sweet, soft smile for Logan and as they looked at one another for those few seconds it was like no one else was there ... not even the other guy sitting at the table. When Veronica remembered Piz was there and turned to look at him (kudos to Kristen Bell), her smile faded just the slightest with realization that he was basically going to be a third wheel and, oh, poor him.
Which brings us to the final reaction shot. I know that many saw various, negative fallout from her expression, but no matter how many times I watched it, I don't. Perhaps it was intended, but it didn't come across as such to me. Part of that reason is because Logan had the exact same expression as Veronica upon his face as he watched Piz walk away. And that expression was the equivalent of "poor guy." Both realized -- well, Logan was reacquainted with the notion -- that Piz harbored a crush on Veronica and thought he had a chance, but now understood that nothing had changed. In other words, as Piz said -- basically articulating that -- as always, Veronica is going to wind up back with Logan, nothing new to see here. Let's face it. The guy had SIX WEEKS to make a move on her and he clearly was laying his groundwork in the scene before and instead of steering her towards him, it steered her right back to the guy she's always going to wind up with: Logan.
I didn't see guilt, because since she'd made no overture in their last discussion (and had been clearly thinking about Logan), she had no reason to feel guilty. And again, Logan wore the same expression ... and there was no need for him to feel guilt. Nor did I see, 'oh, shucks, I missed my chance!' Again, the same expression on Logan's face and that was definitely not what Logan was thinking. Was it Veronica finally realizing that he had a crush on her? Probably -- and I guess we'll just ignore the complete idiocy in Veronica JUST realizing now, but again, there was nothing to indicate that she was upset that she hadn't realized it sooner. Now if we see her distant from Logan and pining for Piz in the next episode, I'll concede this point, but I'm really rather totally positive that there will be no conceding necessary on my part. Honestly, I like to think that once he was out of sight, Veronica shrugged and frowned, then turned back to Logan and the two nuzzled noses or something.
Will Piz be an obstacle in the future? Maybe. But I just don't see how it will be anything other than a temporary, transitory one before she winds up back with Logan ... because that is with whom she belongs. And in the end, with him is where she'll always wind up.
Nothing new there.
Mac-attack arrives at the scene of one very trashed science lab. However, as Mac notes the absence of a Hulk shaped hole in the wall, it appears that someone or something else has run amok raining destruction down on two poor lab students. One of them called for tech support, but it's clear from the look on Mac's face that she's not exactly sure where her hacking skills are supposed to come into play in bringing order back to the chaos of broken animal cages, shredded paper and shattered test tubes. One of the two students, Pauline, called for Mac's help because -- as we can all see for ourselves -- their lab was broken into. In addition to all the damage to their equipment, it seems the culprit also killed the computer holding a year's worth of their research, the loss of which is going to get them nothing but an early grave courtesy of their unforgiving professor. And yes, they have backup, but it seems he's gone missing too.
Mac seems puzzled by the thought that backup could be a he (which seems strange when you think about her bestest gal pal because, after all, isn't Veronica's Backup male?) until Pauline explains that she was referring to subject #25, their test monkey. It seems that even if they can fix the hard drive, all of the work is for naught without little #25 as he's the center of their research. Pauline wonders who you go to when you're missing a monkey and twenty lab rats? You know Pauline, it's funny you should ask ....
Mac leads the two students on an impromptu trip to the food court to find the only woman she knows (or anyone in Neptune knows, for that matter) who could be the solution to your problem when your problem involves missing monkeys and lab rats. Mac introduces Veronica to her new clients Pauline Elliot and Gil Thomas Pardy and explains that these two crazy kids have lost their monkey -- as in "touch my." Veronica, still reeling from her almost-run-in with Logan leaps at the prospect of a distracting new case and has only one request for Pauline before she begins the hunt: "Please tell me that he plays piano."
Pauline tries to explain that this particular monkey is the center of over a year's worth of work on something having to do with cholesterol. It sounds very technical and impressive, but Veronica could care less because she hasn't heard the magic words. Pauline pauses almost long enough to roll her eyes before sarcastically confirming that in addition to all of his exciting cellular changes, #25 plays chopsticks. "Excellent." Veronica's on the case.
She asks for the standard rundown of possible culprits and Pauline assures her that she knows exactly who did it -- it was those fat kids! Veronica looks momentarily nonplussed by this vehement announcement and speculates that perhaps they took #25 because monkey's are delicious? She also corrects Pauline on her use of improper nomenclature -- it seems "girth challenged" is the more PC sobriquet these days. Gil clarifies things by explaining that Pauline was referring to those folks that go by the acronym P.H.A.T. -- People for Humane Animal Treatment -- rather than some monkey-eating overweight students. Apparently this stunt is right up their alley. Gil begs Veronica to help them get their monkey back and save their collective asses.
Mac can't help herself -- she's beyond enamored of Veronica's new case because she is waiting with great anticipation for the moment when she'll find Veronica in a tree, holding out a banana while cooing "here monkey, monkey." In her dream scenario, the branch will break and hilarity will ensue. Gil and Pauline better hope Mac's dream never comes to fruition because Veronica charges extra for ensuing hilarity. As the two gals meander across campus, Veronica asks Mac if the hard drive is salvageable. Apparently its too soon to tell -- Mac thinks someone poured something on it so it will all depend on what happens when things dry out.
Scanning one of the campus bulletin boards, Veronica finds a clue. Well, at least a step to a clue. It seems that P.H.A.T. (and criminy am I getting tired of those stupid periods) is having a recruiting meeting on campus that night. Mac offers to go with her. Veronica, understandably, is shocked by Mac's uncharacteristic desire to join ... well, anything, even undercover. Mac assures her that the one soft spot she carries is for all creatures great and small. Veronica snarks that all they need is one more angel and they'd have a show! (Hey, I'm sure Parker's free. Seriously -- that girl's "wig" says 'Good Morning, Charlie' more than any other chick in Neptune.)
Back in Mac and Parker's room, Veronica's browsing the PHAT (and I'm SO done with the periods) website for pointers and details to help with their cover while Mac searches her closet for something fashionable yet cruelty free to wear. Leather is out (and just when she was in the mood to wear her leather mini!), as is down, suede, and anything that ever had a face or parents. Mac decides then that her best bets are her mollusk shoes (always stylish) and a rather unfortunate looking sweater that she hopes says "cruelty free." After a moments musing, Parker assures her that what the sweater really says is "I've given up. Don't look at me." And word to that sister. That sweater is seriously fugly.
Luckily for everyone sighted, when the girls arrive at the meeting we see that Mac has chosen a far cuter ensemble for her night out with the PHAT kids. As they enter the meeting room, Mac snarks that she gets the whole cruelty-free thing but she's an animal too and the whole clove ciggies and lack of personal hygiene grosses her out. Unfortunately, she says this within hearing distance of a tall, rather cute young man, who is clearly one of those animal-loving PHAT kids that is welcoming the newcomers. Mac assures him she wasn't talking about him, but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he seems amused. The cutie asks the girls if they've ever been to one of these things before. Mac informs him that having been raised by a family of shameless carnivores, she's never had the opportunity. (And I have to ask -- is this part of your cover Mackie? 'Cause the last time I checked? You were a vegetarian.) He smiles and tells them that it might be fun. Showing perhaps a little too much of her actual personality (one that doesn't quite blend with this group of devotees) she speculates that it could also be a bunch of speechifying politicos in training. Now clearly enamored with Mac, he chuckles and concedes that it's possible. But he crosses his fingers that fun will win out -- just in case.
Veronica throws a knowing glance at Mac who is clearly trying to look like she wasn't just flirting with the cute boy and the two take a seat as the meeting gets underway. Turns out that Mac's cute new boy toy is Bronson Pope (perchance related to Neptune High's own Mr. Pope of FBLA fame?), chapter President of PHAT at Hearst. Yikes! Bronson does a little song and dance about the evils of animal cruelty in corporate America, but reminds everyone that those people who don't see these evils aren't the enemy -- they are the goal. This group doesn't sound quite radical enough to be out liberating lab animals so I'm not sure I think they are the culprits behind #25's disappearance.
Veronica clearly agrees because she raises her hand to ask Bronson how she can get more involved in the more "active" stuff. She alludes to the aforementioned monkey and rat liberation and wonders if they'll be doing anything like that. All eyes are on her now and with some censure, which clearly confuses Veronica because HEY, she raised her hand! Bronson assures her that those kinds of activities really aren't their thing, but invites her to join their equally exciting letter writing campaign the following evening if she wants to get more involved. A gal at the front of the room pipes up and mentions that that gun fanatic rocker Ed Argent (cough*TedNugent*cough) has a show the following night and she thinks they ought to organize a picket line. Several other PHAT members seem to be into that plan but Bronson seems to think it might be a bad idea. He tells Darla that Argent fans will pay double just to spit on their picket line. Its clear Bronson thinks their time and energy could be better spent on other endeavors.
In an effort to gather more intel on these PHAT kids, Veronica and Mac do show up the following day to help out with the letter writing campaign. Bronson's thrilled to see them and shows them how the operation is running. He tells them that this is really important because surely if people knew that every research animal on campus was caged and then killed, they would want to do something about it. Clearly the killing thing is news to Veronica and it seems to give her momentary pause and she files that tidbit of information away for further musing at a later date.
Mac offers to stuff (and then immediately looks horrified that perhaps that sounded either dirty or enthusiastic -- and I can't decide which would horrify her more) so while Bronson takes her to get settled, Veronica joins Darla at a stamping table. Since Darla seemed so gung ho at the meeting the previous evening, I'm guessing Veronica's decided she's the best possible link to the covert animal liberation activities. Veronica starts with flattery, telling Darla how great she thought the idea to picket the Argent concert was, and offers to help if they decide to do it. After all, she does a wicked picket. (Hee!) Then she leans in for the metaphorical kill. Veronica tells Darla that she knows that letter writing isn't all they do and although she's aware that they have to be careful with newbies, she's ready to participate in some more hard core animal rights stuff. Darla doesn't bite and instead passes Veronica a stack of letters and a card of stamps before getting up from the table. Strike two Veronica.
Back at the stuffing table, Bronson and Mac are chatting and Bronson comments that Veronica's pretty gung ho. Mac smirks and informs Bronson that when Veronica played pee wee soccer, she created her own red cards so she could flag any player she didn't like. (I don't know if that's true, but I hope it is! Priceless!) Bronson admits that he's really glad they came because he normally doesn't have fun at these things. Mac grins and flirts back that she thinks stuffing seems fun.
A bit later, Mac and Veronica are stamping together when Veronica instructs Mac to casually look over to her right. There across the room sits a grinning Bronson who has clearly been staring holes into the back of Mac's head. Mac tries to play it off like "what?" but we all know she knows. And we all know she thinks he's cute too. Hee! Before Veronica can rib her on her faux obliviousness, Darla and a guy with weird hair approach. This guy insinuates that there are more active "activities" that Veronica can get into if she's game, but she needs to prove herself first. How? They don't have a specific plan -- they just want her to do something that gets their attention. Score!
The next day Veronica approaches Piz on campus and asks for a favor. Knowing how we all feel about the Piz/Veronica dynamic, the less said here the better. But, hey, at least, the only vibes here were of the friendly sort -- heck, Piz could have been Wallace for the complete lack of calf-eyes. Veronica asks Piz to work some magic and get Ed Argent on his radio show to help her with her case. Yes, there is a cute line about how Veronica thinks everything north of San Francisco is Thunderdome (which HEE!), but again Wallace-y vibes. Works for me.
Veronica pays a follow-up visit to Gil and Pauline and finds out that after the initial break-in, someone broke back into the lab to steal 25's food. Pauline considers this just one more clue that points to the PHAT kids because clearly they've kept the monkey and are trying to take care of it. Veronica gives them a status update and lets them know she's trying to infiltrate what she thinks might be a more radical splinter cell of PHAT. Since they are talking about the monkey, Veronica asks for a little confirmation on what happens to #25 when the research ends. Turns out Bronson was right and every test animal is eventually killed and autopsied to verify the test results which clearly doesn't sit comfortably with Veronica. As they are debating the finer points of ethical animal treatment versus the human need for medical cures, a red herring (at least, I'm pretty sure that's what she is) enters the room and angrily turns the thermostat up.
Emi is another scientist working in a neighboring lab and she's pissed that they've turned down the A/C again because the cold affects the plants that make up her work. Sensing that there's no love lost between these two groups of researchers, Veronica pays Emi a visit in her lab to talk about the night of the theft. Emi was working in her lab until about 9pm, didn't see anything suspicious, locked up and then went home. With great sarcasm, Veronica agrees that she's sure Emi did all she could for her good friend Pauline. Emi doesn't pull any punches -- she's bitter that they get twice the space that she does for research she thinks is ridiculous, but she's a scientist and would never vandalize a lab. I'm inclined to believe her, and I think Veronica is too.
That means that Veronica's got to go through with her plan to get the attention of the PHAT splinter cell, so I suppose it's a good thing that Piz was able to book Ed Argent for his show. As Ed is exiting the sound booth, Veronica is lying in wait with Parker and Mac sporting ugly Zeta Beta Theta sweatshirts and a buttload of faux enthusiasm. Veronica swoons over Ed, gushing that she's his super biggest fan and that she joined the NRA after he was featured in "Guns" magazine. Parker's clearly enjoying the game and chimes in that she loved that article too! Everyone looks at Mac expectantly until she rises and half-heartedly exclaims that the second amendment is her total favorite.
Veronica takes over again and begs Ed to take a picture with them in a Zeta Theta Beta sweatshirt for their wall of fame. Ed is clearly enjoying the adoration of three attractive co-eds and agrees because he'd do anything for a fan. As Veronica approaches Ed, she does a sneaky hand off with Mac and instead gets Argent to put on a sweatshirt that reads "Meat Is Murder." Parker snaps the photo and the mission is complete.
The next day Veronica is stopped by weird hair guy in the hall. It seems her candid shot of Mr. Argent made it into the Hearst Free Press and the PHAT radicals are impressed. He tells her that she and Mac are in like Flynn and hands her a piece of paper with an address -- she and Mac should meet them there at 3 p.m. The girls arrive on time and Darla lets them into a dorm room where she and weird hair have set up for some kind of photo shoot. Darla tells the girls that they really loved the stunt and they want them to join their anti-fur campaign.
Instead of getting code names, weird hair hands them each a placard -- one that says "NO" and another that says "FUR." Darla's setting up the camera and tells the girls that since they have a lot of work to do, they should just go ahead and take them off. That catches both Veronica and Mac off guard and Veronica wonders what it is that they are supposed to be taking off. Weird guy tells them to strip off their clothes -- you know, for the calendar -- seeing as how they are so committed and all. To say that Mac and Veronica both look like the proverbial deer in the headlights is an understatement of massive proportions. As weird guy shows them his disturbing photo for the calendar -- all he's wearing is the "No Fur" sign covering his, ahem, package -- the girls faces morph into an expression best described as the "Oh HELL no" variety.
Darla and weird hair continue to extol the virtues of the "No Fur" campaign and why it is so important to make a statement about the useless slaughter of animals for fashion. Veronica's clearly trying to figure out how far she is willing to go for a client but before she can utter anything resembling a coherent argument for clothing, one of the drop curtains is thrown aside to reveal the rest of the members of PHAT. It seems that the nude photo shoot is just a ruse, a hazing ritual for those new recruits that are really gung ho. But not to worry -- they really love Mac and Veronica and thought the whole Ed Argent thing was totally genius. I'm sure that makes them both feel tremendously better, guys.
Bronson steps out and goes over to the girls, looking at Mac with a face that clearly says "Please don't hate me." What Bronson doesn't know is that Mac's got enough emotional baggage for a family of ten and an extremely low tolerance for boys that deceive. Bronson tells the girls that a bunch of them are going out for food in a bit and they are invited to come. Mac, feeling kind of bitter, informs him that she's had mints so she's good. (Check out the "what the fuck?!" face Veronica gives Mac here -- hee!) He tries again and asks her if she has plans for the weekend. Veronica knows what Mac's answer is going to be, so Veronica decides to play matchmaker and save Mac from herself. She elbows Mac to keep her quiet and then tells Bronson about the "Around the World" party they are having in the dorm and invites him to join them. He's late, but he does eventually show and the two enjoy a great night -- that is until Bronson tries to give her a good night kiss. Needless to say, it doesn't go well.
Parker and Veronica drag Mac to Bronson's house the next night in an effort to help her get things back on track. Things are awkward at best at the house -- some girl named Amy who may or may not be Bronson's girlfriend answers the door -- and so Mac flees to the kitchen for a glass of water. As she walks down the hall she spies something troubling. Returning to the living room, Mac gives Veronica the nod and a whispered command to check out Bronson's bedroom. Veronica excuses herself to go get a glass of water too. She slips down the hall and peeks into Bronson's bedroom where she spies several glass tanks filled with what appear to be about twenty or so lab rats. Ruh-roh.
After snapping a couple of incriminating photos, Veronica dashes back into the living room full of faux enthusiasm for Bronson's "achievement." She tells him that she saw the rats, admonishes him for not telling anyone that he masterminded the liberation, and wonders where the monkey is. Bronson explains that he doesn't have the monkey and he didn't steal the rats -- they just showed up on his doorstep. And no, Veronica, they weren't in a tiny van with a sob story about needing a place to crash. Although, hee for that image! Apparently it's well known that Bronson is an animals kind of guy and this isn't the first stray animal that someone has left in a box on his doorstep. Veronica, as you might imagine, asks to see the box. Bronson takes her right to it and Veronica snags a sample of the shredded paper inside in search of a clue. As soon as Bronson leaves the room, Mac asks if Veronica is planning to turn Bronson in to Pauline and Gil. See, now that she knows Amy's his sister and not his girlfriend, she's worried that he might get in trouble -- and that would interfere with her ability to date him. At least that's what I suspect she's thinking. Veronica, rather apologetically, tells Mac that she has to because Pauline and Gil are her clients.
The next day she shares the incriminating photos with her clients but explains that Bronson doesn't have the monkey and that someone dropped the rats off on his doorstep. Pauline clearly isn't buying it at all and just wants to know if they have enough evidence to have the police get a warrant. Unfortunately, they do. As Veronica's wrapping up with Pauline and Gil she gets a call from Mac -- it seems that our resident computer savant found something on the hard drive. Its clear that Veronica passes the info to the cops because shortly thereafter, Sachs appears at Bronson's door with a warrant to search his house for the missing rats.
Later that afternoon, Veronica pays a visit to Mac who is very excited about her discovery. She tells Veronica that she was right, something was poured over the hard drive and she had to pull out the RAM card and let it dry before she was able to make any progress. She's so jazzed, in fact, that it takes her a minute to realize that Veronica's not sharing her enthusiasm. Veronica's a little upset because it seems that when the cops searched Bronson's house, the rats were nowhere to be found -- she has to assume that Mac tipped Bronson off. Mac looks mildly chagrined, and even though she's sorry, she felt that she had to warn Bronson because she believes he's innocent. And because he's cute. As a peace offering, Mac gives Veronica a baggy of little leaves that she found on the hard drive once everything dried out. It's a clue!
Baggie of incriminating evidence in hand, Veronica pays another visit to Emi, the scientist who favors plants over animals. She shows Emi the dried leaves and wonders if she can identify them. Emi takes a look and then a sniff before congratulating Veronica on narrowing down the field of suspects to anyone that has access to green tea. As Emi grabs a container of wet wipes off the shelf to clean her hands, Veronica spies a plastic squeaky banana hiding on the shelf. Seeing Veronica's interest, Emi takes it down and explains that she stole it out of #25's cage because the sound it made was driving her crazy on the weekends. If at all possible, this clue seems even more obscure to me than the green tea, but judging by the look on Veronica's face she's made a connection the rest of us haven't. She takes a quick trip over into Pauline and Gil's lab next door and finds a jar of loose green tea leaves by the sink.
Back at home, Veronica is busy piecing together the shredded paper from the rats' delivery box. Rather than the address sticker P.I.'s always seem to find when they do this in the movies, Veronica's found nothing but pictures of near-naked chicks. Again, this clearly means something to Veronica that I haven't been able to puzzle out yet.
When next we see her, she's waiting outside Gil's room playing with the squeaky banana. As he walks up to the door Veronica wonders aloud if Gil named him. Gil tries to play like he doesn't know what she's talking about, but you can't play a player, kid. Veronica heard #25 behind the door while she was waiting for Gil to show up. She passes him the toy and remarks that it sounds like his monkey's been missing him.
Inside Gil's apartment Veronica reveals how she figured out that he was the culprit. Although Pauline was the green tea drinker, Veronica was pretty confident she didn't subscribe to the "lad magazines" used to line the box for the rats. Gil just grabbed the closest thing, poured it over the hard drive, and hoped for the best. He knew the PHAT kids would be great fall guys and that Bronson would take care of the rats.
Gil caves and tells Veronica that he was going into the lab on the weekends to get caught up on work and bought #25 a couple of toys, played with him a little. Of course, he always had to take the toys away at the end of the weekend so Pauline wouldn't find out. One weekend as he was getting ready to head out, he turned back to see #25 holding out his favorite squeaky banana toy to Gil -- the monkey clearly understood that Gil was leaving which clearly got to him. He explains that the reason they don't name lab animals is because they have to turn off their compassion to be clinical about the work. It's hard to kill something that has a name. As the monkey climbs into Gil's lap he introduces Veronica to his new simian buddy Oscar -- formerly known as subject #25.
The next day Veronica pays a visit to Pauline and Gil in the lab. Pauline introduces their professor and asks for an update. Gil makes a pleading face, desperate to keep his professor and his lab partner from finding out the truth. Veronica hands Pauline back the check and tells her that she was unable to locate the monkey so she's giving the fee back. But the good news is that Mac was able to save most of the information on the hard drive.
The professor is less than thrilled that they were unable to recover the monkey, but speculates that they can use the research data as a comparison for new tests on a new monkey. This news startles Veronica, and not in a good way -- it seems that it will only take the professor approximately six days to get himself another monkey to test and kill in the name of science. Oscar may have been spared that fate, but it seems unlikely that the next monkey will be as lucky.
Once again we find Veronica sitting alone in the food court playing with her food. She spies Logan across the room buying coffee, but this time she's the forlorn looker and Logan's the unknowing lookee. (And side note? DAMN he looks fine.) Veronica's musing that now that Logan is her ex-boyfriend (and who's fault is that, missy?) there ought to be certain rules. Seeing as how he's not a breakfast person, or apparently even an early lunch person, he shouldn't be infringing on her food court time.
Veronica, I know what you are going through here -- Lord knows it's no fun to keep running into your ex everywhere when you are trying to get over him, and we've all been in that boat -- but its hard to be sympathetic when the fact that he's your ex is your own damn fault. Perhaps instead of trying to move on, you should try to figure out what went wrong and FIX IT. So, you know, he can change his title back and you can share food court time together. Radical, I know. But it's just a thought. It doesn't appear to matter much anyway as Veronica is startled out of her musings by Mac and the nice people coming to take her away.
Later that evening as Mac and Veronica prepare to attend their first P.H.A.T. meeting undercover for Veronica's latest case, the dorm RA/party planner arrives to check in and find out what country the girls have chosen for the "Around The World Party" where each dorm room dresses up like a different country. When she gets no response, the RA tries to remind them that parties = fun. Parker lights up like Christmas, Veronica looks wholly relieved that she doesn't live in the dorm, and Mac's face is pretty much echoing the sentiment of her sweater. You know, the one that says "I've given up. Don't look at me." Mac underscores this sentiment when she reveals that she likes most of the people on her floor, just, you know, NOT in her room. Realizing she's fighting a losing battle, the RA makes a hasty exit but tells them to let her know if they change their mind.
As soon as the door closes, Parker is out of her seat reminding Mac and Veronica that they are all young, attractive, SINGLE women who are approaching critical pathetic mass if she herself is the gal most interested in hosting gentleman callers. She insists that they should be "out there" -- and if they can't do that, they should at least consider not barring the guys from coming to them! Mac looks pained, Veronica's not biting, and with an exclamation of disgust, Parker beats a temporary retreat.
However, as it turns out, Mac's plans for non-participation go out the window when Veronica invites P.H.A.T. chapter prez Bronson to come hang out at the "Around the World" party in an effort to help he and Mac hook up. As the RA chick who organized the bash is making the rounds and admiring the work of her fellow dorm-mates, she pauses in front of Mac and Parker's door somewhat puzzled by their sign. In typical Mac fashion, there is simply a piece of masking tape marked "Canada" affixed to the door. She enters, thrilled that the girls have decided to participate -- but is confused by the lack of decoration. Seeing as how there appears to be no Canadian accoutrement of any kind she's dying to know what makes their room "Canada." Oh ye of little faith.
Veronica shows off the tasteful moose photo adorning the closet and Mac shows off her grasp of the old Canadian accent -- eh? And let us not forget aboot the musical stylings of Canada's most valuable export, The Barenaked Ladies. Veronica hits play and she and Mac rock out in a white girl kind of way to the sounds of "One Week." See? Canada all over the place. The RA is not entirely convinced, but she leaves them to their devices.
Parker is equally puzzled because she thought her two gal pals were totally against the party. Well, Parker, they were until a guy happened. Mac instantly goes on the defensive, but Veronica's not having it. She shares with Parker that their dear and oh-so-cynical friend Mac actually got doe-eyed, tongue-tied and (dare she say) twitter-pated over a cute boy. Mac tries to deflect by pointing out that there are boys enough for all of them -- in fact, maybe Piz will show up and make Parker's night. Parker makes a face that has all of us sayin' "amen to that, sister" before revealing that she's SO over Piz. She's done with games and waiting around. She's ready to be wooed.
Veronica "amens" that too, but at Parker's raised eyebrows assures her that she was being supportive and not joining in the hunt for a new man -- she doesn't want to be wooed. (And why not? Because she only wants Logan. She luuuuuurrrrves him. How could any other mere mortal male possibly compete with the slice of heaven that is Logan Echolls? I'm just sayin'.) Parker tries to sway Veronica with a brief glimpse of the joys of dating: Hearing how fabulous you are; getting the look; being catered to, yada, yada, yada. Veronica makes a face like she's choking and manages to spit out "Are you saying we ought to mingle?" in a way that makes "mingle" sound like "chew glass." Parker's saying that there's a saddle and it's time for them to get back in it.
The girls open their room up and the party spills in. Veronica makes small talk with a guy who is about as eager to get into a new relationship as she is -- instead of getting to know eachother, they commiserate over their recently failed relationships. Veronica excuses herself when she spies Mac wandering forlornly and goes to check on her friend. Mac seems to be having the kind of fun that isn't, and Veronica isn't faring much better although she is trying to keep an open mind. Mac's had less success -- Bronson was a no show. And now she feels like she's been around the world and just wants her room back. Veronica does the supportive friend thing (awww!) and tells everyone in the room to clear out because Canada's closing for the evening due to border control issues.
Outside the confines of Mac and Parker's room, Veronica's trying to chat with yet another guy. He's asking the kinds of questions you ask someone when you are trying to get to know them and Veronica's struggling with her answers. As she tries to answer his queries about her hobbies and her life, she starts to realize that perhaps her life might be a wee bit difficult to describe to a prospective date and even harder to swallow. That's right Ms. Mars -- you are an acquired taste. Know who's already acquired it? I bet if you think real hard you can guess. His initials are L.E. and he kisses like a dream.
Over in Mac's room, closing the border to Canada ends up working out better than she could have hoped when Parker interrupts her studying to let her know that someone's there to see her. After getting Mac's attention, Parker steps aside to reveal that her special visitor is none other than Bronson. Mac grins, clearly thrilled that he decided to come by. Parker grins, thrilled that at long last her friend is getting some play. She assures Mac that she checked his ID and all seems on the up and up and then excuses herself, leaving the two alone.
Parker tracks Veronica down at the party to check the score. By Veronica's count it's Boys -- 0 and Veronica -- 0. So everybody's a loser! Veronica's pretty done with mingling and tells Parker she's packing it in. Parker smiles and tells Veronica that she might be done for the evening, but she can't go back to Canada because "the guy" showed up an hour ago. On the other side of the border Mac and Bronson appear to be getting along famously. Bronson apologizes for having to leave so soon but both clearly had a great time. Mac teases him about his die hard activist streak -- she even giggles! -- as she escorts him to the door. Things are going great until Bronson goes in for smooch. Poor Mackie, still struggling with all that baggage, flinches and pulls away before Bronson can land one. Awkwardness ensues, so Bronson apologizes and heads out. Mac looks frustrated and forlorn and clearly doesn't know what to say to smooth over the moment. Poor Mac!
The next night, in an effort to help their friend fix her kissing folly of the previous evening, Parker and Veronica escort Mac on a field trip to visit Bronson in a display of female solidarity. Mac is terribly upset, convinced that her spazzing the night before ruined any chance she had with Bronson. Parker assures her that this is still fixable but Mac isn't sure she thinks the whole "my crazy friend stole your ID at the party and I'm here to return it to you" plan is the best way to go. (It seems Parker was thinking ahead the night before and decided to get Mac a little insurance in case she needed a reason to see Bronson again.)
Mac's still uncertain, but Parker's on the case and tells her exactly how to spin it -- and how to work around to getting Bronson to join them on their evening out. When she starts to freak out again about dodging Bronson's kiss the night before, Veronica reminds her that Bronson is a really nice guy and she's sure he'll understand. After all, he's a smart, cute vegan JFK looking for his "Mackie-O." Hee! Mac, my fingers are crossed for ya.
The visit does not start off well. Veronica knocks and the door is answered by an attractive young woman who is clearly not Bronson. But Bronson's there, oh yes, as he arrives at the door only moments behind the attractive chick that the girls are assuming is his girlfriend. (Call me nave, but I think Bronson's too nice a guy to dog a girl that way. I'm betting she's his best friend, or a fellow P.H.A.T. chapter leader, or a cousin or something right?) Mac tries to give him back his ID and bolt, but her friends aren't cooperating and neither is Bronson. He invites them in to share some good news and introduces them to Amy.
When they get inside, Bronson shows them a letter he just received from a cosmetics company regarding their decision to stop animal testing as a direct result of PHAT's letter writing campaign. Bronson is adorably happy to see Mac -- he comments on her dressy ensemble and inquires about their plans for the evening. Mac is still off-balance and stutters out that they are going to Club Club before asking to get a glass of water from the kitchen. Bronson points her in the right direction and Mac flees.
Bronson tells the girls that if Club Club turns out to be a bust, they should drop by Goldfinger where he bartends. Parker starts asking Amy questions, trying to get some clarity on the situation. A few minutes later Mac returns to the living room and gives Veronica the nod to go check out the interesting thing she saw in Bronson's room. While Veronica skedaddles to the kitchen, Parker continues with the small talk and learns that Bronson and Amy have been together for nineteen years -- because, as I suspected (well, kind of) Amy is Bronson's sister. Parker shoots Mac an "aha!" look and Mac beams at the reveal that her crush is, in fact, single.
After saving Bronson from the legal hassle of trying to explain away the lab rats in his possession, things have clearly gotten back on track between he and Mac -- well, mostly back on track except for that one little detail that involves lips and the mutual exchange of spit. Mac gathers her courage and pays Bronson a visit late one evening. She tries to start with the old "I was just in the neighborhood" but gets so flustered that she ends up admitting that she actually just came over to see him because ... Because ... Does he like movies? Because if he does, 2001 is playing in 70mm the next night and she thinks that maybe they should go. Poor Mac is so nervous and scattered that she's barely coherent, but she's making enough sense to at least get Bronson to agree to go on a date with her.
As soon as he agrees to go to the movies, she turns and dashes down the steps. Bronson's grinning ear to ear but makes one of those gleefully exasperated faces that guys make when they really dig a girl and are dying to get their hands on them but are totally thwarted (for whatever reason) and just don't know what to do with themselves. Before he can go back inside, Mac turns and dashes back up the stairs. She's gathered her courage and before he can speak or she can lose her nerve, Mac pulls him to her for a deep kiss. Go Mac!!!
Hey Bronson? Don't disappoint me. Just be the nice guy we all think you are. Because if you hurt her -- even inadvertently -- I'll kick your ass from here to next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Veronica isn't faring nearly as well. She's alone again at the food court and missing her Logan. At least I assume she is because -- hey, wouldn't you be missing him if you were Veronica? That's what I thought. She spies Piz in the booth at the radio station and they share a wave and a nod. And then, not long after, they share dinner and conversation. Now I admit that my knee-jerk response to any kind of Veronica/Piz interaction is either raging annoyance or smoldering rage, but surprisingly this scene doesn't inspire me to get crazed. Initially, of course, I was skeptical because the conversation seems so intimate -- which, in my opinion, is never a good thing where Piz and Veronica are concerned. No siree. But this time Piz's very earnest Piz-ness actually works in our favor. It's a miracle!
Over dinner, Piz explains to Veronica that he took a shift at the station to avoid being dragged to see some hot chick band at the Roxy with a bunch of his guy friends who were delusional enough to think that they might actually get some play from the girls in the band. Piz found the whole thing ridiculous and so unlikely that he just couldn't be bothered. Veronica assures him that she knows what he means. She bemoans Parker's efforts to get her to date, well, anyone and says that she can't stand the chasing-hooking-up-people-go-round. She finds it exhausting.
The two delve into a conversation about being with someone or indulging in something simply because it's there, merely because it is an alternative to nothing or no one. Veronica comments that she can't see the reason for bothering with something "not good" and Piz chimes in that because if it's "not good" it's bad. He continues that he's not going to waste his time on something else when he knows what he wants and what he likes. Veronica agrees completely because she's not going to bother with something "not good" just because it's something. Piz concludes that understanding that, living that, makes all the difference in life and Veronica, with a far-off look in her eyes, agrees.
What makes this scene work so well (and by 'well' I mean not making me want to either kill Piz or rip my own eyeballs out so as to not be forced to endure the torture) is the subtext. In this scene it's all about the subtext. Because it is so glaringly obvious to everyone but Veronica and Piz in that moment that while Piz is clearly thinking about Veronica in terms of what he wants and why he's not willing to settle for anyone else, Veronica is having a similar epiphany and is thinking precisely the same things about Logan. So what I'm saying here, gang, is that if it takes a late night, soul-searching, philosophical conversation with Piz to bring Veronica to the obvious (to us, at least) conclusion that there's just no substitute for Logan in her life, than so be it. In fact, bring it on and let the healing begin.
And it does, it finally does, only moments later. We see woobie Logan sitting forlornly on the couch, contemplating a pillow in his suite at the Grand when someone knocks on the door. When he opens it he finds perhaps the last person he ever expected to see at that moment -- and conversely, the one person he absolutely needed to see more than anyone in the world. There, on his doorstep stands his beloved Veronica, finally come to (I hope) put an end to this crazy painful separation. The two lovers stare at each other with such open longing and sadness and hope on their faces that no words need to be spoken at all. They rush back into one another's arms and kiss fiercely, passionately, conveying with their lips and hands and bodies exactly how much they've missed one another, how much they love and need one another, and how they can't bear to be apart for even one more second. Swoon!!!!
The next morning perky puppy Piz finds Veronica sitting alone again in the food court. He's clearly thrilled and hopes that since she bought dinner the night before, he can treat to breakfast. Before Veronica can offer so much as a yea or nay, Logan appears and sets a tray down on the table in front of his girlfriend -- breakfast, precisely as she ordered. Piz is taken aback by this unexpected turn of events because he obviously thought that he and Veronica had taken their friendship to the next level, that they were on the same page after their late-night heart to heart.
Veronica looks mildly pained and sorry for Piz as he's clearly hurting, but Logan is either oblivious to the undercurrents or just doesn't care. I choose the latter because I would think that after the kind of night he and Veronica clearly had, I can't see Logan worrying about Veronica being interested in someone else. Why? Because for the first time in a long, long, long, LONG time -- since the morning after alterna-prom, in fact -- Veronica came to him. She missed him and them so much that she sought him out, sought to bridge the gap between them. Anyway, Logan makes an offhand greeting to Piz -- "What's new?" -- and poor Piz (yep, I said it, and yes, hell might be freezing over at this very minute) can only answer one way: "Nothing." Because despite what happened -- in fact because of what happened -- between he and Veronica the night before, nothing has changed. Veronica will always love Logan and Piz will always be wanting something from her that he can't have.
Dear lord, PLEASE say he'll never have it. Pretty please?!
- It's a beautiful morning at the Neptune Grand -- the birds are singing, the sun is shining, a flute plays gently in the background -- and Dick is celebrating by taking Polaroids of his Johnson (*snort*) and flinging them over the balcony to rain on the pedestrians below like porn confetti. Logan steps out onto the balcony behind Dick and reminds him that the hotel management asked him to stop doing that. Logan doesn't seem all that amused by Dick's behavior either, which in and of itself is strange. Dick clearly agrees because since when does Logan side with management? He should be rejoicing with Dick that his latest Polaroid looks like it is going to be picked up by an old lady. Score! (And I have to comment here -- the "Neptune skyline" behind Dick looks like it was painted by school children. Seriously! For a show that prides itself on sets, that is one crappy, utterly unrealistic backdrop.)
Logan is clearly moping and mourning his break-up with Veronica and Dick is just tired of it. It's like that book -- and by book, we learn that Dick means 'movie' -- Garden State. One can only speculate that he's making some correlation between Large's depression and inability to connect and move on with his life in the film and Logan's current state of mourning and immobility. Which, when you think about it, is pretty frakkin' impressive for Dick. Anyway, Dick basically tells Logan that he's been castrated by Veronica and it sucks. Logan assures Dick that his man parts are intact, but Dick (in a moment that will have Dick/Logan slashers running for their laptops) demands proof: He wants to see Logan's man parts for himself. Unfortunately for the slashers, Logan pointedly tells Dick he's just going to have to take his word for it.
Apparently Dick was speaking metaphorically (or so he says). His point is that they are two young, single men in their prime (and stop me if this sounds familiar at all) and the only reason they aren't out there living it up is because of Logan's "feelings." I put that word in quotes because that's exactly how Dick says it -- as if feelings are some kind of abstract concept rather than something that actually exists. Apparently this makes Dick feel like Rosie O'Donnell on The View and I can only imagine how painful and uncomfortable he would find that feeling.
None of this seems to be getting through to Logan so Dick busts out a little philosophy that he's recently been introduced to: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." He wants Logan to think about that profound statement. No really, he does. Logan can't help but point out that when he does think about that over-used, hopelessly trite statement it seems both obvious and pointless. As far as Dick's concerned, Logan's not seeing the big picture -- he needs help, and Dick is offering to help him. Logan needs to get back out into the world and Dick's gonna help him take those baby steps.
Baby steps involves Dick and Logan taking a trip to the beach for a day of surfing, beer drinking and male bonding with his fellow Pi Sig and male chauvinist pig, Chip Diller. Joy. The guys trade quips but Logan clearly isn't feeling terribly sociable. Dick spots a trio of surfer chicks and immediately begins to revise his baby steps plan, but Logan doesn't seem to be biting. Chip tries to smooth things over by pointing out that they don't have enough beer to make the chicks hot so there's nothing to worry about. Really Chip, that's so sweet of you. Asshole.
That night, despite Logan's reservations, it seems the guys have had a good time. Dick congratulates Logan on getting out into the world and shedding his sackcloth and ashes if only for one afternoon. He tries to tell Logan that he's better off without Veronica and that girls are just a distraction, but I'm not sure Logan agrees. However, he does admit that hanging out with the guys does have its charms.
The surfer girls approach moments later and Dick clarifies that girls are a distraction, but not necessarily a bad one. Chip also decides a little compromise is in order and declares that these chicks fit into a new category -- hot enough. (Side note: I'll quote myself here when I say "Chip, there isn't enough alcohol in all of California to make you remotely hot enough." So cram it clown.) The girls are invited to join the guys for beer and conversation. One of the gals drops to the sand next to Logan and lasciviously ogles him while asking about their beer supply. Logan takes a quick peek in the cooler and then snarks, wearing that patented Echolls' smirk that we've all been missing, that now it looks like they are into the cheap stuff. (And sweetie? Since you aren't smart enough to decode that remark yourself, let me explain it to you. Logan was alluding to the fact that you're cheap. M'kay?)
Apparently Logan has tried to ignore this gal's cheap factor and enjoy himself because when we next see them together, they are in the front seat of Logan's Range Rover -- and it appears they've just indulged in a little oral pleasure. Cheap chick giggles and marvels over how bad Logan is (and my eyes roll back in my head so forcefully at that comment that I'm pretty sure Belinda can hear it all the way over in Australia) while relishing that she's just done something very naughty with Aaron Echolls' son. Logan looks downright depressed, even perhaps disgusted with himself, this random girl and the act they've just indulged in. It seems that after years of using cheap sex to dull his pain Logan has finally matured enough to figure out that the experience with someone you don't love just for the sake of it is often a comparatively hollow experience. It is clear that rather than helping him move on, this fling has only served to show Logan exactly how not over Veronica he is.
- Keith still hasn't hired a new assistant despite the fact that Veronica hasn't worked for him for months and Weevil was let go over two months ago.
- P.H.A.T.'s Spring Semester Orientation Meeting that Mac and Veronica attended took place on Wednesday at 8pm in Guyot Hall Room 310.
- Parker's computer desktop is a photo of bright pink roses.
- Various posters displayed at the P.H.A.T. meeting state "Why abuse me? I love you!" And "I'm a lynx not a tropy." And "Animal dealers traffic 2 million animals a year." And my personal favorite, "Would you wear my soul?"
- P.H.A.T.'s goals include education, out reach, direct marketing, protests and boycotts. Can direct marketing really be considered a goal?
- When Veronica tracks Piz down at school, he's leaving the gymnasium.
- The sign on the door of the room the girls visit for the "No Fur" campaign designates it as "Sam's room."
- Gil's apartment or dorm room number is 26.
- Pauline drinks green tea.
- In addition to the squeaky banana, it seems Oscar (a.k.a. #25) also likes oversized Legos.
You know you're in Neptune when someone prominent in town dies suddenly and horrifically and then six weeks later it's a closed case. You can thank the local sheriff for that. His ruling was that Dean O'Dell wasn't murdered; he rather simply committed suicide. The problem with suicide, though? No insurance benefits for the cheating wife turned soon-to-be-broke widow with two children, Mindy O'Dell. So Mindy stops by Mars Investigations and meets with Keith to explain the matter. She's convinced that Cyrus never would have killed himself over her infidelity -- moped a bit, sure, maybe even divorced her, but not suicide. Keith tells her that he saw how miserable and drunk the dean was that night. Now would probably be an appropriate time for Mindy to tell him that a very lucid Cyrus O'Dell came to her and Landry's hotel room that night, but I guess it slipped her mind. Speaking of her and Landry, Keith informs her that he knows about the affair and the fact that her supposed junior league nights were a cover for their meetings, so if thats gonna be her alibi ... But she confirms that she was with Landry all that night, so Keith can be sure that neither of them killed Cyrus. Keith promises her than he'll dig around a bit, and if he finds anything, he'll take the case.
Keith heads to Hearst and manages to track down Veronica as she's walking to class. She's not sure how he found her, since her cell phone was turned off. Funny how she probably means he couldn't have tracked her location, not that he couldn't have called to ask her where she was. Keith jokes that maybe someday he'll tell her how he did it. Aw, I'm guessing he doesn't want to sound like an uncool detective and admit that he just looked around for her. He explains that Dean O'Dell's wife doesn't think he actually killed himself, so he needs to ask Weevil some questions since he's the one that found the body. Veronica asks Keith if he really thinks the dean was murdered, to which he says no. But he suspects Mindy's feeling incredibly guilty about the affair, so he's going to do this for her. Veronica tells him that Weevil will be in the physical plant after six.
Later on, Weevil lets Keith into the dean's office. (No hard feelings after Keith fired you, huh, Weevil?) He tells Keith that it was around seven in the morning when he walked in and found the dean dead. Weevil had thought he'd just gotten drunk and passed out, but then he saw the blood, along with a suicide note typed on his computer screen. "Goodbye, cruel world zzzzzz," it said. Goodbye, cruel world? Like, seriously? The sheriff didn't find that the least bit suspicious? Was the crime scene even analyzed? They would have seen that his office window was splattered with egg yolks, and with the earlier egging of his car (which could have been witnessed by someone or reported to the campus police by the dean himsel), I'm sure the Lilith women could have been questioned as possible suspects -- I mean, at the very least. Explain to me again how Lamb is still sheriff?
Anyway, Weevil goes on to say how the dean was pretty cool for an old, white dude (coming from Weevil, that's definitely a compliment), but Keith is distracted by the bottle of unopened Glen Cracken on the dean's desk. It's the scotch he was probably saving to open until he was on his deathbed, so if he was going to kill himself, then why not drink it then? Keith stares at the bottle, wondering if Mindy was right, after all.
Later than night, Veronica comes home to find Keith still contemplating the bottle of scotch. He asks Veronica what her impression of the dean was, and she says that she admired him. He had character. As for his rhetorical style, she'd describe it as Old Testament sarcastic. Sarcastic enough to type a clichd suicide note on the computer screen, reading "Goodbye, cruel world?" This strikes Veronica as strange. She explains that for Landry's class, she had to write a paper, planning the perfect murder. In hers, the killer set it up to look like a suicide. Leave a note on the computer so the handwriting can't be checked, and type something clichd so that the message can't be studied. Her example message was, ironically enough, "Goodbye, cruel world." Weeeird. Obviously, Professor Landry read her paper. Then again, Tim did also post all the A papers online, but is someone out there actually taking pointers from students' papers? Did Professor Landry? "Cruel world" might be clich, but it isn't exactly what I'd call a stock phrase. Could it really be a coincidence?
Keith is thinking no, so he finds Landry at a bar later that week and sits down next to him. Somewhat fittingly, Keith orders a scotch and tries for a heart-to-heart, man-to-man conversation about the things men will do for women. Keith carries on about a girl he ended up torching his car for, but little does he know, Landry knows exactly who Keith is and what he's trying to do. He stops Keith and tells him that he read his book, all the way to the photo of him in the back. He denies that he killed Cyrus for Mindy, and suggests to Keith that maybe he read his book on profiling. Landry gets up and leaves. Aaand Hank Landry, Prof. of Criminology: 1. Keith Mars, Private Dick: 0.
The next morning, Keith meets with Mindy and agrees to take the case. When she asks him what made up his mind, he thinks for a moment before replying simply, "the scotch."
"Funicul Funicul" (Luigi Denza)
Scene: While touring the "world" via the imagination of students in Hearst dorms, Mac and Parker's Resident Advisor manages to keep a smile on her face and her hat steady.
"One Week" (The Barenaked Ladies)
Scene: A moose? The word 'aboot?' The Barenaked Ladies? That's IT for Canada? Seriously, these girls need to work on their geography.
"Lara's Theme" (Maurice Jarre)
Scene: Whilst talking to bachelor #1 in the Russian room, Veronica quickly realizes that he is definitely not Dr. Zhivago to her Lara. (Paging Logan ...)
"Fair" (The Annuals)
Scene(s): Yeah, yeah, Mac asks Bronson out, Veronica discusses the difference between "just something" and "something good" with that guy, but we all care about: LOGAN AND VERONICA REUNITED!! And it feels so good!
"Long, Long Time" (Linda Rondstadt)
Scene: Hmm, it's probably been a long, long time since Keith was so completely outwitted by someone else. And to add insult to injury ... Landry has hair.
"Greenland" (Kingsbury Manx)
Scene: (a) Veronica looks so sated and happy. (b) Piz looks so hopeful and happy. (c) Logan looks so sated and happy. Hmm, which of these three does not belong? If you guessed (b), you're right! So skedaddle, Piz! Oh, look, there he goes ...
LoVe Lines
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (Looking longingly at her sexy ex across the cafeteria while playing listlessly with her food.) Logan Echolls. Don't you get it? Ex-boyfriend -- that's your new title. It comes with certain restrictions. This is my food court time. You're not a breakfast person; you're not even an early lunch kind of guy. Can't we just agree this is Veronica time?
Logans Door: Knock, knock, knock.
Veronica:
Logan:
Veronica & Logan:
Veronica: Oh, 'morning, Piz
Piz: I was actually figuring, you got dinner last night, maybe I could spring for breakfast?
Veronica:Oh, um actually -- (Logan's arms come into the screen, framing Veronica as he places her tray down in front of her)
Logan: As ordered. (Logan takes the seat next to Veronica, Veronica smiles at him, Logan notices their new table guest.) Hey, Piz. What's new?
Piz: Uh, nothing apparently. Ill let you guys, uh ... (Piz walks away leaving the LoVebirds to their breakfast for two.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica: (Organizing Keith's files.) You should hire someone to do this.
Keith: You're lucky I'm not a farmer -- you'd be out plowing a field.
Veronica: (Looking at the stack of folders.) What is manila anyway?
Keith: I don't know. Is it a substance? A color maybe? "In the kitchen we'll do a nice manila."
Veronica: I'd say more like, "By the time we dug him up, he turned manila."
Keith: Don't you have to get to class?
Veronica: On my way. Oh and Wikipedia says not a what but a where: called "manila" after hemp from the Philippines.
Keith: Guess that would explain why this filing was giving me a killer buzz.
Mac: (Observing the massive destruction around her.) Wow, this is one trashed lab. All its missing is a big hole in the wall shaped like The Hulk.
Mac: Veronica.
Veronica: Mac. (Noticing the lab techs with Mac.) And the people coming to take me away.
Mac: (Making introductions.) Veronica Mars, Pauline Elliot and Gil Thomas Pardy. They're missing a monkey.
Gil: And twenty rats.
Veronica: We're talking monkey, as in ...
Mac: Touch my?
Pauline: It's not just any monkey.
Veronica: Please tell me he plays piano.
Pauline: '25' is a genetically-altered Capuchin monkey. It's uptake inhibitor proteins have been coded to allow us to monitor cholesterol breakdown at a cellular level. (Veronica stares expectantly until Pauline responds exasperatedly.) And he can play chopsticks.
Veronica: Excellent.
Veronica: Any idea who would want to nab ... uhm ... What's his name again?
Pauline: It's not a pet. We don't name them or wrap squeaky toys up for Christmas. His research ID number is 25. And yes, I know exactly who stole him. It was those damn fat kids.
Veronica: 'Cause I take it monkeys are delicious? And dude? (With mock offense.) "Girth Challenged" is the preferred nomenclature.
Gil: (Clarifying.) P H A T. People for Humane Animal Treatment? They've done this kind of crap before.
Mac: I just can't wait for the moment when you're in a tree going "here monkey, monkey" and holding out a banana and then the branch breaks and hilarity ensues.
Veronica: Uh, if there's hilarity I charge extra.
Veronica: P.H.A.T. is having a recruitment meeting tonight. Square one.
Mac: Want some company? (Veronica's eyebrows shoot up above her glasses.) What?! This soft spot here? It's for all creatures great and small.
Veronica: Okay. The more the merrier. (With mock enthusiasm). All we need is one more angel and we've got a show! I'll come by your room. Dress cruelty free -- we want to blend.
Veronica: According to the P.H.A.T. website we should stay away from fur -- obviously - down, leather ...
Mac: The one day I feel like wearing a leather mini-skirt.
Veronica: If it ever had a face or parents you can't wear it.
Mac: So my mollusk shoes are cool? (Pulling a rather unfortunate looking sweater out of her closet.) Ugh. Does this say cruelty free?
Parker: It says "I've given up. Don't look at me."
Mac: Okay, I get cruelty-free but I'm an animal too and the clove-cigarettes-no-bathing thing is grossy to me.
Bronson: You guys ever been to one of these things before?
Mac: Me? No. I come from a meat and potatoes kind of family -- minus the potatoes. My first pacifier was made of jerky.
Bronson: Well, it could be fun.
Mac: Or it could be a lot of speech-making by politicos in training.
Weevil: (Referring to Dean O'Dell.) He had a memo on the screen, saying, "Goodbye, cruel world zzzzzzz." I guess his head fell on the Z. It's a shame, man. He was pretty cool ... for a weird, old, white dude.
Logan: (Catching Dick throwing a polaroid of his dick off the balcony.) I think I told you, the management asked if you'd stop doing that.
Dick: That's exactly what's been wrong with you lately. Since when do you side with management? (Turns around to look out over the balcony with interest.) Ooh. Best-case scenario: Old lady.
Dick: So, what, you're just going to mope around like that guy in ... what's that book where the guy's mom dies and he comes back to Jersey? He's got that motorcycle sidecar.
Logan: (Annoyed.) Garden State was never a book.
Dick: It wasn't? Oops. (To himself.) So much for that paper. But if this were a book, the theme of my essay would be the symbolism of how your character had his man parts ripped off by the Veronica Mars character.
Logan: My man parts are intact.
Dick: Show me.
Logan: (This finally gets a slight smile out of him.) Well, you'll have to take my word for it.
Dick: I mean symbolically. We're young, single men in our sexual prime, and the only reason why we're not out there going hog-wild is because of your feelings? What, are we on The View? Am I Rosie O'Donnell? Here's something I read: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Think about that. (Logan just stares.) Really, think about that.
Bronson: Your friend seems pretty gung ho.
Mac: Veronica? She played pee wee soccer. She made her own penalty cards so she could red-card players she didn't like.
Veronica: (Catching Keith zoning with a stern expression.) You look sad. You and your friend Weevil have a fight or something?
Keith: Just thinking, if I was going to get drunk and shoot myself, I'd probably drink the good stuff first.
Veronica: Sheesh. Good thing we don't have any good stuff.
Veronica: Hey, Piz. Ed Argent is in town. Think you can pull some of that Oregon, mountain man, kill what you eat, gun rack charm and book him on your show?
Piz: Everything north of San Francisco is just Thunderdome to you, isn't it?
Veronica Mars Voiceover: It's an ongoing question in the private eye game: How naked are you willing to get for a case?
Bronson: So, um...some of us are going to grab a bite, if you want to come along.
Mac: I'm good. I had some mints.
Veronica: Are you saying we ought to (Struggling to say the word.) ...mingle?
Parker: I'm saying there's a saddle, Veronica, and we should be back in it.
Veronica: Okay, everybody, Canada is closing! Sorry. Border-control issues.
Guy at Party: So, what do you do, like, for fun?
Veronica: Um ... I don't really know.
Guy at Party You play any sports or anything?
Veronica: Nope.
Guy at Party So you just, like, hang out?
Veronica: Not really. I -- my hobby is more like a job. Which is kind of like a compulsion. But it's fun sometimes. It doesn't really leave time for what most people consider ... (Trailing off when she realizes he's lost complete interest.)
Parker: So, how's it going?
Veronica: I'd say it's boys zero, me zero! Think I'm calling it.
Bronson: You should have seen me before I quit Greenpeace and the Sierra Club.
Mac: Jeez, why are you so down on people raping the planet? I mean, really.
Dick: Okay, baby steps. Just some dudes, some tasty waves, and some tasty brews. It's all we need. (Two minutes later ... he notices three girls in wetsuits with surfboards checking them out.) Dude, wait. Check it out.
Logan: I thought all I needed was some dudes, some tasty waves, and some tasty brews.
Chip: Well, we didn't bring enough beer to make them hot anyway.
Mac: (Spouting a potential conversation starter with Bronson.) Hi, my insane friend stole your driver's license.
Parker: It wasn't stealing. It was making an excuse to see him again.
Parker: Mac, he tried to kiss you.
Mac: And my libidon't kicked in.
Veronica: Mac, he understands. He seems like a really great guy. Just a regular vegan JFK looking for his Mackie O.
Bronson: You're pretty dressed up. Where you guys off to?
Mac: Uh...Club...Club. It's new.
Dick: See, you did it!
Logan: Did what?
Dick: You lived. I told you, man, chicks are just a distraction. You're better off without that broad. (Logan looks down for a beat and then nods.)
Logan: Yeah, well, I admit this has its charms.
Chip: (As the three surf chicks from earlier approach.) Alright, new category: hot enough. (Dick grins and nods eagerlly.)
Logan: I thought chicks were just a distraction.
Dick: I never said they were a bad distraction.
Surfer Chick: Hmm ... (Kneeling down next to/over Logan) what have you got? (In reference to the beer.)
Logan: (Opens the cooler to inspect the contents.) Apparently, we're in to the cheap stuff. (But he's not talking about beer.)
Bronson: Uh, I don't have the monkey and I didn't free the rats they just showed up.
Veronica: Like in a tiny van with a sob story about needing a place to crash?
Parker: (In her best attempt at subtlety.) Sooo ... Amy seems nice. (Mac shoots her a look.) How long have you been together?
Bronson: Uh. Nineteen years. She's my sister.
Parker: (Trying to not grin in victory) Oh!
Mac: (GrinGrinGrinGrin!)
Surf Chick: (Laughs, kisses Logan, then he wipes his mouth in disgust.) Boy, oh boy. You are bad. (Smugly.) I can't believe I just did that with Aaron Echolls' son.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: In the movies, when they piece back together shredded magazines they always find an address sticker; all I found are near naked ladies.
Veronica: (Waiting by Gil's door.) Did you name him? Is that what happened?
Gil Thomas: I started coming in on weekends to catch up on work. Bought him a few toys. Let him play with them while Pauline wasn't around ... (Gil holds up the banana) his favorite by the way. I always had to take it back before I left. One day, I'm halfway out the door when I turn around and he's holding it out through the bars for me; he knew I was leaving. You know why we don't name them? Because to do the work, we have to turn our compassion off, 'cause things are harder to kill when they've got a name. Veronica Mars ... meet Oscar.
Veronica: Like, why bother with something that's not good? Cause if it's not good ...
Piz: But I figure, I know what I like. Why waste my time?
Veronica: Like, why bother with something not good just because it's something
Piz: Especially when you know the difference. Which not many people do. I mean, do you?
Veronica: (Clearly thinking of Logan.) I -- I think I do.
Keith: What's she like?
Landry: What are they all like?
Keith: Crazy. Or we are -- I haven't figured it out yet.
Landry: Probably us.
Keith: So, one night I went and I filled a jelly jar with gasoline, stuck a rag in it, figuring -- Molotov cocktail -- I'll light the guy's car on fire.
Landry: You torched the guys car?
Keith: You ever light a rag soaked in straight gasoline? The thing exploded in my hands. I torched my car.
Keith: You ever done anything like that?
Landry: That why you put this song on, Keith? (At Keith's look.) I read your book. All the way to the picture in the back. So no, I've never done anything like that ... I wrote a book too. About profiling. Reading people. (Standing up to leave) Maybe you should check it out.
Show me the Monkey (Money) ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
The phrase "Show me the money" comes from the film 1996 film Jerry Maguire, written and directed by Cameron Crowe. The film follows professional sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise), who gets fired by his agency after having a crisis of faith and distributing a mission statement that is antithetical to the company's focus on the bottom line instead of personal relationships with the clients. Jerry decides to go out on his own and start his own company. He is joined by Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellwegger), an employee from the agency who was inspired by his mission statement. The newly independent Maguire brings with him only one client, cocky Arizona Cardinals football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose desire for a big contract is offset by his devotion to his friends and family.
The film was a critical and box office success, grossing over $150 million and earning numerous awards and nominations. At the Academy Awards, Jerry Maguire earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Tom Cruise), and Best Original Screenplay, and Cuba Gooding Jr. won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable performance (and then delivered an equally memorable speech).
In a film with many memorable quotes, perhaps the most famous came in the phone conversation in which Jerry tries to convince Rod to stick with him when he leaves the agency. What follows is an iconic moment as Rod demands that Jerry scream his "family motto" back to him, which is the now-popular phrase, "Show me the money!" Watch the scene here, or, in a parody perfectly suited to our episode title, watch a different version here and "SHOW ME THE MONKEY!!!"
Cuba Gooding Jr. (as Rod Tidwell) and Tom Cruise (as Jerry
Maguire) in Jerry Maguire
Manila (Referenced by the Keith/Veronica exchange about folders.)
Veronica didnt lie, the direct Wikipedia entry includes the following information:
Straight from the horses mouth, here is how Wikipedia defines itself:
Several international Wikipedia screen caps.
Wikipedia hosts over six million articles in multiple languages and has steadily risen in popularity since its inception. According to Alexa Internet, Wikipedia currently ranks among the top fifteen most visited websites worldwide. (I'm sure that is true for those of us that contribute to the Social Sciences section of the breakdown if for no one else.) On the downside, Wikipedia's reliability and accuracy have been questioned and the site has been criticized for being susceptible to vandalism, for having uneven quality, systemic bias and inconsistencies, and for disregarding credentials in evaluating an editor's contributions. In fact, Comedy Central's talk host, Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report, has made a running gag on this point not in favor of the online write-yourself-encyclopedia. After a mini-war between Colbert and Wikipedia when Colbert entreated his followers to add false information about the elephant population, Colbert's user name was banned from the site. In retaliation, a group of Colbert fans set up their own website based on Colbert's catchword that describes reality according to Wikipedia: Wikiality. For a less than accurate view of the world, check out www.wikiality.com.
Now, despite these issues, Wikipedia is generally a great source for general information on anything from the Aa River in France to the rock group ZZ Top.
And just in case you're curious ... entries on topics related to this board:
Veronica Mars (the show)
Veronica Mars (the character)
Logan Echolls
Jason Dohring
Kristen Bell
Hemp ... (Referenced by Referenced by Veronica in where she found out the "where" of manila.)
The Cannabis plant -- known more commonly as marijuana, with many a nickname, including hemp, pot, mary jane, reefer, etc. -- is often dried or otherwise processed to create a "product" that offers medicinal and psychoactive effects. Despite past use as an accepted medicine, in the early 20th century, the drug became illegal due to the overwhelming consumption of the recreational variety.
To this day, marijuana usage remains against the law despite the mellow side affects as opposed to the harder drugs of the day. While not widespread, legalizing marijuana has been the effort of activists for some time; among those fighting for its legal use is Oscar-nominated actor Woody Harrelson. Apparently, none of these activists (including Woody) have ever heard of the dangers that can befall one who has been taken over by reefer madness. Just ask Mary Lane.
Philippines ... (Referenced by Veronica in where she found out the "where" of manila.)
The Philippines -- its official moniker being The Republic of the Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas; RP) -- is an island nation located in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia. Manila, is its capital, while Quezon City is its largest city. It comprises 7,000 islands (7,107 to be exact) called the Philippine Archipelago, with a total land area of approximately three hundred thousand square kilometers or one hundred and sixteen thousand square miles, making it the seventy-second largest country by area.
The country was named "Las Islas Filipinas" (The Philippine Islands) by Ruy Lpez de Villalobos after King Philip II of Spain. Spanish colonial rule began in 1565 and lasted for about three centuries until the Philippine Revolution of 1896. The United States gained possession after the Spanish-American War in 1898 and the Philippine-American War in 1899. The U.S. ruled the country for about five decades. Because of this, the Philippine culture has many similarities with the West, with a Spanish influence as well. It has also been significantly influenced by Chinese, Indonesian and Indian cultures.
The Hispanic influences in Filipino culture are largely derived from the culture of Spain as a result of over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule through Mexico City. These Hispanic influences are most evident in Roman Catholic Church religious festivals. As such, Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. The Chinese influences in Filipino culture are most evident in Filipino cuisine. The prevalence of noodles, known locally as mami, are a testament of the Chinese cuisine. Other Chinese influences include linguistic borrowings and the occasional Chinese derived surnames.
The use of English language in the Philippines is contemporaneous and is America's visible legacy. The most commonly played sport in the Philippines is basketball. There is also a wide "imitation" of American cultural trends, such as the love of fast-food; many street corners boast fast-food outlets. Aside from the American commercial giants such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, local fast-food chains have also sprung up, including Goldilocks, Jollibee, Greenwich Pizza, and Chowking. Modern day Filipinos also listen to contemporary American music and watch American movies.
In spite of this, native moral codes, respect of family, veneration of elders, and friendliness, all remain intact. Filipinos honor national heroes whose works and deeds contributed to the shaping of the Filipino nation. Jos Rizal is the most celebrated ilustrado, a Spanish-speaking reformist visionary whose writings contributed greatly in nurturing a sense of national identity and awareness. His novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo originally written in Spanish, are required readings for Filipino students, and provide vignettes of colonial life under the Spanish rule.
The Hulk ... (Referenced by Mac seeing the messed up lab.)
The Hulk is the big, green 'Dr. Jekyll' to Bruce Banner's 'Hyde.' A fictional character from the Marvel Comic Universe, the Hulk debuted in Incredible Hulk #1 in May of 1962.
Bruce Banner's story begins before his conception when his father Brian Banner was studying radiation for the government. After getting drunk in his lab and unintentionally overloading the nuclear equipment, Brian tested it and checks out okay. He and his wife decide not to have children, but Bruce is conceived anyway. Brian believes from the start that something is wrong with Bruce and begins beating him at a young age whenever he acts strange. When Brian's wife tries to leave him, taking Bruce with her, Brian attacks his wife and son, killing Bruce's mother. The elder Banner is found insane and gets institutionalized.
Bruce grows up and becomes a doctor, also for the government, where he tries to create a 'gamma bomb.' During his research, the bomb goes off and Bruce is blasted by it, absorbing an enormous dose of gamma radiation. At this point, Bruce begins to transfer into the Hulk, a giant green beast with little intelligence or self-control, every sunset. Upon his father's release from the mental hospital, the two happen to meet up at his mother's grave on the anniversary of her death. Brian goads Bruce until he loses his cool, and Bruce shoves his father causing him to hit his head on his mothers gravestone and die.
Though the Hulk is the hero of Stan Lee's comics, with superhuman strength, Banner considers him a curse. His lack of self-control as the Hulk causes him to leave a trail of destruction in his wake, and as a result, he is constantly on the run from the government.
Control Group ... (Referenced by the lab techs in regards to usage for the monkey experiment .)
In a scientific experiment a set of actions is performed and observed in order to prove of disprove a hypothesis. A group of subjects -- patients or, in this case, rats -- serves as basis for comparison to the other subject(s) (treatment group) that has experimental actions performed on them. Such control group, depending on the experiment, may receive no treatment, a "standard" treatment already in use, or a placebo.
The control group usually resembles in its makeup the treatment group as close as possible. Or, if you are working at Hearst lab, I suppose twenty rats may reasonably do as a control group for one monkey. I am guessing that the noble goal "to find a pill so fat guys in the suburbs can keep eating cheeseburgers" allows for some experimental creativity. Either that, or another one -- control -- monkey would have been just too much to, well, control.
Someone, control them!
"People coming to take me away" ... (Referenced by Veronica when she sees Mac with the lab people .)
People coming to take me away is a take on the expression, "they're coming to take me away," with the "they" referring to psychiatrists. The origin is from a novelty hit by Napoleon XIV called "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-haaa."
The lyrics:
Touch My (Monkey) ... (Referenced by Mac telling Veronica about the liberated lab animals.)
"Would you like to touch my monkey? Touch him! Touch my monkey!"
So exclaims Dieter, a West German interviewer of celebrities in a fictional TV show called Sprockets from the memorable Saturday Night Live skit. Hysterically portrayed by the always versatile Mike Myers, Dieter was a bored artiste with slicked-back black hair, black leotards, round glasses and a perpetually uninterested expression on his face. His interviews inevitably showed little concern with the subjects and usually circled around to his "limited" monkey named Klaus. He forever begged the guests to "touch his monkey," a plea as funny in its absurdity as it is dirty in its obvious euphemistic implication.
Actually, it would appear that touching the monkey (no, not that kind, get your mind out of the gutter!) is seldom a good idea. But then, no one expected a good idea out of Deiter. So, Veronica, Mac, -- as cute as you are finishing each other's sentences like that -- make sure it stays just a funny phrase. Don't go touching "25."
Capuchin Monkey ... (Referenced by the lab tech when informing Veronica of the type of monkey.)
Capuchins are a group of New World monkeys, and are considered to be the most intelligent of this group. They live together in groups ranging from six to forty members, usually dominated by a single male. They are territorial animals who spend most of their days hunting for food and sleep in trees at night. Among other predators, capuchins are prey to large falcons, cats and snakes.
Because of their intelligence, capuchins are often trained as service animals for paraplegics and people with injuries to their spinal cord. They are trained as infants, brought up in a human home so they get used to socializing with people. Once trained, a capuchin can help out with various tasks around the house, such using the microwave, washing the paraplegic's face, and opening bottles.
All Creatures Great and Small ... (Referenced by Mac in regards to her soft spot.)
A soft spot in Macs heart. Aww!
All Creatures Great and Small, a book by James Herriot, first published in 1972, included two of his novels, If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (a title that clearly begs a few comments). The name of the book comes from the second verse of the hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful:"
Human and gently funny, All Creatures Great and Small is a record of various entertaining aspects of veterinary medicine. It became widely popular, and in 1974 a feature film was made with Simon Ward as James Herriot. Anthony Hopkins played Herriot's eccentric boss, Siegfried Farnon.
The sequel (because what a successful movie based on a successful book would be without a sequel?) was released in 1975. It was titled It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (and I still wonder what would "it" be exactly). In this one, the part of James was played by John Alderton (perhaps because something did happen to the original vet), and Siegfried was portrayed by Colin Blakely (because Anthony Hopkins, I presume, simply wasn't good enough).
So, what happens to a successful book after it has a few spins on the big screen? You guessed it: It becomes a Television series. All Creatures Great and Small debuted on the BBC in 1978, with an unknown actor, Christopher Timothy, as James, Robert Hardy as Siegfried, Peter Davison as James's brother Tristan, and Carol Drinkwater as James's wife. It was an ensemble show with a decidedly domestic feel and well-developed characters. The show ran for three seasons and ended in 1980, at the stage in the book where the characters get drawn into the World War II. 1983 and 1985 two specials were filmed, and in 1988 a revived show was once again on the air, picking up the characters' lives after the war. It ran for four more seasons.
And I can see a viewing marathon in Mac and Bronson's future.
Mollusk ... (Referenced by Mac when asking Veronica about acceptable shoes.)
Mollusks, from the phylum Mollusca, include over one hundred and twelve thousand species of snails, clams, squid, cuttlefish, and octopus. The body of a mollusk is often divided into a head, a muscular foot, and a visceral mass housing the organs. Many mollusks have an outer shell, and an outer body wall called the mantle which secretes the shell.
So. Do Mac's 'mollusk shoes' meet the P.H.A.T. standards? "If it ever had a face or a parent, you can't wear it." While most mollusks do have a separate body part that qualifies as a head, houses the brain, and has eyes and/or tentacles, you'll note that the absence of a mouth or nose:
As for the parent issue, octopus have a short life expectancy after reproduction. Males can only survive a few months after mating and females will die shortly after their eggs hatch, as they neglect to eat anything while taking care of the unhatched eggs (roughly one month). Many gastropods (like snails) and bivalves (like clams) have and an even odder method of reproduction, where each adult deposits hundreds of gametes into the water and fertilization and development of the gamete occurs completely without parental care. So, arguably, Mac could get away with some sea shell sandals if she were so inclined.
Western Europe (Referenced by Mac and Parker's Resident Advisor about the countries taken quickly.)
Western Europe is a subregion of Europe comprising Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. While Western Europe can be defined in terms of geographic location, it also holds political significance. During the Cold War (1945 to 1990) an Iron Curtain politically and militarily separated Western Europe from the communist Eastern Bloc countries, which were allied under the Warsaw Pact of 1955. Western countries joined NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), a military alliance formed in 1949. Countries like Austria, Switzerland, and Spain, while technically in Western Europe, are generally not included under the term "Western Europe" when discussing Cold War politics, due to neutrality and other issues. Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and others have never joined NATO and are unlikely to.
Western Europe also includes principalities and microstates like Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and Vatican City.
Clove Cigarettes ... (Referenced by Mac who doesn't like the smell.)
Clove cigarettes are cigarettes made with a complex blend of tobacco, cloves and a flavoring 'sauce.' They are an Indonesian export and the proper name is kretek, an Indonesian word that is an onomatopoeia for the crackling sound of burning cloves.
Ironically, kreteks were created in the early 1880's by Haji Jamahri of Kudus, Java as a way to deliver the medicinal eugenol of cloves to the lungs, as it was thought to help asthma. Although it cured his chest pains, Jamahri died before he could mass market it -- Im guessing of some lung-related disease. M. Nitisemito took his place and began to commercialize the new cigarettes. Today kretek manufacturers employ well over one-hundred and eighty thousand people in Indonesia, which accounts for ninety-five percent of the world's clove market.
In Indonesia, there are hundreds of kretek manufacturers, which vary in size from small local makers to major, mass-produced brands including Bentoel, Djarum, Gudang Garam, Sampoerna, Dji Sam Soe, and Wismilak. In the United States, Nat Sherman produces cigarettes branded as "A Touch of Clove," but these smokes are not true kreteks since they contain clove flavoring in the filter rather than actual clove spice mixed with the tobacco.
Kreteks are by far the most widely-smoked form of cigarettes in Indonesia, where about ninety percent of smokers usually smoke kreteks instead of plain tobacco, which are called "whites." In the United States, clove cigarettes have been associated with artists and the goth, punk, and indie subcultures -- like, say, participants in the animal rights movement? You know who I mean - those PHAT kids!
Sam and Ralph ... (Referenced by the cartoon playing in the background when Dick is photographing his dick.)
Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf are animated characters from the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, created by animator Chuck Jones and both voiced by actor Mel Blanc. The first short featuring the two was released on January 3, 1953.
Ralph has basically the same design as Wile E. Coyote, but with a red instead of black nose, a less snooty accent, and an appetite for sheep instead of roadrunner. He shares Coyote's persistence and creative use of Acme products, with often similar results. Sam is a sheepdog with a mop of red hair covering his eyes and a determination to protect his flock from the likes of Ralph.
Cartoons featuring Ralph and Sam typically begin with the two clocking in together in the morning, greeting each other casually. During the workday Ralph repeatedly tries to abscond with the sheep. Sometimes he fails on his own, and the rest of the time he is thwarted by Sam, who mysteriously always manages to be in the right place at the right time to stop Ralph and save the sheep. At the end of the working day they just as casually clock out, again chatting amiably. The two appeared in a series of shorts and were featured in a number of other Warner Brothers projects. Sam had a cameo in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and the two are the main characters in the 2001 PlayStation game Sheep Raider. Listen to audio files of two of their common exchanges.
I think it's cute that Dick is watching that cartoon given the character dynamic about to be explored on the screen between Dick and Logan:
(New) Jersey ... (Referenced by Dick about the guy in Jersey (Garden State.)
A state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States, New Jersey is named after the island of Jersey which lies in the English Channel. Inhabited by Native Americans for almost three thousand years, the first European settlements in the area were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 1600s. The area was later seized by the British and was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton as the colony of New Jersey. It is bordered on the north by New York and the west by Pennsylvania with portions of New Jersey within the metropolitan areas of both states. The Atlantic Ocean touches the Jersey Shore and Delaware borders its southwest. The western border of New Jersey is largely defined by the Delaware River. Because of its dense population and because most communities of northern New Jersey do not have the widespread reservoir system of neighboring Greater New York City, the slightest dry season leads to drought warnings; but because there are many streams and rivers close to these communities, the slightest above average rainfall causes frequent flooding as many parts of Northern New Jersey are part of a flood plain. It is also at the center of the Boston to Washington megalopolis.
New Jersey is broadly divided into three geographic regions: North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. North Jersey lies within New York City's general sphere of influence, and some residents commute to the city to work. Central Jersey is a largely suburban area. South Jersey is within Philadelphia's general sphere of influence, and most of it is included in the Delaware Valley. Such geographic definitions are loosely defined, however, and there is often dispute over where one region begins and another ends. Some people do not consider Central Jersey to exist at all, but most believe it is a separate geographic and cultural area from the North and South. Trenton is the capital, while Newark is the biggest city in New Jersey.
Although the state nickname is "The Garden State," according to The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey:
Garden State ... (Referenced by Logan correctly identifying it as a film and not a book.)
Garden State, which was never a book, is a 2004 film written and directed by Zach Braff who also stars (because, if you want things done right, you have to do them yourself). It tells a story about a guy named Andrew Largeman (Large), a young struggling actor, returning to his hometown in New Jersey after receiving the news of his mother's death. He feels estranged from his father and his former acquaintances, since he hasn't been home for almost a decade. He has been medicating himself and shows almost no reaction or emotion even at his mother's funeral. Andrew meets a lot of people he went to high school with. Most of them seem to be in a state of suspended (if not arrested) development, partying, drinking and doing drugs (paging Dick Casablancas).
He's been having headaches and makes an appointment to see a doctor. At the doctor's Andrew meets Sam (played by Natalie Portman), who suffers from epilepsy and seems to own a lot of pets. She recognizes him from TV and they strike up a relationship.
Andrew spends his time after his mother's funeral hanging out with Sam and his old friend Mark -- who is now a gravedigger (naturally!) -- and avoiding his father who wants to talk. At one point Andrew confesses that the reason he was sent to a boarding school as a kid was because in a tempter tantrum years ago he pushed his mother right onto an open dishwasher door. She broke her back and ended up handicapped. A terrible accident and a horrific weight for a child to carry, it throws light on Andrew's medicated apathy and avoidance.
He finally has that confrontation with his dad and decides to return to LA. Sam tearfully pleads with him not to go, but he tries to explain that the relationship is not over and that he is just going back to figure things out. Andrew gets on the plane, but doesn't go through with it. He finds Sam in a telephone booth crying, tells her that he loves her. The movie ends with him asking, "What do we do?" They hold and kiss each other. Aw!
Getting over the initial shock of Dick Casablancas actually writing a paper -- and putting aside the fact that he thought Garden State was a book -- the comparison between Andrew and Logan may seem reasonable on the surface. Both are heartbroken and feeling lost, they go through periods of apathy. However, where Andrew is ruled by grief and guilt, Logan is mourning the loss of love. His burden isn't lightened by entering into a new hook-up (which is made painfully obvious in the episode), nor is he numbing his pain with drugs. Our Logan may wear his heart on his sleeve these days, but he is unflinching even in that, and isn't deceiving himself.
There is a hopeful message in the film. And if starting anew, risking loving again, and opening yourself up to the possibilities isn't the Logan Echolls motto, it should be. "What do we do?" Logan's answer: Love, try, mourn, even despair. But never lose the ability to feel.
The film won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards and was generally well received by the critics and the audiences. It also produced a Grammy-winning soundtrack.
The View ... (Referenced by Dick in regards to how Logan is acting all emo.)
The View is a daytime talk show on ABC that features four women of different ages and from diverse career backgrounds and perspectives. When the show debuted in 1997, the original panel of women featured legal correspondent Star Jones and journalists Meredith Vieira, Debbie Matenopoulos and Barbara Walters. Matenopoulos was the first to leave the nest, the consenus being that her airheaded persona simply did not fit with the group. Jones was fired from the show (her contract was not renewed because she violated network policy by accepting wedding "gifts" in exchange for corporate mentions on the show) in 2006. Vieira also left The View that year to take Katie Couric's old job co-hosting The Today Show.
Now, Walters hosts along with comedians Rosie O'Donnell and Joy Behar and former Survivor contestant Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The View is currently in its tenth season. The show has received twenty Daytime Emmy Awards. It has also received recognition for specifically presenting issues that are significant to women and young girls, like breast cancer. The show has had numerous guest hosts (among them bold women such as Felicity Huffman, Ann Coulter, and Brooke Shields) and has a slew of weekly guests.
Needless to say, the show focuses a lot on women and their stories ... and yes, their feelings, so you can understand why someone like Dick would find it so distasteful.
Rosie ODonnell ... (Referenced by Dick in regards to how Logan is acting all emo.)
Rosie O'Donnell was born on March 21, 1962 in Queens, New York. In her twenties, she dropped out of college to pursue a career in comedy. From 1979 to 1984 she toured various comedy clubs and found success. She appeared on Star Search and the television sitcom Gimme a Break! From 1996 to 2002 Rosie hosted The Rosie O'Donnell Show and gained the title of "The Queen of Nice." Even so, she was openly opinionated, once heatedly debating with guest Tom Selleck over gun control. Rosie has often crossed the line between what is comedy and what is offensive. As a new host on the popular talk show The View, she criticized a costly search effort to find missing climbers on Mount Hood in Oregon.
Even more controversial was her confirmation in 2002 that she was lesbian. In 2004, Rosie entered a civil union with marketing exec Kelli Carpenter. They have three adopted children and a daughter that was conceived by Carpenter through artificial insemination.
The latest controversy surrounding Rosie is her feud with Donald Trump over the Miss USA pageant. Trump allowed partygirl Tara Conner to have a second chance despite having violated pageant rules. Rosie criticized his character, and he in turn did the same, albeit with somewhat more extreme rhetoric. Ahh, if only Hollywood celebs could get over themselves. Oh wait, then we'd have no need for Access Hollywood, which covered the story ad nauseum.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life ... (Referenced by Dick to Logan about moving on.)
Hello, and welcome to the Clich Festival. I am Dick Casablancas and I will be your host. Sigh. Yes, Logan, I am with you: Trivial cliches dont fortify, inspire, or even amuse. Their oversimplified, and, sadly, overused platitude wisdom can only bring joy to primitive life forms like Dick.
There are two conventional interpretations of this particular clich: To reach a goal, you have to take action now; just thinking or talking about something will not get you to the goal. All fine and well, but, again, to quote Logan, as wisdom goes, this is both obvious and pointless. For one thing, the statement implies that your yesterday is not important, because it's already in the past, in that part of your life that's already gone. It neatly dispenses with lessons, growth and reflection. It would follow that tomorrow will be the second day of the rest of your life, the day after to morrow the third, and so forth.
But that's not what the statement implies, because, really, tomorrow will also be the first day of the rest of your life, and so will every day after that. And, if that's the case, today will become yesterday and, by that definition, will lose its significance. Sure, to reach a goal you do have to take action now. And thinking or talking about it alone will not get you there. But neither will a tired, over-generalized stereotype that attempts to usurp the place of thinking and feeling.
The origin of the phrase is credited to the Diggers, a radical group of Improv actors (yeah, I found that funny, too.) that organized and acted in San Francisco in the late 1960's. Their name comes from the original English Diggers (1649-50) who espoused an idealistic societal model free of private property and commerce. The San Francisco Diggers opened the so-called free stores which simply gave away the goods; provided free food, medicine, transportation and shelter to those in need; organized concerts and art exhibitions. The provisions came from collecting discarded goods, recycling, and donations. They were, whats known as "community anarchists" whose love of freedom coexisted with the awareness of their community.
The actual phrase "Today is the fist day of the rest of your life" originated (allegedly) in their publication, the Digger Papers. I get the intention, and I applaud their efforts. But the muddled philosophy of their propaganda leaves me cold. So, what's the lesson here? Dispense with the samplers. Think for yourself. And, Logan, whatever you do, do not follow Dick Casablancas! You, of all people, know that only bad things happen when Dick attempts to think!
Penalty/Red Card ... (Referenced by Mac about Veronica as a youngin' and how she was gung-ho.)
Penalty cards are used by soccer referees to indicate disciplinary sanction (either caution or send-off) of players. The use of the cards was originated by British referree Ken Aston, who was inspired as he was sitting in his car at a traffic light. Although not mandatory until 1992, the first major use of the penalty-card system was at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. A yellow card indicates a caution, which results from such offences as unsporting behavior, delay of play, extravagant celebration, and entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission, among others.
A red card indicates a send-off, and the player is required to immediately leave the field. A red card results from having been shown two yellow cards in a match or committing a more serious misconduct. Offenses that directly result in a red card include a serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting at an opponent or other person, offensive or abusive language and/or gestures, among others.
An infamous use of the card happened in the enormously popular 2006 FIFA World Cup final, when French team captain Zinedine Zidane was red carded by referee Horacio Elizondo after headbutting Italian player Marco Materazzi. Zidane's defenders claimed that the normally nonviolent Zidane was provoked by Materazzi, known as a hothead. Because he was retiring after the World Cup, the incident will be what many remember about Zindane, marring an otherwise great career.
The 2006 FIFA World Cup final red-carding
of Zidane.
Old Testament ... (Referenced by Veronica describing Dean O'Dell to Keith.)
The Old Testament refers to all versions and translations of the Hebrew Bible and is the first major part of the Bible used by Christians. It is usually divided by Judaism into the categories of law: Torah; prophecy: Neviim; and writings: Kethuvim (history, poetry, wisdom books); as denoted by the acronym Tanakh.
The Protestant Old Testament is for the most part identical with the Jewish Tanakh. The differences between the Tanakh and the Protestant Old Testament are minor, dealing only with the arrangement and number of the books. For example, while the Tanakh considers 1 Kings and 2 Kings to be one book, the Protestant Old Testament considers them to be two books. Similarly Ezra and Nehemiah are considered to be one book by the Tanakh.
The differences between the Tanakh and other versions of the Old Testament such as the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Syriac, Latin, Greek and other works, are greater as some include books not in the Tanakh and even in the books included, some have sections that the others do not.
All of these books were written before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, whose teaching and immediate disciples' deeds and teachings are the subject of the subsequent writings of Christian New Testament. The scriptures used by Jesus were according to Luke 24:44-49: "The law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms ... the scriptures." According to most Bible scholars, the Old Testament was composed between the fifth century BC and the second century BC, though parts of it, such as parts of the Torah, and the Song of Deborah (Judges 5), probably date back much earlier.
Good-bye, Cruel World ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell's computer written goodbye.)
"Goodbye, cruel world" is a stock suicide message used in literature, lyrics, films, and, sometimes in real life. It's difficult to trace the exact origins of the phrase, or say who used it first. There are several notable instances. There's a book by Kurt Vonnegut called Mother Night, written in 1961; the second to last sentence in which is "Goodbye, cruel world." It is also the title of a song by Pink Floyd from their groundbreaking album The Wall:
Finally, apparently the use of this particular clich in Dean O'Dell's murder (and, it would follow, Veronica's paper) is an in-joke. Ed Begley Jr. (our Dean) has appeared in the film Batman Forever, playing the Riddler's boss. The Riddler murdered him, leaving a fake suicide note that read "Goodbye, cruel world." Clearly Veronica (and the VM writing staff) watches too many movies.
Clich ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell's computer written goodbye.)
A clich (French) is defined as a hackneyed expression so often used that its original power has been drained away. Certainly, as samplers go, "goodbye, cruel world!" (sans "zzzz") is as clich as they come. It was clever of Veronica to use this for a fake suicide note in her paper, because its very triteness positively assures anonymity. Stripped of personality and reasoning, the phrase, while clearly declaring the intent, gives away nothing of the state of mind or any of the individuality of the writer. Which makes it impossible to authenticate the note -- provided its typed on a computer.
San Francisco ... (Referenced by Piz when trying to funny.)
The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California and the fourteenth-largest in the United States, with a 2005 population of 739,426. It is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula and is the focal point of the San Francisco Bay Area, whose population is seven million. San Francisco is the second most densely populated major American city, after New York.
The Spanish were the first Europeans to settle in San Francisco in 1776 and they named the settlement for St. Francis. When the gold rush hit in 1848, the city experienced rapid growth. Even the devastating earthquake of 1906 (one of the worst natural disasters in United States history) could not stop the San Francisco explosion. The city was quickly rebuilt and is today one of the most recognizable cities in the United States. Famous hallmarks and landmarks include the San Francisco cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.
Thunderdome ... (Referenced by Piz when trying to funny.)
The term "Thunderdome" comes from the title of the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, the third film of the apocalyptic, science-fiction Mad Max trilogy (following Mad Max in 1979 and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior in 1981). In Beyond Thunderdome, Max, played by Mel Gibson, is ambushed in the desert and left without transportation, forcing him to continue on foot. He ends up in an outpost called Bartertown, which is run by Aunty Entity (Tina Turner) but powered by Master and his bodyguard, Blaster (together known as Master Blaster). As Master begins to assert his authority through the threat of energy embargos, Entity enters into a deal with Max to provoke Blaster and kill him in the Thunderdome, a gladiatorial-like dome where conflicts are resolved with duels to the death, where the tagline was "Two men enter, one man leave." When Max feels sorry for Blaster and refuses to kill him, his punishment for breaking the deal is to be banished again to the desert. The rest of the film follows Max's attempts to help a group of wild children.
The film was met with mixed critical reviews, but the Thunderdome scene was often singled-out for praise as one of the most original and creative action sequences in cinema. At KillerClips you can watch clips of the Thunderdome portion of the film: "Listen to the law," "Two men enter one man leave," "Hes bad, hes beautiful, hes crazy," and "Bust a deal, face the wheel."
Another point of reference (especially in regards to Piz's statement) can be found in the lyrics of the Tina Turner single from the film's soundtrack, "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" -- specifically
Splinter Cells are elite intelligence-gathering forces that consist of a lone field operative who is supported by a remote team. The agent has the freedom to eliminate any threat he perceives in any manner he deems fit. These agents are usually covered by "plausible deniability" wherein the agent is told the specifics of his job, but not through the normal chain of command so there is no record of the orders given. If the agent is captured or killed, the government responsible for deploying the agent can claim they were rogue -- acting without official orders or permission. Splinter Cells are small, sharp, and nearly invisible, hence the name.
Carbon Assimilation ... (Referenced by the botonist student talking about her plants.)
Green plants, and therefore ultimately all other higher forms of life, depend upon organic carbon derived from carbon dioxide in processes driven by light energy. Central to every aspect of such photosynthetic carbon assimilation by leaves, lies the Benson-Calvin cycle. In this cyclic sequence of reactions, carbon dioxide is added to an acceptor molecule. The newly formed addition compound then undergoes a series of changes, including reduction, so that a stable product is formed and set aside. At the same time, the CO2-acceptor is regenerated and new molecules of acceptor formed so that the process might continue and grow.
(Source: Photosynthetic Carbon Assimilation)
N.R.A. ... (Referenced in regards to Veronica "joining" the N.R.A. because of Argent.)
The National Rifle Association was formed in 1871 by Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate because they were dismayed by the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops. The NRA's primary goal would be to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis." Granted a charter by the state of New York, the NRA was founded on November 17, 1871, with Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, the former governor of Rhode Island and a U.S. Senator as the new associations first president.
The NRA first began promoting the shooting sports among America's youth in 1903 when NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones urged the establishment of rifle clubs at all major colleges, universities, and military academies. By 1906, more than two hundred boys were competing in matches. Youth programs are still the cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million boys and girls participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs in 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, U.S. Jaycees, and others. There are also nearly one thousand Certified Coaches who are specially trained to work with young competitive shooters. Since the lifesaving Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program was established in 1988, more than twelve million pre-kindergarten to sixth grade children have learned that if they see a firearm in an unsupervised situation, they should "STOP. DON'T TOUCH. LEAVE THE AREA. TELL AN ADULT."
Camp Perry, 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie, is the home of the annual National Matches. With nearly six thousand people competing annually in pistol, smallbore, and highpower events, the matches are the benchmark for excellence in marksmanship, and are one of the biggest sporting events held in the country today. The NRA continues to be the leader in civilian training in firearms education. There are over fifty thousand Certified Instructors that now train about seven-hundred and fifty thousand gun owners a year, with courses available in basic rifle, pistol, shotgun, muzzleloading firearms, personal protection, and ammunition reloading.
Today, with nearly three million members, the NRA is widely recognized as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, and has been, since its inception, the premier firearms education organization in the world. As former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos said, "Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They're good citizens. They call their Congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what they want over time." And he's right. We do.
Second Amendment ... (Referenced by Mac in her attempt to be fangirly of Argent.)
Amendment II (the Second Amendment, 1789) of the United States Constitution, a part of the Bill of Rights, as passed by the House and Senate and later ratified by the States, reads:
In 1786, A decade after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the U.S. existed as a loose national government under the Articles of Confederation -- which was perceived to have several weaknesses -- most notable of which was the inability to mount a Federal military response to an armed uprising known as Shays' Rebellion. In order to address those weaknesses, the Philadelphia Convention was convened in 1787 with the charter of amending the Articles. At the convention's conclusion with a proposed Constitution, those who debated the ratification of the Constitution were divided into two groups: the Federalists (who supported ratification of the Constitution) and the Anti-Federalists (who opposed it).
The origin of the Second Amendment also occurred in context of an ongoing debate about "the people" fighting governmental tyranny, (as described by Antifederalists); or the risk of mob rule of "the people," (as described by the Federalists). Reaching a compromise between these widely disparate positions was not easy, but nonetheless, a compromise was negotiated with the result being the Second Amendment.
Code Name ... (Referenced by Mac in her desire for one.)
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Codenames are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industry to protect secret projects and the like from business rivals.
In the Second World War, code names common to the Allies referring to nations, cities, geographical features, military units, military operations, diplomatic meetings, places, and individual persons were agreed upon adapting pre-war naming procedures in use by the governments concerned. In the British case code names were administered and controlled by ISSB (The Inter-Services Security Board) staffed by the War Office with the word list generated and randomised by GC&CS (later GCHQ). This procedure was co-ordinated with the USA when America entered the war. Random lists of code names were issued to users in alphabetical blocks of ten words and were selected as required. Code words became available for re-use after six months and unused allocations could be re-assigned at discretion and according to need. Judicious selection from the available allocation could result in clever meanings and result in an aptronym or backronym, although policy was to select words that had no obviously deducable connection with what they were supposed to be concealing. (Source: Wikipedia, January 29, 2007)
Canada ... (Referenced by the 'country' that Mac/Parker's room is.)
Canada is a federal constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. Comprising ten provinces and three territories, Canada is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade -- particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship.
Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America. Extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, Canada shares land borders with the United States to the northwest and south.
Inhabited first by aboriginal peoples, Canada was founded as a union of British colonies (some of which were formerly French colonies). Canada gained independence from the United Kingdom in an incremental process that began in 1867 and ended in 1982; it remains a Commonwealth Realm. Its capital is Ottawa, while its largest city is Toronto.
Greenpeace ... (Referenced by Bronson in what he used to be involved in.)
Greenpeace is an international environmental organization founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1971. It is known for its campaigns to stop atmospheric and underground nuclear testing as well as to bring an end to high seas whaling. The organization has also tackled other environmental issues including bottom trawling, global warming, ancient forest destruction, nuclear power, and genetic engineering. Greenpeace has national and regional offices in forty-one countries worldwide, all of which are affiliated to the Amsterdam-based Greenpeace International. The global organization receives its income through the individual contributions of an estimated 2.8 million financial supporters, as well as from grants from charitable foundations. Greenpeace does not accept funding from governments or corporations because they are bound and determined to stick it to the man in every way possible. Rock on Greenpeace, rock on.
Greenpeace's official mission statement is:
Sierra Club ... (Referenced by Bronson in what he used to be involved in.)
The Sierra Club is America's self-proclaimed oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. The Club (as it's known to members) was founded on May 28, 1892 in San Francisco, California by the well-known preservationist John Muir who became its first president. The Sierra Club has over seventy hundred and fifty thousand members in chapters located throughout the United States, and is affiliated with Sierra Club du Canada. Like Bronson, the goal of Sierra Club activists world-wide is to oppose and prevent humanity's tendency to -- as Mac so delicately stated -- rape the planet.
www.sierraclub.org.
JFK & Jackie O ... (Referenced during Veronica's pep talk for Mac.)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the thirty-fifth President of the United States, most known for his involvement in the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Civil Rights movement, the Space Race, and for his mid-term assassination in 1963. JFK was the youngest candidate to be elected President, and is also the only Roman Catholic to serve as President of the United States.
Kennedy was a Massachusetts native; he attended both Harvard and Stanford University and traveled extensively throughout his early life. He volunteered for the U.S. army but was rejected due to medical problems, but was able to join the U.S. Navy where he earned several war decorations for his heroism.
After deciding to enter politics, Kennedy won the 1960 election for the presidency against Richard Nixon, and went onto encourage Americans to be active citizens. He is quoted in saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," a quote you may recall Logan taking some liberties with in Plan B. He asked the nations of the world to join together to fight what he referred to as "common enemies of man: Tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself."
Kennedy and his young wife Jacqueline were extraordinarily popular due to their youth and desire to make the White House a place to celebrate American culture. They invited all kinds of guests to their home; writers, artists, scientists, musicians, athletes, and Nobel Prize winners. Jackie brought in new furniture and art to be showcased in the White House and the two young children were a big attraction for journalists. Despite their happy appearance, there were dark times as well. Rumors of extramarital affairs cropped up after John F. Kennedys assassination, and the couple lost a child (at birth) in 1963.
So, I guess I can understand why Veronica thought JFK would be a good analogy -- he was a strong leader, into doing things for the good of the planet and all that. And really, who can resist a good Jackie O joke (Apparently not the Veronica Mars writers). But still possibly philandering husband who dies in his wifes arms? Is decidedly *not* the best analogy to throw at poor Mac. Let the girl hold onto some hope of a happy ending, Veronica!
RAM Card ... (Referenced by Mac as to its condition after being pulled out of the lab's hard drive.)
Random access memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a type of data store used in computers. It takes the form of integrated circuits that allow the stored data to be accessed in any order -- that is, at random and without the physical movement of the storage medium or a physical reading head.
The word "random" refers to the fact that any piece of data can be returned quickly, and in a constant time, regardless of its physical location and whether or not it is related to the previous piece of data. This contrasts with storage mechanisms such as tapes, magnetic disks and optical disks, which rely on the physical movement of the recording medium or a reading head. In these devices, the movement takes longer than the data transfer, and the retrieval time varies depending on the physical location of the next item. (Source: Wikipedia, January 27, 2007)
Green Tea ... (Referenced in regards to what Pauline, the lab tech, drinks.)
Green tea is a "true" tea (i.e., Camellia sinensis) that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea is popular in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. Recently it has become more widespread in the West, where traditionally black tea is consumed.
The tea is also known for its numerous health benefits. Here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
2001: A Space Odyssey ... (Referenced by Mac when asking him out on a date.)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a groundbreaking science fiction masterpiece directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Arthur C. Clarke. Released in 1968, the film touches on themes of evolution, technology, and humanity.
"My God, it's full of stars!"
The plot centers on a mysterious artifact found buried on the moon and the quest it produces. The film explores intelligence as the division between animal and human, and the question of the next natural division -- between human and artificial intelligence. In the world where technology -- a computer named HAL in particular -- is treated simply as a vehicle for the quest, it ultimately reasserts its own relevance in a very chilling way.
Technically brilliant and influential, 2001 breaks with tradition of narrative moviemaking and tells the story in provocative and intricate imagery and sound. Recognized as one of the greatest films of its time, it remains open to numerous interpretations of meaning and intent by critics and audiences alike. Kubrick, during his lifetime, was asked repeatedly to explain what happens in the movie, and he steadfastly refused to guide his audience to any specific conclusion. "You're free to speculate as you wish about the philosophical and allegorical meaning of the film -- and such speculation is one indication that it has succeeded in gripping the audience at a deep level -- but I don't want to spell out a verbal road map for 2001 that every viewer will feel obligated to pursue or else fear he's missed the point," said the director to the Playboy magazine in 1968.
The film is fairly realistic from the point of view of physics, especially in comparison to other science fiction productions of the time. A lot of detail went into making everything appear authentic, and while some of the things are clearly impossible, the overall feel is incredibly real. Considering this was the late 1960's, the technology projected and imagined in the film is very close to what we have now: Flat screen TVs, glass cockpits in spacecrafts, numerous TV stations, credit cards with data strips, voice-identification, etc.
Another notable feature is the films dialogue. For the first twenty minutes there isn't any at all -- a striking departure from the traditional movie narrative. It's supplemented instead by the visual imagery, action, and sound effects. The subsequent dialogue in most of the film is deliberately trivial and unemotional to emphasize the subtext of what isn't being said.
The ambient sound of the film is central to the narrative. Its importance is most apparent in the scene where computer HAL murders three hibernating astronauts. The murderer's inhuman nature is chillingly portrayed through the alarm sounds, background hissing of the environmental systems, no dialogue, no music, and no action at all. Besides the background sounds all we get are the three subsequent warning signs on the monitor: "Computer Malfunction," then "Life Functions Critical," and finally "Life Functions Terminated." All culminating in ominous silence. The sound effects in the movie are practically characters in their own right. Eerily contemporary, their influence on later films is unmistakable. And the influence of 2001 on the science fiction genre as a whole cannot be underestimated.
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning one for visual effects. All in all, an unconventional choice for a first date, but nonetheless, Mac and Bronson are in for a treat.
70 mm ... (Referenced by Mac when asking him out on a date.)
70 mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge of superior quality to standard 35 mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is 65 mm wide; for projection 2.5 mm are added along each outer side of the perforations for magnetic strips holding six tracks of surround sound, although more recent 70 mm prints now use digital sound encoding; however, the vast majority of 70 mm prints predate this technology. Each frame is five perforations tall, with an aspect ratio of 2.20.
Film formats with a width of 70 mm have existed since the early days of the motion picture industry. The first 70 mm format was most likely footage of the Henley Regatta, which was projected in 1896 and 1897, but may have been filmed as early as 1894. The "Todd-AO" format, introduced in the 1950s, popularized the format for use in feature length films. Due to the costs of 70 mm film and the expensive projection system and screen required to use the stock, distribution for films using the stock was limited, although this did not always hurt profits. Often, as in the case of 2001: A Space Odyssey, 70 mm films were re-released on 35 mm film for a wider distribution after the initial debut of the film. The advent of small multi-cinema theater venues, as the norm, and availability of digital soundtrack systems for less expensive 35 mm film led to a decline in use of this expensive format in the 1990s.
70 mm also has presented a difficulty in recent years for VHS and DVD releases, as telecine machines capable of high-level scanning have only been available in limited quantities until recently. This has unfortunately sometimes meant that films were transferred to video via their 35 mm blown-down elements instead of the high-quality full-gauge intermediates; luckily, more and more DVD releases are using the original-gauge source elements.
(David) Hasselhoff ... (Referenced by the kind of music Piz won't play just to play something.)
Hey, Piz, don't knock the Hoff! His music is HUGE in Germany, Austria and Switzerland! Ahem.
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952 in Baltimore, Maryland), is an American actor, singer and songwriter who is best known for his lead roles on Knight Rider and Baywatch. (And his overly muscled physique and well-coiffed hairstyle.) Early in his career, Hasselhoff played Dr. Snapper Foster on the soap opera The Young and the Restless for six years. At about this time he posed for a series of now infamous and much sought after posters wearing only a leather jacket and black bikini briefs.
He later went on to star as Michael Knight in the Glen A. Larson-created series Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986. Three years passed before Hasselhoff returned to television on NBC's Baywatch in 1989. Although it was cancelled after only one season, he believed the series had potential, so Hasselhoff revived it for the first-run syndication market in 1991, investing his own money and additionally functioning as executive producer. His contract stipulated royalties to be paid to him from the rerun profits, which gave him the financial liberty to buy back the rights to Baywatch from NBC. In its second incarnation, Baywatch was much more successfu, running in syndication for another ten seasons (and launching the career of the pneumatic Pamela Anderson). It was also well-received internationally and has been shown in over one hundred and forty countries around the world. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Baywatch is the most watched TV show in the world, with over 1.1 billion viewers.
This success combined with his royalties and his other ventures have placed Hasselhoff's fortune at more than $100,000,000.
Hasselhoff launched his singing career with guest appearances on the children's program Kids Incorporated and also obtained permission to produce a Knight Rider episode ("Let It Be Me") which focused on his singing talents. The episode served as a springboard for his 1985 debut album Night Rocker. The debut album was released while he was still working on the show. After two moderately successful albums, he recorded "Looking for Freedom" with German producer Jack White in the summer of 1989 and released it just as the Berlin Wall came down.
It resonated with the newly unified nation and he performed it atop the Wall as the people tore it down. In Germany, his song became an anthem of sorts at the time, and the album went gold and triple platinum, topping the charts for three months whilst the single managed a mere eight weeks. He was later announced as the best selling artist of 1989 in Germany even prompting the newspaper headline "Hasselhoff: Not since the Beatles." Since then, another six of his albums have gone platinum in Europe.
Yes, you read that correctly. So, Piz, could millions of Europeans be so wrong? Maybe the Hoff is, after all, "something good."
Neko Case ... (Referenced by the kind of music Piz wants to play.)
Neko Case is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Tacoma, Washington. Primarily a solo artist, Case is also a member of The New Pornographers and has collaborated with a number of Canadian artists, including The Sadies, Carolyn Mark, and Maow.
Case's musical career began in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she lived from 1994 to 1998. She played with a variety of local punk bands and recorded her first country album, and soon began touring under the name Neko Case & Her Boyfriends before switching to her own name. Her first album, The Virginian, released in 1997, featured both original songs and covers. Critics compared her sound on the album to honky-tonk greats like Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. In 2000, she released her second solo album, Furnace Room Lullaby, which introduced what are considered the "country noir" or "alternative country" elements of her music, which continued in her third full-length album, Blacklisted (released in 2002).
Case released a live album, The Tigers Have Spoken, in 2004, which was followed by her 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Hailed by critics for both Case's trademark vocals and the use of imagery and unusual song structures, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood landed on many "Best of 2006" lists. One track from this album, "Hold On, Hold On," was used in Wichita Linebacker as the song Veronica was listening to in her room while moping in the dark over her fight with Logan.
Case has also released three albums with The New Pornographers (Mass Romantic, Electric Version, and Twin Cinema). Her lead vocals on their first album were a change from her solo work, dropping the country elements and instead delivering a more straightforward power-pop performance.
Molotov Cocktail ... (Referenced by Keith about his "attempt" to blow up the car.)
The Molotov cocktail got it name from Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, a Soviet politician, who was the Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union before and during World War II. A crude incendiary weapon, it is also known as the petrol bomb, benzene torch, Molotov grenade or Molotov bomb, and generally consists of a glass bottle partially filled with a flammable liquid -- most often gasoline. When gasoline is used as the main ingredient, it is common to mix in motor oil or sugar, to help the gasoline stick to the target. A gas soaked rag is stuffed into the neck of the bottle, the bottle corked, the rag is then lit and the bottle is thrown at a target.
Commonly associated with rioters and guerilla forces, the cocktails are more often used for basic arson, and are referred to as a "homemade frag" or "the poor man's hand grenade" in urban slang. It was during the build-up to WWII that the cocktails were first put to use. During the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland, the Finnish Army borrowed an improvised incendiary device design from the Spanish Civil War. In radio broadcasts, Molotov claimed that the Soviet's were not dropping bombs, but were delivering food to the starving Finns. The Finns began to call the air bombs "Molotov picnic baskets" and soon responded by attacking advancing Soviet tanks with "Molotov cocktails."
In the beginning the term was used only to describe the burning mixture itself, but soon came to include the combination of both the bottle and its contents. Eventually, Molotov cocktails were mass produced during the war by the Alko corporation at its Rajamki distillery, and were packaged with matches to light them. Production during the war totaled four hundred and fifty thousand and was originally a mixture of ethanol, tar, and gasoline in a seventy hundred and fifty milliliter bottle. A Bengal fire stick (which was found to be safer to use than a burning rag) was attached to the side and before use was lit; when the bottle broke on impact, the mixture was ignited. Kiddies: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.
Long, Long Time ... (Referenced by the song playing which Landry points out when outing Keith.)
Recorded by Linda Ronstadt, the 1970 song "Long, Long Time," was her first hit record as a solo artist and marked her first foray into Country-style ballads. The song, written by Gary B. White, was released, her back-up band included Don Henley and Glenn Frey, who would later form The Eagles. The instrumental (strings, harpsichord, etc.), the insightful lyrics, the lush arrangement, and Ronstadt's flawless vocals all combine to make this ballad as close to pop-perfection as possible. Linda has long been a favorite of mine (thanks to my mother!) and if you've never had the opportunity to listen to any of her music I suggest you do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of her greatest hits album. You won't regret it.
The lyrics:
- The return of my second-favorite love affair on this show: Logan/Apples. But I think it may be soon overtaken by my love of Logan/Gum. Hmmm ...
- Parker should be best friends with their RA. Perky Princess, meet your new Queen.
- The way Veronica wiggles and raises her eyebrows at Mac when Bronson introduces himself (while clearly staring at Mac) as the chapter President of P.H.A.T. at Hearst.
- Although the meeting flyer said the P.H.A.T. orientation would start at 8:00, the clock over Bronsons head during his presentation clearly reads 7:00.
- There's a cartoon (Sam and Ralph) playing in the background of the first Logan/Dick scene. Oh, so Dick.
- Clearly Dick and Logan were having a drinking date before Dick woke up and put on one of Logan's robes (and the slashers go wild! Back off Dick, he'd swing to Weevil if he went that way!). Note the three empty beer cans behind Dick as he takes a photo of his ... similarly named man parts.
- All hail the comic timing between Jason Dohring and Ryan Hansen in that Dick/Logan dialogue. I especially liked the "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" exchange: Dick's encouraging smile, Logan's dry look, Dick's discouraged "really, think about it" push, and Logan's dissection of the empty platitude (he's much better at finding his own quotes of the day, thank you very much!).
- "Lick or stuff?" Now there's a memorable opening line ...
- The way Gil puts his hand up after the opposition says if they want to see her nipples, ask. The fact the gesture was dorky and tentative made it amusing.
- Mac looked really pretty in this episode.
- Piz did not look impressed by the sting at the end of his interview with Ed Argent. Probably not good for his career but something he should get used to if he wants to -- but we best be silent here.
- That 'No Fur' prank was awesome, completely puts the bong incident to shame. Veronica needs to bring her pranking skills up to the new par.
- The look of what the fuck?! that Veronica gives Mac when she tells Bronson she doesnt want to go grab a bite to eat with the gang because shes had some mints.
- Veronica's almost-vomitting grimace as she says 'mingle.' Hee!
- Surfing! Again! They have actual waves in this one but they don't go in the water (alas, we can't get both together). We waited so long and now we have two surfing scenes in one season! Woohoo!
- Clearly Parker is the match-making version of Veronica: Obsessed, determined, sneaky and slightly manipulative in achieving her dating goals (re: stealing Bronson's ID because she knew Mac woud stuff it up). At least it worked out well for Mac.
- If Logan wants some sympathy about Veronica he probably shouldn't hang out with the two guys who hate her on the show at the moment. Just a thought.
- Jason's delivery of 'apparently we're in to the cheap stuff!' I've missed cheeky, snarky Logan. It was nice to see him for a second.
- Mac's slow, can't-hold-the-relief-back smile after Parker got Bronson to say that Amy was his sister. *giggles*
- And in yet another Finally! for the season: Logan was exploited for his name, seen as 'attractive' because of his father and basically seen though. Ouch. And about time we saw that.
- The way Gil forlornly squeezes the banana after Veronica hands it to him.
- The monkey leaning on Gil's head and licking his hands as Veronica discusses Gil's porn. That whole shot had me giggling so much.
- Mac's messy hair when she goes to see Bronson. It looks like she's been pacing for ages, considering her options, and messing up her hair in frustration. Nice touch.
- As Piz waves at Veronica from the radio booth, there's a poster by the glass that reads: "Mr Stag." Considering what happens in the next scene, that's pretty funny.
- Loved Keith's first showdown with another criminal mind that is a legitimate threat to his own ability to crack the case. Nope, Landry is not Lamb. And he doesn't underestimate Keith and it's funny that Keith underestimated him: The formally educated forensic psychologist teaching criminology to his daughter. Can't wait for their next meeting.
- Veronica looks tired (sated?) the next morning after she visits Logan. hee
- Considering Veronica said in her voiceover that Logan is not a breakfast (or even an early lunch) person, they have breakfast together pretty soon afterwards.
- Obviously, there was much more signage of Dick's tendencies in this episode, but the fact that Logan responded to Dick's request to show him his "man parts" with merely a quirk of his eyebrow and a smirk? And that he seemed like he kinda might be familiar with the image of Dick's "man parts?" Yeah, it's lean ... but eh, it's Logan. It'll do.
- Surfer skank gave Logan a blow-job. Whether shown or not, it was pretty obvious and thus pretty surprising on network television.
- Where art thou, Wallace?
- What happened with Logan's arrest? Did he inflict much damage on Mercer? Was he charged with anything? Does Veronica know? Will we ever hear about it, or, in sad but true VM fashion, is this going to be completely dropped to never be alluded to again?
- Is there a new Dean?
- Does Veronica actually still work for Keith? Because she said in Wichita Linebacker that Keith needed help now that she was in college (and working at the library) and now, once again, she's commented on the fact Keith should hire someone to do his filing?
- Since Veronica brought up Keith hiring someone again ... would he ever reconsider hiring Weevil? Weevil has a personal stake in this case since he respected the Dean and all.
- When Mrs. O'Dell walked into the office she called Keith "Mr. Mars," in the very next scene after she told him her story, she called him "Keith." What did we miss where she gained the familiarity?
- So, if the Dean's supposed "suicide" note was in fact the replica of Veronica's in her "perfect murder" paper, does that mean that someone stole her paper? Did they use it because it really was a blueprint for a perfect murder, or because it was the easiest way to implicate professor Landry? Or, was it a complete coincidence and Veronica is on one of her usual "it's all about me" trails?
- I know the sheriff is incompetent, but come on! "Goodbye, cruel world?" Wouldn't he at least weigh in other possibilities, like foul play? The man wasn't depressive, he wasn't terribly emotional, and he had no history of suicidal tendencies. What he did have was a lot of enemies.
- Since when did Mac mesh with her meatloving family? Wasn't the fact she was a vegan one of the many reasons she felt she didn't belong with the Mackenzie's in Silence of the Lamb?
- If it was so obvious to Veronica that Bronson was crushing on Mac after only a few scenes (and he's much more toned down than Piz), HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY HAVE NOT KNOWN PIZ LIKED HER FOR SO LONG?? Yes. I think that warranted caps.
- Has Keith finally become wise in his old, loveable age and bugged something on Veronica's person for the next time she decides to chase the big, bad rapist on her own? Like a bug on the back of Lilly's necklace? Or her huge purse? Her phone was turned off after all ... how did he track her down?
- So is Dick living with Logan or just stays over every now and then? The first scene with them was clearly morning, with both lounging about in sleepwear ... and yes, that means, I assume Dick sleeps in the nude.
- So ... does Logan make his own bed now? He comes out of his room looking sleepy, goes out on the balcony, and when they go back into the lounge and *gasp* the bed is perfectly made. Crappy attention to detail or has Logan gone domestic on us in his misery?
- How many times did Dick throw pictures of his privates off the presidential suite balcony before the manager figured out who it was? (I sort of understand why Logan didn't find it funny any more if it's been happening for a while)
- What happened to Veronica being 'uncomfortable' setting people up? She seemed perfectly excited to do it in this episode.
- Is Parker really over Piz, or just tired of waiting and wants to move on?
- Veronica waits outside the gymnasium to talk to Piz after class; the only other reference to his sporty side was the lacrosse stick he was carrying in Welcome Wagon. Is he at Hearst on a sports scholarship too? What is this kid studying?
- Did Ed Argent stop by the Theta Beta house for some hanky panky with his favorite sorority sisters later on? So much for Veronica feeling sorry for their den mother's terminal cancer!
- Did Dick set up a "date" with the three surf chicks or was it just a coincidence that three surf chicks were available when three guys went surfing together?
- Speaking of threes ... is that the standard Neptune number for social events? Parker/Mac/Veronica ... Logan/Dick/Chip ... Random surfer chick tripod. Does everyone in this town go marching three by three?
- What did Bronson do with the rats?
- Since when is Professor Landry so clued in to who the Mars family are? Didn't he have to ask Veronica who she was (if he followed the Echolls case enough to read the book he'd know what she looked like)? But he knows Keith by sight? Did he know more about Veronica then he let on when they first met and he 'took her under his wing'?
- Does Veronica know the difference between "Something Good" and "Just Something"? She says 'I think so' and it seems she knows so when she goes running right to Logan ... but could this be misdirection from our foreshadowing friends in the writer's room because she's not seeing clearly through her feelings for Logan? God, I hope not.
- The episode commenced with a reference to how bad Keith is at filing when Veronica isn't working that often. In season two, when Keith had barred Veronica from working at Mars Investigations, his office went crazy-disorganized until he finally relented and let her resume office duties.
- Keith asks Mindy if she's lying about her alibi for the night her husband was murdered. Aside from the fact he knows she's lying because he knows she's lying, there's also history to this method. In Keith's interrogation of Celeste and Jake Kane (Kanes and Abels), he asked them repeatedly where they were as their alibi was a romantic night together at a hotel. He tells Mindy straight away that she shouldn't lie about her 'meeting' (also at a hotel for adulterous purposes) because she'll be asked repeatedly and a lie that could make her look guilty. As it did the Kanes (who were also innocent of their daughter's murder).
- Taking a lesson from her past mistakes with the SAAC girls (Betty & Veronica), Veronica warns Mac to dress appropriately when infiltrating the animal-friendly P.H.A.T. meeting. The mocking of her "butch" boots and near destruction of her fake-fur jacket must have really struck a chord.
- Mac references Veronica's junior soccer days. The only other (memorable) mention of Veronica's amateur soccer days was when Veronica recalled that the first time Logan met her (and found her hot) was when she was wearing her soccer uniform in The Wrath of Con. I do wonder if Mac was joking about the red card though (you can never be sure with this show and its central character).
- Dick references Chip's unfortunate history with eggs. But apparently the only effect it had on Chip's personality was to simplify his grooming habits.
- Did that door opening scene at Bronson's house remind anyone else of when Madison opened the door in Silence of the Lamb to Mac, Veronica and Wallace?
- Yet another door scene in the Logan/Veronica relationship. Percentage-wise, I wonder how many of their Big moments have been standing at a door. You could say there's is a relationship of closing and opening doors.
- Mac asks Bronson out on a date to see 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is not the first time this movie has been referenced in dialogue with Mac. When Mac asked Veronica what her investigations were like prior to them knowing each other in M.A.D., Veronica said it was a lot like the first few minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Mac didn't find the joke funny but apparently she's a fan of the film.
- The monkey used in this episode is a well-known Hollywood monkey, named Katie, best known for her work on Friends. (See Yearbook.) However, said monkey is not very professional and is instead quite vicious. Eric Jungman (Gil Pardy) was actually quite frightened of the Capuchin.
- The mystery of this week for this episode was inspired by the knowledge that Ryan Hansen (Dick) owns a monkey. Later, this information was proven false, as it's actually Hansen's brother who does so. At one point, it was planned to have Hansen walk by in the background with a monkey on his shoulder with no explanation. Wiser heads prevailed.
- The monkey-thief was semi-revealed to viewers in a cunning way in the scene where Veronica is given the case. Mac introduces the male lab tech as Gil Thomas Pardy. Initialize his middle name as many are wont to do and you have Gil T. Pardy = guilty party. Nifty, eh?
- Ted Nugent, who was originally slated to be in the episode, couldn't be there because he was out bow hunting. The irony of this did not escape the writers. They said they were "bummed." They waned to see Kristen Bell and Ted Nugent in a scene together. But realized it was just as well, because those two may have simply killed each other. Or Ted Nugent would have started hunting the monkey (joked Robby Hull.)
- The lack of almost anything truly Canada was due to various legal issues.
duchessjms (Jayne): Social Science
genova (Cara): Extra Credit; Literature; Social Science
holly96 (Holly): Yearbook; Literature; Social Science
JaneDtwo: Social Science; Philosophy; Extra Curricular Activities
JenniferH: Report Card; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Social Sciences; Homeroom; Pep Squad Practice; Detention; Philosophy; Extra Curricular Activities
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
PolarTruckin (Belinda): Literature; Social Science; Homeroom; Philosophy; Principles of Democracy
samwg (Shannon): Literature; Principles of Democracy
SeluciaV (Alli): Journalism; Study Hall; Literature; Social Science; Homeroom
Original Air Date: January 23, 2007
Written by: John Enbom & Robby Hull (Story by Enbom)
Directed by: Nick Marck
Staff Grade: A
Membership Median Grade: A
In a wonderful return to form and a snazzy punch to begin the new year, Show Me the Monkey featured pretty much everything that makes Veronica Mars what it is: Great performances, great writing, quips (but not over the top or out of control), great relationships between Veronica and various characters, with a touch of mystery. As well the hints and tidbits of the season's second mystery arc were very well done. Finally, for LoVe fans we saw a miserable Logan and Veronica without one another and happy as could be once reunited.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Percy Daggs III - Wallace Fennel
Michael Muhney - Sheriff Don Lamb
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Patrick Fabian - Professor Hank Landry
Brandon Hillock - Deputy Sacks
Jaime Ray Newman - Mindy O'Dell
David Tom - Chip Diller
Guest Stars
Amelia Jean Alvarez - Amy Pope
Adriana DeMeo - Darla
Chip Joslin - Ed Argent
Eric Jungman - Gilbert T. Pardy
Katie - Oscar (aka #25)
Michael Mitchell - Bronson Pope
Linara Washington - Pauline
Brittany Ishibashi - Emi
Jackie Tohn - Party Organizer
Greg Wayne - Sam
Who's Who in Neptune
Amy Pope - Bronson Pope's sister.
Darla - Hearst student and P.H.A.T. member who wanted to picket at Ed Argent's concert.
Ed Argent - Classic rocker who enjoys bow hunting.
Gilbert Thomas Pardy - Hearst student who works in the research lab where the monkey was stolen and research was destroyed.
Oscar (aka #25) - Capuchin monkey who was stolen from Gil's and Pauline's research lab.
Bronson Pope - Hearst student who runs P.H.A.T. and takes a liking to Mac.
Pauline - Hearst student who works in the research lab where the monkey was stolen and research was destroyed.
Emi - Hearst student who works in the research lab adjacent to Gil's and Pauline's lab.
Party Organizer - Hearst student and Bennis Hall resident who organized the Around the World dorm party.
Sam - Hearst student and P.H.AT. member who asks Veronica and Mac to prove themselves.
Hey! It's That Monkey!
Katie (Oscar, aka #25) - Katie has had an illustrious career in Hollywood. She first came to prominence as Ross Geller's monkey Marcel on Friends. She was also the Anaheim Angels' Rally Monkey during their 2002 run to the World Series title. During key moments in games she would psych up fans by bouncing around to House of Pain's "Jump Around" and often held a sign declaring it to be "RALLY TIME!!!" Katie's job as Rally Monkey also landed her various appearances on the talk-show circuit. She also appeared in a number of feature films, including Outbreak, Ace Ventura II: When Nature Calls, Addicted to Love, George of the Jungle, Instinct, and Flintstones II: Viva Rock Vegas.
Left to right: Katie as Marcel in Friends (with David Schwimmer as Ross Geller); Katie as the
Rally Monkey for the Anaheim Angels; Katie appearing with ESPN's Gary Miller on Up Close.
In You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, the gang sings "There is no team like the best team, which is our team right here." I kind of felt like singing:
- There is no show, like the best show, which is our
show right here. (well best might be stretching it,
but I'm going with a theme here),
We've got a monkey, Mac's all spunky
A Veronica we cheer!
Hot passionate Kisses, Dick and his pictures and a
brand new mystery arc!
For all we have to do is get some great ratings and a
4th season will be ours!
Highlights
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - A delightful acting performance by Kristen Bell anchored and invigorated an engaging mystery of the week. Running an entire gamut of emotions, Bell showed once again how when she is on, she is on, baby (to channel Phoebe on Friends). Bell effectively showed in both her facial expressions and body language every emotion that Veronica Mars was experiencing. Jennifer describes in beautiful detail every emotion Veronica experiences in her interactions with Logan in her chemistry analysis. Gone were the undying layers of brittleness and lack of empathy that seemed to characterize her character portrayal in the fall arc. Instead, Belldisplayed a likeable, sympathetic heroine that puts the viewer on her team. Go Veronica Mars!
Tina Majorino (Mac) - Joining Bell on the all girl acting team was Tina Majorino in a strong, layered performance. Majorino excels in showing us a snarky, witty, defensive Mac. Show us the Monkey gave her an opportunity to show a more vulnerable side to Mac and Majorino hit it out of the park. Charming, nervous, and surprisingly passionate, she showed once again why she is such a valuable addition to the show.
Scene One: Veronica Time
One of the reasons this scene really worked for me is because it is the only time viewers have been given the impression that Veronica moped this long over a failed relationship beyond the silent dump. And, of course, there was so much more that went into that (Lilly's death, her rape, her mother's abandonment, her friends' abandonment, her age, he was her first boyfriend). Here, we saw that even after almost two months, Veronica was still effected by even the mere sight of Logan in the same location as she. And that it was even effecting her eating. This is quite the contrast to what we picked up through the flashbacks in Normal is the Watchword, where frankly, Veronica didn't seem to care all that much. Less than a month later after breaking up with him, she gleefully embarked on a new relationship with an old flame. This time around, it's twice the length of time and Veronica very clearly has not even begun to get over it yet.
Now, I'm not going to include the other scenes in this analysis that illustrate the above point due to the lack of surface Logan discussion, but I'll briefly reflect upon them here. Six weeks later and Veronica still can't bring herself to even really think about dating, unless pushed. And even then, she does it with a half-hearted measure and clearly is not only not connecting with anyone; she's not even trying to connect. Why? Because her heart belongs with Logan. This is even further illustrated by her discussion with Piz later on.
While he was clearly still crushing on Veronica and was -- in that scene specifically -- laying his groundwork for a move from friend to more, Veronica was oblivious to his train of thought. Yes, she appreciated what he was saying, and she applied his philosophy to herself, but she did so without getting what was his motive behind what he said. In other words, there was bonding, but it was of a completely superficial sort. He was thinking of establishing a connection between them, meanwhile she was thinking of re-establishing her connection with Logan and both were completely unaware of not only the object of each other's thoughts, but both misread each other's intentions completely.
Veronica just thought he was offering a philosophy of life, being a friend, while Piz was applying that philosophy directly to her and how she is the "something good" as opposed to the "just something" for him. On the other hand, Veronica was admitting to herself that settling for "just something" would never do for her when she had "something good," i.e. Logan, in her life. Meanwhile, Piz thought that she was on the same wavelength as he in regards to a potential future between them. The fact that they were both thinking of two completely different aspects of this bonding discussion and that neither one had a clue that they were showed that even at the closest we've seen them, they are still so very far apart.
Returning to this first scene, essentially the Veronica we saw stabbing at her food in the food court so focused on Logan was an outward image of what was going on inside throughout the entire episode. Logan would not be forgotten and she was not willing to settle for anything less than him.
And speaking of that stabbing food, I don't know if this was deliberate but since I hold director Nick Marck in such high esteem, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that it was. Even though this was the half-way point of the season, by starting a new mystery and relationship arc, it played as a "premiere" episode of sorts. And, of course, the actual premiere of this show offered viewers their first glimpse of Logan through Veronica ... who was stabbing at her food, paying attention to Logan and not the meal before her. Again, whether intentional or not, it was a nice callback.
Although, obviously, the emotion involved was completely different. Hate had been Veronica's motivation in the Pilot, two and a half years later it is love. Say it with me now ... awww!
Scene Two: Reunited and It Feels So Good
Like their first kiss, part of what works so well for this one is the complete lack of dialogue. It's interesting because the preview for this episode including Logan opening the door to Veronica and saying her name with a question mark. However, in the aired broadcast, neither spoke. I think with both options open to the editor(s), the right choice was made. The look on both of their faces sold the scene more effectively than any words could have and would have, I believe, in fact distracted from the mood the moment created. The music was pulsating behind them and we were getting action from both sides at different moments. Logan sitting there, silent and still until the knock at the door and then he was up and moving -- a fluid grace to those movements I might add -- and there stood Veronica, silent and still. And then she was taking action, moving into his arms.
But let me back up and give their expressions more attention. Like with The Kiss, it was so easy to know exactly everything that was going through their minds based on the emotions evident on their face. Obviously this is an area in which both Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring excel. Hooray for us! On Logan's face, you could read surprise that she was there, hope for why she was there, a touch of fear of what was to come and then a quick flash of wanting as she rushed to embrace him. On Veronica's, we saw anxiety that he didn't want her, hope that he would and silent pleading to take her back just before there was an unspoken 'to hell with it' as she just threw caution to the wind and threw herself at him, hoping he would catch her. And of course he did.
I know many believe that this reunion will be short-lived and therefore hold little importance. I disagree with the latter point. This is the first time we know indubitably, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Veronica swallowed her pride and without any actual knowledge of the reception awaiting her, took the bulls by the horn and took a chance in a relationship. She likely called Logan in A Trip to the Dentist to apologize about her accusations, but (1) he came to her and (2) they were technically, actively still involved and she knew exactly where he stood with her. He wanted her and she was essentially allowing him back into her life. There is a similar note to her showing up at the Grand in Look Who's Stalking. While she did (like here) go to him, she knew exactly how he felt as he had confessed all the night before. Despite the result, when Veronica decided to go to him, there was no anxiety that she was unwanted.
The same cannot be said this time. Logan broke up with her six weeks before. And he clearly had held fast to that conviction. For all she knew, Logan could have moved on, could have been living the fast life, gotten into another relationship, etc. As far as the audience is aware the two have no mutual friends (and, no, Wallace doesn't count; he and Logan share a class, we've never seen them portrayed as "friends"), so Veronica would have no knowledge of what he's doing. So she not only took a chance ... she took a big chance. She swallowed her pride big-time on the hope that Logan missed her as much as she missed him, was as miserable as she. And that for one Veronica Mars is a pretty huge step.
Will it all fall apart? Likely. Has she learned her lesson in regards to their relationship? Likely not. After all, with the lack of dialogue, it's an easy assumption to make that once that door closed the two didn't sit down to hash out their issues, but instead tore their clothes off and went at it like wild bunnies. However, like other steps that Veronica has taken that haven't truly, well, taken ... she is still making an effort and that shows at least a willingness to try. And that is something that we have yet to see her do with anyone else. She does love Logan; I just don't believe she knows how to deal with the nature of that loving yet.
This, though, was a step. Another baby one and like her previous steps, it may (probably will) be retraced ... but each time she takes a step it shows that there is an acquiescence that the very stubborn, very intractable Veronica Mars is able to give in regards to Logan Echolls. This is a good thing.
As for the kiss itself, I did love how they couldn't keep their hands off of each other once they connected. And my goodness, the angle and direction of this shot truly showed just how tiny Kristen Bell is in Jason Dohring's arms. And that even added a measure of vulnerability and trust to the moment and was yet another point in the pluses column of how these two work so well on screen together. One other note, not so much analysis as observation but ... how hot was it the way Logan shut the door with his leg, refusing to let go of Veronica once she was in his arms for even the instant it would have taken to close it with his hand? Way, way hot. Muy Caliente!
Sweeping, romantic, desperate, full of passion and yearning ... that is what that kiss was. Another word for it: Epic.
Scene Three: Breakfast for Two
I know many felt that this scene was a disappointment because it seemed more about Piz than Logan and Veronica. On a pure shipper level, yes, I would have preferred to not have it at all. However, from a dramatic point of view I had no problem with it. I believe it made perfect sense that it didn't end on the kiss, but instead on the Piz and LoVe scene. The conversation between Veronica and Piz earlier brought up Piz's crush and so there was that thread being played out in this episode. Had we not seen a reaction scene from Piz finding out that she was back with Logan (where she belongs, ahem), it would have been left dangling and would we have really wanted that aspect drawn out into another episode? No. The inclusion of this scene actually gave us a bit of closure for the time being. (Yes, grumble, for the time being ... but I'm thankful for small favors.)
I also just plain enjoyed other aspects of the scene. The intro of Veronica sitting there was just nice. She looked so relaxed and rather at peace. Even the way she was tapping/running her fingers over the table was done gently. She was content, a slight, almost dreamy smile on her face. When Piz walked up, yes, she smiled widely, but I don't think it was for Piz, but instead merely because she was happy. And when a person is truly happy, they want to share that happiness. Furthermore, when Piz offered to buy breakfast, she didn't look upset or guilty. Her expression was one of disappointment for him because, well, she had other plans.
Finally -- the bestest! -- when Logan came up behind her and then sat down, Veronica turned to look at him and she was genuinely smiling. A sweet, soft smile for Logan and as they looked at one another for those few seconds it was like no one else was there ... not even the other guy sitting at the table. When Veronica remembered Piz was there and turned to look at him (kudos to Kristen Bell), her smile faded just the slightest with realization that he was basically going to be a third wheel and, oh, poor him.
Which brings us to the final reaction shot. I know that many saw various, negative fallout from her expression, but no matter how many times I watched it, I don't. Perhaps it was intended, but it didn't come across as such to me. Part of that reason is because Logan had the exact same expression as Veronica upon his face as he watched Piz walk away. And that expression was the equivalent of "poor guy." Both realized -- well, Logan was reacquainted with the notion -- that Piz harbored a crush on Veronica and thought he had a chance, but now understood that nothing had changed. In other words, as Piz said -- basically articulating that -- as always, Veronica is going to wind up back with Logan, nothing new to see here. Let's face it. The guy had SIX WEEKS to make a move on her and he clearly was laying his groundwork in the scene before and instead of steering her towards him, it steered her right back to the guy she's always going to wind up with: Logan.
I didn't see guilt, because since she'd made no overture in their last discussion (and had been clearly thinking about Logan), she had no reason to feel guilty. And again, Logan wore the same expression ... and there was no need for him to feel guilt. Nor did I see, 'oh, shucks, I missed my chance!' Again, the same expression on Logan's face and that was definitely not what Logan was thinking. Was it Veronica finally realizing that he had a crush on her? Probably -- and I guess we'll just ignore the complete idiocy in Veronica JUST realizing now, but again, there was nothing to indicate that she was upset that she hadn't realized it sooner. Now if we see her distant from Logan and pining for Piz in the next episode, I'll concede this point, but I'm really rather totally positive that there will be no conceding necessary on my part. Honestly, I like to think that once he was out of sight, Veronica shrugged and frowned, then turned back to Logan and the two nuzzled noses or something.
Will Piz be an obstacle in the future? Maybe. But I just don't see how it will be anything other than a temporary, transitory one before she winds up back with Logan ... because that is with whom she belongs. And in the end, with him is where she'll always wind up.
Nothing new there.
Mac-attack arrives at the scene of one very trashed science lab. However, as Mac notes the absence of a Hulk shaped hole in the wall, it appears that someone or something else has run amok raining destruction down on two poor lab students. One of them called for tech support, but it's clear from the look on Mac's face that she's not exactly sure where her hacking skills are supposed to come into play in bringing order back to the chaos of broken animal cages, shredded paper and shattered test tubes. One of the two students, Pauline, called for Mac's help because -- as we can all see for ourselves -- their lab was broken into. In addition to all the damage to their equipment, it seems the culprit also killed the computer holding a year's worth of their research, the loss of which is going to get them nothing but an early grave courtesy of their unforgiving professor. And yes, they have backup, but it seems he's gone missing too.
Mac seems puzzled by the thought that backup could be a he (which seems strange when you think about her bestest gal pal because, after all, isn't Veronica's Backup male?) until Pauline explains that she was referring to subject #25, their test monkey. It seems that even if they can fix the hard drive, all of the work is for naught without little #25 as he's the center of their research. Pauline wonders who you go to when you're missing a monkey and twenty lab rats? You know Pauline, it's funny you should ask ....
Mac leads the two students on an impromptu trip to the food court to find the only woman she knows (or anyone in Neptune knows, for that matter) who could be the solution to your problem when your problem involves missing monkeys and lab rats. Mac introduces Veronica to her new clients Pauline Elliot and Gil Thomas Pardy and explains that these two crazy kids have lost their monkey -- as in "touch my." Veronica, still reeling from her almost-run-in with Logan leaps at the prospect of a distracting new case and has only one request for Pauline before she begins the hunt: "Please tell me that he plays piano."
Pauline tries to explain that this particular monkey is the center of over a year's worth of work on something having to do with cholesterol. It sounds very technical and impressive, but Veronica could care less because she hasn't heard the magic words. Pauline pauses almost long enough to roll her eyes before sarcastically confirming that in addition to all of his exciting cellular changes, #25 plays chopsticks. "Excellent." Veronica's on the case.
She asks for the standard rundown of possible culprits and Pauline assures her that she knows exactly who did it -- it was those fat kids! Veronica looks momentarily nonplussed by this vehement announcement and speculates that perhaps they took #25 because monkey's are delicious? She also corrects Pauline on her use of improper nomenclature -- it seems "girth challenged" is the more PC sobriquet these days. Gil clarifies things by explaining that Pauline was referring to those folks that go by the acronym P.H.A.T. -- People for Humane Animal Treatment -- rather than some monkey-eating overweight students. Apparently this stunt is right up their alley. Gil begs Veronica to help them get their monkey back and save their collective asses.
Mac can't help herself -- she's beyond enamored of Veronica's new case because she is waiting with great anticipation for the moment when she'll find Veronica in a tree, holding out a banana while cooing "here monkey, monkey." In her dream scenario, the branch will break and hilarity will ensue. Gil and Pauline better hope Mac's dream never comes to fruition because Veronica charges extra for ensuing hilarity. As the two gals meander across campus, Veronica asks Mac if the hard drive is salvageable. Apparently its too soon to tell -- Mac thinks someone poured something on it so it will all depend on what happens when things dry out.
Scanning one of the campus bulletin boards, Veronica finds a clue. Well, at least a step to a clue. It seems that P.H.A.T. (and criminy am I getting tired of those stupid periods) is having a recruiting meeting on campus that night. Mac offers to go with her. Veronica, understandably, is shocked by Mac's uncharacteristic desire to join ... well, anything, even undercover. Mac assures her that the one soft spot she carries is for all creatures great and small. Veronica snarks that all they need is one more angel and they'd have a show! (Hey, I'm sure Parker's free. Seriously -- that girl's "wig" says 'Good Morning, Charlie' more than any other chick in Neptune.)
Back in Mac and Parker's room, Veronica's browsing the PHAT (and I'm SO done with the periods) website for pointers and details to help with their cover while Mac searches her closet for something fashionable yet cruelty free to wear. Leather is out (and just when she was in the mood to wear her leather mini!), as is down, suede, and anything that ever had a face or parents. Mac decides then that her best bets are her mollusk shoes (always stylish) and a rather unfortunate looking sweater that she hopes says "cruelty free." After a moments musing, Parker assures her that what the sweater really says is "I've given up. Don't look at me." And word to that sister. That sweater is seriously fugly.
Luckily for everyone sighted, when the girls arrive at the meeting we see that Mac has chosen a far cuter ensemble for her night out with the PHAT kids. As they enter the meeting room, Mac snarks that she gets the whole cruelty-free thing but she's an animal too and the whole clove ciggies and lack of personal hygiene grosses her out. Unfortunately, she says this within hearing distance of a tall, rather cute young man, who is clearly one of those animal-loving PHAT kids that is welcoming the newcomers. Mac assures him she wasn't talking about him, but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he seems amused. The cutie asks the girls if they've ever been to one of these things before. Mac informs him that having been raised by a family of shameless carnivores, she's never had the opportunity. (And I have to ask -- is this part of your cover Mackie? 'Cause the last time I checked? You were a vegetarian.) He smiles and tells them that it might be fun. Showing perhaps a little too much of her actual personality (one that doesn't quite blend with this group of devotees) she speculates that it could also be a bunch of speechifying politicos in training. Now clearly enamored with Mac, he chuckles and concedes that it's possible. But he crosses his fingers that fun will win out -- just in case.
Veronica throws a knowing glance at Mac who is clearly trying to look like she wasn't just flirting with the cute boy and the two take a seat as the meeting gets underway. Turns out that Mac's cute new boy toy is Bronson Pope (perchance related to Neptune High's own Mr. Pope of FBLA fame?), chapter President of PHAT at Hearst. Yikes! Bronson does a little song and dance about the evils of animal cruelty in corporate America, but reminds everyone that those people who don't see these evils aren't the enemy -- they are the goal. This group doesn't sound quite radical enough to be out liberating lab animals so I'm not sure I think they are the culprits behind #25's disappearance.
Veronica clearly agrees because she raises her hand to ask Bronson how she can get more involved in the more "active" stuff. She alludes to the aforementioned monkey and rat liberation and wonders if they'll be doing anything like that. All eyes are on her now and with some censure, which clearly confuses Veronica because HEY, she raised her hand! Bronson assures her that those kinds of activities really aren't their thing, but invites her to join their equally exciting letter writing campaign the following evening if she wants to get more involved. A gal at the front of the room pipes up and mentions that that gun fanatic rocker Ed Argent (cough*TedNugent*cough) has a show the following night and she thinks they ought to organize a picket line. Several other PHAT members seem to be into that plan but Bronson seems to think it might be a bad idea. He tells Darla that Argent fans will pay double just to spit on their picket line. Its clear Bronson thinks their time and energy could be better spent on other endeavors.
In an effort to gather more intel on these PHAT kids, Veronica and Mac do show up the following day to help out with the letter writing campaign. Bronson's thrilled to see them and shows them how the operation is running. He tells them that this is really important because surely if people knew that every research animal on campus was caged and then killed, they would want to do something about it. Clearly the killing thing is news to Veronica and it seems to give her momentary pause and she files that tidbit of information away for further musing at a later date.
Mac offers to stuff (and then immediately looks horrified that perhaps that sounded either dirty or enthusiastic -- and I can't decide which would horrify her more) so while Bronson takes her to get settled, Veronica joins Darla at a stamping table. Since Darla seemed so gung ho at the meeting the previous evening, I'm guessing Veronica's decided she's the best possible link to the covert animal liberation activities. Veronica starts with flattery, telling Darla how great she thought the idea to picket the Argent concert was, and offers to help if they decide to do it. After all, she does a wicked picket. (Hee!) Then she leans in for the metaphorical kill. Veronica tells Darla that she knows that letter writing isn't all they do and although she's aware that they have to be careful with newbies, she's ready to participate in some more hard core animal rights stuff. Darla doesn't bite and instead passes Veronica a stack of letters and a card of stamps before getting up from the table. Strike two Veronica.
Back at the stuffing table, Bronson and Mac are chatting and Bronson comments that Veronica's pretty gung ho. Mac smirks and informs Bronson that when Veronica played pee wee soccer, she created her own red cards so she could flag any player she didn't like. (I don't know if that's true, but I hope it is! Priceless!) Bronson admits that he's really glad they came because he normally doesn't have fun at these things. Mac grins and flirts back that she thinks stuffing seems fun.
A bit later, Mac and Veronica are stamping together when Veronica instructs Mac to casually look over to her right. There across the room sits a grinning Bronson who has clearly been staring holes into the back of Mac's head. Mac tries to play it off like "what?" but we all know she knows. And we all know she thinks he's cute too. Hee! Before Veronica can rib her on her faux obliviousness, Darla and a guy with weird hair approach. This guy insinuates that there are more active "activities" that Veronica can get into if she's game, but she needs to prove herself first. How? They don't have a specific plan -- they just want her to do something that gets their attention. Score!
The next day Veronica approaches Piz on campus and asks for a favor. Knowing how we all feel about the Piz/Veronica dynamic, the less said here the better. But, hey, at least, the only vibes here were of the friendly sort -- heck, Piz could have been Wallace for the complete lack of calf-eyes. Veronica asks Piz to work some magic and get Ed Argent on his radio show to help her with her case. Yes, there is a cute line about how Veronica thinks everything north of San Francisco is Thunderdome (which HEE!), but again Wallace-y vibes. Works for me.
Veronica pays a follow-up visit to Gil and Pauline and finds out that after the initial break-in, someone broke back into the lab to steal 25's food. Pauline considers this just one more clue that points to the PHAT kids because clearly they've kept the monkey and are trying to take care of it. Veronica gives them a status update and lets them know she's trying to infiltrate what she thinks might be a more radical splinter cell of PHAT. Since they are talking about the monkey, Veronica asks for a little confirmation on what happens to #25 when the research ends. Turns out Bronson was right and every test animal is eventually killed and autopsied to verify the test results which clearly doesn't sit comfortably with Veronica. As they are debating the finer points of ethical animal treatment versus the human need for medical cures, a red herring (at least, I'm pretty sure that's what she is) enters the room and angrily turns the thermostat up.
Emi is another scientist working in a neighboring lab and she's pissed that they've turned down the A/C again because the cold affects the plants that make up her work. Sensing that there's no love lost between these two groups of researchers, Veronica pays Emi a visit in her lab to talk about the night of the theft. Emi was working in her lab until about 9pm, didn't see anything suspicious, locked up and then went home. With great sarcasm, Veronica agrees that she's sure Emi did all she could for her good friend Pauline. Emi doesn't pull any punches -- she's bitter that they get twice the space that she does for research she thinks is ridiculous, but she's a scientist and would never vandalize a lab. I'm inclined to believe her, and I think Veronica is too.
That means that Veronica's got to go through with her plan to get the attention of the PHAT splinter cell, so I suppose it's a good thing that Piz was able to book Ed Argent for his show. As Ed is exiting the sound booth, Veronica is lying in wait with Parker and Mac sporting ugly Zeta Beta Theta sweatshirts and a buttload of faux enthusiasm. Veronica swoons over Ed, gushing that she's his super biggest fan and that she joined the NRA after he was featured in "Guns" magazine. Parker's clearly enjoying the game and chimes in that she loved that article too! Everyone looks at Mac expectantly until she rises and half-heartedly exclaims that the second amendment is her total favorite.
Veronica takes over again and begs Ed to take a picture with them in a Zeta Theta Beta sweatshirt for their wall of fame. Ed is clearly enjoying the adoration of three attractive co-eds and agrees because he'd do anything for a fan. As Veronica approaches Ed, she does a sneaky hand off with Mac and instead gets Argent to put on a sweatshirt that reads "Meat Is Murder." Parker snaps the photo and the mission is complete.
The next day Veronica is stopped by weird hair guy in the hall. It seems her candid shot of Mr. Argent made it into the Hearst Free Press and the PHAT radicals are impressed. He tells her that she and Mac are in like Flynn and hands her a piece of paper with an address -- she and Mac should meet them there at 3 p.m. The girls arrive on time and Darla lets them into a dorm room where she and weird hair have set up for some kind of photo shoot. Darla tells the girls that they really loved the stunt and they want them to join their anti-fur campaign.
Instead of getting code names, weird hair hands them each a placard -- one that says "NO" and another that says "FUR." Darla's setting up the camera and tells the girls that since they have a lot of work to do, they should just go ahead and take them off. That catches both Veronica and Mac off guard and Veronica wonders what it is that they are supposed to be taking off. Weird guy tells them to strip off their clothes -- you know, for the calendar -- seeing as how they are so committed and all. To say that Mac and Veronica both look like the proverbial deer in the headlights is an understatement of massive proportions. As weird guy shows them his disturbing photo for the calendar -- all he's wearing is the "No Fur" sign covering his, ahem, package -- the girls faces morph into an expression best described as the "Oh HELL no" variety.
Darla and weird hair continue to extol the virtues of the "No Fur" campaign and why it is so important to make a statement about the useless slaughter of animals for fashion. Veronica's clearly trying to figure out how far she is willing to go for a client but before she can utter anything resembling a coherent argument for clothing, one of the drop curtains is thrown aside to reveal the rest of the members of PHAT. It seems that the nude photo shoot is just a ruse, a hazing ritual for those new recruits that are really gung ho. But not to worry -- they really love Mac and Veronica and thought the whole Ed Argent thing was totally genius. I'm sure that makes them both feel tremendously better, guys.
Bronson steps out and goes over to the girls, looking at Mac with a face that clearly says "Please don't hate me." What Bronson doesn't know is that Mac's got enough emotional baggage for a family of ten and an extremely low tolerance for boys that deceive. Bronson tells the girls that a bunch of them are going out for food in a bit and they are invited to come. Mac, feeling kind of bitter, informs him that she's had mints so she's good. (Check out the "what the fuck?!" face Veronica gives Mac here -- hee!) He tries again and asks her if she has plans for the weekend. Veronica knows what Mac's answer is going to be, so Veronica decides to play matchmaker and save Mac from herself. She elbows Mac to keep her quiet and then tells Bronson about the "Around the World" party they are having in the dorm and invites him to join them. He's late, but he does eventually show and the two enjoy a great night -- that is until Bronson tries to give her a good night kiss. Needless to say, it doesn't go well.
Parker and Veronica drag Mac to Bronson's house the next night in an effort to help her get things back on track. Things are awkward at best at the house -- some girl named Amy who may or may not be Bronson's girlfriend answers the door -- and so Mac flees to the kitchen for a glass of water. As she walks down the hall she spies something troubling. Returning to the living room, Mac gives Veronica the nod and a whispered command to check out Bronson's bedroom. Veronica excuses herself to go get a glass of water too. She slips down the hall and peeks into Bronson's bedroom where she spies several glass tanks filled with what appear to be about twenty or so lab rats. Ruh-roh.
After snapping a couple of incriminating photos, Veronica dashes back into the living room full of faux enthusiasm for Bronson's "achievement." She tells him that she saw the rats, admonishes him for not telling anyone that he masterminded the liberation, and wonders where the monkey is. Bronson explains that he doesn't have the monkey and he didn't steal the rats -- they just showed up on his doorstep. And no, Veronica, they weren't in a tiny van with a sob story about needing a place to crash. Although, hee for that image! Apparently it's well known that Bronson is an animals kind of guy and this isn't the first stray animal that someone has left in a box on his doorstep. Veronica, as you might imagine, asks to see the box. Bronson takes her right to it and Veronica snags a sample of the shredded paper inside in search of a clue. As soon as Bronson leaves the room, Mac asks if Veronica is planning to turn Bronson in to Pauline and Gil. See, now that she knows Amy's his sister and not his girlfriend, she's worried that he might get in trouble -- and that would interfere with her ability to date him. At least that's what I suspect she's thinking. Veronica, rather apologetically, tells Mac that she has to because Pauline and Gil are her clients.
The next day she shares the incriminating photos with her clients but explains that Bronson doesn't have the monkey and that someone dropped the rats off on his doorstep. Pauline clearly isn't buying it at all and just wants to know if they have enough evidence to have the police get a warrant. Unfortunately, they do. As Veronica's wrapping up with Pauline and Gil she gets a call from Mac -- it seems that our resident computer savant found something on the hard drive. Its clear that Veronica passes the info to the cops because shortly thereafter, Sachs appears at Bronson's door with a warrant to search his house for the missing rats.
Later that afternoon, Veronica pays a visit to Mac who is very excited about her discovery. She tells Veronica that she was right, something was poured over the hard drive and she had to pull out the RAM card and let it dry before she was able to make any progress. She's so jazzed, in fact, that it takes her a minute to realize that Veronica's not sharing her enthusiasm. Veronica's a little upset because it seems that when the cops searched Bronson's house, the rats were nowhere to be found -- she has to assume that Mac tipped Bronson off. Mac looks mildly chagrined, and even though she's sorry, she felt that she had to warn Bronson because she believes he's innocent. And because he's cute. As a peace offering, Mac gives Veronica a baggy of little leaves that she found on the hard drive once everything dried out. It's a clue!
Baggie of incriminating evidence in hand, Veronica pays another visit to Emi, the scientist who favors plants over animals. She shows Emi the dried leaves and wonders if she can identify them. Emi takes a look and then a sniff before congratulating Veronica on narrowing down the field of suspects to anyone that has access to green tea. As Emi grabs a container of wet wipes off the shelf to clean her hands, Veronica spies a plastic squeaky banana hiding on the shelf. Seeing Veronica's interest, Emi takes it down and explains that she stole it out of #25's cage because the sound it made was driving her crazy on the weekends. If at all possible, this clue seems even more obscure to me than the green tea, but judging by the look on Veronica's face she's made a connection the rest of us haven't. She takes a quick trip over into Pauline and Gil's lab next door and finds a jar of loose green tea leaves by the sink.
Back at home, Veronica is busy piecing together the shredded paper from the rats' delivery box. Rather than the address sticker P.I.'s always seem to find when they do this in the movies, Veronica's found nothing but pictures of near-naked chicks. Again, this clearly means something to Veronica that I haven't been able to puzzle out yet.
When next we see her, she's waiting outside Gil's room playing with the squeaky banana. As he walks up to the door Veronica wonders aloud if Gil named him. Gil tries to play like he doesn't know what she's talking about, but you can't play a player, kid. Veronica heard #25 behind the door while she was waiting for Gil to show up. She passes him the toy and remarks that it sounds like his monkey's been missing him.
Inside Gil's apartment Veronica reveals how she figured out that he was the culprit. Although Pauline was the green tea drinker, Veronica was pretty confident she didn't subscribe to the "lad magazines" used to line the box for the rats. Gil just grabbed the closest thing, poured it over the hard drive, and hoped for the best. He knew the PHAT kids would be great fall guys and that Bronson would take care of the rats.
Gil caves and tells Veronica that he was going into the lab on the weekends to get caught up on work and bought #25 a couple of toys, played with him a little. Of course, he always had to take the toys away at the end of the weekend so Pauline wouldn't find out. One weekend as he was getting ready to head out, he turned back to see #25 holding out his favorite squeaky banana toy to Gil -- the monkey clearly understood that Gil was leaving which clearly got to him. He explains that the reason they don't name lab animals is because they have to turn off their compassion to be clinical about the work. It's hard to kill something that has a name. As the monkey climbs into Gil's lap he introduces Veronica to his new simian buddy Oscar -- formerly known as subject #25.
The next day Veronica pays a visit to Pauline and Gil in the lab. Pauline introduces their professor and asks for an update. Gil makes a pleading face, desperate to keep his professor and his lab partner from finding out the truth. Veronica hands Pauline back the check and tells her that she was unable to locate the monkey so she's giving the fee back. But the good news is that Mac was able to save most of the information on the hard drive.
The professor is less than thrilled that they were unable to recover the monkey, but speculates that they can use the research data as a comparison for new tests on a new monkey. This news startles Veronica, and not in a good way -- it seems that it will only take the professor approximately six days to get himself another monkey to test and kill in the name of science. Oscar may have been spared that fate, but it seems unlikely that the next monkey will be as lucky.
Once again we find Veronica sitting alone in the food court playing with her food. She spies Logan across the room buying coffee, but this time she's the forlorn looker and Logan's the unknowing lookee. (And side note? DAMN he looks fine.) Veronica's musing that now that Logan is her ex-boyfriend (and who's fault is that, missy?) there ought to be certain rules. Seeing as how he's not a breakfast person, or apparently even an early lunch person, he shouldn't be infringing on her food court time.
Veronica, I know what you are going through here -- Lord knows it's no fun to keep running into your ex everywhere when you are trying to get over him, and we've all been in that boat -- but its hard to be sympathetic when the fact that he's your ex is your own damn fault. Perhaps instead of trying to move on, you should try to figure out what went wrong and FIX IT. So, you know, he can change his title back and you can share food court time together. Radical, I know. But it's just a thought. It doesn't appear to matter much anyway as Veronica is startled out of her musings by Mac and the nice people coming to take her away.
Later that evening as Mac and Veronica prepare to attend their first P.H.A.T. meeting undercover for Veronica's latest case, the dorm RA/party planner arrives to check in and find out what country the girls have chosen for the "Around The World Party" where each dorm room dresses up like a different country. When she gets no response, the RA tries to remind them that parties = fun. Parker lights up like Christmas, Veronica looks wholly relieved that she doesn't live in the dorm, and Mac's face is pretty much echoing the sentiment of her sweater. You know, the one that says "I've given up. Don't look at me." Mac underscores this sentiment when she reveals that she likes most of the people on her floor, just, you know, NOT in her room. Realizing she's fighting a losing battle, the RA makes a hasty exit but tells them to let her know if they change their mind.
As soon as the door closes, Parker is out of her seat reminding Mac and Veronica that they are all young, attractive, SINGLE women who are approaching critical pathetic mass if she herself is the gal most interested in hosting gentleman callers. She insists that they should be "out there" -- and if they can't do that, they should at least consider not barring the guys from coming to them! Mac looks pained, Veronica's not biting, and with an exclamation of disgust, Parker beats a temporary retreat.
However, as it turns out, Mac's plans for non-participation go out the window when Veronica invites P.H.A.T. chapter prez Bronson to come hang out at the "Around the World" party in an effort to help he and Mac hook up. As the RA chick who organized the bash is making the rounds and admiring the work of her fellow dorm-mates, she pauses in front of Mac and Parker's door somewhat puzzled by their sign. In typical Mac fashion, there is simply a piece of masking tape marked "Canada" affixed to the door. She enters, thrilled that the girls have decided to participate -- but is confused by the lack of decoration. Seeing as how there appears to be no Canadian accoutrement of any kind she's dying to know what makes their room "Canada." Oh ye of little faith.
Veronica shows off the tasteful moose photo adorning the closet and Mac shows off her grasp of the old Canadian accent -- eh? And let us not forget aboot the musical stylings of Canada's most valuable export, The Barenaked Ladies. Veronica hits play and she and Mac rock out in a white girl kind of way to the sounds of "One Week." See? Canada all over the place. The RA is not entirely convinced, but she leaves them to their devices.
Parker is equally puzzled because she thought her two gal pals were totally against the party. Well, Parker, they were until a guy happened. Mac instantly goes on the defensive, but Veronica's not having it. She shares with Parker that their dear and oh-so-cynical friend Mac actually got doe-eyed, tongue-tied and (dare she say) twitter-pated over a cute boy. Mac tries to deflect by pointing out that there are boys enough for all of them -- in fact, maybe Piz will show up and make Parker's night. Parker makes a face that has all of us sayin' "amen to that, sister" before revealing that she's SO over Piz. She's done with games and waiting around. She's ready to be wooed.
Veronica "amens" that too, but at Parker's raised eyebrows assures her that she was being supportive and not joining in the hunt for a new man -- she doesn't want to be wooed. (And why not? Because she only wants Logan. She luuuuuurrrrves him. How could any other mere mortal male possibly compete with the slice of heaven that is Logan Echolls? I'm just sayin'.) Parker tries to sway Veronica with a brief glimpse of the joys of dating: Hearing how fabulous you are; getting the look; being catered to, yada, yada, yada. Veronica makes a face like she's choking and manages to spit out "Are you saying we ought to mingle?" in a way that makes "mingle" sound like "chew glass." Parker's saying that there's a saddle and it's time for them to get back in it.
The girls open their room up and the party spills in. Veronica makes small talk with a guy who is about as eager to get into a new relationship as she is -- instead of getting to know eachother, they commiserate over their recently failed relationships. Veronica excuses herself when she spies Mac wandering forlornly and goes to check on her friend. Mac seems to be having the kind of fun that isn't, and Veronica isn't faring much better although she is trying to keep an open mind. Mac's had less success -- Bronson was a no show. And now she feels like she's been around the world and just wants her room back. Veronica does the supportive friend thing (awww!) and tells everyone in the room to clear out because Canada's closing for the evening due to border control issues.
Outside the confines of Mac and Parker's room, Veronica's trying to chat with yet another guy. He's asking the kinds of questions you ask someone when you are trying to get to know them and Veronica's struggling with her answers. As she tries to answer his queries about her hobbies and her life, she starts to realize that perhaps her life might be a wee bit difficult to describe to a prospective date and even harder to swallow. That's right Ms. Mars -- you are an acquired taste. Know who's already acquired it? I bet if you think real hard you can guess. His initials are L.E. and he kisses like a dream.
Over in Mac's room, closing the border to Canada ends up working out better than she could have hoped when Parker interrupts her studying to let her know that someone's there to see her. After getting Mac's attention, Parker steps aside to reveal that her special visitor is none other than Bronson. Mac grins, clearly thrilled that he decided to come by. Parker grins, thrilled that at long last her friend is getting some play. She assures Mac that she checked his ID and all seems on the up and up and then excuses herself, leaving the two alone.
Parker tracks Veronica down at the party to check the score. By Veronica's count it's Boys -- 0 and Veronica -- 0. So everybody's a loser! Veronica's pretty done with mingling and tells Parker she's packing it in. Parker smiles and tells Veronica that she might be done for the evening, but she can't go back to Canada because "the guy" showed up an hour ago. On the other side of the border Mac and Bronson appear to be getting along famously. Bronson apologizes for having to leave so soon but both clearly had a great time. Mac teases him about his die hard activist streak -- she even giggles! -- as she escorts him to the door. Things are going great until Bronson goes in for smooch. Poor Mackie, still struggling with all that baggage, flinches and pulls away before Bronson can land one. Awkwardness ensues, so Bronson apologizes and heads out. Mac looks frustrated and forlorn and clearly doesn't know what to say to smooth over the moment. Poor Mac!
The next night, in an effort to help their friend fix her kissing folly of the previous evening, Parker and Veronica escort Mac on a field trip to visit Bronson in a display of female solidarity. Mac is terribly upset, convinced that her spazzing the night before ruined any chance she had with Bronson. Parker assures her that this is still fixable but Mac isn't sure she thinks the whole "my crazy friend stole your ID at the party and I'm here to return it to you" plan is the best way to go. (It seems Parker was thinking ahead the night before and decided to get Mac a little insurance in case she needed a reason to see Bronson again.)
Mac's still uncertain, but Parker's on the case and tells her exactly how to spin it -- and how to work around to getting Bronson to join them on their evening out. When she starts to freak out again about dodging Bronson's kiss the night before, Veronica reminds her that Bronson is a really nice guy and she's sure he'll understand. After all, he's a smart, cute vegan JFK looking for his "Mackie-O." Hee! Mac, my fingers are crossed for ya.
The visit does not start off well. Veronica knocks and the door is answered by an attractive young woman who is clearly not Bronson. But Bronson's there, oh yes, as he arrives at the door only moments behind the attractive chick that the girls are assuming is his girlfriend. (Call me nave, but I think Bronson's too nice a guy to dog a girl that way. I'm betting she's his best friend, or a fellow P.H.A.T. chapter leader, or a cousin or something right?) Mac tries to give him back his ID and bolt, but her friends aren't cooperating and neither is Bronson. He invites them in to share some good news and introduces them to Amy.
When they get inside, Bronson shows them a letter he just received from a cosmetics company regarding their decision to stop animal testing as a direct result of PHAT's letter writing campaign. Bronson is adorably happy to see Mac -- he comments on her dressy ensemble and inquires about their plans for the evening. Mac is still off-balance and stutters out that they are going to Club Club before asking to get a glass of water from the kitchen. Bronson points her in the right direction and Mac flees.
Bronson tells the girls that if Club Club turns out to be a bust, they should drop by Goldfinger where he bartends. Parker starts asking Amy questions, trying to get some clarity on the situation. A few minutes later Mac returns to the living room and gives Veronica the nod to go check out the interesting thing she saw in Bronson's room. While Veronica skedaddles to the kitchen, Parker continues with the small talk and learns that Bronson and Amy have been together for nineteen years -- because, as I suspected (well, kind of) Amy is Bronson's sister. Parker shoots Mac an "aha!" look and Mac beams at the reveal that her crush is, in fact, single.
After saving Bronson from the legal hassle of trying to explain away the lab rats in his possession, things have clearly gotten back on track between he and Mac -- well, mostly back on track except for that one little detail that involves lips and the mutual exchange of spit. Mac gathers her courage and pays Bronson a visit late one evening. She tries to start with the old "I was just in the neighborhood" but gets so flustered that she ends up admitting that she actually just came over to see him because ... Because ... Does he like movies? Because if he does, 2001 is playing in 70mm the next night and she thinks that maybe they should go. Poor Mac is so nervous and scattered that she's barely coherent, but she's making enough sense to at least get Bronson to agree to go on a date with her.
As soon as he agrees to go to the movies, she turns and dashes down the steps. Bronson's grinning ear to ear but makes one of those gleefully exasperated faces that guys make when they really dig a girl and are dying to get their hands on them but are totally thwarted (for whatever reason) and just don't know what to do with themselves. Before he can go back inside, Mac turns and dashes back up the stairs. She's gathered her courage and before he can speak or she can lose her nerve, Mac pulls him to her for a deep kiss. Go Mac!!!
Hey Bronson? Don't disappoint me. Just be the nice guy we all think you are. Because if you hurt her -- even inadvertently -- I'll kick your ass from here to next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Veronica isn't faring nearly as well. She's alone again at the food court and missing her Logan. At least I assume she is because -- hey, wouldn't you be missing him if you were Veronica? That's what I thought. She spies Piz in the booth at the radio station and they share a wave and a nod. And then, not long after, they share dinner and conversation. Now I admit that my knee-jerk response to any kind of Veronica/Piz interaction is either raging annoyance or smoldering rage, but surprisingly this scene doesn't inspire me to get crazed. Initially, of course, I was skeptical because the conversation seems so intimate -- which, in my opinion, is never a good thing where Piz and Veronica are concerned. No siree. But this time Piz's very earnest Piz-ness actually works in our favor. It's a miracle!
Over dinner, Piz explains to Veronica that he took a shift at the station to avoid being dragged to see some hot chick band at the Roxy with a bunch of his guy friends who were delusional enough to think that they might actually get some play from the girls in the band. Piz found the whole thing ridiculous and so unlikely that he just couldn't be bothered. Veronica assures him that she knows what he means. She bemoans Parker's efforts to get her to date, well, anyone and says that she can't stand the chasing-hooking-up-people-go-round. She finds it exhausting.
The two delve into a conversation about being with someone or indulging in something simply because it's there, merely because it is an alternative to nothing or no one. Veronica comments that she can't see the reason for bothering with something "not good" and Piz chimes in that because if it's "not good" it's bad. He continues that he's not going to waste his time on something else when he knows what he wants and what he likes. Veronica agrees completely because she's not going to bother with something "not good" just because it's something. Piz concludes that understanding that, living that, makes all the difference in life and Veronica, with a far-off look in her eyes, agrees.
What makes this scene work so well (and by 'well' I mean not making me want to either kill Piz or rip my own eyeballs out so as to not be forced to endure the torture) is the subtext. In this scene it's all about the subtext. Because it is so glaringly obvious to everyone but Veronica and Piz in that moment that while Piz is clearly thinking about Veronica in terms of what he wants and why he's not willing to settle for anyone else, Veronica is having a similar epiphany and is thinking precisely the same things about Logan. So what I'm saying here, gang, is that if it takes a late night, soul-searching, philosophical conversation with Piz to bring Veronica to the obvious (to us, at least) conclusion that there's just no substitute for Logan in her life, than so be it. In fact, bring it on and let the healing begin.
And it does, it finally does, only moments later. We see woobie Logan sitting forlornly on the couch, contemplating a pillow in his suite at the Grand when someone knocks on the door. When he opens it he finds perhaps the last person he ever expected to see at that moment -- and conversely, the one person he absolutely needed to see more than anyone in the world. There, on his doorstep stands his beloved Veronica, finally come to (I hope) put an end to this crazy painful separation. The two lovers stare at each other with such open longing and sadness and hope on their faces that no words need to be spoken at all. They rush back into one another's arms and kiss fiercely, passionately, conveying with their lips and hands and bodies exactly how much they've missed one another, how much they love and need one another, and how they can't bear to be apart for even one more second. Swoon!!!!
The next morning perky puppy Piz finds Veronica sitting alone again in the food court. He's clearly thrilled and hopes that since she bought dinner the night before, he can treat to breakfast. Before Veronica can offer so much as a yea or nay, Logan appears and sets a tray down on the table in front of his girlfriend -- breakfast, precisely as she ordered. Piz is taken aback by this unexpected turn of events because he obviously thought that he and Veronica had taken their friendship to the next level, that they were on the same page after their late-night heart to heart.
Veronica looks mildly pained and sorry for Piz as he's clearly hurting, but Logan is either oblivious to the undercurrents or just doesn't care. I choose the latter because I would think that after the kind of night he and Veronica clearly had, I can't see Logan worrying about Veronica being interested in someone else. Why? Because for the first time in a long, long, long, LONG time -- since the morning after alterna-prom, in fact -- Veronica came to him. She missed him and them so much that she sought him out, sought to bridge the gap between them. Anyway, Logan makes an offhand greeting to Piz -- "What's new?" -- and poor Piz (yep, I said it, and yes, hell might be freezing over at this very minute) can only answer one way: "Nothing." Because despite what happened -- in fact because of what happened -- between he and Veronica the night before, nothing has changed. Veronica will always love Logan and Piz will always be wanting something from her that he can't have.
Dear lord, PLEASE say he'll never have it. Pretty please?!
- It's a beautiful morning at the Neptune Grand -- the birds are singing, the sun is shining, a flute plays gently in the background -- and Dick is celebrating by taking Polaroids of his Johnson (*snort*) and flinging them over the balcony to rain on the pedestrians below like porn confetti. Logan steps out onto the balcony behind Dick and reminds him that the hotel management asked him to stop doing that. Logan doesn't seem all that amused by Dick's behavior either, which in and of itself is strange. Dick clearly agrees because since when does Logan side with management? He should be rejoicing with Dick that his latest Polaroid looks like it is going to be picked up by an old lady. Score! (And I have to comment here -- the "Neptune skyline" behind Dick looks like it was painted by school children. Seriously! For a show that prides itself on sets, that is one crappy, utterly unrealistic backdrop.)
Logan is clearly moping and mourning his break-up with Veronica and Dick is just tired of it. It's like that book -- and by book, we learn that Dick means 'movie' -- Garden State. One can only speculate that he's making some correlation between Large's depression and inability to connect and move on with his life in the film and Logan's current state of mourning and immobility. Which, when you think about it, is pretty frakkin' impressive for Dick. Anyway, Dick basically tells Logan that he's been castrated by Veronica and it sucks. Logan assures Dick that his man parts are intact, but Dick (in a moment that will have Dick/Logan slashers running for their laptops) demands proof: He wants to see Logan's man parts for himself. Unfortunately for the slashers, Logan pointedly tells Dick he's just going to have to take his word for it.
Apparently Dick was speaking metaphorically (or so he says). His point is that they are two young, single men in their prime (and stop me if this sounds familiar at all) and the only reason they aren't out there living it up is because of Logan's "feelings." I put that word in quotes because that's exactly how Dick says it -- as if feelings are some kind of abstract concept rather than something that actually exists. Apparently this makes Dick feel like Rosie O'Donnell on The View and I can only imagine how painful and uncomfortable he would find that feeling.
None of this seems to be getting through to Logan so Dick busts out a little philosophy that he's recently been introduced to: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." He wants Logan to think about that profound statement. No really, he does. Logan can't help but point out that when he does think about that over-used, hopelessly trite statement it seems both obvious and pointless. As far as Dick's concerned, Logan's not seeing the big picture -- he needs help, and Dick is offering to help him. Logan needs to get back out into the world and Dick's gonna help him take those baby steps.
Baby steps involves Dick and Logan taking a trip to the beach for a day of surfing, beer drinking and male bonding with his fellow Pi Sig and male chauvinist pig, Chip Diller. Joy. The guys trade quips but Logan clearly isn't feeling terribly sociable. Dick spots a trio of surfer chicks and immediately begins to revise his baby steps plan, but Logan doesn't seem to be biting. Chip tries to smooth things over by pointing out that they don't have enough beer to make the chicks hot so there's nothing to worry about. Really Chip, that's so sweet of you. Asshole.
That night, despite Logan's reservations, it seems the guys have had a good time. Dick congratulates Logan on getting out into the world and shedding his sackcloth and ashes if only for one afternoon. He tries to tell Logan that he's better off without Veronica and that girls are just a distraction, but I'm not sure Logan agrees. However, he does admit that hanging out with the guys does have its charms.
The surfer girls approach moments later and Dick clarifies that girls are a distraction, but not necessarily a bad one. Chip also decides a little compromise is in order and declares that these chicks fit into a new category -- hot enough. (Side note: I'll quote myself here when I say "Chip, there isn't enough alcohol in all of California to make you remotely hot enough." So cram it clown.) The girls are invited to join the guys for beer and conversation. One of the gals drops to the sand next to Logan and lasciviously ogles him while asking about their beer supply. Logan takes a quick peek in the cooler and then snarks, wearing that patented Echolls' smirk that we've all been missing, that now it looks like they are into the cheap stuff. (And sweetie? Since you aren't smart enough to decode that remark yourself, let me explain it to you. Logan was alluding to the fact that you're cheap. M'kay?)
Apparently Logan has tried to ignore this gal's cheap factor and enjoy himself because when we next see them together, they are in the front seat of Logan's Range Rover -- and it appears they've just indulged in a little oral pleasure. Cheap chick giggles and marvels over how bad Logan is (and my eyes roll back in my head so forcefully at that comment that I'm pretty sure Belinda can hear it all the way over in Australia) while relishing that she's just done something very naughty with Aaron Echolls' son. Logan looks downright depressed, even perhaps disgusted with himself, this random girl and the act they've just indulged in. It seems that after years of using cheap sex to dull his pain Logan has finally matured enough to figure out that the experience with someone you don't love just for the sake of it is often a comparatively hollow experience. It is clear that rather than helping him move on, this fling has only served to show Logan exactly how not over Veronica he is.
- Keith still hasn't hired a new assistant despite the fact that Veronica hasn't worked for him for months and Weevil was let go over two months ago.
- P.H.A.T.'s Spring Semester Orientation Meeting that Mac and Veronica attended took place on Wednesday at 8pm in Guyot Hall Room 310.
- Parker's computer desktop is a photo of bright pink roses.
- Various posters displayed at the P.H.A.T. meeting state "Why abuse me? I love you!" And "I'm a lynx not a tropy." And "Animal dealers traffic 2 million animals a year." And my personal favorite, "Would you wear my soul?"
- P.H.A.T.'s goals include education, out reach, direct marketing, protests and boycotts. Can direct marketing really be considered a goal?
- When Veronica tracks Piz down at school, he's leaving the gymnasium.
- The sign on the door of the room the girls visit for the "No Fur" campaign designates it as "Sam's room."
- Gil's apartment or dorm room number is 26.
- Pauline drinks green tea.
- In addition to the squeaky banana, it seems Oscar (a.k.a. #25) also likes oversized Legos.
You know you're in Neptune when someone prominent in town dies suddenly and horrifically and then six weeks later it's a closed case. You can thank the local sheriff for that. His ruling was that Dean O'Dell wasn't murdered; he rather simply committed suicide. The problem with suicide, though? No insurance benefits for the cheating wife turned soon-to-be-broke widow with two children, Mindy O'Dell. So Mindy stops by Mars Investigations and meets with Keith to explain the matter. She's convinced that Cyrus never would have killed himself over her infidelity -- moped a bit, sure, maybe even divorced her, but not suicide. Keith tells her that he saw how miserable and drunk the dean was that night. Now would probably be an appropriate time for Mindy to tell him that a very lucid Cyrus O'Dell came to her and Landry's hotel room that night, but I guess it slipped her mind. Speaking of her and Landry, Keith informs her that he knows about the affair and the fact that her supposed junior league nights were a cover for their meetings, so if thats gonna be her alibi ... But she confirms that she was with Landry all that night, so Keith can be sure that neither of them killed Cyrus. Keith promises her than he'll dig around a bit, and if he finds anything, he'll take the case.
Keith heads to Hearst and manages to track down Veronica as she's walking to class. She's not sure how he found her, since her cell phone was turned off. Funny how she probably means he couldn't have tracked her location, not that he couldn't have called to ask her where she was. Keith jokes that maybe someday he'll tell her how he did it. Aw, I'm guessing he doesn't want to sound like an uncool detective and admit that he just looked around for her. He explains that Dean O'Dell's wife doesn't think he actually killed himself, so he needs to ask Weevil some questions since he's the one that found the body. Veronica asks Keith if he really thinks the dean was murdered, to which he says no. But he suspects Mindy's feeling incredibly guilty about the affair, so he's going to do this for her. Veronica tells him that Weevil will be in the physical plant after six.
Later on, Weevil lets Keith into the dean's office. (No hard feelings after Keith fired you, huh, Weevil?) He tells Keith that it was around seven in the morning when he walked in and found the dean dead. Weevil had thought he'd just gotten drunk and passed out, but then he saw the blood, along with a suicide note typed on his computer screen. "Goodbye, cruel world zzzzzz," it said. Goodbye, cruel world? Like, seriously? The sheriff didn't find that the least bit suspicious? Was the crime scene even analyzed? They would have seen that his office window was splattered with egg yolks, and with the earlier egging of his car (which could have been witnessed by someone or reported to the campus police by the dean himsel), I'm sure the Lilith women could have been questioned as possible suspects -- I mean, at the very least. Explain to me again how Lamb is still sheriff?
Anyway, Weevil goes on to say how the dean was pretty cool for an old, white dude (coming from Weevil, that's definitely a compliment), but Keith is distracted by the bottle of unopened Glen Cracken on the dean's desk. It's the scotch he was probably saving to open until he was on his deathbed, so if he was going to kill himself, then why not drink it then? Keith stares at the bottle, wondering if Mindy was right, after all.
Later than night, Veronica comes home to find Keith still contemplating the bottle of scotch. He asks Veronica what her impression of the dean was, and she says that she admired him. He had character. As for his rhetorical style, she'd describe it as Old Testament sarcastic. Sarcastic enough to type a clichd suicide note on the computer screen, reading "Goodbye, cruel world?" This strikes Veronica as strange. She explains that for Landry's class, she had to write a paper, planning the perfect murder. In hers, the killer set it up to look like a suicide. Leave a note on the computer so the handwriting can't be checked, and type something clichd so that the message can't be studied. Her example message was, ironically enough, "Goodbye, cruel world." Weeeird. Obviously, Professor Landry read her paper. Then again, Tim did also post all the A papers online, but is someone out there actually taking pointers from students' papers? Did Professor Landry? "Cruel world" might be clich, but it isn't exactly what I'd call a stock phrase. Could it really be a coincidence?
Keith is thinking no, so he finds Landry at a bar later that week and sits down next to him. Somewhat fittingly, Keith orders a scotch and tries for a heart-to-heart, man-to-man conversation about the things men will do for women. Keith carries on about a girl he ended up torching his car for, but little does he know, Landry knows exactly who Keith is and what he's trying to do. He stops Keith and tells him that he read his book, all the way to the photo of him in the back. He denies that he killed Cyrus for Mindy, and suggests to Keith that maybe he read his book on profiling. Landry gets up and leaves. Aaand Hank Landry, Prof. of Criminology: 1. Keith Mars, Private Dick: 0.
The next morning, Keith meets with Mindy and agrees to take the case. When she asks him what made up his mind, he thinks for a moment before replying simply, "the scotch."
"Funicul Funicul" (Luigi Denza)
Scene: While touring the "world" via the imagination of students in Hearst dorms, Mac and Parker's Resident Advisor manages to keep a smile on her face and her hat steady.
"One Week" (The Barenaked Ladies)
Scene: A moose? The word 'aboot?' The Barenaked Ladies? That's IT for Canada? Seriously, these girls need to work on their geography.
"Lara's Theme" (Maurice Jarre)
Scene: Whilst talking to bachelor #1 in the Russian room, Veronica quickly realizes that he is definitely not Dr. Zhivago to her Lara. (Paging Logan ...)
"Fair" (The Annuals)
Scene(s): Yeah, yeah, Mac asks Bronson out, Veronica discusses the difference between "just something" and "something good" with that guy, but we all care about: LOGAN AND VERONICA REUNITED!! And it feels so good!
"Long, Long Time" (Linda Rondstadt)
Scene: Hmm, it's probably been a long, long time since Keith was so completely outwitted by someone else. And to add insult to injury ... Landry has hair.
"Greenland" (Kingsbury Manx)
Scene: (a) Veronica looks so sated and happy. (b) Piz looks so hopeful and happy. (c) Logan looks so sated and happy. Hmm, which of these three does not belong? If you guessed (b), you're right! So skedaddle, Piz! Oh, look, there he goes ...
LoVe Lines
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (Looking longingly at her sexy ex across the cafeteria while playing listlessly with her food.) Logan Echolls. Don't you get it? Ex-boyfriend -- that's your new title. It comes with certain restrictions. This is my food court time. You're not a breakfast person; you're not even an early lunch kind of guy. Can't we just agree this is Veronica time?
Logans Door: Knock, knock, knock.
Veronica:
Logan:
Veronica & Logan:
Veronica: Oh, 'morning, Piz
Piz: I was actually figuring, you got dinner last night, maybe I could spring for breakfast?
Veronica:Oh, um actually -- (Logan's arms come into the screen, framing Veronica as he places her tray down in front of her)
Logan: As ordered. (Logan takes the seat next to Veronica, Veronica smiles at him, Logan notices their new table guest.) Hey, Piz. What's new?
Piz: Uh, nothing apparently. Ill let you guys, uh ... (Piz walks away leaving the LoVebirds to their breakfast for two.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica: (Organizing Keith's files.) You should hire someone to do this.
Keith: You're lucky I'm not a farmer -- you'd be out plowing a field.
Veronica: (Looking at the stack of folders.) What is manila anyway?
Keith: I don't know. Is it a substance? A color maybe? "In the kitchen we'll do a nice manila."
Veronica: I'd say more like, "By the time we dug him up, he turned manila."
Keith: Don't you have to get to class?
Veronica: On my way. Oh and Wikipedia says not a what but a where: called "manila" after hemp from the Philippines.
Keith: Guess that would explain why this filing was giving me a killer buzz.
Mac: (Observing the massive destruction around her.) Wow, this is one trashed lab. All its missing is a big hole in the wall shaped like The Hulk.
Mac: Veronica.
Veronica: Mac. (Noticing the lab techs with Mac.) And the people coming to take me away.
Mac: (Making introductions.) Veronica Mars, Pauline Elliot and Gil Thomas Pardy. They're missing a monkey.
Gil: And twenty rats.
Veronica: We're talking monkey, as in ...
Mac: Touch my?
Pauline: It's not just any monkey.
Veronica: Please tell me he plays piano.
Pauline: '25' is a genetically-altered Capuchin monkey. It's uptake inhibitor proteins have been coded to allow us to monitor cholesterol breakdown at a cellular level. (Veronica stares expectantly until Pauline responds exasperatedly.) And he can play chopsticks.
Veronica: Excellent.
Veronica: Any idea who would want to nab ... uhm ... What's his name again?
Pauline: It's not a pet. We don't name them or wrap squeaky toys up for Christmas. His research ID number is 25. And yes, I know exactly who stole him. It was those damn fat kids.
Veronica: 'Cause I take it monkeys are delicious? And dude? (With mock offense.) "Girth Challenged" is the preferred nomenclature.
Gil: (Clarifying.) P H A T. People for Humane Animal Treatment? They've done this kind of crap before.
Mac: I just can't wait for the moment when you're in a tree going "here monkey, monkey" and holding out a banana and then the branch breaks and hilarity ensues.
Veronica: Uh, if there's hilarity I charge extra.
Veronica: P.H.A.T. is having a recruitment meeting tonight. Square one.
Mac: Want some company? (Veronica's eyebrows shoot up above her glasses.) What?! This soft spot here? It's for all creatures great and small.
Veronica: Okay. The more the merrier. (With mock enthusiasm). All we need is one more angel and we've got a show! I'll come by your room. Dress cruelty free -- we want to blend.
Veronica: According to the P.H.A.T. website we should stay away from fur -- obviously - down, leather ...
Mac: The one day I feel like wearing a leather mini-skirt.
Veronica: If it ever had a face or parents you can't wear it.
Mac: So my mollusk shoes are cool? (Pulling a rather unfortunate looking sweater out of her closet.) Ugh. Does this say cruelty free?
Parker: It says "I've given up. Don't look at me."
Mac: Okay, I get cruelty-free but I'm an animal too and the clove-cigarettes-no-bathing thing is grossy to me.
Bronson: You guys ever been to one of these things before?
Mac: Me? No. I come from a meat and potatoes kind of family -- minus the potatoes. My first pacifier was made of jerky.
Bronson: Well, it could be fun.
Mac: Or it could be a lot of speech-making by politicos in training.
Weevil: (Referring to Dean O'Dell.) He had a memo on the screen, saying, "Goodbye, cruel world zzzzzzz." I guess his head fell on the Z. It's a shame, man. He was pretty cool ... for a weird, old, white dude.
Logan: (Catching Dick throwing a polaroid of his dick off the balcony.) I think I told you, the management asked if you'd stop doing that.
Dick: That's exactly what's been wrong with you lately. Since when do you side with management? (Turns around to look out over the balcony with interest.) Ooh. Best-case scenario: Old lady.
Dick: So, what, you're just going to mope around like that guy in ... what's that book where the guy's mom dies and he comes back to Jersey? He's got that motorcycle sidecar.
Logan: (Annoyed.) Garden State was never a book.
Dick: It wasn't? Oops. (To himself.) So much for that paper. But if this were a book, the theme of my essay would be the symbolism of how your character had his man parts ripped off by the Veronica Mars character.
Logan: My man parts are intact.
Dick: Show me.
Logan: (This finally gets a slight smile out of him.) Well, you'll have to take my word for it.
Dick: I mean symbolically. We're young, single men in our sexual prime, and the only reason why we're not out there going hog-wild is because of your feelings? What, are we on The View? Am I Rosie O'Donnell? Here's something I read: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Think about that. (Logan just stares.) Really, think about that.
Bronson: Your friend seems pretty gung ho.
Mac: Veronica? She played pee wee soccer. She made her own penalty cards so she could red-card players she didn't like.
Veronica: (Catching Keith zoning with a stern expression.) You look sad. You and your friend Weevil have a fight or something?
Keith: Just thinking, if I was going to get drunk and shoot myself, I'd probably drink the good stuff first.
Veronica: Sheesh. Good thing we don't have any good stuff.
Veronica: Hey, Piz. Ed Argent is in town. Think you can pull some of that Oregon, mountain man, kill what you eat, gun rack charm and book him on your show?
Piz: Everything north of San Francisco is just Thunderdome to you, isn't it?
Veronica Mars Voiceover: It's an ongoing question in the private eye game: How naked are you willing to get for a case?
Bronson: So, um...some of us are going to grab a bite, if you want to come along.
Mac: I'm good. I had some mints.
Veronica: Are you saying we ought to (Struggling to say the word.) ...mingle?
Parker: I'm saying there's a saddle, Veronica, and we should be back in it.
Veronica: Okay, everybody, Canada is closing! Sorry. Border-control issues.
Guy at Party: So, what do you do, like, for fun?
Veronica: Um ... I don't really know.
Guy at Party You play any sports or anything?
Veronica: Nope.
Guy at Party So you just, like, hang out?
Veronica: Not really. I -- my hobby is more like a job. Which is kind of like a compulsion. But it's fun sometimes. It doesn't really leave time for what most people consider ... (Trailing off when she realizes he's lost complete interest.)
Parker: So, how's it going?
Veronica: I'd say it's boys zero, me zero! Think I'm calling it.
Bronson: You should have seen me before I quit Greenpeace and the Sierra Club.
Mac: Jeez, why are you so down on people raping the planet? I mean, really.
Dick: Okay, baby steps. Just some dudes, some tasty waves, and some tasty brews. It's all we need. (Two minutes later ... he notices three girls in wetsuits with surfboards checking them out.) Dude, wait. Check it out.
Logan: I thought all I needed was some dudes, some tasty waves, and some tasty brews.
Chip: Well, we didn't bring enough beer to make them hot anyway.
Mac: (Spouting a potential conversation starter with Bronson.) Hi, my insane friend stole your driver's license.
Parker: It wasn't stealing. It was making an excuse to see him again.
Parker: Mac, he tried to kiss you.
Mac: And my libidon't kicked in.
Veronica: Mac, he understands. He seems like a really great guy. Just a regular vegan JFK looking for his Mackie O.
Bronson: You're pretty dressed up. Where you guys off to?
Mac: Uh...Club...Club. It's new.
Dick: See, you did it!
Logan: Did what?
Dick: You lived. I told you, man, chicks are just a distraction. You're better off without that broad. (Logan looks down for a beat and then nods.)
Logan: Yeah, well, I admit this has its charms.
Chip: (As the three surf chicks from earlier approach.) Alright, new category: hot enough. (Dick grins and nods eagerlly.)
Logan: I thought chicks were just a distraction.
Dick: I never said they were a bad distraction.
Surfer Chick: Hmm ... (Kneeling down next to/over Logan) what have you got? (In reference to the beer.)
Logan: (Opens the cooler to inspect the contents.) Apparently, we're in to the cheap stuff. (But he's not talking about beer.)
Bronson: Uh, I don't have the monkey and I didn't free the rats they just showed up.
Veronica: Like in a tiny van with a sob story about needing a place to crash?
Parker: (In her best attempt at subtlety.) Sooo ... Amy seems nice. (Mac shoots her a look.) How long have you been together?
Bronson: Uh. Nineteen years. She's my sister.
Parker: (Trying to not grin in victory) Oh!
Mac: (GrinGrinGrinGrin!)
Surf Chick: (Laughs, kisses Logan, then he wipes his mouth in disgust.) Boy, oh boy. You are bad. (Smugly.) I can't believe I just did that with Aaron Echolls' son.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: In the movies, when they piece back together shredded magazines they always find an address sticker; all I found are near naked ladies.
Veronica: (Waiting by Gil's door.) Did you name him? Is that what happened?
Gil Thomas: I started coming in on weekends to catch up on work. Bought him a few toys. Let him play with them while Pauline wasn't around ... (Gil holds up the banana) his favorite by the way. I always had to take it back before I left. One day, I'm halfway out the door when I turn around and he's holding it out through the bars for me; he knew I was leaving. You know why we don't name them? Because to do the work, we have to turn our compassion off, 'cause things are harder to kill when they've got a name. Veronica Mars ... meet Oscar.
Veronica: Like, why bother with something that's not good? Cause if it's not good ...
Piz: But I figure, I know what I like. Why waste my time?
Veronica: Like, why bother with something not good just because it's something
Piz: Especially when you know the difference. Which not many people do. I mean, do you?
Veronica: (Clearly thinking of Logan.) I -- I think I do.
Keith: What's she like?
Landry: What are they all like?
Keith: Crazy. Or we are -- I haven't figured it out yet.
Landry: Probably us.
Keith: So, one night I went and I filled a jelly jar with gasoline, stuck a rag in it, figuring -- Molotov cocktail -- I'll light the guy's car on fire.
Landry: You torched the guys car?
Keith: You ever light a rag soaked in straight gasoline? The thing exploded in my hands. I torched my car.
Keith: You ever done anything like that?
Landry: That why you put this song on, Keith? (At Keith's look.) I read your book. All the way to the picture in the back. So no, I've never done anything like that ... I wrote a book too. About profiling. Reading people. (Standing up to leave) Maybe you should check it out.
Show me the Monkey (Money) ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
The phrase "Show me the money" comes from the film 1996 film Jerry Maguire, written and directed by Cameron Crowe. The film follows professional sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise), who gets fired by his agency after having a crisis of faith and distributing a mission statement that is antithetical to the company's focus on the bottom line instead of personal relationships with the clients. Jerry decides to go out on his own and start his own company. He is joined by Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellwegger), an employee from the agency who was inspired by his mission statement. The newly independent Maguire brings with him only one client, cocky Arizona Cardinals football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose desire for a big contract is offset by his devotion to his friends and family.
The film was a critical and box office success, grossing over $150 million and earning numerous awards and nominations. At the Academy Awards, Jerry Maguire earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Tom Cruise), and Best Original Screenplay, and Cuba Gooding Jr. won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable performance (and then delivered an equally memorable speech).
In a film with many memorable quotes, perhaps the most famous came in the phone conversation in which Jerry tries to convince Rod to stick with him when he leaves the agency. What follows is an iconic moment as Rod demands that Jerry scream his "family motto" back to him, which is the now-popular phrase, "Show me the money!" Watch the scene here, or, in a parody perfectly suited to our episode title, watch a different version here and "SHOW ME THE MONKEY!!!"
Cuba Gooding Jr. (as Rod Tidwell) and Tom Cruise (as Jerry
Maguire) in Jerry Maguire
Manila (Referenced by the Keith/Veronica exchange about folders.)
Veronica didnt lie, the direct Wikipedia entry includes the following information:
Quote:Wikipedia ... (Referenced by Veronica in where she found out the "where" of manila.)
The manila component of the name comes from manila hemp or abac, from which manila folders were originally made. Manila hemp is a type of fiber that comes from a relative of the banana plant. Commonly used for ropes, paper products, and coarse fabrics, manila hemp is indigenous to the Philippines and gets its name from the country's capital.
Straight from the horses mouth, here is how Wikipedia defines itself:
Quote:Wikipedia began as an English language project that launched on January 15, 2001 (Happy Sixth Birthday, gang!) as a complement to the now defunct Nupedia. The website is now operated by a non-profit organization, The Wikimedia Foundation. It was created by Larry Sanger and Jimmy Wales although Sanger resigned from the organization in 2002. Wales has described Wikipedia as "an effort to create and distribute a free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language."
Wikipedia is a multilingual, Web-based, free-content encyclopedia project. Wikipedia is written collaboratively by volunteers, allowing most of its articles to be edited by nearly anyone with access to the Web site. The name is a portmanteau of the words wiki (a type of collaborative website) and encyclopedia. Its primary servers are in Tampa, Florida, with additional servers in Amsterdam and Seoul.
Several international Wikipedia screen caps.
Wikipedia hosts over six million articles in multiple languages and has steadily risen in popularity since its inception. According to Alexa Internet, Wikipedia currently ranks among the top fifteen most visited websites worldwide. (I'm sure that is true for those of us that contribute to the Social Sciences section of the breakdown if for no one else.) On the downside, Wikipedia's reliability and accuracy have been questioned and the site has been criticized for being susceptible to vandalism, for having uneven quality, systemic bias and inconsistencies, and for disregarding credentials in evaluating an editor's contributions. In fact, Comedy Central's talk host, Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report, has made a running gag on this point not in favor of the online write-yourself-encyclopedia. After a mini-war between Colbert and Wikipedia when Colbert entreated his followers to add false information about the elephant population, Colbert's user name was banned from the site. In retaliation, a group of Colbert fans set up their own website based on Colbert's catchword that describes reality according to Wikipedia: Wikiality. For a less than accurate view of the world, check out www.wikiality.com.
Now, despite these issues, Wikipedia is generally a great source for general information on anything from the Aa River in France to the rock group ZZ Top.
And just in case you're curious ... entries on topics related to this board:
Hemp ... (Referenced by Referenced by Veronica in where she found out the "where" of manila.)
The Cannabis plant -- known more commonly as marijuana, with many a nickname, including hemp, pot, mary jane, reefer, etc. -- is often dried or otherwise processed to create a "product" that offers medicinal and psychoactive effects. Despite past use as an accepted medicine, in the early 20th century, the drug became illegal due to the overwhelming consumption of the recreational variety.
To this day, marijuana usage remains against the law despite the mellow side affects as opposed to the harder drugs of the day. While not widespread, legalizing marijuana has been the effort of activists for some time; among those fighting for its legal use is Oscar-nominated actor Woody Harrelson. Apparently, none of these activists (including Woody) have ever heard of the dangers that can befall one who has been taken over by reefer madness. Just ask Mary Lane.
Philippines ... (Referenced by Veronica in where she found out the "where" of manila.)
The Philippines -- its official moniker being The Republic of the Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas; RP) -- is an island nation located in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia. Manila, is its capital, while Quezon City is its largest city. It comprises 7,000 islands (7,107 to be exact) called the Philippine Archipelago, with a total land area of approximately three hundred thousand square kilometers or one hundred and sixteen thousand square miles, making it the seventy-second largest country by area.
The country was named "Las Islas Filipinas" (The Philippine Islands) by Ruy Lpez de Villalobos after King Philip II of Spain. Spanish colonial rule began in 1565 and lasted for about three centuries until the Philippine Revolution of 1896. The United States gained possession after the Spanish-American War in 1898 and the Philippine-American War in 1899. The U.S. ruled the country for about five decades. Because of this, the Philippine culture has many similarities with the West, with a Spanish influence as well. It has also been significantly influenced by Chinese, Indonesian and Indian cultures.
The Hispanic influences in Filipino culture are largely derived from the culture of Spain as a result of over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule through Mexico City. These Hispanic influences are most evident in Roman Catholic Church religious festivals. As such, Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. The Chinese influences in Filipino culture are most evident in Filipino cuisine. The prevalence of noodles, known locally as mami, are a testament of the Chinese cuisine. Other Chinese influences include linguistic borrowings and the occasional Chinese derived surnames.
The use of English language in the Philippines is contemporaneous and is America's visible legacy. The most commonly played sport in the Philippines is basketball. There is also a wide "imitation" of American cultural trends, such as the love of fast-food; many street corners boast fast-food outlets. Aside from the American commercial giants such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, local fast-food chains have also sprung up, including Goldilocks, Jollibee, Greenwich Pizza, and Chowking. Modern day Filipinos also listen to contemporary American music and watch American movies.
In spite of this, native moral codes, respect of family, veneration of elders, and friendliness, all remain intact. Filipinos honor national heroes whose works and deeds contributed to the shaping of the Filipino nation. Jos Rizal is the most celebrated ilustrado, a Spanish-speaking reformist visionary whose writings contributed greatly in nurturing a sense of national identity and awareness. His novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo originally written in Spanish, are required readings for Filipino students, and provide vignettes of colonial life under the Spanish rule.
The Hulk ... (Referenced by Mac seeing the messed up lab.)
The Hulk is the big, green 'Dr. Jekyll' to Bruce Banner's 'Hyde.' A fictional character from the Marvel Comic Universe, the Hulk debuted in Incredible Hulk #1 in May of 1962.
Bruce Banner's story begins before his conception when his father Brian Banner was studying radiation for the government. After getting drunk in his lab and unintentionally overloading the nuclear equipment, Brian tested it and checks out okay. He and his wife decide not to have children, but Bruce is conceived anyway. Brian believes from the start that something is wrong with Bruce and begins beating him at a young age whenever he acts strange. When Brian's wife tries to leave him, taking Bruce with her, Brian attacks his wife and son, killing Bruce's mother. The elder Banner is found insane and gets institutionalized.
Bruce grows up and becomes a doctor, also for the government, where he tries to create a 'gamma bomb.' During his research, the bomb goes off and Bruce is blasted by it, absorbing an enormous dose of gamma radiation. At this point, Bruce begins to transfer into the Hulk, a giant green beast with little intelligence or self-control, every sunset. Upon his father's release from the mental hospital, the two happen to meet up at his mother's grave on the anniversary of her death. Brian goads Bruce until he loses his cool, and Bruce shoves his father causing him to hit his head on his mothers gravestone and die.
Though the Hulk is the hero of Stan Lee's comics, with superhuman strength, Banner considers him a curse. His lack of self-control as the Hulk causes him to leave a trail of destruction in his wake, and as a result, he is constantly on the run from the government.
Control Group ... (Referenced by the lab techs in regards to usage for the monkey experiment .)
In a scientific experiment a set of actions is performed and observed in order to prove of disprove a hypothesis. A group of subjects -- patients or, in this case, rats -- serves as basis for comparison to the other subject(s) (treatment group) that has experimental actions performed on them. Such control group, depending on the experiment, may receive no treatment, a "standard" treatment already in use, or a placebo.
The control group usually resembles in its makeup the treatment group as close as possible. Or, if you are working at Hearst lab, I suppose twenty rats may reasonably do as a control group for one monkey. I am guessing that the noble goal "to find a pill so fat guys in the suburbs can keep eating cheeseburgers" allows for some experimental creativity. Either that, or another one -- control -- monkey would have been just too much to, well, control.
Someone, control them!
"People coming to take me away" ... (Referenced by Veronica when she sees Mac with the lab people .)
People coming to take me away is a take on the expression, "they're coming to take me away," with the "they" referring to psychiatrists. The origin is from a novelty hit by Napoleon XIV called "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-haaa."
The lyrics:
- Remember when you ran away
And I got on my knees
And begged you not to leave
Because I'd go beserk
Well you left me anyhow
And then the days got worse and worse
And now you see I've gone
Completely out of my mind
And they're coming to take me away ha-haaa
They're coming to take me away ho ho hee hee ha haaa
To the funny farm
Where life is beautiful all the time
And I'll be happy to see those nice young men
In their clean white coats
And they're coming to take me away ha haaa
You thought it was a joke
And so you laughed
You laughed when I said
That losing you would make me flip my lid
Right? You know you laughed
I heard you laugh. You laughed
You laughed and laughed and then you left
But now you know I'm utterly mad
And they're coming to take me away ha haaa
They're coming to take me away ho ho hee hee ha haaa
To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds
And basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes
And they're coming to take me away ha haaa
I cooked your food
I cleaned your house
And this is how you pay me back
For all my kind unselfish, loving deeds
Ha! Well you just wait
They'll find you yet and when they do
They'll put you in the A.S.P.C.A.
You mangy mutt
And they're coming to take me away ha haaa
They're coming to take me away ha haaa ho ho hee hee
To the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time
And I'll be happy to see those nice young men
In their clean white coats
And they're coming to take me away
To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds
And basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes
And they're coming to take me away ha haaa!
Quote:One other bit of trivia: the B-side of the single was the same song ... recorded backward.
"I would be able to raise or lower the pitch of a voice without changing the tempo by hooking the VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator) up to that 4-track machine. Based on that, I came up with the idea of 'They're Coming To Take Me Away.' I was sitting in a nice easy-chair one night. It had a little vibrator on it and I was stoned because I loved to smoke grass. What popped into my head was the old Scottish tune, 'The Campbell's Are Coming.' I didn't know the title, but I'll tell you who did - my friend Barry Hansen. He's Dr. Demento; we've known each other for many, many years. I hummed it to him and he said, 'Yeah, that's The Cambpell's Are Coming,' and I thought, 'da da dat dat da dat da da da da da... they're coming to take me away, ha ha.' There it was, and by understanding what I could do with that piece of equipment, I wrote this thing.
It took me 9 months to finish it. I wrote one verse and the chorus, and immediately I realized I was writing a sick joke. So I said, 'This is no good, I'll put it away.' Three months later it was still running through my head; I pulled it out again and wrote the second verse and it was an even sicker joke. Finally about 6 months after that I decided I was going to finish it, and I was going to do something in that last verse that would throw things off a little bit, so I referred to the object - 'They're coming to take me away because of what YOU did - I referred to YOU as a dog. The dog ran away. By doing that I felt I was lightening the sickness of the joke, and I probably was and it probably did some good for me, but that was the reason I went for that afterthought."
Touch My (Monkey) ... (Referenced by Mac telling Veronica about the liberated lab animals.)
So exclaims Dieter, a West German interviewer of celebrities in a fictional TV show called Sprockets from the memorable Saturday Night Live skit. Hysterically portrayed by the always versatile Mike Myers, Dieter was a bored artiste with slicked-back black hair, black leotards, round glasses and a perpetually uninterested expression on his face. His interviews inevitably showed little concern with the subjects and usually circled around to his "limited" monkey named Klaus. He forever begged the guests to "touch his monkey," a plea as funny in its absurdity as it is dirty in its obvious euphemistic implication.
Actually, it would appear that touching the monkey (no, not that kind, get your mind out of the gutter!) is seldom a good idea. But then, no one expected a good idea out of Deiter. So, Veronica, Mac, -- as cute as you are finishing each other's sentences like that -- make sure it stays just a funny phrase. Don't go touching "25."
Capuchin Monkey ... (Referenced by the lab tech when informing Veronica of the type of monkey.)
Capuchins are a group of New World monkeys, and are considered to be the most intelligent of this group. They live together in groups ranging from six to forty members, usually dominated by a single male. They are territorial animals who spend most of their days hunting for food and sleep in trees at night. Among other predators, capuchins are prey to large falcons, cats and snakes.
Because of their intelligence, capuchins are often trained as service animals for paraplegics and people with injuries to their spinal cord. They are trained as infants, brought up in a human home so they get used to socializing with people. Once trained, a capuchin can help out with various tasks around the house, such using the microwave, washing the paraplegic's face, and opening bottles.
All Creatures Great and Small ... (Referenced by Mac in regards to her soft spot.)
A soft spot in Macs heart. Aww!
All Creatures Great and Small, a book by James Herriot, first published in 1972, included two of his novels, If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (a title that clearly begs a few comments). The name of the book comes from the second verse of the hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful:"
- All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Human and gently funny, All Creatures Great and Small is a record of various entertaining aspects of veterinary medicine. It became widely popular, and in 1974 a feature film was made with Simon Ward as James Herriot. Anthony Hopkins played Herriot's eccentric boss, Siegfried Farnon.
The sequel (because what a successful movie based on a successful book would be without a sequel?) was released in 1975. It was titled It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (and I still wonder what would "it" be exactly). In this one, the part of James was played by John Alderton (perhaps because something did happen to the original vet), and Siegfried was portrayed by Colin Blakely (because Anthony Hopkins, I presume, simply wasn't good enough).
So, what happens to a successful book after it has a few spins on the big screen? You guessed it: It becomes a Television series. All Creatures Great and Small debuted on the BBC in 1978, with an unknown actor, Christopher Timothy, as James, Robert Hardy as Siegfried, Peter Davison as James's brother Tristan, and Carol Drinkwater as James's wife. It was an ensemble show with a decidedly domestic feel and well-developed characters. The show ran for three seasons and ended in 1980, at the stage in the book where the characters get drawn into the World War II. 1983 and 1985 two specials were filmed, and in 1988 a revived show was once again on the air, picking up the characters' lives after the war. It ran for four more seasons.
And I can see a viewing marathon in Mac and Bronson's future.
Mollusk ... (Referenced by Mac when asking Veronica about acceptable shoes.)
Mollusks, from the phylum Mollusca, include over one hundred and twelve thousand species of snails, clams, squid, cuttlefish, and octopus. The body of a mollusk is often divided into a head, a muscular foot, and a visceral mass housing the organs. Many mollusks have an outer shell, and an outer body wall called the mantle which secretes the shell.
So. Do Mac's 'mollusk shoes' meet the P.H.A.T. standards? "If it ever had a face or a parent, you can't wear it." While most mollusks do have a separate body part that qualifies as a head, houses the brain, and has eyes and/or tentacles, you'll note that the absence of a mouth or nose:
As for the parent issue, octopus have a short life expectancy after reproduction. Males can only survive a few months after mating and females will die shortly after their eggs hatch, as they neglect to eat anything while taking care of the unhatched eggs (roughly one month). Many gastropods (like snails) and bivalves (like clams) have and an even odder method of reproduction, where each adult deposits hundreds of gametes into the water and fertilization and development of the gamete occurs completely without parental care. So, arguably, Mac could get away with some sea shell sandals if she were so inclined.
Western Europe (Referenced by Mac and Parker's Resident Advisor about the countries taken quickly.)
Western Europe is a subregion of Europe comprising Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. While Western Europe can be defined in terms of geographic location, it also holds political significance. During the Cold War (1945 to 1990) an Iron Curtain politically and militarily separated Western Europe from the communist Eastern Bloc countries, which were allied under the Warsaw Pact of 1955. Western countries joined NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), a military alliance formed in 1949. Countries like Austria, Switzerland, and Spain, while technically in Western Europe, are generally not included under the term "Western Europe" when discussing Cold War politics, due to neutrality and other issues. Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and others have never joined NATO and are unlikely to.
Western Europe also includes principalities and microstates like Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and Vatican City.
Clove Cigarettes ... (Referenced by Mac who doesn't like the smell.)
Clove cigarettes are cigarettes made with a complex blend of tobacco, cloves and a flavoring 'sauce.' They are an Indonesian export and the proper name is kretek, an Indonesian word that is an onomatopoeia for the crackling sound of burning cloves.
Ironically, kreteks were created in the early 1880's by Haji Jamahri of Kudus, Java as a way to deliver the medicinal eugenol of cloves to the lungs, as it was thought to help asthma. Although it cured his chest pains, Jamahri died before he could mass market it -- Im guessing of some lung-related disease. M. Nitisemito took his place and began to commercialize the new cigarettes. Today kretek manufacturers employ well over one-hundred and eighty thousand people in Indonesia, which accounts for ninety-five percent of the world's clove market.
In Indonesia, there are hundreds of kretek manufacturers, which vary in size from small local makers to major, mass-produced brands including Bentoel, Djarum, Gudang Garam, Sampoerna, Dji Sam Soe, and Wismilak. In the United States, Nat Sherman produces cigarettes branded as "A Touch of Clove," but these smokes are not true kreteks since they contain clove flavoring in the filter rather than actual clove spice mixed with the tobacco.
Kreteks are by far the most widely-smoked form of cigarettes in Indonesia, where about ninety percent of smokers usually smoke kreteks instead of plain tobacco, which are called "whites." In the United States, clove cigarettes have been associated with artists and the goth, punk, and indie subcultures -- like, say, participants in the animal rights movement? You know who I mean - those PHAT kids!
Sam and Ralph ... (Referenced by the cartoon playing in the background when Dick is photographing his dick.)
Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf are animated characters from the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, created by animator Chuck Jones and both voiced by actor Mel Blanc. The first short featuring the two was released on January 3, 1953.
Ralph has basically the same design as Wile E. Coyote, but with a red instead of black nose, a less snooty accent, and an appetite for sheep instead of roadrunner. He shares Coyote's persistence and creative use of Acme products, with often similar results. Sam is a sheepdog with a mop of red hair covering his eyes and a determination to protect his flock from the likes of Ralph.
Cartoons featuring Ralph and Sam typically begin with the two clocking in together in the morning, greeting each other casually. During the workday Ralph repeatedly tries to abscond with the sheep. Sometimes he fails on his own, and the rest of the time he is thwarted by Sam, who mysteriously always manages to be in the right place at the right time to stop Ralph and save the sheep. At the end of the working day they just as casually clock out, again chatting amiably. The two appeared in a series of shorts and were featured in a number of other Warner Brothers projects. Sam had a cameo in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and the two are the main characters in the 2001 PlayStation game Sheep Raider. Listen to audio files of two of their common exchanges.
I think it's cute that Dick is watching that cartoon given the character dynamic about to be explored on the screen between Dick and Logan:
Quote:I think that's a great metaphorical example of their relationship. They're completely different guys, Dick is the wolf and Logan is the sheepdog: tougher than his competitor and always blocking Dick's unethical/immoral pursuits down in various ways. But despite the fact they're so different, they're still friends off the clock.
Most of the cartoons begin at the beginning of the workday, in which Ralph and Sam go to a meadow where sheep graze, exchange chitchat, and punch into the same time clock. Work having officially begun, Ralph repeatedly tries to abduct the helpless sheep and invariably fails, either through his own ineptitude or the minimal efforts of Sam (who always brutally punishes Ralph for the attempt). At the end-of-the-day whistle, Sam and Ralph punch out their time cards, chat amiably, and leave, presumably only to come back the next day and do it all again. Both Sam and Ralph are performed by voice actor Mel Blanc. In at least one instance, the workday is interrupted by a lunch break which they conducted amiably. The operation seems to run 24 hours a day or at least into another shift, as when Ralph and Sam "punch out" they may also run into their replacements for the rest of the day, Bret and Enoch, respectively.
(New) Jersey ... (Referenced by Dick about the guy in Jersey (Garden State.)
A state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States, New Jersey is named after the island of Jersey which lies in the English Channel. Inhabited by Native Americans for almost three thousand years, the first European settlements in the area were established by the Swedes and Dutch in the early 1600s. The area was later seized by the British and was granted to Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton as the colony of New Jersey. It is bordered on the north by New York and the west by Pennsylvania with portions of New Jersey within the metropolitan areas of both states. The Atlantic Ocean touches the Jersey Shore and Delaware borders its southwest. The western border of New Jersey is largely defined by the Delaware River. Because of its dense population and because most communities of northern New Jersey do not have the widespread reservoir system of neighboring Greater New York City, the slightest dry season leads to drought warnings; but because there are many streams and rivers close to these communities, the slightest above average rainfall causes frequent flooding as many parts of Northern New Jersey are part of a flood plain. It is also at the center of the Boston to Washington megalopolis.
New Jersey is broadly divided into three geographic regions: North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. North Jersey lies within New York City's general sphere of influence, and some residents commute to the city to work. Central Jersey is a largely suburban area. South Jersey is within Philadelphia's general sphere of influence, and most of it is included in the Delaware Valley. Such geographic definitions are loosely defined, however, and there is often dispute over where one region begins and another ends. Some people do not consider Central Jersey to exist at all, but most believe it is a separate geographic and cultural area from the North and South. Trenton is the capital, while Newark is the biggest city in New Jersey.
Although the state nickname is "The Garden State," according to The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey:
Quote:
"There is no definitive explanation for New Jersey's nickname of "The Garden State."
It is on our license plates as the result of L.1954, c. 221; NJSA 39:3-33.2. This legislation was passed over Governor Meyner's veto. His veto message to A545, dated August 2, 1954, says in part "My investigation discloses that there is no official recognition of the slogan 'Garden State' as an identification of the State of New Jersey."
Alfred M. Heston, in his two-volume work, Jersey Waggon Jaunts, published in 1926 ( Camden, NJ, Atlantic County Historical Society, 1926), twice credits Abraham Browning of Camden with coining the name at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia on New Jersey Day, August 24, 1876. On page 310 of volume 2 he writes: "In his address Mr. Browning compared New Jersey to an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and the New Yorkers from the other. He called New Jersey the Garden State, and the name has clung to it ever since." The problem with this is that the image of a barrel tapped at both ends dates back at least to Benjamin Franklin, so this statement crediting Browning with naming the Garden State can not be taken at face value.
Garden State ... (Referenced by Logan correctly identifying it as a film and not a book.)
- Dick: So what, you're just going to mope around like that guy in ... what's that book where the guy's mom dies and he comes back to Jersey? He's got that motorcycle sidecar.
Logan: Garden State was never a book.
Dick: It wasn't? Oops. (to himself) So much for that paper.
Garden State, which was never a book, is a 2004 film written and directed by Zach Braff who also stars (because, if you want things done right, you have to do them yourself). It tells a story about a guy named Andrew Largeman (Large), a young struggling actor, returning to his hometown in New Jersey after receiving the news of his mother's death. He feels estranged from his father and his former acquaintances, since he hasn't been home for almost a decade. He has been medicating himself and shows almost no reaction or emotion even at his mother's funeral. Andrew meets a lot of people he went to high school with. Most of them seem to be in a state of suspended (if not arrested) development, partying, drinking and doing drugs (paging Dick Casablancas).
He's been having headaches and makes an appointment to see a doctor. At the doctor's Andrew meets Sam (played by Natalie Portman), who suffers from epilepsy and seems to own a lot of pets. She recognizes him from TV and they strike up a relationship.
Andrew spends his time after his mother's funeral hanging out with Sam and his old friend Mark -- who is now a gravedigger (naturally!) -- and avoiding his father who wants to talk. At one point Andrew confesses that the reason he was sent to a boarding school as a kid was because in a tempter tantrum years ago he pushed his mother right onto an open dishwasher door. She broke her back and ended up handicapped. A terrible accident and a horrific weight for a child to carry, it throws light on Andrew's medicated apathy and avoidance.
He finally has that confrontation with his dad and decides to return to LA. Sam tearfully pleads with him not to go, but he tries to explain that the relationship is not over and that he is just going back to figure things out. Andrew gets on the plane, but doesn't go through with it. He finds Sam in a telephone booth crying, tells her that he loves her. The movie ends with him asking, "What do we do?" They hold and kiss each other. Aw!
Getting over the initial shock of Dick Casablancas actually writing a paper -- and putting aside the fact that he thought Garden State was a book -- the comparison between Andrew and Logan may seem reasonable on the surface. Both are heartbroken and feeling lost, they go through periods of apathy. However, where Andrew is ruled by grief and guilt, Logan is mourning the loss of love. His burden isn't lightened by entering into a new hook-up (which is made painfully obvious in the episode), nor is he numbing his pain with drugs. Our Logan may wear his heart on his sleeve these days, but he is unflinching even in that, and isn't deceiving himself.
There is a hopeful message in the film. And if starting anew, risking loving again, and opening yourself up to the possibilities isn't the Logan Echolls motto, it should be. "What do we do?" Logan's answer: Love, try, mourn, even despair. But never lose the ability to feel.
The film won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards and was generally well received by the critics and the audiences. It also produced a Grammy-winning soundtrack.
The View ... (Referenced by Dick in regards to how Logan is acting all emo.)
The View is a daytime talk show on ABC that features four women of different ages and from diverse career backgrounds and perspectives. When the show debuted in 1997, the original panel of women featured legal correspondent Star Jones and journalists Meredith Vieira, Debbie Matenopoulos and Barbara Walters. Matenopoulos was the first to leave the nest, the consenus being that her airheaded persona simply did not fit with the group. Jones was fired from the show (her contract was not renewed because she violated network policy by accepting wedding "gifts" in exchange for corporate mentions on the show) in 2006. Vieira also left The View that year to take Katie Couric's old job co-hosting The Today Show.
Now, Walters hosts along with comedians Rosie O'Donnell and Joy Behar and former Survivor contestant Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The View is currently in its tenth season. The show has received twenty Daytime Emmy Awards. It has also received recognition for specifically presenting issues that are significant to women and young girls, like breast cancer. The show has had numerous guest hosts (among them bold women such as Felicity Huffman, Ann Coulter, and Brooke Shields) and has a slew of weekly guests.
Needless to say, the show focuses a lot on women and their stories ... and yes, their feelings, so you can understand why someone like Dick would find it so distasteful.
Rosie ODonnell ... (Referenced by Dick in regards to how Logan is acting all emo.)
Rosie O'Donnell was born on March 21, 1962 in Queens, New York. In her twenties, she dropped out of college to pursue a career in comedy. From 1979 to 1984 she toured various comedy clubs and found success. She appeared on Star Search and the television sitcom Gimme a Break! From 1996 to 2002 Rosie hosted The Rosie O'Donnell Show and gained the title of "The Queen of Nice." Even so, she was openly opinionated, once heatedly debating with guest Tom Selleck over gun control. Rosie has often crossed the line between what is comedy and what is offensive. As a new host on the popular talk show The View, she criticized a costly search effort to find missing climbers on Mount Hood in Oregon.
Even more controversial was her confirmation in 2002 that she was lesbian. In 2004, Rosie entered a civil union with marketing exec Kelli Carpenter. They have three adopted children and a daughter that was conceived by Carpenter through artificial insemination.
The latest controversy surrounding Rosie is her feud with Donald Trump over the Miss USA pageant. Trump allowed partygirl Tara Conner to have a second chance despite having violated pageant rules. Rosie criticized his character, and he in turn did the same, albeit with somewhat more extreme rhetoric. Ahh, if only Hollywood celebs could get over themselves. Oh wait, then we'd have no need for Access Hollywood, which covered the story ad nauseum.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life ... (Referenced by Dick to Logan about moving on.)
Hello, and welcome to the Clich Festival. I am Dick Casablancas and I will be your host. Sigh. Yes, Logan, I am with you: Trivial cliches dont fortify, inspire, or even amuse. Their oversimplified, and, sadly, overused platitude wisdom can only bring joy to primitive life forms like Dick.
There are two conventional interpretations of this particular clich: To reach a goal, you have to take action now; just thinking or talking about something will not get you to the goal. All fine and well, but, again, to quote Logan, as wisdom goes, this is both obvious and pointless. For one thing, the statement implies that your yesterday is not important, because it's already in the past, in that part of your life that's already gone. It neatly dispenses with lessons, growth and reflection. It would follow that tomorrow will be the second day of the rest of your life, the day after to morrow the third, and so forth.
But that's not what the statement implies, because, really, tomorrow will also be the first day of the rest of your life, and so will every day after that. And, if that's the case, today will become yesterday and, by that definition, will lose its significance. Sure, to reach a goal you do have to take action now. And thinking or talking about it alone will not get you there. But neither will a tired, over-generalized stereotype that attempts to usurp the place of thinking and feeling.
The origin of the phrase is credited to the Diggers, a radical group of Improv actors (yeah, I found that funny, too.) that organized and acted in San Francisco in the late 1960's. Their name comes from the original English Diggers (1649-50) who espoused an idealistic societal model free of private property and commerce. The San Francisco Diggers opened the so-called free stores which simply gave away the goods; provided free food, medicine, transportation and shelter to those in need; organized concerts and art exhibitions. The provisions came from collecting discarded goods, recycling, and donations. They were, whats known as "community anarchists" whose love of freedom coexisted with the awareness of their community.
The actual phrase "Today is the fist day of the rest of your life" originated (allegedly) in their publication, the Digger Papers. I get the intention, and I applaud their efforts. But the muddled philosophy of their propaganda leaves me cold. So, what's the lesson here? Dispense with the samplers. Think for yourself. And, Logan, whatever you do, do not follow Dick Casablancas! You, of all people, know that only bad things happen when Dick attempts to think!
Penalty/Red Card ... (Referenced by Mac about Veronica as a youngin' and how she was gung-ho.)
Penalty cards are used by soccer referees to indicate disciplinary sanction (either caution or send-off) of players. The use of the cards was originated by British referree Ken Aston, who was inspired as he was sitting in his car at a traffic light. Although not mandatory until 1992, the first major use of the penalty-card system was at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. A yellow card indicates a caution, which results from such offences as unsporting behavior, delay of play, extravagant celebration, and entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission, among others.
A red card indicates a send-off, and the player is required to immediately leave the field. A red card results from having been shown two yellow cards in a match or committing a more serious misconduct. Offenses that directly result in a red card include a serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting at an opponent or other person, offensive or abusive language and/or gestures, among others.
An infamous use of the card happened in the enormously popular 2006 FIFA World Cup final, when French team captain Zinedine Zidane was red carded by referee Horacio Elizondo after headbutting Italian player Marco Materazzi. Zidane's defenders claimed that the normally nonviolent Zidane was provoked by Materazzi, known as a hothead. Because he was retiring after the World Cup, the incident will be what many remember about Zindane, marring an otherwise great career.
The 2006 FIFA World Cup final red-carding
of Zidane.
Old Testament ... (Referenced by Veronica describing Dean O'Dell to Keith.)
The Old Testament refers to all versions and translations of the Hebrew Bible and is the first major part of the Bible used by Christians. It is usually divided by Judaism into the categories of law: Torah; prophecy: Neviim; and writings: Kethuvim (history, poetry, wisdom books); as denoted by the acronym Tanakh.
The Protestant Old Testament is for the most part identical with the Jewish Tanakh. The differences between the Tanakh and the Protestant Old Testament are minor, dealing only with the arrangement and number of the books. For example, while the Tanakh considers 1 Kings and 2 Kings to be one book, the Protestant Old Testament considers them to be two books. Similarly Ezra and Nehemiah are considered to be one book by the Tanakh.
The differences between the Tanakh and other versions of the Old Testament such as the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Syriac, Latin, Greek and other works, are greater as some include books not in the Tanakh and even in the books included, some have sections that the others do not.
All of these books were written before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, whose teaching and immediate disciples' deeds and teachings are the subject of the subsequent writings of Christian New Testament. The scriptures used by Jesus were according to Luke 24:44-49: "The law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms ... the scriptures." According to most Bible scholars, the Old Testament was composed between the fifth century BC and the second century BC, though parts of it, such as parts of the Torah, and the Song of Deborah (Judges 5), probably date back much earlier.
Good-bye, Cruel World ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell's computer written goodbye.)
"Goodbye, cruel world" is a stock suicide message used in literature, lyrics, films, and, sometimes in real life. It's difficult to trace the exact origins of the phrase, or say who used it first. There are several notable instances. There's a book by Kurt Vonnegut called Mother Night, written in 1961; the second to last sentence in which is "Goodbye, cruel world." It is also the title of a song by Pink Floyd from their groundbreaking album The Wall:
- Goodbye cruel world
I'm leaving you today
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye all you people
There's nothing you can say
To make me change
My mind
Goodbye.
Finally, apparently the use of this particular clich in Dean O'Dell's murder (and, it would follow, Veronica's paper) is an in-joke. Ed Begley Jr. (our Dean) has appeared in the film Batman Forever, playing the Riddler's boss. The Riddler murdered him, leaving a fake suicide note that read "Goodbye, cruel world." Clearly Veronica (and the VM writing staff) watches too many movies.
Clich ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell's computer written goodbye.)
A clich (French) is defined as a hackneyed expression so often used that its original power has been drained away. Certainly, as samplers go, "goodbye, cruel world!" (sans "zzzz") is as clich as they come. It was clever of Veronica to use this for a fake suicide note in her paper, because its very triteness positively assures anonymity. Stripped of personality and reasoning, the phrase, while clearly declaring the intent, gives away nothing of the state of mind or any of the individuality of the writer. Which makes it impossible to authenticate the note -- provided its typed on a computer.
San Francisco ... (Referenced by Piz when trying to funny.)
The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California and the fourteenth-largest in the United States, with a 2005 population of 739,426. It is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula and is the focal point of the San Francisco Bay Area, whose population is seven million. San Francisco is the second most densely populated major American city, after New York.
The Spanish were the first Europeans to settle in San Francisco in 1776 and they named the settlement for St. Francis. When the gold rush hit in 1848, the city experienced rapid growth. Even the devastating earthquake of 1906 (one of the worst natural disasters in United States history) could not stop the San Francisco explosion. The city was quickly rebuilt and is today one of the most recognizable cities in the United States. Famous hallmarks and landmarks include the San Francisco cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.
Thunderdome ... (Referenced by Piz when trying to funny.)
The term "Thunderdome" comes from the title of the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, the third film of the apocalyptic, science-fiction Mad Max trilogy (following Mad Max in 1979 and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior in 1981). In Beyond Thunderdome, Max, played by Mel Gibson, is ambushed in the desert and left without transportation, forcing him to continue on foot. He ends up in an outpost called Bartertown, which is run by Aunty Entity (Tina Turner) but powered by Master and his bodyguard, Blaster (together known as Master Blaster). As Master begins to assert his authority through the threat of energy embargos, Entity enters into a deal with Max to provoke Blaster and kill him in the Thunderdome, a gladiatorial-like dome where conflicts are resolved with duels to the death, where the tagline was "Two men enter, one man leave." When Max feels sorry for Blaster and refuses to kill him, his punishment for breaking the deal is to be banished again to the desert. The rest of the film follows Max's attempts to help a group of wild children.
The film was met with mixed critical reviews, but the Thunderdome scene was often singled-out for praise as one of the most original and creative action sequences in cinema. At KillerClips you can watch clips of the Thunderdome portion of the film: "Listen to the law," "Two men enter one man leave," "Hes bad, hes beautiful, hes crazy," and "Bust a deal, face the wheel."
Another point of reference (especially in regards to Piz's statement) can be found in the lyrics of the Tina Turner single from the film's soundtrack, "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)" -- specifically
- We dont need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the thunderdome
- "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)"
Out of the ruins
Out from the wreckage
Can't make the same mistake this time
We are the children
The last generation
We are the ones they left behind
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change it
Living under the fear till nothing else remains
We don't need another hero
We don't need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the thunderdome
Looking for something we can rely on
There's got to be something better out there
Love and compassion, their day is coming
All else are castles built in the air
And I wonder when we are ever gonna change it
Living under the fear till nothing else remains
All the children say
We don't need another hero
We don't need to know the way home
All we want is life beyond the thunderdome
What do we do with our lives
We leave only a mark
Will our story shine like a life
Or end in the dark
Give it all or nothing
Splinter Cells are elite intelligence-gathering forces that consist of a lone field operative who is supported by a remote team. The agent has the freedom to eliminate any threat he perceives in any manner he deems fit. These agents are usually covered by "plausible deniability" wherein the agent is told the specifics of his job, but not through the normal chain of command so there is no record of the orders given. If the agent is captured or killed, the government responsible for deploying the agent can claim they were rogue -- acting without official orders or permission. Splinter Cells are small, sharp, and nearly invisible, hence the name.
Carbon Assimilation ... (Referenced by the botonist student talking about her plants.)
Green plants, and therefore ultimately all other higher forms of life, depend upon organic carbon derived from carbon dioxide in processes driven by light energy. Central to every aspect of such photosynthetic carbon assimilation by leaves, lies the Benson-Calvin cycle. In this cyclic sequence of reactions, carbon dioxide is added to an acceptor molecule. The newly formed addition compound then undergoes a series of changes, including reduction, so that a stable product is formed and set aside. At the same time, the CO2-acceptor is regenerated and new molecules of acceptor formed so that the process might continue and grow.
(Source: Photosynthetic Carbon Assimilation)
N.R.A. ... (Referenced in regards to Veronica "joining" the N.R.A. because of Argent.)
The National Rifle Association was formed in 1871 by Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate because they were dismayed by the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops. The NRA's primary goal would be to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis." Granted a charter by the state of New York, the NRA was founded on November 17, 1871, with Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, the former governor of Rhode Island and a U.S. Senator as the new associations first president.
The NRA first began promoting the shooting sports among America's youth in 1903 when NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones urged the establishment of rifle clubs at all major colleges, universities, and military academies. By 1906, more than two hundred boys were competing in matches. Youth programs are still the cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million boys and girls participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs in 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, U.S. Jaycees, and others. There are also nearly one thousand Certified Coaches who are specially trained to work with young competitive shooters. Since the lifesaving Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program was established in 1988, more than twelve million pre-kindergarten to sixth grade children have learned that if they see a firearm in an unsupervised situation, they should "STOP. DON'T TOUCH. LEAVE THE AREA. TELL AN ADULT."
Camp Perry, 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie, is the home of the annual National Matches. With nearly six thousand people competing annually in pistol, smallbore, and highpower events, the matches are the benchmark for excellence in marksmanship, and are one of the biggest sporting events held in the country today. The NRA continues to be the leader in civilian training in firearms education. There are over fifty thousand Certified Instructors that now train about seven-hundred and fifty thousand gun owners a year, with courses available in basic rifle, pistol, shotgun, muzzleloading firearms, personal protection, and ammunition reloading.
Today, with nearly three million members, the NRA is widely recognized as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, and has been, since its inception, the premier firearms education organization in the world. As former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos said, "Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They're good citizens. They call their Congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what they want over time." And he's right. We do.
Second Amendment ... (Referenced by Mac in her attempt to be fangirly of Argent.)
Amendment II (the Second Amendment, 1789) of the United States Constitution, a part of the Bill of Rights, as passed by the House and Senate and later ratified by the States, reads:
- A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
- A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
In 1786, A decade after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the U.S. existed as a loose national government under the Articles of Confederation -- which was perceived to have several weaknesses -- most notable of which was the inability to mount a Federal military response to an armed uprising known as Shays' Rebellion. In order to address those weaknesses, the Philadelphia Convention was convened in 1787 with the charter of amending the Articles. At the convention's conclusion with a proposed Constitution, those who debated the ratification of the Constitution were divided into two groups: the Federalists (who supported ratification of the Constitution) and the Anti-Federalists (who opposed it).
The origin of the Second Amendment also occurred in context of an ongoing debate about "the people" fighting governmental tyranny, (as described by Antifederalists); or the risk of mob rule of "the people," (as described by the Federalists). Reaching a compromise between these widely disparate positions was not easy, but nonetheless, a compromise was negotiated with the result being the Second Amendment.
Code Name ... (Referenced by Mac in her desire for one.)
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Codenames are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industry to protect secret projects and the like from business rivals.
In the Second World War, code names common to the Allies referring to nations, cities, geographical features, military units, military operations, diplomatic meetings, places, and individual persons were agreed upon adapting pre-war naming procedures in use by the governments concerned. In the British case code names were administered and controlled by ISSB (The Inter-Services Security Board) staffed by the War Office with the word list generated and randomised by GC&CS (later GCHQ). This procedure was co-ordinated with the USA when America entered the war. Random lists of code names were issued to users in alphabetical blocks of ten words and were selected as required. Code words became available for re-use after six months and unused allocations could be re-assigned at discretion and according to need. Judicious selection from the available allocation could result in clever meanings and result in an aptronym or backronym, although policy was to select words that had no obviously deducable connection with what they were supposed to be concealing. (Source: Wikipedia, January 29, 2007)
Canada ... (Referenced by the 'country' that Mac/Parker's room is.)
Canada is a federal constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. Comprising ten provinces and three territories, Canada is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. A technologically advanced and industrialized nation, Canada maintains a diversified economy that is heavily reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade -- particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship.
Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America. Extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, Canada shares land borders with the United States to the northwest and south.
Inhabited first by aboriginal peoples, Canada was founded as a union of British colonies (some of which were formerly French colonies). Canada gained independence from the United Kingdom in an incremental process that began in 1867 and ended in 1982; it remains a Commonwealth Realm. Its capital is Ottawa, while its largest city is Toronto.
Greenpeace ... (Referenced by Bronson in what he used to be involved in.)
Greenpeace is an international environmental organization founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1971. It is known for its campaigns to stop atmospheric and underground nuclear testing as well as to bring an end to high seas whaling. The organization has also tackled other environmental issues including bottom trawling, global warming, ancient forest destruction, nuclear power, and genetic engineering. Greenpeace has national and regional offices in forty-one countries worldwide, all of which are affiliated to the Amsterdam-based Greenpeace International. The global organization receives its income through the individual contributions of an estimated 2.8 million financial supporters, as well as from grants from charitable foundations. Greenpeace does not accept funding from governments or corporations because they are bound and determined to stick it to the man in every way possible. Rock on Greenpeace, rock on.
Greenpeace's official mission statement is:
- Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organization which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force solutions for a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace's goal is to ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity.
Sierra Club ... (Referenced by Bronson in what he used to be involved in.)
The Sierra Club is America's self-proclaimed oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. The Club (as it's known to members) was founded on May 28, 1892 in San Francisco, California by the well-known preservationist John Muir who became its first president. The Sierra Club has over seventy hundred and fifty thousand members in chapters located throughout the United States, and is affiliated with Sierra Club du Canada. Like Bronson, the goal of Sierra Club activists world-wide is to oppose and prevent humanity's tendency to -- as Mac so delicately stated -- rape the planet.
- 1) Explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of earth. (I can only assume that includes Neptune, California.)
2) Practice and promote the responsible use of the earths ecosystems and resources.
3) Educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
4) Use all lawful means to carry out these objectives. (That means absolutely NO rogue splinter cells kids. Do you hear me? Dont make me tell you twice.)
www.sierraclub.org.
JFK & Jackie O ... (Referenced during Veronica's pep talk for Mac.)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the thirty-fifth President of the United States, most known for his involvement in the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Civil Rights movement, the Space Race, and for his mid-term assassination in 1963. JFK was the youngest candidate to be elected President, and is also the only Roman Catholic to serve as President of the United States.
Kennedy was a Massachusetts native; he attended both Harvard and Stanford University and traveled extensively throughout his early life. He volunteered for the U.S. army but was rejected due to medical problems, but was able to join the U.S. Navy where he earned several war decorations for his heroism.
After deciding to enter politics, Kennedy won the 1960 election for the presidency against Richard Nixon, and went onto encourage Americans to be active citizens. He is quoted in saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," a quote you may recall Logan taking some liberties with in Plan B. He asked the nations of the world to join together to fight what he referred to as "common enemies of man: Tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself."
Kennedy and his young wife Jacqueline were extraordinarily popular due to their youth and desire to make the White House a place to celebrate American culture. They invited all kinds of guests to their home; writers, artists, scientists, musicians, athletes, and Nobel Prize winners. Jackie brought in new furniture and art to be showcased in the White House and the two young children were a big attraction for journalists. Despite their happy appearance, there were dark times as well. Rumors of extramarital affairs cropped up after John F. Kennedys assassination, and the couple lost a child (at birth) in 1963.
So, I guess I can understand why Veronica thought JFK would be a good analogy -- he was a strong leader, into doing things for the good of the planet and all that. And really, who can resist a good Jackie O joke (Apparently not the Veronica Mars writers). But still possibly philandering husband who dies in his wifes arms? Is decidedly *not* the best analogy to throw at poor Mac. Let the girl hold onto some hope of a happy ending, Veronica!
RAM Card ... (Referenced by Mac as to its condition after being pulled out of the lab's hard drive.)
Random access memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a type of data store used in computers. It takes the form of integrated circuits that allow the stored data to be accessed in any order -- that is, at random and without the physical movement of the storage medium or a physical reading head.
The word "random" refers to the fact that any piece of data can be returned quickly, and in a constant time, regardless of its physical location and whether or not it is related to the previous piece of data. This contrasts with storage mechanisms such as tapes, magnetic disks and optical disks, which rely on the physical movement of the recording medium or a reading head. In these devices, the movement takes longer than the data transfer, and the retrieval time varies depending on the physical location of the next item. (Source: Wikipedia, January 27, 2007)
Green Tea ... (Referenced in regards to what Pauline, the lab tech, drinks.)
Green tea is a "true" tea (i.e., Camellia sinensis) that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea is popular in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East. Recently it has become more widespread in the West, where traditionally black tea is consumed.
The tea is also known for its numerous health benefits. Here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
- cancer
- rheumatoid arthritis
- high cholesterol levels
- cariovascular disease
- infection
- impaired immune function
2001: A Space Odyssey ... (Referenced by Mac when asking him out on a date.)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a groundbreaking science fiction masterpiece directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Arthur C. Clarke. Released in 1968, the film touches on themes of evolution, technology, and humanity.
"My God, it's full of stars!"
The plot centers on a mysterious artifact found buried on the moon and the quest it produces. The film explores intelligence as the division between animal and human, and the question of the next natural division -- between human and artificial intelligence. In the world where technology -- a computer named HAL in particular -- is treated simply as a vehicle for the quest, it ultimately reasserts its own relevance in a very chilling way.
Technically brilliant and influential, 2001 breaks with tradition of narrative moviemaking and tells the story in provocative and intricate imagery and sound. Recognized as one of the greatest films of its time, it remains open to numerous interpretations of meaning and intent by critics and audiences alike. Kubrick, during his lifetime, was asked repeatedly to explain what happens in the movie, and he steadfastly refused to guide his audience to any specific conclusion. "You're free to speculate as you wish about the philosophical and allegorical meaning of the film -- and such speculation is one indication that it has succeeded in gripping the audience at a deep level -- but I don't want to spell out a verbal road map for 2001 that every viewer will feel obligated to pursue or else fear he's missed the point," said the director to the Playboy magazine in 1968.
The film is fairly realistic from the point of view of physics, especially in comparison to other science fiction productions of the time. A lot of detail went into making everything appear authentic, and while some of the things are clearly impossible, the overall feel is incredibly real. Considering this was the late 1960's, the technology projected and imagined in the film is very close to what we have now: Flat screen TVs, glass cockpits in spacecrafts, numerous TV stations, credit cards with data strips, voice-identification, etc.
Another notable feature is the films dialogue. For the first twenty minutes there isn't any at all -- a striking departure from the traditional movie narrative. It's supplemented instead by the visual imagery, action, and sound effects. The subsequent dialogue in most of the film is deliberately trivial and unemotional to emphasize the subtext of what isn't being said.
The ambient sound of the film is central to the narrative. Its importance is most apparent in the scene where computer HAL murders three hibernating astronauts. The murderer's inhuman nature is chillingly portrayed through the alarm sounds, background hissing of the environmental systems, no dialogue, no music, and no action at all. Besides the background sounds all we get are the three subsequent warning signs on the monitor: "Computer Malfunction," then "Life Functions Critical," and finally "Life Functions Terminated." All culminating in ominous silence. The sound effects in the movie are practically characters in their own right. Eerily contemporary, their influence on later films is unmistakable. And the influence of 2001 on the science fiction genre as a whole cannot be underestimated.
The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning one for visual effects. All in all, an unconventional choice for a first date, but nonetheless, Mac and Bronson are in for a treat.
70 mm ... (Referenced by Mac when asking him out on a date.)
70 mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge of superior quality to standard 35 mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is 65 mm wide; for projection 2.5 mm are added along each outer side of the perforations for magnetic strips holding six tracks of surround sound, although more recent 70 mm prints now use digital sound encoding; however, the vast majority of 70 mm prints predate this technology. Each frame is five perforations tall, with an aspect ratio of 2.20.
Film formats with a width of 70 mm have existed since the early days of the motion picture industry. The first 70 mm format was most likely footage of the Henley Regatta, which was projected in 1896 and 1897, but may have been filmed as early as 1894. The "Todd-AO" format, introduced in the 1950s, popularized the format for use in feature length films. Due to the costs of 70 mm film and the expensive projection system and screen required to use the stock, distribution for films using the stock was limited, although this did not always hurt profits. Often, as in the case of 2001: A Space Odyssey, 70 mm films were re-released on 35 mm film for a wider distribution after the initial debut of the film. The advent of small multi-cinema theater venues, as the norm, and availability of digital soundtrack systems for less expensive 35 mm film led to a decline in use of this expensive format in the 1990s.
70 mm also has presented a difficulty in recent years for VHS and DVD releases, as telecine machines capable of high-level scanning have only been available in limited quantities until recently. This has unfortunately sometimes meant that films were transferred to video via their 35 mm blown-down elements instead of the high-quality full-gauge intermediates; luckily, more and more DVD releases are using the original-gauge source elements.
(David) Hasselhoff ... (Referenced by the kind of music Piz won't play just to play something.)
Hey, Piz, don't knock the Hoff! His music is HUGE in Germany, Austria and Switzerland! Ahem.
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952 in Baltimore, Maryland), is an American actor, singer and songwriter who is best known for his lead roles on Knight Rider and Baywatch. (And his overly muscled physique and well-coiffed hairstyle.) Early in his career, Hasselhoff played Dr. Snapper Foster on the soap opera The Young and the Restless for six years. At about this time he posed for a series of now infamous and much sought after posters wearing only a leather jacket and black bikini briefs.
He later went on to star as Michael Knight in the Glen A. Larson-created series Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986. Three years passed before Hasselhoff returned to television on NBC's Baywatch in 1989. Although it was cancelled after only one season, he believed the series had potential, so Hasselhoff revived it for the first-run syndication market in 1991, investing his own money and additionally functioning as executive producer. His contract stipulated royalties to be paid to him from the rerun profits, which gave him the financial liberty to buy back the rights to Baywatch from NBC. In its second incarnation, Baywatch was much more successfu, running in syndication for another ten seasons (and launching the career of the pneumatic Pamela Anderson). It was also well-received internationally and has been shown in over one hundred and forty countries around the world. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Baywatch is the most watched TV show in the world, with over 1.1 billion viewers.
This success combined with his royalties and his other ventures have placed Hasselhoff's fortune at more than $100,000,000.
Hasselhoff launched his singing career with guest appearances on the children's program Kids Incorporated and also obtained permission to produce a Knight Rider episode ("Let It Be Me") which focused on his singing talents. The episode served as a springboard for his 1985 debut album Night Rocker. The debut album was released while he was still working on the show. After two moderately successful albums, he recorded "Looking for Freedom" with German producer Jack White in the summer of 1989 and released it just as the Berlin Wall came down.
It resonated with the newly unified nation and he performed it atop the Wall as the people tore it down. In Germany, his song became an anthem of sorts at the time, and the album went gold and triple platinum, topping the charts for three months whilst the single managed a mere eight weeks. He was later announced as the best selling artist of 1989 in Germany even prompting the newspaper headline "Hasselhoff: Not since the Beatles." Since then, another six of his albums have gone platinum in Europe.
Yes, you read that correctly. So, Piz, could millions of Europeans be so wrong? Maybe the Hoff is, after all, "something good."
Neko Case ... (Referenced by the kind of music Piz wants to play.)
Neko Case is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Tacoma, Washington. Primarily a solo artist, Case is also a member of The New Pornographers and has collaborated with a number of Canadian artists, including The Sadies, Carolyn Mark, and Maow.
Case's musical career began in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she lived from 1994 to 1998. She played with a variety of local punk bands and recorded her first country album, and soon began touring under the name Neko Case & Her Boyfriends before switching to her own name. Her first album, The Virginian, released in 1997, featured both original songs and covers. Critics compared her sound on the album to honky-tonk greats like Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. In 2000, she released her second solo album, Furnace Room Lullaby, which introduced what are considered the "country noir" or "alternative country" elements of her music, which continued in her third full-length album, Blacklisted (released in 2002).
Case released a live album, The Tigers Have Spoken, in 2004, which was followed by her 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Hailed by critics for both Case's trademark vocals and the use of imagery and unusual song structures, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood landed on many "Best of 2006" lists. One track from this album, "Hold On, Hold On," was used in Wichita Linebacker as the song Veronica was listening to in her room while moping in the dark over her fight with Logan.
Case has also released three albums with The New Pornographers (Mass Romantic, Electric Version, and Twin Cinema). Her lead vocals on their first album were a change from her solo work, dropping the country elements and instead delivering a more straightforward power-pop performance.
Molotov Cocktail ... (Referenced by Keith about his "attempt" to blow up the car.)
The Molotov cocktail got it name from Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, a Soviet politician, who was the Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union before and during World War II. A crude incendiary weapon, it is also known as the petrol bomb, benzene torch, Molotov grenade or Molotov bomb, and generally consists of a glass bottle partially filled with a flammable liquid -- most often gasoline. When gasoline is used as the main ingredient, it is common to mix in motor oil or sugar, to help the gasoline stick to the target. A gas soaked rag is stuffed into the neck of the bottle, the bottle corked, the rag is then lit and the bottle is thrown at a target.
Commonly associated with rioters and guerilla forces, the cocktails are more often used for basic arson, and are referred to as a "homemade frag" or "the poor man's hand grenade" in urban slang. It was during the build-up to WWII that the cocktails were first put to use. During the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland, the Finnish Army borrowed an improvised incendiary device design from the Spanish Civil War. In radio broadcasts, Molotov claimed that the Soviet's were not dropping bombs, but were delivering food to the starving Finns. The Finns began to call the air bombs "Molotov picnic baskets" and soon responded by attacking advancing Soviet tanks with "Molotov cocktails."
In the beginning the term was used only to describe the burning mixture itself, but soon came to include the combination of both the bottle and its contents. Eventually, Molotov cocktails were mass produced during the war by the Alko corporation at its Rajamki distillery, and were packaged with matches to light them. Production during the war totaled four hundred and fifty thousand and was originally a mixture of ethanol, tar, and gasoline in a seventy hundred and fifty milliliter bottle. A Bengal fire stick (which was found to be safer to use than a burning rag) was attached to the side and before use was lit; when the bottle broke on impact, the mixture was ignited. Kiddies: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.
Long, Long Time ... (Referenced by the song playing which Landry points out when outing Keith.)
Recorded by Linda Ronstadt, the 1970 song "Long, Long Time," was her first hit record as a solo artist and marked her first foray into Country-style ballads. The song, written by Gary B. White, was released, her back-up band included Don Henley and Glenn Frey, who would later form The Eagles. The instrumental (strings, harpsichord, etc.), the insightful lyrics, the lush arrangement, and Ronstadt's flawless vocals all combine to make this ballad as close to pop-perfection as possible. Linda has long been a favorite of mine (thanks to my mother!) and if you've never had the opportunity to listen to any of her music I suggest you do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of her greatest hits album. You won't regret it.
The lyrics:
- Love will abide, take things in stride
Sounds like good advice but there's no one at my side
And time washes clean love's wounds unseen
That's what someone told me but I don't know what it means.
Cause I've done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think I'm gonna love you for a long long time
Caught in my fears
Blinking back the tears
I can't say you hurt me when you never let me near
And I never drew one response from you
All the while you fell all over girls you never knew
Cause I've done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think it's gonna hurt me for a long long time
Wait for the day
You'll go away
Knowing that you warned me of the price I'd have to pay
And life's full of flaws
Who knows the cause?
Living in the memory of a love that never was
Cause I've done everything I know to try and change your mind
and I think I'm gonna miss you for a long long time
Cause I've done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think I'm gonna love you for a long long time.
- The return of my second-favorite love affair on this show: Logan/Apples. But I think it may be soon overtaken by my love of Logan/Gum. Hmmm ...
- Parker should be best friends with their RA. Perky Princess, meet your new Queen.
- The way Veronica wiggles and raises her eyebrows at Mac when Bronson introduces himself (while clearly staring at Mac) as the chapter President of P.H.A.T. at Hearst.
- Although the meeting flyer said the P.H.A.T. orientation would start at 8:00, the clock over Bronsons head during his presentation clearly reads 7:00.
- There's a cartoon (Sam and Ralph) playing in the background of the first Logan/Dick scene. Oh, so Dick.
- Clearly Dick and Logan were having a drinking date before Dick woke up and put on one of Logan's robes (and the slashers go wild! Back off Dick, he'd swing to Weevil if he went that way!). Note the three empty beer cans behind Dick as he takes a photo of his ... similarly named man parts.
- All hail the comic timing between Jason Dohring and Ryan Hansen in that Dick/Logan dialogue. I especially liked the "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" exchange: Dick's encouraging smile, Logan's dry look, Dick's discouraged "really, think about it" push, and Logan's dissection of the empty platitude (he's much better at finding his own quotes of the day, thank you very much!).
- "Lick or stuff?" Now there's a memorable opening line ...
- The way Gil puts his hand up after the opposition says if they want to see her nipples, ask. The fact the gesture was dorky and tentative made it amusing.
- Mac looked really pretty in this episode.
- Piz did not look impressed by the sting at the end of his interview with Ed Argent. Probably not good for his career but something he should get used to if he wants to -- but we best be silent here.
- That 'No Fur' prank was awesome, completely puts the bong incident to shame. Veronica needs to bring her pranking skills up to the new par.
- The look of what the fuck?! that Veronica gives Mac when she tells Bronson she doesnt want to go grab a bite to eat with the gang because shes had some mints.
- Veronica's almost-vomitting grimace as she says 'mingle.' Hee!
- Surfing! Again! They have actual waves in this one but they don't go in the water (alas, we can't get both together). We waited so long and now we have two surfing scenes in one season! Woohoo!
- Clearly Parker is the match-making version of Veronica: Obsessed, determined, sneaky and slightly manipulative in achieving her dating goals (re: stealing Bronson's ID because she knew Mac woud stuff it up). At least it worked out well for Mac.
- If Logan wants some sympathy about Veronica he probably shouldn't hang out with the two guys who hate her on the show at the moment. Just a thought.
- Jason's delivery of 'apparently we're in to the cheap stuff!' I've missed cheeky, snarky Logan. It was nice to see him for a second.
- Mac's slow, can't-hold-the-relief-back smile after Parker got Bronson to say that Amy was his sister. *giggles*
- And in yet another Finally! for the season: Logan was exploited for his name, seen as 'attractive' because of his father and basically seen though. Ouch. And about time we saw that.
- The way Gil forlornly squeezes the banana after Veronica hands it to him.
- The monkey leaning on Gil's head and licking his hands as Veronica discusses Gil's porn. That whole shot had me giggling so much.
- Mac's messy hair when she goes to see Bronson. It looks like she's been pacing for ages, considering her options, and messing up her hair in frustration. Nice touch.
- As Piz waves at Veronica from the radio booth, there's a poster by the glass that reads: "Mr Stag." Considering what happens in the next scene, that's pretty funny.
- Loved Keith's first showdown with another criminal mind that is a legitimate threat to his own ability to crack the case. Nope, Landry is not Lamb. And he doesn't underestimate Keith and it's funny that Keith underestimated him: The formally educated forensic psychologist teaching criminology to his daughter. Can't wait for their next meeting.
- Veronica looks tired (sated?) the next morning after she visits Logan. hee
- Considering Veronica said in her voiceover that Logan is not a breakfast (or even an early lunch) person, they have breakfast together pretty soon afterwards.
- Obviously, there was much more signage of Dick's tendencies in this episode, but the fact that Logan responded to Dick's request to show him his "man parts" with merely a quirk of his eyebrow and a smirk? And that he seemed like he kinda might be familiar with the image of Dick's "man parts?" Yeah, it's lean ... but eh, it's Logan. It'll do.
- Surfer skank gave Logan a blow-job. Whether shown or not, it was pretty obvious and thus pretty surprising on network television.
- Where art thou, Wallace?
- What happened with Logan's arrest? Did he inflict much damage on Mercer? Was he charged with anything? Does Veronica know? Will we ever hear about it, or, in sad but true VM fashion, is this going to be completely dropped to never be alluded to again?
- Is there a new Dean?
- Does Veronica actually still work for Keith? Because she said in Wichita Linebacker that Keith needed help now that she was in college (and working at the library) and now, once again, she's commented on the fact Keith should hire someone to do his filing?
- Since Veronica brought up Keith hiring someone again ... would he ever reconsider hiring Weevil? Weevil has a personal stake in this case since he respected the Dean and all.
- When Mrs. O'Dell walked into the office she called Keith "Mr. Mars," in the very next scene after she told him her story, she called him "Keith." What did we miss where she gained the familiarity?
- So, if the Dean's supposed "suicide" note was in fact the replica of Veronica's in her "perfect murder" paper, does that mean that someone stole her paper? Did they use it because it really was a blueprint for a perfect murder, or because it was the easiest way to implicate professor Landry? Or, was it a complete coincidence and Veronica is on one of her usual "it's all about me" trails?
- I know the sheriff is incompetent, but come on! "Goodbye, cruel world?" Wouldn't he at least weigh in other possibilities, like foul play? The man wasn't depressive, he wasn't terribly emotional, and he had no history of suicidal tendencies. What he did have was a lot of enemies.
- Since when did Mac mesh with her meatloving family? Wasn't the fact she was a vegan one of the many reasons she felt she didn't belong with the Mackenzie's in Silence of the Lamb?
- If it was so obvious to Veronica that Bronson was crushing on Mac after only a few scenes (and he's much more toned down than Piz), HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY HAVE NOT KNOWN PIZ LIKED HER FOR SO LONG?? Yes. I think that warranted caps.
- Has Keith finally become wise in his old, loveable age and bugged something on Veronica's person for the next time she decides to chase the big, bad rapist on her own? Like a bug on the back of Lilly's necklace? Or her huge purse? Her phone was turned off after all ... how did he track her down?
- So is Dick living with Logan or just stays over every now and then? The first scene with them was clearly morning, with both lounging about in sleepwear ... and yes, that means, I assume Dick sleeps in the nude.
- So ... does Logan make his own bed now? He comes out of his room looking sleepy, goes out on the balcony, and when they go back into the lounge and *gasp* the bed is perfectly made. Crappy attention to detail or has Logan gone domestic on us in his misery?
- How many times did Dick throw pictures of his privates off the presidential suite balcony before the manager figured out who it was? (I sort of understand why Logan didn't find it funny any more if it's been happening for a while)
- What happened to Veronica being 'uncomfortable' setting people up? She seemed perfectly excited to do it in this episode.
- Is Parker really over Piz, or just tired of waiting and wants to move on?
- Veronica waits outside the gymnasium to talk to Piz after class; the only other reference to his sporty side was the lacrosse stick he was carrying in Welcome Wagon. Is he at Hearst on a sports scholarship too? What is this kid studying?
- Did Ed Argent stop by the Theta Beta house for some hanky panky with his favorite sorority sisters later on? So much for Veronica feeling sorry for their den mother's terminal cancer!
- Did Dick set up a "date" with the three surf chicks or was it just a coincidence that three surf chicks were available when three guys went surfing together?
- Speaking of threes ... is that the standard Neptune number for social events? Parker/Mac/Veronica ... Logan/Dick/Chip ... Random surfer chick tripod. Does everyone in this town go marching three by three?
- What did Bronson do with the rats?
- Since when is Professor Landry so clued in to who the Mars family are? Didn't he have to ask Veronica who she was (if he followed the Echolls case enough to read the book he'd know what she looked like)? But he knows Keith by sight? Did he know more about Veronica then he let on when they first met and he 'took her under his wing'?
- Does Veronica know the difference between "Something Good" and "Just Something"? She says 'I think so' and it seems she knows so when she goes running right to Logan ... but could this be misdirection from our foreshadowing friends in the writer's room because she's not seeing clearly through her feelings for Logan? God, I hope not.
- The episode commenced with a reference to how bad Keith is at filing when Veronica isn't working that often. In season two, when Keith had barred Veronica from working at Mars Investigations, his office went crazy-disorganized until he finally relented and let her resume office duties.
- Keith asks Mindy if she's lying about her alibi for the night her husband was murdered. Aside from the fact he knows she's lying because he knows she's lying, there's also history to this method. In Keith's interrogation of Celeste and Jake Kane (Kanes and Abels), he asked them repeatedly where they were as their alibi was a romantic night together at a hotel. He tells Mindy straight away that she shouldn't lie about her 'meeting' (also at a hotel for adulterous purposes) because she'll be asked repeatedly and a lie that could make her look guilty. As it did the Kanes (who were also innocent of their daughter's murder).
- Taking a lesson from her past mistakes with the SAAC girls (Betty & Veronica), Veronica warns Mac to dress appropriately when infiltrating the animal-friendly P.H.A.T. meeting. The mocking of her "butch" boots and near destruction of her fake-fur jacket must have really struck a chord.
- Mac references Veronica's junior soccer days. The only other (memorable) mention of Veronica's amateur soccer days was when Veronica recalled that the first time Logan met her (and found her hot) was when she was wearing her soccer uniform in The Wrath of Con. I do wonder if Mac was joking about the red card though (you can never be sure with this show and its central character).
- Dick references Chip's unfortunate history with eggs. But apparently the only effect it had on Chip's personality was to simplify his grooming habits.
- Did that door opening scene at Bronson's house remind anyone else of when Madison opened the door in Silence of the Lamb to Mac, Veronica and Wallace?
- Yet another door scene in the Logan/Veronica relationship. Percentage-wise, I wonder how many of their Big moments have been standing at a door. You could say there's is a relationship of closing and opening doors.
- Mac asks Bronson out on a date to see 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is not the first time this movie has been referenced in dialogue with Mac. When Mac asked Veronica what her investigations were like prior to them knowing each other in M.A.D., Veronica said it was a lot like the first few minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Mac didn't find the joke funny but apparently she's a fan of the film.
- The monkey used in this episode is a well-known Hollywood monkey, named Katie, best known for her work on Friends. (See Yearbook.) However, said monkey is not very professional and is instead quite vicious. Eric Jungman (Gil Pardy) was actually quite frightened of the Capuchin.
- The mystery of this week for this episode was inspired by the knowledge that Ryan Hansen (Dick) owns a monkey. Later, this information was proven false, as it's actually Hansen's brother who does so. At one point, it was planned to have Hansen walk by in the background with a monkey on his shoulder with no explanation. Wiser heads prevailed.
- The monkey-thief was semi-revealed to viewers in a cunning way in the scene where Veronica is given the case. Mac introduces the male lab tech as Gil Thomas Pardy. Initialize his middle name as many are wont to do and you have Gil T. Pardy = guilty party. Nifty, eh?
- Ted Nugent, who was originally slated to be in the episode, couldn't be there because he was out bow hunting. The irony of this did not escape the writers. They said they were "bummed." They waned to see Kristen Bell and Ted Nugent in a scene together. But realized it was just as well, because those two may have simply killed each other. Or Ted Nugent would have started hunting the monkey (joked Robby Hull.)
- The lack of almost anything truly Canada was due to various legal issues.
duchessjms (Jayne): Social Science
genova (Cara): Extra Credit; Literature; Social Science
holly96 (Holly): Yearbook; Literature; Social Science
JaneDtwo: Social Science; Philosophy; Extra Curricular Activities
JenniferH: Report Card; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Social Sciences; Homeroom; Pep Squad Practice; Detention; Philosophy; Extra Curricular Activities
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
PolarTruckin (Belinda): Literature; Social Science; Homeroom; Philosophy; Principles of Democracy
samwg (Shannon): Literature; Principles of Democracy
SeluciaV (Alli): Journalism; Study Hall; Literature; Social Science; Homeroom
