Episode #03.07: Of Vice and Men
Original Air Date: November 14, 2006
Written by: Phil Klemmer
Directed by: Harry Winer
Report Card (Capsule Episode Review)
Yearbook (Recurring & Guest Stars/Character Statistics)
Drama Club (Performances: Highlights and Lowlights)
Chemistry (The Analysis of LoVe Scenes)
Journalism (The Mystery of the Week)
Study Hall (Miscellaneous Plot Details)
Extra Credit (Clues to the Season Mystery Arcs)
History (Flashbacks) (None)
Band Class (The Music of Veronica Mars)
Literature (LoVe Lines/In Memory/Quotable Quotes)
Social Science (In Reference To ... Pop Culture & The World)
Homeroom (On Second Viewing, Get a Clue)
Pep Squad Practice (Ambiguously (Or Not) Gay Logan Moments) (None)
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: B-
Membership Median Grade: B
The last ten minutes of this episode will have quite a few hearts racing and the overall tenor of the show definitely emotionally involves viewers, even those who are damn-near detached at this point. In addition, there is some magnificent acting from our two main fellas (Jason Dohring and Enrico Colantoni, see Drama Club) as well as from some recurring players. However, the mystery of the week is not compelling for many, and most disappointing of all is Veronica's ridiculously hypocritical and judgmental attitude towards every male she shares screentime with -- but for the perfect Piz.
The bottom line is that while this one *does* have some positives, it is difficult to think fondly of an episode of Veronica Mars when it makes so many viewers really dislike Veronica Mars. Sigh.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Percy Daggs III - Wallace Fennel
Ryan Hansen - Dick Casablancas
Julie Gonzalo - Parker Lee
Tina Majorino - Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
Francis Capra - Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Ryan Devlin - Mercer Hayes
- President Evil
- Hi, Infidelity
Patrick Fabian - Professor Hank Landry
- Welcome Wagon
- Hi, Infidelity
Ken Marino - Vinnie Van Lowe
- Season One Appearances
- Season Two Appearances
- Welcome Wagon
Andrew McClain - Moe Slater
- Welcome Wagon
- My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
Angelo Middione - Deputy Barker
- President Evil
Rod Rowland - Liam Fitzpatrick
- Season Two Appearances
- My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
Laura San Giacomo - Harmony Chase
- Charlie Don't Surf
- Hi, Infidelity
Tayler Sheridan - Danny Boyd
- Season Two Appearances
Guest Stars
Sandy McCoy - Scarlett Reyes
Amanda Walsh - Meryl
Charlie Weber - Glen
Who's Who in Neptune
Scarlett Reyes - Classmate of Sully, Meryl's boyfriend. Apparently had plans to meet him at the food court.
Meryl - Girlfriend of Sully, Wallace's and Piz's neighbor. Flew into town to visit home, only to find him missing.
Glen - Sully's roommate.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Charlie Weber (Glen) - Charlie is best known for appearing in fourteen episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Ben Wilkinson. Ben was the alter-ego, a goddess from a hell dimension. Weber also played Jay in five episodes of Everwood.
Though they were painted in various shades of greyish vice, the men of Veronica Mars gave standout performances in Of Vice and Men. From 'walking on the wild side' Keith, to sometimes shiny knight/sometimes irresponsible teen Logan, to the forever swarmy but suddenly heroic Vinnie -- the men commanded center stage this week.
Highlights
Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) - Jason Dohring has had a difficult role to portray this season. Logan has often seemed subdued, brooding and quiet. The sharp contrast between the snarky, flamboyant Logan of season's past has led many to wonder if his acting was lacking. The short and sweet answer -- not one bit. Dohring has been superb in delivering a subtle, layered performance this year that is permeated with sadness and inner angst. In Of Vice and Men, Dohring again delivers a bravura performance. I sometimes struggle to find new ways of describing Dohring's acting. The adjectives seem too similar and the phrases redundant. So I broke down his performance this week and focused on the crucial elements. His voice, thickened and heavy with unshed tears. His body, drooping in defeat as Veronica rides off on her high horse. His eyes, acknowledging Piz's comments, accepting the pain and moving on. His hands, trembling with fear and loving as they caress Veronica. Dohring takes every tool an actor has -- face, voice, body -- and molds it into his character. There really is nothing left to say but bravo, another terrific job.
Enrico Colantoni (Keith Mars) - Keith has always been the shining white knight for Veronica. Layering his performance with humor and warmth, Colantoni has managed to portray a realistic, loving father in a medium filled with cliched performances. This episode was full of many lovely moments by him. Of special note is his tear-filled refusal to accompany Harmony on a get-away weekend. Sniff. Heartbreak, pain and continued longing were etched on his face. Magnificent.
Ken Marino (Vinnie Van Lowe) - Ken Marino is a breath of fresh air. The one thing Veronica Mars has always done perfectly is create charismatic, regular guest stars that own every minute of air time they receive. Marino is a perfect example. Never faltering from his role as a slimey P.I., he nonetheless manages to give Vinnie amusing and often surprising layers. Here, Vinnie is not only heroic but fatherly as he advises Veronica to avoid the River Styxx. Every nuance, every minute of body language is perfectly crafted in creating Vinnie Van Lowe.
Lowlights
The Casting Department - Unfortunately, the remainder of the cast faltered in their portrayals this week, offering some ambiguous moments and one note performances that served to hinder the overall excellence of the episode. This special Lowlight is the unfortunate tendency of the casting department to cast marginal actors and actresses in the mystery of the week leading to a loss of pace and momentum.
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - For the first time -- and hopefully the last, Bell finds her name on this, the low end of the performance light. Admittedly, the script portraying a hypocritical and judgmental Veronica didn't help, but Bell chose to play most of the episode with one note: A cold, unbending one. This was an episode that needed Bell on all cylinders to make viewers care for Veronica even when her words and actions were hard to swallow. She didn't deliver.
Chris Lowell (Piz) - In his fourth outing, Lowell has yet to make a substantial showing and consequently, viewers aren't buying the fun, charming guy that Piz is supposed to be. If this was the episode that was supposed to finally convince us of the "magic" between he and Veronica, and what a great guy he is, well, he failed miserably.
I'd like to begin this with a warning ... if you did not find anything (or much) wrong with Veronica's attitude and/or treatment of Logan in this episode, don't read this and just skip straight ahead to the Journalism section. I did find much wrong and try as I might I couldn't not rake her over the coals. To be honest, I didn't want to write this analysis .. it was too painful to think too deeply about. I want to love Veronica and I've loved most of what we've gotten in regards to LoVe this season. This episode pretty much ripped that all to shreds for me. Damn you, Rob! {Sigh} Just a warning. (There is also profanity.)
Scene One: Have a Little Faith
I don't understand Veronica. I truly don't. I get that she is upset that he's not telling her something, but to avoid him? To stay with another guy (platonic or not) and then to taunt him with her secretive whereabouts? To suggest that it's completely unfathomable to just trust that he doesn't want to tell her because he knows pain will come of it? What is wrong with her? He's her boyfriend and yet she treats him like he's a terrible person. How dare he not tell her every single facet of his life? Because she does for him? Does anyone honestly think that she told him that she bugged his car? Of course not. Why wouldn't she tell him? Perhaps because it was a stupid, stupid, paranoid thing to do and his knowing about it would only upset him and cause a rift between them. Why is it okay for her keep things from him? Why is it okay for her to ignore him for days? Why is it okay for her sleep in a room with a guy in her sleeping apparel, but she's completely justified in being upset with him for not telling her something that really has no consequence for them and will only cause her upset.
Stepping away from this scene for a bit -- but I will come back to why it relates -- I want to expound on the whole sleepover. Regardless of the type of sleepwear she wore -- it was sleepwear. There is an implied intimacy in wearing the things you sleep in and that is why a person doesn't walk around in sleepwear in front of non-family or people they're not sleeping with! It sends a message. Period. Furthermore, Veronica has a boyfriend and when putting the two together it can very much be read that Veronica was sending that message to Piz (unintentionally or not) that while she may have a boyfriend, they are not 100% solid and the possibility of a hook-up with someone else is not out of the question.
Piz is barely a friend and, yet, she's spending the weekend with him? Because that's what she did. Some viewers may buy that she's oblivious to his crush and instead believe that Veronica Mars is suddenly THAT stupid, however, it still doesn't fly. A single girl (especially one with a boyfriend) does NOT spend the weekend with an unattached guy. It just isn't done unless you are sending the above message. And that is what was so wrong with the Piz/Veronica scenes. Everything Veronica did in that scenario once Piz showed up was something that you just don't do unless you are sending signals.
And this relates to this confrontation between Veronica and Logan because it illustrates how completely wrong Veronica is. She is giving Logan a hard time, ignoring him, taunting him, judging him and ... all the while she is essentially living with another guy. I don't care that Meryl showed up -- Meryl wasn't expected to show up. Veronica made the decision to stay alone with an unattached guy who has a crush on her ... stay in the same room with him, walk around in her sleepwear in front him (product placement bedamned, it's the fucking principle of the matter!), and just hang with him. There are simply no words. I truly cannot fathom how anyone can justify what Veronica did as anything other than being a really, *really* terrible girlfriend.
Here's Logan -- who at this point, has done nothing wrong other than not wanting to share an incident in his past (that does not have ANYTHING to do with her) in order to spare her some pain -- waiting outside her class for her, trying to talk, to discuss, to make things right and she's giving him attitude because he dared to not tell her something that he was clearly very uncomfortable telling her. Forget love, forget trust ... what about respect? If Veronica chose not to tell Logan something and he threw a hissy-fit in her face, ignored her for a few days, and spent the weekend with a girl, Veronica would be all over his ass for daring to judge her, for not trusting her, for cheating on her, for not understanding. But Logan does it and he's evil incarnate. What the fuck, Veronica?! I've had issues with her character in regards to Logan before, but this takes the cake. And honestly, as annoyed as I've been in the past, I've been able to pull some kernel, some semblance of logic to explain WHY she's acting the way she is. This time? Nuh uh, she's just being a judgmental, hypocritical bitch and to that I say fuck you, Rob Thomas and fuck you, Phil Klemmer.
Scene Two: He Doesn't Trust Her ... and With Damn Good Reason
Before I get into the negativity, I did want to take a moment to appreciate Logan sleeping. Aww. Too bad Veronica couldn't do the same. Would it have killed them to give us a second or two of Veronica watching him, realizing that she was going to hurt him, and savoring the beauty of him so peaceful before she went in for the kill? Obviously not. {Sigh}
So, we know Mercer's alibi -- and it IS horrific ... in terms of MERCER! Not Logan. No, I'm not saying that there was nothing wrong with what Logan did. Of course not. He didn't stick around to make sure that everyone in the burning hotel was safe. What Logan did was bad, really bad. However, there WERE *truly* extenuating circumstances. He was wasted, very wasted and when the fire started, probably in the stages of a not-so-pleasant hangover, as well as being woken up from sleep -- an alcohol (and possibly) drug-induced sleep. Obviously, it's not an excuse, but it makes his actions more understandable and I think had Veronica not made it so clear that she judges every little thing he does, he would have told her. And here's where I once again requote what I wrote in the President Evil analysis because this scene absolutely proved the truth of it.
So, yes, it was pretty bad what Logan did, but let's look at those extenuating circumstances. This took place over the summer when he was still reeling from all of the events that had happened a few months before, totally wasted and/or hung-over and so he reacted poorly -- this 18 year old boy, again, he's an 18 YEAR OLD BOY! who has never had any moral guidance -- to a situation that would leave many healthy adults flummoxed. Of course, he doesn't want to tell his judgmental, paranoid girlfriend. He wants her to love him and hell, look at him the way she did Duncan or, how about even Wallace? After all, he was in a similar situation (as someone pointed out on another board). Logan taking off after the fire was awful, but it was not that much different than Wallace being in the car with a hit and run driver and taking off. What is different is the circumstances. Wallace was in the United States, sober and not just woken up. Logan, on the other hand, was drunk and/or hung-over, in a foreign country with scary jails -- where he would likely still be had he not run. Oh, and he's her boyfriend and has been there for her more times than anyone on the planet (except for Keith). Veronica's reaction to Wallace? Supportive. She frowned and then offered comfort and support to him -- Wallace, who KNEW that someone was hurt and still took off. Is it too much to ask she do the same for her boyfriend? Offer support, understanding, even while expressing her disappointment with what he did? I don't think so. Obviously, Veronica does.
Logan wants her to trust him, believe him and have faith in him, but he knows that it isn't the case. He knows that if he screws up (big or small -- and, yes, this was big), he has to start all over again, back at square one because she judges him on a standard that she holds to absolutely no one else. Of course, he doesn't want to tell her. He loves her and doesn't want to lose her.
Scene Three: Bonding in the Doghouse
I'm including the Keith/Logan phone call here because it showed a wonderful symmetry (albeit not such a happy one) between the two main men in Veronica's life. It was also nice seeing that just as Keith can (and did) call Logan to find Veronica, Logan feels comfortable enough in his relationship with "Mr. Mars" now to do the same. And that's lovely.
Scene Four: Piz Be Gone ... Now!
I was actually willing to give Piz a chance and while I've been annoyed with him prior to this episode, I didn't actively dislike the character. Well, his final scene here actually shot him right past dislike and into burning, no-going-back hatred. Seriously. After that oh so obvious smug cheering going on in the inside while facing Logan in the doorway? He is dead to me. His character could do nothing now that could endear me towards him. Nothing. He is dead to me. I've read some justification that of course the reason he did so was because he likes Veronica so of course he is going to give her boyfriend the impression that something could have happened. My response: So? That just confirms what a complete sleazy scumbag he is. Just because he had a reason -- to speed on the break-up of a relationship because he has the hots for a girl he barely knows -- doesn't justify squat.
And an interesting note: He wasn't hyper; he wasn't stumbling, he wasn't acting like Piz normally does. He was cool and calm with a streak of smugness there. And since he has no desire to make Logan like him (unlike Wallace and Veronica -- for presumably different reasons), that makes it seem like this is the real guy when he's not putting on an act. So is THIS who the guy really is when he isn't trying to impress someone? (Think of it, we've only seen him in scenes with Veronica, Wallace and Trish ... all people he wanted to like him.) I honestly do not understand how anyone could watch that scene and not see Piz in the worst light possible. And it certainly didn't help that Jason Dohring delivered so much of Logan's pain with his body language, facial expression and vocal intonations. Woobie Logan. Death to Piz!
Ugh, hate!
Scene Five: Logan ... My Hero!
Ignoring the clich and the contrivance, I guess we can rejoice in that we can once more bring out the "Logan ... my hero!" placard.
Hmm, maybe this time it will actually stick for Veronica? I doubt it. Why? Because nothing sticks with Veronica. It doesn't matter what anybody does, once Veronica makes up her mind about them, her opinion doesn't change. She may be dating Logan -- hell, she's sleeping with him -- but it doesn't change the fact that she doesn't trust him and he's always, *always* guilty until proven innocent. Just like Duncan's actions didn't change her opinion of him and Keith's actions won't (Thank GOD! In this case) change her opinion of him come the next episode.
Yes, I'm glad he rescued her and Dohring, again, did a wonderful job, this time showing Logan's fear and horror over the situation Veronica found herself in. But I just can't squee or get excited about it because it won't matter in the light of day. Logan is still the guy she doesn't trust. Sigh. Okay, so she doesn't trust him, but does she love him? I do think she does. The thing is that I think she loves him despite herself; she doesn't want to love him.
Which brings us to this whole, obviously inevitable Veronica/Piz hook-up. She wants to be with Logan, but she DOESN'T want to want to be with him, so she is checking out an alternative. (Yes, I do clearly see that Veronica IS interested (whether she admits it or not) because there's no other way to read the things many saw last week on top of what happened this week as anything other than Veronica testing the waters without even realizing she's doing so ... because she is doing so.) And I think that's what we got the summer before last too. She wanted to be with Logan, but she checked out as soon as possible because she had an alternative waiting and she is completely convinced that the good, "safe" alternative is what she really wants. I do believe that Rob Thomas feels that because Veronica DOES want to be with Logan (even if she doesn't want to want it) he's saying that "see, she does love Logan? She can't help it!" She may be thinking about being with Piz because he's the kind of guy she's convinced she should be with, but she can't stay away from Logan. I suppose that's supposed to make her interest in Piz okay and acceptable to the LoVe fanbase. Hah!
Bottom-line, yes, I do believe she loves him. However, I also believe that she is diligently keeping a part of her heart in reserve and grabs and holds onto every naughty thing (actual *and* potential) that Logan does as justification for when she manages to break away the next time from the love she feels for him. Veronica loves Logan, but she doesn't want to and as long as that is the story that Rob Thomas is telling (and Kristen Bell is acting out), we're in the doghouse alongside Logan.
Scene Six: Lessons Learned ... Yeah Right!
This final scene alternately thrilled and pissed me off. First the thrill: Logan AND Keith taking care of Veronica together. Woohoo!! Keith has clearly accepted Logan completely in Veronica's life -- unlike Veronica, he's not cutting him out at all. It really was so wonderful to behold. In addition, there was totally the squee moment of Logan not only sleeping at one end of the couch with Veronica stretched out, but also her feet were all blanket-wrapped and tucked under his crossed arms. Aww and Squee!!!!!!!!! That shot there was literally my favorite of the episode. Sigh. And before we get into the dissection of why I was upset with Veronica's voiceover, I do want to say that I did love that she put Logan and Keith (Logan and Keith!) in the same category as the people she loved, who loved her and were always there for her.
Which brings us to another round of what the fuck, Veronica?!?!
Gah! What a difference one person makes. Wichita Linebacker was directed by Harry Winer and written by Phil Klemmer and John Enbom. Winer and Klemmer returned to direct and write (alone), respectively, this keeper. Oh, Enbom, you were missed ... you were very, very much missed.
While Veronica broods in her sanctuary about every male in her life letting her down (except Wallace and Piz ... but everyone knows they dont count, pfft), another girl is curled up outside a boys locked dorm. She's sitting next to her backpack, looking about anxiously and searching for someone amongst the crowd. Wallace's R.A., Moe, is walking down the hall when he remembers that that room doesn't normally have a human doorstop. Kneeling down beside her, Moe asks if he can help. She explains that this is her boyfriend's room and he's supposed to be there but ... Moe immediately senses something is wrong and pulls out the never-fail, perk-up solution that he offers to everyone with a problem on his floor: "Could I get you some tea while you wait?" If you just ignore the manic, too-much-tea-makes-Moe-a-strange-boy glint in his eyes, its quite a nice gesture.
Meanwhile, it hasn't occurred to Veronica that putting on a free show for Piz in her pajamas at this time of day ... isn't exactly wise. She's lying down on her stomach, naked legs folded up in the air while she looks at her laptop, oblivious to the boy watching from her peripheral vision. Piz is quite blatantly enjoying the view and doing his best to suppress the urge to transform into the Wolf in Red Hot Riding Hood: Howling whistles, eyes bugging out, panting, banging his head with a hammer ... you know what I'm saying. Although it would be funny if she threw a lamp at his head screaming "NOOO!!" like Red does in the cartoon or if he shot himself rather than look at her? Even better! But I digress ...
There's a rhythmic knock at the door, interrupting Piz's perv-fest and he gets up to open it. Moe is standing at the door with the stranded girl (tea-cup in hand). Piz asks him "what's up?" but Moe is distracted by the sight of Veronica: Newly showered, legs mostly naked, lying on Wallace's bed. Veronica senses the appraisal and stiffens claiming that this isn't what it looks like ... not that she thought of putting on pants while it was just Piz there. But Moe isn't one to judge (especially when he gets such a nice view of indiscretions), he's just here wondering if Piz has seen his next door neighbor recently. Piz asks if he's talking about Sully or Glen, Moe says they're looking for the former and the girl with the tea is Sully's girlfriend, Meryl.
Moe makes a point of asking Meryl if her boyfriend knew she was coming. Of course, he did, she flew all the way from Sacramento and her boyfriend said he'd pick her up from the airport. Meryl is really worried about him because it's not like him to flake on his duties and shes positive something terrible has happened. Her big weepy eyes look at Piz screaming I'm-A-Damsel-In-Distress-Save-Me! Unfortunately, Piz is no Knight in Shining Armor, though he does turn his head, along with Moe, to look for the next best thing: Veronica Mars. "Fine ... I'll see what I can do."
Moe uses his R.A. keys -- he has access to all dorm rooms 00 to let Veronica into Sully's room. One thing is certain: If the ratio of pornographic posters to wall space is any indication, the boys in this room haven't been laid for a long time. But, as Veronica says, at least they know he's straight. And let's face it ... the Pep Squad Practice section in our breakdowns is there for a reason, Veronica doesn't have that kind of proof of Logan's raging heterosexuality. Meryl somehow knows straight away that the posters aren't Sully's; they must be his room mates (What about the Bond girl closet behind her??). Veronica, Piz, Meryl and Moe fan out and start looking through Sully's stuff for clues. Piz goes straight for the toiletries and notices that his razor and toothbrush are accounted for ... but Sully does have a roommate so how would Piz know whose toothbrush that was? Veronica doesn't really pay much attention to his idea. Moe finds beer in the fridge but that isn't really helpful with his location either unless hes passed out in an alley somewhere.
Veronica, on the other hand, opens Sully's freshman face book and finds a beautiful girl circled in red ink: Scarlett Reyes. Veronica asks if Meryl knows her; when she replies "no," Veronica smiles with sardonic amusement. Case closed, Sully is like every male she hates this week. When she asks Meryl for possible reasons why Sully would circle some hottie in the freshman faces book, Meryl immediately dismisses the idea that Sully was responsible because his circles are more "perfect." When Veronica frowns (wondering if she was ever this blind), Meryl explains that he's had a heap of drafting classes.
Meryl is grateful for all their help but decides it would be better if she just waited for him in his room. Still skeptical, Veronica says shes going to class but she'll check back in with her later (fully expecting that Meryl will be waiting for a long time). Before she leaves, she picks up the trash next to the desk (while Piz mocks her 'finishing school' class) and finds a credit card receipt. She takes it to see if Sully is out spending money and then charges out of the room while Meryl does a great impression of Duncan's patented 'Constipated-or-Just-Confused?' expression.
Later, after an upsetting run in with her own 'disappointing' boyfriend, Veronica returns to Sully's room. Meryl opens the door with a big grin, only to falter when she sees it's only Veronica. Obviously she hasn't heard anything about his whereabouts. Meryl tells Veronica that she wants to go to the police. Veronica says it's not a good idea because forty-eight hours haven't passed yet, and if she went to the local Sheriff with a story about a freshman boy going 'mysteriously missing' when his high school girlfriend visited, Lamb would laugh them out of the station. Veronica says he'd laugh because Lamb is a moron but in this instance she seems to agree with him. After all, like Veronica said in Welcome Wagon, high school relationships don't last in college; the distance would only make it worse and she can't believe Meryl is being so nave about this.
Veronica tells Meryl that his card hasn't been active and wants to know if Meryl knows his cell phone pin number. Wow ... they must be really close if she has that information off the top of her head, but apparently, she does. They listen to Sully's voicemails together on speakerphone. First message: Meryl saying she's at the gate, where is he? Second message: Meryl saying she's at baggage handling where is he? Third message: Scarlett, asking if they're still meeting at the food court at eight tomorrow night -- he let his girlfriend know, right? Veronica stops the message with a serious look but Meryl just seems more perplexed. 'Weirrrd ... what do you make of that?' Veronica gives Meryl a trademark super sleuth stare: Where-is-your-mind? (#567 TM Veronica Mars). I mean ... is she for real? Veronica thought this kind of nave innocence only existed in tales by the Brothers Grimm. How exactly do you warn someone about their delusions when they're happy bouncing from cloud to cloud like they have no idea the big fluffy grey one will electrocute them?
Veronica stops by again later that day. Still no progress. Meryl is starting to look panicked; she called all the hospitals and Sully's professors but nobody has seen him. I believe you can find this next phase of irrational rationalization in: Denial, It Ain't Just A River in Egypt. Meryl launches into a new theory about Sully working with lasers in his physics class: He could have discovered some new laser canon that could assassinate people from space and now he's running from sinister forces! Oh boy, Veronica looks really concerned because Meryl seems only one hyperventilation session away from declaring 'Dr. Evil kidnapped him for his laser' and it's all downhill from there. Next thing you know Scotty has beamed him up because Sully is the only person who can save the Enterprise from the Klingon Empire! She decides to add a little clarity to Meryl's world vision by telling her about the theory that's never failed Veronica (well, not much anyway): It's called Occam's Razor and it's not a space laser. It's a theory that we should embrace the least complicated explanation for any phenomenon. This is the gentle way of saying, Meryl, sweetie, darling, sugarfloss brains: If your boyfriend is avoiding you maybe he's trying to break up with you but is too cowardly to do it. And Veronica does have experience with both sides of that theory so she knows what she's talking about. I'm really hoping that isn't the reason Veronica is avoiding Logan like the plague, however.
Instead of being upset that her boyfriend could be a coward and blowing her off, Meryl seems relieved by this theory that had never occurred to her. "At least then I'd know he's okay." Veronica's brain strains to cope with this fascinating concept: Caring for the safety of one's boyfriend more than one's own feelings. Does not compute, does not compute -- I'm convinced somewhere inside she's doing the robot with Sheriff Lamb.
Ah, those blindly trusting, innocent girls ... such gentle, yet illusive creatures. Veronica hasn't seen one since her own boyfriend's relationship with she-who-will-not-be-named. Darwin's theory has rendered them almost extinct on this show; whenever she spots one it's like she's torn between picketing with the A.S.P.C.A. to preserve their fragile existence, and throwing them in the deep end screaming 'sink or swim, bitch!'
The touching moment is interrupted by Sully's totally rad roommate, Glen: The man, the myth, the legend ... the extremely slimy porn collector who's been inhaling too much surfboard wax. Meryl is clearly unimpressed with Sully's roommate as she introduces herself, making Veronica her 'hot friend.' Glen asks where Sully is, cutting off their hopes of asking him the same question. Glen says he cleared out because Sully told him Meryl was coming to visit and he wanted the room to himself. Clearly, Piz isn't the only one who can't stick with a plan when a girl is meant to be using his place. The last time Glen saw Sully was yesterday morning when he left to go surfing. Meryl is incredulous, Sully doesn't surf -- duh -- he's from Sacramento. That's what he said to his roommate, though. Glen came back early because his step-mom confiscated his X-box and he figured Sully might not need the room after the huge fight they'd had on Thursday. Veronica pauses: Fight, what fight? Meryl looks guilty while Veronica looks unsurprised.
Veronica and Meryl go to the food court, following up on Scarlett's message. Veronica drags Meryl behind a very inconspicuous plant and plays peek-a-boo from behind the leaves (*snort* because no one would find that odd enough to stare at). Veronica still can't believe Meryl didn't tell her about the fight she had with Sully. Meryl denies that it was even a big deal, they were just stressed out by the long-distance thing. "You have a fight and then he's not around ..." Veronica is wondering why Meryl isn't suspicious at all because when she has a fight with her significant other and then she's not around it tends to mean something. Meryl says 'no' she's not suspicious without even struggling over it. Veronica takes a moment too long for some kind of heavy blunt object to hit her over the head with, but then turns back to the stakeout ...
Just in time to see Scarlett appear by herself, sitting down with a dinner tray. She's wearing a leopard print tank top, mini skirt and leather jacket with her hair styled full and pretty. Scarlett darts off from behind the plant to talk to her. Whoa, whoa, whoa ... Veronica tries to stop her. What's the point of staking out if Meryl's just going to run in there before they have proof he was having an illicit rendezvous with Scarlet O'Hara? Veronica tells her she might scare him off. "Him?" Meryl frowns in confusion; Sully isn't having an affair, he's missing and that Scarlett girl could know something. She pulls away from Veronica and goes to get some answers.
Scarlett looks startled and uncomfortable when Meryl introduces herself as Sully's girlfriend. As Scarlett confirms she was there to meet Sully -- to study -- and Meryl nods, Veronica stalks around the table smiling sardonically. Her righteous anger is kicking up into a frenzy as she sees poor, oblivious Meryl completely unaware of what's really going along. Just look at Scarlett's wardrobe, and where are the books? She asks when was the last time Scarlett saw him, and gets the reply that they saw each other in Physics lab. Veronica rolls her eyes and sits down as Scarlett begins to understand that something's amiss, asking if Sully's alright. Before Meryl can say he's missing, Veronica jumps in with a sarcastic: "Dig the outfit, is that from Dolce Gabbana's study buddy collection?" Meryl looks upset with Veronica's interrogation style. Scarlett stares at Veronica in shock for a moment before softly defending herself against the implication: It's Friday, she's going out to a club after they study.
Trying to show Meryl how ridiculous her denial is getting, Veronica sarcastically asks Sully's physics study buddy if she happens to know if he invented a laser of some sort in class. Meryl is hurt and chides Veronica for being mean (excuse me while I chuckle in amusement, because I think this is still part of Veronica's 'tolerant' scale of interrogation techniques) but enough is enough. Veronica is sorry but she knows about these things and there comes a point when every illusive girl-in-sweet-denial has to realize it's better to face the truth than get burned by their own delusions about the sun: Scarlett either wants to steal her boyfriend or already has. "You can choose to be a patsy, or you can choose not to be." It's as simple as that for Veronica Mars.
Across the room she spots Professor Landry, proof of her own take on Occam's Razor and the inevitable infidelity of men. Smiling, because she's laid out the reality in plainest English, she gives Meryl and Scarlett the chance to talk amongst themselves as she goes to confront Landry about what she considers a bribe to keep her mouth shut about his infidelity.
A minute later she's standing there stunned to discover that he wasn't bribing her at all -- men can be adulterous jerks in their private life while still being wonderfully supportive teachers. Consider her mind blown. As she turns around to head back to the table she pauses at the sight of Scarlett giving Meryl a supportive, concerned hug. Huh. And her mind is put back together only to be blown again. She guesses that last piece of advice didn't exactly get through to Meryl ...
That night Meryl is so distressed that she still hasn't found Sully that Veronica has to sedate her with nighttime cold medicine to get her to sleep ... in Piz's bed. Piz is unimpressed when he finds her there without Veronica asking if she can give his bed away and he mutters that Keith Richards wouldn't have to sleep on the floor. Pfft, yuh nice comparison ... not.
Meryl wakes Veronica up the next morning, holding her phone excitedly. At first she didn't recognize the voice in the message because it's noisy but now she's sure it's Sully. Veronica takes the phone and listens to a slurring voice say, "so sorry ... I miss you ... can't wait to see you ... talk to you later," while clearer male voices yell in the background. He called her with his own phone; Meryl tried to call him back but it keeps ringing and ringing and then goes to message bank. Veronica is happy because as long as it's turned on she can track him using a gizmo from her dad's office ... and why didn't they think of this earlier when they were checking his cell phone messages??
While Veronica goes to the closet to get her clothes out (wow ... she really has made herself at home huh?), Piz rolls over from his place at the floor and asks her to pick him up at an egg sandwich while she's out. Then she goes to pick up the cell tracer from Mars Investigations.
Veronica and Meryl follow the trace on Sully's cell, while Veronica explains the new information she has on Sully's credit cards. There were a bunch of charges all from this (bad) neighborhood: Circus of Liquors, Crazy Girls, and World of Cigarettes. Meryl is starting to look a little disconcerted by all this evidence of uncharacteristic behavior but she holds true to her contention: At least he's okay. Veronica is glad they can rule out kidnapping. She turns into the street where the blinking light is located on her tracer and looks up.
Oh. Crap.
Why isn't this address burned into her brain? They're parked in front of The River Stiz (wasn't it spelled Styxx before?), Neptune's notorious home base for the Fighting Fitzpatricks. Meryl moves to exit Veronica's Saturn when Veronica grabs her arm and attempts to restrain her. Oh no, sugarplum darling, that's no gin joint you want to go walking into unless you want a clover inked onto your lovely Irish complexion. Veronica says she wants to call "someone" -- a.k.a. the well-armed moron, Lamb -- for help and qualifies the urgency by saying the last time she was here her boyfriend pulled a gun on the owner. Yep, it's all Logan's fault they hate her, it has nothing to do with her dad. Meryl is fixated on the fact that the blinking dot is Sully's cell phone and it's right there in front of them; she's impatient even as Veronica stresses that they need to call help. Just when Veronica thinks she's convinced her, Meryl firms her soft jaw and then bolts out of the car straight into the bar. All for one, and all for love! Damn, illusive stupidly innocent girls! No wonder they're a dying breed! Now ... to let her disappear as mysteriously as her boyfriend or to try and save the lovefool? That is the question.
Inside, Meryl is questioning Danny Boyd about whether he's seen a boy named Billy Sullivan, he's about as tall as her with blond hair ... Danny pretends to think about it and says they don't get many lost Irish lads in their bar as Veronica walks up behind him. She grabs Meryl urgently, trying to get her away from Danny -- stressing that they need to leave pronto. Meryl hasn't recognized she's in danger yet and wants to stay because Veronica said Sully was here. Danny, meanwhile, is shocked with recognition when he looks at Veronica. Like he can't believe she'd come into their bar willingly again. Bubbling with amusement, he walks around Veronica and wraps his arms around the shoulders of the two girls, clicking his fingers. She's the daughter of Keith Mars, Ver-on-ica, always coming around looking for people. Menacingly he moves between them and lounges against the wall again as he asks Veronica why she thinks Billy Sullivan stopped there.
Veronica's eyes slide behind Danny to a stack of boxes with the 'Circus of Liquor' label on the side of them. Gee, I wonder why she could possibly think Sully was here? She tells him he's sitting on the reason why and Danny claims the boxes just fell off a truck and they were lucky enough to find them. Veronica, unlike Meryl, did not come down with the last shower and pulls out her cell phone asking if Danny minds getting this: Sully's cell phone starts ringing ... from behind the bar. Well, unless he was in here the night before tending bar they're guessing something else happened to him.
Danny, Veronica can deal with. Unluckily for her, the person who inspired her terror of this bar comes swooping in behind her. Liam Fitzpatrick appears suddenly, interrupting Veronica's interrogation, by grabbing her around the chest and pulling her up into a faux-embrace. He starts to dance with her as he whispers drunkenly in her ear, chiding her for lecturing them on stealing when her father put half of Liam's family in jail (but to be fair, Liam killed one of them himself ... so ... ). Liam waltzes around the pool tables with Veronica tucked up in his arms, saying he didn't have a problem with Sheriff Mars arresting his brothers, but he has a problem when Private Investigator Mars sticks his nose in his business and helps Kendall hide their money.
The scene has that funny-yet-slightly-disturbing mood like Aaron Echolls' That's Amore! thumping of Trina's abusive boyfriend. Well, it would be funny if Veronica didn't start choking for breath halfway through their 'dance.' Meryl finally realizes why Veronica told her they shouldn't come in here and she hesitates to pick up a beer bottle -- even she looks like she can't believe she's thinking of smashing a bottle into the back of Liam Fitzpatrick's head in the middle of his bar. Danny gives her a 'yeah riiight' look and removes the bottle from her hand for her own good, smiling in amusement the whole time.
From the bar, a drunk man stumbles toward the scene pulling out his phone. When the shot changes we see that it's Vinnie Van Lowe, the P.I. that the Fitzpatricks have been keeping on retainer since he helped Liam find Cormac in Welcome Wagon. Vinnie drunkenly laughs as he snaps a photo of Liam holding Veronica on his cell phone, "and send" he giggles before asking Liam to lick her face in the next one. Liam smashes the phone away from Vinnie's hand in annoyance and Vinnie placates him, "easy big guy." But Liam obviously doesn't think Vinnie is the brightest bulb or capable of fooling him, so he loses interest in the scene, wobbling away, clearly intoxicated. Danny doesn't look so sure and stares at Vinnie as Meryl finally gets a clue and follows Veronica's swift escape.
They hot-foot it away from the River Stix without saying a word. The door opens behind them and Vinnie jogs after them, disappointed Veronica didn't so much as thank him for his daring rescue. He chides her for going into a place like that and Meryl looks ashamed as Veronica says it was unintentional ... on her half, anyway. Vinnie's clearly not drunk and has decided to be a good guy and help his fellow P.I. out for a change. She's worried that he sent the photo to her dad (who she isn't speaking to) but Vinnie reassures her that the only way he could have done that was if God had magically given his phone a camera.
He came outside because he has some free information for her. Hey, he blackmailed one Mars this episode; he might as well get some points back from Karma with the junior version. He tells her that he saw Sully the night before looking like he'd just got back from the beach -- wasted. He couldn't remember his own name. Danny took his wallet and said he'd help him get home but instead took him on a shopping spree to Circus of Liquor etc. He was kicked out soon after that. Veronica asks where he might have gone and Vinnie gives her the obvious answer, where one finds all stumbling drunks who couldn't click there heels, whisper 'there's no place like home' and find themselves magically back in their dorm room. He's in the drunk tank -- otherwise known as the Sheriff's Department.
Veronica heads on over to see her new pal Sheriff-Lamb-on-Prozac, who is suddenly all chipper about helping that pesky little P.I. out this season. He confirms that they have Billy Sullivan, picked him up drunk off his ass wearing a wetsuit. He looked like another drunk 'dumbass' just back from tearing up Mexico (I wonder how often Logan has found himself stumbling back in a similar fashion ... ). He had no I.D. and was too intoxicated to tell them what his name was so they put him in a cell to sleep it off. Only to discover, when he woke up the next morning that he still didn't remember his name. Veronica sighs, 'oh God...' not believing that this guy actually was in trouble this whole time. Yep, he really was. Lamb tells the girls that he found a huge knot on the back of Sully's head and assumed he must have injured himself surfing. So, Meryl was right, boy from Sacramento really don't know how to surf and probably shouldn't try.
Lamb tells them that he's going to have Sacks run him up to the hospital. He goes to walk off and Meryl follows him, wanting to see Sully now that she's finally found her boyfriend. For a moment, it looks like the Prozac's stopped working or Lamb's stopped playing the weird 'I'm such a swell guy' prank that doesn't end. He asks Meryl for ten bucks, she frowns in confusion and then he laughs, laughs and says he's joking he'll have someone take her back there in a minute. Okay, guys seriously, this new Friendly!Lamb is freaking me out. Maybe he's found a new hobby like kicking his grandmother every morning and it makes him happy. *shudders*
Before they go see him, Veronica stops Meryl and apologizes for not believing her. She's sorry for trying to make Meryl jump to the wrong conclusions, Occam's Razor simple explanations or not. For the whole episode Veronica has been smiling at Meryl like she's from another planet, a simpleton that doesn't understand the way the world works. Now that Meryl's faith has been revealed to be worthwhile, she turns a similar, soft, if-patronizing smile on Veronica. It's okay; she understands. She knows how it would look to someone who doesn't know their partner as well as she does; she knows Sully would never do what it looked like he was doing and she understands why Veronica couldn't see what she could: 'If I hadn't been in love before, I wouldn't have believed it either.' Then she smiles reassuringly and runs off to see her dearest love, leaving Veronica gaping after her, mouth dropping open and closed without being able to say a word.
Sully is frowning -- clearly with a headache -- as he dozes on a bunk in the lockup. Meryl walks up to the bars, clasping her hands around him as she smiles and calls his name. He called her, remembering who she was while he was so dazed from his head wound that he couldn't even remember his own name. You can tell by the smile on her face that she knows he'll know her now. Sully wakes up and as soon as he sees her, he smiles softly and gets up off the bunk whispering, "Meryl?" Veronica watches the scene in shock, awe and a little bit of shame. Sully whispers to Meryl that he was looking for her, and then he clutches the back of her head and kisses her forehead while Meryl smiles in relief.
Veronica can see it on his face that he loves the beautiful, illusive creature that somehow survived the wilderness of dating without becoming jaded by cynicism. She can see it on his face and it's obviously hurting Veronica to realize the truth of the lesson she was learning this week: Not that the whole world is putrid and out to betray you, not that you can never count on anyone, but that you can count on the people who love you. It's not necessarily ignorance that causes girls to refuse to believe the worst despite evidence to the contrary, sometimes it takes a kind of strength and faith that cynics like her are too jaded to be capable of any more. Sometimes all it takes is the faith that the man you love wouldn't do that to you.
Veronica stands back and watches all of this, as Lamb comes into the room and tells them "no touching!" in that playful puppetmaster voice of his (totally abducted by aliens after My Big Fat Greek Rush Week ... you'll see in the second mystery arc!). He tells Meryl that they're taking her boyfriend to the hospital now if she wants to go along with him. Meryl agrees and then beams at Veronica with excitement. She says she'll see her the next time she's in town but Veronica's still too shaken to do much more than nod with that sad smile of hers.
Maybe 90% of the time, Veronica is right about her world: It is a dark place full of betrayal, lies and secrets. Love's fools are the worst kind of fools in a show like this, but who is the greater fool this time around? The person who believes the worst of the man they love so that they never make themselves vulnerable to injury, or the person who chooses to be believe the best -- and gets to experience that rush of joy when their faith is proved justified?
- Veronica sneaks into the Mars apartment in the wee hours of the morning obviously doing everything in her power to not wake her father. She grabs some things, stows them in a duffel and makes a near-silent break for the door. Not silent enough, though -- Keith steps out in the hall behind her before she gets halfway to the door. Keith wonders if he can perhaps inquire about her whereabouts the previous evening as it is rather obvious she didn't come home. He's doubly curious because he also put a call into Veronica's oh-so-devoted boyfriend Logan who indicated that he didnt know where she was either -- and Keith believed him (which shows real growth in that relationship, don'cha think?)
Veronica turns to face her father and snarkily replies that she wasn't home last night, but he wasn't home the night before that -- which leads me to believe that Veronica's staying out was nothing more than a petty exercise of "tit for tat." Keith seems surprised that Veronica so upset about his somewhat dangerous liaison with Harmony that she'd leave the house and suggests that perhaps they talk about it. Veronica seems to think that talking would be pointless.
She tells Keith that Wallace and Piz are out of town for the weekend cramming for finals in a motel room a la The Paper Chase and her BFF offered to let her crash at his place until they returned from their weekend. Veronica sarcastically comments that she thought he'd be happy that she wasn't there because now he could have his married girlfriend over whenever he wanted and they could "go crazy." Keith is quickly getting as fed up with Veronica's bitch-tastic and crazy-judgmental attitude as I am and he tells her not to make a joke out of this because it is his life and his choice. Veronica counters that if being with Harmony is his choice, then leaving in pouty protest is hers.
Later that day Keith's gal pal Harmony drops by for a little one-on-one with her favorite private eye. Harmony seems a bit concerned because she hasn't heard from Keith all day. Keith is grinning adorably, but his face also seems a bit "overcast" -- his confrontation with Veronica is still clearly on his mind. He assures Harmony that he thought about calling her many times, but he's clearly having a hard time being okay with the whole "she's a married woman" thing.
Harmony tries valiantly to do the "it is what it is" thing to try to keep Keith from bolting. She tells him that it's been eight months since she and her husband had sex and they are really nothing more than glorified roommates and that they have nothing in common anymore. Except a daughter, as Keith reminds her, and you can tell that's a sticking point. Keith turns and walks into his office with Harmony right on his heels. When he turns back to face her, she assures him that she's decided to leave her husband as soon as he gets back into town because while divorce may be hard, it makes way more sense than living in a loveless marriage. (Hey, no argument here.) And I don't think Keith has a problem with it -- at least in principle -- either, but he's clearly concerned about the ramifications of their evolving relationship on both of their lives and families.
But Harmony won't be swayed and she wants to know if this thing shes feeling for Keith is one-sided -- and before Keith even opens his mouth, the schmoopy look on his face gives the resounding yes. But (and isnt there always a BUT?) it's complicated. Which Harmony doesn't argue with, but she clearly thinks that whatever this might be, it deserves a chance. She knows they aren't going to figure it out in a day so for right now all she wants is for Keith to go away to Palm Springs with her for the weekend. Keith is clearly powerless in the face of her expert nuzzling -- he almost looks drugged or hypnotized as he nods in agreement. A few minutes later a buoyant Harmony walks out of Keith's office kind of giggling before she realizes that Keith's got company. Its Vinnie! She excuses herself for taking up so much time as she heads for the door -- without looking up from his magazine, Vinnie tells "Mrs. Chase" that it's no problem. Ruh-roh! I'm thinking this doesnt bode well for either Harmony or Keith.
Vinnie heads into Keith's office for a rousing game of "Let's Make A Deal." See, Vinnies on retainer with the Fitzpatricks (which, since Vinnie's kind of low rent makes perfect sense) and he tells Keith that they think Kendall owes them money, and that Keith knows where she is. Vinnie tells Keith that he'll split the Fitzpatricks retainer fee with him if Keith'll just, you know, whisper an address in Vinnie's ear. Keith tells Vinnie that unfortunately, he doesn't know where Kendall is, so no dice. Vinnie's unusually calm about Keith's answer which makes me wonder what else he's got up his sleeve. But I don't have to wonder for long.
Vinnie tosses a manila envelope at Keith but cautions that it isn't "a judgment call" because the married chick is a hottie. Keith opens the envelope and finds an assortment of candid photos of he and Harmony getting it on at the Neptune Grand two nights before. Keith's face has rapidly progressed from mildly amused to dark and stormy and without preamble he asks Vinnie what he wants. Answer? Double the $2,000 that Mr. Chase is paying him to prove that his wife is having an affair. So what's it gonna be Keith? Giving up info on Kendall's demise and/or the missing moolah behind door #1, OR take advantage of the Vinnie Van Lowe special behind door #2. Neither option looks particularly appetizing.
A day or so later, in the early morning, Keith finds his favorite daughter in the Mars Investigations office "borrowing" some equipment for her case. He tells her that she doesn't have to go to such extremes to avoid him and asks that she at least let him explain. She takes up her favorite perch on her moral high ground and tells him there's nothing to explain because she's an adult (all evidence of petulant, immature behavior to the contrary), he's an adult, and Ms. Whomever (yeah -- totally mature Veronica) is an adult. Keith asks that Veronica not be so quick to judge because what he has with Harmony is something special. Veronica hits him with the one-two punch of telling him that he sounds like every other philanderer that they've ever caught with their pants down, and then brings up the Jake Kane/Lianne affair to drive the point home. And they are good points, to be sure. I think I'd just appreciate them a little better with a little less attitude and a little less moral superiority.
Keith tells Veronica that it isn't the same at all because Harmony's leaving her husband. Veronica's less than relieved and downright unimpressed because they've heard that before too. What she really wants to know is if Harmony's husband knows that his marriage is over? And as bitchy as Veronica's been, Ive got to give her props for that one. It's a question that deserves an answer. As she walks out the door Veronica makes a comment about how she's seen too much in their line of work to have faith in love anymore. Keith's not buying that she's that jaded. That is, he didn't believe it until Veronica told him that she became jaded after her one shining example of morality let her down. OUCH!
With those words ringing in his head, Keith has to face an exuberant Harmony who cannot wait to get on the road and get away to Palm Springs with Keith. Judging by the look of sadness on his face, Keiths about to make a change to the plans -- and Harmony can see it too. Well, that and she can see that he doesnt have a bag packed. Both are equally good indicators that this little lover's getaway is doomed. Harmony won't give up though. She tells Keith that she's fallen for him. Her bags are packed, the car is gassed up and ready and she is asking him to take that leap and go away with her for the weekend. But as much as I know Keith would love to go, we all know that he can't bear to hurt or disappoint Veronica. Which Veronica realizes when she listens to her voicemail messages and (after skipping like a zillion from her boyfriend, I might add) learns that her father has ended things with Harmony and wants her to come home.
Well, Veronica, youve brought him to heel. I hope you are thoroughly pleased with yourself.
- Veronica is sitting in her Intro to Criminology class with Dr. Landry. As the students are packing up , Dr. Landry reminds them that it is time for their end-of-term research paper. The assignment? Planning the perfect murder. Veronica snarks at the irony of getting challenged with this task by a guy who can't even successfully orchestrate an affair with the Dean's wife. Before she can dole out any further internal sarcasm, Dr. Landry gives them some additional criteria and advises them that the paper will need to be twenty pages long. He dismisses the class but asks Veronica to stay after.
She does, and she clearly thinks she knows exactly the reason he's asked her to stay after. Shes deduced (and by deduced I mean jumped to conclusions) that he wants to talk to her about keeping her mouth shut over his affair with the Dean's wife which she assures him he's not interested in discussing. However, what Landry really wants to talk to Veronica about is a summer internship with the FBI. They have a serious program and he wants to recommend her for it. All she needs to do is complete a fifteen hundred word essay and pass it back to Landry who will make sure it lands on the right desk. Landry tells her hell take her essay in lieu of the perfect murder paper because they both know she could do one in her sleep.
Damn! Either the profs hitting on her (which I doubt) or he really thinks she's the bomb diggity when it comes to solving crimes. I guess he's missed the first forty-five minutes of the last, oh, thirty episodes or so where Veronica has leapt to all the wrong conclusions on each of her cases instead of making informed decisions and then drawing conclusions from the information present. Im just sayin'. Speaking of Ms. Mars' batting average on her first impressions, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that her assumption that she's being offered this plum assignment as a bribe to keep her quiet (rather than, oh, I don't know -- a measure of his faith in her intelligence and abilities?) is, um, WRONG. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for Veronica to prove me right.
While working on the mystery of the week, Veronica makes a quick trip to speak to Dr. Landry when she runs into him at the food court. He asks her to take a seat and join him for a delicious Chili's Baby Back Rib (nice ad placement there, gang) but she tells him that she "doesnt like to get her hands dirty." Nice Veronica -- real subtle. She tells Landry that she's decided not to do the essay and do the perfect murder paper instead. Landry is confused (and rightly so) by Veronica's decision to throw away an amazing opportunity. Veronica takes a seat atop her pillar of righteous judgment to explain it to him. (And really -- that sucker's so tall these days its a wonder shes not constantly suffering from nosebleeds or oxygen deprivation.)
See, Dr. Landry, because Veronica is SO much more principled than you, she'd have a hard time enjoying the internship or really getting anything out of it if she felt that shed gotten it by being bought off. She tells him that she would never have said anything about his affair with Mrs. O'Dell anyway. (Sidenote: If Veronica gets something that she'd smart enough to have earned as "payment" for something she wasn't planning on doing anyway -- so she doesn't change her behavior in exchange -- does that REALLY count as being bought off? I don't think so.) Then she makes the magnanimous comment that she "guesses" she doesnt think any less of him as a professor -- you know, just as a human being. Hey Veronica? This time, your assumption just makes an ass out of you and, um, let's see ...YOU.
Dr. Landry, while he may play it fast and loose with the women, clearly has the patience of a saint where Veronica's concerned. (And really -- where do all the men in her life go to pick up that trait??) He tells her to take the internship because it isn't hush money. He offered her the internship because she's by far his strongest student (even when her penchant for conclusion jumping says otherwise) and it could be very important to her future. Forget about him, he doesn't really care what she does with the information she has about him and the Dean's Mrs. He just wants her to do what's best for her and take advantage of the opportunity. Dr. Landry, that is one thing we don't seem to have to worry about with Veronica these days -- because she's generally looking out for herself, the rest of the world be damned.
- All R.A.'s have keys to all the rooms that they are responsible for.
- Sully makes perfect circles because of all the drafting classes hes taken.
- Sully's roommate Glenn is clearly a bit of a hound dog -- or maybe he just wishes he was.
- Dr. Landry has often been the murdered party in the perfect murder research paper challenge he gives out each year.
- It appears that Logan sleeps in PJ pants and a t-shirt when he sleeps alone.
- Lamb may be a moron, but hes a well-armed moron.
- Sullys real name is Billy Sullivan.
- The Fitzpatricks liquor that "fell off the truck" was from Circus Liquors.
- Lamb enjoys a bear claw with his morning coffee.
- It's daytime and Logan is sitting on the back of a bench on campus, waiting. Veronica walks out of the building and sees him there. Tensing up, she braces herself and walks over to him to tell him he doesn't need to worry -- she's not bailing on helping his friend, Mercer. The Sheriff won't let her in to see the recently-accused until tomorrow morning. Logan insists he's not there about Mercer. He's there to try to make things right between them again. She starts walking away, but he follows. Practically shaking her head in utter disbelief, she reminds him of their current state of affairs. He told her he could provide an alibi for Mercer the night of the rape this summer, but won't come forward. Even worse, he refuses to tell her why or what they were doing that's so horrible. How exactly does he expect to make things right with that situation? Is he going to hypnotize her? Veronica's quite clearly frustrated as hell by all this.
Logan claims he was hoping her desire to find the real rapist would outweigh her need to drag him over the coals. Veronica sees no reason why she can't do both. He stops and faces her, snapping at her to just trust him. It's better for everyone if he keeps his secret to himself; she should just have a little faith in him. So Veronica asks the million dollar question home viewers have to be wondering: How bad does this secret have to be that Mercer would rather stay in jail for a crime he didn't commit than have anyone find out what they did? He refuses to say anything. She tries again, but he remains silent. Upset, she shakes her head and starts walking away again, realizing that maybe she really doesn't want to know, if it's that truly terrible. Following her, he asks when she's ever not wanted to know anything. She keeps mum, since it's not like he's going to tell her anyway.
Changing the subject, he tells her that Keith called and woke him up last night to ask if he knew where she was at. So where is she staying these days? Taking a page out of Logan's playbook, she tells him that it's better for everyone if that secret stays that way. She faces him and asks if that's how it's supposed to work. Did she get the inflection right? And then she walks away, leaving Logan alone.
A big rough-looking guy is sleeping in a jail cell's top bunk. A second dude sleeps below, his shirt covered in blood, his head and eye covered in a bloody bandage. And looking completely out of place (although looks can be deceiving), Mercer is resting on a bench on the other side of the cell, hands covering his eyes. Veronica walks up and snarkastically asks if nobody's willing to spoon him. He retorts that no one volunteered, then walks over to the bars to ask her why she's there to see him. Veronica explains that Logan told her they have a shared alibi for the night of the third rape, August 13th. Mercer agrees that they do -- that night was quite memorable, but the nights of the other attacks aren't. She tries to get him to share with her what the two "free-spirited lads" were up to. She's assuming it was squalid. He tries to assure her that Logan has a good reason to keep quiet about it. Logan's a solid guy and she shouldn't worry.
Not happy at being blown off again, Veronica asks if there is anything he actually can tell her that'll help his case. Mercer says that the Sheriff was really interested in his cologne, but it was a sample in Gentleman Quarterly's back-to-school issue. So plenty of guys on campus probably wear it and own clippers. But what about all the GHB the Sheriff found? Not his, Mercer insists. He believes someone's setting him up. Possibly one of the guys who owe him a lot of money. For instance, Pi Sig President Chip Diller. Veronica? So not surprised. Another person owing Mercer a bunch of moola? The good Dean O'Dell. She's not buying it, until Mercer goes on to say that the Dean is a big boxing fan. He has a student aide place bets for him, but the Dean's lousy at picking winners. He'd love to see Mercer out of the picture. Veronica considers it seriously for a moment, then promises to look into it. Mercer thanks her, letting her know that Logan's bragged her up, so he appreciates her help.
Later than night, Veronica's sitting at Wallace's desk, doing homework, as Meryl sleeps. Piz grabs a crate full of record albums on his way out. When Veronica asks if they still make vinyl records, Piz explains that dance music still comes in vinyl and he needs them because he's covering Mercer's slot tonight -- Club Flush. Recognizing the name of the show, Veronica quickly grabs her bag and jacket and tells Piz she's going with him.
When they arrive at the KRFF campus radio station, Piz and Veronica go over to the computer. He pulls up the DJ shift log for her to look over. All shifts are logged on the computer. He sees her looking up information for September 30, 2006 and asks what happened on that date. Hesitating for a moment, Veronica explains that it was the night Parker was raped. Looking at the screen, she sees that Mercer's Club Flush was on from nine until eleven that night. She pulls up another date: March 24, 2006. Mercer was on air that night from ten until midnight. So he couldn't have raped Stacy either. Unless he pre-recorded his shows as a way of setting himself up with an alibi. Piz shoots down that theory right away, though, because Club Flush is a call-in request show. Sighing, Veronica realizes that Mercer is now in the clear but she's still no closer to finding the guilty party.
Later that night, Veronica turns on the bedside lamp in Logan's room, waking him. He sleepily looks over and sighs at the look on his girlfriend's face. Sooo obvious this isn't a booty call. Veronica tells him that she has the information he needs to get Mercer released. This wakes him up a bit. She'll give him the information and no one has to know where he was that night. Looking down, upset, she clarifies that means no one except for her. He sits up and asks her to leave it alone. Can she just trust him? Her eyes beginning to fill with tears, she tells him that she can't -- she's not built that way. Upset, he wonders who in this world gets blackmailed by their own girlfriend. She averts his gaze, miserable but not backing down. After sitting silent for a moment, Logan relents and tells her the story.
He and Mercer were in Tijuana, partying all night. They got back to their motel room and Mercer started making Flaming DPs, a drink where you set a shot glass of rum and Amaretto on fire and drop it in a beer. She sarcastically offers to get a pen to jot down the recipe. Angrily, he tells her that Mercer set the room on fire! Shakily, she asks him where he was during all the fun. Asleep in his room, he tells her. She pauses, barely able to spit out the question she should know by now that she doesn't have to ask: Alone? He answers that yes, he was alone. She questions how much of an alibi he could be if he wasn't actually with Mercer all night. He explains further that they had adjoining rooms and the door between their rooms was open, so he could hear them over there. And yes, there were girls in his room, if that's what Veronica wants to know.
Veronica starts to walk away and he gets out of bed, angrily accusing her of treating him like a criminal, even though he's her boyfriend. She points out that nothing he's said is anything he couldn't have just told to Lamb. Unfortunately, there's more to the sordid tale. By the time the gang got out of the room, the fire had spread to the rest of the motel, so they left. Stunned, she asks him if he didn't stick around to try to help. He has no response. Horrified, she asks him again if he didn't try to see that everyone was okay. Looking down in shame, he explains that the look on her face right now is why he didn't tell her. He argues that nine out of ten people in his situation would have done the same thing. They would have run like he did. Either Mercer sits in jail here for something he didn't do or he goes to Mexico and sits in jail for something he actually did. Veronica tells him to have Lamb check the campus radio station log, so he can get his friend released. Then, with a look of sad disappointment, she leaves.
The next day, Veronica is leaving the Sheriff's station when she walks by Mercer. He's handcuffed and being led down the hall by a deputy. She's confused and asks him what he's still doing there. Mercer explains that Logan came by the night before and talked to Lamb, but the Sheriff found something lacking in his attitude so he's going to keep him there as long as the law allows. He thanks her for helping him out and as the deputy leads him away, lets her know that Logan's picking him up for breakfast tomorrow and she's welcome to join them if she'd like. Doubtful, she says.
Keith's phone rings in his office and he answers it to find it's Logan calling from his hotel suite. Keith, probably not used to getting calls from the boyfriend, asks him if everything's all right. Logan's just looking for Veronica, who he's pretty sure is trying to hide from him. Keith sympathetically shares that she's been keeping him out of the loop, as well. He tells Logan to try Wallace's place, since Veronica said she'd be staying with him.
The campus food court is hustling and bustling, as the voice of KRFF's D.J. Hellfish is heard over the din. Veronica's walking to a table, carrying a dinner tray. She sets the tray down, then frowns when she notices something in her pasta dish. She picks up her plate, leaving her cup of soda and tray on the table as she goes back to the food counter. Cutting her way to the front of the line, she points out to the employee behind the counter that there's hair in her pasta. The girl silently apologizes and goes to get Veronica another plate. A few moments later, Veronica returns to her table with some hair-free (one would hope) pasta. She takes a big drink from her soda cup and pulls out her cell to check her voicemail. Six calls from Logan and one call from Dad.
As she drinks some more, she begins listening to her messages from Logan. The first is a casual "Give me a buzz." The next is Logan wondering if everything's all right. And the third is Logan sounding worried and asking where she is. Looking confused at the tone of the message, she listens to the next one from Keith as she digs into her food. Keith tells her he wants her to come back home. He ended things with Harmony and he'd just like to see her. She smiles softly to herself, hangs up and reaches for her drink again. Suddenly, she appears to be feeling a little woozy. She looks around the cafeteria and everything is fuzzy and seriously out of whack. After rubbing her eyes, she takes a deep breath and everything comes back into focus. The momentary dizziness over, she shakes it off and goes back to her dinner.
Piz sits in his room, messing around with his guitar. There's a knock on the door. He opens it to find Logan there. Logan's surprised to see Piz and not Veronica standing in the doorway. He glances in the room, confused, and explains that he's looking for Veronica. Piz tells him that she was around earlier but not now. Logan asks if she's with Wallace. Piz informs him that Wallace is out of town, in a motel. Studying, he explains, smiling in memory of Crazy!Wallace's antics. Logan says that Veronica's dad thought that He looks at Piz, who's giving nothing away, but for an air of smug joy simmering below the surface. Finally, Logan just asks him to have Veronica call him if he sees her. Piz nods, Logan thanks him and leaves.
Outside, it's nighttime and Veronica is walking alone across campus. Her step is looking just a tad bit wobbly. As she walks down the stairs toward the parking lot, she starts feeling worse. Clearly disoriented now, Veronica has to grab on to the handrail near the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly, she realizes how familiar this all feels. She walks across the lot, looking for her car, but everything around her is fuzzy and she's staggering now more than walking. She can't believe this is happening to her again. A shadowy figure, dressed in dark clothing and a hooded sweatshirt, is watching her from across the lot. She senses his presence and slowly turns to look for him. She sees him but can't pull his image into focus. He slowly starts to walk toward her. Frightened, she stumbles as fast as she can to her car and only manages to get her door open before she collapses to the ground and drops her keys. The dark figure continues to approach. Veronica weakly stretches her hand out to grasp her keys and presses a button, causing her car alarm to go off.
Above the parking area, Logan is walking along when he hears the sound of the alarm. He glances down to see the lights on Veronica's car flashing on and off and realizes something is terribly wrong. Frightened, he turns back and hurries toward the stairs. By her car, Veronica is laying on her stomach, on the ground, not moving at all, as the sinister figure crouches down beside her. A hand, wearing a white plastic glove reaches for her keys -- only a small patch of light skin visible on the wrist above the glove. The gloved hand turns off the car alarm.
Logan rushes down the stairs, as he hears the alarm silenced. He jogs through the parking lot, calling out Veronica's name, glancing around cautiously. When he gets past the Saturn, he sees her motionless body on the ground beside it. She is alone. Kneeling down, he gently turns her over and holds her head up. Weakly, eyes still closed, Veronica whimpers a plea for him to take her home. He holds her close, then sees some of her curly, blonde locks laying on the ground. He gently moves the hair on the back of her head aside to reveal a bald, bloody patch of scalp where her head was shaved. Shaken beyond belief, Logan rocks her in his arms.
A while later, Veronica is laid out on the Mars' sofa, covered in a blanket. She's semi-conscious, but weak. Keith is pouring a teaspoon of medicine for her, while Logan's standing behind him, watching her with concern etched on his face. Keith tells Veronica that the doctor said they need to get more of this medicine into her, so she takes it and grimaces about how nasty it tastes. Logan, voice shaking, jokes at her to "cowboy up."
Later, Keith sleeps in his chair, while Logan sits sleeping on the couch, his arms wrapped around Veronica's feet in his lap. She's awake and watching Logan as he sleeps. Thinking about what South Park's Stan would say in this situation, she realizes a valuable lesson was learned about faith. She continues looking at Logan as she realizes you give that faith to people you love. Looking at her father, she smiles a bit as she also acknowledges that the ones who really deserve it are the ones who come through even when you don't love them enough. Closing her eyes with a small smile, she rests.
"A Pair of Brown Eyes" (The Pogues)
Scene: Liam discovers a new scare tactic -- while holding tight swing and sway your victim all around the room, making sure there's air between their feet and the ground. Uhm, okay.
"Captain" (Shapes of Race Cars)
Scene: It's Veronica; it's a GHB'd drink! Where's Madison?
LoVe Lines
Logan: Look, I'm not here to talk about Mercer. Okay? I just -- I don't know, I want to make things right between us.
Veronica: You tell me your friend couldn't have raped a girl because he was with you this summer. Then you won't tell me what you were doing or why you can't come forward to provide an alibi, so how exactly do you propose to make things right? You gonna hypnotize me?
Logan: I was hoping your desire to find the real rapist might outweigh your need to drag me over the coals.
Veronica: Who says I can't do both?
Logan: (Forcefully.) Hey Veronica, trust me. It's better for everyone if this secret stays that way, Okay? Please - have a little faith.
Veronica: How bad does your alibi have to be if Mercer would rather stay in jail than divulge it? (Sees the look on Logan's face as he maintains his silence.) Huh? Maybe I don't want to know what you were up to.
Logan: When have you ever not wanted to know anything? (Veronica doesn't respond.) Your dad called me last night. Wanted to know where you were.
Veronica: Is that so?
Logan: (Tentatively.) So, where are you staying these days?
Veronica: (Snottily, sarcastically.) It's better for everyone if that secret stays that way. (Turns to face Logan) Is that how it works? Did I get the inflection right?
Logan: (Veronica is standing in Logan's bedroom; she turns on the light and wakes him up.) Something tells me this isn't a booty call.
Veronica: I got what you need to get Mercer out of jail. It's yours Logan. No one has to know where you were that night no one except me.
Logan: (Sitting up in bed.) Can you leave it alone? Can you trust me?
Veronica: No, I can't. I'm not built that way.
Logan: (Voice breaking.) Who gets blackmailed by his girlfriend? (Veronica can't look him in the eye.) Oh, I guess I do. (Sighing.) We were in Tijuana. You know, we partied all night. It was no big deal. When we got back to our rooms he started making these drinks -- Flaming D.P.'s -- you know, you set a shot glass of rum and amaretto on fire, and you drop it in a beer.
Veronica: Hold on. Let me get a pen. I want to jot down this recipe.
Logan: (Angry.) He set the room on fire.
Veronica: He did? And where were you for all this fun?
Logan: Asleep in my room.
Veronica: Alone?
Logan: (Quietly.) Yeah, alone.
Veronica: Well, then, you're not really much of an alibi, are you?
Logan: (Raising his voice.) We were in Mexico, Veronica! We had adjoining rooms. I mean, the door between the rooms was open. I could hear them.
Veronica: Them?
Logan: Yes, there were girls in his room. Is that what you want to know? (She turns and starts to leave the bedroom, Logan gets out of bed.) I am your boyfriend, Veronica, and youre treating me like a criminal.
Veronica: (She turns to face him.) You could have told all this to Lamb.
Logan: By the time we got out of the room, the fire was spreading. The whole motel was going up in flames. Okay, w -- I don't know. We had to get out of there.
Veronica: You didn't stick around to try to help? You didn't see if everyone was okay?
Logan: (Looking like a sad woobie indeed.) It's because of the look on your face right now that I didn't want to tell you. I did what nine out of ten guys in my situation would have done. I ran. So either Mercer sits in jail here, or he gives his alibi and sits on his ass in some Mexican jail. At least here he's innocent.
Veronica: (She looks at Logan in disbelief? With shame? All judgmental? Yup.) Tell Lamb to check the log at the campus radio station. (She turns, leaves, and without looking back ...) That should get your friend released.
In Memory
Quotable Quotes
Keith: Where are you staying these days? If I can be so bold. (Pause) You didn't come home last night. I called Logan's room at The Grand. He said he didn't know where you were. Thing is, I think he was telling the truth.
Veronica: I didn't come home last night, you didn't come home the night before that ...
Keith: That's what this is about? Don't you think we should talk?
Veronica: Do you? (Pausing.) Wallace is letting me stay in his dorm room until he and his roommate get back from their weekend. They're cramming Paper Chase-style at some motel out in 29 Palms. (Mildly sarcastic.) C'mon dad, I thought you'd be happy.
Keith: Happy?
Veronica: Now you can have your new ... married girlfriend over and you two can ... I don't know -- go crazy.
Keith: Don't make a joke out of this. It's my life Veronica -- my choice.
Veronica: (Quietly.) And this is mine.
Veronica: (Looking at the multitude of hot chick posters on the wall in Sully's room.) Well, I guess you never have to wonder if your boyfriend is straight.
Meryl: So, you do this, like, a lot? Find people?
Veronica: People, stuff. Whatever.
Meryl: Really? That's ... interesting.
Dr. Landry: And one final item of business: Your end of term research paper. (The class groans.) Ooooh, yes. Your assignment: To plan the perfect murder.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: From the guy who couldn't plan an affair with the Dean's wife.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (Watching Landry schmooze the class.) The man who would be my mentor -- Mr. Popular. Just another on the list of men who disappoint.
Veronica: College boy isn't around when his high-school girlfriend shows up? The Sheriff would laugh you out of there.
Meryl: I don't get it -- why would he laugh?
Veronica: Because the Sheriff's a moron.
Veronica: Nobody willing to spoon you?
Mercer: Uh, no one volunteered.
Veronica: Well, you know what they say in the Big House. If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair. Let's rock.
Mercer: What are you doing here, Veronica?
Veronica: You. Logan says he's got an alibi for the two of you. The night of the third rape. August 13th?
Mercer: I suppose he does.
Veronica: So, you do remember.
Mercer: That night? Yeah. It's ... memorable.
Veronica: Care to share what you two free-spirited lads were up to? I'll give you a hint: It was squalid.
Mercer: Logan has good reason to keep that to himself. But you shouldn't worry. He's a solid guy. I'd want him to be my boyfriend if I swung that way.
Veronica: (all sarcasm) Give it time. You just got here.
Mercer: The Sheriff seemed awfully interested in my cologne. Uh, GQ had a sample of it in the back to school issue, so I hardly think that's some huge clue. Now, do you think I'm the only guy at Hearst who owns clippers and subscribes to Gentlemen's Quarterly?
Veronica: And keeps a stock pile of GHB handy. From what I hear.
Mercer: Thanks, Veronica. You know Logan's, uh, bragged you up. I appreciate the help.
Meryl: Look, I was just thinking. Sully told me that in his physics class they're working with lasers. (Pacing back and forth, her worry increasing.) So, what if Sully accidentally discovered some new technology, you know, like some kind of laser cannon that could assassinate people from space or something? (Veronica carefully approaches.) He could be running from -- I don't know, sinister forces! (Sitting down, exasperated)
Veronica: (Crouching down in front of Meryl.) Have you ever heard of Occam's razor, Meryl?
Meryl: Is that a space laser? Has it already been invented?
Veronica: No, it's a theory. Basically, the theory states that when given a set of possible explanations for a phenomenon, we should embrace the least complicated. So ... I guess I'm saying that if on the one hand, you have Sully inventing a space laser, and on the other, maybe he wants to break up but is taking the coward's way out...
Meryl: You're saying maybe he's breaking up with me? I hope that's all it is. At least then I'd know he's okay.
Veronica: Are you Glen?
Glen: The man, the myth, the legend. Which one of you is Meryl?
Meryl: That's me.
Glen: For real? (Checking out Veronica.) And that makes you the hot friend.
Harmony: I just came by to make sure your phone was working okay.
Keith: It's fine. I know because I've picked it up a dozen times and listened to the dial tone ...wanting to call. It's just, um ...
Harmony: Don't beat yourself up. What happened, happened.
Keith: Yeah, but ... it doesn't make it right.
Vinnie: (Using a game show announcer-style voice, tossing the envelope at Keith.) Let's peek behind door number two! Now this is not a value judgment, Keith, because believe me (Laughing.) I have been there. (As Keith looks at the pictures of him and Harmony.) I mean there was this one married lady ... smokin' hot blonde. Cried all day and ashed Pall Malls all over my couch. But man, could she lay the lumber. This one you've got, though. I mean, a lady in the streets and a fury in the sheets.
Keith: (Laying down the photos) What do you want?
Vinnie: Well, first ... (Picking up one of the photos.) you could acknowledge the artistry here. I mean you remember how dark it was. Open aperture, full zoom from across the street ... steadiest hands in the biz.
Keith: Why are you here, Vinnie? Money?
Vinnie: Girl at the Fotomat used to call me the human tripod. Wait ... that's something else.
Veronica: (To Scarlett.) Dig the outfit. Is that from Dolce & Gabbana's Study Budy collection?
Meryl: (Warningly.) Veronica.
Scarlett: It's Friday. I'm going to a club after.
Veronica: Scarlett, did you happen to notice whether Sully invented a space laser of some sort?
Meryl: You don't have to be mean.
Veronica: I'm sorry Meryl, but Scarlett here has either stolen your boyfriend or she wants to. That's just the way it is. You can choose to be a patsy, or you can choose not to be.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (After noticing Professor Landry across the food court) And if you'll excuse me, I need to make this point elsewhere in the food court.
Veronica: Talk amongst yourselves.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (After talking to Landry) Okay. Consider my mind blown. (Looking over to see Scarlett hugging Meryl) And then put back together and blown again.
Piz: There's a girl in my bed. (He points at Merlys sleeping form.)
Veronica: Yeah, buddy. (Piz gives her a quizzical look.) It took a double shot of night-time cold medicine to get her down. It also stopped her sniffling. She's pretty worked up about her boyfriend.
Piz: Understandable, but, um where am I sleeping?
Veronica: Play your cards right the floor.
Piz: Keith Richards wouldn't sleep on the floor.
Veronica: Probably true.
Keith: (He enters his office to find Veronica gathering surveillance equipment.) You're up early.
Veronica: Yeah, you too.
Keith: You don't have to go through all this trouble of avoiding me. I know you're disappointed, but, at least give me the opportunity to explain.
Veronica: What's to explain? That's the way the world works. You're an adult. I'm an adult. What's her name's an adult.
Keith: But I want you to understand this is not just some fling. Veronica this is something special.
Veronica: 'This is something special.' Where have we heard that before? Oh yeah, from every john we've ever caught with his pants down.
Keith: Veronica
Veronica: So if Jake Kane thought he and mom had "something special," would that have been okay?
Keith: Harmony is leaving her husband.
Veronica: Listen to yourself! Does her husband know this yet? (Off Keith's look that obviously means no.) Yeah. (She starts to leave.) Look, dad, do what you got to do, okay? I've seen too much working here to ever be surprised again.
Keith: I know you, Veronica, you'e not that jaded.
Veronica: I didn't use to be. I had this one shining example that gave me some faith. (She leaves Keith looking very sad indeed.)
Veronica: (She and Meryl are in her car tracking a cell signal.) I ran Sully's cards again. There were a bunch of charges from last night -- all in this neighborhood.
Meryl: Charges from where?
Veronica: Circus of Liquors. Crazy Girls, World of Cigarettes
Meryl: At least he's okay, right?
Veronica: I guess we can rule out kidnapping unless he was abducted by the Insane Clown Posse. (She pulls into a parking lot across from where the cell signal is coming from.) This is it. (She looks up and sees the sign above the door: River StiX.) Of all the gin joints in all the cities in all the world. (Meryl starts to get out of the car and Veronica grabs her arm.) Meryl, we can't go in there. Let me call someone for help. Last time I went in there my boyfriend pulled a gun on the owner of the place.
Meryl: (She glances down at the computer screen.) That's Sully's cell phone, that blinking light, right?
Veronica: We'll get help. We'll call the Sheriff.
Meryl: You mean the moron?
Veronica: He's a well-armed moron.
Meryl: Fine. (Then she bolts from the car and heads over to the bar.)
Veronica: Oh, crap.
Danny: And what gives you the idea young Billy Sullivan stopped here?
Veronica: (Looking at liquor boxes.) You're sitting on it, Potsie.
Danny: What, this? Just fell off a truck. We were lucky enough to happen by.
Veronica: (Dialing cell phone.) You mind getting this?
Danny: (Confused.) What? (Phone rings behind him at the bar and he looks toward it.) Hmm.
Veronica: Sully's cell phone. Maybe he was in here last night, tending bar. (Drunk Liam swoops in behind her, grabs her in a bear hug and picks her up off the floor.)
Liam: Uh, mind if we take you to him? (Danny laughs.)
Veronica: Let me down.
Liam: Are you here to lecture us on stealing now? (Starts swaying with her.) It's not enough your dad put half of my family in jail. Not that I hold a grudge! Nooo!! (Laughing.) Fair play, Sheriff Mars.
Meryl: Let go of her!
Liam: Patience, sister. You'll get your turn. (Dancing around drunkenly, singing along with song playing and crushing Veronica.) And a rovin', a rovin', a rovin' I'll go. For a pair of brown eyes. (Veronica's struggling to breathe.) See, now I got a real problem 'cause Private Investigator Mars sticks his nose into my business and he helps that Casablancas bitch check out of Neptune with millions in my cash. Huh?
Veronica: (Gasping.) I can't breathe.
Liam: (Laughing.) Ohhh. (Meryl grabs bottle, planning to hit him. Danny grabs it from her. Vinnie "drunkenly" stumbles over from bar and points phone at Liam.)
Vinnie: Say "cheese!" Click! (Laughs.) Got it. (Pushes button.) And send. Hey, Keith Mars is gonna love this one, Liam! (Laughs, but Liam stares at the phone and puts Veronica down.) Think of his face when he opens up this e-mail. Up high! (Holds up hand for high-five, but Liam ignores it.) Alright. Ooh, better yet, how about one of you licking her face? (Points phone to take picture and Liam grabs it and throws it across the room.) Easy, big guy.
Liam: (Sighs drunkenly.) Okay. (Walks away, starting to sing again.)
Vinnie: (Noticing Veronica's car.) Oh, sweet new ride. Hybrid, right? I'm waiting for the hybrid Camaro.
Veronica: You sobered up pretty quick.
Vinnie: What the hell are you thinking, Veronica? You got no business being in a place like that. You got me?
Veronica: It was unintentional. Hey, you didn't really send that picture message to my dad, did you?
Vinnie: Well, if I did, it was a miracle. The phone didn't have a camera on it.
Lamb: I'm gonna have Sacks take him to the hospital as soon as he gets back with my (Looking around.) bear claw.
Meryl: Can I see him?
Lamb: You got ten bucks? (Meryl looks at Veronica, who shakes her head.) Whew. Kidding.
Veronica: Hey, what are you still doing here? Didn't Logan --
Mercer: Yeah, he came by and talked to the Sheriff last night. Thanks, by the way.
Veronica: Why are you still here?
Mercer: (sighing) Oh, there's something about my attitude the Sheriff has found lacking. He's decided to keep me here as long as he's allowed under law.
Veronica: (To food court waitress as she's returning her hair-infested meal.) Excuse me, I ordered the Capellini and I'm pretty sure that hair doesn't belong to an angel.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So what would Stan Marsh say in a situation like this? I think we all learned a valuable lesson about faith.You give it to the people you love. But the people who really deserve it, are the ones who come through even when you don't love them enough.
Of Mice and Men ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
Of Mice and Men is a novellaby John Steinbeck, making it the second piece of work by Steinbeck to be morphed into an awkward pun by Veronica's writers (the first being The Grapes of Wrath/The Rapes of Graff). Clue or coincidence? The story follows the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, working in California during the Great Depression. Lennie is a bulky and physically strong man with the mind of a child, and his companion George is a man of small stature and quick wit. The two have a symbiotic relationship; George takes care of Lennie and Lennie defends George. Their dream is to one day own their own farm, where they can live off the fat of the land, and Lennie can tend rabbits.
His fascination with the soft feel of the rabbits coat continually gets Lennie into trouble. The pair had to flee from the last farm they were working on when Lennie began inappropriately touching a womans dress. The people of the town were prepared to lynch Lennie until George got him out of there, but the cycle repeated itself at the new farm they are working at when Lennie accidentally killed the wife of their new bosss son, known only as Curley's wife. (He wouldn't stop petting her beautiful hair -- which she encouraged at first, not understanding his strength or child-like mind -- and accidentally broke her neck.) Lennie hides by a river, waiting for George to meet him so they can leave again, but George realizes that they will always be on the run and will never get their farm. He kills Lennie by the river, firing a pistol in the back of his friends head.
Several cartoon characters emulate Steinbeck's odd couple. Looney Tunes cartoons frequently feature a large Lennie-like character asking a smaller character, Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go? The characters Pinky and the Brain from the animated series Animaniacs were based on the characters, and the dynamic between brothers Earl and Randy Hickey from My Name is Earl loosely mirrors the relationship between Lennie and George.
The book was adapted into a film in 1992 (with permission from Steinbeck's widow, Elaine) by actor/directed Gary Sinise. Sinise starred as George, while his Steppenwolf fellow performer, John Malkovich played Lennie. The critically-acclaimed movie also featured Twin Peaks' femme fatale, Sherilyn Fenn, as Curley's wife. In an interesting sidenote, an episode of CSI: NY, which also stars Sinise (and occasionally Kyle Gallner -- woohoo!), a primary suspect auditions for the part of George in a play adaptation of the novella.
Regarding the name, Of Mice an Men, John Steinbeck did not come up with the title. Like Rob Thomas, he used a thematic line from another piece of art (in this case a poem) to immediately set the mood of his own. The title of his novella, in fact, came from a famous poem by Robert Burns called "To A Mouse" (1785), specifically:
Though the reference to Steinbeck might be awkward, this one is a lot more relevant because this episode has similar themes to the relevant stanza about 'mice and men:' Foresight may be vain. First assumptions may be incorrect or influenced by ego, plans and ideas 'gang aft agley' or -- to misquote without Burns' Scottish brogue (like most people do) -- 'go awry'. When our egos poison our decisions, schemes go wrong and in the end we are left with pain rather than the joy that was promised to us (which is why Steinbeck used the line in his title too, I'm guessing). If that isn't relating directly to what Veronica -- our mouse with all that vice -- is experiencing in this episode, I don't know what is.
Burns' analogous relationship of man with a weak mouse struck such a chord with English readers (despite the fact that it was difficult for them to understand many of the lines in the poem, e.g. "Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie" etc.) that it has endured through the centuries, transforming into an English proverb: "The best laid plans of mice and man, often go awry."
The Paper Chase ... (Referenced by Veronica to Keith about Wallace and Piz's study plans.)
The Paper Chase is a 1970 novel, by John Jay Osborn, Jr., a 1970 graduate of Harvard Law School. The book tells the story of Hart, a Harvard Law School freshman whose problems are intensified when he falls in love with the daughter of a tyrannical instructor, Professor Kingsfield. Hart is a slightly naive but bright midwesterner who must prove himself in the arena of Professor Kingsfield's brilliant but cruel classroom. Hart becomes obsessed with excelling in Kingsfield's class, pushing himself to the brink until he meets Susan and falls in love with her only to discover that she is Kingsfield's daughter.
The 1973 movie, based "almost word for word" on the novel (according to Osborn) starred John Houseman as Kingsfield, Timothy Bottoms as Hart and Lindsay Wagner as Susan. The film has been called "a dazzlingly authentic and moving depiction of the trials and tribulations of law school" which was brought to life by the breathtaking and Oscar-winning performance of legendary actor John Houseman. Directed by James Bridges, The Paper Chase is "one of the greatest renderings of education ever captured on film."
The CBS television network aired a one-hour drama series in the 19781979 season based on the movie. John Houseman reprised his movie role, and James Stephens played Hart. Canceled after one year, PBS subsequently rebroadcast all of the episodes. In 1983, pay-cable network Showtime brought back the show with both Houseman and Stephens. At the end of three seasons on Showtime, Hart finally graduated law school.
"The Paper Chase" follows the progression of a group of freshman struggling to stay afloat in a world of high pressure and immense competition, where top grades seem to be the difference between life and death. Which, I must admit does sound a bit like Wallace's life right now. And really, considering his love of basketball, doesn't it do your heart good to see Wallace so dedicated to his studies?
Twentynine Palms ... (Referenced by Veronica to Keith about where Wallace and Piz are staying.)
Described by locals as a beautiful desert oasis, the City of Twentynine Palms, CA was incorporated on November 23, 1987, and is home to over 28,000 people. The City covers 53.75 square miles (it is larger than the city of San Francisco) and is geographically separated by a mountain range from the San Bernardino-Riverside area, which creates a unique and desirable small town living environment. With a dry desert climate its temperature range is similar to that of San-Bernardino-Riverside area, is cooler than Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, and enjoys clean air and low humidity.
Twentynine Palms first record of exploration was made in 1855 by Colonel Henry Washington; he discovered Native Americans living in the surrounding hills living near the spring they called "Mar-rah," which means "land of little water." Now known as the Oasis of Mara, it is located on the grounds that surround the headquarters of the Joshua Tree National Park. In the 1870's during the gold rush, the Oasis was a favorite camping spot among prospectors, who would rest and replenish their water supply before heading farther out into the unknown.
There are several theories regarding how the town came about its name. It is said that the name Twentynine Palms was first used by the miners because of the twenty-nine palms that surrounded the Oasis, and that it was designated as such by a pair of prospectors, Germain and McKenzie, who said their claim was a certain distance from twenty-nine palms springs. One theory claims that it was Colonel Washington himself who named the town after the number of palm trees he found near the oasis at the time of his 1855 survey. None of the stories have ever been verified.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps ... (Referenced by Piz to Veronica as he points out his guitar.)
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by The Beatles from The White Album. Written by lead guitarist George Harrison, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was recorded on July 25, 1968, and released November 22, 1968. Harrison's inspiration for the song came from reading the I Ching, which Harrison interpreted to be based on the concept that everything is relative to everything else. With this in mind, he determined to write a song based on the first words he saw when opening a random book. Those words were "gently weeps," and he began the song. The other Beatles initially showed no interest in the song, but Harrison was determined. He invited Eric Clapton to one of the group's recording sessions, and the song was recorded with Clapton on lead guitar, freeing Harrison to play only rhythm and vocal.
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" has been covered by such artists as Peter Frampton, Phish, Dave Specter and more. On November 29, 2002, the first anniversary of Harrison's death, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty performed the song at the Concert for George with a solo by Eric Clapton. In 2004 at George Harrison's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was played in tribute by fellow inductee Prince, along with Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison and others. A video of the tribute can be found here. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is ranked #135 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The lyrics are:
Written by Stephen King and published in 1977, The Shining was the author's first hardback best-seller. The novel has since been adapted as both a feature film and as a television miniseries.
The plot revolves around the Torrance family: Jack, his wife Wendy and their son Danny. Jack has a history with alcoholism and a violent temper, which caused him to lose his job as a teacher. He takes on employment as a caretaker at The Overlook Hotel, in Colorado, which closes for the winter due to its isolated location and the severe winter storms of the area. Jack hopes the isolation will enable him to work on his writing career. However, The Outlook isn't just an ordinary hotel. It's one with character, its own history of violence and tragedy, and it may be "alive," in a way. This becomes quickly apparent to young Danny, who has what one character refers to as "the shining." He is sensitive to the supernatural. As the story unfolds, the danger grows when Jack becomes possessed by the spirit of the hotel and becomes increasingly paranoid, angry, and eventually violent.
The 1980 Stanley Kubrick feature film The Shining starred Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance and Shelley Duvall as Wendy.
In one of the creepier moments of the film, Wendy finds the "book" Jack has been working at during their stay. The stack of paper contains one line typed over and over and over again: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
The Emmy-nominated 1997 miniseries starred Steven Weber (Jack) and Rebecca De Mornay (Wendy).
Sacramento ... (Referenced by the location Meryl flew in from.)
Sac, Sacto, River City, Capital City -- these are all names given to the capital of California, the city of Sacramento.
Originally inhabited by Maidu, Valley Miwok and Snonommey Indians, Sacramento was named by the Spanish explorer who discovered the Sacramento Valley and River in the early nineteenth century, Gabriel Moraga. The name is based around the word 'sacrament.' The city of Sacramento was founded in 1848 by John Sutter, growing out of the trading colony and stockade he established, Sutter's Fort. During the gold rush, the town was a major distribution point. Incorporated in 1850, Sacramento is the second oldest in the state (after San Francisco). In 1854, the California State Legislature officially declared Sacramento the state's capital.
Located in California's Central Valley at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, the city has a population of 457,514 (2006), making it the seventh largest in the state. It is the fourth largest metropolitan area in California and is made up of five counties: El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter and Yolo. The city has a total area of 99.2 square miles and a mild climate. California State University, Sacramento ("Sac State") is the local university. The largest employer is the State of California.
The State Capital building in Sacramento and the landmark Tower Bridge, which crosses the Sacramento River.
Professional sports teams include the Sacramento Kings (NBA basketball), the Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA basketball) and the River Cats (minor league baseball).
Once used just for transportation and commerce, the American and Sacramento Rivers are now also popular recreational waterways. Other popular attractions include the California State Fair, the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee (every Memorial Day), the Sacramento Ballet, the Crocker Art Museum, and the California State Railroad Museum. The area where the original city was located is referred to as Old Sac and has become a bit of a tourist attraction with its cobbled streets, historical buildings, paddle steamers and steam-hauled trains.
The last California State Governor to make Sacramento his permanent residence was Ronald Reagan in 1967.
Facebook ... (Referenced by Veronica when asking Meryl why Scarlett Reyes is circled.)
A facebook is a pictorial directory or electronic database with the photographs and names of students, put together by the administration at some universities. They are distributed at the start of the year, usually during freshman orientation or move-in-week (rather than at the end of term like a yearbook), with the goal of helping students get to know each other.
Facebook.com, established in 2004, serves as a paper-free version of the facebook. It is a non-profit blog spot similar to Live Journal or MySpace, offered to help people from schools, companies, or regions organize virtual communities over the internet, by sharing their names, pictures, and interests with a friends list. As of the end of 2005, Facebooks network included over two thousand colleges and twenty-five thousand high schools across the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, and hosted more than eleven thousand users worldwide.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ... (Referenced by Landry tells Veronica he's recommending her for a summer internship.)
Created in 1908 by Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte as the official investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was tasked with investigating antitrust matters, land fraud, copyright violations, peonage, and twenty other crimes. It wasn't until the 1930s that, in response to the violence of organized crime following in the wake of Prohibition, Congress passed the Federal Kidnapping Act and the 1934 May/June Crime Bills. These new laws gave the FBI authority to act in previously off-limit areas, to make arrests and to carry weapons. At this time, the BOI was renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
During the 1930s, the FBI played a prominent role in the aggressive pursuit and apprehension of well-known gangsters, earning the FBI's agents the nickname "G-Men." In the following decades, the FBI's efforts were directed at a wide range of issues including subversion, espionage, sabotage, civil rights violations, organized crime, white collar crime and high technology crimes.
The FBI's motto is "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity," and its currently stated mission is "to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats and to enforce the criminal laws of the United States."
FBI Headquarters is located in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C. The most well-known Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover held the office from 1924 to 1972. Upon his death, the FBI instituted a policy to limit future Directors to a term of no more than ten years. Today, the FBI's workforce includes more than 11,000 Special Agents, Legal Attachs (LEGATS) stationed in foreign countries and 1,000 FBI Police officers whose job it is to protect the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the FBI's training Academy in Quantico and the Washington and New York Field Offices.
Quantico ... (Referenced by Landry telling Veronica about the intern program.)
Quantico is located in Prince William County, Virginia. The town has a total land area of 0.1 square miles and a population of only 561, as of the 2000 census. It is home to Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, which is one of the world's largest U.S. Marine Corps bases. This base houses the training academies for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as well as the Marine Corps Combat Development Command and the presidential helicopter squadron, HMX-1.
Opened in 1972, the FBI training academy conducts eighteen-week courses all through the year. It is a secured facility and not open to the public. In addition to its three dormitories, dining hall, library and classrooms, the training facility includes a mock town (Hogan's Alley), firing ranges and a track for training pursuit and defensive driving techniques.
For more information on the FBI Academy and their various training units, visit their official website.
Jailhouse Rock / "If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair." ... (Referenced by Veronica talking to Mercer in his cell.)
In the context of its time, the song is very interesting. It's believed to be alluding to homosexual relationships between inmates:
GQ ... (Referenced by Mercer tells Veronica about cologne sampler.)
GQ, originally known as Gentlemens Quarterly, is a monthly men's magazine that focuses on men's fashion and style. It also features articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, toys, and books. GQ is generally perceived as more upscale than other "lad" mags, such as Maxim or FHM. This perception is due to the fact that GQ aims towards an audience that is older and that has a higher income than most other men's magazines. Its kind of like Vogue or Cosmo -- just for guys.
Gentlemen's Quarterly was launched in 1931 as Apparel Arts, a fashion quarterly for men. The name was changed in 1957, and the magazine moved from quarterly to monthly publication in the 1970s, with a focus still on fashion and style. In 1983, editor Art Cooper changed the course of the magazine by introducing articles beyond fashion that targeted stylish heterosexual and metrosexual men and establishing GQ as a general men's magazine in competition with Esquire.
GQ is published by Conde Nast Publications. As of December 31, 2003, GQ is ranked 114th in the world in circulation reaching 788,851 people. The magazine name's abbreviation has also evolved into an adjective that refers to a man who is both stylish and suave. Just think 'the opposite of Lamb.' You get the picture. Really, here's a picture of a man definitely fitting the GQ mode, gracing its cover:
GHB ... (Referenced by Veronica asks Mercer about the drugs found in the cash box.)
Acronym for Gamma hydroxy butyrate or Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, Sodium Oxybate. Trace amounts are found naturally in the human body. However, the main ingredients in synthetic GHB are basically degreasing solvent or floor stripper mixed with drain cleaner. The common nicknames are Gamma-OH, Liquid Ecstasy, Fantasy, Easy Lay and Cherry Meth. It is usually found in a clear liquid, which looks just like water and is packaged in a 30ml clear plastic bottle. It is also found infrequently as a white powder.
The common effects from use are intoxication, increased energy, happiness, desire to socialize, feeling affectionate and playful, mild disinhibition, enhanced sexual experience and loss of gag reflex. Many people have bad reactions including nausea, headaches, drowsiness and amnesia. The effects of large doses include sedation, desire to sleep, rambling incoherent speech, difficulty thinking, passing out and, in extreme cases, death.
Real Genius ... (Referenced by Meryl's laser-cannon theory she spins to Veronica.)
Real Genius is the fabulously funny 1985 film about smart kids at an advanced technical university that unwittingly help their egomaniacal professor design a laser for the U.S. government that can vaporize a human target from space. And no, I'm not joking. That's what it's really about.
MEET CHRIS KNIGHT, THE EINSTEIN OF THE 80'S
He can turn lasers into light shows,
armchairs into aircraft, and high tech into high jinks.
But when his professor steals his prize invention
he turns revenge into high comedy.
Mitch (Gabe Jarret) is a 15 year old uber-genius freshman recruited by the nefarious Dr. Hathaway (William Atherton) to attend the prestigious and totally ficticious Pacific Tech University. He's brought in to head up his A-team of science geeks who are working to build a very small but powerful laser. Hathaway has Mitch room with his resident genius, Chris Knight (Val Kilmer), a brilliant young man who we learn is a legend in the national physics club. However, unlike most of the guys at this university, Chris isn't stuffy or dry or boring or socially inept. Instead, he's evolved into a sexy (yet silly) lady-killer who uses his extraordinary mental powers to do things like turn the entire dorm floor into an ice skating rink ("Welcome to Pacific Tech's Smart People on Ice!", converting the performance hall into a pool party (the orchestra pit serves as the pool) complete with buxom coed students from Wanda Trussler's School of Beauty, while coercing his fellow geeks into bucking authority and having a little fun. Hathaway hopes that Chris will help draw Mitch out of his shell and give him confidence in more than his intellect, and that Mitch will help ground Chris and encourage his dedication to the laser project.
For the most part, things go swimmingly. Chris gets motivated to solve Dr. Hathaway's power problem on the laser project and Mitch learns to party, wear jeans and talk to girls. As you might guess, things take a turn for the worse once the laser is complete because what these geniuses don't know is that the laser project is the result of a big money contract Hathaway has with the DOD (Department of Defense). For lots and lots of moolah, Hathaway agreed to design a space-age weapon that will allow the U.S government to cleanly eradicate political and military threats from deep space. (No seriously -- that's the plan. If you don't believe me, wait until you see the "pitch" video the government runs for the planning team.) Anyway, once the guys find out that their incredible creation will be used for evil rather than good, they devise a plan to stop the government, destroy the laser, publicly humiliate Dr. Hathaway and punish him for his lack of humanity all in one fell swoop.
The movie is chock full of great lines and performances -- particularly Kilmer who I swear has never been funnier or more adorable -- and is highly enjoyable despite the 80's production values and tone. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie involves the popping of an enormous amount of popcorn -- so much popcorn, in fact, that it decimates an entire house.
It is definitely one of my all time favorite films and the reference in Of Vice and Men to this obscure little gem of a film made me squee with joy. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend that you do. This one gets two thumbs way up from me.
Occam's Razor ... (Referenced by Veronica explains the theory to Meryl.)
entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.
Got that? Yeah, me neither. But the smart folks tell us that, translated from Latin, it means: Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity. This is the principle known as Occam's/Ockham's razor (spelling varies), named so after medieval English philosopher and Franciscan monk William of Ockham (1285-1349). Being the follower of St. Francis meant that William was a minimalist espousing a life of poverty, and, like his idol, he questioned the Pope on this subject. Pope John XXII excommunicated William for his trouble. In response William wrote a treatise demonstrating that Pope John was a heretic. You go, Bill!
The principle called after him wasn't, however, invented by Occam, but rather became associated with him due to the fact that he used it so frequently. (William would probably be shocked to find out that today the principle anointed with his name is often used in arguments against the existence of God, reasoning that everything in the world can be accounted for without the Higher Power). The principle was common in medieval reductionist philosophy of nominalism. The basic statement of Occam's razor is that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no observable difference to the explanatory theory or hypothesis. To put it plainer, "all things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." So, when several competing theories are equal in most respects, the theory that should be selected is the one that introduces the fewest assumptions and hypotheticals.
Let us use an example, Veronica. There is a random guy named Piz who stares at you every time you meet as if he is seeing the eighth wonder of the world. This guy sends you eight e-mails to remind you of his radio show and existence. He invites you to an outing with "the gang," and the aforementioned "gang" is conspicuously absent once you get there. He ogles you during an oh-so-innocent sleepover in his room while you parade around in your underwear? There are several theories that may account for this phenomenon. He could be afflicted with a strange, rare, undiagnosed condition that is triggered by your proximity. He could have invented some kind of laser cannon that could assassinate people from space, and now he wants you to save him from Dr. Evil and simply doesn't know how to broach the subject. Or -- and bear with me on this one, Veronica -- he could have a gigantic crush on you and want to steal you from your boyfriend. You are a smart girl, a detective, you figure out which is the simplest possible explanation.
X-Box ... (Referenced by Glen when he tells Veronica and Meryl he's back because his stepmom confiscated it.)
Xbox is a video game console manufactured by Microsoft, rivaling Sony's PlayStation and Nintentdos GameCube. It was released in the U.S. in November, 2001, along with several launch titles including Halo: Combat Evolved, Amped, and Dead or Alive 3. The console's successor, Xbox 360 launched in May 2005.
The Xbox is the Holy Grail game console for most full-blooded American males. Logan and Dick bond over Logans Xbox in Donut Run and The Rapes of Graff, and the 2004 release of Xbox's Halo 2 (of 'get high and play Halo'-fame) set a record as the highest grossing release in entertainment history, making over $100 million on its first day. A year after Xbox's US release, Microsoft launched a broadband only Xbox Live online gaming service, which allows subscribers to play select games online with other subscribers around the world and to download new games and content directly to the system's hard drive. The original Xbox was sold in the US for $299.00 in its first year, but the price has dropped to as low as $150.00 in subsequent years.
Palm Springs ... (Referenced by Harmony invites Keith there for the weekend.)
Palm Springs, California is a desert resort city approximately 110 miles east of Los Angeles. Palm Springs is home to some of the most famous golf courses in the U.S. and also has facilities for swimming, horseback riding, tennis, and hiking. From the 1930's to the 1970's, Palm Springs earned a reputation as a place of health, relaxation, wealth, and glamour. It was the favorite vacation spot for some of Hollywood's most glamorous stars - Cary Grant, Howard Hughes, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, Debbie Reynolds, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Sonny Bono, Cher, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin - and earned the nickname "Playground of the Stars."
Let's Make a Deal/"What's Behind Door #2?" ... (Referenced by Vinnie when he tries to play it with Keith.)
Let's Make A Deal is an NBC gameshow created by Stefan Hatos and Monty Hall (who was also the original host). It was most popular in the 1960's and 1970's but reruns have been broadcast frequently, most recently on The Game Show Network (2001-2005) with a recent new production in 2006 for the Gameshow Marathon on CBS.
Though it was never part of the show's plan, the studio audience began dressing up in more and more ridiculous costumes (like turnips and, memorably, the Jolly Green Giant) in an attempt to be noticed by Monty Hall (who selected eight contestants from the studio audience to participate in each episode). If Monty Hall selected you, you participated in a series of trades leading up to the Big Deal.
Contestants would bring in small, mostly useless, items from home to trade in the hopes that the prize behind the curtain turned out to be something good, like a car, instead of something bad, like a camel (although an alpaca would be sweet). At the end of the show, Monty would ask the contestants if they'd like to keep what they traded or take a shot at The Big Deal of the Day. The first two traders to take a chance would be given a choice between door #1, door #2, and door #3. You can find out more about the show on the official site.
It's kind of perfect that Vinnie references a show where customers dressed up ridiculously incognito to get their deals done. Hee. Vinnie originally offers Keith a deal to tell him where Kendall's money is in return for splitting the Fitzpatrick's retainer. When that deal is refused, Keith offers him a "peek behind door #2" at the photos Vinnie snapped of Keith in flagrante. Double the money Mr Chase offered and everyone's happy ... except Mr. Chase. "Sound like a deal, Keith?"
Fotomat ... (Referenced by Vinnie when he tells Keith the girl there called him a "human tripod.")
Once upon a time, Fotomat was a widespread retail chain of photo development drive-thru kiosks located in various shopping center parking lots. The Fotomat Corporation was founded by Preston Fleet in San Diego, California in the 1960s. The first kiosk was opened in Point Loma, California in 1965, became a public company in 1971, and was later listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1977.
At its peak around 1980 there were over four thousand Fotomats throughout the United States, primarily in suburban areas. Fotomats were distinctive for their pyramid shaped gold-colored roofs and signs with red-lettering. They sold Kodak-brand film and other photography related products. Fotomats biggest selling point was their one-day photo finishing guarantee -- and back in the day, that really meant something!
In the early 1980's, Fotomat Corporation was acquired by Konischiroku Photo Industry Ltd., which sold it to Konica Photo Imaging in 1986. It was later sold to Viewpoint Corporation in 2002. As the company's main product, one-day development, was made obsolete by one-hour photo development, the retail kiosk-huts went the way of the dinosaur. Fotomat's main product is now the online digital photo software site Fotomat.com. So either Vinnie's remark about being the human tripod was wishful thinking, or he's got access to a Delorian and he gets his photos developed in 1980.
Dolce and Gabbana ... (Referenced by Veronica when asking Scarlett about her study outfit.)
Dolce & Gabbana SpA is a high-end fashion company founded by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in 1980. Dolce & Gabbana is organized into two central brands: 'D&G' and 'Dolce & Gabbana.' 'D&G' is generally the more casual lines with cheaper prices, while 'Dolce & Gabbana' is focused on haute couture and expensive price tags. Since their first collection showing and boutique opening in Milan in 1986 and 1990 respectively, Dolce and Gabbana have opened stores in major cosmopolitan cities across the world, kicking off their first US store in Houston in 1995.
Still based in Milan, Dolce & Gabbana are very popular designers for the Hollywood set; Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Kylie Minogue and others are frequent customers. The private side of Dolce and Gabbana became public in early 2005, when the duo officially announced their romantic separation after nineteen years as a couple. The company has remained intact and Dolce and Gabbana continue to design together.
Quid Pro Quo ... (Referenced by Landry when he assures Veronica there's none involved to his help with the internship.)
Literally translated, quid pro quo means this for that. It is doing something for someone in order to get something in return. In other words, Troy fixed Veronica's tire to get her to go out with him or, more specifically, to get her to go to his party.
Keith Richards ... (Referenced by Piz when complaining that he wouldnt sleep on the floor.)
An English guitarist, singer, and songwriter Keith Richards is a founding member (along with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones) of The Rolling Stones -- one of the most renowned, prolific and iconic rock-and-roll bands in history -- that helped spearhead the British Invasion of the 1960s, and led the British R&B boom of the same decade. Their rebellious and bohemian image is often emulated but never matched by other bands.
Keith Richards was born on December 18, 1943. Influenced by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, Richards had developed a two-guitar style of interwoven leads and rhythms. In fact, this style and sound is considered his leading contribution to The Stones. Richards often uses guitars with open tunings, and he has recorded possibly the first hit featuring a guitar fuzz effect that has since become widely used by guitarists everywhere. His songwriting contribution to the band cannot be overlooked. In collaboration with Mick Jagger he co-authored songs on all The Stones albums, notably the 1965 hit "(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction" that established the band globally. Richards has also done numerous solo recordings, as well as recordings with other artists.
One would assume that with such brilliant career and the amount of accolades and achievements, Keith Richards would be best known for his musical prowess. One would be wrong. Keith Richards is most famous for his image as a drug addict. An image that was, at least at the beginning, largely cultivated by The Stones themselves, as a part of the "counter-culture" aesthetic of the 1960's and '70's. Heroin addiction in particular almost ended Richards life, but still, he is unapologetic about his drug use and his decadent life style. He has made occasional attempts to kick the habit throughout his career, but he could never see them through. Consequently, the first thing one notices about Keith Richards is the fact that he looks as if he died a while ago.
So, to contradict Pizs statement (and Veronicas agreement to it), Keith Richards probably would sleep on the floor. In fact, he quite possibly has done so in numerous drugged stupor-induced occasions. Therefore, Piz, embrace your hero and see the bright future that awaits you:
Tijuana ... (Referenced by Logan tells Veronica about his summer trip with Mercer.)
Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California. The current mayor is Jorge Hank Rhon of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The city stands on the U.S. Mexico border, adjacent to San Diego, California to the north. The city's motto is "Aqui empieza la patria," which translates to The homeland starts here. It is sometimes referred to as the "Most visited city in the world" due to its proximity to the world's busiest border crossing. The city is commonly called TJ in Southern California. The most popular tourist attraction is Avenida Revolucion. Many foreigners visit the strip to drink, buy prescription drugs, bootleg brand-name clothing and accessories, and Mexican curiosities. There are also plenty of nightclubs in Plaza Fiesta, across from the Plaza Rio Mall that are mainly frequented by the locals. The Revolucion strip is also famous for its nearby red-light district La Coahuila, which boast numerous street prostitutes and various strip clubs.
Flaming D.P.s ... (Referenced by Logan's story about Mercer's hotel fire.)
A Flaming Dr. Pepper, named for the soft drink that this alcoholic mix supposedly tastes like, is ... not a good idea. This website offers an amusing recipe of sorts, as well as some helpful safety hints for those uh ..brave enough to try this at home. To quote one tip, "Getting burned hurts."
The drink is made by dropping a shot glass of amaretto into a mug of beer. The shot glass is topped off with Bacardi 151, which works like lighter fluid to ignite the shot glass before dropping it into the mug. I guess its a drinking game of sorts, and everyone races to chug the drink. Maybe in the future, Mercer could just follow Logan's example and opt to entertain the ladies with a rousing game of Quarters or "I Never."
Mexico ... (Referenced by Logan when he tells Veronica about this summer trip with Mercer.)
Mexico (Spanish: Mxico) is a country located in North America, approximately 753,665 square miles in size, bordered at the north by the United States, and at the south with Guatemala and Belize in Central America. It is the northernmost and westernmost country in Latin America, and with a population of 106.5 million, Mexico is also the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. The official name is Estados Unidos Mexicanos, which translates as the United Mexican States. The term State of Mexico (Estado de Mexico) does not refer to the country, but only to one state within Mexico, located near the center of the country adjacent to the Federal District.
U.S. citizens, like Keith's crazy bail-jumper, have been known to cross the border into Mexico to evade U.S. authorities and skip tracers (like Papa Mars). Most often, these individuals cross the border into Tijuana due to its proximity to the world's busiest border crossing. What is interesting is that criminals continue to cross into Mexico to evade criminal prosecution despite the extradition treaty that has been in place between the U.S. and Mexico since 1980.
According to EscapingJustice.com, the Treaty provides for extradition of a party who has been charged with or found guilty of an offense committed in the United States, who has fled to Mexico. An offense is extraditable if it is a crime in both countries and punishable by incarceration for a period of one year or more. The Extradition Treaty further provides that where the offense for which extradition is sought is punishable by death, extradition may be refused unless assurances are given that the death penalty shall not be imposed, and if imposed, shall not be executed.
Blues Brothers / "Orange whip?" ... (Referenced by Veronica's question to Meryl after Piz asks for egg sandwich.)
The immortal line is uttered by the late John Candy, who is but one of the great supporting cast in The Blues Brothers, a 1980 comedy about Jake and Elwood Blues, two blues singers and petty criminals, who must stage a concert to save the orphanage in which they grew up. The characters originally came from a "Saturday Night Live" sketch. In order to complete the mission the brothers must overcome a number of obstacles, including being targeted by a "mystery woman," chased by the police, the neo-Nazis, and a country and western band (yeah, the last one is the scariest!).
The film, written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis and directed by Landis, also included memorable performances by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray Charles.
And for the wondering minds among us, Orange Whip is made with
Insane Clown Posse ... (Referenced by Veronica when telling Meryl that Sully wasn't kidnapped, unless it was by them.)
The Insane Clown Posse (ICP) are an American horrorcore rap duo originally from Michigan. Made up of Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler), they almost always appear in black and white "evil clown" makeup. The duo has recorded nine full-length albums, with a tenth set to be released sometime in the next few months. They have also released a number of EP's, compilations and remixes. The group has had four platinum and eleven gold albums.
Originally known as The JJ Boys, the group was formed in 1989 while the members were still in their teens. They started out as a trio, the third member being John Kickjazz (John Utsler, Joseph's brother), and late changed their name to "Inner City Posse." John Kickjazz left the group before the release of Carnival of Carnage, their first album as Insane Clown Posse. Rapper Kalyn Garcia (aka Greeze-E) joined the group for one album but subsequently left, and ICP has remained a duo ever since. ICP has referred to each of their albums as "Joker's Cards," with Carnival of Carnage designated as "The First Joker's Card." In 1997 the Fourth Joker Card, The Great Milenko, was unexpectedly pulled from the shelves (after having already been subject to a number of changes) by Disney-owned record label Hollywood Records in the face of criticism from religious organizations, and the group was dropped from the label. The incident sparked a media frenzy, and ICP made appearances on MTV expressing their anger over the incident. A deal was eventually reached with Island Records and the album was released in its original, uncut form. The publicity fueled the group's success, and both The Great Milenko and the Fifth Joker Card, The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, went platinum.
In 2002 and 2004 the group released two different versions of the Sixth Joker's Card, which, as they had explained ten years previously, would explain all about the Dark Carnival, a powerful force that the band refers to on every album. The face of the card was "The Wraith," but it was up to each listener to decide which version (The Wraith: Shangri-La or The Wraith: Hell's Pit) was the correct one. In the final track of The Wraith: Shangri-La, ICP revealed their secret: "Truth is, we follow God, we've always been behind him." All of the joker cards are a reference to sins on earth and "The Wraith" is a reference to Him coming back to judge the dead.
Although ICP has been voted one of the worst bands of any genre in various polls, including ones from Spin and Rolling Stone, the group has many loyal fans, called "Juggalos" (or "Juggalettes"). "Juggalos" comes from one of Violent J's alter-egos, "The Juggla," a psychotic carnival juggler. Juggalos often paint their faces in the group's signature black-and-white clownface makeup.
Casablanca / "Of all the gin joints" ... (Referenced by Veronica's reaction to tracking Sully to the River Styx.)
This 1940 film classic stars Humphrey Bogart as nightclub owner and cynical American expatriate Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as his onetime love, Ilsa. It is set in World War II French-occupied Morocco. Rick struggles with both his love for Ilsa and his bitterness towards her for ditching him in Paris, and his quandary is further complicated when Ilsa asks him to help her resistance leader husband evade German capture.
Casablanca was an immediate hit and consistently ranks on best and most popular movie lists world-wide. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay in 1944. Casablanca is often remembered for its many legendary quotes, such as Rick's musing, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine," as well as "Here's looking at you, kid" and the oft-misquoted "Play it again, Sam." (Actual quote: "You played it for her, you can play it for me. Play it!")
Happy Days / "Potsie" ... (Referenced by Veronica when she calls Danny this.)
Happy Days was a popular television show that originally aired from 1974 to 1984; it presented the idea of life in the late 1950's America. The show revolved around the life of a middle-class family, the Cunninghams, who resided in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The show originally focused on the four Cunninghams: Tom Bosley as father, Howard, Marion Ross as mother, Marion, Ron Howard and Erin Moran as their children, high-schoolers Richie, and Joanie. There was also Richie's older brother, Chuck, but he abruptly disappeared in the second season, for no apparent reason. Two actors played the role, Gavan O'Herlihy and Randolph Roberts.
Early episodes revolved around Richie and his friends, Ralph Malph and Warren "Potsie" Weber, dealing with the troubles of being teenagers in 1950's and early/mid 1960's Milwaukee. During the first season, the character of Arthur "Fonzie"/"The Fonz" Fonzarelli started to become a fan favorite, although he was originally meant to be a local high school drop out and only occasionally seen. However, the Fonz proved popular with viewers and was soon given more and more screen time by the writers, becoming a permanent member of the cast in the second season credits, taking the place of BFF to Richie while Potsie and Ralph were more like sidekicks. The two did stick around throughout the series' entire run, however, and if not as popular as the Fonz, Potsie was loved (and arguably, more popular than Ralph). There was a genial innocence mixed in with a tomfoolery to the character that actor Anson Williams brought to life wonderfully.
After Happy Days ended, Williams (like former co-star Howard) went onto direct, staying in television (unlike Howard). He has directed for many shows, including Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, seaQuest DSV, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Charmed. In 2005, Anson Williams and the rest of the cast of Happy Days appeared in Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion on ABC.
Hybrid (Vehicle) ... (Referenced by Vinnie to Veronica about her new car.)
Veronica's Saturn VUE doesn't have quite the same character as her rust bucket LeBaron -- okay, it doesn't really have any character at all, but it is fuel efficient. The Saturn VUE is a mild hybrid, which means that unlike a full hybrid vehicle, it cannot solely operate on its electric motor; it also employs a gasoline engine. The VUE conserves gas through its engine shut-down feature. The engine shuts off when the vehicle stops and restarts once it starts moving again.
Like any car, a hybrid vehicle has a gasoline engine; the difference is that a hybrid engine is smaller and more efficient. A hybrid's fuel tank stores energy for the engine. The electric motor on a hybrid can work in two ways. When acting as a motor, it draws energy from the vehicle's batters in order to accelerate. The motor can also act as a generator, in which case energy is returned to the batteries. A generator helps to slow down the vehicle as it is decelerating.
Some of the benefits of owning a hybrid are reduced petroleum consumption (and therefore less air pollution), less engine and brake wear, and better fuel economy. Also, purchasing a hybrid qualifies buyers for a tax credit up to $3400. Some cities in the United States even offer free or discounted parking to hybrid drivers.
Camaro ... (Referenced by Vinnie saying he wants a hybrid Camaro.)
The Chevrolet Camaro was first released by General Motors for the 1967 model year. Its competition that year was the redesigned Ford Mustang. Since then the Camaro has gone through four generations of models, the latest ending in 2002 due to a decline in sales. Only 42,098 cars were produced for that year. The 2002 Camaro was meant to be the final model, but a fifth generation began in 2006 with the Camaro Concept. A new and highly anticipated model is to be released in 2009, and sadly, Vinnie, it will not be a hybrid ...
Arrested Development / "No touching!" ... (Referenced by Lamb to Sully and Meryl at his cell.)
The brilliant, much-lamented Arrested Development ran for two and a half seasons on Fox. Despite being perhaps the most critically acclaimed comedy EVER, including two consecutive best comedy Emmy wins and a third nomination, the series was canceled mid-season three due to low ratings. No matter how many critics shouted how magnificent the show was from the rooftops (and it was, it was!), how many awards it won, it just could not find an audience. (Sound familiar?)
The story, as told by the opening credit narration with a visual run-down of the players, tells "the story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together ... It's Arrested Development." And really, that's it. The plots basically revolve around the insane and vain family members and the only sane one in the bunch trying to hold it all together and it's their lunacy, both of the insane and sane variety that feeds the show.
George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), ran a development firm (thus the second half of the title) and in the pilot episode was arrested for tax fraud (thus the first half of the title) ... and perhaps "light" treason. His family includes wife, Lucille (Jessica Walter) an utterly self-absorbed narcissist, his eldest son, GOB a.k.a. George Oscar Bluth II; pronounced Jobe (Will Arnett), an utterly self-deluded narcissist, twins Michael (Jason Bateman) and Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), the former is a dedicated, hard-working, honorable man and the latter is an utterly self-absorbed, self-deluded narcissist, and his youngest son, Byron "Buster" (Tony Hale), an innocent, child-like, well, weirdo -- albeit a very lovable one. Rounding out the family is Lindsay's husband, Tobias Fnke (David Cross), former analyst/therapist (his business cards read "analrapist"), current struggling "actor," their daughter Mae "Maeby," (Alia Shawkat) a smart-ass, wannabe bad girl, with an amazing career trajectory (development head of a major movie studio at fifteen) who just wants to be loved, and finally, George Michael (Michael Cera), Michael's son, the sweetest, most kind-hearted character perhaps ever shown on television -- who just wants to love his cousin, Maebe. George Sr.'s twin brother Oscar (he of the stress-free long, flowing hair, unlike the nearly bald George Sr.) was introduced in episode 1.20, Whister's Mother.
From l to r; Gob (Arnett), George Sr. (Tambor), Lindsay (de Rossi), Tobias (Cross), Michael (Bateman),
Lucille (Walter), George Michael (Cera), Maebe (Shawkat) and Buster (Hale).
Creator Michael Hurwitz, along with executive producers Ron Howard (who provided the voice of the "Narrator" in every episode) and Brian Grazer, brought the formerly wealthy, thoroughly dysfunctional Bluth family to life in a mock-umentary style format that eschewed the use of the typical sitcom laugh track.
Focusing on the tension that developed between the members of the Bluth clan, each episode of this hysterically funny, dead-before-its-time show, included a mix of sibling rivalries, miscommunication, pride, lying, guilt, taboo cousin-lovin', subterfuge, oedipal complexes, social status concern -- to name a few of the multitude of themes. If you've never watched an episode -- and the lack of ratings would suggest that the majority of America has not -- I would highly recommend you do what ever is necessary (borrow, steal, rent) the DVD's and have yourself a good ol' fashioned Arrested-a-thon. Trust me. You won't be disappointed.
Phew! The "No touching" bit references George Sr.'s stay in jail. Introduced in the second episode of the series, Top Banana, whenever family, lawyers, undercover FBI-agents pretending to be fans of his self-help video line visit, George Sr. and visitors must be wary of physically touching in any way as such a display automatically brings about a sharp command of "no touching!" Oftentimes, George Sr. or his visitor when pulling back from the touch will repeat the phrase. "No touching" was said several times throughout the series' run and pretty much never failed to bring a laugh ... just like about every other line or look ever delivered or seen on this show.
Damn good show! Ahem. Veronica Mars viewers will remember George Michael and Maebe (Cera and Shawkat) from their appearance in episode sixteen of the second season, The Rapes of Graff as Dean (the Hearst orientation student) and Stacey (the first rape victim we met). Alas, they shared no scenes. ::Sniff, sniff::
Cowboy Up" ... (Referenced by Logan when prompting Veronica to take her medicine.)
"Cowboy up" is a slang term that means to get tough in times of adversity. Although it originally came from its use in rodeos and the cowboy life to refer to getting back in the saddle after being thrown, it is now used for any difficult situation. The phrase was recently made popular by the 2003 Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball, when the team and its fans adopted the phrase as a slogan and rallying cry during the playoffs after it was first uttered by first baseman Kevin Millar. The team even began playing a country song of the same name (by Ryan Reynolds) during games to accompany a video of the Red Sox highlights.
Cowboy Up is also the title of a 2001 film starring Kiefer Sutherland, a paperback book by Mike Flanagan, and a 2002 documentary, all about the world of professional bull riding and rodeos.
South Park / Stan Marsh / "You know, I learned something today." ... (Referenced by Veronica about the episode's lesson for her.)
Stanley Marsh is one of the four central characters in the animated television series, South Park. Created and written by Trey Parker (who provides Stan's voice) and Matt Stone, the show follows the antics of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny in their little mountain town of South Park, Colorado. The show routinely satirizes current events and pop culture topics.
Stan is the son of Randy and Sharon Marsh and has one sibling, sister Shelley. His best friend is Kyle Broflovski and Stan spent many seasons nursing a crush on Wendy Testaburger. Stan is often used as the more honest, level-headed voice of reason in his group of friends. Many times over the years, Stan has given a small speech humorously summing up an episode's plot fallout, beginning with: "You know, I learned something today "
The series debuted in 1997 and just finished airing its tenth season on Comedy Central.
- Hee, the Coffee bar in the cafeteria is called "Hallowed Grounds." It appears that even the set designers on Veronica Mars love the pun-laden titles.
- I wonder if Veronica used Occam's Razor to figure out that Duncan was dumping her "the coward's way." Hee.
- I wish we could have regular Wallace investigating Veronica's cases with her. Wallace 2.Pervy, a.k.a. Piz, just isn't the same.
- Meryl was sleeping in a blue jersey that says 'Sullivan' on the back. I wonder if she had that with her when she was in a different state or if she pulled it out of his closet to comfort her when she was sleeping. Sweet.
- Mercer mocking the evidence against him ... which was found by Veronica. Ha! Classic. And Veronica comes back at him with the only part of the evidence she didn't find -- the GHB. Wow. She must be slipping if Lamb's a better detective than her.
- Hee. Logan's been bragging about how swell Veronica is to his buddy. Awwwwww, poor smitten lapdog.
- Logan has finally learned to call Keith "Mr. Mars" rather than "Dude!" Go, Logan!
- So, I'm guessing Liam didn't find Kendall's body either since he's under the impression that she's still alive and Keith's helped her hide with the cash. That answers the question of who hid Kendall's body and now we'll never know where she is if Cormac's dead too.
- Veronica's now been saved by two guys drawing 'blanks' in the River Stix. Logan pulled a gun with no bullets. Vinnie pulled a phone with no camera. Hee. Sometimes you can be more subtle the second time around.
- If you're wondering why no one in the cafeteria noticed a man in black dropping a vial of mysterious liquid in the unsuspecting-Veronica's drink, check the scene again. The people at the nearest table are busy playing Rock!Paper!Scissors!
- Woe. Logan grabs at his heart when he finds Veronica collapsed on the ground.
- Great makeup work on Veronica's bald patch at the end of the episode, with several bloody cuts marring her skin. That kind of cut can happen when you're rushing a shave with clippers, and can be considered proof that the rapist was either a) flustered by the alarm and rushing to get her head shaved before they were interrupted, or b) not responsible for this attack.
- In the final scene, you can see a wadded-up jacket behind Logan's head and Veronica's feet (wrapped in the blanket) are on Logan's chest, tucked under his crossed arms. And I really do mean this: Awww.
- Veronica's inference that Mercer's potential upcoming jail time will swing him the other way sexually when she tells him to "give it time." It, of course, being wanting Logan for a boyfriend.
- Vinnie's reference to his nickname by the Fotomat clerk as a human tripod and then sly wink to it being something else. That something else would be the phrase used to describe a man who is extremely well-endowed.
- How long did Veronica expect to stay with Piz and Wallace? She hung all her clothes in the closet which sounds like longer than a weekend to me.
- Veronica, why didn't it occur to you to put on some pants once Piz showed up in the room? She knew it wasn't exactly right, or she wouldn't have said "not what it looks like" to Moe, so why parade around half-dressed?
- Why would Veronica remotely think it's "okay" to spend the night with a guy who clearly has the hots for her? (Or really with ANY guy (except Wallace)?
- Really, why stay at all? Sure, when she had the room to herself, it was a good situation, but once Piz came back, why not go to Mac's, if she must stay away from home and Logan's? Mac and Parker have a couch in their room. In fact, Veronica stayed on that couch once already. She could have gone there, and no one would have had to sleep on the floor.
- How come Veronica didn't remember that Mercer had a radio show? He told her all about it in the previous episode. She was there, Piz was there, Parker was there. So, how come she acted as if it was the first she heard of it when Piz said he was taking over the slot while Mercer was in jail?
- Why is it that Weevil always gets a holding cell to himself, but guys like Logan and Mercer get to share with scary-looking dudes with no necks when they get arrested? That's just unfair. :)
- Was Mercer lying when he told Veronica someone was setting him up and the GHB in his cash box wasn't his? And if not, then who is doing it? I can't quite believe it's the Dean, but Chip is a contender. Is he also the rapist out to frame Mercer for the crimes?
- Would Mercer have considered telling Veronica what happened at the hotel if Lamb (or was that a deputy) -- who could and would extradite him -- wasn't standing in the room while she interrogated him?
- How was it possible that Keith Mars, who has spent half his life on surveillance detail, would forget to draw the curtains in the hotel room where he's having an affair, thus allowing Vinnie to take the photos? Hasn't he learned anything?
- Considering Veronica's an amateur P.I. who is frequently paid to uncover sordid information, is Professor Landry seriously not worried about the possibility of Veronica revealing his extracurricular activities?
- Yet another character on Veronica Mars, this time Professor Landry, used Hannibal Lector's infamous phrase "Quid-Pro-Quo." It was originally uttered by Aaron Echolls in The Quick and The Wed. Could this possibly be a commentary on Professor Landry's true character? Only time will tell.
- Did Veronica decide Landry was lying about wanting her to take the internship for professional reasons rather than personal? Even after her mind is blown she's later typing up her plan for the perfect murder in Wallace's room. Why wouldn't she take such a great oppurtunity when she seemed to believe he had no ulterior motive?
- How come Veronica thought nothing of accusing Scarlet of having ulterior motives based on the girl's inappropriate (by Veronica's standards) attire, but failed to check her own while traipsing half-dressed around Piz? Has she heard of the pot and kettle?
- When Logan tells Veronica that he was asleep in the room in TJ, while Mercer was partying next door, Veronica tells him he is not much of an alibi. And he then has to elaborate that the rooms were adjoining and he could hear the partying. Why does he have to specify that? Unless he slept for twelve hours straight, does Veronica actually think Mercer could have skipped out of the room while Logan slept, driven to Hearst, raped a girl, shaved her head, and then driven back to Mexico?
- Considering Logan and Mercer's trip to Tijiuana was dated August 13, how did they meet before college even started?
- Did the burning hotel have any contribution to Logan's decision not to return to Mexico with Mercer in Wichita Linebacker? He said he was feeling reformed and clearly wanted to make up with Veronica, but I wonder if the bloom's off Tijuana's rose now in other ways?
- Why does Chip Diller owe Mercer? Is it the result of gambling debt or could there be another more sordid reason?
- Who's the student aide who places bets for Dean O'Dell?
- Is Lamb on antidepressants or some other mood altering drugs? That's second episode in a row he is somewhat nice and cooperative to Veronica. I half expected him to hand her a badge already (not that she hasn't earned it).
- Shouldn't Keith be more worried that the Fitzpatricks believe he helped Kendall flee town with millions of their dollars? Considering he's seen first hand what the Fitzpatricks do to people who are indebted to them, I'd be a wee bit nervous if I were him.
- Why, oh why did Veronica go into the River Stix? That's beyond foolhardy knowing what she does about the owners and remembering her last experience there. Why not call for help and wait for it to arrive? Sure she was worried about Meryl, but Meryl was a stranger to the Fitzpatricks, asking legitimate questions and not trying to dupe anyone. The worst that could have happened to her there would have been the ridicule she'd gotten from Danny Boyd. Which is nothing compared to the worst that could have happened to Veronica. For a smart girl, she is beyond stupid with her actions sometimes.
- Just how many "Members Only" jackets does Vinnie have? I counted at least two different ones in this episode alone.
- Considering how anxious Logan was to locate Veronica, could his concern stem from a belief that she was going
break up with him due to his revelation about Tijuana?
- Why did Piz let Logan think that Veronica spent the night in his room with him alone? Is he really that sleazy and underhanded, or just really, really obtuse? (Admin's note: I vote for 'sleazy and underhanded.')
- Did Keith end his affair with Harmony solely because of Veronica or did Vinnie's little visit help persuade him?
- Was the rapist just following Veronica around in the hopes that she would leave an item of food or drink unattended so he could GHB her? Uhm, okay.
- Considering Veronica knew she was drugged, why would
she leave a crowded cafeteria to venture into a deserted parking garage, with the goal of operating a motor vehicle?
Wouldn't it have been a wiser choice to remain in the cafeteria and phone someone for help?
- Was rape the ultimate goal of Veronica's attack or did the
rapist only intend to give Veronica a "warning?"
- If the rapist did intend to rape Veronica, was he planning to do it in the parking garage where there was
a fairly good chance that someone would discover them?
- What did Veronica's attacker use to extract chunks of her hair? While we would ordinarily assume an electric razor due to the MO of the previous rapes, the flecks of blood present on Veronica's scalp suggest an instrument similar to a knife.
- Did the rapist escape before Logan found Veronica or was he still present in the parking garage when Logan arrived?
- Was it the Hearst Rapist who really attacked Veronica or could this be Nish exacting the revenge she promised last episode?
- If Logan hadn't come to Veronica's rescue, leading to her (most likely brief) epiphany regarding love and faith, would she have forgiven him for attempting to withhold information or would we be currently witnessing LoVe breakup part 554?
- In season one, Keith explained that the Vinnie Classic is when he would go behind a spouses back and offer her husband the incriminating photos for double. Don'cha love when irony bites you in the ass, Keith?
- Why was Veronica suddenly sleeping in women's boxers when she never had before despite the number of times we've seen her in sleepwear? That would be because American Eagle Outfitters has a deal with The CW and it was a case of cross-promotion with Veronica wearing an item from their women's collection: Aerie boyfriend boxers.
duchessjms (Jayne): Literature; Social Science
genova (Cara): Literature; Social Science
holly96 (Holly): Literature; Social Science
JaneDtwo: Social Science; Philosophy; Social Science
JenniferH: Report Card; Drama Club; Chemistry; Social Science; Homeroom; Detention; Philosophy; Principles of Democracy; Extra Curricular Activities
Iloveyoubearymuch (Kathryn): Literature; Homeroom; Philosophy
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
PolarTruckin (Belinda): Journalism; Social Science; Detention; Homeroom; Philosophy; Principles of Democracy
samwg (Shannon): Homeroom; Social Science
SeluciaV (Alli): Study Hall; Literature; Social Science
TarFrimmer (Joanne): Extra Credit; Literature; Social Science
Original Air Date: November 14, 2006
Written by: Phil Klemmer
Directed by: Harry Winer
Staff Grade: B-
Membership Median Grade: B
The last ten minutes of this episode will have quite a few hearts racing and the overall tenor of the show definitely emotionally involves viewers, even those who are damn-near detached at this point. In addition, there is some magnificent acting from our two main fellas (Jason Dohring and Enrico Colantoni, see Drama Club) as well as from some recurring players. However, the mystery of the week is not compelling for many, and most disappointing of all is Veronica's ridiculously hypocritical and judgmental attitude towards every male she shares screentime with -- but for the perfect Piz.
The bottom line is that while this one *does* have some positives, it is difficult to think fondly of an episode of Veronica Mars when it makes so many viewers really dislike Veronica Mars. Sigh.Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Percy Daggs III - Wallace Fennel
Ryan Hansen - Dick Casablancas
Julie Gonzalo - Parker Lee
Tina Majorino - Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
Francis Capra - Eli "Weevil" Navarro
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Ryan Devlin - Mercer Hayes
Patrick Fabian - Professor Hank Landry
Ken Marino - Vinnie Van Lowe
Andrew McClain - Moe Slater
Angelo Middione - Deputy Barker
Rod Rowland - Liam Fitzpatrick
Laura San Giacomo - Harmony Chase
Tayler Sheridan - Danny Boyd
Guest Stars
Sandy McCoy - Scarlett Reyes
Amanda Walsh - Meryl
Charlie Weber - Glen
Who's Who in Neptune
Scarlett Reyes - Classmate of Sully, Meryl's boyfriend. Apparently had plans to meet him at the food court.
Meryl - Girlfriend of Sully, Wallace's and Piz's neighbor. Flew into town to visit home, only to find him missing.
Glen - Sully's roommate.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Charlie Weber (Glen) - Charlie is best known for appearing in fourteen episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Ben Wilkinson. Ben was the alter-ego, a goddess from a hell dimension. Weber also played Jay in five episodes of Everwood.
Though they were painted in various shades of greyish vice, the men of Veronica Mars gave standout performances in Of Vice and Men. From 'walking on the wild side' Keith, to sometimes shiny knight/sometimes irresponsible teen Logan, to the forever swarmy but suddenly heroic Vinnie -- the men commanded center stage this week.
Highlights
Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) - Jason Dohring has had a difficult role to portray this season. Logan has often seemed subdued, brooding and quiet. The sharp contrast between the snarky, flamboyant Logan of season's past has led many to wonder if his acting was lacking. The short and sweet answer -- not one bit. Dohring has been superb in delivering a subtle, layered performance this year that is permeated with sadness and inner angst. In Of Vice and Men, Dohring again delivers a bravura performance. I sometimes struggle to find new ways of describing Dohring's acting. The adjectives seem too similar and the phrases redundant. So I broke down his performance this week and focused on the crucial elements. His voice, thickened and heavy with unshed tears. His body, drooping in defeat as Veronica rides off on her high horse. His eyes, acknowledging Piz's comments, accepting the pain and moving on. His hands, trembling with fear and loving as they caress Veronica. Dohring takes every tool an actor has -- face, voice, body -- and molds it into his character. There really is nothing left to say but bravo, another terrific job.
Enrico Colantoni (Keith Mars) - Keith has always been the shining white knight for Veronica. Layering his performance with humor and warmth, Colantoni has managed to portray a realistic, loving father in a medium filled with cliched performances. This episode was full of many lovely moments by him. Of special note is his tear-filled refusal to accompany Harmony on a get-away weekend. Sniff. Heartbreak, pain and continued longing were etched on his face. Magnificent.
Ken Marino (Vinnie Van Lowe) - Ken Marino is a breath of fresh air. The one thing Veronica Mars has always done perfectly is create charismatic, regular guest stars that own every minute of air time they receive. Marino is a perfect example. Never faltering from his role as a slimey P.I., he nonetheless manages to give Vinnie amusing and often surprising layers. Here, Vinnie is not only heroic but fatherly as he advises Veronica to avoid the River Styxx. Every nuance, every minute of body language is perfectly crafted in creating Vinnie Van Lowe.
Lowlights
The Casting Department - Unfortunately, the remainder of the cast faltered in their portrayals this week, offering some ambiguous moments and one note performances that served to hinder the overall excellence of the episode. This special Lowlight is the unfortunate tendency of the casting department to cast marginal actors and actresses in the mystery of the week leading to a loss of pace and momentum.
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - For the first time -- and hopefully the last, Bell finds her name on this, the low end of the performance light. Admittedly, the script portraying a hypocritical and judgmental Veronica didn't help, but Bell chose to play most of the episode with one note: A cold, unbending one. This was an episode that needed Bell on all cylinders to make viewers care for Veronica even when her words and actions were hard to swallow. She didn't deliver.
Chris Lowell (Piz) - In his fourth outing, Lowell has yet to make a substantial showing and consequently, viewers aren't buying the fun, charming guy that Piz is supposed to be. If this was the episode that was supposed to finally convince us of the "magic" between he and Veronica, and what a great guy he is, well, he failed miserably.
I'd like to begin this with a warning ... if you did not find anything (or much) wrong with Veronica's attitude and/or treatment of Logan in this episode, don't read this and just skip straight ahead to the Journalism section. I did find much wrong and try as I might I couldn't not rake her over the coals. To be honest, I didn't want to write this analysis .. it was too painful to think too deeply about. I want to love Veronica and I've loved most of what we've gotten in regards to LoVe this season. This episode pretty much ripped that all to shreds for me. Damn you, Rob! {Sigh} Just a warning. (There is also profanity.)
Scene One: Have a Little Faith
I don't understand Veronica. I truly don't. I get that she is upset that he's not telling her something, but to avoid him? To stay with another guy (platonic or not) and then to taunt him with her secretive whereabouts? To suggest that it's completely unfathomable to just trust that he doesn't want to tell her because he knows pain will come of it? What is wrong with her? He's her boyfriend and yet she treats him like he's a terrible person. How dare he not tell her every single facet of his life? Because she does for him? Does anyone honestly think that she told him that she bugged his car? Of course not. Why wouldn't she tell him? Perhaps because it was a stupid, stupid, paranoid thing to do and his knowing about it would only upset him and cause a rift between them. Why is it okay for her keep things from him? Why is it okay for her to ignore him for days? Why is it okay for her sleep in a room with a guy in her sleeping apparel, but she's completely justified in being upset with him for not telling her something that really has no consequence for them and will only cause her upset.
Stepping away from this scene for a bit -- but I will come back to why it relates -- I want to expound on the whole sleepover. Regardless of the type of sleepwear she wore -- it was sleepwear. There is an implied intimacy in wearing the things you sleep in and that is why a person doesn't walk around in sleepwear in front of non-family or people they're not sleeping with! It sends a message. Period. Furthermore, Veronica has a boyfriend and when putting the two together it can very much be read that Veronica was sending that message to Piz (unintentionally or not) that while she may have a boyfriend, they are not 100% solid and the possibility of a hook-up with someone else is not out of the question.
Piz is barely a friend and, yet, she's spending the weekend with him? Because that's what she did. Some viewers may buy that she's oblivious to his crush and instead believe that Veronica Mars is suddenly THAT stupid, however, it still doesn't fly. A single girl (especially one with a boyfriend) does NOT spend the weekend with an unattached guy. It just isn't done unless you are sending the above message. And that is what was so wrong with the Piz/Veronica scenes. Everything Veronica did in that scenario once Piz showed up was something that you just don't do unless you are sending signals.
And this relates to this confrontation between Veronica and Logan because it illustrates how completely wrong Veronica is. She is giving Logan a hard time, ignoring him, taunting him, judging him and ... all the while she is essentially living with another guy. I don't care that Meryl showed up -- Meryl wasn't expected to show up. Veronica made the decision to stay alone with an unattached guy who has a crush on her ... stay in the same room with him, walk around in her sleepwear in front him (product placement bedamned, it's the fucking principle of the matter!), and just hang with him. There are simply no words. I truly cannot fathom how anyone can justify what Veronica did as anything other than being a really, *really* terrible girlfriend.
Here's Logan -- who at this point, has done nothing wrong other than not wanting to share an incident in his past (that does not have ANYTHING to do with her) in order to spare her some pain -- waiting outside her class for her, trying to talk, to discuss, to make things right and she's giving him attitude because he dared to not tell her something that he was clearly very uncomfortable telling her. Forget love, forget trust ... what about respect? If Veronica chose not to tell Logan something and he threw a hissy-fit in her face, ignored her for a few days, and spent the weekend with a girl, Veronica would be all over his ass for daring to judge her, for not trusting her, for cheating on her, for not understanding. But Logan does it and he's evil incarnate. What the fuck, Veronica?! I've had issues with her character in regards to Logan before, but this takes the cake. And honestly, as annoyed as I've been in the past, I've been able to pull some kernel, some semblance of logic to explain WHY she's acting the way she is. This time? Nuh uh, she's just being a judgmental, hypocritical bitch and to that I say fuck you, Rob Thomas and fuck you, Phil Klemmer.
Scene Two: He Doesn't Trust Her ... and With Damn Good Reason
Before I get into the negativity, I did want to take a moment to appreciate Logan sleeping. Aww. Too bad Veronica couldn't do the same. Would it have killed them to give us a second or two of Veronica watching him, realizing that she was going to hurt him, and savoring the beauty of him so peaceful before she went in for the kill? Obviously not. {Sigh}
So, we know Mercer's alibi -- and it IS horrific ... in terms of MERCER! Not Logan. No, I'm not saying that there was nothing wrong with what Logan did. Of course not. He didn't stick around to make sure that everyone in the burning hotel was safe. What Logan did was bad, really bad. However, there WERE *truly* extenuating circumstances. He was wasted, very wasted and when the fire started, probably in the stages of a not-so-pleasant hangover, as well as being woken up from sleep -- an alcohol (and possibly) drug-induced sleep. Obviously, it's not an excuse, but it makes his actions more understandable and I think had Veronica not made it so clear that she judges every little thing he does, he would have told her. And here's where I once again requote what I wrote in the President Evil analysis because this scene absolutely proved the truth of it.
Quote:And here we have it. He put himself out there again and she stomped all over his heart ... hurting him. Veronica doesn't trust him and he doesn't trust her to be there for him. And she proved him right unequivocally. She avoided him, was bitter towards him and then actually blackmailed him instead of just accepting that this wasn't something he wants to or is ready to share. That was a horrible thing of her to do. She BLACKMAILED him. That was wrong and once again the writers succeeded in how they wrote Veronica in making her look a little worse than Logan (as in the gambling vs. the tracking in Wichita Linebacker).
Logan doesn't trust Veronica. As much as she doesn't trust him, he doesn't trust her ... with his heart. The lack of trust is about how Veronica can hurt him and it's much more direct and immediate. She could just break his heart all over again ... so easily by not trusting him, not loving him.
[The events in season two] seem to have finally (FINALLY!) firmly woke him up to the consequences of actions and how very much they hurt, not just others, but himself as well. And so here we are, he and Veronica are together once more and truly making a go at it, but he knows that she doesn't trust him and he doesn't trust her with his heart. He doesn't trust that if he messes up again, she won't walk away, breaking his heart yet one more time. And because he doesn't trust her, he's walking on eggshells, doing his damndest to not only NOT screw up so badly that he sends her running, but also walking on the eggshells of his heart. He's holding himself back because he knows now, he gets it. If he screws up, the consequences are that he'll get hurt ... again. Those are the consequences. And he feels, perhaps thinks that he knows, that if he puts his heart all out on the line again for her, knowing her, she'll leave him again no matter what he does. And the consequences of that are that this time he may be broken beyond repair.
So, yes, it was pretty bad what Logan did, but let's look at those extenuating circumstances. This took place over the summer when he was still reeling from all of the events that had happened a few months before, totally wasted and/or hung-over and so he reacted poorly -- this 18 year old boy, again, he's an 18 YEAR OLD BOY! who has never had any moral guidance -- to a situation that would leave many healthy adults flummoxed. Of course, he doesn't want to tell his judgmental, paranoid girlfriend. He wants her to love him and hell, look at him the way she did Duncan or, how about even Wallace? After all, he was in a similar situation (as someone pointed out on another board). Logan taking off after the fire was awful, but it was not that much different than Wallace being in the car with a hit and run driver and taking off. What is different is the circumstances. Wallace was in the United States, sober and not just woken up. Logan, on the other hand, was drunk and/or hung-over, in a foreign country with scary jails -- where he would likely still be had he not run. Oh, and he's her boyfriend and has been there for her more times than anyone on the planet (except for Keith). Veronica's reaction to Wallace? Supportive. She frowned and then offered comfort and support to him -- Wallace, who KNEW that someone was hurt and still took off. Is it too much to ask she do the same for her boyfriend? Offer support, understanding, even while expressing her disappointment with what he did? I don't think so. Obviously, Veronica does.
Logan wants her to trust him, believe him and have faith in him, but he knows that it isn't the case. He knows that if he screws up (big or small -- and, yes, this was big), he has to start all over again, back at square one because she judges him on a standard that she holds to absolutely no one else. Of course, he doesn't want to tell her. He loves her and doesn't want to lose her.
Scene Three: Bonding in the Doghouse
I'm including the Keith/Logan phone call here because it showed a wonderful symmetry (albeit not such a happy one) between the two main men in Veronica's life. It was also nice seeing that just as Keith can (and did) call Logan to find Veronica, Logan feels comfortable enough in his relationship with "Mr. Mars" now to do the same. And that's lovely.
Scene Four: Piz Be Gone ... Now!
I was actually willing to give Piz a chance and while I've been annoyed with him prior to this episode, I didn't actively dislike the character. Well, his final scene here actually shot him right past dislike and into burning, no-going-back hatred. Seriously. After that oh so obvious smug cheering going on in the inside while facing Logan in the doorway? He is dead to me. His character could do nothing now that could endear me towards him. Nothing. He is dead to me. I've read some justification that of course the reason he did so was because he likes Veronica so of course he is going to give her boyfriend the impression that something could have happened. My response: So? That just confirms what a complete sleazy scumbag he is. Just because he had a reason -- to speed on the break-up of a relationship because he has the hots for a girl he barely knows -- doesn't justify squat.
And an interesting note: He wasn't hyper; he wasn't stumbling, he wasn't acting like Piz normally does. He was cool and calm with a streak of smugness there. And since he has no desire to make Logan like him (unlike Wallace and Veronica -- for presumably different reasons), that makes it seem like this is the real guy when he's not putting on an act. So is THIS who the guy really is when he isn't trying to impress someone? (Think of it, we've only seen him in scenes with Veronica, Wallace and Trish ... all people he wanted to like him.) I honestly do not understand how anyone could watch that scene and not see Piz in the worst light possible. And it certainly didn't help that Jason Dohring delivered so much of Logan's pain with his body language, facial expression and vocal intonations. Woobie Logan. Death to Piz!
Ugh, hate!
Scene Five: Logan ... My Hero!
Ignoring the clich and the contrivance, I guess we can rejoice in that we can once more bring out the "Logan ... my hero!" placard.
Hmm, maybe this time it will actually stick for Veronica? I doubt it. Why? Because nothing sticks with Veronica. It doesn't matter what anybody does, once Veronica makes up her mind about them, her opinion doesn't change. She may be dating Logan -- hell, she's sleeping with him -- but it doesn't change the fact that she doesn't trust him and he's always, *always* guilty until proven innocent. Just like Duncan's actions didn't change her opinion of him and Keith's actions won't (Thank GOD! In this case) change her opinion of him come the next episode.
Yes, I'm glad he rescued her and Dohring, again, did a wonderful job, this time showing Logan's fear and horror over the situation Veronica found herself in. But I just can't squee or get excited about it because it won't matter in the light of day. Logan is still the guy she doesn't trust. Sigh. Okay, so she doesn't trust him, but does she love him? I do think she does. The thing is that I think she loves him despite herself; she doesn't want to love him.
Which brings us to this whole, obviously inevitable Veronica/Piz hook-up. She wants to be with Logan, but she DOESN'T want to want to be with him, so she is checking out an alternative. (Yes, I do clearly see that Veronica IS interested (whether she admits it or not) because there's no other way to read the things many saw last week on top of what happened this week as anything other than Veronica testing the waters without even realizing she's doing so ... because she is doing so.) And I think that's what we got the summer before last too. She wanted to be with Logan, but she checked out as soon as possible because she had an alternative waiting and she is completely convinced that the good, "safe" alternative is what she really wants. I do believe that Rob Thomas feels that because Veronica DOES want to be with Logan (even if she doesn't want to want it) he's saying that "see, she does love Logan? She can't help it!" She may be thinking about being with Piz because he's the kind of guy she's convinced she should be with, but she can't stay away from Logan. I suppose that's supposed to make her interest in Piz okay and acceptable to the LoVe fanbase. Hah!
Bottom-line, yes, I do believe she loves him. However, I also believe that she is diligently keeping a part of her heart in reserve and grabs and holds onto every naughty thing (actual *and* potential) that Logan does as justification for when she manages to break away the next time from the love she feels for him. Veronica loves Logan, but she doesn't want to and as long as that is the story that Rob Thomas is telling (and Kristen Bell is acting out), we're in the doghouse alongside Logan.
Scene Six: Lessons Learned ... Yeah Right!
This final scene alternately thrilled and pissed me off. First the thrill: Logan AND Keith taking care of Veronica together. Woohoo!! Keith has clearly accepted Logan completely in Veronica's life -- unlike Veronica, he's not cutting him out at all. It really was so wonderful to behold. In addition, there was totally the squee moment of Logan not only sleeping at one end of the couch with Veronica stretched out, but also her feet were all blanket-wrapped and tucked under his crossed arms. Aww and Squee!!!!!!!!! That shot there was literally my favorite of the episode. Sigh. And before we get into the dissection of why I was upset with Veronica's voiceover, I do want to say that I did love that she put Logan and Keith (Logan and Keith!) in the same category as the people she loved, who loved her and were always there for her.
Which brings us to another round of what the fuck, Veronica?!?!
- Veronica: I think we all learned a valuable lesson about faith.You give it to the people you love. But the people who really deserve it are the ones who come through even when you don't love them enough.
Gah! What a difference one person makes. Wichita Linebacker was directed by Harry Winer and written by Phil Klemmer and John Enbom. Winer and Klemmer returned to direct and write (alone), respectively, this keeper. Oh, Enbom, you were missed ... you were very, very much missed.
While Veronica broods in her sanctuary about every male in her life letting her down (except Wallace and Piz ... but everyone knows they dont count, pfft), another girl is curled up outside a boys locked dorm. She's sitting next to her backpack, looking about anxiously and searching for someone amongst the crowd. Wallace's R.A., Moe, is walking down the hall when he remembers that that room doesn't normally have a human doorstop. Kneeling down beside her, Moe asks if he can help. She explains that this is her boyfriend's room and he's supposed to be there but ... Moe immediately senses something is wrong and pulls out the never-fail, perk-up solution that he offers to everyone with a problem on his floor: "Could I get you some tea while you wait?" If you just ignore the manic, too-much-tea-makes-Moe-a-strange-boy glint in his eyes, its quite a nice gesture.
Meanwhile, it hasn't occurred to Veronica that putting on a free show for Piz in her pajamas at this time of day ... isn't exactly wise. She's lying down on her stomach, naked legs folded up in the air while she looks at her laptop, oblivious to the boy watching from her peripheral vision. Piz is quite blatantly enjoying the view and doing his best to suppress the urge to transform into the Wolf in Red Hot Riding Hood: Howling whistles, eyes bugging out, panting, banging his head with a hammer ... you know what I'm saying. Although it would be funny if she threw a lamp at his head screaming "NOOO!!" like Red does in the cartoon or if he shot himself rather than look at her? Even better! But I digress ...
There's a rhythmic knock at the door, interrupting Piz's perv-fest and he gets up to open it. Moe is standing at the door with the stranded girl (tea-cup in hand). Piz asks him "what's up?" but Moe is distracted by the sight of Veronica: Newly showered, legs mostly naked, lying on Wallace's bed. Veronica senses the appraisal and stiffens claiming that this isn't what it looks like ... not that she thought of putting on pants while it was just Piz there. But Moe isn't one to judge (especially when he gets such a nice view of indiscretions), he's just here wondering if Piz has seen his next door neighbor recently. Piz asks if he's talking about Sully or Glen, Moe says they're looking for the former and the girl with the tea is Sully's girlfriend, Meryl.
Moe makes a point of asking Meryl if her boyfriend knew she was coming. Of course, he did, she flew all the way from Sacramento and her boyfriend said he'd pick her up from the airport. Meryl is really worried about him because it's not like him to flake on his duties and shes positive something terrible has happened. Her big weepy eyes look at Piz screaming I'm-A-Damsel-In-Distress-Save-Me! Unfortunately, Piz is no Knight in Shining Armor, though he does turn his head, along with Moe, to look for the next best thing: Veronica Mars. "Fine ... I'll see what I can do."
Moe uses his R.A. keys -- he has access to all dorm rooms 00 to let Veronica into Sully's room. One thing is certain: If the ratio of pornographic posters to wall space is any indication, the boys in this room haven't been laid for a long time. But, as Veronica says, at least they know he's straight. And let's face it ... the Pep Squad Practice section in our breakdowns is there for a reason, Veronica doesn't have that kind of proof of Logan's raging heterosexuality. Meryl somehow knows straight away that the posters aren't Sully's; they must be his room mates (What about the Bond girl closet behind her??). Veronica, Piz, Meryl and Moe fan out and start looking through Sully's stuff for clues. Piz goes straight for the toiletries and notices that his razor and toothbrush are accounted for ... but Sully does have a roommate so how would Piz know whose toothbrush that was? Veronica doesn't really pay much attention to his idea. Moe finds beer in the fridge but that isn't really helpful with his location either unless hes passed out in an alley somewhere.
Veronica, on the other hand, opens Sully's freshman face book and finds a beautiful girl circled in red ink: Scarlett Reyes. Veronica asks if Meryl knows her; when she replies "no," Veronica smiles with sardonic amusement. Case closed, Sully is like every male she hates this week. When she asks Meryl for possible reasons why Sully would circle some hottie in the freshman faces book, Meryl immediately dismisses the idea that Sully was responsible because his circles are more "perfect." When Veronica frowns (wondering if she was ever this blind), Meryl explains that he's had a heap of drafting classes.
Meryl is grateful for all their help but decides it would be better if she just waited for him in his room. Still skeptical, Veronica says shes going to class but she'll check back in with her later (fully expecting that Meryl will be waiting for a long time). Before she leaves, she picks up the trash next to the desk (while Piz mocks her 'finishing school' class) and finds a credit card receipt. She takes it to see if Sully is out spending money and then charges out of the room while Meryl does a great impression of Duncan's patented 'Constipated-or-Just-Confused?' expression.
Later, after an upsetting run in with her own 'disappointing' boyfriend, Veronica returns to Sully's room. Meryl opens the door with a big grin, only to falter when she sees it's only Veronica. Obviously she hasn't heard anything about his whereabouts. Meryl tells Veronica that she wants to go to the police. Veronica says it's not a good idea because forty-eight hours haven't passed yet, and if she went to the local Sheriff with a story about a freshman boy going 'mysteriously missing' when his high school girlfriend visited, Lamb would laugh them out of the station. Veronica says he'd laugh because Lamb is a moron but in this instance she seems to agree with him. After all, like Veronica said in Welcome Wagon, high school relationships don't last in college; the distance would only make it worse and she can't believe Meryl is being so nave about this.
Veronica tells Meryl that his card hasn't been active and wants to know if Meryl knows his cell phone pin number. Wow ... they must be really close if she has that information off the top of her head, but apparently, she does. They listen to Sully's voicemails together on speakerphone. First message: Meryl saying she's at the gate, where is he? Second message: Meryl saying she's at baggage handling where is he? Third message: Scarlett, asking if they're still meeting at the food court at eight tomorrow night -- he let his girlfriend know, right? Veronica stops the message with a serious look but Meryl just seems more perplexed. 'Weirrrd ... what do you make of that?' Veronica gives Meryl a trademark super sleuth stare: Where-is-your-mind? (#567 TM Veronica Mars). I mean ... is she for real? Veronica thought this kind of nave innocence only existed in tales by the Brothers Grimm. How exactly do you warn someone about their delusions when they're happy bouncing from cloud to cloud like they have no idea the big fluffy grey one will electrocute them?
Veronica stops by again later that day. Still no progress. Meryl is starting to look panicked; she called all the hospitals and Sully's professors but nobody has seen him. I believe you can find this next phase of irrational rationalization in: Denial, It Ain't Just A River in Egypt. Meryl launches into a new theory about Sully working with lasers in his physics class: He could have discovered some new laser canon that could assassinate people from space and now he's running from sinister forces! Oh boy, Veronica looks really concerned because Meryl seems only one hyperventilation session away from declaring 'Dr. Evil kidnapped him for his laser' and it's all downhill from there. Next thing you know Scotty has beamed him up because Sully is the only person who can save the Enterprise from the Klingon Empire! She decides to add a little clarity to Meryl's world vision by telling her about the theory that's never failed Veronica (well, not much anyway): It's called Occam's Razor and it's not a space laser. It's a theory that we should embrace the least complicated explanation for any phenomenon. This is the gentle way of saying, Meryl, sweetie, darling, sugarfloss brains: If your boyfriend is avoiding you maybe he's trying to break up with you but is too cowardly to do it. And Veronica does have experience with both sides of that theory so she knows what she's talking about. I'm really hoping that isn't the reason Veronica is avoiding Logan like the plague, however.
Instead of being upset that her boyfriend could be a coward and blowing her off, Meryl seems relieved by this theory that had never occurred to her. "At least then I'd know he's okay." Veronica's brain strains to cope with this fascinating concept: Caring for the safety of one's boyfriend more than one's own feelings. Does not compute, does not compute -- I'm convinced somewhere inside she's doing the robot with Sheriff Lamb.
Ah, those blindly trusting, innocent girls ... such gentle, yet illusive creatures. Veronica hasn't seen one since her own boyfriend's relationship with she-who-will-not-be-named. Darwin's theory has rendered them almost extinct on this show; whenever she spots one it's like she's torn between picketing with the A.S.P.C.A. to preserve their fragile existence, and throwing them in the deep end screaming 'sink or swim, bitch!'
The touching moment is interrupted by Sully's totally rad roommate, Glen: The man, the myth, the legend ... the extremely slimy porn collector who's been inhaling too much surfboard wax. Meryl is clearly unimpressed with Sully's roommate as she introduces herself, making Veronica her 'hot friend.' Glen asks where Sully is, cutting off their hopes of asking him the same question. Glen says he cleared out because Sully told him Meryl was coming to visit and he wanted the room to himself. Clearly, Piz isn't the only one who can't stick with a plan when a girl is meant to be using his place. The last time Glen saw Sully was yesterday morning when he left to go surfing. Meryl is incredulous, Sully doesn't surf -- duh -- he's from Sacramento. That's what he said to his roommate, though. Glen came back early because his step-mom confiscated his X-box and he figured Sully might not need the room after the huge fight they'd had on Thursday. Veronica pauses: Fight, what fight? Meryl looks guilty while Veronica looks unsurprised.
Veronica and Meryl go to the food court, following up on Scarlett's message. Veronica drags Meryl behind a very inconspicuous plant and plays peek-a-boo from behind the leaves (*snort* because no one would find that odd enough to stare at). Veronica still can't believe Meryl didn't tell her about the fight she had with Sully. Meryl denies that it was even a big deal, they were just stressed out by the long-distance thing. "You have a fight and then he's not around ..." Veronica is wondering why Meryl isn't suspicious at all because when she has a fight with her significant other and then she's not around it tends to mean something. Meryl says 'no' she's not suspicious without even struggling over it. Veronica takes a moment too long for some kind of heavy blunt object to hit her over the head with, but then turns back to the stakeout ...
Just in time to see Scarlett appear by herself, sitting down with a dinner tray. She's wearing a leopard print tank top, mini skirt and leather jacket with her hair styled full and pretty. Scarlett darts off from behind the plant to talk to her. Whoa, whoa, whoa ... Veronica tries to stop her. What's the point of staking out if Meryl's just going to run in there before they have proof he was having an illicit rendezvous with Scarlet O'Hara? Veronica tells her she might scare him off. "Him?" Meryl frowns in confusion; Sully isn't having an affair, he's missing and that Scarlett girl could know something. She pulls away from Veronica and goes to get some answers.
Scarlett looks startled and uncomfortable when Meryl introduces herself as Sully's girlfriend. As Scarlett confirms she was there to meet Sully -- to study -- and Meryl nods, Veronica stalks around the table smiling sardonically. Her righteous anger is kicking up into a frenzy as she sees poor, oblivious Meryl completely unaware of what's really going along. Just look at Scarlett's wardrobe, and where are the books? She asks when was the last time Scarlett saw him, and gets the reply that they saw each other in Physics lab. Veronica rolls her eyes and sits down as Scarlett begins to understand that something's amiss, asking if Sully's alright. Before Meryl can say he's missing, Veronica jumps in with a sarcastic: "Dig the outfit, is that from Dolce Gabbana's study buddy collection?" Meryl looks upset with Veronica's interrogation style. Scarlett stares at Veronica in shock for a moment before softly defending herself against the implication: It's Friday, she's going out to a club after they study.
Trying to show Meryl how ridiculous her denial is getting, Veronica sarcastically asks Sully's physics study buddy if she happens to know if he invented a laser of some sort in class. Meryl is hurt and chides Veronica for being mean (excuse me while I chuckle in amusement, because I think this is still part of Veronica's 'tolerant' scale of interrogation techniques) but enough is enough. Veronica is sorry but she knows about these things and there comes a point when every illusive girl-in-sweet-denial has to realize it's better to face the truth than get burned by their own delusions about the sun: Scarlett either wants to steal her boyfriend or already has. "You can choose to be a patsy, or you can choose not to be." It's as simple as that for Veronica Mars.
Across the room she spots Professor Landry, proof of her own take on Occam's Razor and the inevitable infidelity of men. Smiling, because she's laid out the reality in plainest English, she gives Meryl and Scarlett the chance to talk amongst themselves as she goes to confront Landry about what she considers a bribe to keep her mouth shut about his infidelity.
A minute later she's standing there stunned to discover that he wasn't bribing her at all -- men can be adulterous jerks in their private life while still being wonderfully supportive teachers. Consider her mind blown. As she turns around to head back to the table she pauses at the sight of Scarlett giving Meryl a supportive, concerned hug. Huh. And her mind is put back together only to be blown again. She guesses that last piece of advice didn't exactly get through to Meryl ...
That night Meryl is so distressed that she still hasn't found Sully that Veronica has to sedate her with nighttime cold medicine to get her to sleep ... in Piz's bed. Piz is unimpressed when he finds her there without Veronica asking if she can give his bed away and he mutters that Keith Richards wouldn't have to sleep on the floor. Pfft, yuh nice comparison ... not.
Meryl wakes Veronica up the next morning, holding her phone excitedly. At first she didn't recognize the voice in the message because it's noisy but now she's sure it's Sully. Veronica takes the phone and listens to a slurring voice say, "so sorry ... I miss you ... can't wait to see you ... talk to you later," while clearer male voices yell in the background. He called her with his own phone; Meryl tried to call him back but it keeps ringing and ringing and then goes to message bank. Veronica is happy because as long as it's turned on she can track him using a gizmo from her dad's office ... and why didn't they think of this earlier when they were checking his cell phone messages??
While Veronica goes to the closet to get her clothes out (wow ... she really has made herself at home huh?), Piz rolls over from his place at the floor and asks her to pick him up at an egg sandwich while she's out. Then she goes to pick up the cell tracer from Mars Investigations.
Veronica and Meryl follow the trace on Sully's cell, while Veronica explains the new information she has on Sully's credit cards. There were a bunch of charges all from this (bad) neighborhood: Circus of Liquors, Crazy Girls, and World of Cigarettes. Meryl is starting to look a little disconcerted by all this evidence of uncharacteristic behavior but she holds true to her contention: At least he's okay. Veronica is glad they can rule out kidnapping. She turns into the street where the blinking light is located on her tracer and looks up.
Oh. Crap.
Why isn't this address burned into her brain? They're parked in front of The River Stiz (wasn't it spelled Styxx before?), Neptune's notorious home base for the Fighting Fitzpatricks. Meryl moves to exit Veronica's Saturn when Veronica grabs her arm and attempts to restrain her. Oh no, sugarplum darling, that's no gin joint you want to go walking into unless you want a clover inked onto your lovely Irish complexion. Veronica says she wants to call "someone" -- a.k.a. the well-armed moron, Lamb -- for help and qualifies the urgency by saying the last time she was here her boyfriend pulled a gun on the owner. Yep, it's all Logan's fault they hate her, it has nothing to do with her dad. Meryl is fixated on the fact that the blinking dot is Sully's cell phone and it's right there in front of them; she's impatient even as Veronica stresses that they need to call help. Just when Veronica thinks she's convinced her, Meryl firms her soft jaw and then bolts out of the car straight into the bar. All for one, and all for love! Damn, illusive stupidly innocent girls! No wonder they're a dying breed! Now ... to let her disappear as mysteriously as her boyfriend or to try and save the lovefool? That is the question.
Inside, Meryl is questioning Danny Boyd about whether he's seen a boy named Billy Sullivan, he's about as tall as her with blond hair ... Danny pretends to think about it and says they don't get many lost Irish lads in their bar as Veronica walks up behind him. She grabs Meryl urgently, trying to get her away from Danny -- stressing that they need to leave pronto. Meryl hasn't recognized she's in danger yet and wants to stay because Veronica said Sully was here. Danny, meanwhile, is shocked with recognition when he looks at Veronica. Like he can't believe she'd come into their bar willingly again. Bubbling with amusement, he walks around Veronica and wraps his arms around the shoulders of the two girls, clicking his fingers. She's the daughter of Keith Mars, Ver-on-ica, always coming around looking for people. Menacingly he moves between them and lounges against the wall again as he asks Veronica why she thinks Billy Sullivan stopped there.
Veronica's eyes slide behind Danny to a stack of boxes with the 'Circus of Liquor' label on the side of them. Gee, I wonder why she could possibly think Sully was here? She tells him he's sitting on the reason why and Danny claims the boxes just fell off a truck and they were lucky enough to find them. Veronica, unlike Meryl, did not come down with the last shower and pulls out her cell phone asking if Danny minds getting this: Sully's cell phone starts ringing ... from behind the bar. Well, unless he was in here the night before tending bar they're guessing something else happened to him.
Danny, Veronica can deal with. Unluckily for her, the person who inspired her terror of this bar comes swooping in behind her. Liam Fitzpatrick appears suddenly, interrupting Veronica's interrogation, by grabbing her around the chest and pulling her up into a faux-embrace. He starts to dance with her as he whispers drunkenly in her ear, chiding her for lecturing them on stealing when her father put half of Liam's family in jail (but to be fair, Liam killed one of them himself ... so ... ). Liam waltzes around the pool tables with Veronica tucked up in his arms, saying he didn't have a problem with Sheriff Mars arresting his brothers, but he has a problem when Private Investigator Mars sticks his nose in his business and helps Kendall hide their money.
The scene has that funny-yet-slightly-disturbing mood like Aaron Echolls' That's Amore! thumping of Trina's abusive boyfriend. Well, it would be funny if Veronica didn't start choking for breath halfway through their 'dance.' Meryl finally realizes why Veronica told her they shouldn't come in here and she hesitates to pick up a beer bottle -- even she looks like she can't believe she's thinking of smashing a bottle into the back of Liam Fitzpatrick's head in the middle of his bar. Danny gives her a 'yeah riiight' look and removes the bottle from her hand for her own good, smiling in amusement the whole time.
From the bar, a drunk man stumbles toward the scene pulling out his phone. When the shot changes we see that it's Vinnie Van Lowe, the P.I. that the Fitzpatricks have been keeping on retainer since he helped Liam find Cormac in Welcome Wagon. Vinnie drunkenly laughs as he snaps a photo of Liam holding Veronica on his cell phone, "and send" he giggles before asking Liam to lick her face in the next one. Liam smashes the phone away from Vinnie's hand in annoyance and Vinnie placates him, "easy big guy." But Liam obviously doesn't think Vinnie is the brightest bulb or capable of fooling him, so he loses interest in the scene, wobbling away, clearly intoxicated. Danny doesn't look so sure and stares at Vinnie as Meryl finally gets a clue and follows Veronica's swift escape.
They hot-foot it away from the River Stix without saying a word. The door opens behind them and Vinnie jogs after them, disappointed Veronica didn't so much as thank him for his daring rescue. He chides her for going into a place like that and Meryl looks ashamed as Veronica says it was unintentional ... on her half, anyway. Vinnie's clearly not drunk and has decided to be a good guy and help his fellow P.I. out for a change. She's worried that he sent the photo to her dad (who she isn't speaking to) but Vinnie reassures her that the only way he could have done that was if God had magically given his phone a camera.
He came outside because he has some free information for her. Hey, he blackmailed one Mars this episode; he might as well get some points back from Karma with the junior version. He tells her that he saw Sully the night before looking like he'd just got back from the beach -- wasted. He couldn't remember his own name. Danny took his wallet and said he'd help him get home but instead took him on a shopping spree to Circus of Liquor etc. He was kicked out soon after that. Veronica asks where he might have gone and Vinnie gives her the obvious answer, where one finds all stumbling drunks who couldn't click there heels, whisper 'there's no place like home' and find themselves magically back in their dorm room. He's in the drunk tank -- otherwise known as the Sheriff's Department.
Veronica heads on over to see her new pal Sheriff-Lamb-on-Prozac, who is suddenly all chipper about helping that pesky little P.I. out this season. He confirms that they have Billy Sullivan, picked him up drunk off his ass wearing a wetsuit. He looked like another drunk 'dumbass' just back from tearing up Mexico (I wonder how often Logan has found himself stumbling back in a similar fashion ... ). He had no I.D. and was too intoxicated to tell them what his name was so they put him in a cell to sleep it off. Only to discover, when he woke up the next morning that he still didn't remember his name. Veronica sighs, 'oh God...' not believing that this guy actually was in trouble this whole time. Yep, he really was. Lamb tells the girls that he found a huge knot on the back of Sully's head and assumed he must have injured himself surfing. So, Meryl was right, boy from Sacramento really don't know how to surf and probably shouldn't try.
Lamb tells them that he's going to have Sacks run him up to the hospital. He goes to walk off and Meryl follows him, wanting to see Sully now that she's finally found her boyfriend. For a moment, it looks like the Prozac's stopped working or Lamb's stopped playing the weird 'I'm such a swell guy' prank that doesn't end. He asks Meryl for ten bucks, she frowns in confusion and then he laughs, laughs and says he's joking he'll have someone take her back there in a minute. Okay, guys seriously, this new Friendly!Lamb is freaking me out. Maybe he's found a new hobby like kicking his grandmother every morning and it makes him happy. *shudders*
Before they go see him, Veronica stops Meryl and apologizes for not believing her. She's sorry for trying to make Meryl jump to the wrong conclusions, Occam's Razor simple explanations or not. For the whole episode Veronica has been smiling at Meryl like she's from another planet, a simpleton that doesn't understand the way the world works. Now that Meryl's faith has been revealed to be worthwhile, she turns a similar, soft, if-patronizing smile on Veronica. It's okay; she understands. She knows how it would look to someone who doesn't know their partner as well as she does; she knows Sully would never do what it looked like he was doing and she understands why Veronica couldn't see what she could: 'If I hadn't been in love before, I wouldn't have believed it either.' Then she smiles reassuringly and runs off to see her dearest love, leaving Veronica gaping after her, mouth dropping open and closed without being able to say a word.
Sully is frowning -- clearly with a headache -- as he dozes on a bunk in the lockup. Meryl walks up to the bars, clasping her hands around him as she smiles and calls his name. He called her, remembering who she was while he was so dazed from his head wound that he couldn't even remember his own name. You can tell by the smile on her face that she knows he'll know her now. Sully wakes up and as soon as he sees her, he smiles softly and gets up off the bunk whispering, "Meryl?" Veronica watches the scene in shock, awe and a little bit of shame. Sully whispers to Meryl that he was looking for her, and then he clutches the back of her head and kisses her forehead while Meryl smiles in relief.
Veronica can see it on his face that he loves the beautiful, illusive creature that somehow survived the wilderness of dating without becoming jaded by cynicism. She can see it on his face and it's obviously hurting Veronica to realize the truth of the lesson she was learning this week: Not that the whole world is putrid and out to betray you, not that you can never count on anyone, but that you can count on the people who love you. It's not necessarily ignorance that causes girls to refuse to believe the worst despite evidence to the contrary, sometimes it takes a kind of strength and faith that cynics like her are too jaded to be capable of any more. Sometimes all it takes is the faith that the man you love wouldn't do that to you.
Veronica stands back and watches all of this, as Lamb comes into the room and tells them "no touching!" in that playful puppetmaster voice of his (totally abducted by aliens after My Big Fat Greek Rush Week ... you'll see in the second mystery arc!). He tells Meryl that they're taking her boyfriend to the hospital now if she wants to go along with him. Meryl agrees and then beams at Veronica with excitement. She says she'll see her the next time she's in town but Veronica's still too shaken to do much more than nod with that sad smile of hers.
Maybe 90% of the time, Veronica is right about her world: It is a dark place full of betrayal, lies and secrets. Love's fools are the worst kind of fools in a show like this, but who is the greater fool this time around? The person who believes the worst of the man they love so that they never make themselves vulnerable to injury, or the person who chooses to be believe the best -- and gets to experience that rush of joy when their faith is proved justified?
- Veronica sneaks into the Mars apartment in the wee hours of the morning obviously doing everything in her power to not wake her father. She grabs some things, stows them in a duffel and makes a near-silent break for the door. Not silent enough, though -- Keith steps out in the hall behind her before she gets halfway to the door. Keith wonders if he can perhaps inquire about her whereabouts the previous evening as it is rather obvious she didn't come home. He's doubly curious because he also put a call into Veronica's oh-so-devoted boyfriend Logan who indicated that he didnt know where she was either -- and Keith believed him (which shows real growth in that relationship, don'cha think?)
Veronica turns to face her father and snarkily replies that she wasn't home last night, but he wasn't home the night before that -- which leads me to believe that Veronica's staying out was nothing more than a petty exercise of "tit for tat." Keith seems surprised that Veronica so upset about his somewhat dangerous liaison with Harmony that she'd leave the house and suggests that perhaps they talk about it. Veronica seems to think that talking would be pointless.
She tells Keith that Wallace and Piz are out of town for the weekend cramming for finals in a motel room a la The Paper Chase and her BFF offered to let her crash at his place until they returned from their weekend. Veronica sarcastically comments that she thought he'd be happy that she wasn't there because now he could have his married girlfriend over whenever he wanted and they could "go crazy." Keith is quickly getting as fed up with Veronica's bitch-tastic and crazy-judgmental attitude as I am and he tells her not to make a joke out of this because it is his life and his choice. Veronica counters that if being with Harmony is his choice, then leaving in pouty protest is hers.
Later that day Keith's gal pal Harmony drops by for a little one-on-one with her favorite private eye. Harmony seems a bit concerned because she hasn't heard from Keith all day. Keith is grinning adorably, but his face also seems a bit "overcast" -- his confrontation with Veronica is still clearly on his mind. He assures Harmony that he thought about calling her many times, but he's clearly having a hard time being okay with the whole "she's a married woman" thing.
Harmony tries valiantly to do the "it is what it is" thing to try to keep Keith from bolting. She tells him that it's been eight months since she and her husband had sex and they are really nothing more than glorified roommates and that they have nothing in common anymore. Except a daughter, as Keith reminds her, and you can tell that's a sticking point. Keith turns and walks into his office with Harmony right on his heels. When he turns back to face her, she assures him that she's decided to leave her husband as soon as he gets back into town because while divorce may be hard, it makes way more sense than living in a loveless marriage. (Hey, no argument here.) And I don't think Keith has a problem with it -- at least in principle -- either, but he's clearly concerned about the ramifications of their evolving relationship on both of their lives and families.
But Harmony won't be swayed and she wants to know if this thing shes feeling for Keith is one-sided -- and before Keith even opens his mouth, the schmoopy look on his face gives the resounding yes. But (and isnt there always a BUT?) it's complicated. Which Harmony doesn't argue with, but she clearly thinks that whatever this might be, it deserves a chance. She knows they aren't going to figure it out in a day so for right now all she wants is for Keith to go away to Palm Springs with her for the weekend. Keith is clearly powerless in the face of her expert nuzzling -- he almost looks drugged or hypnotized as he nods in agreement. A few minutes later a buoyant Harmony walks out of Keith's office kind of giggling before she realizes that Keith's got company. Its Vinnie! She excuses herself for taking up so much time as she heads for the door -- without looking up from his magazine, Vinnie tells "Mrs. Chase" that it's no problem. Ruh-roh! I'm thinking this doesnt bode well for either Harmony or Keith.
Vinnie heads into Keith's office for a rousing game of "Let's Make A Deal." See, Vinnies on retainer with the Fitzpatricks (which, since Vinnie's kind of low rent makes perfect sense) and he tells Keith that they think Kendall owes them money, and that Keith knows where she is. Vinnie tells Keith that he'll split the Fitzpatricks retainer fee with him if Keith'll just, you know, whisper an address in Vinnie's ear. Keith tells Vinnie that unfortunately, he doesn't know where Kendall is, so no dice. Vinnie's unusually calm about Keith's answer which makes me wonder what else he's got up his sleeve. But I don't have to wonder for long.
Vinnie tosses a manila envelope at Keith but cautions that it isn't "a judgment call" because the married chick is a hottie. Keith opens the envelope and finds an assortment of candid photos of he and Harmony getting it on at the Neptune Grand two nights before. Keith's face has rapidly progressed from mildly amused to dark and stormy and without preamble he asks Vinnie what he wants. Answer? Double the $2,000 that Mr. Chase is paying him to prove that his wife is having an affair. So what's it gonna be Keith? Giving up info on Kendall's demise and/or the missing moolah behind door #1, OR take advantage of the Vinnie Van Lowe special behind door #2. Neither option looks particularly appetizing.
A day or so later, in the early morning, Keith finds his favorite daughter in the Mars Investigations office "borrowing" some equipment for her case. He tells her that she doesn't have to go to such extremes to avoid him and asks that she at least let him explain. She takes up her favorite perch on her moral high ground and tells him there's nothing to explain because she's an adult (all evidence of petulant, immature behavior to the contrary), he's an adult, and Ms. Whomever (yeah -- totally mature Veronica) is an adult. Keith asks that Veronica not be so quick to judge because what he has with Harmony is something special. Veronica hits him with the one-two punch of telling him that he sounds like every other philanderer that they've ever caught with their pants down, and then brings up the Jake Kane/Lianne affair to drive the point home. And they are good points, to be sure. I think I'd just appreciate them a little better with a little less attitude and a little less moral superiority.
Keith tells Veronica that it isn't the same at all because Harmony's leaving her husband. Veronica's less than relieved and downright unimpressed because they've heard that before too. What she really wants to know is if Harmony's husband knows that his marriage is over? And as bitchy as Veronica's been, Ive got to give her props for that one. It's a question that deserves an answer. As she walks out the door Veronica makes a comment about how she's seen too much in their line of work to have faith in love anymore. Keith's not buying that she's that jaded. That is, he didn't believe it until Veronica told him that she became jaded after her one shining example of morality let her down. OUCH!
With those words ringing in his head, Keith has to face an exuberant Harmony who cannot wait to get on the road and get away to Palm Springs with Keith. Judging by the look of sadness on his face, Keiths about to make a change to the plans -- and Harmony can see it too. Well, that and she can see that he doesnt have a bag packed. Both are equally good indicators that this little lover's getaway is doomed. Harmony won't give up though. She tells Keith that she's fallen for him. Her bags are packed, the car is gassed up and ready and she is asking him to take that leap and go away with her for the weekend. But as much as I know Keith would love to go, we all know that he can't bear to hurt or disappoint Veronica. Which Veronica realizes when she listens to her voicemail messages and (after skipping like a zillion from her boyfriend, I might add) learns that her father has ended things with Harmony and wants her to come home.
Well, Veronica, youve brought him to heel. I hope you are thoroughly pleased with yourself.
- Veronica is sitting in her Intro to Criminology class with Dr. Landry. As the students are packing up , Dr. Landry reminds them that it is time for their end-of-term research paper. The assignment? Planning the perfect murder. Veronica snarks at the irony of getting challenged with this task by a guy who can't even successfully orchestrate an affair with the Dean's wife. Before she can dole out any further internal sarcasm, Dr. Landry gives them some additional criteria and advises them that the paper will need to be twenty pages long. He dismisses the class but asks Veronica to stay after.
She does, and she clearly thinks she knows exactly the reason he's asked her to stay after. Shes deduced (and by deduced I mean jumped to conclusions) that he wants to talk to her about keeping her mouth shut over his affair with the Dean's wife which she assures him he's not interested in discussing. However, what Landry really wants to talk to Veronica about is a summer internship with the FBI. They have a serious program and he wants to recommend her for it. All she needs to do is complete a fifteen hundred word essay and pass it back to Landry who will make sure it lands on the right desk. Landry tells her hell take her essay in lieu of the perfect murder paper because they both know she could do one in her sleep.
Damn! Either the profs hitting on her (which I doubt) or he really thinks she's the bomb diggity when it comes to solving crimes. I guess he's missed the first forty-five minutes of the last, oh, thirty episodes or so where Veronica has leapt to all the wrong conclusions on each of her cases instead of making informed decisions and then drawing conclusions from the information present. Im just sayin'. Speaking of Ms. Mars' batting average on her first impressions, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that her assumption that she's being offered this plum assignment as a bribe to keep her quiet (rather than, oh, I don't know -- a measure of his faith in her intelligence and abilities?) is, um, WRONG. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for Veronica to prove me right.
While working on the mystery of the week, Veronica makes a quick trip to speak to Dr. Landry when she runs into him at the food court. He asks her to take a seat and join him for a delicious Chili's Baby Back Rib (nice ad placement there, gang) but she tells him that she "doesnt like to get her hands dirty." Nice Veronica -- real subtle. She tells Landry that she's decided not to do the essay and do the perfect murder paper instead. Landry is confused (and rightly so) by Veronica's decision to throw away an amazing opportunity. Veronica takes a seat atop her pillar of righteous judgment to explain it to him. (And really -- that sucker's so tall these days its a wonder shes not constantly suffering from nosebleeds or oxygen deprivation.)
See, Dr. Landry, because Veronica is SO much more principled than you, she'd have a hard time enjoying the internship or really getting anything out of it if she felt that shed gotten it by being bought off. She tells him that she would never have said anything about his affair with Mrs. O'Dell anyway. (Sidenote: If Veronica gets something that she'd smart enough to have earned as "payment" for something she wasn't planning on doing anyway -- so she doesn't change her behavior in exchange -- does that REALLY count as being bought off? I don't think so.) Then she makes the magnanimous comment that she "guesses" she doesnt think any less of him as a professor -- you know, just as a human being. Hey Veronica? This time, your assumption just makes an ass out of you and, um, let's see ...YOU.
Dr. Landry, while he may play it fast and loose with the women, clearly has the patience of a saint where Veronica's concerned. (And really -- where do all the men in her life go to pick up that trait??) He tells her to take the internship because it isn't hush money. He offered her the internship because she's by far his strongest student (even when her penchant for conclusion jumping says otherwise) and it could be very important to her future. Forget about him, he doesn't really care what she does with the information she has about him and the Dean's Mrs. He just wants her to do what's best for her and take advantage of the opportunity. Dr. Landry, that is one thing we don't seem to have to worry about with Veronica these days -- because she's generally looking out for herself, the rest of the world be damned.
- All R.A.'s have keys to all the rooms that they are responsible for.
- Sully makes perfect circles because of all the drafting classes hes taken.
- Sully's roommate Glenn is clearly a bit of a hound dog -- or maybe he just wishes he was.
- Dr. Landry has often been the murdered party in the perfect murder research paper challenge he gives out each year.
- It appears that Logan sleeps in PJ pants and a t-shirt when he sleeps alone.
- Lamb may be a moron, but hes a well-armed moron.
- Sullys real name is Billy Sullivan.
- The Fitzpatricks liquor that "fell off the truck" was from Circus Liquors.
- Lamb enjoys a bear claw with his morning coffee.
- It's daytime and Logan is sitting on the back of a bench on campus, waiting. Veronica walks out of the building and sees him there. Tensing up, she braces herself and walks over to him to tell him he doesn't need to worry -- she's not bailing on helping his friend, Mercer. The Sheriff won't let her in to see the recently-accused until tomorrow morning. Logan insists he's not there about Mercer. He's there to try to make things right between them again. She starts walking away, but he follows. Practically shaking her head in utter disbelief, she reminds him of their current state of affairs. He told her he could provide an alibi for Mercer the night of the rape this summer, but won't come forward. Even worse, he refuses to tell her why or what they were doing that's so horrible. How exactly does he expect to make things right with that situation? Is he going to hypnotize her? Veronica's quite clearly frustrated as hell by all this.
Logan claims he was hoping her desire to find the real rapist would outweigh her need to drag him over the coals. Veronica sees no reason why she can't do both. He stops and faces her, snapping at her to just trust him. It's better for everyone if he keeps his secret to himself; she should just have a little faith in him. So Veronica asks the million dollar question home viewers have to be wondering: How bad does this secret have to be that Mercer would rather stay in jail for a crime he didn't commit than have anyone find out what they did? He refuses to say anything. She tries again, but he remains silent. Upset, she shakes her head and starts walking away again, realizing that maybe she really doesn't want to know, if it's that truly terrible. Following her, he asks when she's ever not wanted to know anything. She keeps mum, since it's not like he's going to tell her anyway.
Changing the subject, he tells her that Keith called and woke him up last night to ask if he knew where she was at. So where is she staying these days? Taking a page out of Logan's playbook, she tells him that it's better for everyone if that secret stays that way. She faces him and asks if that's how it's supposed to work. Did she get the inflection right? And then she walks away, leaving Logan alone.
A big rough-looking guy is sleeping in a jail cell's top bunk. A second dude sleeps below, his shirt covered in blood, his head and eye covered in a bloody bandage. And looking completely out of place (although looks can be deceiving), Mercer is resting on a bench on the other side of the cell, hands covering his eyes. Veronica walks up and snarkastically asks if nobody's willing to spoon him. He retorts that no one volunteered, then walks over to the bars to ask her why she's there to see him. Veronica explains that Logan told her they have a shared alibi for the night of the third rape, August 13th. Mercer agrees that they do -- that night was quite memorable, but the nights of the other attacks aren't. She tries to get him to share with her what the two "free-spirited lads" were up to. She's assuming it was squalid. He tries to assure her that Logan has a good reason to keep quiet about it. Logan's a solid guy and she shouldn't worry.
Not happy at being blown off again, Veronica asks if there is anything he actually can tell her that'll help his case. Mercer says that the Sheriff was really interested in his cologne, but it was a sample in Gentleman Quarterly's back-to-school issue. So plenty of guys on campus probably wear it and own clippers. But what about all the GHB the Sheriff found? Not his, Mercer insists. He believes someone's setting him up. Possibly one of the guys who owe him a lot of money. For instance, Pi Sig President Chip Diller. Veronica? So not surprised. Another person owing Mercer a bunch of moola? The good Dean O'Dell. She's not buying it, until Mercer goes on to say that the Dean is a big boxing fan. He has a student aide place bets for him, but the Dean's lousy at picking winners. He'd love to see Mercer out of the picture. Veronica considers it seriously for a moment, then promises to look into it. Mercer thanks her, letting her know that Logan's bragged her up, so he appreciates her help.
Later than night, Veronica's sitting at Wallace's desk, doing homework, as Meryl sleeps. Piz grabs a crate full of record albums on his way out. When Veronica asks if they still make vinyl records, Piz explains that dance music still comes in vinyl and he needs them because he's covering Mercer's slot tonight -- Club Flush. Recognizing the name of the show, Veronica quickly grabs her bag and jacket and tells Piz she's going with him.
When they arrive at the KRFF campus radio station, Piz and Veronica go over to the computer. He pulls up the DJ shift log for her to look over. All shifts are logged on the computer. He sees her looking up information for September 30, 2006 and asks what happened on that date. Hesitating for a moment, Veronica explains that it was the night Parker was raped. Looking at the screen, she sees that Mercer's Club Flush was on from nine until eleven that night. She pulls up another date: March 24, 2006. Mercer was on air that night from ten until midnight. So he couldn't have raped Stacy either. Unless he pre-recorded his shows as a way of setting himself up with an alibi. Piz shoots down that theory right away, though, because Club Flush is a call-in request show. Sighing, Veronica realizes that Mercer is now in the clear but she's still no closer to finding the guilty party.
Later that night, Veronica turns on the bedside lamp in Logan's room, waking him. He sleepily looks over and sighs at the look on his girlfriend's face. Sooo obvious this isn't a booty call. Veronica tells him that she has the information he needs to get Mercer released. This wakes him up a bit. She'll give him the information and no one has to know where he was that night. Looking down, upset, she clarifies that means no one except for her. He sits up and asks her to leave it alone. Can she just trust him? Her eyes beginning to fill with tears, she tells him that she can't -- she's not built that way. Upset, he wonders who in this world gets blackmailed by their own girlfriend. She averts his gaze, miserable but not backing down. After sitting silent for a moment, Logan relents and tells her the story.
He and Mercer were in Tijuana, partying all night. They got back to their motel room and Mercer started making Flaming DPs, a drink where you set a shot glass of rum and Amaretto on fire and drop it in a beer. She sarcastically offers to get a pen to jot down the recipe. Angrily, he tells her that Mercer set the room on fire! Shakily, she asks him where he was during all the fun. Asleep in his room, he tells her. She pauses, barely able to spit out the question she should know by now that she doesn't have to ask: Alone? He answers that yes, he was alone. She questions how much of an alibi he could be if he wasn't actually with Mercer all night. He explains further that they had adjoining rooms and the door between their rooms was open, so he could hear them over there. And yes, there were girls in his room, if that's what Veronica wants to know.
Veronica starts to walk away and he gets out of bed, angrily accusing her of treating him like a criminal, even though he's her boyfriend. She points out that nothing he's said is anything he couldn't have just told to Lamb. Unfortunately, there's more to the sordid tale. By the time the gang got out of the room, the fire had spread to the rest of the motel, so they left. Stunned, she asks him if he didn't stick around to try to help. He has no response. Horrified, she asks him again if he didn't try to see that everyone was okay. Looking down in shame, he explains that the look on her face right now is why he didn't tell her. He argues that nine out of ten people in his situation would have done the same thing. They would have run like he did. Either Mercer sits in jail here for something he didn't do or he goes to Mexico and sits in jail for something he actually did. Veronica tells him to have Lamb check the campus radio station log, so he can get his friend released. Then, with a look of sad disappointment, she leaves.
The next day, Veronica is leaving the Sheriff's station when she walks by Mercer. He's handcuffed and being led down the hall by a deputy. She's confused and asks him what he's still doing there. Mercer explains that Logan came by the night before and talked to Lamb, but the Sheriff found something lacking in his attitude so he's going to keep him there as long as the law allows. He thanks her for helping him out and as the deputy leads him away, lets her know that Logan's picking him up for breakfast tomorrow and she's welcome to join them if she'd like. Doubtful, she says.
Keith's phone rings in his office and he answers it to find it's Logan calling from his hotel suite. Keith, probably not used to getting calls from the boyfriend, asks him if everything's all right. Logan's just looking for Veronica, who he's pretty sure is trying to hide from him. Keith sympathetically shares that she's been keeping him out of the loop, as well. He tells Logan to try Wallace's place, since Veronica said she'd be staying with him.
The campus food court is hustling and bustling, as the voice of KRFF's D.J. Hellfish is heard over the din. Veronica's walking to a table, carrying a dinner tray. She sets the tray down, then frowns when she notices something in her pasta dish. She picks up her plate, leaving her cup of soda and tray on the table as she goes back to the food counter. Cutting her way to the front of the line, she points out to the employee behind the counter that there's hair in her pasta. The girl silently apologizes and goes to get Veronica another plate. A few moments later, Veronica returns to her table with some hair-free (one would hope) pasta. She takes a big drink from her soda cup and pulls out her cell to check her voicemail. Six calls from Logan and one call from Dad.
As she drinks some more, she begins listening to her messages from Logan. The first is a casual "Give me a buzz." The next is Logan wondering if everything's all right. And the third is Logan sounding worried and asking where she is. Looking confused at the tone of the message, she listens to the next one from Keith as she digs into her food. Keith tells her he wants her to come back home. He ended things with Harmony and he'd just like to see her. She smiles softly to herself, hangs up and reaches for her drink again. Suddenly, she appears to be feeling a little woozy. She looks around the cafeteria and everything is fuzzy and seriously out of whack. After rubbing her eyes, she takes a deep breath and everything comes back into focus. The momentary dizziness over, she shakes it off and goes back to her dinner.
Piz sits in his room, messing around with his guitar. There's a knock on the door. He opens it to find Logan there. Logan's surprised to see Piz and not Veronica standing in the doorway. He glances in the room, confused, and explains that he's looking for Veronica. Piz tells him that she was around earlier but not now. Logan asks if she's with Wallace. Piz informs him that Wallace is out of town, in a motel. Studying, he explains, smiling in memory of Crazy!Wallace's antics. Logan says that Veronica's dad thought that He looks at Piz, who's giving nothing away, but for an air of smug joy simmering below the surface. Finally, Logan just asks him to have Veronica call him if he sees her. Piz nods, Logan thanks him and leaves.
Outside, it's nighttime and Veronica is walking alone across campus. Her step is looking just a tad bit wobbly. As she walks down the stairs toward the parking lot, she starts feeling worse. Clearly disoriented now, Veronica has to grab on to the handrail near the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly, she realizes how familiar this all feels. She walks across the lot, looking for her car, but everything around her is fuzzy and she's staggering now more than walking. She can't believe this is happening to her again. A shadowy figure, dressed in dark clothing and a hooded sweatshirt, is watching her from across the lot. She senses his presence and slowly turns to look for him. She sees him but can't pull his image into focus. He slowly starts to walk toward her. Frightened, she stumbles as fast as she can to her car and only manages to get her door open before she collapses to the ground and drops her keys. The dark figure continues to approach. Veronica weakly stretches her hand out to grasp her keys and presses a button, causing her car alarm to go off.
Above the parking area, Logan is walking along when he hears the sound of the alarm. He glances down to see the lights on Veronica's car flashing on and off and realizes something is terribly wrong. Frightened, he turns back and hurries toward the stairs. By her car, Veronica is laying on her stomach, on the ground, not moving at all, as the sinister figure crouches down beside her. A hand, wearing a white plastic glove reaches for her keys -- only a small patch of light skin visible on the wrist above the glove. The gloved hand turns off the car alarm.
Logan rushes down the stairs, as he hears the alarm silenced. He jogs through the parking lot, calling out Veronica's name, glancing around cautiously. When he gets past the Saturn, he sees her motionless body on the ground beside it. She is alone. Kneeling down, he gently turns her over and holds her head up. Weakly, eyes still closed, Veronica whimpers a plea for him to take her home. He holds her close, then sees some of her curly, blonde locks laying on the ground. He gently moves the hair on the back of her head aside to reveal a bald, bloody patch of scalp where her head was shaved. Shaken beyond belief, Logan rocks her in his arms.
A while later, Veronica is laid out on the Mars' sofa, covered in a blanket. She's semi-conscious, but weak. Keith is pouring a teaspoon of medicine for her, while Logan's standing behind him, watching her with concern etched on his face. Keith tells Veronica that the doctor said they need to get more of this medicine into her, so she takes it and grimaces about how nasty it tastes. Logan, voice shaking, jokes at her to "cowboy up."
Later, Keith sleeps in his chair, while Logan sits sleeping on the couch, his arms wrapped around Veronica's feet in his lap. She's awake and watching Logan as he sleeps. Thinking about what South Park's Stan would say in this situation, she realizes a valuable lesson was learned about faith. She continues looking at Logan as she realizes you give that faith to people you love. Looking at her father, she smiles a bit as she also acknowledges that the ones who really deserve it are the ones who come through even when you don't love them enough. Closing her eyes with a small smile, she rests.
"A Pair of Brown Eyes" (The Pogues)
Scene: Liam discovers a new scare tactic -- while holding tight swing and sway your victim all around the room, making sure there's air between their feet and the ground. Uhm, okay.
"Captain" (Shapes of Race Cars)
Scene: It's Veronica; it's a GHB'd drink! Where's Madison?
LoVe Lines
Logan: Look, I'm not here to talk about Mercer. Okay? I just -- I don't know, I want to make things right between us.
Veronica: You tell me your friend couldn't have raped a girl because he was with you this summer. Then you won't tell me what you were doing or why you can't come forward to provide an alibi, so how exactly do you propose to make things right? You gonna hypnotize me?
Logan: I was hoping your desire to find the real rapist might outweigh your need to drag me over the coals.
Veronica: Who says I can't do both?
Logan: (Forcefully.) Hey Veronica, trust me. It's better for everyone if this secret stays that way, Okay? Please - have a little faith.
Veronica: How bad does your alibi have to be if Mercer would rather stay in jail than divulge it? (Sees the look on Logan's face as he maintains his silence.) Huh? Maybe I don't want to know what you were up to.
Logan: When have you ever not wanted to know anything? (Veronica doesn't respond.) Your dad called me last night. Wanted to know where you were.
Veronica: Is that so?
Logan: (Tentatively.) So, where are you staying these days?
Veronica: (Snottily, sarcastically.) It's better for everyone if that secret stays that way. (Turns to face Logan) Is that how it works? Did I get the inflection right?
Logan: (Veronica is standing in Logan's bedroom; she turns on the light and wakes him up.) Something tells me this isn't a booty call.
Veronica: I got what you need to get Mercer out of jail. It's yours Logan. No one has to know where you were that night no one except me.
Logan: (Sitting up in bed.) Can you leave it alone? Can you trust me?
Veronica: No, I can't. I'm not built that way.
Logan: (Voice breaking.) Who gets blackmailed by his girlfriend? (Veronica can't look him in the eye.) Oh, I guess I do. (Sighing.) We were in Tijuana. You know, we partied all night. It was no big deal. When we got back to our rooms he started making these drinks -- Flaming D.P.'s -- you know, you set a shot glass of rum and amaretto on fire, and you drop it in a beer.
Veronica: Hold on. Let me get a pen. I want to jot down this recipe.
Logan: (Angry.) He set the room on fire.
Veronica: He did? And where were you for all this fun?
Logan: Asleep in my room.
Veronica: Alone?
Logan: (Quietly.) Yeah, alone.
Veronica: Well, then, you're not really much of an alibi, are you?
Logan: (Raising his voice.) We were in Mexico, Veronica! We had adjoining rooms. I mean, the door between the rooms was open. I could hear them.
Veronica: Them?
Logan: Yes, there were girls in his room. Is that what you want to know? (She turns and starts to leave the bedroom, Logan gets out of bed.) I am your boyfriend, Veronica, and youre treating me like a criminal.
Veronica: (She turns to face him.) You could have told all this to Lamb.
Logan: By the time we got out of the room, the fire was spreading. The whole motel was going up in flames. Okay, w -- I don't know. We had to get out of there.
Veronica: You didn't stick around to try to help? You didn't see if everyone was okay?
Logan: (Looking like a sad woobie indeed.) It's because of the look on your face right now that I didn't want to tell you. I did what nine out of ten guys in my situation would have done. I ran. So either Mercer sits in jail here, or he gives his alibi and sits on his ass in some Mexican jail. At least here he's innocent.
Veronica: (She looks at Logan in disbelief? With shame? All judgmental? Yup.) Tell Lamb to check the log at the campus radio station. (She turns, leaves, and without looking back ...) That should get your friend released.
In Memory
Quotable Quotes
Keith: Where are you staying these days? If I can be so bold. (Pause) You didn't come home last night. I called Logan's room at The Grand. He said he didn't know where you were. Thing is, I think he was telling the truth.
Veronica: I didn't come home last night, you didn't come home the night before that ...
Keith: That's what this is about? Don't you think we should talk?
Veronica: Do you? (Pausing.) Wallace is letting me stay in his dorm room until he and his roommate get back from their weekend. They're cramming Paper Chase-style at some motel out in 29 Palms. (Mildly sarcastic.) C'mon dad, I thought you'd be happy.
Keith: Happy?
Veronica: Now you can have your new ... married girlfriend over and you two can ... I don't know -- go crazy.
Keith: Don't make a joke out of this. It's my life Veronica -- my choice.
Veronica: (Quietly.) And this is mine.
Veronica: (Looking at the multitude of hot chick posters on the wall in Sully's room.) Well, I guess you never have to wonder if your boyfriend is straight.
Meryl: So, you do this, like, a lot? Find people?
Veronica: People, stuff. Whatever.
Meryl: Really? That's ... interesting.
Dr. Landry: And one final item of business: Your end of term research paper. (The class groans.) Ooooh, yes. Your assignment: To plan the perfect murder.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: From the guy who couldn't plan an affair with the Dean's wife.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (Watching Landry schmooze the class.) The man who would be my mentor -- Mr. Popular. Just another on the list of men who disappoint.
Veronica: College boy isn't around when his high-school girlfriend shows up? The Sheriff would laugh you out of there.
Meryl: I don't get it -- why would he laugh?
Veronica: Because the Sheriff's a moron.
Veronica: Nobody willing to spoon you?
Mercer: Uh, no one volunteered.
Veronica: Well, you know what they say in the Big House. If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair. Let's rock.
Mercer: What are you doing here, Veronica?
Veronica: You. Logan says he's got an alibi for the two of you. The night of the third rape. August 13th?
Mercer: I suppose he does.
Veronica: So, you do remember.
Mercer: That night? Yeah. It's ... memorable.
Veronica: Care to share what you two free-spirited lads were up to? I'll give you a hint: It was squalid.
Mercer: Logan has good reason to keep that to himself. But you shouldn't worry. He's a solid guy. I'd want him to be my boyfriend if I swung that way.
Veronica: (all sarcasm) Give it time. You just got here.
Mercer: The Sheriff seemed awfully interested in my cologne. Uh, GQ had a sample of it in the back to school issue, so I hardly think that's some huge clue. Now, do you think I'm the only guy at Hearst who owns clippers and subscribes to Gentlemen's Quarterly?
Veronica: And keeps a stock pile of GHB handy. From what I hear.
Mercer: Thanks, Veronica. You know Logan's, uh, bragged you up. I appreciate the help.
Meryl: Look, I was just thinking. Sully told me that in his physics class they're working with lasers. (Pacing back and forth, her worry increasing.) So, what if Sully accidentally discovered some new technology, you know, like some kind of laser cannon that could assassinate people from space or something? (Veronica carefully approaches.) He could be running from -- I don't know, sinister forces! (Sitting down, exasperated)
Veronica: (Crouching down in front of Meryl.) Have you ever heard of Occam's razor, Meryl?
Meryl: Is that a space laser? Has it already been invented?
Veronica: No, it's a theory. Basically, the theory states that when given a set of possible explanations for a phenomenon, we should embrace the least complicated. So ... I guess I'm saying that if on the one hand, you have Sully inventing a space laser, and on the other, maybe he wants to break up but is taking the coward's way out...
Meryl: You're saying maybe he's breaking up with me? I hope that's all it is. At least then I'd know he's okay.
Veronica: Are you Glen?
Glen: The man, the myth, the legend. Which one of you is Meryl?
Meryl: That's me.
Glen: For real? (Checking out Veronica.) And that makes you the hot friend.
Harmony: I just came by to make sure your phone was working okay.
Keith: It's fine. I know because I've picked it up a dozen times and listened to the dial tone ...wanting to call. It's just, um ...
Harmony: Don't beat yourself up. What happened, happened.
Keith: Yeah, but ... it doesn't make it right.
Vinnie: (Using a game show announcer-style voice, tossing the envelope at Keith.) Let's peek behind door number two! Now this is not a value judgment, Keith, because believe me (Laughing.) I have been there. (As Keith looks at the pictures of him and Harmony.) I mean there was this one married lady ... smokin' hot blonde. Cried all day and ashed Pall Malls all over my couch. But man, could she lay the lumber. This one you've got, though. I mean, a lady in the streets and a fury in the sheets.
Keith: (Laying down the photos) What do you want?
Vinnie: Well, first ... (Picking up one of the photos.) you could acknowledge the artistry here. I mean you remember how dark it was. Open aperture, full zoom from across the street ... steadiest hands in the biz.
Keith: Why are you here, Vinnie? Money?
Vinnie: Girl at the Fotomat used to call me the human tripod. Wait ... that's something else.
Veronica: (To Scarlett.) Dig the outfit. Is that from Dolce & Gabbana's Study Budy collection?
Meryl: (Warningly.) Veronica.
Scarlett: It's Friday. I'm going to a club after.
Veronica: Scarlett, did you happen to notice whether Sully invented a space laser of some sort?
Meryl: You don't have to be mean.
Veronica: I'm sorry Meryl, but Scarlett here has either stolen your boyfriend or she wants to. That's just the way it is. You can choose to be a patsy, or you can choose not to be.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (After noticing Professor Landry across the food court) And if you'll excuse me, I need to make this point elsewhere in the food court.
Veronica: Talk amongst yourselves.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: (After talking to Landry) Okay. Consider my mind blown. (Looking over to see Scarlett hugging Meryl) And then put back together and blown again.
Piz: There's a girl in my bed. (He points at Merlys sleeping form.)
Veronica: Yeah, buddy. (Piz gives her a quizzical look.) It took a double shot of night-time cold medicine to get her down. It also stopped her sniffling. She's pretty worked up about her boyfriend.
Piz: Understandable, but, um where am I sleeping?
Veronica: Play your cards right the floor.
Piz: Keith Richards wouldn't sleep on the floor.
Veronica: Probably true.
Keith: (He enters his office to find Veronica gathering surveillance equipment.) You're up early.
Veronica: Yeah, you too.
Keith: You don't have to go through all this trouble of avoiding me. I know you're disappointed, but, at least give me the opportunity to explain.
Veronica: What's to explain? That's the way the world works. You're an adult. I'm an adult. What's her name's an adult.
Keith: But I want you to understand this is not just some fling. Veronica this is something special.
Veronica: 'This is something special.' Where have we heard that before? Oh yeah, from every john we've ever caught with his pants down.
Keith: Veronica
Veronica: So if Jake Kane thought he and mom had "something special," would that have been okay?
Keith: Harmony is leaving her husband.
Veronica: Listen to yourself! Does her husband know this yet? (Off Keith's look that obviously means no.) Yeah. (She starts to leave.) Look, dad, do what you got to do, okay? I've seen too much working here to ever be surprised again.
Keith: I know you, Veronica, you'e not that jaded.
Veronica: I didn't use to be. I had this one shining example that gave me some faith. (She leaves Keith looking very sad indeed.)
Veronica: (She and Meryl are in her car tracking a cell signal.) I ran Sully's cards again. There were a bunch of charges from last night -- all in this neighborhood.
Meryl: Charges from where?
Veronica: Circus of Liquors. Crazy Girls, World of Cigarettes
Meryl: At least he's okay, right?
Veronica: I guess we can rule out kidnapping unless he was abducted by the Insane Clown Posse. (She pulls into a parking lot across from where the cell signal is coming from.) This is it. (She looks up and sees the sign above the door: River StiX.) Of all the gin joints in all the cities in all the world. (Meryl starts to get out of the car and Veronica grabs her arm.) Meryl, we can't go in there. Let me call someone for help. Last time I went in there my boyfriend pulled a gun on the owner of the place.
Meryl: (She glances down at the computer screen.) That's Sully's cell phone, that blinking light, right?
Veronica: We'll get help. We'll call the Sheriff.
Meryl: You mean the moron?
Veronica: He's a well-armed moron.
Meryl: Fine. (Then she bolts from the car and heads over to the bar.)
Veronica: Oh, crap.
Danny: And what gives you the idea young Billy Sullivan stopped here?
Veronica: (Looking at liquor boxes.) You're sitting on it, Potsie.
Danny: What, this? Just fell off a truck. We were lucky enough to happen by.
Veronica: (Dialing cell phone.) You mind getting this?
Danny: (Confused.) What? (Phone rings behind him at the bar and he looks toward it.) Hmm.
Veronica: Sully's cell phone. Maybe he was in here last night, tending bar. (Drunk Liam swoops in behind her, grabs her in a bear hug and picks her up off the floor.)
Liam: Uh, mind if we take you to him? (Danny laughs.)
Veronica: Let me down.
Liam: Are you here to lecture us on stealing now? (Starts swaying with her.) It's not enough your dad put half of my family in jail. Not that I hold a grudge! Nooo!! (Laughing.) Fair play, Sheriff Mars.
Meryl: Let go of her!
Liam: Patience, sister. You'll get your turn. (Dancing around drunkenly, singing along with song playing and crushing Veronica.) And a rovin', a rovin', a rovin' I'll go. For a pair of brown eyes. (Veronica's struggling to breathe.) See, now I got a real problem 'cause Private Investigator Mars sticks his nose into my business and he helps that Casablancas bitch check out of Neptune with millions in my cash. Huh?
Veronica: (Gasping.) I can't breathe.
Liam: (Laughing.) Ohhh. (Meryl grabs bottle, planning to hit him. Danny grabs it from her. Vinnie "drunkenly" stumbles over from bar and points phone at Liam.)
Vinnie: Say "cheese!" Click! (Laughs.) Got it. (Pushes button.) And send. Hey, Keith Mars is gonna love this one, Liam! (Laughs, but Liam stares at the phone and puts Veronica down.) Think of his face when he opens up this e-mail. Up high! (Holds up hand for high-five, but Liam ignores it.) Alright. Ooh, better yet, how about one of you licking her face? (Points phone to take picture and Liam grabs it and throws it across the room.) Easy, big guy.
Liam: (Sighs drunkenly.) Okay. (Walks away, starting to sing again.)
Vinnie: (Noticing Veronica's car.) Oh, sweet new ride. Hybrid, right? I'm waiting for the hybrid Camaro.
Veronica: You sobered up pretty quick.
Vinnie: What the hell are you thinking, Veronica? You got no business being in a place like that. You got me?
Veronica: It was unintentional. Hey, you didn't really send that picture message to my dad, did you?
Vinnie: Well, if I did, it was a miracle. The phone didn't have a camera on it.
Lamb: I'm gonna have Sacks take him to the hospital as soon as he gets back with my (Looking around.) bear claw.
Meryl: Can I see him?
Lamb: You got ten bucks? (Meryl looks at Veronica, who shakes her head.) Whew. Kidding.
Veronica: Hey, what are you still doing here? Didn't Logan --
Mercer: Yeah, he came by and talked to the Sheriff last night. Thanks, by the way.
Veronica: Why are you still here?
Mercer: (sighing) Oh, there's something about my attitude the Sheriff has found lacking. He's decided to keep me here as long as he's allowed under law.
Veronica: (To food court waitress as she's returning her hair-infested meal.) Excuse me, I ordered the Capellini and I'm pretty sure that hair doesn't belong to an angel.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So what would Stan Marsh say in a situation like this? I think we all learned a valuable lesson about faith.You give it to the people you love. But the people who really deserve it, are the ones who come through even when you don't love them enough.
Of Mice and Men ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
Of Mice and Men is a novellaby John Steinbeck, making it the second piece of work by Steinbeck to be morphed into an awkward pun by Veronica's writers (the first being The Grapes of Wrath/The Rapes of Graff). Clue or coincidence? The story follows the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, working in California during the Great Depression. Lennie is a bulky and physically strong man with the mind of a child, and his companion George is a man of small stature and quick wit. The two have a symbiotic relationship; George takes care of Lennie and Lennie defends George. Their dream is to one day own their own farm, where they can live off the fat of the land, and Lennie can tend rabbits.
His fascination with the soft feel of the rabbits coat continually gets Lennie into trouble. The pair had to flee from the last farm they were working on when Lennie began inappropriately touching a womans dress. The people of the town were prepared to lynch Lennie until George got him out of there, but the cycle repeated itself at the new farm they are working at when Lennie accidentally killed the wife of their new bosss son, known only as Curley's wife. (He wouldn't stop petting her beautiful hair -- which she encouraged at first, not understanding his strength or child-like mind -- and accidentally broke her neck.) Lennie hides by a river, waiting for George to meet him so they can leave again, but George realizes that they will always be on the run and will never get their farm. He kills Lennie by the river, firing a pistol in the back of his friends head.
Several cartoon characters emulate Steinbeck's odd couple. Looney Tunes cartoons frequently feature a large Lennie-like character asking a smaller character, Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go? The characters Pinky and the Brain from the animated series Animaniacs were based on the characters, and the dynamic between brothers Earl and Randy Hickey from My Name is Earl loosely mirrors the relationship between Lennie and George.
The book was adapted into a film in 1992 (with permission from Steinbeck's widow, Elaine) by actor/directed Gary Sinise. Sinise starred as George, while his Steppenwolf fellow performer, John Malkovich played Lennie. The critically-acclaimed movie also featured Twin Peaks' femme fatale, Sherilyn Fenn, as Curley's wife. In an interesting sidenote, an episode of CSI: NY, which also stars Sinise (and occasionally Kyle Gallner -- woohoo!), a primary suspect auditions for the part of George in a play adaptation of the novella.
Regarding the name, Of Mice an Men, John Steinbeck did not come up with the title. Like Rob Thomas, he used a thematic line from another piece of art (in this case a poem) to immediately set the mood of his own. The title of his novella, in fact, came from a famous poem by Robert Burns called "To A Mouse" (1785), specifically:
- But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
- Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!
Though the reference to Steinbeck might be awkward, this one is a lot more relevant because this episode has similar themes to the relevant stanza about 'mice and men:' Foresight may be vain. First assumptions may be incorrect or influenced by ego, plans and ideas 'gang aft agley' or -- to misquote without Burns' Scottish brogue (like most people do) -- 'go awry'. When our egos poison our decisions, schemes go wrong and in the end we are left with pain rather than the joy that was promised to us (which is why Steinbeck used the line in his title too, I'm guessing). If that isn't relating directly to what Veronica -- our mouse with all that vice -- is experiencing in this episode, I don't know what is.
Burns' analogous relationship of man with a weak mouse struck such a chord with English readers (despite the fact that it was difficult for them to understand many of the lines in the poem, e.g. "Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie" etc.) that it has endured through the centuries, transforming into an English proverb: "The best laid plans of mice and man, often go awry."
The Paper Chase ... (Referenced by Veronica to Keith about Wallace and Piz's study plans.)
The Paper Chase is a 1970 novel, by John Jay Osborn, Jr., a 1970 graduate of Harvard Law School. The book tells the story of Hart, a Harvard Law School freshman whose problems are intensified when he falls in love with the daughter of a tyrannical instructor, Professor Kingsfield. Hart is a slightly naive but bright midwesterner who must prove himself in the arena of Professor Kingsfield's brilliant but cruel classroom. Hart becomes obsessed with excelling in Kingsfield's class, pushing himself to the brink until he meets Susan and falls in love with her only to discover that she is Kingsfield's daughter.
The 1973 movie, based "almost word for word" on the novel (according to Osborn) starred John Houseman as Kingsfield, Timothy Bottoms as Hart and Lindsay Wagner as Susan. The film has been called "a dazzlingly authentic and moving depiction of the trials and tribulations of law school" which was brought to life by the breathtaking and Oscar-winning performance of legendary actor John Houseman. Directed by James Bridges, The Paper Chase is "one of the greatest renderings of education ever captured on film."
The CBS television network aired a one-hour drama series in the 19781979 season based on the movie. John Houseman reprised his movie role, and James Stephens played Hart. Canceled after one year, PBS subsequently rebroadcast all of the episodes. In 1983, pay-cable network Showtime brought back the show with both Houseman and Stephens. At the end of three seasons on Showtime, Hart finally graduated law school.
"The Paper Chase" follows the progression of a group of freshman struggling to stay afloat in a world of high pressure and immense competition, where top grades seem to be the difference between life and death. Which, I must admit does sound a bit like Wallace's life right now. And really, considering his love of basketball, doesn't it do your heart good to see Wallace so dedicated to his studies?
Twentynine Palms ... (Referenced by Veronica to Keith about where Wallace and Piz are staying.)
Described by locals as a beautiful desert oasis, the City of Twentynine Palms, CA was incorporated on November 23, 1987, and is home to over 28,000 people. The City covers 53.75 square miles (it is larger than the city of San Francisco) and is geographically separated by a mountain range from the San Bernardino-Riverside area, which creates a unique and desirable small town living environment. With a dry desert climate its temperature range is similar to that of San-Bernardino-Riverside area, is cooler than Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, and enjoys clean air and low humidity.
Twentynine Palms first record of exploration was made in 1855 by Colonel Henry Washington; he discovered Native Americans living in the surrounding hills living near the spring they called "Mar-rah," which means "land of little water." Now known as the Oasis of Mara, it is located on the grounds that surround the headquarters of the Joshua Tree National Park. In the 1870's during the gold rush, the Oasis was a favorite camping spot among prospectors, who would rest and replenish their water supply before heading farther out into the unknown.
There are several theories regarding how the town came about its name. It is said that the name Twentynine Palms was first used by the miners because of the twenty-nine palms that surrounded the Oasis, and that it was designated as such by a pair of prospectors, Germain and McKenzie, who said their claim was a certain distance from twenty-nine palms springs. One theory claims that it was Colonel Washington himself who named the town after the number of palm trees he found near the oasis at the time of his 1855 survey. None of the stories have ever been verified.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps ... (Referenced by Piz to Veronica as he points out his guitar.)
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by The Beatles from The White Album. Written by lead guitarist George Harrison, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was recorded on July 25, 1968, and released November 22, 1968. Harrison's inspiration for the song came from reading the I Ching, which Harrison interpreted to be based on the concept that everything is relative to everything else. With this in mind, he determined to write a song based on the first words he saw when opening a random book. Those words were "gently weeps," and he began the song. The other Beatles initially showed no interest in the song, but Harrison was determined. He invited Eric Clapton to one of the group's recording sessions, and the song was recorded with Clapton on lead guitar, freeing Harrison to play only rhythm and vocal.
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" has been covered by such artists as Peter Frampton, Phish, Dave Specter and more. On November 29, 2002, the first anniversary of Harrison's death, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty performed the song at the Concert for George with a solo by Eric Clapton. In 2004 at George Harrison's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was played in tribute by fellow inductee Prince, along with Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison and others. A video of the tribute can be found here. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is ranked #135 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The lyrics are:
- I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it need sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know why nobody told you
how to unfold you love
I don't know how someone controlled you
they bought and sold you
I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know how you were diverted
you were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
no one alerted you
I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at you all
Still my guitar gently weeps
Oh, oh, oh
oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah
Written by Stephen King and published in 1977, The Shining was the author's first hardback best-seller. The novel has since been adapted as both a feature film and as a television miniseries.
The plot revolves around the Torrance family: Jack, his wife Wendy and their son Danny. Jack has a history with alcoholism and a violent temper, which caused him to lose his job as a teacher. He takes on employment as a caretaker at The Overlook Hotel, in Colorado, which closes for the winter due to its isolated location and the severe winter storms of the area. Jack hopes the isolation will enable him to work on his writing career. However, The Outlook isn't just an ordinary hotel. It's one with character, its own history of violence and tragedy, and it may be "alive," in a way. This becomes quickly apparent to young Danny, who has what one character refers to as "the shining." He is sensitive to the supernatural. As the story unfolds, the danger grows when Jack becomes possessed by the spirit of the hotel and becomes increasingly paranoid, angry, and eventually violent.
The 1980 Stanley Kubrick feature film The Shining starred Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance and Shelley Duvall as Wendy.
In one of the creepier moments of the film, Wendy finds the "book" Jack has been working at during their stay. The stack of paper contains one line typed over and over and over again: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
The Emmy-nominated 1997 miniseries starred Steven Weber (Jack) and Rebecca De Mornay (Wendy).
Sacramento ... (Referenced by the location Meryl flew in from.)
Sac, Sacto, River City, Capital City -- these are all names given to the capital of California, the city of Sacramento.
Originally inhabited by Maidu, Valley Miwok and Snonommey Indians, Sacramento was named by the Spanish explorer who discovered the Sacramento Valley and River in the early nineteenth century, Gabriel Moraga. The name is based around the word 'sacrament.' The city of Sacramento was founded in 1848 by John Sutter, growing out of the trading colony and stockade he established, Sutter's Fort. During the gold rush, the town was a major distribution point. Incorporated in 1850, Sacramento is the second oldest in the state (after San Francisco). In 1854, the California State Legislature officially declared Sacramento the state's capital.
Located in California's Central Valley at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, the city has a population of 457,514 (2006), making it the seventh largest in the state. It is the fourth largest metropolitan area in California and is made up of five counties: El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter and Yolo. The city has a total area of 99.2 square miles and a mild climate. California State University, Sacramento ("Sac State") is the local university. The largest employer is the State of California.
The State Capital building in Sacramento and the landmark Tower Bridge, which crosses the Sacramento River.
Professional sports teams include the Sacramento Kings (NBA basketball), the Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA basketball) and the River Cats (minor league baseball).
Once used just for transportation and commerce, the American and Sacramento Rivers are now also popular recreational waterways. Other popular attractions include the California State Fair, the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee (every Memorial Day), the Sacramento Ballet, the Crocker Art Museum, and the California State Railroad Museum. The area where the original city was located is referred to as Old Sac and has become a bit of a tourist attraction with its cobbled streets, historical buildings, paddle steamers and steam-hauled trains.
The last California State Governor to make Sacramento his permanent residence was Ronald Reagan in 1967.
Facebook ... (Referenced by Veronica when asking Meryl why Scarlett Reyes is circled.)
A facebook is a pictorial directory or electronic database with the photographs and names of students, put together by the administration at some universities. They are distributed at the start of the year, usually during freshman orientation or move-in-week (rather than at the end of term like a yearbook), with the goal of helping students get to know each other.
Facebook.com, established in 2004, serves as a paper-free version of the facebook. It is a non-profit blog spot similar to Live Journal or MySpace, offered to help people from schools, companies, or regions organize virtual communities over the internet, by sharing their names, pictures, and interests with a friends list. As of the end of 2005, Facebooks network included over two thousand colleges and twenty-five thousand high schools across the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, and hosted more than eleven thousand users worldwide.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ... (Referenced by Landry tells Veronica he's recommending her for a summer internship.)
Created in 1908 by Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte as the official investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was tasked with investigating antitrust matters, land fraud, copyright violations, peonage, and twenty other crimes. It wasn't until the 1930s that, in response to the violence of organized crime following in the wake of Prohibition, Congress passed the Federal Kidnapping Act and the 1934 May/June Crime Bills. These new laws gave the FBI authority to act in previously off-limit areas, to make arrests and to carry weapons. At this time, the BOI was renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
During the 1930s, the FBI played a prominent role in the aggressive pursuit and apprehension of well-known gangsters, earning the FBI's agents the nickname "G-Men." In the following decades, the FBI's efforts were directed at a wide range of issues including subversion, espionage, sabotage, civil rights violations, organized crime, white collar crime and high technology crimes.
The FBI's motto is "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity," and its currently stated mission is "to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats and to enforce the criminal laws of the United States."
FBI Headquarters is located in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C. The most well-known Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover held the office from 1924 to 1972. Upon his death, the FBI instituted a policy to limit future Directors to a term of no more than ten years. Today, the FBI's workforce includes more than 11,000 Special Agents, Legal Attachs (LEGATS) stationed in foreign countries and 1,000 FBI Police officers whose job it is to protect the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the FBI's training Academy in Quantico and the Washington and New York Field Offices.
Quantico ... (Referenced by Landry telling Veronica about the intern program.)
Quantico is located in Prince William County, Virginia. The town has a total land area of 0.1 square miles and a population of only 561, as of the 2000 census. It is home to Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, which is one of the world's largest U.S. Marine Corps bases. This base houses the training academies for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), as well as the Marine Corps Combat Development Command and the presidential helicopter squadron, HMX-1.
Opened in 1972, the FBI training academy conducts eighteen-week courses all through the year. It is a secured facility and not open to the public. In addition to its three dormitories, dining hall, library and classrooms, the training facility includes a mock town (Hogan's Alley), firing ranges and a track for training pursuit and defensive driving techniques.
For more information on the FBI Academy and their various training units, visit their official website.
Jailhouse Rock / "If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair." ... (Referenced by Veronica talking to Mercer in his cell.)
- The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing.
You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing.
Lets rock, everybody, lets rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock.
- Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone,
Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone.
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang,
The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.
In the context of its time, the song is very interesting. It's believed to be alluding to homosexual relationships between inmates:
- Number forty-seven said to number three:
You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see.
I sure would be delighted with your company.
Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me.
- Sad Sack was a sittin' on a block of stone
Way over in the corner weepin' all alone.
The warden said, hey, buddy, don't you be no square.
If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair.
- Shifty Henry said to Bugs, for heavens sake,
No one's lookin', nows our chance to make a break.
Bugsy turned to shifty and he said, nix nix,
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.
GQ ... (Referenced by Mercer tells Veronica about cologne sampler.)
GQ, originally known as Gentlemens Quarterly, is a monthly men's magazine that focuses on men's fashion and style. It also features articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, toys, and books. GQ is generally perceived as more upscale than other "lad" mags, such as Maxim or FHM. This perception is due to the fact that GQ aims towards an audience that is older and that has a higher income than most other men's magazines. Its kind of like Vogue or Cosmo -- just for guys.
Gentlemen's Quarterly was launched in 1931 as Apparel Arts, a fashion quarterly for men. The name was changed in 1957, and the magazine moved from quarterly to monthly publication in the 1970s, with a focus still on fashion and style. In 1983, editor Art Cooper changed the course of the magazine by introducing articles beyond fashion that targeted stylish heterosexual and metrosexual men and establishing GQ as a general men's magazine in competition with Esquire.
GQ is published by Conde Nast Publications. As of December 31, 2003, GQ is ranked 114th in the world in circulation reaching 788,851 people. The magazine name's abbreviation has also evolved into an adjective that refers to a man who is both stylish and suave. Just think 'the opposite of Lamb.' You get the picture. Really, here's a picture of a man definitely fitting the GQ mode, gracing its cover:
GHB ... (Referenced by Veronica asks Mercer about the drugs found in the cash box.)
Acronym for Gamma hydroxy butyrate or Gamma hydroxybutyric acid, Sodium Oxybate. Trace amounts are found naturally in the human body. However, the main ingredients in synthetic GHB are basically degreasing solvent or floor stripper mixed with drain cleaner. The common nicknames are Gamma-OH, Liquid Ecstasy, Fantasy, Easy Lay and Cherry Meth. It is usually found in a clear liquid, which looks just like water and is packaged in a 30ml clear plastic bottle. It is also found infrequently as a white powder.
The common effects from use are intoxication, increased energy, happiness, desire to socialize, feeling affectionate and playful, mild disinhibition, enhanced sexual experience and loss of gag reflex. Many people have bad reactions including nausea, headaches, drowsiness and amnesia. The effects of large doses include sedation, desire to sleep, rambling incoherent speech, difficulty thinking, passing out and, in extreme cases, death.
Real Genius ... (Referenced by Meryl's laser-cannon theory she spins to Veronica.)
Real Genius is the fabulously funny 1985 film about smart kids at an advanced technical university that unwittingly help their egomaniacal professor design a laser for the U.S. government that can vaporize a human target from space. And no, I'm not joking. That's what it's really about.
MEET CHRIS KNIGHT, THE EINSTEIN OF THE 80'S
He can turn lasers into light shows,
armchairs into aircraft, and high tech into high jinks.
But when his professor steals his prize invention
he turns revenge into high comedy.
Mitch (Gabe Jarret) is a 15 year old uber-genius freshman recruited by the nefarious Dr. Hathaway (William Atherton) to attend the prestigious and totally ficticious Pacific Tech University. He's brought in to head up his A-team of science geeks who are working to build a very small but powerful laser. Hathaway has Mitch room with his resident genius, Chris Knight (Val Kilmer), a brilliant young man who we learn is a legend in the national physics club. However, unlike most of the guys at this university, Chris isn't stuffy or dry or boring or socially inept. Instead, he's evolved into a sexy (yet silly) lady-killer who uses his extraordinary mental powers to do things like turn the entire dorm floor into an ice skating rink ("Welcome to Pacific Tech's Smart People on Ice!", converting the performance hall into a pool party (the orchestra pit serves as the pool) complete with buxom coed students from Wanda Trussler's School of Beauty, while coercing his fellow geeks into bucking authority and having a little fun. Hathaway hopes that Chris will help draw Mitch out of his shell and give him confidence in more than his intellect, and that Mitch will help ground Chris and encourage his dedication to the laser project.
For the most part, things go swimmingly. Chris gets motivated to solve Dr. Hathaway's power problem on the laser project and Mitch learns to party, wear jeans and talk to girls. As you might guess, things take a turn for the worse once the laser is complete because what these geniuses don't know is that the laser project is the result of a big money contract Hathaway has with the DOD (Department of Defense). For lots and lots of moolah, Hathaway agreed to design a space-age weapon that will allow the U.S government to cleanly eradicate political and military threats from deep space. (No seriously -- that's the plan. If you don't believe me, wait until you see the "pitch" video the government runs for the planning team.) Anyway, once the guys find out that their incredible creation will be used for evil rather than good, they devise a plan to stop the government, destroy the laser, publicly humiliate Dr. Hathaway and punish him for his lack of humanity all in one fell swoop.
The movie is chock full of great lines and performances -- particularly Kilmer who I swear has never been funnier or more adorable -- and is highly enjoyable despite the 80's production values and tone. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie involves the popping of an enormous amount of popcorn -- so much popcorn, in fact, that it decimates an entire house.
It is definitely one of my all time favorite films and the reference in Of Vice and Men to this obscure little gem of a film made me squee with joy. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend that you do. This one gets two thumbs way up from me.
Occam's Razor ... (Referenced by Veronica explains the theory to Meryl.)
entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem.
Got that? Yeah, me neither. But the smart folks tell us that, translated from Latin, it means: Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity. This is the principle known as Occam's/Ockham's razor (spelling varies), named so after medieval English philosopher and Franciscan monk William of Ockham (1285-1349). Being the follower of St. Francis meant that William was a minimalist espousing a life of poverty, and, like his idol, he questioned the Pope on this subject. Pope John XXII excommunicated William for his trouble. In response William wrote a treatise demonstrating that Pope John was a heretic. You go, Bill!
The principle called after him wasn't, however, invented by Occam, but rather became associated with him due to the fact that he used it so frequently. (William would probably be shocked to find out that today the principle anointed with his name is often used in arguments against the existence of God, reasoning that everything in the world can be accounted for without the Higher Power). The principle was common in medieval reductionist philosophy of nominalism. The basic statement of Occam's razor is that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no observable difference to the explanatory theory or hypothesis. To put it plainer, "all things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." So, when several competing theories are equal in most respects, the theory that should be selected is the one that introduces the fewest assumptions and hypotheticals.
Let us use an example, Veronica. There is a random guy named Piz who stares at you every time you meet as if he is seeing the eighth wonder of the world. This guy sends you eight e-mails to remind you of his radio show and existence. He invites you to an outing with "the gang," and the aforementioned "gang" is conspicuously absent once you get there. He ogles you during an oh-so-innocent sleepover in his room while you parade around in your underwear? There are several theories that may account for this phenomenon. He could be afflicted with a strange, rare, undiagnosed condition that is triggered by your proximity. He could have invented some kind of laser cannon that could assassinate people from space, and now he wants you to save him from Dr. Evil and simply doesn't know how to broach the subject. Or -- and bear with me on this one, Veronica -- he could have a gigantic crush on you and want to steal you from your boyfriend. You are a smart girl, a detective, you figure out which is the simplest possible explanation.
X-Box ... (Referenced by Glen when he tells Veronica and Meryl he's back because his stepmom confiscated it.)
Xbox is a video game console manufactured by Microsoft, rivaling Sony's PlayStation and Nintentdos GameCube. It was released in the U.S. in November, 2001, along with several launch titles including Halo: Combat Evolved, Amped, and Dead or Alive 3. The console's successor, Xbox 360 launched in May 2005.
The Xbox is the Holy Grail game console for most full-blooded American males. Logan and Dick bond over Logans Xbox in Donut Run and The Rapes of Graff, and the 2004 release of Xbox's Halo 2 (of 'get high and play Halo'-fame) set a record as the highest grossing release in entertainment history, making over $100 million on its first day. A year after Xbox's US release, Microsoft launched a broadband only Xbox Live online gaming service, which allows subscribers to play select games online with other subscribers around the world and to download new games and content directly to the system's hard drive. The original Xbox was sold in the US for $299.00 in its first year, but the price has dropped to as low as $150.00 in subsequent years.
Palm Springs ... (Referenced by Harmony invites Keith there for the weekend.)
Palm Springs, California is a desert resort city approximately 110 miles east of Los Angeles. Palm Springs is home to some of the most famous golf courses in the U.S. and also has facilities for swimming, horseback riding, tennis, and hiking. From the 1930's to the 1970's, Palm Springs earned a reputation as a place of health, relaxation, wealth, and glamour. It was the favorite vacation spot for some of Hollywood's most glamorous stars - Cary Grant, Howard Hughes, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, Debbie Reynolds, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Sonny Bono, Cher, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin - and earned the nickname "Playground of the Stars."
Let's Make a Deal/"What's Behind Door #2?" ... (Referenced by Vinnie when he tries to play it with Keith.)
Let's Make A Deal is an NBC gameshow created by Stefan Hatos and Monty Hall (who was also the original host). It was most popular in the 1960's and 1970's but reruns have been broadcast frequently, most recently on The Game Show Network (2001-2005) with a recent new production in 2006 for the Gameshow Marathon on CBS.
Though it was never part of the show's plan, the studio audience began dressing up in more and more ridiculous costumes (like turnips and, memorably, the Jolly Green Giant) in an attempt to be noticed by Monty Hall (who selected eight contestants from the studio audience to participate in each episode). If Monty Hall selected you, you participated in a series of trades leading up to the Big Deal.
Contestants would bring in small, mostly useless, items from home to trade in the hopes that the prize behind the curtain turned out to be something good, like a car, instead of something bad, like a camel (although an alpaca would be sweet). At the end of the show, Monty would ask the contestants if they'd like to keep what they traded or take a shot at The Big Deal of the Day. The first two traders to take a chance would be given a choice between door #1, door #2, and door #3. You can find out more about the show on the official site.
It's kind of perfect that Vinnie references a show where customers dressed up ridiculously incognito to get their deals done. Hee. Vinnie originally offers Keith a deal to tell him where Kendall's money is in return for splitting the Fitzpatrick's retainer. When that deal is refused, Keith offers him a "peek behind door #2" at the photos Vinnie snapped of Keith in flagrante. Double the money Mr Chase offered and everyone's happy ... except Mr. Chase. "Sound like a deal, Keith?"
Fotomat ... (Referenced by Vinnie when he tells Keith the girl there called him a "human tripod.")
Once upon a time, Fotomat was a widespread retail chain of photo development drive-thru kiosks located in various shopping center parking lots. The Fotomat Corporation was founded by Preston Fleet in San Diego, California in the 1960s. The first kiosk was opened in Point Loma, California in 1965, became a public company in 1971, and was later listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1977.
At its peak around 1980 there were over four thousand Fotomats throughout the United States, primarily in suburban areas. Fotomats were distinctive for their pyramid shaped gold-colored roofs and signs with red-lettering. They sold Kodak-brand film and other photography related products. Fotomats biggest selling point was their one-day photo finishing guarantee -- and back in the day, that really meant something!
In the early 1980's, Fotomat Corporation was acquired by Konischiroku Photo Industry Ltd., which sold it to Konica Photo Imaging in 1986. It was later sold to Viewpoint Corporation in 2002. As the company's main product, one-day development, was made obsolete by one-hour photo development, the retail kiosk-huts went the way of the dinosaur. Fotomat's main product is now the online digital photo software site Fotomat.com. So either Vinnie's remark about being the human tripod was wishful thinking, or he's got access to a Delorian and he gets his photos developed in 1980.
Dolce and Gabbana ... (Referenced by Veronica when asking Scarlett about her study outfit.)
Dolce & Gabbana SpA is a high-end fashion company founded by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in 1980. Dolce & Gabbana is organized into two central brands: 'D&G' and 'Dolce & Gabbana.' 'D&G' is generally the more casual lines with cheaper prices, while 'Dolce & Gabbana' is focused on haute couture and expensive price tags. Since their first collection showing and boutique opening in Milan in 1986 and 1990 respectively, Dolce and Gabbana have opened stores in major cosmopolitan cities across the world, kicking off their first US store in Houston in 1995.
Still based in Milan, Dolce & Gabbana are very popular designers for the Hollywood set; Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Kylie Minogue and others are frequent customers. The private side of Dolce and Gabbana became public in early 2005, when the duo officially announced their romantic separation after nineteen years as a couple. The company has remained intact and Dolce and Gabbana continue to design together.
Quid Pro Quo ... (Referenced by Landry when he assures Veronica there's none involved to his help with the internship.)
Literally translated, quid pro quo means this for that. It is doing something for someone in order to get something in return. In other words, Troy fixed Veronica's tire to get her to go out with him or, more specifically, to get her to go to his party.
Keith Richards ... (Referenced by Piz when complaining that he wouldnt sleep on the floor.)
An English guitarist, singer, and songwriter Keith Richards is a founding member (along with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones) of The Rolling Stones -- one of the most renowned, prolific and iconic rock-and-roll bands in history -- that helped spearhead the British Invasion of the 1960s, and led the British R&B boom of the same decade. Their rebellious and bohemian image is often emulated but never matched by other bands.
Keith Richards was born on December 18, 1943. Influenced by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, Richards had developed a two-guitar style of interwoven leads and rhythms. In fact, this style and sound is considered his leading contribution to The Stones. Richards often uses guitars with open tunings, and he has recorded possibly the first hit featuring a guitar fuzz effect that has since become widely used by guitarists everywhere. His songwriting contribution to the band cannot be overlooked. In collaboration with Mick Jagger he co-authored songs on all The Stones albums, notably the 1965 hit "(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction" that established the band globally. Richards has also done numerous solo recordings, as well as recordings with other artists.
One would assume that with such brilliant career and the amount of accolades and achievements, Keith Richards would be best known for his musical prowess. One would be wrong. Keith Richards is most famous for his image as a drug addict. An image that was, at least at the beginning, largely cultivated by The Stones themselves, as a part of the "counter-culture" aesthetic of the 1960's and '70's. Heroin addiction in particular almost ended Richards life, but still, he is unapologetic about his drug use and his decadent life style. He has made occasional attempts to kick the habit throughout his career, but he could never see them through. Consequently, the first thing one notices about Keith Richards is the fact that he looks as if he died a while ago.
So, to contradict Pizs statement (and Veronicas agreement to it), Keith Richards probably would sleep on the floor. In fact, he quite possibly has done so in numerous drugged stupor-induced occasions. Therefore, Piz, embrace your hero and see the bright future that awaits you:
Tijuana ... (Referenced by Logan tells Veronica about his summer trip with Mercer.)
Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California. The current mayor is Jorge Hank Rhon of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The city stands on the U.S. Mexico border, adjacent to San Diego, California to the north. The city's motto is "Aqui empieza la patria," which translates to The homeland starts here. It is sometimes referred to as the "Most visited city in the world" due to its proximity to the world's busiest border crossing. The city is commonly called TJ in Southern California. The most popular tourist attraction is Avenida Revolucion. Many foreigners visit the strip to drink, buy prescription drugs, bootleg brand-name clothing and accessories, and Mexican curiosities. There are also plenty of nightclubs in Plaza Fiesta, across from the Plaza Rio Mall that are mainly frequented by the locals. The Revolucion strip is also famous for its nearby red-light district La Coahuila, which boast numerous street prostitutes and various strip clubs.
Flaming D.P.s ... (Referenced by Logan's story about Mercer's hotel fire.)
A Flaming Dr. Pepper, named for the soft drink that this alcoholic mix supposedly tastes like, is ... not a good idea. This website offers an amusing recipe of sorts, as well as some helpful safety hints for those uh ..brave enough to try this at home. To quote one tip, "Getting burned hurts."
The drink is made by dropping a shot glass of amaretto into a mug of beer. The shot glass is topped off with Bacardi 151, which works like lighter fluid to ignite the shot glass before dropping it into the mug. I guess its a drinking game of sorts, and everyone races to chug the drink. Maybe in the future, Mercer could just follow Logan's example and opt to entertain the ladies with a rousing game of Quarters or "I Never."
Mexico ... (Referenced by Logan when he tells Veronica about this summer trip with Mercer.)
Mexico (Spanish: Mxico) is a country located in North America, approximately 753,665 square miles in size, bordered at the north by the United States, and at the south with Guatemala and Belize in Central America. It is the northernmost and westernmost country in Latin America, and with a population of 106.5 million, Mexico is also the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. The official name is Estados Unidos Mexicanos, which translates as the United Mexican States. The term State of Mexico (Estado de Mexico) does not refer to the country, but only to one state within Mexico, located near the center of the country adjacent to the Federal District.
U.S. citizens, like Keith's crazy bail-jumper, have been known to cross the border into Mexico to evade U.S. authorities and skip tracers (like Papa Mars). Most often, these individuals cross the border into Tijuana due to its proximity to the world's busiest border crossing. What is interesting is that criminals continue to cross into Mexico to evade criminal prosecution despite the extradition treaty that has been in place between the U.S. and Mexico since 1980.
According to EscapingJustice.com, the Treaty provides for extradition of a party who has been charged with or found guilty of an offense committed in the United States, who has fled to Mexico. An offense is extraditable if it is a crime in both countries and punishable by incarceration for a period of one year or more. The Extradition Treaty further provides that where the offense for which extradition is sought is punishable by death, extradition may be refused unless assurances are given that the death penalty shall not be imposed, and if imposed, shall not be executed.
Blues Brothers / "Orange whip?" ... (Referenced by Veronica's question to Meryl after Piz asks for egg sandwich.)
- Burton Mercer: (To Troopers.) Who wants an orange whip? Orange whip? Orange whip? (,i>To a nearby officer.) Three orange whips.
The immortal line is uttered by the late John Candy, who is but one of the great supporting cast in The Blues Brothers, a 1980 comedy about Jake and Elwood Blues, two blues singers and petty criminals, who must stage a concert to save the orphanage in which they grew up. The characters originally came from a "Saturday Night Live" sketch. In order to complete the mission the brothers must overcome a number of obstacles, including being targeted by a "mystery woman," chased by the police, the neo-Nazis, and a country and western band (yeah, the last one is the scariest!).
The film, written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis and directed by Landis, also included memorable performances by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray Charles.
And for the wondering minds among us, Orange Whip is made with
- - 4 oz Orange juice
- 1 oz Rum
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 package Cream or creamer
- Over Ice cubes
Insane Clown Posse ... (Referenced by Veronica when telling Meryl that Sully wasn't kidnapped, unless it was by them.)
The Insane Clown Posse (ICP) are an American horrorcore rap duo originally from Michigan. Made up of Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler), they almost always appear in black and white "evil clown" makeup. The duo has recorded nine full-length albums, with a tenth set to be released sometime in the next few months. They have also released a number of EP's, compilations and remixes. The group has had four platinum and eleven gold albums.
Originally known as The JJ Boys, the group was formed in 1989 while the members were still in their teens. They started out as a trio, the third member being John Kickjazz (John Utsler, Joseph's brother), and late changed their name to "Inner City Posse." John Kickjazz left the group before the release of Carnival of Carnage, their first album as Insane Clown Posse. Rapper Kalyn Garcia (aka Greeze-E) joined the group for one album but subsequently left, and ICP has remained a duo ever since. ICP has referred to each of their albums as "Joker's Cards," with Carnival of Carnage designated as "The First Joker's Card." In 1997 the Fourth Joker Card, The Great Milenko, was unexpectedly pulled from the shelves (after having already been subject to a number of changes) by Disney-owned record label Hollywood Records in the face of criticism from religious organizations, and the group was dropped from the label. The incident sparked a media frenzy, and ICP made appearances on MTV expressing their anger over the incident. A deal was eventually reached with Island Records and the album was released in its original, uncut form. The publicity fueled the group's success, and both The Great Milenko and the Fifth Joker Card, The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, went platinum.
In 2002 and 2004 the group released two different versions of the Sixth Joker's Card, which, as they had explained ten years previously, would explain all about the Dark Carnival, a powerful force that the band refers to on every album. The face of the card was "The Wraith," but it was up to each listener to decide which version (The Wraith: Shangri-La or The Wraith: Hell's Pit) was the correct one. In the final track of The Wraith: Shangri-La, ICP revealed their secret: "Truth is, we follow God, we've always been behind him." All of the joker cards are a reference to sins on earth and "The Wraith" is a reference to Him coming back to judge the dead.
Although ICP has been voted one of the worst bands of any genre in various polls, including ones from Spin and Rolling Stone, the group has many loyal fans, called "Juggalos" (or "Juggalettes"). "Juggalos" comes from one of Violent J's alter-egos, "The Juggla," a psychotic carnival juggler. Juggalos often paint their faces in the group's signature black-and-white clownface makeup.
Casablanca / "Of all the gin joints" ... (Referenced by Veronica's reaction to tracking Sully to the River Styx.)
This 1940 film classic stars Humphrey Bogart as nightclub owner and cynical American expatriate Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman as his onetime love, Ilsa. It is set in World War II French-occupied Morocco. Rick struggles with both his love for Ilsa and his bitterness towards her for ditching him in Paris, and his quandary is further complicated when Ilsa asks him to help her resistance leader husband evade German capture.
Casablanca was an immediate hit and consistently ranks on best and most popular movie lists world-wide. The film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay in 1944. Casablanca is often remembered for its many legendary quotes, such as Rick's musing, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine," as well as "Here's looking at you, kid" and the oft-misquoted "Play it again, Sam." (Actual quote: "You played it for her, you can play it for me. Play it!")
Happy Days / "Potsie" ... (Referenced by Veronica when she calls Danny this.)
Happy Days was a popular television show that originally aired from 1974 to 1984; it presented the idea of life in the late 1950's America. The show revolved around the life of a middle-class family, the Cunninghams, who resided in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The show originally focused on the four Cunninghams: Tom Bosley as father, Howard, Marion Ross as mother, Marion, Ron Howard and Erin Moran as their children, high-schoolers Richie, and Joanie. There was also Richie's older brother, Chuck, but he abruptly disappeared in the second season, for no apparent reason. Two actors played the role, Gavan O'Herlihy and Randolph Roberts.
Early episodes revolved around Richie and his friends, Ralph Malph and Warren "Potsie" Weber, dealing with the troubles of being teenagers in 1950's and early/mid 1960's Milwaukee. During the first season, the character of Arthur "Fonzie"/"The Fonz" Fonzarelli started to become a fan favorite, although he was originally meant to be a local high school drop out and only occasionally seen. However, the Fonz proved popular with viewers and was soon given more and more screen time by the writers, becoming a permanent member of the cast in the second season credits, taking the place of BFF to Richie while Potsie and Ralph were more like sidekicks. The two did stick around throughout the series' entire run, however, and if not as popular as the Fonz, Potsie was loved (and arguably, more popular than Ralph). There was a genial innocence mixed in with a tomfoolery to the character that actor Anson Williams brought to life wonderfully.
After Happy Days ended, Williams (like former co-star Howard) went onto direct, staying in television (unlike Howard). He has directed for many shows, including Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, seaQuest DSV, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Charmed. In 2005, Anson Williams and the rest of the cast of Happy Days appeared in Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion on ABC.
Hybrid (Vehicle) ... (Referenced by Vinnie to Veronica about her new car.)
Veronica's Saturn VUE doesn't have quite the same character as her rust bucket LeBaron -- okay, it doesn't really have any character at all, but it is fuel efficient. The Saturn VUE is a mild hybrid, which means that unlike a full hybrid vehicle, it cannot solely operate on its electric motor; it also employs a gasoline engine. The VUE conserves gas through its engine shut-down feature. The engine shuts off when the vehicle stops and restarts once it starts moving again.
Like any car, a hybrid vehicle has a gasoline engine; the difference is that a hybrid engine is smaller and more efficient. A hybrid's fuel tank stores energy for the engine. The electric motor on a hybrid can work in two ways. When acting as a motor, it draws energy from the vehicle's batters in order to accelerate. The motor can also act as a generator, in which case energy is returned to the batteries. A generator helps to slow down the vehicle as it is decelerating.
Some of the benefits of owning a hybrid are reduced petroleum consumption (and therefore less air pollution), less engine and brake wear, and better fuel economy. Also, purchasing a hybrid qualifies buyers for a tax credit up to $3400. Some cities in the United States even offer free or discounted parking to hybrid drivers.
Camaro ... (Referenced by Vinnie saying he wants a hybrid Camaro.)
The Chevrolet Camaro was first released by General Motors for the 1967 model year. Its competition that year was the redesigned Ford Mustang. Since then the Camaro has gone through four generations of models, the latest ending in 2002 due to a decline in sales. Only 42,098 cars were produced for that year. The 2002 Camaro was meant to be the final model, but a fifth generation began in 2006 with the Camaro Concept. A new and highly anticipated model is to be released in 2009, and sadly, Vinnie, it will not be a hybrid ...
Arrested Development / "No touching!" ... (Referenced by Lamb to Sully and Meryl at his cell.)
The brilliant, much-lamented Arrested Development ran for two and a half seasons on Fox. Despite being perhaps the most critically acclaimed comedy EVER, including two consecutive best comedy Emmy wins and a third nomination, the series was canceled mid-season three due to low ratings. No matter how many critics shouted how magnificent the show was from the rooftops (and it was, it was!), how many awards it won, it just could not find an audience. (Sound familiar?)
The story, as told by the opening credit narration with a visual run-down of the players, tells "the story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together ... It's Arrested Development." And really, that's it. The plots basically revolve around the insane and vain family members and the only sane one in the bunch trying to hold it all together and it's their lunacy, both of the insane and sane variety that feeds the show.
George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), ran a development firm (thus the second half of the title) and in the pilot episode was arrested for tax fraud (thus the first half of the title) ... and perhaps "light" treason. His family includes wife, Lucille (Jessica Walter) an utterly self-absorbed narcissist, his eldest son, GOB a.k.a. George Oscar Bluth II; pronounced Jobe (Will Arnett), an utterly self-deluded narcissist, twins Michael (Jason Bateman) and Lindsay (Portia de Rossi), the former is a dedicated, hard-working, honorable man and the latter is an utterly self-absorbed, self-deluded narcissist, and his youngest son, Byron "Buster" (Tony Hale), an innocent, child-like, well, weirdo -- albeit a very lovable one. Rounding out the family is Lindsay's husband, Tobias Fnke (David Cross), former analyst/therapist (his business cards read "analrapist"), current struggling "actor," their daughter Mae "Maeby," (Alia Shawkat) a smart-ass, wannabe bad girl, with an amazing career trajectory (development head of a major movie studio at fifteen) who just wants to be loved, and finally, George Michael (Michael Cera), Michael's son, the sweetest, most kind-hearted character perhaps ever shown on television -- who just wants to love his cousin, Maebe. George Sr.'s twin brother Oscar (he of the stress-free long, flowing hair, unlike the nearly bald George Sr.) was introduced in episode 1.20, Whister's Mother.
From l to r; Gob (Arnett), George Sr. (Tambor), Lindsay (de Rossi), Tobias (Cross), Michael (Bateman),
Lucille (Walter), George Michael (Cera), Maebe (Shawkat) and Buster (Hale).
Creator Michael Hurwitz, along with executive producers Ron Howard (who provided the voice of the "Narrator" in every episode) and Brian Grazer, brought the formerly wealthy, thoroughly dysfunctional Bluth family to life in a mock-umentary style format that eschewed the use of the typical sitcom laugh track.
Focusing on the tension that developed between the members of the Bluth clan, each episode of this hysterically funny, dead-before-its-time show, included a mix of sibling rivalries, miscommunication, pride, lying, guilt, taboo cousin-lovin', subterfuge, oedipal complexes, social status concern -- to name a few of the multitude of themes. If you've never watched an episode -- and the lack of ratings would suggest that the majority of America has not -- I would highly recommend you do what ever is necessary (borrow, steal, rent) the DVD's and have yourself a good ol' fashioned Arrested-a-thon. Trust me. You won't be disappointed.
Phew! The "No touching" bit references George Sr.'s stay in jail. Introduced in the second episode of the series, Top Banana, whenever family, lawyers, undercover FBI-agents pretending to be fans of his self-help video line visit, George Sr. and visitors must be wary of physically touching in any way as such a display automatically brings about a sharp command of "no touching!" Oftentimes, George Sr. or his visitor when pulling back from the touch will repeat the phrase. "No touching" was said several times throughout the series' run and pretty much never failed to bring a laugh ... just like about every other line or look ever delivered or seen on this show.
Damn good show! Ahem. Veronica Mars viewers will remember George Michael and Maebe (Cera and Shawkat) from their appearance in episode sixteen of the second season, The Rapes of Graff as Dean (the Hearst orientation student) and Stacey (the first rape victim we met). Alas, they shared no scenes. ::Sniff, sniff::
Cowboy Up" ... (Referenced by Logan when prompting Veronica to take her medicine.)
"Cowboy up" is a slang term that means to get tough in times of adversity. Although it originally came from its use in rodeos and the cowboy life to refer to getting back in the saddle after being thrown, it is now used for any difficult situation. The phrase was recently made popular by the 2003 Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball, when the team and its fans adopted the phrase as a slogan and rallying cry during the playoffs after it was first uttered by first baseman Kevin Millar. The team even began playing a country song of the same name (by Ryan Reynolds) during games to accompany a video of the Red Sox highlights.
Cowboy Up is also the title of a 2001 film starring Kiefer Sutherland, a paperback book by Mike Flanagan, and a 2002 documentary, all about the world of professional bull riding and rodeos.
South Park / Stan Marsh / "You know, I learned something today." ... (Referenced by Veronica about the episode's lesson for her.)
Stanley Marsh is one of the four central characters in the animated television series, South Park. Created and written by Trey Parker (who provides Stan's voice) and Matt Stone, the show follows the antics of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny in their little mountain town of South Park, Colorado. The show routinely satirizes current events and pop culture topics.
Stan is the son of Randy and Sharon Marsh and has one sibling, sister Shelley. His best friend is Kyle Broflovski and Stan spent many seasons nursing a crush on Wendy Testaburger. Stan is often used as the more honest, level-headed voice of reason in his group of friends. Many times over the years, Stan has given a small speech humorously summing up an episode's plot fallout, beginning with: "You know, I learned something today "
The series debuted in 1997 and just finished airing its tenth season on Comedy Central.
- Hee, the Coffee bar in the cafeteria is called "Hallowed Grounds." It appears that even the set designers on Veronica Mars love the pun-laden titles.
- I wonder if Veronica used Occam's Razor to figure out that Duncan was dumping her "the coward's way." Hee.
- I wish we could have regular Wallace investigating Veronica's cases with her. Wallace 2.Pervy, a.k.a. Piz, just isn't the same.
- Meryl was sleeping in a blue jersey that says 'Sullivan' on the back. I wonder if she had that with her when she was in a different state or if she pulled it out of his closet to comfort her when she was sleeping. Sweet.
- Mercer mocking the evidence against him ... which was found by Veronica. Ha! Classic. And Veronica comes back at him with the only part of the evidence she didn't find -- the GHB. Wow. She must be slipping if Lamb's a better detective than her.
- Hee. Logan's been bragging about how swell Veronica is to his buddy. Awwwwww, poor smitten lapdog.
- Logan has finally learned to call Keith "Mr. Mars" rather than "Dude!" Go, Logan!
- So, I'm guessing Liam didn't find Kendall's body either since he's under the impression that she's still alive and Keith's helped her hide with the cash. That answers the question of who hid Kendall's body and now we'll never know where she is if Cormac's dead too.
- Veronica's now been saved by two guys drawing 'blanks' in the River Stix. Logan pulled a gun with no bullets. Vinnie pulled a phone with no camera. Hee. Sometimes you can be more subtle the second time around.
- If you're wondering why no one in the cafeteria noticed a man in black dropping a vial of mysterious liquid in the unsuspecting-Veronica's drink, check the scene again. The people at the nearest table are busy playing Rock!Paper!Scissors!
- Woe. Logan grabs at his heart when he finds Veronica collapsed on the ground.
- Great makeup work on Veronica's bald patch at the end of the episode, with several bloody cuts marring her skin. That kind of cut can happen when you're rushing a shave with clippers, and can be considered proof that the rapist was either a) flustered by the alarm and rushing to get her head shaved before they were interrupted, or b) not responsible for this attack.
- In the final scene, you can see a wadded-up jacket behind Logan's head and Veronica's feet (wrapped in the blanket) are on Logan's chest, tucked under his crossed arms. And I really do mean this: Awww.
- Veronica's inference that Mercer's potential upcoming jail time will swing him the other way sexually when she tells him to "give it time." It, of course, being wanting Logan for a boyfriend.
- Vinnie's reference to his nickname by the Fotomat clerk as a human tripod and then sly wink to it being something else. That something else would be the phrase used to describe a man who is extremely well-endowed.
- How long did Veronica expect to stay with Piz and Wallace? She hung all her clothes in the closet which sounds like longer than a weekend to me.
- Veronica, why didn't it occur to you to put on some pants once Piz showed up in the room? She knew it wasn't exactly right, or she wouldn't have said "not what it looks like" to Moe, so why parade around half-dressed?
- Why would Veronica remotely think it's "okay" to spend the night with a guy who clearly has the hots for her? (Or really with ANY guy (except Wallace)?
- Really, why stay at all? Sure, when she had the room to herself, it was a good situation, but once Piz came back, why not go to Mac's, if she must stay away from home and Logan's? Mac and Parker have a couch in their room. In fact, Veronica stayed on that couch once already. She could have gone there, and no one would have had to sleep on the floor.
- How come Veronica didn't remember that Mercer had a radio show? He told her all about it in the previous episode. She was there, Piz was there, Parker was there. So, how come she acted as if it was the first she heard of it when Piz said he was taking over the slot while Mercer was in jail?
- Why is it that Weevil always gets a holding cell to himself, but guys like Logan and Mercer get to share with scary-looking dudes with no necks when they get arrested? That's just unfair. :)
- Was Mercer lying when he told Veronica someone was setting him up and the GHB in his cash box wasn't his? And if not, then who is doing it? I can't quite believe it's the Dean, but Chip is a contender. Is he also the rapist out to frame Mercer for the crimes?
- Would Mercer have considered telling Veronica what happened at the hotel if Lamb (or was that a deputy) -- who could and would extradite him -- wasn't standing in the room while she interrogated him?
- How was it possible that Keith Mars, who has spent half his life on surveillance detail, would forget to draw the curtains in the hotel room where he's having an affair, thus allowing Vinnie to take the photos? Hasn't he learned anything?
- Considering Veronica's an amateur P.I. who is frequently paid to uncover sordid information, is Professor Landry seriously not worried about the possibility of Veronica revealing his extracurricular activities?
- Yet another character on Veronica Mars, this time Professor Landry, used Hannibal Lector's infamous phrase "Quid-Pro-Quo." It was originally uttered by Aaron Echolls in The Quick and The Wed. Could this possibly be a commentary on Professor Landry's true character? Only time will tell.
- Did Veronica decide Landry was lying about wanting her to take the internship for professional reasons rather than personal? Even after her mind is blown she's later typing up her plan for the perfect murder in Wallace's room. Why wouldn't she take such a great oppurtunity when she seemed to believe he had no ulterior motive?
- How come Veronica thought nothing of accusing Scarlet of having ulterior motives based on the girl's inappropriate (by Veronica's standards) attire, but failed to check her own while traipsing half-dressed around Piz? Has she heard of the pot and kettle?
- When Logan tells Veronica that he was asleep in the room in TJ, while Mercer was partying next door, Veronica tells him he is not much of an alibi. And he then has to elaborate that the rooms were adjoining and he could hear the partying. Why does he have to specify that? Unless he slept for twelve hours straight, does Veronica actually think Mercer could have skipped out of the room while Logan slept, driven to Hearst, raped a girl, shaved her head, and then driven back to Mexico?
- Considering Logan and Mercer's trip to Tijiuana was dated August 13, how did they meet before college even started?
- Did the burning hotel have any contribution to Logan's decision not to return to Mexico with Mercer in Wichita Linebacker? He said he was feeling reformed and clearly wanted to make up with Veronica, but I wonder if the bloom's off Tijuana's rose now in other ways?
- Why does Chip Diller owe Mercer? Is it the result of gambling debt or could there be another more sordid reason?
- Who's the student aide who places bets for Dean O'Dell?
- Is Lamb on antidepressants or some other mood altering drugs? That's second episode in a row he is somewhat nice and cooperative to Veronica. I half expected him to hand her a badge already (not that she hasn't earned it).
- Shouldn't Keith be more worried that the Fitzpatricks believe he helped Kendall flee town with millions of their dollars? Considering he's seen first hand what the Fitzpatricks do to people who are indebted to them, I'd be a wee bit nervous if I were him.
- Why, oh why did Veronica go into the River Stix? That's beyond foolhardy knowing what she does about the owners and remembering her last experience there. Why not call for help and wait for it to arrive? Sure she was worried about Meryl, but Meryl was a stranger to the Fitzpatricks, asking legitimate questions and not trying to dupe anyone. The worst that could have happened to her there would have been the ridicule she'd gotten from Danny Boyd. Which is nothing compared to the worst that could have happened to Veronica. For a smart girl, she is beyond stupid with her actions sometimes.
- Just how many "Members Only" jackets does Vinnie have? I counted at least two different ones in this episode alone.
- Considering how anxious Logan was to locate Veronica, could his concern stem from a belief that she was going
break up with him due to his revelation about Tijuana?
- Why did Piz let Logan think that Veronica spent the night in his room with him alone? Is he really that sleazy and underhanded, or just really, really obtuse? (Admin's note: I vote for 'sleazy and underhanded.')
- Did Keith end his affair with Harmony solely because of Veronica or did Vinnie's little visit help persuade him?
- Was the rapist just following Veronica around in the hopes that she would leave an item of food or drink unattended so he could GHB her? Uhm, okay.
- Considering Veronica knew she was drugged, why would
she leave a crowded cafeteria to venture into a deserted parking garage, with the goal of operating a motor vehicle?
Wouldn't it have been a wiser choice to remain in the cafeteria and phone someone for help?
- Was rape the ultimate goal of Veronica's attack or did the
rapist only intend to give Veronica a "warning?"
- If the rapist did intend to rape Veronica, was he planning to do it in the parking garage where there was
a fairly good chance that someone would discover them?
- What did Veronica's attacker use to extract chunks of her hair? While we would ordinarily assume an electric razor due to the MO of the previous rapes, the flecks of blood present on Veronica's scalp suggest an instrument similar to a knife.
- Did the rapist escape before Logan found Veronica or was he still present in the parking garage when Logan arrived?
- Was it the Hearst Rapist who really attacked Veronica or could this be Nish exacting the revenge she promised last episode?
- If Logan hadn't come to Veronica's rescue, leading to her (most likely brief) epiphany regarding love and faith, would she have forgiven him for attempting to withhold information or would we be currently witnessing LoVe breakup part 554?
- In season one, Keith explained that the Vinnie Classic is when he would go behind a spouses back and offer her husband the incriminating photos for double. Don'cha love when irony bites you in the ass, Keith?
- Why was Veronica suddenly sleeping in women's boxers when she never had before despite the number of times we've seen her in sleepwear? That would be because American Eagle Outfitters has a deal with The CW and it was a case of cross-promotion with Veronica wearing an item from their women's collection: Aerie boyfriend boxers.
duchessjms (Jayne): Literature; Social Science
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JenniferH: Report Card; Drama Club; Chemistry; Social Science; Homeroom; Detention; Philosophy; Principles of Democracy; Extra Curricular Activities
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