Episode #03.03: Wichita Linebacker
Original Air Date: October 17, 2006
Written by: John Enbom & 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)
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) (None)
Extra Curricular Activities (Beyond the Broadcast)
Role Call (Written/Compiled By ...)
Staff Grade: A
Membership Grade: A (79.4% - 126 votes)
Easily the best episode of the season so far, this one ranks up there as one of the best episodes of the Veronica Mars run, period. It was wonderful to see a Veronica who cares about the people around her and to see some actual, genuine movement and love within the Logan/Veronica relationship. This is the couple that so many fell in love with and that final scene was just breathtaking. In addition, we have the return of Weevil and what a joyous, wonderful return it is. Working with Keith, we see a Weevil using his smarts for good, instead of criminal activity and even if all doesn't work out there, where Weevil eventually winds up makes perfect sense and will, no doubt, help Veronica in the coming season. Finally, this episode does a fabulous job of making every moment, every story, every direction intersect and tie into one another creating a cohesive whole.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Percy Daggs III - Wallace Fennel
Julie Gonzalo - Parker Lee
Tina Majorino - Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
Michael Muhney - Sheriff Don Lamb
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Chastity Dotson - Nish
- My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
Cher Ferreyra - Fern
- Welcome Wagon
- My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
Guest Stars
Ed Begley Jr. - Cyrus O'Dell
Ryan Devlin - Mercer Hayes
Erik Eidem - Larry
Daniel Farber - Darren
Armie Hammer - Kurt
Sam Horrigan - Bryan "Pop" Popovich
Krista Kalmus - Claire Nordhouse
Jeremiah Lorenz - Alan
Lindsey McKeon - Trish
Nick Puga - Stew
Alan F. Smith - Dwight Fry
Who's Who in Neptune
Cyrus O'Dell - Dean of Hearst College. Has a wife (who was his grad student years ago), a fifteen-year-old son from a previous marriage, and a stepson. Drives a Volvo.
Mercer Hayes - Hearst student who runs an illegal casino and sports book out of his dorm room. Friends with Logan.
Larry - Art major and painter at Hearst. Is also Trish's ex-boyfriend and Alan's roommate.
Darren - Co-editor of the Hearst Lampoon, a student-run satirical paper.
Kurt - Hearst football player and Trish's boyfriend. Was heavily recruited out of high school in Kansas but tore his ACL at the end of last season and now doesn't get much playing time. Often treated harshly by Coach Fry.
Bryan "Pop" Popovich - Kurt's best friend on the football team. A walk-on at Hearst, was recently offered a full-ride at Sonoma State.
Claire - Hearst student and part of the Lillith House with Nish and Fern. Was the blonde in the middle of the photo on the front page of the Hearst Free Press, also impersonated on the front of the Hearst Lampoon.
Alan - Larry's roommate, frequents Mercer's casino and enjoys sports betting. Has a stuttering problem.
Trish - Hearst student, works at KRFF, Hearst's student radio station. Kurt's girlfriend and Larry's ex-girlfriend.
Stew - The other co-editor of the Hearst Lampoon.
Dwight Fry - Defensive coordinator of Hearst's football team. Kurt's position coach, was extremely hard on Kurt.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Ed Begley Jr. (Dean O'Dell) - Ed Begley Jr. has been in the business since 1969, so chances are you've seen him in one thing or another. In the early days of his career he had guest roles on TV series including M*A*S*H, Laverne & Shirley, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels and more. He is perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on St. Elsewhere, for which he received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations. More recently he has appeared in over fifteen episodes of 7th Heaven, eight episodes of Six Feet Under and five episodes of Arrested Development, on which he played Stan Sitwell. Begley has also appeared in a number of films, including the Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy mockumentaries Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.
Ryan Devlin (Mercer Hayes) - Relatively new to acting, before Veronica Mars, he appeared in episodes of Grounded for Life, The War at Home, Living with Fran and South Beach. Ryan is also the current host of ET on MTV and hosted the CW special "ET Presents the CW."
Lindsay McKeon (Trish) - Lindsay McKeon played Marah Lewis for three years on Guiding Light, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2002. She played Haley's older sister, Taylor, in four episodes of One Tree Hill and appeared as Tessa (The Reaper) in the second season premiere of Supernatural.
The Carnivale of Television Delights -- Step right up Ladies and Gentlemen. It's Carnivale time. As the Fall Season continues to unfold youlll find we have a dazzling array of choices to lure you into the sideshow. We have shows featuring haunted heroes, stunned survivors, neurotic siblings and doctors, doctors everywhere. But tonight, for the first time this season, we present a veritable smorgasbord of spectacular acting displays on Veronica Mars. Watch Kristen Bell run the gamut of emotions from giddy girlfriend to snarky badass to open vulnerability. See Jason Dohring deliver another subtle performance hiding a deep well of sadness behind a steadfast, loving boyfriend. And making his first appearance this season, Francis Capra shows his acting chops by owning every scene he appears in. It's Veronica Mars ... fast, furious and much more watchable.
Highlights
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - Bell was terrific in this episode and for the first time this season I felt like I was watching Veronica Mars on the screen and not Kristen Bell playing "Veronica." Some of Bell's acting choices the past few years have served to alienate and push viewers away. But, in this episode, she had a far more open, honest portrayal. Her body language and facial expressions were right on the money and her open vulnerability in the final scene with Jason Dohring gave viewers a much-needed emotional payoff.
Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) - Dohring continues to shine as the unsung hero of Veronica Mars. Dohring has chosen -- and it seems a very obvious acting choice to me -- to play the character of Logan Echolls as nominally carefree. He indulges in weight lifting and campus gambling in his time away from Veronica. He enjoys caressing, touching and being with his girlfriend. And yet lurking behind the eyes of a loving boyfriend are hidden heartaches of pain and sadness that seem to permeate his performance. His confrontation with Veronica in the hallway was a lovely blend of hurt, pain, anger and vulnerability.
Francis Capra (Eli 'Weevil' Navarro) - The third highlight of Wichita Lineman was the welcome arrival of Francis Capra. Capra has always been able to bring a simmering menace to his role as Weevil. The true delight in this episode was seeing new facades of Weevil's personality including an analytical, prideful dedication to his role as Keith's assistant and the subsequent heartbreaking loss of this chance to better his life.
Lindsey McKeon (Trish) - Adding a welcome touch of honest acting to her scenes was Lindsey McKeon playing the role of the girlfriend Trish. McKeon hit all the right emotional levels in her scenes and, as a result, appeared both believable and sympathetic.
Lowlights
Perhaps it was the writing, perhaps it was the direction or perhaps it was the acting choices, but the scenes between the feminists and the lampooners hit all the wrong notes and abruptly brought the story to an immediate halt.
Scene One: The Push-Pull of a Real Relationship
I really have only one issue with this scene so I'll get it out of the way pronto. That issue would be Veronica's sunglasses. And no, this is not me just being shallow. (Shallow would be me bitching that I didn't like her boring pony-tailed hairstyle -- but hey, at least she wasn't wearing a headband with it.) The problem with Veronica wearing those big, fugly-looking sunglasses is that they shaded not only her eyes from the sun (which was, no doubt, lovely for Kristen Bell), but also hid her expression (crappy-ass for us viewers at home). Hello, the windows to a person's soul -- or in this case, Veronica feelin' the love for Logan yes or no? Sigh.
As has been established, Bell does a wonderful job using her facial expression -- including her eyes -- in telling the viewer exactly where Veronica's emotions lie. I must confess that I originally thought that Bell was playing the scene too cool and it wasn't until rewatching it a few times that my opinion changed. There was a lot going on in terms of dialogue, actual story revolving around Logan and Veronica's relationship, physicality, the expression, both facially and in the eyes of Logan via Jason Dohring, that it took a few viewings to decide that Bell wasn't playing the scene as if Veronica was just killing time with Logan. (I admit this was a concern, due in part to having just read her latest interview. Note to self: Do not read/listen to Kristen Bell interviews before the show starts.)
However, as I wrote above, the rewatch made it clear that the lovely Kristen was not to blame. She did play the scene as I believe it was intended to show that Veronica does have strong feelings for Logan, although, she's concerned about certain aspects of his character still. On top of that, she was jealous, but didn't want to admit it. And of course, here is where we get to my complaint, with the addition of those fugly-ass sunglasses one of her greatest acting assets was taken away from her: Her eyes. So, not very happy with the director on that count because I do feel that it hindered the emotional weight of the scene.
As I said though, that there is my one complaint. Moving along to the good stuff - and trust me folks, it's ALL good from here even if LoVe had some not-so-happy moments in this episode. Everything flowed out of storytelling and character and that is always a good thing. In this scene, we have something that has been missing sorely from the previous episodes ... physicality. As they walked up the stairs, their arms went around each other's waists, as they walked side by side, they moved closer to one another. We had Logan wrapping his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck, framing her face in his hands, playing with her hair; we had Veronica putting her hand on his chest and leaning up for a kiss. This is the Logan/Veronica that we're used to seeing when the two are together and in a romantic state: Two crazy kids who can't keep their hands off of each other.
One of the loveliest details throughout this scene was the tender intimacy with which Logan touched Veronica. I'm not talking about the mutual arms around the waist -- that came across as more of a couple move with no deeper thought behind it. Of course, that and of itself is wonderful in regards to Logan and Veronica. A sweet naturalism is always welcome. I'm not even thinking of when he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. Again, lovely, but that was a teasing motion, adorable and squee-worthy though it may have been. What I'm referring to is the many times that Logan played with her hair, brushed it back and when he framed Veronica's face with his hands. There was a beautiful reverence in the actions as if there were still moments that it struck him that Veronica was his. And that was telegraphed through the gentleness of those gestures and the look in his eyes every time he did so.
Okay, so that was the light and giddiness of the scene. What about the darker side of LoVe? (yes, I just made that pun.) What about thejealousy annoyance? Or that Logan seemingly did not want to spend time with Veronica? I honestly think that those who believe Logan was neglecting Veronica were just looking for the OPJ. And, no, this is not just my Logan love talking. Really think about what they said, the conversation here. Veronica was waiting for Logan to meet him between classes and Logan clearly was going to meet her as well. That's the two of them seeking specifically to spend time with one another. Does he say he's going to the party the two girls ask about? Yes, but his answer seemed just a pat response to have them move on; if he'd said no, they would have probably stopped, asked why, and clearly he wasn't interested in having a discussion with them.
Now, we get to the crux of it. Veronica referenced some time she wanted to spend with Logan, but it was reading old fossils -- which is not something that Logan is interested in. So she suggessted other plans -- an art show, yet something else that Logan is not interested in. But he doesn't shoot it down, just lets her know he has class and then offers an alternative way of spending time after class. Yes, it was sexual, but it most likely would have been more than sex, but also some quality time just together, the two of them.
We also need to take into account the last couple of episodes. I think it's a safe bet that Logan called Veronica to tell her where he would be mid-experiment because her showing up randomly like that is highly unlikely. So, hah! Logan does want to spend time with his girl. The episode before that had them meeting between classes, at his place getting, uhm, political and eating a meal together. Now, let's also take into account that Veronica spent a helluva lot of time with another guy, including going to a club (which easily could have involved Logan), as well as going to the movies with Mac. So, Veronica has been doing things not with Logan. Which is FINE! They are not the same person; they have different interests and hobbies and they aren't going to spend every moment together. So Veronica's little spiel against Logan frankly comes across as a bit self-centered. She wants Logan to spend time with her when she's available and she wants them to do what she wants to do.
Do I think that that is the basis of their relationship and that Veronica is a raging, selfish bitch? Absolutely not. She's human and she's used to being very much in control of as much of her life as possible; she's made sure of that. And I wouldn't be surprised if Logan spent most of the summer catering to her every whim and wish (other than the movie marathons, of course). Knowing their history, we know that Logan spent much of their past relationship trying to catch up, trying to be the guy for Veronica, so it would make sense that she would expect that. And that is Logan's bad -- now that they've been together for almost six months, Logan is likely now branching out and allowing himself to not cater to all of her likes and dislikes and is simply doing his thing too. While there is nothing wrong with that, to Veronica it's a new turn of events probably and thus creates an understandable fear that he doesn't want to spend time with her.
And gosh, do I love this!!! I love believable issues that flow from their history, their quirks and idiosyncrasies and show the wear and tear, push and pull of a real relationship. This is good stuff. People, we are no longer collecting straw. We have gold, baby!
Scene Two: Led Astray by Dick
As soon as Dick walked away with the comment that Logan was nailing other girls, Veronica really should have simply disregarded anything he said. The guy is an idiot and very much not a member of the LoVe fandom. Seriously. Now what I'm curious about is whether Veronica was sniffing out the information once she saw Dick because she didn't trust Logan automatically or was it really truly just a spur of the moment comment. I think it was a combination. Obviously, she didn't search Dick out; he came upon her. However, beyond the first quip, I think the spontaneity went bye-bye. Think of it, the very few times Veronica has been alone with Dick, she's sent an insult his way and then skedaddled. She doesn't converse with Dick Casablancas and yet that is exactly what she did here. She saw an opportunity to find out if Logan was to be believed or not. And clearly those pesky trust issues are very much in fine working order because she chose to believe Dick -- DICK! -- rather than believe that her boyfriend wasn't ditching her. Silly Veronica. Logan loves you!
Scene Three: Working Out the Kinks
First let us take a moment to mourn the loss of the bee-you-tee-ful X-Terra of jackass!yellow. {{Moment}} Alrighty then, moving on ... as clearly did Logan and everyone involved at Veronica Mars because there wasn't even an onscreen explanation for the loss of the beloved vehicle. Okay, I mean it this time. Really, I'm moving on. Ahem. What's nice about this scene is that there really isn't that much to analyze. It's all out there for viewers to see. What we see is what we get and what we got was a couple of college kids who were crazy about one another, but were adjusting to the relationship and so were still working out the kinks.
Both Veronica and Logan were happy, even with the class attendance exchange. Technically, Veronica was accusing Logan of lying about not being in class, but gone was the accusatory note that was once part and parcel for the course. Instead, it was said with vulnerability and an acknowledgement of what exactly she was doing; she was sorry, but she had to do it anyway. Whether Logan responded as he did because he took it that way or because he's just so used to being accused by Veronica that he took it in stride wasn't obvious. I do tend to think it was a combination. Obviously, he's used to accusations, but I don't think he'd just ignore it casually, so I'm leaning towards the notion that it was a smidgen of the latter and a bigger dose of reading Veronica's tone as conciliatory ... even as she accused.
And I'm glad that after she pushed, he continued to take it in stride and even flat-out refused her request. Unspoken was his contention that she should just trust him (over Dick! I mean, DICK!) and not need the proof to do so. I'm even gladder that after he said that, she stopped pushing and just let it go. Good job, Veronica, because then we got to the schmoop. Lovely, lovely schmoop and my goodness, didn't Veronica look happy? So very happy, smiling up at Logan, her voice doing as decent an approximation of Logan's "political" as she could with her "Maybe you could drop by ..." So sweet, so in love and then ... and then ... the cuteness! The ber, ber-cuteness. Just the playful pushing, pulling, smiling, and face-scrunching. It was really a world of squee in those final moments of joy. So ...
SQUEE!!!!
Scene Four: She Likes Him! She Really Likes Him!!
This scene had some really nice moments. I mean, for possibly the first time -- maybe the second -- in the history of the show (some might count the happy exhalation after Logan left the bathroom in M.A.D. as the first), we saw a Veronica happy about Logan, smiling for Logan, thinking of Logan when Logan wasn't there. I mean, she finished her black/e-mail up and heard someone clearing their throat and her brain went straight to Logan. We got a Veronica Mars Voiceover that happily looked forward to boyfriend time. She referred to Logan as her boyfriend ... even if it was only in her head. That's still something! And she was disappointed when it wasn't him.
But wait, we're not done yet! When she heard the phone beep to let her know she had a message, she smiled when she saw he'd left one and that smile grew broader when she punched it in to listen. It was only after Logan bailed on their maybe date that her joy dissipated. (He had said that he might stop by and, hey, at least he called and left a message but still, bad call, Logan!) Still still still, it was joy over Logan! Seeing Logan, hearing Logan's voice. Gold, I tell ya, folks. It's Rumpelstiltskin time.
Scene Five: On the Hunt for Logan E.
Was Veronica wrong to put a GPS tracker on Logan? Yes. Was she wrong to track him down? Yes and no. Yes, because, hello! It's called trust, Veronica -- look it up. On the other hand, Logan had bailed. Furthermore, he'd called with a party going on in the background and ended his message with the phrase, "Looks like I'm getting lucky." Really, can anyone blame her for being just the tiniest bit suspicious? After two girls asked him to a party? After Dick said he wasn't in class when Logan said he was? After Dick said he was nailing other girls? After Logan refused to show her his notes to prove he was in class? (This is Veronica Mars, she just needs a little proof to make up her mind -- before more proof sends her careening off in a new direction.) No, I think Veronica's actions were understandable.
And again, non-parenthetical, this is Veronica Mars. She tracked her own father down for goodness' sake. We all know how much she loves him. So, hmmm ... yeah, I totally take this as a sign of love. Uh huh.
Scene Six: Veronica Done Him Wrong
Some interesting dynamics were at play here. To start with, it was obvious that Veronica knew she was in the wrong. Take note of the somewhat embarrassed smile on her face when she met Logan's gaze and then her looking away. Once Logan stood up to face her, she was immediately on the defensive, despite his pussy-whipped sarcasm. A Veronica who thought she was justified would have jumped down his throat for that comment or just flat-out left. She did not. I'm thinking -- based on this episode in whole -- she chose not to do so because Veronica does love Logan and does want to be with him. She knew that she was wrong, but she wasn't going to just walk away. She was going to stick around to rationalize her decision -- which is more than we ever saw Veronica do before in regards to Logan.
So was she totally in the wrong? For tracking him? Absolutely, but we've already mentioned that in the world of Veronica Mars to track is to love. For being even a little bit suspicious? No, not really. That voice message, in addition to his not showing up, was far from best boyfriend material. So, what about Logan? Was he wrong? Absolutely. Yes, he did say that he might stop by the library and so it wasn't a "firm" date, and yes, he did call to let her know he wouldn't show up (always good boyfriend etiquette). However, they clearly hadn't spent much time together recently due to conflicting schedules and saying that you might stop by in the midst of being kissy-face, lovey-dovey, reads in girlfriend-speech as "I'm definitely coming by short of being in a car accident." And Logan? Was not in a car accident, or any other remotely justifiable situation that would excuse his lack of showing up for the G-rated booty call.
He was playing cards.
Dude, Logan, bad call! You don't stand up your girlfriend on the technicality of a "might" because you're gambling unless you don't want to get laid for a month! Unfortunately for Veronica, as bad as his bad was ... hers was about thousand times worse. Dude, Veronica, bad call! You don't implant a tracking device into your boyfriend's phone and then track him down as if he were a criminal (especially one who's been arrested for murder three times -- once with your help). Can I get a big, fat HELLO!
So, Logan was gambling, but Veronica was tracking him down and since Logan was just having some harmless fun, and Veronica's action was a time-honored tradition of not trusting him, Logan had the upper-hand. And, shockingly enough for all watching, he used it. No pussy-whipped Logan Echolls here. No indeedy. For the first time in the history of the show, viewers saw Logan stand up for himself ... without using violence or wit that wounds. He was calm, rational and simply pointed out that her lack of trust was becoming an issue. Veronica's response? Not really the best ever. Instead of apologizing for the use of a tracking device or even turning the discussion around to his bad, she insulted his intelligence. Logan is not stupid. Veronica knows that Logan is not stupid, but because he's not college-motivated like she is and instead is as aimless as many a freshmen, she lashed out at his less than scholarly attributes. And it was just mean and it was hurtful. And intentional.
She wanted to hurt him because that's what Veronica does when she feels backed into a corner. She doesn't like being wrong; she doesn't like being called to task. Only Keith can do that and so she retaliated with her brand of wit that wounds. As about time as it was to see Logan call Veronica on her behavior, it was also right that he allowed her to see the pain her words caused him. His sarcasm about 1984 being the only book he'd read was a dig that was meant not to hurt her, but to show her that she'd hurt him unfairly. To her credit, Veronica did seem to get it then, judging by the look on her face after he spoke. And that point was brought home as the scene ended on a long empty hallway where Veronica stood all alone.
She done screwed up, Logan wasn't to blame for their fight ... and she knew it. Folks, this is actually a step in the right direction.
Scene Seven: Proof's in the Music of Emo
This is the one of two similarities to a Duncan situation that this episode brings to mind. I'm referring to when Veronica played the broken-hearted girlfriend because Donut "dumped her" by moping over emo music. In that episode, it was mostly an act to hide the reality of the scheme she'd come up with for Duncan's departure. Here, it was the real deal all the way. She and Logan had just had the first fight they've had where Veronica was on the defensive, where she wasn't accusing Logan of something, where Logan was the injured party, so to speak.
As with most of the episode, these few moments were a wonderful indication that Veronica is in love with Logan. And I want to use this scene to take the opportunity to expound upon that thought. Although, it's evident throughout much of Wichita Linebacker, the other scenes have more depth and weight to them so I'll be discussing the fullness of them as opposed to an overreaching theme. This is what five second scenes are good for!
Ever since Logan and Veronica got involved, the LoVe fandom has spent much time bemoaning Veronica's apparent lack of reciprocal feelings for Logan. We saw more from her in regards to Troy, even Leo to a degree and, of course, the great and pure Donut-head. There was never any doubt that until she found out what a loser Troy was, she really liked him. Once she and Leo starting dating, it was clear that while yes, he was good for information, she liked him and wanted to *really* like him. With Duncan, it was a non-stop gush-fest -- we can be fortunate that the script and direction didn't support it the second-time around which allowed us to happily believe that Veronica was just taking up residence by "De Nile." The point is that viewers got very, very little from Veronica's end in regards to any lovey-dovey feelings about Logan, shown through either a positive or negative slant. More often than not, we've worried that Veronica is just killing time with Logan ... that he's a "right now" boyfriend, waiting for the "right one" to come along.
This episode finally gave us the love from Veronica. Earlier we got the positive slant when expecting Logan at the library ("I'm ready for my official boyfriend visit.") and in this scene we got the negative slant. Yeah, it's not good that Veronica was miserable and mopey and playing emo music because she and Logan had a fight. What is good about it, though, is ... that she was miserable and mopey and playing emo music because she and Logan had a fight! YES! She cares ... she truly does care about him and the fact that he was upset with her and that they were fighting brought out the emo music.
It ain't happy, but it's proof. Woohoo!
Scene Eight: Perfectly Understandable
Whereas the Dick conversation was happenstance which Veronica took advantage of, in this case, she may not have gone to the cafeteria specifically looking for Mercer, but once she saw him, she did deliberately walk up to him and did deliberately bring up the Mexico trip. Testing Logan? I'd like to think not, but yeah, I do. And considering all that had happened recently, it held perfectly understandable motivation. She may love the guy -- and I do believe after this episode that she does love him -- but she doesn't trust him. She already was suspicious because of Dick's assertion there was no class (Dick! Come' on, Veronica, Dick!!), Logan's refusal to show his notes, and they did just have a fight. Still, considering how far she could go, I can't blame her for just talking to one of the guys heading to TJ with Logan. Perfectly understandable.
After Mercer's end of the conversation put Logan's plans into doubt, it was again understandable that Veronica would have a moment of doubt. Perfectly understandable. The next best move to take would probably be talk to Logan, and not just take what a practical stranger says as gospel. That would be an entirely reasonable, perfectly understandable course of action.
Scene Nine: To Track is to Love
Or not. Who needs reasonable and understandable when you have nifty gadgets available? Clearly not Veronica.
Which brings us to something I've heard mentioned out and about on the internets (Stephen Colbert), the parallel with her actions regarding Duncan and Meg's computer in Green-Eyed Monster. I see the surface correlation, but I must disagree when one looks a little closer at the situations. In regards to Meg's computer, it was sitting right there with the information literally at her fingertips. It required no more effort than her will-power. Yes, it tould prove that Veronica simply trusted Duncan because she was able to control herself. However, in addition, it also shows that the intensity of her feelings for Logan is stronger than they were for Duncan. Much has been commented on how Veronica tracking Logan, installing the bug in his car was just the same as her wanting to look into Meg's computer in terms of trust. Again, yes, clearly she did trust Donut, thus she didn't look at the files. However, what is interesting -- and bears with my comment above about the ease in which she could find out that situation -- is that Veronica made no other effort to find out where Duncan was, what he was doing. Yeah, yeah, she trusted him, but the contention has been that it's the same ole, same ole attitude that is attached to any boyfriend.
We know Veronica. Bugging someone, tracking that person is not only a sign of distrust, for Veronica, it's a sign of love. She never tracked Duncan down; you can say it's because she trusted him. Fine, whatever, it also says clearly that she didn't CARE enough about him. How I came up with that, you may ask. Simple. She tracked Keith. There's no doubt that she loves him and much more often than not trusts him implicitly. Yet, she tracked Keith because of his suspicious behavior. She never tracked Duncan despite his suspicious behavior of which she was aware. She just chose to not pursue it ... because she didn't care enough.
She cares enough about Logan. So yay!
Scene Ten: The Guy I Love
I know that the mystery of the week was humdrum for some (hee! I made a rhyme), but I enjoyed it mostly because it was one of those cases that was presented as a parallel to a situation in Veronica's life. In this case, it was her relationship with Logan. Trish did something that her boyfriend found nearly incomprehensible, even if he understood that it was motivated by her love for him. As she told Veronica that, it was as if a light bulb had gone off in Veronica's head. She too had taken an action that she was able to justify because she loved Logan, but one that he would find, well, not even remotely incomprehensible because he knows Veronica, but an action that would be difficult to easily forgive. Viewers could see that realization on her face as clear as if it were written in neon. Bell did a wonderful job in communicating all of that without a word of dialogue in just a few seconds.
Ooh, and I would be remiss were I not to mention the most significant moment in this teeny scene. Quote:
Scene Eleven: The Strength of the Action
What followed right after was Veronica doing what Trish was unable to do: Clean up her mess before she lost her guy. Going back to the previous scene, I had made note of what a wonderful job Kristen Bell did in telegraphing Veronica's frame of mind with regard to the parallel. I'm glad that we got that because it gave us what her voiceover did not. As per usual, her inner thoughts were not utilized to showcase the beating heart of Veronica Mars; the voiceover did not fully explain the depth to which Trish's words affected Veronica. Instead, we were told that she was using the excuse of going "momentarily crazy" and then, of course, a quip. What a shocker!
Still, that's okay, because we were left with two things that truly showed the depth of Veronica's feelings for Logan and both were more than welcome and did a fine, fine job of telegraphing that depth -- something that has been sorely lacking the Logan/Veronica relationship. The afore-mentioned facial expression in the previous scene and here we had the simple force of her action. She chose to trust Logan and not go all pathologically suspicious on his (fine) ass.
Good call, Veronica, and one you'll be very appreciative of in retrospect at the end of the episode.
Scene Twelve: Neptune High Girls' Bathroom Meet the Hearst Library ... You've Been Replaced
Can I just say ...
SQUEE!!!!
And let that be the entire sum total of my analysis? Because really it was just so very, very squee-worthy. I don't know if this is my favorite Logan and Veronica scene ever ... no, no I do know. It is. Really. No talk of Duncan. No talk of Lilly. No discussion of any former/future significant others. No murder or rape or lies or sarcasm or quips or hidden pain. It was just on the table with their heart on their sleeves, unabashed open 'I love you' without the words actually spoken. It was as close to perfect a Logan/Veronica scene as we've ever gotten.
From the look on Veronica's face when she saw Logan, to the final moment when she rested her head on his chest, the scene fairly danced with the tender currents of electricity. What was so evident in this scene was not only how much they do love one another, but how much both want to make this relationship work. Both were willing to compromise and Veronica was brutally honest with Logan about her trust issues. She didn't quip; she didn't make a joke or pretend its depth wasn't enormous. Instead, she owned up to it and apologized for how it had led her to hurt him. She nearly cried as she strove to convince him that she was trying to "act unnaturally." And trying to act unnaturally due to the severe betrayals she's dealt with is a colossal step for Veronica Mars to take.
As for Logan, his compromise didn't entail as much heft, but that is merely because throughout their relationship, Logan has done his fair share of compromising and this episode was the first time we actually saw him put his foot down for reasonable treatment. Still, he gave up surfing in Tijuana and offered to take in foreign cinema -- a dreaded aspect for the traditionalboy -- sorry, Logan; you're a man and a reformed one at that -- man. Ah the reformation of Logan Echolls. I truly enjoyed this theme that ran though the episode and found its conclusion here. Although, ostensibly the 'reformed bad boy' referred to Weevil, I do think it was meant for Logan. After all, Weevil ain't all that reformed; Logan is. And I liked that we saw action and attitude to support Logan's assertion that he was, indeed, reformed.
Which leaves us with the little touches and the final moments of LoVe (yes, I went there ... you gotta problem?). One of my favorite moments was when the student came looking for help and Veronica did not take her adoring eyes off of Logan even once ... not for a single, solitary second. Another fun moment was Logan's glance of "Hee! I'm gonna go make out!" to the poor, unassisted student who stood watching them walk away, distraught and bewildered. Throughout the scene, there were many of these small moments, a look, a quirk of the mouth, the way Veronica held onto Logan's hand, and then encircled his wrist as she moved into kiss him. And ahh, we're there. Those final moments ...
I just have one word:
SQUEE!!!!
As Veronica watches (while waiting for her hot hot hottie hot of a boyfriend), some unfortunate young man is being yelled at by his coach while being forced to run the stadium steps as some sort of punishment for missing team meetings - or liking philosophy and drinking espresso while eating cheese. It's kind of hard to tell. Veronica voiceovers that football is the systematic violation of the Geneva Convention made into a sport. A pretty accurate description in my book.
Speaking of books ... when Mr. #44 is finally relieved of running duties and is permitted to head to the locker room, he discovers that something is missing from his backpack. Based on his conversation shortly thereafter with his girlfriend Trish (who appears to manage the college radio station), he's missing a green binder - which we soon discover is his playbook. Losing this item is apparently going to result in his immediate and painful demise.
That afternoon while Veronica is working at the library's information desk (and musing on her options for not getting thrown out of college) Piz shows up to ask a favor. It seems his future mentor (knock on faux hardwood paneling) in radio has a boyfriend with a problem that he's hoping Veronica can help with. Veronica looks annoyed by the turn of events, but the lure of the prospect of getting paid cannot be denied.
She takes a seat at a library table where Trish's football playing boyfriend Kurt (a.k.a. #44) explains that he's lost his football playbook. The problem with that is that playbooks aren't supposed to leave the sports complex and Kurt broke the rules. Kurt explains that he'd missed a few meetings due to class lectures and "borrowed" the playbook so he could catch up. But if he has to tell the coach that he lost the playbook, they'll use it as a reason to yank his scholarship.
Poor Kurt looks truly stricken. Trish looks concerned and sympathetic. Piz looks like he's trying to look like his presence at this little meeting is justified (and, can I say, failing miserably). Veronica looks a little calculating and assumes outloud that securing his future will probably be worth $500 to Kurt. Piz, like, punches Veronica in the arm -- not taps, not slaps, PUNCHES -- after she tells Kurt her rate and bitches that it is the same amount she charged him at the "friend of a friend" rate.
I have to pause here for a minute because DUDE! You've known the girl for like two minutes so the fact that she charged you the same rate as these other folks (as she explains by means of "friend of a friend" has now been extended to "friend of a friend of a friend" -- you douchebag) is not cause for you get your panties in a twist. Not to mention the punching! I mean, I know Veronica's pretty bad-ass but surely you've noticed the girl weighs like 12 pounds soaking wet. Are you trying to break her arm for helping you? Jesus! Use the sense God gave you. And if he didn't give you any, go borrow someone elses. Crimeny!
Back to the story: Kurt agrees to the fee. He can't go to the police because (aside from their obvious incompetence) it would just be admitting that he lost the playbook or worse, that someone stole it. Veronica wants to clarify that he's referring to someone on another team? It could be, but Trish adds that it might just be someone who wants him off this team.
Kurt explains that Trish is talking about his position coach. It seems that Kurt was kind of a big deal on the football field back in the day. He started at Hearst right out of high school, but he tore his ACL at the end of last season and now doesn't get to spend much time on the field during game play. Apparently this injury pisses his coach off because it means that Kurt is "wasting" a scholarship that another healthy athlete that might be able to put some points up on the board could be using. Yeah, I too am feeling the love.
Veronica asks for a play-by-play of the evening the playbook went missing: every place Kurt went, every person who might have had access to the book, any event that might be significant. Kurt tells her that it was in his backpack the whole time and the backpack remained unopened until that afternoon when he discovered the book was missing.
Kurt flashes back for us on the evening before. He went with Trish (like a good and supportive boyfriend) to the student art show. They milled around and talked to Trish's "friend" Larry (looking like kind of a loser) who had a fiew, ahem, masterpieces on display that evening. I can't help but notice that Larry's looking at Trish with a little more longing and adoration than you see on most "friends." Unless we're talking like the Rachel and Ross kind of "friends" if you catch my drift.
After the art show Kurt went back to his dorm room and his best friend from the team, Brian Popovich a.k.a. Pop, came over to hang out and play Guitar Hero. Piz comments that the game rocks and Kurt enthusiastically agrees. (Boys and their short attention spans.) Kurt flashes back to golden memories of he and Pop living out their rockstar dreams while Guitar Hero-ing through "Smoke on the Water." We spot Kurt's backpack living, by all accounts untouched, in the corner of the room.
Kurt stayed in all night, but there were a couple of other guests that dropped by his room in addition to Pop. We see a gaggle of giddy, giggly girly-girls (go me with the alliteration!) dropping by for a quick visit with Pop, bearing a glitzy and oh-so-gaudy bucket of -- what, lucky(?!?) -- popcorn to Pop. The cleverness astounds. Anyway, it seems like the cheerleaders weren't around for very long. And that pretty much covers the night in question.
Back in the present, Kurt worries over losing his scholarship. Trish, ever supportive, tries to comfort him and tells him that whatever happens, they'll get through it. She's got the Pell Grant thing worked out for him and his grades are really good, so she has faith that he'll be okay. All that aside, Kurt still isnt thrilled about the prospect of being kicked off the football team. It seems our sensitive and intelligent jock (you know, the kind we never saw at Neptune) has a real love for the game.
Veronica wonders aloud if perhaps getting a copy of the playbook for Kurt to turn in isn't a better and faster resolution to his dilemma than trying to track down the theif. Kurt seems confused but that's okay he doesn't really know Veronica or what she's capable of. Our girl, at least professionally, is a master at thinking outside the box.
Although Veronica's idea is a clever one, it turns out that getting another copy of the playbook isn't nearly as easy as she thought. According to Kurt the playbooks are run off on athletic department stationary and each page features an ID code that changes from week to week and player to player. (Side note: The college can manage this kind of security on playbooks for football -- but can't adequately protect it's students from a serial rapist? Way to prioritize there.) In an effort to get into the coach's office, Veronica dons a (stolen? borrowed?) lacross uniform and fakes a leg injury. She tests out her disguise on a guy moving equipment and asks to be pointed in the right direction for a trainer to attend to her faux thrashed ankle.
Once she's alone in the hallowed halls of the athletic department, Veronica makes her way back to the locker room and finally to the office of Dwight Fry, Defensive Coordinator. Veronica pops on to his computer and finds the file for playbooks. She scrolls through a list of incomprehensible numbers (that we can assume are the ID codes) and clicks on "FK397-44-906." Either Kurt had his ID memorized for that week (since they rotate) or Veronica's developed some new skills we dont know about like one of the kids on Heroes.
She opens the file which does appear to be the appropriate playbook and clicks the print button. The only problem? It appears that Coach Fry is suffering with a dinosaur of a printer and it is gonna be several minutes before all the pages have printed out. No sooner does Veronica realize she's gonna be stuck in the office a bit longer than anticipated, she hears voices outside in the hallway and realizes that Coach Fry is about to catch her in the act. Considering both Kurt and Veronica's tenuous positions at Hearst, there's no happy ending in sight for anyone if Veronica gets caught.
Realizing that there's only one place to hide, Veronica closes the file and ducks under the desk just as Coach Fry opens the door. Veronica listens as Kurt's friend Pop tells the coach that as much as he loves Hearst, Sonoma has made him an offer and they are giving him a full ride. Coach is displeased at this announcement and makes the noises you would expect about figuring out a way to keep Pop there. In a moment of really unfortunate timing, the printer finally finishes "loading" Veronica's print job and finally begins to print Kurt's playbook. Eeek.
Coach Fry slides around his desk, trying to figure out why the hell something seems to be spontaneously printing. He goes to sit down at the desk and the jig is up -- because despite how petite our heroine is, Coach is gonna kick her when he slides up to his desk. Veronica pops up, startling the coach, and takes advantage of his momentary confusion to kick the printer's plug out of the power strip to stop the incriminating print job. She fumbles about for an explanation and finally comes up with a lame story about how she was supposed to break in and steal a jock -- strap, that is, not male athlete -- as part of a sorority hazing ritual. An "A" for effort Veronica, but I dont think that's gonna cut it.
And apparently I'm right, because the next time we see Veronica she's in conference with the Dean trying to explain her jock-stealing behavior. He comments that she's well on her way to being the freshman with the most colorful disciplinary record at the college. Feels like home, eh Veronica? The Dean reminds Veronica that he's still waiting on that name from the Zeta Theta Beta expose and if she gives it to him, they can wipe her slate clean. Veronica reminds him that she's not giving up the name. He reminds her that he's going to expell her if she doesn't. She reminds him again, with an extra dose of sass, that she's not giving up the name. Veronica, be patient -- he doesnt really know you or that look of stelly resolve yet. But dont worry, he'll learn soon enough.
After a quick convo with her (adorably reformable and ever so good and manly) boyfriend, Veronica stops by Mac's room for a visit. Only Mac and Parker appear to have gone out -- to work out? But the trip wasn't a waste because at that moment Kurt and Trish come around the corner hand in hand providing Veronica an opportunity to give Kurt the update on her little playbook duplication plan -- which we all know was a bust.
As they head into Trish's room, Veronica starts to explain her new theory that involves Coach Fry but everyone is distracted by the portrait of Trish displayed on her bed. Kurt is puzzled because he doesn't remember painting and dropping off a bad picture of her. Trish makes a pained face and says that it must be a gift from Larry. You know, the art show guy I believe I mentioned was seriously crushing on Trish in Kurt's flashback. Trish reveals that she and Larry went out last year, which Kurt knew what he was less clear on was that Larry was apparently stalking her.
Kurt crosses to the bed to retrieve the note accompanying Trish's gift which reads "Seriously -- drop that meathead; you know you're still my muse." Clearly, Larry's about as good a poet as he is a painter. Kurt seems to take exception to the term 'meathead' and is a little confused because he thought Larry liked him. Trish confirms that it's really more like Larry hates him. I'm guessing with something in the neighborhood of "the firey passion of a thousand suns," but that is really only my personal speculation.
Looking at Veronica you can practically see the wheels turning in her head. She asks Trish if she thinks Larry hates Kurt enough to steal his playbook. Trish and Kurt both look at Veronica somewhat confused until Veronica reminds them that the night the playbook went missing, they went to the art show to check out Larry's "masterpieces." And it is pretty clear to everyone involved now how badly Larry would like Kurt out of the picture so he can reclaim his muse.
Veronica tracks Larry down at his display from the student art show and makes like she's perusing his work with interest. When Larry asks her thoughts on his pieces, Veronica's kind of 'meh' about them. Larry with a measure of humor assumes she's an art major. Veronica assures him she's just an interested amature, but his pictures are saying something to her. It feels like perhaps he's having muse trouble. Yes, that's it -- he's lost his muse to a ... what's the word she's searching for ... yes, she's got it -- a meathead. His art (or maybe just his pathetic note) is crying out that his muse has abandoned him for a meathead.
Sensing that the discussion has just taken a turn he doesn't want to follow, Larry tells Veronica he's busy and doesn't have time to talk. Which is good, because Veronica's busy too so they should just cut the crap. She accuses Larry of stealing the Kurt's playbook, but Larry scoffs at the notion. What use would he have for the playbook? Veronica thinks it might have something to do with the fact that it would get Kurt kicked off the team, which would cause him to lose his scholarship, which would leave poor Trish all alone to cry her misery on his (and I quote) "bony-ass, paint-stained shoulder." It's what we call motive, Larry.
Larry doesn't know who Veronica is (obviously), or who she thinks she is (a master sleuth), but he's no criminal mastermind. Showing off his paint spattered clothes, hair and hands, Larry confirms that he's just a painter, nothing more. Veronica reminds him that the same could be said about Hitler with that look that says "you just think about THAT, buddy."
Veronica heads over to Kurt's room to see if she can get some incriminating evidence to nail Larry to the proverbial wall. After complimenting Trish on trading up from Larry-the-tool to the lovely Kurt, she asks Kurt to see his backpack. Because if Larry's guilty -- and she hopes to God in heaven he is -- there should be a smudge of paint somewhere inside Kurt's bag. But dammit, no luck. Veronica finds no paint in the bag, only a stray piece of popped popcorn. Ruh-roh!
Kurt is equally troubled by the presence of this kernal of corn because it does seem rather incriminating for his friend Pop. Despite Kurt's desire to believe that his friend wouldn't dog him that way, Veronica points out that perhaps getting Kurt's scholarship yanked would allow Pop to remain at Hearst on his own free ride. Kurt comments that if Pop did take the playbook, he was smart enough to trash it which means they'll never be able to prove he took it.
Veronica smiles that smile of hers that is a little scary around the edges and tells Kurt not to worry, they are gonna blackmail Pop. The beauty of that plan is if he's guilty, he'll show up. And if they can get him to confess on tape, they'll have all the proof they need. Kurt looks skeptical, but that's okay -- he's still learning how formidable the tiny blond really is. Veronica tells Kurt not to worry because she's done this like a million times before. No, really. That's not much of an exaggeration Kurt. While working that night at the library, Veronica crafts and sends her blackmail email to Pop and puts the plan into motion.
The next day Pop comes down to the library while Veronica's working and tries to check out Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. It seems that someone told him to come down and check that book out. Nice Veronica. Points for subtlety. Veronica admits that she was the person who sent the message and since they both know that he did something to Kurt, he shouldn't try to deny it. He should just come clean and figure out how he's gonna make things right with Kurt.
Pop sighs meaningfully and looks appropriately guilty as Veronica continues that she's sure he trashed it. Pop looks a bit startled but assures her he didn't trash it. In fact, he has it with him if she wants him to give it to her. Uh, DUH, dude. That would be a good start. Pop digs into his bag and hands over a single sheet of paper while commenting that he's not sure he understands getting the third degree over a sociology assignment.
Veronica looks at the piece of paper Pop has handed her and is incredulous. It seems that Pop did break into Kurt's bag on the night in question, but not to steal his playbook -- to borrow his homework. Apparently Pop was behind and didn't think that either of them would get caught so it didn't seem like a big deal. Veronica wonders if he saw the playbook in Kurt's bag that night. He did, but he didn't say anything even though it was against the rules because Kurt's a cool guy, and, well, he was stealing his homework after all.
Veronica's trying to piece together a new time line in her head and wonders when the guys stopped playing Guitar Hero. Pop thinks back and decides that he was there all night, until about one a.m. when Trish showed up and kicked him out. And the plot thickens!
Veronica pays a visit to Trish at the radio station and lays a little trap. She tells Trish that she saw Kurt at the stadim a little while ago and she's pretty sure he turned himself in. Veronica tells Trish that she saw Kurt running the staduim stairs while Coach Fry was reading him the riot act about losing the playbook and how he'd be running the steps every day. Trish seems bewildered that Kurt wasn't kicked-off the team and Veronica comments that she thinks that alternative would have been a blessing in comparison to the punishment he's being subjected to instead.
Veronica gives Trish thirty minutes to come apart at the seams and then pays her a little visit at her dorm room. When Trish opens the door we see that she's literally been ripping her room apart. She confesses to Veronica that she stole Kurt's playbook. As you might imagine, that confession surprises Veronica not at all. The problem? The playbook seems to have disappeared from Trish's room so she can't turn it in and stop Kurt from getting tortured.
Well, Trish, Veronica's got some good news for you on that front her story about Kurt suffering through stadium runs was a lie. But she's dying to know why Trish would steal the book in the first place. Was she really that desperate for him to get kicked off the team so they could spend more time together? No, Trish's motives were more pure and selfless than that. She hated the way the Coach treated Kurt and she thought if he was off the team, he'd be less miserable and conflicted. Good motive, BAD implemenation.
She knows how much Kurt loves football and how much he's given to the team. But it kills her that after he blew out his knee while playing his heart out for them, they've repaid him by making his life a living hell. I agree, it sucks. But as Veronica points out, Trish can't quit the team for him no matter how much she might want to. Anyway, it's all moot now because the playbook has gone missing from Trish's room and she has no idea where it went. Veronica smiles and tells Trish that if she thinks about it, she'll realize who has it.
Veronica pays a visit to Larry the Painter Guy a visit with Kurt and Trish in tow. Before she can utter a word, Kurt storms through the door and puts a little hurt on old Larry and demands to know where the playbook is. Larry's not talking and Kurt's trying to convince him that he's in for a world of pain when Larry's roommate arrives and tells Kurt that the playbook is under the couch. DUDE!
It seems Larry's roommate is a kid Veronica remembers seeing at Mercer's den of inequity (when her misplaced trust issues prompted her to stalk her own boyfriend) laying a bet on the upcoming football game. Veronica correctly surmises that in addition to helping Larry get Kurt out of his way, the boys were making some money on the side by selling the playbook to Sonoma State and then betting the farm against Hearst for Saturday's game.
Poor Kurt feels terrible that he's put his team in jeapordy but Trish doesnt seem to get it. She tells Kurt to turn in his playbook like everyone else and no one will be any wiser. Kurt is incredulous because he cannot just stand idly by and watch his team get their asses kicked. Trish can't understand why he cares after the way the team has treated him. Kurt clenches his jaw and mutters that he guesses she doesn't know him at all before storming out the door.
Hey Veronica -- you takin' notes here? This ringing any bells for you? Perhaps you should take a moment, reflect on these events and determine if say, you know YOUR boyfriend any better than Trish knows Kurt. Based on the conversation she has with Mercer only moments later, I have to guess she wasn't paying attention to the obvious parallel. For a P.I. Mars, you are sometimes wickedly unobservant.
Veronica catches up with Trish a day or two later and learns that Kurt has headed back home to Kansas. It seems that he felt the need to confess about the playbook for the sake of his teammates, and, as expected, the school yanked his scholarship. In addition to leaving the state, it seems that Kurt also took a break from Trish because despite the fact that he knew her heart was in the right place, he wasn't sure he could get past what she had done. Trish realized too late that her momentary lapse in judgement may have cost her the boy she loves.
Hey Veronica, is THIS ringing any bells? Wait, wait -- I think I see some internal reflection ... wait for it ... yes! There it is! Epiphany at long last. It took you long enough.
- We see a really ghastly-looking sign for Jumbo's Clown Wash. Complete with a drawing of a freaky-toothed clown. (Clown Wash? Seriously, what kind of name is that? Are they washing clowns here? Are clowns washing the cars? What the frak?) Anyway, one of the "clown washers" is picking up his duffel bag, getting ready to leave for the day. But, hey, wait a minute. That's no clown. No, it's our very own Eli 'Weevil' Navarro, who was last seen being hauled out of his high school graduation ceremony wearing handcuffs. Now, he's wearing a jumpsuit with a creepy clown face on it. One would think this is a step up? Before he manages to get away, Weevil is stopped by his gruff-sounding boss, who demands to know what Weevil thinks he's doing. The lovable smartass claims the dude in the SUV looks like he digs magic, so he's getting his doves. (Hee. But wouldn't the more appropriate joke have included something about balloon animals? Just sayin'.) Seriously, though, Weevil's shift was up half an hour ago, so he's leaving. His boss has other ideas and tells him he's not leaving until some guy named Ray Ray gets there. Losing his temper, Weevil shouts, "Screw you!" at his boss, who threatens to send him back to Chino if he doesn't pipe down. Weevil starts to go after the jerk, but another employee pulls him back and shares with him that he once hit his boss and the extra year of prison time wasn't worth it.
Weevil chills a bit and when he sees a Saturn drive up (Gee, wonder who that could be!), he tells his boss he'll just go wash some spoiled bitch's graduation gift from Daddy. He turns to see Veronica standing by her car, when she calls out that she's not spoiled and it wasnt actually a graduation gift, and the 'bitch' part depends on who's being asked. Weevil joins her at her car and they catch up on things, since they haven't seen each other since he was arrested for murder. Weevil plea-bargained down to assault and now enjoys employment at the car wash, which is nowhere near as fun as the old song made it sound. Their conversation is interrupted as Veronica takes a phone call, which happens to be an invite to the principal's -- I mean, to the Dean's office. Weevil's amused to see that this leopard hasn't changed her spots and is wondering what the folks at Hearst know about her when his boss yells at him for harassing her instead of doing his job and threatens to throw him out on his ass. When he caps that off by calling Weevil "Cholo," our former gang leader finally loses it. Before Veronica can stop him, Weevil throws his boss against a vending machine, pinning him by the throat. The boss tells him he should let him go so he can call his parole officer. Pissed off, Weevil punches and breaks the glass beside the guy's head and storms off, past Veronica, telling her that he hasn't changed his spots either.
Later, we're given our first appearance by Dean Cyrus O'Dell, as Veronica nervously walks into his office. She's a little surprised to see that he's not sitting at his desk, but is standing on his desk, pounding on the air conditioning vent with a broom handle. He's frustrated that even with the technological advances our society has made, no one can keep his air conditioning running for more than a week at a time. O'Dell asks her to have a seat and as he starts to climb off the desk, he accidentally knocks a framed photo off his desk. She picks it up for him and we see it's a picture of a woman and two boys, the older one a black and white face-painted teenager. The woman and the teenager are both sporting the "rock on" hand gesture. (In the proper manner, not Veronica-style.) When Veronica asks if these are his kids, O'Dell says it's his wife, his son from a previous marriage and his stepson.
Veronica has a seat while the Dean sits on the arm of his sofa and looks at an issue of the Hearst Free Press. He thinks it's rare that a freshman makes as big a splash as Veronica has. Her unease builds as she sees he's looking at the article she contributed to during her brief stint on the newspaper. When he calls it a sharp piece of writing, she tries to explain that the editor took some liberties. He's not interested in hearing that, though. What he wants is the name of both Veronica's source, who told her that the house mother got her pot seeds from a professor, and the name of the professor. If she doesn't give him their names, he's going to expel her. Veronica is stunned. And who can blame her? This just has to be some kind of record for her. I mean, she made it twelve whole episodes into season one and nine into season two without facing school disciplinary action.
A short time later, we see Veronica working the library Help Desk, thinking about how she refused to give up Marjorie's name to the Dean. He's apparently given her a week to change her mind, the poor ignorant man.
That evening, Keith is sitting at the table, eating as he labors over some paperwork. Veronica walks into the kitchen and joins him for dinner as she brings up how busy he must be with her not around the office as much. He concedes that this is somewhat true. She helpfully suggests that he'd probably be happy if she found someone to help him. Someone like Eli Navarro. Somehow managing not to spit out his food, Keith quickly dismisses the idea. Veronica's serious, though, and starts pleading with him to hire Weevil since he'll be forced back into jail if he doesn't have a job by the time of his next meeting with his parole officer. Keith, however, is not giving in -- he's not running a charity. So Veronica threatens to pull out the big guns -- aka "The Stare." He doesn't budge, so she sighs, rests her chin on her folded hands and gives him a pitiful stare as he rolls his eyes in annoyance, folds his arms, and stares back.
I'm sure it's of no surprise to anyone that the next time we see Weevil he's behind the receptionist's desk at Mars Investigations. Of greater surprise is probably the fact that he's wearing a tie. (A tie!) Keith manages to avoid getting angry with Weevil when he demonstrates less-than-professional phone skills while answering a call from someone who a) had to verify she called the right number, since Weevil answered with simply "Hello," b) had to know that Keith was standing right there since Weevil kept asking him for instructions and c) felt it better to call back another time than to leave a message. Moving past it, Keith gives Weevil a case file. He needs Eli to stake out a shoe warehouse. Stock has been disappearing and the security guard is the main suspect. They need a money shot of the guy loading some of that afternoon's shipments in order to prove it. Apprentice P.I. Weevil's on the job!
And then it's Trip #2 to the Dean's office, after Veronica slips up on her unsolved mystery of the week and gets caught sneaking around the coach's office, allegedly attempting to steal a jock. Strap, that is. The Dean compliments her on having the most colorful disciplinary file of the freshman class (Go, Veronica!) and offers to give her a clean slate if she would just give him the name he wants. She reminds him that she's already said she's not going to give him the name. And O'Dell reminds her that he said he'll expel her if she doesn't. And she said she's not going to and proceeds to give him The Stare. Not the pathetic one Keith so easily caved to before, but the stubborn stare of resolve that clearly means she's about as movable as an obstinate wooly mammoth. Before we can see how resistant the Dean may or may not be to The Stare, they're interrupted by three angry feminists who burst in unannounced. As they're joined by some obnoxious Hearst Lampoon guys, Veronica tells the Dean she should go and starts to sneak her way out. O'Dell reminds her she has two days to change her mind.
Keith is sitting at his desk, looking over the surveillance photos Weevil took at the shoe warehouse. Weevil's sure it isn't the guard who's the thief. He doesn't feel like one to him. He reads comic books and drives a VW Bug! Weevil points to a photo of the delivery truck and explains that he thinks the driver is the thief. Keith is doubtful, since he's been working there for years with a spotless record. Weevil explains that the guy is showing signs of a nasty heroin habit. And in pictures of him offloading the truck, it's clear that in one photo the box is heavy and in another it's light -- or empty. Keith is impressed and compliments him on his fine work. Weevil is totally jazzed and proud to have done well. His new boss gives him another file -- a custody case. A couple believes that their widowed daughter-in-law is abusing their grandson. He wants Eli to get a few hours' sleep and stake out her house after the kid comes home from school.
The next evening, Keith goes to Veronica's room to tell her he got fired off of a job. Even before she finishes asking what happened, she guesses it had something to do with Weevil. Keith tells her how he was really great on his first surveillance job, but last night's didn't go so well. Weevil found out that his client's grandson was being physically abused by their daughter-in-law's new boyfriend and Weevil beat him up. The boy's mother realized he was working for the grandparents, got some lawyers involved and now the grandparents have no chance to get custody of the boy. Veronica's disheartened by the news, but promises it won't happen again. Keith knows that Weevil needs the work, but so does he. He can't take any more chances -- Weevil needs to go.
So the next day, Veronica goes to see Weevil at the office. He nervously asks her if Keith's mad at him. Veronica explains that she asked to be the one to talk to him. It's nothing personal, but Keith has to let him go. Weevil understands, but he's clearly disappointed. He really enjoyed it and thought it was something he could do well. He asks if she happens to know anybody else hiring ex-cons because he'll be going back to prison now if he can't find another job within a week. She wishes she knew of something, but in the meantime, if he can still borrow his uncle's tools, she can get him $2,000 for fixing the Dean's vandalized car.
Sometime later, Weevil and Veronica are at an auto shop, looking at O'Dell's Volvo. She's impressed that Weevil's been able to fix most of it so quickly. He tells her that only one of the dents was serious and the windows and paint will only take another day. Walking her to her own car, Weevil jokingly asks if the Dean is a new pal of hers. She laughs and tells him that no, he actually wants her expelled from his college. Thinking that sounds more like the girl he knows, Weevil is a little surprised that the guy is so uptight. This confuses Veronica, so he explains that with the cool car and the badass tunes, he figured the Dean was cool, too. He hands her the "badass tunes," a Transplants CD, he found in the car's stereo.
Dean O'Dell is working at his desk, when Veronica barges in and tells him the new deal they're going to have. He can go ahead and expel her because she's not giving up her source OR she can make his little problem with Lilith House, the Lampoon and the car go away. He's naturally skeptical, not having conversed with Principal Clemmons prior to this student's admission. Veronica asks him if he's a fan of the Transplants. He has no idea what that is, so she tells him that his son knows who they are. She holds up the CD next to the family photo on his desk and shows him that his son is wearing a Transplants t-shirt. The band had a concert in town the other night, and despite the fact that he's 15 and not allowed, Veronica believes the boy went anyway. In fact, she thinks he took Dad's car to the show, blasting their CD in the stereo during the ride. When he had a fender-bender, instead of facing the wrath of Dad, he trashed the car in an effort to make it look like the Lilith women did it.
Showing him a photo of the Volvo, she explains further that the dent was far too deep to have been caused by a baseball bat and there was paint chipped off inside to boot. If he checks his garage, he can probably find a can of spray-paint that matches the "Pig" graffiti. He seems to accept all of this as he suggests that they're even. But no, Veronica thinks he still owes her one because she got his car fixed for free. By the hard-working and responsible young man he's going to hire to fill a maintenance position. She hands him the job flyer and tells him the young man's number is written there and he's expecting his call. She smiles rather cockily and leaves the Dean still sitting there with his mouth agape.
Later, O'Dell finishes up a phone conversation just as the air conditioning comes on in his office. He breathes a great sigh of relief. Weevil, wearing a maintenance uniform, pokes his head in and asks if it's better now. "Much," O'Dell says with gratitude. Weevil closes the door, smiling at his job well done.
- Veronica is sitting on the bleachers of the Hearst football stadium, watching as a coach barks insults at one of his players as he runs up and down the steps doing penance for skipping a meeting. Not all that interested in the show, Veronica turns her attention to an article in the Hearst Free Press, which includes a photo of the female students of Lilith House protesting sans above-the-waist clothing. Logan walks out of the building behind her and leans over the railing to check out what she's looking at. "Oh, boy. Nudity." As he joins her, Veronica tries to explain that it's not nudity but political speech designed to "turn the objectifying male gaze back on itself." At this, Logan suggests she's had enough college.
Holding each other close, they walk up the steps just in time for a couple of girls in sweat outfits to walk by and ask Logan if he's going to some party. Absolutely, he says without a second's hesitation. They tell him he can bring his "friend" (Ahem!) if he wants to. Veronica glances at them, as Logan chuckles. They walk away, leaving the girls to watch after him, whispering to one another. His girlfriend asks if those two are new friends he's made. Logan explains they're in his Weightlifting class. An annoyed tone starting to creep into her voice, she points out that it's the one class he never misses. Amused at what he suspects is a spark of jealousy, Logan plays along, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.
He asks if she's jealous, but she clarifies for him that jealousy would involve piano wire -- this is mild annoyance he's seeing. Annoyance at how quickly he agrees to go party with his "gym buddies," while he's always "busy" whenever she wants to do something that interests her. Logan wonders if she's referring to an old fossil's bookreading she had wanted to go to. Yes! She'd like to expand her horizons some now that they're in college -- and obviously she'd like spend time with him while they do so. She complains that it's time to move beyond playing video games and binge drinking, but Logan insists that he is slightly beyond that.
Taking that as encouragement, she smiles at him sweetly and suggests they go check out the art major group show tonight. He grimaces a little because he's busy. She sighs in a bit of frustration and skeptical disappointment. No, really, he insists. He has a class tonight, but she could stop by afterwards and they could write on each other and getnakedpolitical. (And if you heard an echo after that line, that would be thanks to the thousands of Logan fans hitting the rewind button again and again just to hear him miraculously turn one of the least sexiest words in the English language into pure sex.) Veronica, however, is not so impressed because, really, he may as well have said, "Darling, do all the weird crap you like, just don't be late for the booty call." She questions if he even realizes how that sounded, but he's clearly amused and claims it sounded romantic to him. Unable to resist smiling at him, she kisses him goodbye and leaves to run some errands.
That night, Veronica is walking by the campus fountain when Dick -- bagged bottle of booze in hand -- joins her. After exchanging quips, Veronica realizes he should be in class right now, since he has Intro Econ with Logan. Dick says the class was "a walk" since the professor didn't show up after five minutes, so the rule says they could leave. Veronica checks her phone for messages, but when she doesn't see any she wonders where Logan could be. Dick, wonderful BFF that he is, shrugs and suggests Logan's busy nailing other chicks. Then leaves her to stew over that. (Seriously, the girl should get extra bonus points with Logan just for tolerating Dick without doing any bodily harm.)
The next day, Veronica is walking across the street at Hearst, when a black Range Rover pulls around and honks at her. She walks along the sidewalk as Logan parks his sexy new ride at the curb. And the boy is so excited to see her that he's halfway out of the vehicle before he's even parked it. Smiling, he asks her to grade him on a scale of one to ten. As he joins her on the sidewalk, Veronica suggests a 1. (As if!) 7? (Warmer ) 4? (Come on!) Okay, give her some criteria. His gentlemanliness is what he wants to be scored on. Kissing her, he proudly offers that he resisted making a booty call to her last night. He notices the strained smile on her face and wonders what that's about. She recalls how her dad said she had a thing for trying to reform unreformable bad boys. He expresses some confusion at this comment -- because he's reformable, good, and a man.
She explains that Dick told her their class was a walk, so he could have gone to the art show with her last night, after all. Logan claims that the professor did show and Dick was just too impatient to stick around long enough. Veronica wonders, with a nervous little smile, if he'd show her his notes. He laughs, but tells her to forget it. She's hardly the first girl to be led astray by Dick. (Hee! No, really, HEE!) He stops walking and turns to face her. Is she free tonight? They could go listen to some fossil reading a phonebook. But, conveniently enough, she's stuck at work this time. That doesn't mean they can't see each other, though. Smiling hopefully, she suggests that he could maybe come by the library. At this offer of a G-rated booty call, he agrees that just maybe he will come by. Giggling now, she playfully pushes him and they keep walking, happy to be together.
Veronica sits in the library that night, finishing up a blackmail e-mail to her latest suspect. Task accomplished, she considers herself officially ready for a visit from her boyfriend. She hears a slight cough and looks up happily, expecting Logan. Alas, no, it's just some dude wanting help. Disappointing for all of us, I'd say. After she gets the guy his book, she hears her phone ring across the room. (Oh, sheesh, she couldn't turn the ringer off in a library even? If she leaves it on in the movie theater, she's dead to me. Just sayin'.) She misses the call, but checks her voicemail and smiles when she hears Logan's voice. The smile doesn't last for long, however, as Logan, who sounds like he's having a grand ol' time partying with what suspiciously sounds like the opposite sex, doesn't think he's going to be able to make it to see her tonight. 'Cause it looks like he's getting lucky! (Dude. Just dude. I'm reminded of Veronica's earlier question, "Really, how do you think that sounds?") After his message ends with a "see you tomorrow, babe" she hangs up, disappointed and not the happiest girlfriend in the world.
Walking outside, Veronica considers her moral dilemma of the hour. She has a cell phone tracker that Keith spent hundreds of dollars on. She spent the time and effort to activate the GPS tracker in Logan's phone. So, really, wouldn't it be a waste of time and money to not put these things to use? Decision made, Veronica turns on the tracker and little red arrows pinpoint the location of one Logan E.
In a rather large dorm room, there's a full-blown casino gaming room catering to a crowd of college students. A man, identified as Mercer, schmoozes around, seeing how everyone's doing. When he's told that they're low on booze, he tosses some money at a kid and asks him to run out for some more vodka. So, clearly Mercer's in charge of this particular show. He makes his way over to the Blackjack table, where he tells a player that he looks to be in the proverbial catbird seat. That player happens to be Logan and the dealer has just hit 21, so Logan puts his drink down and wonders if "catbird seat" is what they're calling the toilet these days. He turns just in time to see Veronica tentatively making her way into the room. And yeah, the toilet is exactly where he thinks he's at, when Veronica spots him. She gives him a shaky little smile, as their eyes meet.
Veronica walks over to Logan, who stands and forces a smile as he asks her what she's doing there. She was about to ask the same, but is curious about where exactly "here" is. Mercer Hayes introduces himself to Veronica and explains that this is his room. Veronica shakes his hand and tells him that she's "just Veronica." Turning her attention back to Logan, she asks him if this is why he stood her up. Sensing a lovers' quarrel about to disrupt his business, Mercer asks Logan if he's still playing or if his seat is -- "It's free," Veronica assures him quickly. Logan is a bit miffed that apparently he isn't free because it's not like he promised to meet her. And then it dawns on him to ask how she managed to find him in the first place -- a bug or a tracer? Getting annoyed (and a tad defensive), she tells him she traced his phone. Mercer's becoming irritated and is about to ask them to leave, when a guy with a stutter asks him about a point spread on an upcoming game. Mercer answers him, but not without first mocking his stutter. (Classy new friend you've got there, Logan. He'll fit right in with Dick.) Once the guy leaves, Mercer asks Logan and Veronica to take things outside.
Out in the hall, Logan complains that surveillance on him isn't as adorable as when she does it to actual criminals. Defensive now, she reminds him that he said that he'd come by to see her. Might come by, he argues. Continuing, she explains that hearing all the partying sounds on his message made her want to know what was going on. When he begins to refer to her as "Big Brother," she snaps back with feigned astonishment at the 1984 reference -- did he read it in Weightlifting?
Growing even more unhappy with the situation, Logan informs his girlfriend that her dad was half right. She does have a thing for bad boys, but instead of wanting to reform them, she just gets off on judging them. Having had enough of this conversation, he starts walking away, prompting Veronica to ask if she can borrow his copy of 101 Brooding Comments. He sarcastically tells her he only had the Cliffs Notes, but to save her some trouble, he's going surfing with Dick and Mercer in Mexico this weekend. He'll fax her the coordinates and keep a "bad thoughts" journal for her later review. Logan leaves a dejected Veronica standing alone in the hall. The next time we see her, Veronica is laying on her bed. In the dark. Emo music playing on the stereo. With a Blankie of Mopiness wrapped around her sad self.
The next day, Mercer is standing in line at the cafeteria, when Veronica walks up to him to say "hey" and ask him if he's packed his shark repellant. He's puzzled at first, then remembers who she is. He warns her off the food she's put on her tray, and then asks what she meant about sharks. She clarifies that she meant for him to watch out for them, in the water, on his surf trip to Mexico. Mercer laughs, but tells her that no one said anything about actually surfing while there, but he'll get her a piata. He leaves and this last bit of doubt cast upon Logan's activities causes Veronica's suspicious nature to assume complete control of the girl.
In the parking lot, Veronica rushes over to Logan's car and unlocks it. Fortunately, she doesn't have to actually break into it, since she apparently has a key of her own. She thinks to herself that people who say they'd never install a tracking device in their significant other's car probably just dont know how. Veronica, on the other hand, has the means, motive and opportunity to do just that. And so she does. Tsk, tsk, Veronica. You see that there? That is the line you just crossed. It's you who have officially entered Bad Girlfriend territory.
Fortunately, Veronica, too, realizes this during a later conversation with Trish, whose boyfriend, Kurt, is taking a break from her to think things over. He understood Trish's heart was in the right place when she was being a Bad Girlfriend, but he can't get over what she did. Trish is truly saddened that her momentary craziness may have cost her the guy she loves. Veronica looks a little startled as she realizes she's making the same mistake. She rushes out to Logan's car, once again, and decides to chalk her earlier actions up to momentary craziness. Having regained her sanity, she removes the tracker from his vehicle. Welcome back to the Light Side, V.
Later that night, Veronica is sitting at the Help Desk when a student walks up and asks for info on Jack London and mercury poisoning. She directs him to the appropriate aisle, then sits deep in thought for awhile, until she hears a voice asking her if this is the Help Desk. Surprised, she turns around to see Logan standing there. She walks towards him, just a bit cautiously, unsure of how this conversation's going to go. He says he needs a little help. Veronica guesses that he has a pathologically suspicious girlfriend (Ya think?) and he hopes that maybe there's a guidebook. He disagrees, saying it's what's beyond pathological? On the verge of tears, Veronica apologizes, admitting that all the people she's watched lie to, cheat on and betray each other, did a real number on her natural ability to trust people. He listens attentively as she swears that she's really trying to act unnaturally for him.
She wonders why he isn't in Mexico. He admits that while Mexico is a favorite of the bad boys, he was feeling a little reformed. He doesn't even think that Mercer surfs, anyway. Showing he's capable of a mature compromise in order to keep his girlfriend happy, he asks Veronica if she'd like to go to a foreign film festival this weekend, instead. The look of appreciation in Veronica's eyes is readily apparent, but then some poor kid, completely oblivious to this Moment that's taking place right now, tries to interrupt with a question. Veronica's gaze doesn't leave Logan's, however, as she reaches over and puts out the Closed sign on her desk. She smiles at Logan, telling him the invitation sounds nice, but they should go find him that guidebook now. Taking his hand, she walks out from the behind the desk and they walk away together, leaving the poor student to fend for himself. Smiling happily and not letting go of each other, they walk towards the staircase as Veronica suggests the book they need is on the dark lonely top floor. Before they even reach the stairs, she pulls him in for a kiss. As they climb the stairs, they kiss and hug one another every step of the way.
- Piz and Trish walk to KRFF, the Hearst College radio station, which has a fabulous window view of the food court. Piz is in the middle of pitching a radio show, explaining that he doesn't want to be one of those emo rocker dudes whose show is only about playing his band's demo -- although, by the way, he does have a band called Black Licorice, which is "really quite good." Reining him in from his hyperpitch, Trish asks for more info. He wants to do a call-in show to discuss political and cultural affairs. Something akin to Jon Stewart meets Crossfire, if, you know, Stewart didn't hate Crossfire.
- Veronica knocks on Mac's dorm room door. And waits. Then knocks some more. A girl passes by and Veronica asks her if she's seen Mac around. Apparently, she and Parker just left wearing workout clothes, so maybe they were going to the Stairmaster. Veronica looks slightly puzzled.
- Dean Cyrus O'Dell is married, with a 15 year-old son from a former marriage and a step-son. His wife was once one of his grad students. He drives a Volvo.
- Kurt's jersey number was 44.
- Kurt's ID number was FK397-44-906.
- Hearst College student e-mails are in the format: first.last@hearstcollege.org
- At school, Veronica is reading the latest issue of the Hearst Free Press. The cover story is 'Lilith House Protest Creates Controversy,' and the photo below is of several topless female students with a banner that says, 'We Go to Hearst; Go Ahead, RAPE US!'
No, fine gents of Hearst, that's not an invitation. It's sarcasm. And, as Veronica explains in great scholarly detail, it is also political speech, which is protected under the First Amendment. I guess someone's been diligently reading her Intro to Poli Sci textbook ...
The next day, Veronica's in the middle of a meeting with the Dean, when Nish, Fern and another Lilith House member, Claire, storm into the office. The women have been waiting outside with two obnoxious male editors from the Hearst Lampoon, another satirical school newspaper that's published an article in response to the Free Press' pro-feminist piece. Their counter-article features a photo of bare-chested guys with a banner reading 'No Thanks (Except Maybe the Blonde in the Middle).'
Oh, yeah. Class with a capital K. I hardly think the feminist protesters were trying to 'get their freak on.' Nish is furious, not surprisingly. Remember, this is the same woman that only smiles at the demise of campus fraternities and sororities. Nish says that the guys in the Lampoon photo must want to rape Claire, since she was in the middle of the protest photo. She argues that the caption is hate speech, not humor. Veronica is uncomfortable with the conversation, and keeps edging for the door. She doesn't support the Lampoon article, but she's not an aggressive feminist, either. I'll also understand if Veronica isn't feeling particularly warmly towards Nish after she refused to withdraw Veronica's sorority expos last week. Nnd we know that Fern's not exactly compassionate, either.
Dean O'Dell tells the women that Hearst's policy on free speech is perfectly clear, so he'll not be doing anything about the Lampoon article. He's more interested in finding the culprit(s) that vandalized his car. He suspects the Lilith women because of his unwillingness to bend on the newspaper issue. The Lampoon guys goad the women even more, bringing them further under fire with the Dean. So, the Lampooners and the feminists? Not exactly on the best of terms.
Later that week, Veronica tunes in to the premiere of Piz's radio show, "But We Were Just Talking." (She could hardly miss it's premiere since the guy sent her EIGHT E-MAILS! reminding her. Sheesh!) He's devoting the first show to his favorite Amendment: Numero Uno. Who better than to have the Lilith ladies and the Lampooners on as guests? What with all the newspaper controversy, you'd figure these guys could start an engaging political debate. Or, they could just commence with the personal attacks. That's also an option.
'The problem is simple,' the one Lampooner says. 'Feminists aren't funny.' Ba-dum tssh! Really, guys. Way to sell your point. Nish counters with, "If I say Mr. Hartman here is an idiot, that's one thing. But I say he's an idiot and should be strung up and beaten to death. Is that different? I mean, do words matter anymore?' Apparently not. Come on. Have these people never taken a debate class? Do ad hominem and 'fighting words' mean nothing to them?
Still on the air, Fern receives a text message (because you can't get anymore personal than a text) from someone named Sara. It says that Claire's been raped. "You bastards!" Fern shouts, pointing an accusing finger at the Lampoon editors. Piz quickly cuts the show to commercial, so Veronica has no idea about this latest rape. Fern continues with, "You said you'd do it, and you did."
And so the mystery continues. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm a little burnt out from these jaded and unsympathetic Lilith women. I missed Parker (you know, uhm, the real victim?) in this episode.
- Kurt flashback's (in the same ugly, angelic yellow of Welcome Wagon) briefly to the events of the night he lost his bag, which include the art show. (Read detailed breakdown.)
- Kurt flashback's again to that same night, this time to hanging out with his buddy, Pop. (Read detailed breakdown.)
"Smoke on the Water" (part of Guitar Hero - originally by Deep Purple)
Scene: Playing the Pop, Kurt and buddies are flashbacking their way to delusional rock star dreams of grandeur.
"Hold On, Hold On" (Neko Case)
Scene: Veronica is all emo over Logan. Score!
"Fidelity" (Regina Spektor)
Scene: LoVe in the library ... making out on the stairs. SQUEE!!
LoVe Lines
Logan: (Looks over Veronica's shoulder at newspaper.) Oh, boy. Nudity.
Veronica: (Chuckles.) If you have words written on yourself, it's not nudity, it's political speech. Taking control of one's body to turn the objectifying male gaze back on itself --
Logan: Oookay. No more college for you.
Veronica: (Walking beside Logan.) New friends?
Logan: Yeah, from weight-lifting class.
Veronica: Right! The only class you never miss. So, what, you guys like spot each other doing squat thrusts and stuff?
Logan: And have group sex in the showers.
Veronica: Ha!
Logan: (Walks behind her and puts arms around her, grinning.) What is this? Jealous? (Kisses her neck.)
Veronica: Ohhh, jealous would involve piano wire.
Logan: Oh.
Veronica: (Frustrated.) It's college. We are supposed to expand our horizons past video games and binge drinking.
Logan: My horizons go slightly beyond that.
Veronica: Great. (Sweetly.) So how about tonight we check out the art major group show?
Logan: I'm busy. (She sighs.) No, really, I have a class until 10, but if you come by afterwards, we could write on ourselves, (Strokes her hair.) get real, uh ... political.
Veronica: That's what a girl likes to hear. "Darling, do all the weird crap you like, just don't be late for the booty call."
Logan: (Smiling, he caresses her face.) Mm hmm.
Veronica: Really, how do you think that sounds?
Logan: I think it sounds romantic.
Veronica: (Smiles.) You also think weigh-lifting is an actual class.
Logan: Mm hmm.
Logan: (Getting out of the SUV.) Hey! So, what am I on a scale of one to ten?
Veronica: Umm ... one. Seven? Four? Help me with some criteria?
Logan: Gentlemanly-ness. I kind of resisted the impulse to make the so-called booty call last night. (At Veronica's down expression.) What?
Veronica: Just the other day my dad was saying I have a thing for trying to reform unreformable bad boys.
Logan: What does that have to do with me? Im reformable, good, and a man.
Veronica: Dick said the class was a walk. You could have gone to the art thing.
Logan: Dick said what?
Veronica: (A little unsure.) It was a walk. You know the five-minute rule: If the professor doesnt show -
Logan: Oh ... Dick's idea of five minutes is like one. (Laughing.) Ask Madison Sinclair. The professor showed.
Veronica: You mind showing me the notes?
Logan: Forget it. You're hardly the first girl to be lead astray by Dick. (Stops walking and faces Veronica..) Hey, so you up for something tonight? Maybe Noam Chompsky's reading the Havana phonebook somewhere?
Veronica: I'm stuck at work tonight. Maybe you could drop by?
Logan: A G-rated booty call in the library. Maybe I just will.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: I'm ready for my official boyfriend visit.
Logan's Voice Message: (Veronica is listening and goes from happy to disappointed to deeply concerned while the message plays out.) Hey, it's me. Oh, I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight. It looks like I'm getting lucky. Hey, I'll see you tomorrow, babe.
(Cut to Veronica exiting the library.)
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Now here's a moral dilemma. You have a cell phone tracker that cost your dad hundreds of dollars. You went through the trouble of activating the GPS chip in your boyfriend's phone: So, is it a waste of your dad's hard earned money and your time if you don't use it?
Veronica: So ... this is why you stood me up?
Mercer: (Gesturing to Logan's seat.) Are you playin' or is your seat -
Veronica: (Cutting him off.) It's free.
Logan: Unlike me, apparently.
Logan: Veronica, it's not like I promised ... Wait - how did you find me?
Veronica: Easy. I just followed the pungent smell of money going to waste.
Logan: So what was it ... a bug? A tracer?
Veronica: Relax. I just traced your phone.
Logan: You know, as adorable as it is when you do it to criminals, the surveillance thing is starting to bug.
Veronica: Well, you said you'd come by.
Logan: Might come by.
Veronica: And then on your message I heard all this partying and I wanted to know what was going on.
Logan: Yeah, and while I appreciate your interest "Big Brother," I hope --
Veronica: (Interrupting with seriously misplaced sarcasm.) Wow. A 1984 reference. Did you read that in weight-lifting?
Logan: You know, your dad was half right. You have a thing for bad boys but ... you don't want to reform them; you just get off on judging them.
Veronica: Which reminds me: Can I borrow your copy of 101 Brooding Comments?
Logan: I only have the Cliffs Notes. Look, I gotta run so to save you the trouble I'm surfing in Mexico with Dick and Mercer this weekend. I'll fax you the coordinates so you don't incur any more cell-tracking charges. And I'll keep a journal of my bad thoughts in case you wanna stick my face in a cage of rats when I get back. (Pausing.) Sorry - 1984's the only book I've read.
Logan: (Walking up to Veronica.) Is this the help desk? Because I need a little help.
Veronica: Let me guess. You have this pathologically suspicious girlfriend and you hope maybe there's a guide book?
Logan: No, it's more like, uh ... What's beyond pathological? (Quickly raises his eyebrows at Veronica.)
Veronica: (Near tears.) I'm sorry, Logan. I spent my formative years watching people while they lied to, cheated on and betrayed each other, so the trust thing ... it doesn't come naturally. But I'm trying to act unnaturally, I swear. (Softly.) So there's that. (Looking down before meeting Logan's eyes again.) I thought you were in Mexico.
Logan: Yeah, well us bad boys usually love Mexico, but uh, (Smiling meaningfully.) I was feeling a little reformed. I don't even think Mercer surfs, and I always feel bad about those poor donkeys.
Logan: Hey, you free this weekend? There's a film festival. Incomprehensible foreign movies for three plus hours.
Student: (Walking up.) Is this the help desk?
Veronica: (Still looking at Logan, turns the 'Open' sign on the desk around to read 'Closed'.) Sounds nice, but let's find you that guide book, (Taking Logan's hand and pulling him towards the staircase.) which I think is on the dark, lonely top floor. (Trailing off, she leans in for a kiss; they continue kissing as they walk up the stairs.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Football. The systematic violation of the Geneva Convention made into a sport. I'm surprised that the ASPCA doesn't protest.
Carwash Boss: (As Weevil walks away with a duffel bag.) What are you doing?
Weevil: The guy in the SUV looks like he digs magic, so I'm getting my doves.
Weevil: (To boss, regarding Saturn that just drove up.) I guess I'll go wash some, uh, spoiled bitch's graduation gift from daddy, huh? (Turns to see Veronica's stepped out of the car.)
Veronica: I'm not spoiled and, uh, technically it wasn't for graduation.
Weevil: What about the bitch part?
Veronica: That depends on who you ask.
Veronica: How are you, Weevil? I haven't seen you ...
Weevil: Since that awkward arrested-for-murder incident. Yeah, I remember.
Veronica: You plea-bargained down to assault?
Weevil: And now I'm workin' at the car wash. Which, as it turns out, is not as fun as the song might sound.
Veronica: (Hangs up phone.) And I'm being called in to see the Dean of Hearst College.
Weevil: Leopard didn't change her spots, I see. I wonder if Hearst knows about your --
Weevil: I didn't change my spots either. Nice seeing you, V.
Piz: (Walking with Trish into radio station.) Look, I don't want to be one of those mumbly, college radio emo rocker guys who just, all they want to do is play their band's demo, you know. Though I should mention that my band really is quite good. We're called Black Licorice, which is really cool 'cause it's dark and moody but at the same time it's candy!
Piz: It's like Jon Stewart meets Crossfire. If Jon Stewart didn't hate Crossfire.
Dean O'Dell: (Standing on top of his desk, broom in hand.) We can download pictures from the surface of the moons of Jupiter on to a portable phone, but we can't keep the air conditioner in this office running for more than a week at a time. Is there some clue about the human predicament buried in that fact?
Veronica: Uhh, I'm a freshman. I only recently figured out where Waldo was.
Dean O'Dell: Mrs. O'Dell was my grad student, back when we could do things like that.
Dean O'Dell: Soo, Ms. Mars, it's rare when a freshman makes quite as big a splash as quickly as you have.
Dean O'Dell: I want to know who said it and who that staffer was.
Veronica: Actually, Dean O'Dell, I think that's covered under --
Dean O'Dell: Protection of sources. Yes, a fine thing for the New York Times, but I want that name. So you can tell me or I'll have you expelled from Hearst college.
Veronica: You need some information? Ok, slugs have four noses. That's what I'm offering today.
Kurt: The only other people I saw were these cheerleaders who dropped by. They brought popcorn for Pop. Cheerleaders are clever that way.
Dick: Veronica Mars. Modern college girl on the go.
Veronica: Dick Casablancas. Neolithic college boy on the sauce.
Dick: Ok. Not sure what Neolithic is, but hey, I'm in college. Maybe someone will teach me.
Veronica: Wow. You look busy. Probably tough with me around less. All that stuff piling up.
Keith: Somewhat. Yes.
Veronica: I bet you'd be pretty psyched if I found someone who could help.
Keith: Level of the psyched would depend on the someone.
Veronica: Eli Navarro. Remember?
Keith: (Incredulously.) You mean Weevil? Oh, Veronica, please.
Veronica: Dad, I'm serious.
Keith: Well, I don't know, all those times I arrested him he never struck me as great secretary material. Didn't he get busted for murder?
Veronica: Assault.
Keith: See, so he's not even a very good murderer.
Coach Fry: What is that? What's printing? (Coach Fry bends to look beneath desk and Veronica jumps out.)
Veronica: Omigod!
Coach Fry: Ahhh! What in God's name are you --
Veronica: I'm ... uhhhh ... so ... just ... umm ... uhhhh ... so, just ... eeeehhhh ... embarrassed. I, uh, it's a hazing thing and my sorority said I had to break in and steal a jock. The little underwear, not like kidnap an athlete. God, um. So, did you think maybe I could borrow one for an hour or two?
Dean O'Dell: Collecting jocks, are we? Youre going to have the most colorful disciplinary file in the freshman class. How about you give me that name and we'll start over with a clean slate?
Veronica: I said I'm not giving up the name.
Dean O'Dell: (In a tone of disbelief.) And I said I'll have you expelled.
Veronica: And I said I'm not giving up the name. Is this how this works?
Lampoon Guy: Hey, you're a woman. (Handing the newspaper to Veronica.) Does this upset you?
Veronica: (Reading the headline aloud.): "No thanks, except maybe the blonde in the middle." Uhhhhh, a little I guess.
Nish: Right. The one in the middle. That's Claire. (She turns to Claire.) Claire, they want to rape you. (Turning back to Dean O'Dell.) That's hate speech.
Veronica: I meant more it says it's a humor magazine, but I'm not seeing it.
Larry: What do you think? (Standing back to let Veronica look at his painting.)
Veronica: Um, it feels kind of mmihehhh
Larry: Let me guess. Youre an art major.
Veronica: Interested amateur. It just feels like youre having muse trouble. Yeah, like your muse isnt your muse anymore because she dumped you? For like, a meathead?
Larry: Look, whoever you are, I'm not a criminal mastermind. I'm just an artist.
Veronica: Yeah. Well, so was Hitler.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So how did people blackmail each other before email? Thirty years ago I'd be here all night cutting letters from a magazine and getting glue everywhere.
Pop: (Tossing The Tell-Tale Heart on the desk) Can I check that out?
Veronica: Guilty conscience, eh?
Pop: So, what's this about? You said that you knew I'd done somethin' wrong?
Veronica: That sound in your head, Pop! (In ber-melodromatic fashion.) It is the beating of this hideous heart! (Pop looks understandably concerned for Veronicas sanity - and his safety.) But seriously? I'm giving you the chance to come clean. I know what you did to Kurt. There's no sense trying to deny it. (Pop looks guilty.) Good! You're doing great. Now, we just need to figure out how you can set things straight with Kurt. I mean, I assume you trashed it so ...
Pop: No, I've still got it.
Veronica: You do?
Pop: Yeah. Do you want me to give it to you?
Veronica: Well ... yeah! That would be a good start. (He hands over a sheaf of papers instead of the playbook Veronica was expecting.)
Pop: I mean, don't really get the third-degree. It's just a lousy sociology assignment.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Now maybe people would say they'd never install a tracking device in their significant other's car ... but I think that's just because they don't know how.
He said he knows my heart was in the right place; he just can't get over what I did. I think I blew it, Veronica. I went momentarily crazy. Now it's gonna cost me the guy I love.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So I'll let that be my defense. A case of momentarily crazy. Because when you think about it, no one wants to know what college boys do with themselves in Mexico.
Wichita Lineman (backer) ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
A popular song written by Jimmy Webb, "Wichita Lineman" was inspired when Webb saw a solitary lineman near the Kansas-Oklahoma border in Wichita (either the County or the city, which is unknown). It was written in 1968 and first recorded by Glen Campbell and appeared on his 1968 album titled ... Wichita Lineman. The song reached number three on the Top 100 Billboard chart and has been referred to as "the first existential country song" and in 2004, made Rolling Stone's list of the five hundred greatest songs of all time. Download the song here and decide for yourself. After having heard the song myself for the first time only three years ago, I'd have to agree.
The lyrics, spare and beautiful:
Plato (c. 427- c. 347 BC), was an immensely influential ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues and founder of the Academy in Athens where Aristotle studied. Plato's writings dealt especially in politics, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. The dialogues are Plato's most important writings and they usually utilize the voice of Socrates to express either Socrates' or Plato's teachings.
Geneva Conventions ... (Referenced by Veronica when talking about football.)
The Geneva Conventions (often misstated as "The Geneva Convention") consist of four treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for international law for humanitarian concerns. The conventions were the results of efforts by Henri Dunant, who was motivated by the horrors of war he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino in 1859. In 1977 and 2005 three separate amendments, called protocols, were made part of the Geneva Conventions.
As per article 49, 50, 129 and 146 of the Geneva Conventions I, II, III and IV, respectively, all signatory states are required to enact sufficient national law to make grave violations of the Geneva Conventions a punishable criminal offense.
The conventions and their agreements are as follows:
The president agreed to new rules for interrogating and prosecuting suspected terrorists that leave intact international treaty protections against torture. The compromise bill in effect bans the most controversial CIA interrogation tactics, including water boarding, a form of simulated drowning. On the other side of the compromise, this allows the administration to employ interrogation tactics which go beyond legal limits set for the U.S. military. So, in other words, torture is sorta, kinda okay as long as we word in such a way that it doesn't defy the conventions.
God help America.
ASPCA ... ... (Referenced by Veronica when talking about football.)
A favorite of the animal-loving-Kristen Bell, no doubt, the ASPCA is an acronym for the organization, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This non-profit organization's goal is exactly what the name suggests -- prevention of the abuse of animals. Founded on April 10, 1855 by Henry Bergh, the ASPCA is the oldest humane organization in the United States. Their mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States." The current president of the organization is Ed Sayres.
The ASPCA works primarily with companion animal issues, such as pet care, equine or horse cruelty issues, and animal cruelty and neglect. Their programs and services include: A national poison control hotline for pet owners and animal health professionals. They also offer a shelter outreach program to promote best practices within locally-owned shelters, a corporate partner program to promote animal-friendly products and services and a special anti-cruelty initiative to teach humane education and humane law enforcement practices across the United States. Additionally, the ASPCA provides relief services for the domestic animal victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
The exploits of its Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) officers in New York City are the subject of the Animal Planet network television show, Animal Precinct.
As an interesting sidenote, in the mid-nineties, fans of The X-Fiiles and specifically lead actor David Duchovny, created an online group designed to "protect" the bashing that Duchovny took for wanting to expand beyond Mulder (despite enthusiastically loving the character and show -- well, as enthusiastic as David Duchovny ever got). The name of the group? SPCDD as in ... Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to David Duchovny. Not taking themselves seriously, the group did have a disclaimer that made it clear they weren't mocking the ASPCA, but rather mocking non-fans of Duchovny.
Piano Wire ... (Referenced by Veronica in detailing what form her jealousy would take.)
Piano wire, also commonly referred to as music wire, is a specialized type of wire made from tempered, high-carbon steel for use in pianos and other string musical instruments. Piano wire is often depicted in popular culture as a murder weapon, usually shown as an instrument of strangulation stemming from Hitlers use of piano wire as a means of execution in which he would hang people on meat hooks with piano wire to cause a slow and painful death.
Martin Amis ... (Referenced by Veronica to Logan as the old fossil he is not.)
I gotta side with Veronica on this one, Logan. Amis is not an old fossil. The English novelist has a bold, distinctive style -- you know you're reading Martin Amis whether his name is on the page or not. The British newspaper, The Guardian said of his writing:
Seriously, Logan ... one of his books is called Money! -- right up your alley!
Chino ... (Referenced by Weevil's car wash boss to him about back where he'll be heading if he screws up.)
"Chino" actually refers to the California Institution for Men which is in Chino, California. The prison is a male-only state prison and is located in San Bernardino County. "Chino" opened in 1941, becoming the fourth prison in the state on an area of land of twenty-five hundred acres. As of 2005, it housed nearly 6,3000 prisoners.
A Reception Center operated by "Chino" receives and processes the latest felons from a plethora of Southern California counties prior to transfter to other prisons. (Hmm, does that mean that Neptune is in Southern California?) This Reception Center makes "Chino" the first-stop for most convicted felons after county jails -- so fear not, Weevil got to spend some quality time with Lamb and Sacks first.
Car Wash ... (Referenced by Weevil to Veronica about the fun he's NOT having at his new job.)
Come on, we all know this song!!! "Working at the car wah, yeah!" Ahem, moving along. This disco hit was a number one smash (and is one of the best-known of the decade) for the group, Rose Royce (their debut single!) in 1976. The track was produced for Whitfield Records by the band's lead producer, Norman Whitfield, as the them for the 1976 Richard Pryor flick also titled Car Wash. The song was covered recently by Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliot in 2004 whose version was also paired with a film, this one being the kid's film, Shark Tale. More than being covered, "Car Wash" is one of the most sampled songs for hip-hop and R&B. Well, at least its introductory section which features a series of hand claps.
The lyrics:
The term "emo" when used to describe an individual is simply a way of saying that said individual seems to be depressed all of the time. The term appears to come from the musical scene -- and thus applies perfectly here -- where emo was (originally) a subgenre of hardcore punk music, and the name itself was derived from the fact that members of a band would become spontaneously emotional during performances. Because so many different subgenres have claimed themselves emo, the definition of "emo" as music is now a matter of debate, as there is no longer a definitive sound.
Jon Stewart ... (Referenced by Piz describing to Trish the show he wants to do.)
Jon Stewart was born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz on November 28, 1962. He is a nine time Emmy-winning American comedian, satirist, actor, author, and producer who is best known as host of the Comedy Central staple, The Daily Show. Comedy Central has billed Stewart as "the most trusted name in fake news" in promotional ads for the show. He has also gained attention as an outspoken critic of established media in general, including the Bush White House, Bill O'Reilly, cable news (Crossfire in particular), and others.
After a series of failed MTV shows, really really late night network talk shows and strange skit shows, Stewart finally hit the jackpot in 1999 when he was tapped by Comedy Central to host The Daily Show after Craig Kilborn departed to take over hosting duties on The Late Late Show. Since that time, he has hosted all airings of the program, save for a scant handful where correspondents such as Stephen Colbert (hee!) and Rob Corddry have filled in at the anchor desk.
In 2005, The Daily Show and Jon Stewart received two Emmy Awards and a Best Comedy Album Grammy Award for the audio book edition of America (The Book). In 2000 and 2004, the show won a Peabody Award for its coverage of "Indecision 2000" and "Indecision 2004," respectively. This award, presented for "real-journalism" helped seal The Daily Show's status as a legitimate news source for Generation Y. Stewart has won a total of nine Emmys in the last seven years for The Daily Show. Stewart also co-authored the book The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction in 2004 which was among the top five best selling books of that year.
In addition to his accolades for his work on The Daily Show, Stewart has also had roles in several television series and movies including Death to Smoochy, Doogal, Half Baked, Big Daddy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and my personal favorite, Playing by Heart. (Seriously -- if you haven't seen it, go rent it. There are like a zillion great actors in it and it's utterly delightful.) In 1998 Stewart appeared as a celebrity guest star in Elmopalooza, a show celebrating thirty years of Sesame Street. He has also had guest starring or recurring roles on TV shows such as The Larry Sanders Show, The Nanny, Spin City, and NewsRadio. He also appears in the 2006 documentary Wordplay, discussing and solving the New York Times crossword puzzle. You can also see him randomly pop up from time to time on The Daily Show spin-off that follows the fake news show, The Colbert Report.
In his pitch to Trish, Piz comments, quite accurately, that Jon Stewart hates the show Crossfire (see below) referring to Stewart's appearance on the show on October 15, 2004. Rather than playing the funny man of witty quips and one-liners, Stewart decided to play it straight and publicly criticized both the show (and its hosts) for failing in its responsibility to inform and educate viewers about politics as a serious topic. Many credit Stewart's appearance on Crossfire with the show's cancellation. Shortly after Crossfire left the airwaves, Stewart quipped on The Daily Show that "I fought the law, and the law lost!"
More juicy tidbits on the Crossfire/Stewart scandal can be found below in the Crossfire entry.
Crossfire ... (Referenced by Piz describing to Trish the show he wants to do.)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was to present a discourse between a politically liberal speaker and a conservative one. The show was hosted by two pundits, one of whom was presented as being "from the right" and one "from the left," to provide both sides of the political spectrum.
The original hosts of the show were Tom Braden (for the "left" wing) and Pat Buchanan (for the "right" wing). In the latter years, the "left" hosts were Paul Begala and James Carville with Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson on the "right." The show almost always featured two additional "left and right" guests on each topic of discussion. On some occasions only one guest was featured (Jon Stewart was a notable solo guest). Argument was encouraged, and the show was often characterized as having a somewhat rancorous, though lightly humorous, approach to political discussion.
Jon Stewart appeared as a guest on Crossfire on October 15, 2004 where he openly criticized the state of television journalism and pleaded with the show's hosts to "stop hurting America." He also referred to both Carlson and Begala as "partisan hacks." This exchange became one of the most widely viewed internet videos to date, and a topic of much media discussion. If you haven't had the opportunity to check it out, I highly recommend you do so. The clip can be found on YouTube here.
During the interview, Stewart asserted that Crossfire had failed in its responsibility to inform and educate viewers about politics as a serious topic. Carlson responded by basically accusing Stewart of being a hypocrite for saying that news organizations (like Crossfire) were making no effort to hold public officials accountable, when Stewart himself had been known to ask "softball" questions of the political guests that appeared on The Daily Show.
As you might imagine, Stewart was incredulous and suggested that if "news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity," then that supports what he had been saying all along. When Carlson continued to press Stewart on his journalistic integrity, Stewart said, "You're on CNN! The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls! What is wrong with you?" When Carlson told Stewart he was not as funny in person as he was on his show, Stewart retorted, "You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show." In response to prods from Carlson to "Be funny," he said, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey."
Seriously. Jon Stewart? Is so my hero. Him and Stephen Colbert (hee!) totally rock my socks.
In January 2005, CNN announced that it was canceling Crossfire. When asked about the cancellations, Jonathan Klein (CNN's incoming US president), said about Stewart's appearance on the show, "I think he made a good point about the noise level of these types of shows, which does nothing to illuminate the issues of the day."
Stewart one, cable news-media zero.
Moons of Jupiter ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell complaining to Veronica how we can get pictures from there but not fix his air conditioner.)
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and the largest within the solar system. Jupiter and the other gas giants -- Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune -- are sometimes referred to as "Jovian planets." In a rather unique twist, Jupiter also has at least sixty-three moons or natural satellites. And no, that isn't a typo.
The first certain observations of Jupiter's satellites were those of Galileo Galilei in 1610, who sighted the four largest of Jupiters moons with his 33x telescope. These four moons, known as the "Galilean moons," are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. No additional satellites were discovered until E.E. Barnard observed Amalthea in 1892. Further discoveries, aided by telescopic photography, followed quickly over the course of the twentieth century, and by 1975, before the Voyagers reached Jupiter, the planet was known to have at least thirteen satellites.
Pictured from left to right in order of increasing distance
from Jupiter, Io is closest, followed by Europa, Ganymede,
and Callisto.
In 1979 the Voyager 1 mission discovered three additional inner moons, bringing the total then known to sixteen. Or seventeen if you counted the moon Themisto, which had been found but then lost in 1975. That's right folks - we temporarily "lost" one of the moons. For twenty years.
No additional natural satellites were discovered until 1999. In the last seven years, researchers using sensitive ground-based detectors have recovered Themisto (it was staying with a friend on the fringe of the solar system) and also discovered another forty-six tiny moons in long, eccentric, generally retrograde orbits. Each moon averages three kilometers in diameter, with the largest barely nin km across. All of these moons are thought to be captured asteroidal or perhaps cometary bodies, possibly fragmented into several pieces, but very little is actually known about them. The total number of known moons of Jupiter now stands at sixty-three, currently the most of any planet in the solar system. (Ya think?) Many additional tiny moons may exist that have not yet been discovered. My mind boggles.
Where's Waldo? ... (Referenced by Veronica to the Dean when explaining what she's learned in college thus far.)
Where's Waldo?, also called Where's Wally? in Australia and the UK, is a series of children's books created by British illustrator Martin Handford. Each page of the book features a full spread, detailed illustration of a crowd of people, and challenges the 'reader' to find Waldo. Waldo dresses in a red and white striped shirt and bobble hat, carries a walking stick, and wears glasses.
Where's Waldo?
In addition to finding Waldo, there is usually a list of other assorted things for readers to find in each picture listed on the inside of the back cover. The books received some criticism for getting children excited about picture books, but failing to encourage them to actually read stories.
Pot (Seeds) ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell demanding Veronica tell him who gave them to Karen.)
The Cannabis plant -- known more commonly as marijuana with many a nickname including pot, mary jane, reefer, etc. -- is often dried or otherwise processed to create a "product" that offers medicinal and psychoactive effects. Despite past use as an accepted medicine, in the early 20th century, the drug became illegal due to the overwhelming consumption of the recreational variety.
To this day, marijuana usage remains against the law despite the mellow side affects as opposed to the harder drugs of the day. While not widespread, legalizing marijuana has been the efforts of activists for some time, among those fighting for its legal use is Oscar-nominated actor Woody Harrelson. Apparently, none of these activists (including Woody) have ever heard of the dangers that can befall one who has been taken over by reefer madness. Just ask Mary Lane.
New York Times ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell reminding Veronica Hearst Free Press isn't the NYT.)
The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. and owned by The New York Times Company. The newspaper, nicknamed the "Gray Lady," is distributed throughout the United States and around the world. The paper was founded in 1851 as the New-York Daily Times by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones. In 1857 the name was changed to its current moniker. The Times was originally published every morning except on Sundays, but during the Civil War Sunday issues were started. Adolph Ochs acquired the paper in 1896 and, one year later, coined the slogan, "All The News That's Fit To Print," likely a jab at the widespread yellow journalism at the time.
In 1904 the newspaper moved to new headquarters on 42nd Street and gave its name to Times Square. In 1907 the Times started the tradition of dropping a lighted ball from its building on New Year's Eve. In 1961 the original Times Square building was sold. New headquarters for the paper are currently under construction, a skyscraper at 41st Street and 8th Avenue. Today The New York Times has sixteen news bureaus in New York, eleven national news bureaus and twenty-six foreign news bureaus. The paper has twenty printing locations and circulation of around 1,131,000 on weekdays and 1,681,000 on Sundays.
The Times has three main sections: (1) News, which includes International, National, Washington, Business, Technology, Science, Health, Sports, New York Region, Education, Weather and Obituaries; (2) Opinion, which includes Editorials, Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor and (3) Features, including Arts, Books, Movies, Theater, Travel, NYC Guide, Dining & Wine, Home & Garden, Fashion & Syle, Crossword, The New York Times Magazine and Week in Review. With the growth of the Internet, the Times has had a strong online presence since 1995, and its website, www.nytimes.com, is considered one of the top overall web sites and the number one newspaper site. The current executive editor is Bill Keller, and notable columnists include Maureen Dowd, Thomas L. Friedman, John Tierney, William Safire and George Vescey.
The Times has withstood a number of controversies. One of these was an allegation that leading up to and during World War II that paper downplayed accusations that the Third Reich had targeted Jews for expulsion and genocide. Another charge was that the Times' coverage of the Soviet Union by correspondent Walter Duranty helped cover up the Ukrainian genocide by Joseph Stalin in the 1930's. One notable recent controversy was the 2003 admission that reporter Jayson Blair had commited journalistic fraud on multiple stories over the span of several years.
The Times is the recipient of ninety-four Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any newspaper, including a record seven in 2002.
Front page of The New York Times on
D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Guitar Hero ... (Referenced by Kurt to Veronica, game he was playing with friends in flashback.)
This award-winning PlayStation 2 video game was developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane on November 8, 2005. Two sequels are currently pending release.
Guitar Hero is a simulation game, where players can rock out on the electric guitar. Or rather on a special game controller that resembles a half-scale Gibson SG guitar. The standard PS2 controller can be used, but really why do that? The controller (seen below) has five colored fret buttons, a strum bar and a whammy bar, all of which are used to play a variety of songs that are displayed on the screen, with colored notes corresponding to the controller's fret buttons. Each player has a "Rock Meter" that will decrease with each missed note and increase when notes are played correctly. If the Rock Meter is depleted, the player has failed the song.
The game includes forty-seven playable songs plus seventeen bonus songs. Most of these are covers of songs originally released by artists such as Deep Purple ("Smoke on the Water"), Joan Jett & the Blackhearts ("I Love Rock & Roll") and the Ramones ("I Wanna Be Sedated").
Pell Grant ... (Referenced by Trish when she tells Kurt that she has it all worked out for him.)
A Pell Grant is federal grant money that is awarded to undergraduate students on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Unlike a loan, a Pell Grant does not have to be repaid. Eligibility for the grant is determined by a standard formula that was developed by Congress. Applicants for financial aid must fill out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which reports back to the applicants with an EFC (Expected Family Contribution) value. The lower an applicant's EFC is, the more eligible he or she is for the grant. The maximum Pell Grant value for an academic year is about $4,000.
Neolithic ... (Referenced by Veronica describing Dick to Dick.)
The Neolithic -- which means "new" Stone Age -- followed the terminal Pleistocene Epipalaeolithic and early Holocene Mesolithic periods. The term Neolithic was so named by Sir John Lubbock in 1865. Unlike other eras, it doesn't refer to a specific chronological period, but rather a complexion of behavioral and cultural characteristics -- those characteristics esentially being the creation of a village frame of mind, including the use of metal tools, the domestication of animals and growing crops. The Neolithic Age came in the last part of the Stone Age and was known as a period of the development of human technology.
In other words, Dick, Veronica called you a caveman.
Sonoma State University ... (Referenced by Pop telling coach he received an offer from them.)
Sonoma State University sits on two hundred and sixty-nine acres at the base of the Sonoma Hills in Rohnert Park, in the heart of Northern California's wine country. About one hour north of San Francisco, the university has about 7,749 students, 6,599 of those undergraduates, placing it as one of the smaller schools in the California State University system. Founded in 1960 as a teacher education center for the North Bay, Sonoma State is now a liberal arts and sciences university.
The Sonoma State teams are part of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, a conference in Division II of the NCAA. The university has thirteen teams: baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and tennis for men, and basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track, volleyball and water polo for women. Notice that football is not among them. In addition to the thirteen intercollegiate sports, Sonoma State also has a club lacrosse team.
The university's mascot was originally the Cossacks, a nod to the Russian traders of the area's early history. In 2003, after complaints that the mascot was offensive to Jews and women, the mascot was changed. The teams are now known as the Seawolves, a name that comes from the novel The Sea-Wolf by Jack London (who, coincidentally, was also mentioned in Witchita Linebacker).
Sonoma State University Campus
"It's good to be the King." / History of the World: Part I / Mel Brooks (Referenced by one of the Lampoon editors as he enters the Dean's office.)
Mel Brooks, born June 28th, 1926, is responsible for some of the cleverest (or lamest -- depending on who you're talking to) spoof films ever made. He wrote hilarious parodies of several popular Hollywood genres before spoof films went bad (Scary Movie, need I say more?). Among his credits are: Blazing Saddles (satirizing Western films), Space Balls (the Star Wars series), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (every Robin Hood movie ever made), and The Producers (cheesy musicals). He was also one of the writers in the long-running spy-spoof TV series Get Smart. From the list of films, it should already be obvious that he's famous for the kind of humor that those Lampoon jackasses would lap up.
Brooks is famous for making people laugh at things that really shouldn't be funny; being Jewish, he considered it necessary to regain the ability to laugh in the face of the Holocaust. Consequently, he wrote The Producers around a fictional broadway show called, Springtime for Hitler. His corrupt producers invest their money in the show because they consider it a guaranteed flop -- who wants to go see a camp musical supporting the nazis?? They plan to embezzle the cash that the musical 'loses.' Ironically, the guaranteed flop becomes their first big hit when the pro-nazi play is hailed "satiric genius."
It's this ironic humor which inspired Brooks to write History of the World: Part I (1981), a film which pokes fun at some of the darkest moments of ancient history, including: The Inquisition, the French Revolution, the Roman Empire and the Last Supper.
The script was clever enough to inspire cinematic genius Orson Welles to narrate it in his best, serious historical voice. You'll never see another film where Spanish Inquisition victims sing fun vaudeville numbers about their torture or biblical Philosophers line up for the dole as professional "bullshitters." You may not want to see it but I think Veronica, like Brooks, has a habit of laughing in the face of darkness and she'd probably like it.
History of the World: Part I was also responsible for launching Mel Brooks' trademark line, repeated in his later films such as Robin Hood: Men in Tights (when the King kisses Maid Marian). It was first uttered by Mel Brooks in his parody of the decadent, beheaded King Louis XVI. Louis is the randiest King of all time: Groping any woman that walks past and playing games of chess with his servants which turn into orgies when he orders all the pieces to "take" the queen. He gets away with his ... eccentricities because he's the King, hence the line: "It's good to be the King."
"It's good to be the King."
The line became so synonymous with Mel Brooks that it was the tag on his DVD box set, a collection of his most popular films.
Lampoon ... (Referenced by Magazine boys and women are fighting over in O'Dell's office.)
The term "lampoon" came into use in the 17th century from the French lampon, meaning let us drink (from a common refrain in drinking songs). A lampoon is a work that exposes folly by the use of humor or irony, often a light, good-humored satire, but sometimes a more harsh attack. The Hearst Lampoon is likely based on the Harvard Lampoon, which was founded in 1876 and is the world's longest-running humor magazine still in publication. It is published five times a year and is financed largely by licensing the "Lampoon" name to National Lampoon, which was started by Harvard graduates in 1970 and which indirectly led to the creation of Saturday Night Live. <
i>The Harvard Lampoon (like it's Hearst counterpart) has a long-standing rivalry with the school newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, which has been a source for many of the Lampoon's parodies and fake-issues over the years. Notable Harvard Lampoon alumni include William Randolph Hearst (HA!), George Plimpton, John Updike, Conan O'Brien, and many writers and producers for such shows as The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Seinfeld and more.
Volvo ... (Referenced by O'Dell showing the students the picture of his vandalized car.)
Did you know that volvo is Latin for "I roll" or "I turn?" Well it is, not that the origin of the word has anything to do with the vehicle, instead it has to do with the original product of SKF (for Svenska Kullagerfabriken AB), which had registered as their trademark of a special series of ball bearing. That was the original plan, but they instead decided to go with SKF, but then decided it was a nifty name for their automotive company. The Volvo, or Aktiebolaget Volvo, is a leading Swedish Manufacturer of vehicles, drive systems for marin and industrial applications, as well as aerospace components and financial services. Volvo is basically a spin-off of the SKF and was founded on August 10, 1926 in Gothenburg. In 1999, Ford Motor Company bought Volvo cars.
The first series produced Volvo automobile, called 'V4' (ppen vagn (Open wagon)-4 cylinders) left the factory on April 14, 1927. Just nine hundred and ninety-six cars were produced between 1927-1929. 'V4' was replaced by model PV651 in April 1929. Volvo's first success in the automobile production came with the PV444 that was introduced in september 1944. The Volvo Group today has more than 81,000 employees, with manufacturing in twenty-five countries and sales in more than one hundred and eighty-five markets. The group provides complete solutions for financing and service.
Noam Chomsky ... (Referenced by Logan asks Veronica if she's free to do something.)
Born in East Oak Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 7, 1928, Avram Noam Chomsky is the Institute Professor Emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is credited with the creation of generative grammar which is thought of as one of the most important contributions to the theoretical linguistics field made in the twentieth century. (Damned if I can understand exactly what "generative grammar" is, but maybe those smarter than me can based on this definition: A type of grammar that describes syntax in terms of a set of logical rules that can generate all and only the infinite number of grammatical sentences in a language and assigns them all the correct structural description. Okaaay. Well, Avram Noam Chomsky is definitely smarter than me.)
In addition to the joy of generative grammar, he also helped spark the cognitive revolution in psychology through his review of B.F. Skinner (he of 'Behavior Modification' fame -- that I understand) and his Verbal Behavior study. Chomsky challenged Skinner's approach to the study of mind and language that was dominant in the 1950's. But wait! Chomsky's not done yet! He also affected the philosophy of language and mind with his naturalistic approach to linguistics. Ole' Chomsky is also credited with the establishment of the ChomskySchtzenberger hierarchy, a classification of formal languages in terms of their generative power. Phew!
In the arena of non-education, Chomsky has become widely known for his criticism of the media and radical politics, moreso than for his brilliant linguistic theories internationally. In the politics of the United States, he is often considered the key intellectual (of course) figure within the liberal sector. Chomsky describes himself as a libertarian socialist and a sympathizer of anarcho-syndicalism. And a genius ... does he consider himself a genius? I know I do. According to the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, between 1980 and 1992, Chomsky was cited as a source more often than any other living scholar, and the eighth most cited scholar overall. Well, color me shocked. Not. Man, what a mind!
Havana ... (Referenced by Logan when he asks Veronica if she's free to do something like listen to Chomsky read the Havana phonebook.)
Havana (Spanish in full: San Cristbal de La Habana, usually shortened to just La Habana;) is the capital of Cuba. It is the largest city with a population of more than 2.2 million. Located roughly ninety miles south-southwest of Key West, Florida, it is one of the fourteen provinces of Cuba.
Founded in 1515 by a Spanish Conquistador, Diego Velzquez de Cullar, on the southern coast of Cuba, near the present town of Surgidero de Bataban. Havana moved to its current location on what was then called Carenas Bay in 1519. Originally, a trading port, the city suffered regular attacks by buccaneer pirates and French corsairs. In 1607, the city became the capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba, and the main port of the Spanish colonies in the New World.
Havana was officially designated as "Key of the New World and antemural -- Def: An outwork of a strong, high wall, with turrets, in front of the gateway (as of an old castle), for defending the entrance. In other words, a defensive barricade into the Spanish colonies. -- of the West Indies" by the Spanish crown. Goods traded in Havana included gold and silver, alpaca (!) wool from the Andes, emeralds from Colombia, mahoganies from Cuba and Guatemala, leather from the Guajira, spices, sticks of dye from Campeche, corn, manioc and cocoa. Shipments were received from large convoys of sailing ships guarded by Spanish military ships during the summer months.
In the middle of the 18th century, Havana, which by now had more than seventy thousand inhabitants, was seized by the British navy. The British seized the city as part of the Seven Years' War, opening it to free trade and bringing thousands of enslaved Africans to the island. In the middle of 1763, only a year after invading, the British returned Havana to the Spanish in exchange for Florida.
As trade between Caribbean and North American states increased in the early 19th century, Havana became a flourishing and fashionable city. Havana's theatres received the most distinguished actors of the age, and prosperity amongst the burgeoning middle-class led to new expensive classical mansions being erected. During this period Havana became known as the Paris of the Antilles.
At the end of the 19th century Havana saw the last moments of the Spanish colonization in America, which ended definitively when the United States warship Maine was sunk in its port, giving that country the pretext to invade the island. The 20th century began with Havana, and therefore Cuba, under occupation by the United States. Under American influence, the city grew and prospered with numerous buildings in the 1930s, when sumptuous hotels, casinos and splendid night clubs were constructed. Today, the city still has a glamour of magnificence handed down from the centuries.
G-Rated ... (Referenced by Logan regarding a library booty call with Veronica.)
G is one of five trademarked ratings classifications given to American films by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This ratings system is observed by the majority of film exhibitors and was first instituted on November 1, 1968, after MPAA President Jack Valenti abolished the outdated Hays Production Code. The Production Code either approved or disapproved of content in a motion picture, preventing films from being released that the Production Code Administration considered "immoral" or that contained even one scene or line of dialogue they didn't deem to be appropriate for audiences.
As more daring films began to be released in the 1960's -- in flagrant disregard of the Code -- it became apparent to the MPAA that a new system was needed. This system would be monitored and guided by the MPAA, NATO (National Association of Theatre Owners) and IFIDA (International Film Importers & Distributors of America) and would theoretically be used as a guidance or parental warning system for films, rather than as a censorship tool. Originally only three ratings categories were planned, but NATO pushed for an adults-only category. The original ratings used from 1968-1970 were: G (General audiences; all ages), M (Mature audiences; parental discretion advised), R (Restricted; under 16/17 not admitted without parent/guardian), and X (under 17 not admitted).
These ratings, except for X, were all trademarked by the MPAA. Anyone who didn't submit their film for a ratings classification could use the X or any other description when promoting their film. In 1990, the X rating was changed to NC-17 (and trademarked), since an X rating eventually became too closely associated with pornographic films, which was not the MPAA's intention for the adults-only category. Since the M (Mature) rating was often mistaken to be a more adult rating than R, it was changed to GP (General audience -- Parental guidance suggested), only to be changed a year later to PG (Parental Guidance suggested).
In the 1980s, three popular Steven Spielberg films -- Poltergeist (1982), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Gremlins (1984) -- contained scenes considered by many to be too violent or frightening for a PG audience, yet these films were not necessarily violent or profane enough to merit the R rating. So a middle rating, PG-13, was created in July of 1984 that would still allow pre-teens to attend without a parent or guardian, but would act as a cautionary rating to warn parents in advance that a film might not be appropriate for younger moviegoers. The first film to receive a PG-13 classification was The Flamingo Kid, but due to its delayed premiere, Red Dawn was actually the first PG-13 film released.
Individual film ratings can be found at the MPAA website, including the basic reasons used for classification (e.g. intense action violence; sexuality/nudity; language; drinking).
Stairmaster ... (Referenced by the student in hall telling Veronica where Mac and Parker are.)
Stairmaster is a line of exercise machines owned by Nautilus, Inc. The first designs released in 1983 were stepping machines and revolving stairs, but modern models are elliptical trainers which are easier on the knees. The machines offer a non-impact cardiovascular work-out, designed to stimulate the heart rate more than build muscles, though the more popular machines are designed to build strength in both leg and arm muscles.
Stone Age ... (Referenced by Veronica complaining to Kurt about printer.)
The Stone Age refers to an immense period of time that boasts the first widespread use of technology and the spread of humanity from East Africa to the rest of the world. The Mesolithic Period, or the Middle Stone Age, dates back about 6,000 - 10,000 years ago, and the Neolithic Period, or the New Stone Age, began in about 8,000 BCE. This time span marks the development of agriculture and the domestication of certain animals. It is part of the prehistoric time, or the time before written word.
The slang use of the phrase is typically used to describe a relatively primitive condition, a misnomer likely fostered by the classic cartoon, The Flintstones. The cartoon depicted a family in the Stone Ages whose primitive technology included television sets made of hollowed out stones, cars with stone wheels powered by the occupants' feet, and a wooly mammoth's trunk serving as a water hose.
VW Bug ... (Referenced by Weevil telling Keith what the guard drives.)
Volkswagen is a German automobile company that was founded in 1937 by the German Auto Association. The Beetle is one of many models manufactured by Volkswagen, but is easily the most unique.
Here's a shot of a classic 1961 Beetle a.k.a. the VWBug!
Heroin ... (Referenced by Weevil telling Keith about the truck driver's habit.)
Heroin (diamorphine or diacetylmorphine) is an illegal and highly addictive narcotic which creates a feeling of euphoria in the user. It can be administered orally, through injections, and through inhalation when heated from below. Street names for the drug include chiva, diesel, smack, bag, skag, heron, black tar, horse, junk, jenny, brown, brown sugar, dark, Dope, and H.
The onset of withdrawal symptoms can begin anywhere between six to twenty-four hours depending on the tolerance the user has developed for the drug. Symptoms of withdrawal include sweating, malaise, anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, cold sweats, chills, severe muscle or bone aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever. Other potential risks of use are death through overdose and the spread of diseases such as HIV or hepatitis through the use of non-sterile needles and syringes.
Muse ... (Referenced by Veronica to the artist, Larry, re: his painting.)
Today, a muse is most often referred to those in the creative world, be it artists or writers -- of prose, poetry or music. One's muse is an individual who inspires the artist to do great work. The origin of that inspiration comes from the Greek, specifically, Greek mythology. There were nine Muses -- goddesses who embody the right evocation of myth, inspired through remembered and improvised song and traditional music and dances. They were water nymphs, associated with the springs of Helicon and Pieris; from the latter they are sometimes called Pierides.
Daughters of Zeus (the highest ranking god among the Olympian gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky and thunder) and Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory), they were wild until reformed by Apollo (god of of the sun, song, music), who tamed them and taught them ways to express themselves. They lived together on Mount Parnassus, and were often in the company of Apollo. Initially, the Muses didn't have personalities or names, but later they were all assigned names and specific traits. Clio was the Muse of history, Urania of astronomy, Euterpe of lyric poetry, Polyhymnia of songs to the gods, Melpomene of tragedy, Thalia of comedy, Terpsichore of dance, Calliope of epic poetry, and Erato of love poetry.
Hitler ... (Referenced by Veronica's response to Larry's "I'm just a painter.")
Before he became the despot whose name is now synonymous with evil, Adolf Hitler just wanted to be loved for his art. Born on April 20, 1889, Hitler bcame the Chancellor of Germany in 1933 (only only one year after becoming a Gernam citizen) and the leader ("Fhrer" in German) in 1934 through 1945 ... April 30, 1945 exactly. That was the date of his death, which took place during the final days of World War II. He committed suicide in a bunker alongside his new bride, Eva Braun. It was a far cry from his yearning dreams of youth.
As a young man, he lived the life of a Bohemian and longed to be a painter. He applied twice (and was rejected both time) to the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. His rejection was due to "unfitness for painting", and was told his abilities lay rather in the field of architecture. His memoir, Mein Kampf detailed as much:
Click the image to see a larger version of this painting by Hitler, depicting Laon, France.
He did continue to struggle as an artist, copying in Vienna, copying scenes from postcards and selling his paintings to merchants and tourists (there is evidence he produced over 2000 paintings and drawings before World War I). After the second refusal from the Academy of Arts, Hitler gradually ran out of money. By 1909, he sought refuge in a homeless shelter, and by the beginning of 1910 had settled permanently into a house for poor working men.
In 1913, he received the final allotment of his father's estate and moved to Munich. The move helped him escape military service in Austria for a time, but the Austrian army later arrested him. After a physical exam and a contrite plea, he was deemed unfit for service and allowed to return to Munich. However, when Germany entered World War I in August 1914, he immediately petitioned King Ludwig III of Bavaria for permission to serve in a Bavarian regiment. This request was granted, and Adolf Hitler enlisted in the Bavarian army. Hitler had long admired Germany, and during the war he became a passionate German patriot. He was shocked by Germany's capitulation in November 1918 even while the German army still held enemy territory. Like many other German nationalists, Hitler believed in the Dolchstolegende ("dagger-stab legend") which claimed that the army, "undefeated in the field," had been "stabbed in the back" by civilian leaders and Marxists back on the home front. The fervor over the national situation now took precedence over his painting and thus died his dreams of artistic glory and his career in politics began.
By the end of his reign, Hitler's politics had culminated in the mass murder of at least eleven million people, including the deliberate genocide of about six million Jews, and the systematic killings of many other groups and nationalities, including Romany people, Russian and soldiers and civilians, Polish people, Communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Social Democrats, members of trade unions, homosexuals and others that composed the other five million dead, in what is now known as the Holocaust. I've often wondered how different history might have been had the Vienna Academy of Arts accepted him as a student. We'll never know.
Thorstein Veblen ... (Referenced by Veronica to kid in library as she gives him book.)
Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Tosten Bunde Veblen on July 30, 1857, was a Norwegian-American sociologist and economist and a leader of the Efficiency Movement. He was also part of the Technical Alliance, created in 1918-19 by Howard Scott and which became the Technocratic movement. Veblen is best known for his seminal work Theory of the Leisure Class, which was published in 1899. Leisure Class was a satiric look at American society written while Veblen taught at the University of Chicago. He coined the widely-used phrases "conspicuous consumption" and "pecuniary emulation."
Thorstein Veblen's career began amidst the growth of the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. He argued that culture inevitably shaped economics and that no universal "human nature" could possibly explain the variety of norms and behaviors discovered by the new science of anthropology.
Veblen's most important analytical contribution was what became known as the "ceremonial / instrumental dichotomy." Veblen saw that although every society depends on tools and skills to support the "life process," every society also appeared to have a stratified structure of status that ran contrary to the imperatives of the "instrumental" or "technological" aspects of group life. (Hello, 09ers - we're lookin at you!) This gave rise to the dichotomy: The "ceremonial" related to the past, supporting the tribal legends; the "instrumental" oriented itself toward the technological imperative to judge value by the ability to control future consequences. Neptune appears to be largely influenced by the "instrumental" aspects of its culture.
In addition, Veblen's The Theory of Business Enterprise, his monograph Imperial Germany and the Industrial Revolution and the essay entitled Why Economics is not an Evolutionary Science became influential in shaping the research agenda for following generations of social scientists, including the technocratic movement.
GPS ... (Referenced by Veronica's voiceover about putting one in Logan's phone.)
GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is the only fully-functional satellite navigation system. A constellation of more than two dozen GPS satellites broadcasts precise timing signals by radio to GPS receivers, allowing them to accurately determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude) in any weather, day or night, anywhere on Earth.
GPS has become a vital global utility, indispensable for modern navigation on land, sea, and air around the world, as well as an important tool for map-making, land surveying and tracking your teenage daughter. GPS also provides an extremely precise time reference, required for telecommunications and some scientific research, including the study of earthquakes.
The United States Department of Defense developed the system, officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging GPS), and launched the first experimental satellite in 1978. The satellite constellation is managed by the 50th Space Wing. In late 2005, the first in a series of next-generation GPS satellites was added to the constellation, offering several new capabilities, including a second civilian GPS signal called L2C for enhanced accuracy and reliability.
In the coming years, additional next-generation satellites will increase coverage of L2C and add a third and fourth civilian signal to the system, as well as advanced military capabilities. The Wide Area Augmentation System, available since August 2000, increases the accuracy of GPS signals to within 6 ft for compatible receivers. GPS accuracy can be improved further, to about half an inch over short distances, using techniques such as Differential GPS.
Although the cost of maintaining the system is approximately $400 million per year, including the replacement of aging satellites, GPS is available for free use in civilian applications as a public good -- something for which both Keith and Veronica are eternally grateful. Low cost GPS receivers are often combined with PDAs, cell phones, car computers, or vehicle tracking systems. A GPS tracking system uses GPS to determine the location of a vehicle, mark, mobile teenager, or pet and to record the position at regular intervals in order to create a track file or log of activities. The recorded data can be stored within the tracking unit, or it may be transmitted to a central location, an Internet-connected computer, a teenage slueth or a concerned father with a hand-held device using a cellular modem, two-way radio, or satellite. This allows the data to be reported in real-time, using either web browser based tools or customized software.
Blackjack ... (Referenced by the game Logan was playing.)
Blackjack, or Twenty-one, is a popular card game in casinos. The object of the game is to have cards that sum up to 21 without going over. The game originated in French casinos in the 1700's and was initially unpopular when it was brought to the United States. Casinos offered a 10:1 payout for a hand with an ace and a black Jack (club or spade), thus the origin of the name "Blackjack."
The face cards (King, Jack, and Queen) count for 10, and the aces can either be 1 or 11. The player with the greatest hand, as long as it doesn't go over 21, wins the hand. If the player and the dealer get 21, it's called a "push" and neither wins the hand. A hand over 21 is called a "bust." The dealer will play his hand after the rest of the players have finished. A player's options for their hand are to hit (take another card), to stand (take no more cards), to double down (to double the wager and stand after one additional card), to split, or to surrender.
Catbird Seat ... (Referenced by Mercer to Logan about the state of his game play.)
The 'catbird seat' is an expression which refers to an enviable position, often one of great advantage. The expression is credited to legendary baseball broadcaster Red Barber, who used the term to describe a player in a good situation (like a batter with three balls and no strikes). The expression is a reference to the Australian catbird. The male of this species will build an elaborate nest to attract its mate.
Vodka ... (Referenced by Mercer to one of the players, asking him to go get more.)
Vodka is a typically colorless liquor that is usually distilled from fermented grain or potatoes. The term is a diminutive of the Slavic word "voda" for "water." Vodka consists of water and alcohol (ethanol) and insignificant amounts of flavorings, with a typical alcohol content ranging from 35-70% by volume. While generally drunk neat (alone), vodka can be used in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, and the Vodka Martini.
Nineteen Eighty-Four / Big Brother / Cage of rats ... (Referenced by Logan and Veronica during their hallway argument.)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (commonly referred to in numerical form, "1984") is a dystopian novel written by the English writer George Orwell (real name, Eric Blair) in 1949. The book tells the story of Winston Smith and his attempt to rebel against the totalitarian state in which he lives. In the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four there are only three countries on the entire planet: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Smith lives in London, Oceania which is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone's behavior, even their thoughts. Disgusted by this oppression and secretly longing to join the fabled Brotherhood -- a supposed group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government -- Winston winds up meeting Julia and falling in love. The two fall into an affair ... something that is a crime in the state of Oceania. Eventually, the two meet up with one of the members, O'Brien, of the Brotherhood and the two meet at his house to join the group. In actuality, this is a trap as O'Brien is a devoted member of Big Brother. Winston and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love -- a rehabilitation center for chriminals accused of thoughtcrime. The pair are separated and Winston is tortured and brainwashed. The tale ends with Winston denoucing all that he believed in before, including his love for Julia. He is released to the public and drinks his life away at a local bar.
The novel is among the most famous and most cited works of dystopian fiction in literature. In addition, its terminology, as well as the author, have become bywords in discussions concerning privacy or state-security issues. The term "Orwellian" has come to describe actions or organizations reminiscent of the totalitarian society depicted throughout the novel. And phrases from the novel have also become catchwords of their own in pop culture. In fact, CBS created a popular reality TV show entitled Big Brother whose concept is that a group of housemates are watched constantly, every second of their life. The show just finished its seventh season.
Logan's jibe about the "cage of rats" refers to a scene in Chapter five, where O'Brien is in the process of the torture/brainwash. As part of the torture/brainwashing, O'Brien allows Smith into room 101 which had aroused his curiosity. In there, O'Brien tells him that everyone has their worst fear and in the case of Winston Smith, he knows it's rats. Throughout the early part of the chapter, Winstom is teased with a cage that holds two large rats and "fixed to the front of it was something that looked like a fencing mask, with the concave side outwards." As Winston is put into the mask, he comes face to face with the two rats.
Cliffs Notes ... (Referenced by Logan telling her he has them for "101 Brooding Comments.")
Often incorrectly called CliffNotes, these are a series of pamphlets used as study aids to help students understand various literary works including novels, plays, poetry and essays. Cliffs Notes offer a biography of the author, discuss the time during which the work was written, summarize the plot and characters, and explores the themes and symbols contained within the work.
Supporters say that they help increase understanding of the works, while detractors say that they let students avoid reading the actual works. The company has expanded its range to other courses such as math, government, sciences, languages and grammar. As far as I know, there is no Cliffs Notes for 101 Brooding Comments; methinks he was employing sarcasm. I know, Logan!
Mexico ... (Referenced by Logan telling Veronica he, Mercer and Dick are going surfing.)
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 have been known to cross the border into Mexico to evade U.S. authorities and skip tracers. 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.
The Tell-Tale Heart ... (Referenced by Pop when he shows up to check it out after Veronica's e-mail.)
The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, which was first published in James Russell Lowell's The Pioneer in January 1843; Poe republished it in his periodical The Broadway Journal for August 23, 1845. It is widely considered a classic of the Gothic fiction genre and is one of Poe's most famous short stories.
The tale is the first-person narrative of an unnamed character who is taking care of an old man with a clouded eye. His feverishly heightened senses lead to an irrational fear of the clouded eye. The narrator becomes obsessed with the eye to the point that he plots to murder his patient. During many a night, he watches the old man sleep, waiting for the right moment to get the eye. Unfortunately since the man is asleep, his eye is shut and since the narrator is unable to see the eye, he loses the urge. However one night, the old man awakens and the narrator attacks, smothering the man with his mattress. After he dies, the narrator chops the body up, hides the pieces under the floorboards and cleans up the room, attempting to hide his crime. A neighbor heard the old man scream before his death and called the police; the narrator invites them in, confident that all is safe. Despite sitting atop the very spot of the hacked-up corpse, the police do suspect nothing. However, the narrator's paranoia surfaces and he's convinced he hears the man's heartbeat coming up from the floorboards. Despite the officers hearing nothing, the narrator is sure that they do and that they are just waiting, he jumps up and tells them to tear up the floorboards and get the body. Throughout the story the narrator insists that he is sane, simultaneously giving the impression of serious derangement or paranoia.
Third Degree ... (Referenced by Pop when doesn't get why Veronica's giving it to him.)
The origin of the phrase "third degree" derives from Freemasonry -- a fraternal organization whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals and, in most of its branches, by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. In a masonic lodge there are three degrees, the first is called Entered Apprentice, the second Fellowcraft, and the third is master mason. When a candidate receives the third degree in a masonic lodge, he is subjected to some activities that involve an interrogation and it is more physically challenging than the first two degrees.
The definition of the term is "mental or physical torture used to obtain information or a confession from a prisoner," while the legal definition is similar in that it is defined as unlawful methods of coercing an individual to confess to a criminal offense by overcoming his or her free will through the use of psychological or physical violence. Unrelated to this usage, the medical community defines third degree in relation to burns in which the damage of a burn has progressed to the point of skin death. The popular usage of the phrase to non-Masons, lawyers or doctors is simply an interrogation that is stronger than unexpected, but rarely is torture -- mental or physical -- implied.
The Transplants ... (Referenced by Weevil when giving Veronica the CD from O'Dell's car.)
The Transplants are an American hip-hop/punk band formed in 1999 as a side project by the members of other bands (Rancid, AFI, and Blink-182). Rancid (punk band) member Tim Armstrong began experimenting with different styles of music and was joined by former AFI roadie Rob Aston (known as Skinhead Rob) on vocals. They released their first self-titled album in 2002, joined by Blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker. They have seen some commercial success, but the majority fan base of their successful punk endeavors did not follow the musicians to their joint hip-hop effort.
In addition to the core group members, the Transplants also boast several guest vocalists from various punk bands. Armstrong's ex-wife Bodey Dalle, lead singer of The Distillers, supplied guest vocals on a track, as did Rancid frontman Lars Frederickson and AFI member David Havok. The band's second album, Haunted Cities, was released in 2005.
"You're entering a world of pain, Larry." / The Big Lebowski (Referenced by Kurt as he pins Larry down and demands "Where's the playbook, Larry? Where's the playbook? You're entering a world of pain, Larry.")
Written and directed by the Coen Brothers (Ethan and Joel), The Big Lebowski stars Jeff Bridges as The Dude. Not quite your normal movie fare, the convoluted plot weaves about eccentric characters as The Dude attempts to replace his urinated-upon carpet. Yes, you read that correctly. This cult classic also stars John Goodman and Julianne Moore. Long-time Coen favorite John Turturro is also featured.
In a scene from the film, the Dude and Walter go after a twelve year-old kid named Larry Sellers, after they find a page of his homework stuffed into the seat of the Dude's car, which he just got back after it was stolen. Believing Larry might be in possession of a million dollars that was in the car at the time of the theft, the Dude and Walter track him down and interrogate him, as he sits there, just staring at them. The interrogation, which Kurt somewhat reenacts in this episode, goes something like this:
A piata is a bright container made from easily breakable materials like straw, papier-mch, or clay. They are often shaped like people, animals, cartoon characters, or stars, and are covered with colorful tissue paper.
Filled with candy or small toys, they are generally used for children's parties. Traditionally, a filled piata will be hung up by a rope and then hit by a succession of blind-folded children with a stick or bat until the piata breaks open and the candy is released. The children then rush to pick up as much candy from the ground as they can. The piata has been used for hundreds of years to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. Spanish colonists are thought to have started the tradition in Mexico, though it has been argued that the piata was brought to Mexico by Chinese sailors in 1421.
Kansas ... (Referenced by Trish when she tells Veronica that Kurt went back there.)
The State of Kansas, in the Midwestern United States, is named after the Kansas River that flows through it, which got its name from the Siouan word Kansa meaning "people of the south wind." It is also home to the geographical center of the contiguous United States. Nicknamed The Sunflower State, Kansas has an estimated total population of 2,688,418. Its capital city is Topeka, while the largest individual city is Wichita and the Kansas City metropolitan area has the most population. State symbols include the sunflower (flower), American buffalo (animal), cottonwood (tree) and Western Meadowlark (bird). The state song is "Home on the Range."
Most of Kansas was acquired by the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Southwest Kansas was part of Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas until the end of the Mexican-American War. Kansas was part of the Missouri Territory, and in 1827 Fort Levenworth became the first permanent settlement of white Americans in the future state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 established the Kansas Territory, which included much of western Colorado. During the 1850's the territory became known as Bleeding Kansas when a hotbed of violence and chaos as abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers came there to determine if it would become a free state. In 1861 Kansas officially joined the Union as a free state, and following the Civil War the population grew as immigrants began to turn the prairie into farmland.
Kansas' economy is largely agricultural and industrial. The state leads the nation in wheat production and overall is one of the most productive agricultural states. Other agricultural products include cattle, sheep, cotton, corn and salt. Indistrial products include transportation equipment, food processing, chemical producs, machinery, petroleum and mining. Major employers in the state include Sprint Nextel, Cessna, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Payless Shoes and Boeing.
Thomas Jefferson on nickel / "Head of white slave-owning patriarch" ... (Referenced by Piz during his debut radio show.)
The third president of the United States (1801-1809) and often considered one of the best (in the top five), Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 and passed on July 4, 1826 (yes, July 4th). Jefferson was the key author of the Declaration of Independence and a leading founder of the United States. some of the major events during his presidency included the Lousiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He was a political philosopher, who promoted republicanism and the separation of church and state. In addition to his role as politician, Jefferson was a plantation owner, horticulturist, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, author, inventor, violinist, and the founder of the University of Virginia.
To read about the decision, evolution and history of Jefferson and his place on the United States nickle, visit the Coin Resource - Jefferson Nickels 1938 (to present) Coin Guide.
Rimshot ... (Referenced by Nish during the interview on the radio.)
A rimshot is the sound produced by hitting the rim and the head of a drum at once with a drum stick. Rimshots are usually played to produce a more accented note, and are typically played loudly. However, soft rim shots are possible. I believe that the lampooner guy was thinking of the sexually-related term "rimjob." The rimshot here most likely referred to that drumbeat to signal a new beat in the interview.
Jack London and Mercury Poisoning ... (Referenced by the student asking Veronica for information on the two.)
Jack London, born John Griffith Chaney) on January 12, 1876, was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild, White Fang and several other novels, short stories and essays. A pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction, he was one of the first Americans to make a huge financial success from writing. is stories of men and animals against the environment, and survival against hardships were drawn mainly from his own experience.
An illegitimate child, London passed his childhood in poverty in the Oakland slums. At the age of seventeen, he ventured to sea on a sealing ship. The turning point of his life was a thirty-day imprisonment that was so degrading it turned him on to education and led him to pursue a career in writing. His years in the Klondike searching for gold left their mark in his best short stories. Another novel, The Sea-Wolf, was based on his experiences at sea. His work embraced the concepts of unconfined individualism and Darwinism in its exploration of the laws of nature. He retired to his ranch near Sonoma, where he died on November 22, 1916 at age forty of a combination of drug overdose and alcohol abuse, culminating in kidney failure, an assumption fostered by the presence of both substances at place of his death. And a course that many believe was done deliberately, essentially labeling London's death a suicide.
Or so the "official" reports want us to believe. There is speculation that London's death was actually not so. There are various theories and the mercury one is courtesy of Dawne Mitchell, one of the interpreters at the local Jack London Museum in Dawson City, Yukon. Her mercury theory is based on the attack of yaws which he contracted while travelling in the tropics later in his life. The standard treatment of the time was a concoction which included mercury. Mercury poisoning also weakens the internal organs and has symptoms similar to those of lupus. It could have contributed to London's death a few years later. Mitchell says she has pitched this theory to a number of doctors who visited the center over the last summer. For the most part, they have confirmed that it's feasible.
Unfortunately for the London lover, I find it highly unlikely that a book specifically about Jack London and his "death by mercury poisoning" is going to be found in any college library, let alone one in Neptune, California.
Donkey Shows ... (Referenced by Logan to Veronica regarding feeling bad for the donkeys in Mexico.)
A donkey show is an entertainment show in which a woman performs sexual acts with a donkey. It is widely believed that donkey shows are performed in Tijuana, leading to the phrase "Tijuana Donkey Show." Ooh, fun. And uhm, eww! So, tell me ... when I wrote in the You Think You Know Somebody Case File about the donkey show referenced: I can deal with Troy and even Luke taking in such a form of entertainment, but I refuse to believe that Logan would be even remotely interested in such. At least I really hope he wouldn't. Does his sympathy for the donkeys count as proof that I was right? I'm saying it's a 'yes!'
- The originally episode title was "Friday Night Sleights," a play on Friday Night Lights -- the Peter Berg college football film that is currently a television show on NBC. Had Veronica Mars not gotten a third season, Rob Thomas may very well have been executive producing the show as he was offered the job.
- Veronica lowered her sunglasses slightly to look at the two girls when they called out to Logan and didn't raise them back up until the girls were past and she and Logan were walking away.
- There's a nice tracking shot with no breaks, beginning with Piz and Trish walking into the hallway, into the radio station, passing through more than one doorway inside, and finally ending when it cuts over to a closer shot of the two as Piz describes the premise of the show he's pitching.
- Kurt is wearing a TSAR t-shirt when he first meets Veronica and in the flashbacks to the night before when he and Trish went to the art show and when he played Guitar Hero. Tsar is a band whose song "The Girl Who Wouldn't Die" was featured in the season one episode, The Lord of the Bling.
- Weevil and Veronica's "leopard's spots" conversation calls back to his earlier admission to Veronica, in Hot Dogs, that "I am what I am, V. Leopard, spots, you know what they say." Coincidentally enough, that conversation was also shortly after Weevil got out of jail.
- Veronica's less than enthusiastic tone of voice when greeting Piz in the library.
- Contrary to what Rob Thomas might think, in no way does Piz resemble a slightly older Lloyd Dobler, Seth Cohen on crack maybe, but Lloyd Dobler, no.
- Larry bears a remarkable resemblance to Harry as played by Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber.
- Veronica's hilariously bewildered expression upon hearing that Mac and Parker left the dorm wearing gym clothes.
- Veronica's visible sigh of relief after she's managed to believes that she successfully lied to Coach Fry regarding her presence in his office.
- When Logan is parking beside Veronica, he actually begins to get out of the car before it's completely stopped.
- The double-play (and yet, not dirty!) in Logan's comment: "You know, as adorable as it when you do it to criminals, the surveillance thing is starting to bug." Get it, "surveillance" and "bug." Bug? I love it.
- When Logan told Veronica about bad boys, "You don't want to reform them, you just want to judge them," he did the hasn't-been-seen-since-early-season-one patented hand gesture making the circle.
- Veronica's "Whoopsie!" face after she accidentally asked if the Dean's wife was one of his kids.
- The email Veronica sends to Pop clearly accuses Pop of stealing Kurt's playbook, and says nothing about going to the library to check out Poe's Tell Tale Heart. Whoops.
- Veronica signed the blackmail e-mail, "The Retriever." Hee!
- Veronica has a key lock/unlock mechanism for Logan's new shinyboring black Range Rover. (See Philosophy.)
- After Veronica asks him about a guidebook for a girlfriend who is pathologically suspicious, you can tell that Logan really is trying to think of a word that means "beyond pathological" but can't come up with anything. It's cute.
- Veronica's tone of voice is so soft and loving when she says that she thought he was in Mexico. You can tell she's really, really glad he's there with her and not actually in Mexico.
- The really great, subtle look on Veronica's face when Logan first mentions the film festival, that you can tell how much she appreciates the gesture. Like she's seeing that even though she's the one that needed to apologize, Logan still really wants to be with her and is willing to compromise and do some things that appeal to her.
- When Veronica is pulling Logan towards the dark, lonely top floor, he gives the unassisted student a "Hee!" look.
- In the final scene, if you manage to take your eyes off of Logan and Veronica, check out the student who had asked for help. He's still watching them with a look of 'I need help, where is she going?!" on his face and at one point, he slightly raises his hand and then just gives up and shoves his hands back in his pocket. Hysterical. Great job in such a small part by the actor.
- It appears that the Hearst Library is the new Neptune High Girl's Bathroom.
- Logan's comment to Veronica about not believing Dick is entirely innocent on the surface, but just a few seconds later, the naughtiness of it hits. "You're hardly the first girl to be led astray by Dick." Uh huh.
- Another Logan comment about Dick -- this time in reference to his, erm, speedy lovemaking ... or at least according to Madison Sinclair.
- And number three goes to Logan as well as he references the lovely Tijuana Donkey show wherein a woman performs sexual acts with a donkey.
- Veronica said she could get Weevil $2,000 for fixing the dean's car, but she later tells Dean O'Dell that she had it fixed for free. Where did she get money to pay Weevil? Out of her pocket or out of thin air? Or did Weevil waive the fee in lieu of getting the job?
- Where did Veronica get her little uniform she wore when she sneaked into the coach's office? Did she steal it? Borrow it from, uh ... did she steal it?
- How in the world did Veronica get the dean's car to the shop without him finding out about it? What ... did she and Weevil hotwire it and the dean just failed to notice his car was missing?
- In the scene where Weevil reveals the Dean's "badass tunes," where did The Transplants' CD come from? Did he pull it out of his pocket? Out of thin air? If it was the former -- was he planning on stealing it? And if the latter, what's with all the random magic acts in this plotline? I thought Weevil was kidding about his bag full of doves.
What happened to Logans X-Terra?
- Did Larry know the play book was in Trish's room or did he just happen to find it when he delivered the painting?
- So, if Veronica decides to remove the tracking device from Logan's car based on Trish's comment about mistrust and deceit "costing her the guy she loves," does that, in fact, mean Veronica loves Logan?
- In what alternative universe does being vocally opposed to rape automatically make you a man-hating, militant feminist?
- Now that Weevil is on the janitorial staff at Hearst College with access to restricted areas and other fun stuff, will he assume Wallaces old position as Veronica's Guy Friday?
- Shouldn't Dean O'Dell spend less time trying to uncover confidential sources and perhaps more time stopping the serial rapist that is terrorizing the Hearst campus?
- From my understanding of the situation, the Beaver rape retcon was done partly to make this season's mystery more personal to Veronica. So why hasn't it been?
- What exactly is the function of the Lillith House?
- Does Logan know that Veronica has a key lock/unlock mechanism for his new shinyboring black Range Rover.
- This episode was originally titled Friday Night Sleights (a play on the movie/television show, Friday Night Lights, but writers John Enbom and Phil Klemmer -- who know nothing about football -- were told by Rob Thomas that there was no football on Friday night.
genova (Cara): Literature; Social Science; Extra Credit
holly96 (Holly): Social Science; Homeroom
Iloveyoubearymuch (Kathryn): Literature; Homeroom; Philosophy
JenniferH: Report Class; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Social Science; Homeroom; Detention; Philosophy; Extra Curricular Activities
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
PolarTruckin (Belinda): Social Science; Detention
ramwitz (Margarita): Social Science
sawmg (Shannon): Literature; Social ScienceHomeroom; Philosophy
SeluciaV (Alli) Study Hall; Literature; Social Science
Tar Frimmer (Joanne): Study Hall; Literature; Social Science
Original Air Date: October 17, 2006
Written by: John Enbom & Phil Klemmer
Directed by: Harry Winer
Staff Grade: A
Membership Grade: A (79.4% - 126 votes)
Easily the best episode of the season so far, this one ranks up there as one of the best episodes of the Veronica Mars run, period. It was wonderful to see a Veronica who cares about the people around her and to see some actual, genuine movement and love within the Logan/Veronica relationship. This is the couple that so many fell in love with and that final scene was just breathtaking. In addition, we have the return of Weevil and what a joyous, wonderful return it is. Working with Keith, we see a Weevil using his smarts for good, instead of criminal activity and even if all doesn't work out there, where Weevil eventually winds up makes perfect sense and will, no doubt, help Veronica in the coming season. Finally, this episode does a fabulous job of making every moment, every story, every direction intersect and tie into one another creating a cohesive whole.
Credited Cast Non-Appearance
Percy Daggs III - Wallace Fennel
Julie Gonzalo - Parker Lee
Tina Majorino - Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie
Michael Muhney - Sheriff Don Lamb
Recurring Guest Stars (Previous Episode Appearances)
Chastity Dotson - Nish
Cher Ferreyra - Fern
Guest Stars
Ed Begley Jr. - Cyrus O'Dell
Ryan Devlin - Mercer Hayes
Erik Eidem - Larry
Daniel Farber - Darren
Armie Hammer - Kurt
Sam Horrigan - Bryan "Pop" Popovich
Krista Kalmus - Claire Nordhouse
Jeremiah Lorenz - Alan
Lindsey McKeon - Trish
Nick Puga - Stew
Alan F. Smith - Dwight Fry
Who's Who in Neptune
Cyrus O'Dell - Dean of Hearst College. Has a wife (who was his grad student years ago), a fifteen-year-old son from a previous marriage, and a stepson. Drives a Volvo.
Mercer Hayes - Hearst student who runs an illegal casino and sports book out of his dorm room. Friends with Logan.
Larry - Art major and painter at Hearst. Is also Trish's ex-boyfriend and Alan's roommate.
Darren - Co-editor of the Hearst Lampoon, a student-run satirical paper.
Kurt - Hearst football player and Trish's boyfriend. Was heavily recruited out of high school in Kansas but tore his ACL at the end of last season and now doesn't get much playing time. Often treated harshly by Coach Fry.
Bryan "Pop" Popovich - Kurt's best friend on the football team. A walk-on at Hearst, was recently offered a full-ride at Sonoma State.
Claire - Hearst student and part of the Lillith House with Nish and Fern. Was the blonde in the middle of the photo on the front page of the Hearst Free Press, also impersonated on the front of the Hearst Lampoon.
Alan - Larry's roommate, frequents Mercer's casino and enjoys sports betting. Has a stuttering problem.
Trish - Hearst student, works at KRFF, Hearst's student radio station. Kurt's girlfriend and Larry's ex-girlfriend.
Stew - The other co-editor of the Hearst Lampoon.
Dwight Fry - Defensive coordinator of Hearst's football team. Kurt's position coach, was extremely hard on Kurt.
Hey! It's That Guy/Girl
Ed Begley Jr. (Dean O'Dell) - Ed Begley Jr. has been in the business since 1969, so chances are you've seen him in one thing or another. In the early days of his career he had guest roles on TV series including M*A*S*H, Laverne & Shirley, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels and more. He is perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on St. Elsewhere, for which he received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations. More recently he has appeared in over fifteen episodes of 7th Heaven, eight episodes of Six Feet Under and five episodes of Arrested Development, on which he played Stan Sitwell. Begley has also appeared in a number of films, including the Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy mockumentaries Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.
Ryan Devlin (Mercer Hayes) - Relatively new to acting, before Veronica Mars, he appeared in episodes of Grounded for Life, The War at Home, Living with Fran and South Beach. Ryan is also the current host of ET on MTV and hosted the CW special "ET Presents the CW."
Lindsay McKeon (Trish) - Lindsay McKeon played Marah Lewis for three years on Guiding Light, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2002. She played Haley's older sister, Taylor, in four episodes of One Tree Hill and appeared as Tessa (The Reaper) in the second season premiere of Supernatural.
The Carnivale of Television Delights -- Step right up Ladies and Gentlemen. It's Carnivale time. As the Fall Season continues to unfold youlll find we have a dazzling array of choices to lure you into the sideshow. We have shows featuring haunted heroes, stunned survivors, neurotic siblings and doctors, doctors everywhere. But tonight, for the first time this season, we present a veritable smorgasbord of spectacular acting displays on Veronica Mars. Watch Kristen Bell run the gamut of emotions from giddy girlfriend to snarky badass to open vulnerability. See Jason Dohring deliver another subtle performance hiding a deep well of sadness behind a steadfast, loving boyfriend. And making his first appearance this season, Francis Capra shows his acting chops by owning every scene he appears in. It's Veronica Mars ... fast, furious and much more watchable.
Highlights
Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) - Bell was terrific in this episode and for the first time this season I felt like I was watching Veronica Mars on the screen and not Kristen Bell playing "Veronica." Some of Bell's acting choices the past few years have served to alienate and push viewers away. But, in this episode, she had a far more open, honest portrayal. Her body language and facial expressions were right on the money and her open vulnerability in the final scene with Jason Dohring gave viewers a much-needed emotional payoff.
Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) - Dohring continues to shine as the unsung hero of Veronica Mars. Dohring has chosen -- and it seems a very obvious acting choice to me -- to play the character of Logan Echolls as nominally carefree. He indulges in weight lifting and campus gambling in his time away from Veronica. He enjoys caressing, touching and being with his girlfriend. And yet lurking behind the eyes of a loving boyfriend are hidden heartaches of pain and sadness that seem to permeate his performance. His confrontation with Veronica in the hallway was a lovely blend of hurt, pain, anger and vulnerability.
Francis Capra (Eli 'Weevil' Navarro) - The third highlight of Wichita Lineman was the welcome arrival of Francis Capra. Capra has always been able to bring a simmering menace to his role as Weevil. The true delight in this episode was seeing new facades of Weevil's personality including an analytical, prideful dedication to his role as Keith's assistant and the subsequent heartbreaking loss of this chance to better his life.
Lindsey McKeon (Trish) - Adding a welcome touch of honest acting to her scenes was Lindsey McKeon playing the role of the girlfriend Trish. McKeon hit all the right emotional levels in her scenes and, as a result, appeared both believable and sympathetic.
Lowlights
Perhaps it was the writing, perhaps it was the direction or perhaps it was the acting choices, but the scenes between the feminists and the lampooners hit all the wrong notes and abruptly brought the story to an immediate halt.
Scene One: The Push-Pull of a Real Relationship
I really have only one issue with this scene so I'll get it out of the way pronto. That issue would be Veronica's sunglasses. And no, this is not me just being shallow. (Shallow would be me bitching that I didn't like her boring pony-tailed hairstyle -- but hey, at least she wasn't wearing a headband with it.) The problem with Veronica wearing those big, fugly-looking sunglasses is that they shaded not only her eyes from the sun (which was, no doubt, lovely for Kristen Bell), but also hid her expression (crappy-ass for us viewers at home). Hello, the windows to a person's soul -- or in this case, Veronica feelin' the love for Logan yes or no? Sigh.
As has been established, Bell does a wonderful job using her facial expression -- including her eyes -- in telling the viewer exactly where Veronica's emotions lie. I must confess that I originally thought that Bell was playing the scene too cool and it wasn't until rewatching it a few times that my opinion changed. There was a lot going on in terms of dialogue, actual story revolving around Logan and Veronica's relationship, physicality, the expression, both facially and in the eyes of Logan via Jason Dohring, that it took a few viewings to decide that Bell wasn't playing the scene as if Veronica was just killing time with Logan. (I admit this was a concern, due in part to having just read her latest interview. Note to self: Do not read/listen to Kristen Bell interviews before the show starts.)
However, as I wrote above, the rewatch made it clear that the lovely Kristen was not to blame. She did play the scene as I believe it was intended to show that Veronica does have strong feelings for Logan, although, she's concerned about certain aspects of his character still. On top of that, she was jealous, but didn't want to admit it. And of course, here is where we get to my complaint, with the addition of those fugly-ass sunglasses one of her greatest acting assets was taken away from her: Her eyes. So, not very happy with the director on that count because I do feel that it hindered the emotional weight of the scene.
As I said though, that there is my one complaint. Moving along to the good stuff - and trust me folks, it's ALL good from here even if LoVe had some not-so-happy moments in this episode. Everything flowed out of storytelling and character and that is always a good thing. In this scene, we have something that has been missing sorely from the previous episodes ... physicality. As they walked up the stairs, their arms went around each other's waists, as they walked side by side, they moved closer to one another. We had Logan wrapping his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck, framing her face in his hands, playing with her hair; we had Veronica putting her hand on his chest and leaning up for a kiss. This is the Logan/Veronica that we're used to seeing when the two are together and in a romantic state: Two crazy kids who can't keep their hands off of each other.
One of the loveliest details throughout this scene was the tender intimacy with which Logan touched Veronica. I'm not talking about the mutual arms around the waist -- that came across as more of a couple move with no deeper thought behind it. Of course, that and of itself is wonderful in regards to Logan and Veronica. A sweet naturalism is always welcome. I'm not even thinking of when he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. Again, lovely, but that was a teasing motion, adorable and squee-worthy though it may have been. What I'm referring to is the many times that Logan played with her hair, brushed it back and when he framed Veronica's face with his hands. There was a beautiful reverence in the actions as if there were still moments that it struck him that Veronica was his. And that was telegraphed through the gentleness of those gestures and the look in his eyes every time he did so.
Okay, so that was the light and giddiness of the scene. What about the darker side of LoVe? (yes, I just made that pun.) What about the
Now, we get to the crux of it. Veronica referenced some time she wanted to spend with Logan, but it was reading old fossils -- which is not something that Logan is interested in. So she suggessted other plans -- an art show, yet something else that Logan is not interested in. But he doesn't shoot it down, just lets her know he has class and then offers an alternative way of spending time after class. Yes, it was sexual, but it most likely would have been more than sex, but also some quality time just together, the two of them.
We also need to take into account the last couple of episodes. I think it's a safe bet that Logan called Veronica to tell her where he would be mid-experiment because her showing up randomly like that is highly unlikely. So, hah! Logan does want to spend time with his girl. The episode before that had them meeting between classes, at his place getting, uhm, political and eating a meal together. Now, let's also take into account that Veronica spent a helluva lot of time with another guy, including going to a club (which easily could have involved Logan), as well as going to the movies with Mac. So, Veronica has been doing things not with Logan. Which is FINE! They are not the same person; they have different interests and hobbies and they aren't going to spend every moment together. So Veronica's little spiel against Logan frankly comes across as a bit self-centered. She wants Logan to spend time with her when she's available and she wants them to do what she wants to do.
Do I think that that is the basis of their relationship and that Veronica is a raging, selfish bitch? Absolutely not. She's human and she's used to being very much in control of as much of her life as possible; she's made sure of that. And I wouldn't be surprised if Logan spent most of the summer catering to her every whim and wish (other than the movie marathons, of course). Knowing their history, we know that Logan spent much of their past relationship trying to catch up, trying to be the guy for Veronica, so it would make sense that she would expect that. And that is Logan's bad -- now that they've been together for almost six months, Logan is likely now branching out and allowing himself to not cater to all of her likes and dislikes and is simply doing his thing too. While there is nothing wrong with that, to Veronica it's a new turn of events probably and thus creates an understandable fear that he doesn't want to spend time with her.
And gosh, do I love this!!! I love believable issues that flow from their history, their quirks and idiosyncrasies and show the wear and tear, push and pull of a real relationship. This is good stuff. People, we are no longer collecting straw. We have gold, baby!
Scene Two: Led Astray by Dick
As soon as Dick walked away with the comment that Logan was nailing other girls, Veronica really should have simply disregarded anything he said. The guy is an idiot and very much not a member of the LoVe fandom. Seriously. Now what I'm curious about is whether Veronica was sniffing out the information once she saw Dick because she didn't trust Logan automatically or was it really truly just a spur of the moment comment. I think it was a combination. Obviously, she didn't search Dick out; he came upon her. However, beyond the first quip, I think the spontaneity went bye-bye. Think of it, the very few times Veronica has been alone with Dick, she's sent an insult his way and then skedaddled. She doesn't converse with Dick Casablancas and yet that is exactly what she did here. She saw an opportunity to find out if Logan was to be believed or not. And clearly those pesky trust issues are very much in fine working order because she chose to believe Dick -- DICK! -- rather than believe that her boyfriend wasn't ditching her. Silly Veronica. Logan loves you!
Scene Three: Working Out the Kinks
First let us take a moment to mourn the loss of the bee-you-tee-ful X-Terra of jackass!yellow. {{Moment}} Alrighty then, moving on ... as clearly did Logan and everyone involved at Veronica Mars because there wasn't even an onscreen explanation for the loss of the beloved vehicle. Okay, I mean it this time. Really, I'm moving on. Ahem. What's nice about this scene is that there really isn't that much to analyze. It's all out there for viewers to see. What we see is what we get and what we got was a couple of college kids who were crazy about one another, but were adjusting to the relationship and so were still working out the kinks.
Both Veronica and Logan were happy, even with the class attendance exchange. Technically, Veronica was accusing Logan of lying about not being in class, but gone was the accusatory note that was once part and parcel for the course. Instead, it was said with vulnerability and an acknowledgement of what exactly she was doing; she was sorry, but she had to do it anyway. Whether Logan responded as he did because he took it that way or because he's just so used to being accused by Veronica that he took it in stride wasn't obvious. I do tend to think it was a combination. Obviously, he's used to accusations, but I don't think he'd just ignore it casually, so I'm leaning towards the notion that it was a smidgen of the latter and a bigger dose of reading Veronica's tone as conciliatory ... even as she accused.
And I'm glad that after she pushed, he continued to take it in stride and even flat-out refused her request. Unspoken was his contention that she should just trust him (over Dick! I mean, DICK!) and not need the proof to do so. I'm even gladder that after he said that, she stopped pushing and just let it go. Good job, Veronica, because then we got to the schmoop. Lovely, lovely schmoop and my goodness, didn't Veronica look happy? So very happy, smiling up at Logan, her voice doing as decent an approximation of Logan's "political" as she could with her "Maybe you could drop by ..." So sweet, so in love and then ... and then ... the cuteness! The ber, ber-cuteness. Just the playful pushing, pulling, smiling, and face-scrunching. It was really a world of squee in those final moments of joy. So ...
Scene Four: She Likes Him! She Really Likes Him!!
This scene had some really nice moments. I mean, for possibly the first time -- maybe the second -- in the history of the show (some might count the happy exhalation after Logan left the bathroom in M.A.D. as the first), we saw a Veronica happy about Logan, smiling for Logan, thinking of Logan when Logan wasn't there. I mean, she finished her black/e-mail up and heard someone clearing their throat and her brain went straight to Logan. We got a Veronica Mars Voiceover that happily looked forward to boyfriend time. She referred to Logan as her boyfriend ... even if it was only in her head. That's still something! And she was disappointed when it wasn't him.
But wait, we're not done yet! When she heard the phone beep to let her know she had a message, she smiled when she saw he'd left one and that smile grew broader when she punched it in to listen. It was only after Logan bailed on their maybe date that her joy dissipated. (He had said that he might stop by and, hey, at least he called and left a message but still, bad call, Logan!) Still still still, it was joy over Logan! Seeing Logan, hearing Logan's voice. Gold, I tell ya, folks. It's Rumpelstiltskin time.
Scene Five: On the Hunt for Logan E.
Was Veronica wrong to put a GPS tracker on Logan? Yes. Was she wrong to track him down? Yes and no. Yes, because, hello! It's called trust, Veronica -- look it up. On the other hand, Logan had bailed. Furthermore, he'd called with a party going on in the background and ended his message with the phrase, "Looks like I'm getting lucky." Really, can anyone blame her for being just the tiniest bit suspicious? After two girls asked him to a party? After Dick said he wasn't in class when Logan said he was? After Dick said he was nailing other girls? After Logan refused to show her his notes to prove he was in class? (This is Veronica Mars, she just needs a little proof to make up her mind -- before more proof sends her careening off in a new direction.) No, I think Veronica's actions were understandable.
And again, non-parenthetical, this is Veronica Mars. She tracked her own father down for goodness' sake. We all know how much she loves him. So, hmmm ... yeah, I totally take this as a sign of love. Uh huh.
Scene Six: Veronica Done Him Wrong
Some interesting dynamics were at play here. To start with, it was obvious that Veronica knew she was in the wrong. Take note of the somewhat embarrassed smile on her face when she met Logan's gaze and then her looking away. Once Logan stood up to face her, she was immediately on the defensive, despite his pussy-whipped sarcasm. A Veronica who thought she was justified would have jumped down his throat for that comment or just flat-out left. She did not. I'm thinking -- based on this episode in whole -- she chose not to do so because Veronica does love Logan and does want to be with him. She knew that she was wrong, but she wasn't going to just walk away. She was going to stick around to rationalize her decision -- which is more than we ever saw Veronica do before in regards to Logan.
So was she totally in the wrong? For tracking him? Absolutely, but we've already mentioned that in the world of Veronica Mars to track is to love. For being even a little bit suspicious? No, not really. That voice message, in addition to his not showing up, was far from best boyfriend material. So, what about Logan? Was he wrong? Absolutely. Yes, he did say that he might stop by the library and so it wasn't a "firm" date, and yes, he did call to let her know he wouldn't show up (always good boyfriend etiquette). However, they clearly hadn't spent much time together recently due to conflicting schedules and saying that you might stop by in the midst of being kissy-face, lovey-dovey, reads in girlfriend-speech as "I'm definitely coming by short of being in a car accident." And Logan? Was not in a car accident, or any other remotely justifiable situation that would excuse his lack of showing up for the G-rated booty call.
He was playing cards.
Dude, Logan, bad call! You don't stand up your girlfriend on the technicality of a "might" because you're gambling unless you don't want to get laid for a month! Unfortunately for Veronica, as bad as his bad was ... hers was about thousand times worse. Dude, Veronica, bad call! You don't implant a tracking device into your boyfriend's phone and then track him down as if he were a criminal (especially one who's been arrested for murder three times -- once with your help). Can I get a big, fat HELLO!
So, Logan was gambling, but Veronica was tracking him down and since Logan was just having some harmless fun, and Veronica's action was a time-honored tradition of not trusting him, Logan had the upper-hand. And, shockingly enough for all watching, he used it. No pussy-whipped Logan Echolls here. No indeedy. For the first time in the history of the show, viewers saw Logan stand up for himself ... without using violence or wit that wounds. He was calm, rational and simply pointed out that her lack of trust was becoming an issue. Veronica's response? Not really the best ever. Instead of apologizing for the use of a tracking device or even turning the discussion around to his bad, she insulted his intelligence. Logan is not stupid. Veronica knows that Logan is not stupid, but because he's not college-motivated like she is and instead is as aimless as many a freshmen, she lashed out at his less than scholarly attributes. And it was just mean and it was hurtful. And intentional.
She wanted to hurt him because that's what Veronica does when she feels backed into a corner. She doesn't like being wrong; she doesn't like being called to task. Only Keith can do that and so she retaliated with her brand of wit that wounds. As about time as it was to see Logan call Veronica on her behavior, it was also right that he allowed her to see the pain her words caused him. His sarcasm about 1984 being the only book he'd read was a dig that was meant not to hurt her, but to show her that she'd hurt him unfairly. To her credit, Veronica did seem to get it then, judging by the look on her face after he spoke. And that point was brought home as the scene ended on a long empty hallway where Veronica stood all alone.
She done screwed up, Logan wasn't to blame for their fight ... and she knew it. Folks, this is actually a step in the right direction.
Scene Seven: Proof's in the Music of Emo
This is the one of two similarities to a Duncan situation that this episode brings to mind. I'm referring to when Veronica played the broken-hearted girlfriend because Donut "dumped her" by moping over emo music. In that episode, it was mostly an act to hide the reality of the scheme she'd come up with for Duncan's departure. Here, it was the real deal all the way. She and Logan had just had the first fight they've had where Veronica was on the defensive, where she wasn't accusing Logan of something, where Logan was the injured party, so to speak.
As with most of the episode, these few moments were a wonderful indication that Veronica is in love with Logan. And I want to use this scene to take the opportunity to expound upon that thought. Although, it's evident throughout much of Wichita Linebacker, the other scenes have more depth and weight to them so I'll be discussing the fullness of them as opposed to an overreaching theme. This is what five second scenes are good for!
Ever since Logan and Veronica got involved, the LoVe fandom has spent much time bemoaning Veronica's apparent lack of reciprocal feelings for Logan. We saw more from her in regards to Troy, even Leo to a degree and, of course, the great and pure Donut-head. There was never any doubt that until she found out what a loser Troy was, she really liked him. Once she and Leo starting dating, it was clear that while yes, he was good for information, she liked him and wanted to *really* like him. With Duncan, it was a non-stop gush-fest -- we can be fortunate that the script and direction didn't support it the second-time around which allowed us to happily believe that Veronica was just taking up residence by "De Nile." The point is that viewers got very, very little from Veronica's end in regards to any lovey-dovey feelings about Logan, shown through either a positive or negative slant. More often than not, we've worried that Veronica is just killing time with Logan ... that he's a "right now" boyfriend, waiting for the "right one" to come along.
This episode finally gave us the love from Veronica. Earlier we got the positive slant when expecting Logan at the library ("I'm ready for my official boyfriend visit.") and in this scene we got the negative slant. Yeah, it's not good that Veronica was miserable and mopey and playing emo music because she and Logan had a fight. What is good about it, though, is ... that she was miserable and mopey and playing emo music because she and Logan had a fight! YES! She cares ... she truly does care about him and the fact that he was upset with her and that they were fighting brought out the emo music.
It ain't happy, but it's proof. Woohoo!
Scene Eight: Perfectly Understandable
Whereas the Dick conversation was happenstance which Veronica took advantage of, in this case, she may not have gone to the cafeteria specifically looking for Mercer, but once she saw him, she did deliberately walk up to him and did deliberately bring up the Mexico trip. Testing Logan? I'd like to think not, but yeah, I do. And considering all that had happened recently, it held perfectly understandable motivation. She may love the guy -- and I do believe after this episode that she does love him -- but she doesn't trust him. She already was suspicious because of Dick's assertion there was no class (Dick! Come' on, Veronica, Dick!!), Logan's refusal to show his notes, and they did just have a fight. Still, considering how far she could go, I can't blame her for just talking to one of the guys heading to TJ with Logan. Perfectly understandable.
After Mercer's end of the conversation put Logan's plans into doubt, it was again understandable that Veronica would have a moment of doubt. Perfectly understandable. The next best move to take would probably be talk to Logan, and not just take what a practical stranger says as gospel. That would be an entirely reasonable, perfectly understandable course of action.
Scene Nine: To Track is to Love
Or not. Who needs reasonable and understandable when you have nifty gadgets available? Clearly not Veronica.
- Veronica: Now maybe people would say they'd never install a tracking device in their significant other's car ... but I think that's just because they don't know how.
Which brings us to something I've heard mentioned out and about on the internets (Stephen Colbert), the parallel with her actions regarding Duncan and Meg's computer in Green-Eyed Monster. I see the surface correlation, but I must disagree when one looks a little closer at the situations. In regards to Meg's computer, it was sitting right there with the information literally at her fingertips. It required no more effort than her will-power. Yes, it tould prove that Veronica simply trusted Duncan because she was able to control herself. However, in addition, it also shows that the intensity of her feelings for Logan is stronger than they were for Duncan. Much has been commented on how Veronica tracking Logan, installing the bug in his car was just the same as her wanting to look into Meg's computer in terms of trust. Again, yes, clearly she did trust Donut, thus she didn't look at the files. However, what is interesting -- and bears with my comment above about the ease in which she could find out that situation -- is that Veronica made no other effort to find out where Duncan was, what he was doing. Yeah, yeah, she trusted him, but the contention has been that it's the same ole, same ole attitude that is attached to any boyfriend.
We know Veronica. Bugging someone, tracking that person is not only a sign of distrust, for Veronica, it's a sign of love. She never tracked Duncan down; you can say it's because she trusted him. Fine, whatever, it also says clearly that she didn't CARE enough about him. How I came up with that, you may ask. Simple. She tracked Keith. There's no doubt that she loves him and much more often than not trusts him implicitly. Yet, she tracked Keith because of his suspicious behavior. She never tracked Duncan despite his suspicious behavior of which she was aware. She just chose to not pursue it ... because she didn't care enough.
She cares enough about Logan. So yay!
Scene Ten: The Guy I Love
I know that the mystery of the week was humdrum for some (hee! I made a rhyme), but I enjoyed it mostly because it was one of those cases that was presented as a parallel to a situation in Veronica's life. In this case, it was her relationship with Logan. Trish did something that her boyfriend found nearly incomprehensible, even if he understood that it was motivated by her love for him. As she told Veronica that, it was as if a light bulb had gone off in Veronica's head. She too had taken an action that she was able to justify because she loved Logan, but one that he would find, well, not even remotely incomprehensible because he knows Veronica, but an action that would be difficult to easily forgive. Viewers could see that realization on her face as clear as if it were written in neon. Bell did a wonderful job in communicating all of that without a word of dialogue in just a few seconds.
Ooh, and I would be remiss were I not to mention the most significant moment in this teeny scene. Quote:
- Trish: I think I blew it, Veronica. I went momentarily crazy. Now it's gonna cost me the guy I love.
Scene Eleven: The Strength of the Action
What followed right after was Veronica doing what Trish was unable to do: Clean up her mess before she lost her guy. Going back to the previous scene, I had made note of what a wonderful job Kristen Bell did in telegraphing Veronica's frame of mind with regard to the parallel. I'm glad that we got that because it gave us what her voiceover did not. As per usual, her inner thoughts were not utilized to showcase the beating heart of Veronica Mars; the voiceover did not fully explain the depth to which Trish's words affected Veronica. Instead, we were told that she was using the excuse of going "momentarily crazy" and then, of course, a quip. What a shocker!
Still, that's okay, because we were left with two things that truly showed the depth of Veronica's feelings for Logan and both were more than welcome and did a fine, fine job of telegraphing that depth -- something that has been sorely lacking the Logan/Veronica relationship. The afore-mentioned facial expression in the previous scene and here we had the simple force of her action. She chose to trust Logan and not go all pathologically suspicious on his (fine) ass.
Good call, Veronica, and one you'll be very appreciative of in retrospect at the end of the episode.
Scene Twelve: Neptune High Girls' Bathroom Meet the Hearst Library ... You've Been Replaced
Can I just say ...
And let that be the entire sum total of my analysis? Because really it was just so very, very squee-worthy. I don't know if this is my favorite Logan and Veronica scene ever ... no, no I do know. It is. Really. No talk of Duncan. No talk of Lilly. No discussion of any former/future significant others. No murder or rape or lies or sarcasm or quips or hidden pain. It was just on the table with their heart on their sleeves, unabashed open 'I love you' without the words actually spoken. It was as close to perfect a Logan/Veronica scene as we've ever gotten.
From the look on Veronica's face when she saw Logan, to the final moment when she rested her head on his chest, the scene fairly danced with the tender currents of electricity. What was so evident in this scene was not only how much they do love one another, but how much both want to make this relationship work. Both were willing to compromise and Veronica was brutally honest with Logan about her trust issues. She didn't quip; she didn't make a joke or pretend its depth wasn't enormous. Instead, she owned up to it and apologized for how it had led her to hurt him. She nearly cried as she strove to convince him that she was trying to "act unnaturally." And trying to act unnaturally due to the severe betrayals she's dealt with is a colossal step for Veronica Mars to take.
As for Logan, his compromise didn't entail as much heft, but that is merely because throughout their relationship, Logan has done his fair share of compromising and this episode was the first time we actually saw him put his foot down for reasonable treatment. Still, he gave up surfing in Tijuana and offered to take in foreign cinema -- a dreaded aspect for the traditional
Which leaves us with the little touches and the final moments of LoVe (yes, I went there ... you gotta problem?). One of my favorite moments was when the student came looking for help and Veronica did not take her adoring eyes off of Logan even once ... not for a single, solitary second. Another fun moment was Logan's glance of "Hee! I'm gonna go make out!" to the poor, unassisted student who stood watching them walk away, distraught and bewildered. Throughout the scene, there were many of these small moments, a look, a quirk of the mouth, the way Veronica held onto Logan's hand, and then encircled his wrist as she moved into kiss him. And ahh, we're there. Those final moments ...
- Suppose we never fell in love
- Suppose I never ever let you kiss me so sweet and so soft
I just have one word:
As Veronica watches (while waiting for her hot hot hottie hot of a boyfriend), some unfortunate young man is being yelled at by his coach while being forced to run the stadium steps as some sort of punishment for missing team meetings - or liking philosophy and drinking espresso while eating cheese. It's kind of hard to tell. Veronica voiceovers that football is the systematic violation of the Geneva Convention made into a sport. A pretty accurate description in my book.
Speaking of books ... when Mr. #44 is finally relieved of running duties and is permitted to head to the locker room, he discovers that something is missing from his backpack. Based on his conversation shortly thereafter with his girlfriend Trish (who appears to manage the college radio station), he's missing a green binder - which we soon discover is his playbook. Losing this item is apparently going to result in his immediate and painful demise.
That afternoon while Veronica is working at the library's information desk (and musing on her options for not getting thrown out of college) Piz shows up to ask a favor. It seems his future mentor (knock on faux hardwood paneling) in radio has a boyfriend with a problem that he's hoping Veronica can help with. Veronica looks annoyed by the turn of events, but the lure of the prospect of getting paid cannot be denied.
She takes a seat at a library table where Trish's football playing boyfriend Kurt (a.k.a. #44) explains that he's lost his football playbook. The problem with that is that playbooks aren't supposed to leave the sports complex and Kurt broke the rules. Kurt explains that he'd missed a few meetings due to class lectures and "borrowed" the playbook so he could catch up. But if he has to tell the coach that he lost the playbook, they'll use it as a reason to yank his scholarship.
Poor Kurt looks truly stricken. Trish looks concerned and sympathetic. Piz looks like he's trying to look like his presence at this little meeting is justified (and, can I say, failing miserably). Veronica looks a little calculating and assumes outloud that securing his future will probably be worth $500 to Kurt. Piz, like, punches Veronica in the arm -- not taps, not slaps, PUNCHES -- after she tells Kurt her rate and bitches that it is the same amount she charged him at the "friend of a friend" rate.
I have to pause here for a minute because DUDE! You've known the girl for like two minutes so the fact that she charged you the same rate as these other folks (as she explains by means of "friend of a friend" has now been extended to "friend of a friend of a friend" -- you douchebag) is not cause for you get your panties in a twist. Not to mention the punching! I mean, I know Veronica's pretty bad-ass but surely you've noticed the girl weighs like 12 pounds soaking wet. Are you trying to break her arm for helping you? Jesus! Use the sense God gave you. And if he didn't give you any, go borrow someone elses. Crimeny!
Back to the story: Kurt agrees to the fee. He can't go to the police because (aside from their obvious incompetence) it would just be admitting that he lost the playbook or worse, that someone stole it. Veronica wants to clarify that he's referring to someone on another team? It could be, but Trish adds that it might just be someone who wants him off this team.
Kurt explains that Trish is talking about his position coach. It seems that Kurt was kind of a big deal on the football field back in the day. He started at Hearst right out of high school, but he tore his ACL at the end of last season and now doesn't get to spend much time on the field during game play. Apparently this injury pisses his coach off because it means that Kurt is "wasting" a scholarship that another healthy athlete that might be able to put some points up on the board could be using. Yeah, I too am feeling the love.
Veronica asks for a play-by-play of the evening the playbook went missing: every place Kurt went, every person who might have had access to the book, any event that might be significant. Kurt tells her that it was in his backpack the whole time and the backpack remained unopened until that afternoon when he discovered the book was missing.
Kurt flashes back for us on the evening before. He went with Trish (like a good and supportive boyfriend) to the student art show. They milled around and talked to Trish's "friend" Larry (looking like kind of a loser) who had a fiew, ahem, masterpieces on display that evening. I can't help but notice that Larry's looking at Trish with a little more longing and adoration than you see on most "friends." Unless we're talking like the Rachel and Ross kind of "friends" if you catch my drift.
After the art show Kurt went back to his dorm room and his best friend from the team, Brian Popovich a.k.a. Pop, came over to hang out and play Guitar Hero. Piz comments that the game rocks and Kurt enthusiastically agrees. (Boys and their short attention spans.) Kurt flashes back to golden memories of he and Pop living out their rockstar dreams while Guitar Hero-ing through "Smoke on the Water." We spot Kurt's backpack living, by all accounts untouched, in the corner of the room.
Kurt stayed in all night, but there were a couple of other guests that dropped by his room in addition to Pop. We see a gaggle of giddy, giggly girly-girls (go me with the alliteration!) dropping by for a quick visit with Pop, bearing a glitzy and oh-so-gaudy bucket of -- what, lucky(?!?) -- popcorn to Pop. The cleverness astounds. Anyway, it seems like the cheerleaders weren't around for very long. And that pretty much covers the night in question.
Back in the present, Kurt worries over losing his scholarship. Trish, ever supportive, tries to comfort him and tells him that whatever happens, they'll get through it. She's got the Pell Grant thing worked out for him and his grades are really good, so she has faith that he'll be okay. All that aside, Kurt still isnt thrilled about the prospect of being kicked off the football team. It seems our sensitive and intelligent jock (you know, the kind we never saw at Neptune) has a real love for the game.
Veronica wonders aloud if perhaps getting a copy of the playbook for Kurt to turn in isn't a better and faster resolution to his dilemma than trying to track down the theif. Kurt seems confused but that's okay he doesn't really know Veronica or what she's capable of. Our girl, at least professionally, is a master at thinking outside the box.
Although Veronica's idea is a clever one, it turns out that getting another copy of the playbook isn't nearly as easy as she thought. According to Kurt the playbooks are run off on athletic department stationary and each page features an ID code that changes from week to week and player to player. (Side note: The college can manage this kind of security on playbooks for football -- but can't adequately protect it's students from a serial rapist? Way to prioritize there.) In an effort to get into the coach's office, Veronica dons a (stolen? borrowed?) lacross uniform and fakes a leg injury. She tests out her disguise on a guy moving equipment and asks to be pointed in the right direction for a trainer to attend to her faux thrashed ankle.
Once she's alone in the hallowed halls of the athletic department, Veronica makes her way back to the locker room and finally to the office of Dwight Fry, Defensive Coordinator. Veronica pops on to his computer and finds the file for playbooks. She scrolls through a list of incomprehensible numbers (that we can assume are the ID codes) and clicks on "FK397-44-906." Either Kurt had his ID memorized for that week (since they rotate) or Veronica's developed some new skills we dont know about like one of the kids on Heroes.
She opens the file which does appear to be the appropriate playbook and clicks the print button. The only problem? It appears that Coach Fry is suffering with a dinosaur of a printer and it is gonna be several minutes before all the pages have printed out. No sooner does Veronica realize she's gonna be stuck in the office a bit longer than anticipated, she hears voices outside in the hallway and realizes that Coach Fry is about to catch her in the act. Considering both Kurt and Veronica's tenuous positions at Hearst, there's no happy ending in sight for anyone if Veronica gets caught.
Realizing that there's only one place to hide, Veronica closes the file and ducks under the desk just as Coach Fry opens the door. Veronica listens as Kurt's friend Pop tells the coach that as much as he loves Hearst, Sonoma has made him an offer and they are giving him a full ride. Coach is displeased at this announcement and makes the noises you would expect about figuring out a way to keep Pop there. In a moment of really unfortunate timing, the printer finally finishes "loading" Veronica's print job and finally begins to print Kurt's playbook. Eeek.
Coach Fry slides around his desk, trying to figure out why the hell something seems to be spontaneously printing. He goes to sit down at the desk and the jig is up -- because despite how petite our heroine is, Coach is gonna kick her when he slides up to his desk. Veronica pops up, startling the coach, and takes advantage of his momentary confusion to kick the printer's plug out of the power strip to stop the incriminating print job. She fumbles about for an explanation and finally comes up with a lame story about how she was supposed to break in and steal a jock -- strap, that is, not male athlete -- as part of a sorority hazing ritual. An "A" for effort Veronica, but I dont think that's gonna cut it.
And apparently I'm right, because the next time we see Veronica she's in conference with the Dean trying to explain her jock-stealing behavior. He comments that she's well on her way to being the freshman with the most colorful disciplinary record at the college. Feels like home, eh Veronica? The Dean reminds Veronica that he's still waiting on that name from the Zeta Theta Beta expose and if she gives it to him, they can wipe her slate clean. Veronica reminds him that she's not giving up the name. He reminds her that he's going to expell her if she doesn't. She reminds him again, with an extra dose of sass, that she's not giving up the name. Veronica, be patient -- he doesnt really know you or that look of stelly resolve yet. But dont worry, he'll learn soon enough.
After a quick convo with her (adorably reformable and ever so good and manly) boyfriend, Veronica stops by Mac's room for a visit. Only Mac and Parker appear to have gone out -- to work out? But the trip wasn't a waste because at that moment Kurt and Trish come around the corner hand in hand providing Veronica an opportunity to give Kurt the update on her little playbook duplication plan -- which we all know was a bust.
As they head into Trish's room, Veronica starts to explain her new theory that involves Coach Fry but everyone is distracted by the portrait of Trish displayed on her bed. Kurt is puzzled because he doesn't remember painting and dropping off a bad picture of her. Trish makes a pained face and says that it must be a gift from Larry. You know, the art show guy I believe I mentioned was seriously crushing on Trish in Kurt's flashback. Trish reveals that she and Larry went out last year, which Kurt knew what he was less clear on was that Larry was apparently stalking her.
Kurt crosses to the bed to retrieve the note accompanying Trish's gift which reads "Seriously -- drop that meathead; you know you're still my muse." Clearly, Larry's about as good a poet as he is a painter. Kurt seems to take exception to the term 'meathead' and is a little confused because he thought Larry liked him. Trish confirms that it's really more like Larry hates him. I'm guessing with something in the neighborhood of "the firey passion of a thousand suns," but that is really only my personal speculation.
Looking at Veronica you can practically see the wheels turning in her head. She asks Trish if she thinks Larry hates Kurt enough to steal his playbook. Trish and Kurt both look at Veronica somewhat confused until Veronica reminds them that the night the playbook went missing, they went to the art show to check out Larry's "masterpieces." And it is pretty clear to everyone involved now how badly Larry would like Kurt out of the picture so he can reclaim his muse.
Veronica tracks Larry down at his display from the student art show and makes like she's perusing his work with interest. When Larry asks her thoughts on his pieces, Veronica's kind of 'meh' about them. Larry with a measure of humor assumes she's an art major. Veronica assures him she's just an interested amature, but his pictures are saying something to her. It feels like perhaps he's having muse trouble. Yes, that's it -- he's lost his muse to a ... what's the word she's searching for ... yes, she's got it -- a meathead. His art (or maybe just his pathetic note) is crying out that his muse has abandoned him for a meathead.
Sensing that the discussion has just taken a turn he doesn't want to follow, Larry tells Veronica he's busy and doesn't have time to talk. Which is good, because Veronica's busy too so they should just cut the crap. She accuses Larry of stealing the Kurt's playbook, but Larry scoffs at the notion. What use would he have for the playbook? Veronica thinks it might have something to do with the fact that it would get Kurt kicked off the team, which would cause him to lose his scholarship, which would leave poor Trish all alone to cry her misery on his (and I quote) "bony-ass, paint-stained shoulder." It's what we call motive, Larry.
Larry doesn't know who Veronica is (obviously), or who she thinks she is (a master sleuth), but he's no criminal mastermind. Showing off his paint spattered clothes, hair and hands, Larry confirms that he's just a painter, nothing more. Veronica reminds him that the same could be said about Hitler with that look that says "you just think about THAT, buddy."
Veronica heads over to Kurt's room to see if she can get some incriminating evidence to nail Larry to the proverbial wall. After complimenting Trish on trading up from Larry-the-tool to the lovely Kurt, she asks Kurt to see his backpack. Because if Larry's guilty -- and she hopes to God in heaven he is -- there should be a smudge of paint somewhere inside Kurt's bag. But dammit, no luck. Veronica finds no paint in the bag, only a stray piece of popped popcorn. Ruh-roh!
Kurt is equally troubled by the presence of this kernal of corn because it does seem rather incriminating for his friend Pop. Despite Kurt's desire to believe that his friend wouldn't dog him that way, Veronica points out that perhaps getting Kurt's scholarship yanked would allow Pop to remain at Hearst on his own free ride. Kurt comments that if Pop did take the playbook, he was smart enough to trash it which means they'll never be able to prove he took it.
Veronica smiles that smile of hers that is a little scary around the edges and tells Kurt not to worry, they are gonna blackmail Pop. The beauty of that plan is if he's guilty, he'll show up. And if they can get him to confess on tape, they'll have all the proof they need. Kurt looks skeptical, but that's okay -- he's still learning how formidable the tiny blond really is. Veronica tells Kurt not to worry because she's done this like a million times before. No, really. That's not much of an exaggeration Kurt. While working that night at the library, Veronica crafts and sends her blackmail email to Pop and puts the plan into motion.
The next day Pop comes down to the library while Veronica's working and tries to check out Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. It seems that someone told him to come down and check that book out. Nice Veronica. Points for subtlety. Veronica admits that she was the person who sent the message and since they both know that he did something to Kurt, he shouldn't try to deny it. He should just come clean and figure out how he's gonna make things right with Kurt.
Pop sighs meaningfully and looks appropriately guilty as Veronica continues that she's sure he trashed it. Pop looks a bit startled but assures her he didn't trash it. In fact, he has it with him if she wants him to give it to her. Uh, DUH, dude. That would be a good start. Pop digs into his bag and hands over a single sheet of paper while commenting that he's not sure he understands getting the third degree over a sociology assignment.
Veronica looks at the piece of paper Pop has handed her and is incredulous. It seems that Pop did break into Kurt's bag on the night in question, but not to steal his playbook -- to borrow his homework. Apparently Pop was behind and didn't think that either of them would get caught so it didn't seem like a big deal. Veronica wonders if he saw the playbook in Kurt's bag that night. He did, but he didn't say anything even though it was against the rules because Kurt's a cool guy, and, well, he was stealing his homework after all.
Veronica's trying to piece together a new time line in her head and wonders when the guys stopped playing Guitar Hero. Pop thinks back and decides that he was there all night, until about one a.m. when Trish showed up and kicked him out. And the plot thickens!
Veronica pays a visit to Trish at the radio station and lays a little trap. She tells Trish that she saw Kurt at the stadim a little while ago and she's pretty sure he turned himself in. Veronica tells Trish that she saw Kurt running the staduim stairs while Coach Fry was reading him the riot act about losing the playbook and how he'd be running the steps every day. Trish seems bewildered that Kurt wasn't kicked-off the team and Veronica comments that she thinks that alternative would have been a blessing in comparison to the punishment he's being subjected to instead.
Veronica gives Trish thirty minutes to come apart at the seams and then pays her a little visit at her dorm room. When Trish opens the door we see that she's literally been ripping her room apart. She confesses to Veronica that she stole Kurt's playbook. As you might imagine, that confession surprises Veronica not at all. The problem? The playbook seems to have disappeared from Trish's room so she can't turn it in and stop Kurt from getting tortured.
Well, Trish, Veronica's got some good news for you on that front her story about Kurt suffering through stadium runs was a lie. But she's dying to know why Trish would steal the book in the first place. Was she really that desperate for him to get kicked off the team so they could spend more time together? No, Trish's motives were more pure and selfless than that. She hated the way the Coach treated Kurt and she thought if he was off the team, he'd be less miserable and conflicted. Good motive, BAD implemenation.
She knows how much Kurt loves football and how much he's given to the team. But it kills her that after he blew out his knee while playing his heart out for them, they've repaid him by making his life a living hell. I agree, it sucks. But as Veronica points out, Trish can't quit the team for him no matter how much she might want to. Anyway, it's all moot now because the playbook has gone missing from Trish's room and she has no idea where it went. Veronica smiles and tells Trish that if she thinks about it, she'll realize who has it.
Veronica pays a visit to Larry the Painter Guy a visit with Kurt and Trish in tow. Before she can utter a word, Kurt storms through the door and puts a little hurt on old Larry and demands to know where the playbook is. Larry's not talking and Kurt's trying to convince him that he's in for a world of pain when Larry's roommate arrives and tells Kurt that the playbook is under the couch. DUDE!
It seems Larry's roommate is a kid Veronica remembers seeing at Mercer's den of inequity (when her misplaced trust issues prompted her to stalk her own boyfriend) laying a bet on the upcoming football game. Veronica correctly surmises that in addition to helping Larry get Kurt out of his way, the boys were making some money on the side by selling the playbook to Sonoma State and then betting the farm against Hearst for Saturday's game.
Poor Kurt feels terrible that he's put his team in jeapordy but Trish doesnt seem to get it. She tells Kurt to turn in his playbook like everyone else and no one will be any wiser. Kurt is incredulous because he cannot just stand idly by and watch his team get their asses kicked. Trish can't understand why he cares after the way the team has treated him. Kurt clenches his jaw and mutters that he guesses she doesn't know him at all before storming out the door.
Hey Veronica -- you takin' notes here? This ringing any bells for you? Perhaps you should take a moment, reflect on these events and determine if say, you know YOUR boyfriend any better than Trish knows Kurt. Based on the conversation she has with Mercer only moments later, I have to guess she wasn't paying attention to the obvious parallel. For a P.I. Mars, you are sometimes wickedly unobservant.
Veronica catches up with Trish a day or two later and learns that Kurt has headed back home to Kansas. It seems that he felt the need to confess about the playbook for the sake of his teammates, and, as expected, the school yanked his scholarship. In addition to leaving the state, it seems that Kurt also took a break from Trish because despite the fact that he knew her heart was in the right place, he wasn't sure he could get past what she had done. Trish realized too late that her momentary lapse in judgement may have cost her the boy she loves.
Hey Veronica, is THIS ringing any bells? Wait, wait -- I think I see some internal reflection ... wait for it ... yes! There it is! Epiphany at long last. It took you long enough.
- We see a really ghastly-looking sign for Jumbo's Clown Wash. Complete with a drawing of a freaky-toothed clown. (Clown Wash? Seriously, what kind of name is that? Are they washing clowns here? Are clowns washing the cars? What the frak?) Anyway, one of the "clown washers" is picking up his duffel bag, getting ready to leave for the day. But, hey, wait a minute. That's no clown. No, it's our very own Eli 'Weevil' Navarro, who was last seen being hauled out of his high school graduation ceremony wearing handcuffs. Now, he's wearing a jumpsuit with a creepy clown face on it. One would think this is a step up? Before he manages to get away, Weevil is stopped by his gruff-sounding boss, who demands to know what Weevil thinks he's doing. The lovable smartass claims the dude in the SUV looks like he digs magic, so he's getting his doves. (Hee. But wouldn't the more appropriate joke have included something about balloon animals? Just sayin'.) Seriously, though, Weevil's shift was up half an hour ago, so he's leaving. His boss has other ideas and tells him he's not leaving until some guy named Ray Ray gets there. Losing his temper, Weevil shouts, "Screw you!" at his boss, who threatens to send him back to Chino if he doesn't pipe down. Weevil starts to go after the jerk, but another employee pulls him back and shares with him that he once hit his boss and the extra year of prison time wasn't worth it.
Weevil chills a bit and when he sees a Saturn drive up (Gee, wonder who that could be!), he tells his boss he'll just go wash some spoiled bitch's graduation gift from Daddy. He turns to see Veronica standing by her car, when she calls out that she's not spoiled and it wasnt actually a graduation gift, and the 'bitch' part depends on who's being asked. Weevil joins her at her car and they catch up on things, since they haven't seen each other since he was arrested for murder. Weevil plea-bargained down to assault and now enjoys employment at the car wash, which is nowhere near as fun as the old song made it sound. Their conversation is interrupted as Veronica takes a phone call, which happens to be an invite to the principal's -- I mean, to the Dean's office. Weevil's amused to see that this leopard hasn't changed her spots and is wondering what the folks at Hearst know about her when his boss yells at him for harassing her instead of doing his job and threatens to throw him out on his ass. When he caps that off by calling Weevil "Cholo," our former gang leader finally loses it. Before Veronica can stop him, Weevil throws his boss against a vending machine, pinning him by the throat. The boss tells him he should let him go so he can call his parole officer. Pissed off, Weevil punches and breaks the glass beside the guy's head and storms off, past Veronica, telling her that he hasn't changed his spots either.
Later, we're given our first appearance by Dean Cyrus O'Dell, as Veronica nervously walks into his office. She's a little surprised to see that he's not sitting at his desk, but is standing on his desk, pounding on the air conditioning vent with a broom handle. He's frustrated that even with the technological advances our society has made, no one can keep his air conditioning running for more than a week at a time. O'Dell asks her to have a seat and as he starts to climb off the desk, he accidentally knocks a framed photo off his desk. She picks it up for him and we see it's a picture of a woman and two boys, the older one a black and white face-painted teenager. The woman and the teenager are both sporting the "rock on" hand gesture. (In the proper manner, not Veronica-style.) When Veronica asks if these are his kids, O'Dell says it's his wife, his son from a previous marriage and his stepson.
Veronica has a seat while the Dean sits on the arm of his sofa and looks at an issue of the Hearst Free Press. He thinks it's rare that a freshman makes as big a splash as Veronica has. Her unease builds as she sees he's looking at the article she contributed to during her brief stint on the newspaper. When he calls it a sharp piece of writing, she tries to explain that the editor took some liberties. He's not interested in hearing that, though. What he wants is the name of both Veronica's source, who told her that the house mother got her pot seeds from a professor, and the name of the professor. If she doesn't give him their names, he's going to expel her. Veronica is stunned. And who can blame her? This just has to be some kind of record for her. I mean, she made it twelve whole episodes into season one and nine into season two without facing school disciplinary action.
A short time later, we see Veronica working the library Help Desk, thinking about how she refused to give up Marjorie's name to the Dean. He's apparently given her a week to change her mind, the poor ignorant man.
That evening, Keith is sitting at the table, eating as he labors over some paperwork. Veronica walks into the kitchen and joins him for dinner as she brings up how busy he must be with her not around the office as much. He concedes that this is somewhat true. She helpfully suggests that he'd probably be happy if she found someone to help him. Someone like Eli Navarro. Somehow managing not to spit out his food, Keith quickly dismisses the idea. Veronica's serious, though, and starts pleading with him to hire Weevil since he'll be forced back into jail if he doesn't have a job by the time of his next meeting with his parole officer. Keith, however, is not giving in -- he's not running a charity. So Veronica threatens to pull out the big guns -- aka "The Stare." He doesn't budge, so she sighs, rests her chin on her folded hands and gives him a pitiful stare as he rolls his eyes in annoyance, folds his arms, and stares back.
I'm sure it's of no surprise to anyone that the next time we see Weevil he's behind the receptionist's desk at Mars Investigations. Of greater surprise is probably the fact that he's wearing a tie. (A tie!) Keith manages to avoid getting angry with Weevil when he demonstrates less-than-professional phone skills while answering a call from someone who a) had to verify she called the right number, since Weevil answered with simply "Hello," b) had to know that Keith was standing right there since Weevil kept asking him for instructions and c) felt it better to call back another time than to leave a message. Moving past it, Keith gives Weevil a case file. He needs Eli to stake out a shoe warehouse. Stock has been disappearing and the security guard is the main suspect. They need a money shot of the guy loading some of that afternoon's shipments in order to prove it. Apprentice P.I. Weevil's on the job!
And then it's Trip #2 to the Dean's office, after Veronica slips up on her unsolved mystery of the week and gets caught sneaking around the coach's office, allegedly attempting to steal a jock. Strap, that is. The Dean compliments her on having the most colorful disciplinary file of the freshman class (Go, Veronica!) and offers to give her a clean slate if she would just give him the name he wants. She reminds him that she's already said she's not going to give him the name. And O'Dell reminds her that he said he'll expel her if she doesn't. And she said she's not going to and proceeds to give him The Stare. Not the pathetic one Keith so easily caved to before, but the stubborn stare of resolve that clearly means she's about as movable as an obstinate wooly mammoth. Before we can see how resistant the Dean may or may not be to The Stare, they're interrupted by three angry feminists who burst in unannounced. As they're joined by some obnoxious Hearst Lampoon guys, Veronica tells the Dean she should go and starts to sneak her way out. O'Dell reminds her she has two days to change her mind.
Keith is sitting at his desk, looking over the surveillance photos Weevil took at the shoe warehouse. Weevil's sure it isn't the guard who's the thief. He doesn't feel like one to him. He reads comic books and drives a VW Bug! Weevil points to a photo of the delivery truck and explains that he thinks the driver is the thief. Keith is doubtful, since he's been working there for years with a spotless record. Weevil explains that the guy is showing signs of a nasty heroin habit. And in pictures of him offloading the truck, it's clear that in one photo the box is heavy and in another it's light -- or empty. Keith is impressed and compliments him on his fine work. Weevil is totally jazzed and proud to have done well. His new boss gives him another file -- a custody case. A couple believes that their widowed daughter-in-law is abusing their grandson. He wants Eli to get a few hours' sleep and stake out her house after the kid comes home from school.
The next evening, Keith goes to Veronica's room to tell her he got fired off of a job. Even before she finishes asking what happened, she guesses it had something to do with Weevil. Keith tells her how he was really great on his first surveillance job, but last night's didn't go so well. Weevil found out that his client's grandson was being physically abused by their daughter-in-law's new boyfriend and Weevil beat him up. The boy's mother realized he was working for the grandparents, got some lawyers involved and now the grandparents have no chance to get custody of the boy. Veronica's disheartened by the news, but promises it won't happen again. Keith knows that Weevil needs the work, but so does he. He can't take any more chances -- Weevil needs to go.
So the next day, Veronica goes to see Weevil at the office. He nervously asks her if Keith's mad at him. Veronica explains that she asked to be the one to talk to him. It's nothing personal, but Keith has to let him go. Weevil understands, but he's clearly disappointed. He really enjoyed it and thought it was something he could do well. He asks if she happens to know anybody else hiring ex-cons because he'll be going back to prison now if he can't find another job within a week. She wishes she knew of something, but in the meantime, if he can still borrow his uncle's tools, she can get him $2,000 for fixing the Dean's vandalized car.
Sometime later, Weevil and Veronica are at an auto shop, looking at O'Dell's Volvo. She's impressed that Weevil's been able to fix most of it so quickly. He tells her that only one of the dents was serious and the windows and paint will only take another day. Walking her to her own car, Weevil jokingly asks if the Dean is a new pal of hers. She laughs and tells him that no, he actually wants her expelled from his college. Thinking that sounds more like the girl he knows, Weevil is a little surprised that the guy is so uptight. This confuses Veronica, so he explains that with the cool car and the badass tunes, he figured the Dean was cool, too. He hands her the "badass tunes," a Transplants CD, he found in the car's stereo.
Dean O'Dell is working at his desk, when Veronica barges in and tells him the new deal they're going to have. He can go ahead and expel her because she's not giving up her source OR she can make his little problem with Lilith House, the Lampoon and the car go away. He's naturally skeptical, not having conversed with Principal Clemmons prior to this student's admission. Veronica asks him if he's a fan of the Transplants. He has no idea what that is, so she tells him that his son knows who they are. She holds up the CD next to the family photo on his desk and shows him that his son is wearing a Transplants t-shirt. The band had a concert in town the other night, and despite the fact that he's 15 and not allowed, Veronica believes the boy went anyway. In fact, she thinks he took Dad's car to the show, blasting their CD in the stereo during the ride. When he had a fender-bender, instead of facing the wrath of Dad, he trashed the car in an effort to make it look like the Lilith women did it.
Showing him a photo of the Volvo, she explains further that the dent was far too deep to have been caused by a baseball bat and there was paint chipped off inside to boot. If he checks his garage, he can probably find a can of spray-paint that matches the "Pig" graffiti. He seems to accept all of this as he suggests that they're even. But no, Veronica thinks he still owes her one because she got his car fixed for free. By the hard-working and responsible young man he's going to hire to fill a maintenance position. She hands him the job flyer and tells him the young man's number is written there and he's expecting his call. She smiles rather cockily and leaves the Dean still sitting there with his mouth agape.
Later, O'Dell finishes up a phone conversation just as the air conditioning comes on in his office. He breathes a great sigh of relief. Weevil, wearing a maintenance uniform, pokes his head in and asks if it's better now. "Much," O'Dell says with gratitude. Weevil closes the door, smiling at his job well done.
- Veronica is sitting on the bleachers of the Hearst football stadium, watching as a coach barks insults at one of his players as he runs up and down the steps doing penance for skipping a meeting. Not all that interested in the show, Veronica turns her attention to an article in the Hearst Free Press, which includes a photo of the female students of Lilith House protesting sans above-the-waist clothing. Logan walks out of the building behind her and leans over the railing to check out what she's looking at. "Oh, boy. Nudity." As he joins her, Veronica tries to explain that it's not nudity but political speech designed to "turn the objectifying male gaze back on itself." At this, Logan suggests she's had enough college.
Holding each other close, they walk up the steps just in time for a couple of girls in sweat outfits to walk by and ask Logan if he's going to some party. Absolutely, he says without a second's hesitation. They tell him he can bring his "friend" (Ahem!) if he wants to. Veronica glances at them, as Logan chuckles. They walk away, leaving the girls to watch after him, whispering to one another. His girlfriend asks if those two are new friends he's made. Logan explains they're in his Weightlifting class. An annoyed tone starting to creep into her voice, she points out that it's the one class he never misses. Amused at what he suspects is a spark of jealousy, Logan plays along, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.
He asks if she's jealous, but she clarifies for him that jealousy would involve piano wire -- this is mild annoyance he's seeing. Annoyance at how quickly he agrees to go party with his "gym buddies," while he's always "busy" whenever she wants to do something that interests her. Logan wonders if she's referring to an old fossil's bookreading she had wanted to go to. Yes! She'd like to expand her horizons some now that they're in college -- and obviously she'd like spend time with him while they do so. She complains that it's time to move beyond playing video games and binge drinking, but Logan insists that he is slightly beyond that.
Taking that as encouragement, she smiles at him sweetly and suggests they go check out the art major group show tonight. He grimaces a little because he's busy. She sighs in a bit of frustration and skeptical disappointment. No, really, he insists. He has a class tonight, but she could stop by afterwards and they could write on each other and get
That night, Veronica is walking by the campus fountain when Dick -- bagged bottle of booze in hand -- joins her. After exchanging quips, Veronica realizes he should be in class right now, since he has Intro Econ with Logan. Dick says the class was "a walk" since the professor didn't show up after five minutes, so the rule says they could leave. Veronica checks her phone for messages, but when she doesn't see any she wonders where Logan could be. Dick, wonderful BFF that he is, shrugs and suggests Logan's busy nailing other chicks. Then leaves her to stew over that. (Seriously, the girl should get extra bonus points with Logan just for tolerating Dick without doing any bodily harm.)
The next day, Veronica is walking across the street at Hearst, when a black Range Rover pulls around and honks at her. She walks along the sidewalk as Logan parks his sexy new ride at the curb. And the boy is so excited to see her that he's halfway out of the vehicle before he's even parked it. Smiling, he asks her to grade him on a scale of one to ten. As he joins her on the sidewalk, Veronica suggests a 1. (As if!) 7? (Warmer ) 4? (Come on!) Okay, give her some criteria. His gentlemanliness is what he wants to be scored on. Kissing her, he proudly offers that he resisted making a booty call to her last night. He notices the strained smile on her face and wonders what that's about. She recalls how her dad said she had a thing for trying to reform unreformable bad boys. He expresses some confusion at this comment -- because he's reformable, good, and a man.
She explains that Dick told her their class was a walk, so he could have gone to the art show with her last night, after all. Logan claims that the professor did show and Dick was just too impatient to stick around long enough. Veronica wonders, with a nervous little smile, if he'd show her his notes. He laughs, but tells her to forget it. She's hardly the first girl to be led astray by Dick. (Hee! No, really, HEE!) He stops walking and turns to face her. Is she free tonight? They could go listen to some fossil reading a phonebook. But, conveniently enough, she's stuck at work this time. That doesn't mean they can't see each other, though. Smiling hopefully, she suggests that he could maybe come by the library. At this offer of a G-rated booty call, he agrees that just maybe he will come by. Giggling now, she playfully pushes him and they keep walking, happy to be together.
Veronica sits in the library that night, finishing up a blackmail e-mail to her latest suspect. Task accomplished, she considers herself officially ready for a visit from her boyfriend. She hears a slight cough and looks up happily, expecting Logan. Alas, no, it's just some dude wanting help. Disappointing for all of us, I'd say. After she gets the guy his book, she hears her phone ring across the room. (Oh, sheesh, she couldn't turn the ringer off in a library even? If she leaves it on in the movie theater, she's dead to me. Just sayin'.) She misses the call, but checks her voicemail and smiles when she hears Logan's voice. The smile doesn't last for long, however, as Logan, who sounds like he's having a grand ol' time partying with what suspiciously sounds like the opposite sex, doesn't think he's going to be able to make it to see her tonight. 'Cause it looks like he's getting lucky! (Dude. Just dude. I'm reminded of Veronica's earlier question, "Really, how do you think that sounds?") After his message ends with a "see you tomorrow, babe" she hangs up, disappointed and not the happiest girlfriend in the world.
Walking outside, Veronica considers her moral dilemma of the hour. She has a cell phone tracker that Keith spent hundreds of dollars on. She spent the time and effort to activate the GPS tracker in Logan's phone. So, really, wouldn't it be a waste of time and money to not put these things to use? Decision made, Veronica turns on the tracker and little red arrows pinpoint the location of one Logan E.
In a rather large dorm room, there's a full-blown casino gaming room catering to a crowd of college students. A man, identified as Mercer, schmoozes around, seeing how everyone's doing. When he's told that they're low on booze, he tosses some money at a kid and asks him to run out for some more vodka. So, clearly Mercer's in charge of this particular show. He makes his way over to the Blackjack table, where he tells a player that he looks to be in the proverbial catbird seat. That player happens to be Logan and the dealer has just hit 21, so Logan puts his drink down and wonders if "catbird seat" is what they're calling the toilet these days. He turns just in time to see Veronica tentatively making her way into the room. And yeah, the toilet is exactly where he thinks he's at, when Veronica spots him. She gives him a shaky little smile, as their eyes meet.
Veronica walks over to Logan, who stands and forces a smile as he asks her what she's doing there. She was about to ask the same, but is curious about where exactly "here" is. Mercer Hayes introduces himself to Veronica and explains that this is his room. Veronica shakes his hand and tells him that she's "just Veronica." Turning her attention back to Logan, she asks him if this is why he stood her up. Sensing a lovers' quarrel about to disrupt his business, Mercer asks Logan if he's still playing or if his seat is -- "It's free," Veronica assures him quickly. Logan is a bit miffed that apparently he isn't free because it's not like he promised to meet her. And then it dawns on him to ask how she managed to find him in the first place -- a bug or a tracer? Getting annoyed (and a tad defensive), she tells him she traced his phone. Mercer's becoming irritated and is about to ask them to leave, when a guy with a stutter asks him about a point spread on an upcoming game. Mercer answers him, but not without first mocking his stutter. (Classy new friend you've got there, Logan. He'll fit right in with Dick.) Once the guy leaves, Mercer asks Logan and Veronica to take things outside.
Out in the hall, Logan complains that surveillance on him isn't as adorable as when she does it to actual criminals. Defensive now, she reminds him that he said that he'd come by to see her. Might come by, he argues. Continuing, she explains that hearing all the partying sounds on his message made her want to know what was going on. When he begins to refer to her as "Big Brother," she snaps back with feigned astonishment at the 1984 reference -- did he read it in Weightlifting?
Growing even more unhappy with the situation, Logan informs his girlfriend that her dad was half right. She does have a thing for bad boys, but instead of wanting to reform them, she just gets off on judging them. Having had enough of this conversation, he starts walking away, prompting Veronica to ask if she can borrow his copy of 101 Brooding Comments. He sarcastically tells her he only had the Cliffs Notes, but to save her some trouble, he's going surfing with Dick and Mercer in Mexico this weekend. He'll fax her the coordinates and keep a "bad thoughts" journal for her later review. Logan leaves a dejected Veronica standing alone in the hall. The next time we see her, Veronica is laying on her bed. In the dark. Emo music playing on the stereo. With a Blankie of Mopiness wrapped around her sad self.
The next day, Mercer is standing in line at the cafeteria, when Veronica walks up to him to say "hey" and ask him if he's packed his shark repellant. He's puzzled at first, then remembers who she is. He warns her off the food she's put on her tray, and then asks what she meant about sharks. She clarifies that she meant for him to watch out for them, in the water, on his surf trip to Mexico. Mercer laughs, but tells her that no one said anything about actually surfing while there, but he'll get her a piata. He leaves and this last bit of doubt cast upon Logan's activities causes Veronica's suspicious nature to assume complete control of the girl.
In the parking lot, Veronica rushes over to Logan's car and unlocks it. Fortunately, she doesn't have to actually break into it, since she apparently has a key of her own. She thinks to herself that people who say they'd never install a tracking device in their significant other's car probably just dont know how. Veronica, on the other hand, has the means, motive and opportunity to do just that. And so she does. Tsk, tsk, Veronica. You see that there? That is the line you just crossed. It's you who have officially entered Bad Girlfriend territory.
Fortunately, Veronica, too, realizes this during a later conversation with Trish, whose boyfriend, Kurt, is taking a break from her to think things over. He understood Trish's heart was in the right place when she was being a Bad Girlfriend, but he can't get over what she did. Trish is truly saddened that her momentary craziness may have cost her the guy she loves. Veronica looks a little startled as she realizes she's making the same mistake. She rushes out to Logan's car, once again, and decides to chalk her earlier actions up to momentary craziness. Having regained her sanity, she removes the tracker from his vehicle. Welcome back to the Light Side, V.
Later that night, Veronica is sitting at the Help Desk when a student walks up and asks for info on Jack London and mercury poisoning. She directs him to the appropriate aisle, then sits deep in thought for awhile, until she hears a voice asking her if this is the Help Desk. Surprised, she turns around to see Logan standing there. She walks towards him, just a bit cautiously, unsure of how this conversation's going to go. He says he needs a little help. Veronica guesses that he has a pathologically suspicious girlfriend (Ya think?) and he hopes that maybe there's a guidebook. He disagrees, saying it's what's beyond pathological? On the verge of tears, Veronica apologizes, admitting that all the people she's watched lie to, cheat on and betray each other, did a real number on her natural ability to trust people. He listens attentively as she swears that she's really trying to act unnaturally for him.
She wonders why he isn't in Mexico. He admits that while Mexico is a favorite of the bad boys, he was feeling a little reformed. He doesn't even think that Mercer surfs, anyway. Showing he's capable of a mature compromise in order to keep his girlfriend happy, he asks Veronica if she'd like to go to a foreign film festival this weekend, instead. The look of appreciation in Veronica's eyes is readily apparent, but then some poor kid, completely oblivious to this Moment that's taking place right now, tries to interrupt with a question. Veronica's gaze doesn't leave Logan's, however, as she reaches over and puts out the Closed sign on her desk. She smiles at Logan, telling him the invitation sounds nice, but they should go find him that guidebook now. Taking his hand, she walks out from the behind the desk and they walk away together, leaving the poor student to fend for himself. Smiling happily and not letting go of each other, they walk towards the staircase as Veronica suggests the book they need is on the dark lonely top floor. Before they even reach the stairs, she pulls him in for a kiss. As they climb the stairs, they kiss and hug one another every step of the way.
- Piz and Trish walk to KRFF, the Hearst College radio station, which has a fabulous window view of the food court. Piz is in the middle of pitching a radio show, explaining that he doesn't want to be one of those emo rocker dudes whose show is only about playing his band's demo -- although, by the way, he does have a band called Black Licorice, which is "really quite good." Reining him in from his hyperpitch, Trish asks for more info. He wants to do a call-in show to discuss political and cultural affairs. Something akin to Jon Stewart meets Crossfire, if, you know, Stewart didn't hate Crossfire.
- Veronica knocks on Mac's dorm room door. And waits. Then knocks some more. A girl passes by and Veronica asks her if she's seen Mac around. Apparently, she and Parker just left wearing workout clothes, so maybe they were going to the Stairmaster. Veronica looks slightly puzzled.
- Dean Cyrus O'Dell is married, with a 15 year-old son from a former marriage and a step-son. His wife was once one of his grad students. He drives a Volvo.
- Kurt's jersey number was 44.
- Kurt's ID number was FK397-44-906.
- Hearst College student e-mails are in the format: first.last@hearstcollege.org
- At school, Veronica is reading the latest issue of the Hearst Free Press. The cover story is 'Lilith House Protest Creates Controversy,' and the photo below is of several topless female students with a banner that says, 'We Go to Hearst; Go Ahead, RAPE US!'
No, fine gents of Hearst, that's not an invitation. It's sarcasm. And, as Veronica explains in great scholarly detail, it is also political speech, which is protected under the First Amendment. I guess someone's been diligently reading her Intro to Poli Sci textbook ...
The next day, Veronica's in the middle of a meeting with the Dean, when Nish, Fern and another Lilith House member, Claire, storm into the office. The women have been waiting outside with two obnoxious male editors from the Hearst Lampoon, another satirical school newspaper that's published an article in response to the Free Press' pro-feminist piece. Their counter-article features a photo of bare-chested guys with a banner reading 'No Thanks (Except Maybe the Blonde in the Middle).'
Oh, yeah. Class with a capital K. I hardly think the feminist protesters were trying to 'get their freak on.' Nish is furious, not surprisingly. Remember, this is the same woman that only smiles at the demise of campus fraternities and sororities. Nish says that the guys in the Lampoon photo must want to rape Claire, since she was in the middle of the protest photo. She argues that the caption is hate speech, not humor. Veronica is uncomfortable with the conversation, and keeps edging for the door. She doesn't support the Lampoon article, but she's not an aggressive feminist, either. I'll also understand if Veronica isn't feeling particularly warmly towards Nish after she refused to withdraw Veronica's sorority expos last week. Nnd we know that Fern's not exactly compassionate, either.
Dean O'Dell tells the women that Hearst's policy on free speech is perfectly clear, so he'll not be doing anything about the Lampoon article. He's more interested in finding the culprit(s) that vandalized his car. He suspects the Lilith women because of his unwillingness to bend on the newspaper issue. The Lampoon guys goad the women even more, bringing them further under fire with the Dean. So, the Lampooners and the feminists? Not exactly on the best of terms.
Later that week, Veronica tunes in to the premiere of Piz's radio show, "But We Were Just Talking." (She could hardly miss it's premiere since the guy sent her EIGHT E-MAILS! reminding her. Sheesh!) He's devoting the first show to his favorite Amendment: Numero Uno. Who better than to have the Lilith ladies and the Lampooners on as guests? What with all the newspaper controversy, you'd figure these guys could start an engaging political debate. Or, they could just commence with the personal attacks. That's also an option.
'The problem is simple,' the one Lampooner says. 'Feminists aren't funny.' Ba-dum tssh! Really, guys. Way to sell your point. Nish counters with, "If I say Mr. Hartman here is an idiot, that's one thing. But I say he's an idiot and should be strung up and beaten to death. Is that different? I mean, do words matter anymore?' Apparently not. Come on. Have these people never taken a debate class? Do ad hominem and 'fighting words' mean nothing to them?
Still on the air, Fern receives a text message (because you can't get anymore personal than a text) from someone named Sara. It says that Claire's been raped. "You bastards!" Fern shouts, pointing an accusing finger at the Lampoon editors. Piz quickly cuts the show to commercial, so Veronica has no idea about this latest rape. Fern continues with, "You said you'd do it, and you did."
And so the mystery continues. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm a little burnt out from these jaded and unsympathetic Lilith women. I missed Parker (you know, uhm, the real victim?) in this episode.
- Kurt flashback's (in the same ugly, angelic yellow of Welcome Wagon) briefly to the events of the night he lost his bag, which include the art show. (Read detailed breakdown.)
- Kurt flashback's again to that same night, this time to hanging out with his buddy, Pop. (Read detailed breakdown.)
"Smoke on the Water" (part of Guitar Hero - originally by Deep Purple)
Scene: Playing the Pop, Kurt and buddies are flashbacking their way to delusional rock star dreams of grandeur.
"Hold On, Hold On" (Neko Case)
Scene: Veronica is all emo over Logan. Score!
"Fidelity" (Regina Spektor)
Scene: LoVe in the library ... making out on the stairs. SQUEE!!
LoVe Lines
Logan: (Looks over Veronica's shoulder at newspaper.) Oh, boy. Nudity.
Veronica: (Chuckles.) If you have words written on yourself, it's not nudity, it's political speech. Taking control of one's body to turn the objectifying male gaze back on itself --
Logan: Oookay. No more college for you.
Veronica: (Walking beside Logan.) New friends?
Logan: Yeah, from weight-lifting class.
Veronica: Right! The only class you never miss. So, what, you guys like spot each other doing squat thrusts and stuff?
Logan: And have group sex in the showers.
Veronica: Ha!
Logan: (Walks behind her and puts arms around her, grinning.) What is this? Jealous? (Kisses her neck.)
Veronica: Ohhh, jealous would involve piano wire.
Logan: Oh.
Veronica: (Frustrated.) It's college. We are supposed to expand our horizons past video games and binge drinking.
Logan: My horizons go slightly beyond that.
Veronica: Great. (Sweetly.) So how about tonight we check out the art major group show?
Logan: I'm busy. (She sighs.) No, really, I have a class until 10, but if you come by afterwards, we could write on ourselves, (Strokes her hair.) get real, uh ... political.
Veronica: That's what a girl likes to hear. "Darling, do all the weird crap you like, just don't be late for the booty call."
Logan: (Smiling, he caresses her face.) Mm hmm.
Veronica: Really, how do you think that sounds?
Logan: I think it sounds romantic.
Veronica: (Smiles.) You also think weigh-lifting is an actual class.
Logan: Mm hmm.
Logan: (Getting out of the SUV.) Hey! So, what am I on a scale of one to ten?
Veronica: Umm ... one. Seven? Four? Help me with some criteria?
Logan: Gentlemanly-ness. I kind of resisted the impulse to make the so-called booty call last night. (At Veronica's down expression.) What?
Veronica: Just the other day my dad was saying I have a thing for trying to reform unreformable bad boys.
Logan: What does that have to do with me? Im reformable, good, and a man.
Veronica: Dick said the class was a walk. You could have gone to the art thing.
Logan: Dick said what?
Veronica: (A little unsure.) It was a walk. You know the five-minute rule: If the professor doesnt show -
Logan: Oh ... Dick's idea of five minutes is like one. (Laughing.) Ask Madison Sinclair. The professor showed.
Veronica: You mind showing me the notes?
Logan: Forget it. You're hardly the first girl to be lead astray by Dick. (Stops walking and faces Veronica..) Hey, so you up for something tonight? Maybe Noam Chompsky's reading the Havana phonebook somewhere?
Veronica: I'm stuck at work tonight. Maybe you could drop by?
Logan: A G-rated booty call in the library. Maybe I just will.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: I'm ready for my official boyfriend visit.
Logan's Voice Message: (Veronica is listening and goes from happy to disappointed to deeply concerned while the message plays out.) Hey, it's me. Oh, I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight. It looks like I'm getting lucky. Hey, I'll see you tomorrow, babe.
(Cut to Veronica exiting the library.)
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Now here's a moral dilemma. You have a cell phone tracker that cost your dad hundreds of dollars. You went through the trouble of activating the GPS chip in your boyfriend's phone: So, is it a waste of your dad's hard earned money and your time if you don't use it?
Veronica: So ... this is why you stood me up?
Mercer: (Gesturing to Logan's seat.) Are you playin' or is your seat -
Veronica: (Cutting him off.) It's free.
Logan: Unlike me, apparently.
Logan: Veronica, it's not like I promised ... Wait - how did you find me?
Veronica: Easy. I just followed the pungent smell of money going to waste.
Logan: So what was it ... a bug? A tracer?
Veronica: Relax. I just traced your phone.
Logan: You know, as adorable as it is when you do it to criminals, the surveillance thing is starting to bug.
Veronica: Well, you said you'd come by.
Logan: Might come by.
Veronica: And then on your message I heard all this partying and I wanted to know what was going on.
Logan: Yeah, and while I appreciate your interest "Big Brother," I hope --
Veronica: (Interrupting with seriously misplaced sarcasm.) Wow. A 1984 reference. Did you read that in weight-lifting?
Logan: You know, your dad was half right. You have a thing for bad boys but ... you don't want to reform them; you just get off on judging them.
Veronica: Which reminds me: Can I borrow your copy of 101 Brooding Comments?
Logan: I only have the Cliffs Notes. Look, I gotta run so to save you the trouble I'm surfing in Mexico with Dick and Mercer this weekend. I'll fax you the coordinates so you don't incur any more cell-tracking charges. And I'll keep a journal of my bad thoughts in case you wanna stick my face in a cage of rats when I get back. (Pausing.) Sorry - 1984's the only book I've read.
Logan: (Walking up to Veronica.) Is this the help desk? Because I need a little help.
Veronica: Let me guess. You have this pathologically suspicious girlfriend and you hope maybe there's a guide book?
Logan: No, it's more like, uh ... What's beyond pathological? (Quickly raises his eyebrows at Veronica.)
Veronica: (Near tears.) I'm sorry, Logan. I spent my formative years watching people while they lied to, cheated on and betrayed each other, so the trust thing ... it doesn't come naturally. But I'm trying to act unnaturally, I swear. (Softly.) So there's that. (Looking down before meeting Logan's eyes again.) I thought you were in Mexico.
Logan: Yeah, well us bad boys usually love Mexico, but uh, (Smiling meaningfully.) I was feeling a little reformed. I don't even think Mercer surfs, and I always feel bad about those poor donkeys.
Logan: Hey, you free this weekend? There's a film festival. Incomprehensible foreign movies for three plus hours.
Student: (Walking up.) Is this the help desk?
Veronica: (Still looking at Logan, turns the 'Open' sign on the desk around to read 'Closed'.) Sounds nice, but let's find you that guide book, (Taking Logan's hand and pulling him towards the staircase.) which I think is on the dark, lonely top floor. (Trailing off, she leans in for a kiss; they continue kissing as they walk up the stairs.)
Quotable Quotes
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Football. The systematic violation of the Geneva Convention made into a sport. I'm surprised that the ASPCA doesn't protest.
Carwash Boss: (As Weevil walks away with a duffel bag.) What are you doing?
Weevil: The guy in the SUV looks like he digs magic, so I'm getting my doves.
Weevil: (To boss, regarding Saturn that just drove up.) I guess I'll go wash some, uh, spoiled bitch's graduation gift from daddy, huh? (Turns to see Veronica's stepped out of the car.)
Veronica: I'm not spoiled and, uh, technically it wasn't for graduation.
Weevil: What about the bitch part?
Veronica: That depends on who you ask.
Veronica: How are you, Weevil? I haven't seen you ...
Weevil: Since that awkward arrested-for-murder incident. Yeah, I remember.
Veronica: You plea-bargained down to assault?
Weevil: And now I'm workin' at the car wash. Which, as it turns out, is not as fun as the song might sound.
Veronica: (Hangs up phone.) And I'm being called in to see the Dean of Hearst College.
Weevil: Leopard didn't change her spots, I see. I wonder if Hearst knows about your --
Weevil: I didn't change my spots either. Nice seeing you, V.
Piz: (Walking with Trish into radio station.) Look, I don't want to be one of those mumbly, college radio emo rocker guys who just, all they want to do is play their band's demo, you know. Though I should mention that my band really is quite good. We're called Black Licorice, which is really cool 'cause it's dark and moody but at the same time it's candy!
Piz: It's like Jon Stewart meets Crossfire. If Jon Stewart didn't hate Crossfire.
Dean O'Dell: (Standing on top of his desk, broom in hand.) We can download pictures from the surface of the moons of Jupiter on to a portable phone, but we can't keep the air conditioner in this office running for more than a week at a time. Is there some clue about the human predicament buried in that fact?
Veronica: Uhh, I'm a freshman. I only recently figured out where Waldo was.
Dean O'Dell: Mrs. O'Dell was my grad student, back when we could do things like that.
Dean O'Dell: Soo, Ms. Mars, it's rare when a freshman makes quite as big a splash as quickly as you have.
Dean O'Dell: I want to know who said it and who that staffer was.
Veronica: Actually, Dean O'Dell, I think that's covered under --
Dean O'Dell: Protection of sources. Yes, a fine thing for the New York Times, but I want that name. So you can tell me or I'll have you expelled from Hearst college.
Veronica: You need some information? Ok, slugs have four noses. That's what I'm offering today.
Kurt: The only other people I saw were these cheerleaders who dropped by. They brought popcorn for Pop. Cheerleaders are clever that way.
Dick: Veronica Mars. Modern college girl on the go.
Veronica: Dick Casablancas. Neolithic college boy on the sauce.
Dick: Ok. Not sure what Neolithic is, but hey, I'm in college. Maybe someone will teach me.
Veronica: Wow. You look busy. Probably tough with me around less. All that stuff piling up.
Keith: Somewhat. Yes.
Veronica: I bet you'd be pretty psyched if I found someone who could help.
Keith: Level of the psyched would depend on the someone.
Veronica: Eli Navarro. Remember?
Keith: (Incredulously.) You mean Weevil? Oh, Veronica, please.
Veronica: Dad, I'm serious.
Keith: Well, I don't know, all those times I arrested him he never struck me as great secretary material. Didn't he get busted for murder?
Veronica: Assault.
Keith: See, so he's not even a very good murderer.
Coach Fry: What is that? What's printing? (Coach Fry bends to look beneath desk and Veronica jumps out.)
Veronica: Omigod!
Coach Fry: Ahhh! What in God's name are you --
Veronica: I'm ... uhhhh ... so ... just ... umm ... uhhhh ... so, just ... eeeehhhh ... embarrassed. I, uh, it's a hazing thing and my sorority said I had to break in and steal a jock. The little underwear, not like kidnap an athlete. God, um. So, did you think maybe I could borrow one for an hour or two?
Dean O'Dell: Collecting jocks, are we? Youre going to have the most colorful disciplinary file in the freshman class. How about you give me that name and we'll start over with a clean slate?
Veronica: I said I'm not giving up the name.
Dean O'Dell: (In a tone of disbelief.) And I said I'll have you expelled.
Veronica: And I said I'm not giving up the name. Is this how this works?
Lampoon Guy: Hey, you're a woman. (Handing the newspaper to Veronica.) Does this upset you?
Veronica: (Reading the headline aloud.): "No thanks, except maybe the blonde in the middle." Uhhhhh, a little I guess.
Nish: Right. The one in the middle. That's Claire. (She turns to Claire.) Claire, they want to rape you. (Turning back to Dean O'Dell.) That's hate speech.
Veronica: I meant more it says it's a humor magazine, but I'm not seeing it.
Larry: What do you think? (Standing back to let Veronica look at his painting.)
Veronica: Um, it feels kind of mmihehhh
Larry: Let me guess. Youre an art major.
Veronica: Interested amateur. It just feels like youre having muse trouble. Yeah, like your muse isnt your muse anymore because she dumped you? For like, a meathead?
Larry: Look, whoever you are, I'm not a criminal mastermind. I'm just an artist.
Veronica: Yeah. Well, so was Hitler.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So how did people blackmail each other before email? Thirty years ago I'd be here all night cutting letters from a magazine and getting glue everywhere.
Pop: (Tossing The Tell-Tale Heart on the desk) Can I check that out?
Veronica: Guilty conscience, eh?
Pop: So, what's this about? You said that you knew I'd done somethin' wrong?
Veronica: That sound in your head, Pop! (In ber-melodromatic fashion.) It is the beating of this hideous heart! (Pop looks understandably concerned for Veronicas sanity - and his safety.) But seriously? I'm giving you the chance to come clean. I know what you did to Kurt. There's no sense trying to deny it. (Pop looks guilty.) Good! You're doing great. Now, we just need to figure out how you can set things straight with Kurt. I mean, I assume you trashed it so ...
Pop: No, I've still got it.
Veronica: You do?
Pop: Yeah. Do you want me to give it to you?
Veronica: Well ... yeah! That would be a good start. (He hands over a sheaf of papers instead of the playbook Veronica was expecting.)
Pop: I mean, don't really get the third-degree. It's just a lousy sociology assignment.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: Now maybe people would say they'd never install a tracking device in their significant other's car ... but I think that's just because they don't know how.
He said he knows my heart was in the right place; he just can't get over what I did. I think I blew it, Veronica. I went momentarily crazy. Now it's gonna cost me the guy I love.
Veronica Mars Voiceover: So I'll let that be my defense. A case of momentarily crazy. Because when you think about it, no one wants to know what college boys do with themselves in Mexico.
Wichita Lineman (backer) ... (Referenced by the episode title.)
A popular song written by Jimmy Webb, "Wichita Lineman" was inspired when Webb saw a solitary lineman near the Kansas-Oklahoma border in Wichita (either the County or the city, which is unknown). It was written in 1968 and first recorded by Glen Campbell and appeared on his 1968 album titled ... Wichita Lineman. The song reached number three on the Top 100 Billboard chart and has been referred to as "the first existential country song" and in 2004, made Rolling Stone's list of the five hundred greatest songs of all time. Download the song here and decide for yourself. After having heard the song myself for the first time only three years ago, I'd have to agree.
The lyrics, spare and beautiful:
- I am a lineman for the county.
And I drive the mainroad.
Lookin' in the sun for another overload.
I hear you singing in the wire. Chorus 1
I can hear you thru the whine.
And the Wichita Lineman,
is still on the line.
I know I need a small vacation.
But it don't look like rain.
And if it snows that stretch down south,
won't ever stand the strain.
And I need you more than want you. Chorus 2
And I want you for all time.
And the Wichita Lineman,
is still on the line.
Plato (c. 427- c. 347 BC), was an immensely influential ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues and founder of the Academy in Athens where Aristotle studied. Plato's writings dealt especially in politics, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. The dialogues are Plato's most important writings and they usually utilize the voice of Socrates to express either Socrates' or Plato's teachings.
Geneva Conventions ... (Referenced by Veronica when talking about football.)
The Geneva Conventions (often misstated as "The Geneva Convention") consist of four treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for international law for humanitarian concerns. The conventions were the results of efforts by Henri Dunant, who was motivated by the horrors of war he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino in 1859. In 1977 and 2005 three separate amendments, called protocols, were made part of the Geneva Conventions.
As per article 49, 50, 129 and 146 of the Geneva Conventions I, II, III and IV, respectively, all signatory states are required to enact sufficient national law to make grave violations of the Geneva Conventions a punishable criminal offense.
The conventions and their agreements are as follows:
- First Geneva Convention "for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field."
- Second Geneva Convention "for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea."
- Third Geneva Convention "relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War."
- Fourth Geneva Convention "relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War."
The president agreed to new rules for interrogating and prosecuting suspected terrorists that leave intact international treaty protections against torture. The compromise bill in effect bans the most controversial CIA interrogation tactics, including water boarding, a form of simulated drowning. On the other side of the compromise, this allows the administration to employ interrogation tactics which go beyond legal limits set for the U.S. military. So, in other words, torture is sorta, kinda okay as long as we word in such a way that it doesn't defy the conventions.
God help America.
ASPCA ... ... (Referenced by Veronica when talking about football.)
A favorite of the animal-loving-Kristen Bell, no doubt, the ASPCA is an acronym for the organization, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This non-profit organization's goal is exactly what the name suggests -- prevention of the abuse of animals. Founded on April 10, 1855 by Henry Bergh, the ASPCA is the oldest humane organization in the United States. Their mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States." The current president of the organization is Ed Sayres.
The ASPCA works primarily with companion animal issues, such as pet care, equine or horse cruelty issues, and animal cruelty and neglect. Their programs and services include: A national poison control hotline for pet owners and animal health professionals. They also offer a shelter outreach program to promote best practices within locally-owned shelters, a corporate partner program to promote animal-friendly products and services and a special anti-cruelty initiative to teach humane education and humane law enforcement practices across the United States. Additionally, the ASPCA provides relief services for the domestic animal victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
The exploits of its Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) officers in New York City are the subject of the Animal Planet network television show, Animal Precinct.
As an interesting sidenote, in the mid-nineties, fans of The X-Fiiles and specifically lead actor David Duchovny, created an online group designed to "protect" the bashing that Duchovny took for wanting to expand beyond Mulder (despite enthusiastically loving the character and show -- well, as enthusiastic as David Duchovny ever got). The name of the group? SPCDD as in ... Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to David Duchovny. Not taking themselves seriously, the group did have a disclaimer that made it clear they weren't mocking the ASPCA, but rather mocking non-fans of Duchovny.
Piano Wire ... (Referenced by Veronica in detailing what form her jealousy would take.)
Piano wire, also commonly referred to as music wire, is a specialized type of wire made from tempered, high-carbon steel for use in pianos and other string musical instruments. Piano wire is often depicted in popular culture as a murder weapon, usually shown as an instrument of strangulation stemming from Hitlers use of piano wire as a means of execution in which he would hang people on meat hooks with piano wire to cause a slow and painful death.
Martin Amis ... (Referenced by Veronica to Logan as the old fossil he is not.)
I gotta side with Veronica on this one, Logan. Amis is not an old fossil. The English novelist has a bold, distinctive style -- you know you're reading Martin Amis whether his name is on the page or not. The British newspaper, The Guardian said of his writing:
- "... all his critics have noted what Kingsley Amis complained of as a 'terrible compulsive vividness in his style ... that constant demonstrating of his command of English.'"
Seriously, Logan ... one of his books is called Money! -- right up your alley!
Chino ... (Referenced by Weevil's car wash boss to him about back where he'll be heading if he screws up.)
"Chino" actually refers to the California Institution for Men which is in Chino, California. The prison is a male-only state prison and is located in San Bernardino County. "Chino" opened in 1941, becoming the fourth prison in the state on an area of land of twenty-five hundred acres. As of 2005, it housed nearly 6,3000 prisoners.
A Reception Center operated by "Chino" receives and processes the latest felons from a plethora of Southern California counties prior to transfter to other prisons. (Hmm, does that mean that Neptune is in Southern California?) This Reception Center makes "Chino" the first-stop for most convicted felons after county jails -- so fear not, Weevil got to spend some quality time with Lamb and Sacks first.
Car Wash ... (Referenced by Weevil to Veronica about the fun he's NOT having at his new job.)
Come on, we all know this song!!! "Working at the car wah, yeah!" Ahem, moving along. This disco hit was a number one smash (and is one of the best-known of the decade) for the group, Rose Royce (their debut single!) in 1976. The track was produced for Whitfield Records by the band's lead producer, Norman Whitfield, as the them for the 1976 Richard Pryor flick also titled Car Wash. The song was covered recently by Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliot in 2004 whose version was also paired with a film, this one being the kid's film, Shark Tale. More than being covered, "Car Wash" is one of the most sampled songs for hip-hop and R&B. Well, at least its introductory section which features a series of hand claps.
The lyrics:
- Woo
You might not ever get rich
But let me tell ya it's better that diggin' a ditch.
There ain't no tellin' who ya might meet. .
A movie star or may be even an Indian Chief.
(Workin' at the) car wash.
Workin' at the car wash yeah !
Come on and sing it with me car wash.
Get with the feelin' y'all car wash yeah.
Come summer the work gets kind a hard
This ain't no place to be if ya planned on being a star.
Let me tell you it's always cool
And the boss don't mind sometimes if ya act a fool.
At the car wash
Talkin' about the car wash yeah!
Come on and sing it for me car wash.
Car wash yeah!
(Work and work) Well those cars never seem to stop comin'.
(Work and work) Keep those rags and machines hummin'
(Work and work) my fingers to the bone
(Work) at five I can't wait 'til it's time to go home
Hey
get your car washed today.
Fill up and you don't have to pay.
Come on and give us a play.
Get a wash right away.
Car wash talkin' about the car wash yeah!
Woo car wash
Those cars never seems to stop comin'
Well I say keep those rags and machines hummin'
The term "emo" when used to describe an individual is simply a way of saying that said individual seems to be depressed all of the time. The term appears to come from the musical scene -- and thus applies perfectly here -- where emo was (originally) a subgenre of hardcore punk music, and the name itself was derived from the fact that members of a band would become spontaneously emotional during performances. Because so many different subgenres have claimed themselves emo, the definition of "emo" as music is now a matter of debate, as there is no longer a definitive sound.
Jon Stewart ... (Referenced by Piz describing to Trish the show he wants to do.)
Jon Stewart was born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz on November 28, 1962. He is a nine time Emmy-winning American comedian, satirist, actor, author, and producer who is best known as host of the Comedy Central staple, The Daily Show. Comedy Central has billed Stewart as "the most trusted name in fake news" in promotional ads for the show. He has also gained attention as an outspoken critic of established media in general, including the Bush White House, Bill O'Reilly, cable news (Crossfire in particular), and others.
After a series of failed MTV shows, really really late night network talk shows and strange skit shows, Stewart finally hit the jackpot in 1999 when he was tapped by Comedy Central to host The Daily Show after Craig Kilborn departed to take over hosting duties on The Late Late Show. Since that time, he has hosted all airings of the program, save for a scant handful where correspondents such as Stephen Colbert (hee!) and Rob Corddry have filled in at the anchor desk.
In 2005, The Daily Show and Jon Stewart received two Emmy Awards and a Best Comedy Album Grammy Award for the audio book edition of America (The Book). In 2000 and 2004, the show won a Peabody Award for its coverage of "Indecision 2000" and "Indecision 2004," respectively. This award, presented for "real-journalism" helped seal The Daily Show's status as a legitimate news source for Generation Y. Stewart has won a total of nine Emmys in the last seven years for The Daily Show. Stewart also co-authored the book The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction in 2004 which was among the top five best selling books of that year.
In addition to his accolades for his work on The Daily Show, Stewart has also had roles in several television series and movies including Death to Smoochy, Doogal, Half Baked, Big Daddy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and my personal favorite, Playing by Heart. (Seriously -- if you haven't seen it, go rent it. There are like a zillion great actors in it and it's utterly delightful.) In 1998 Stewart appeared as a celebrity guest star in Elmopalooza, a show celebrating thirty years of Sesame Street. He has also had guest starring or recurring roles on TV shows such as The Larry Sanders Show, The Nanny, Spin City, and NewsRadio. He also appears in the 2006 documentary Wordplay, discussing and solving the New York Times crossword puzzle. You can also see him randomly pop up from time to time on The Daily Show spin-off that follows the fake news show, The Colbert Report.
In his pitch to Trish, Piz comments, quite accurately, that Jon Stewart hates the show Crossfire (see below) referring to Stewart's appearance on the show on October 15, 2004. Rather than playing the funny man of witty quips and one-liners, Stewart decided to play it straight and publicly criticized both the show (and its hosts) for failing in its responsibility to inform and educate viewers about politics as a serious topic. Many credit Stewart's appearance on Crossfire with the show's cancellation. Shortly after Crossfire left the airwaves, Stewart quipped on The Daily Show that "I fought the law, and the law lost!"
More juicy tidbits on the Crossfire/Stewart scandal can be found below in the Crossfire entry.
Crossfire ... (Referenced by Piz describing to Trish the show he wants to do.)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was to present a discourse between a politically liberal speaker and a conservative one. The show was hosted by two pundits, one of whom was presented as being "from the right" and one "from the left," to provide both sides of the political spectrum.
The original hosts of the show were Tom Braden (for the "left" wing) and Pat Buchanan (for the "right" wing). In the latter years, the "left" hosts were Paul Begala and James Carville with Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson on the "right." The show almost always featured two additional "left and right" guests on each topic of discussion. On some occasions only one guest was featured (Jon Stewart was a notable solo guest). Argument was encouraged, and the show was often characterized as having a somewhat rancorous, though lightly humorous, approach to political discussion.
Jon Stewart appeared as a guest on Crossfire on October 15, 2004 where he openly criticized the state of television journalism and pleaded with the show's hosts to "stop hurting America." He also referred to both Carlson and Begala as "partisan hacks." This exchange became one of the most widely viewed internet videos to date, and a topic of much media discussion. If you haven't had the opportunity to check it out, I highly recommend you do so. The clip can be found on YouTube here.
During the interview, Stewart asserted that Crossfire had failed in its responsibility to inform and educate viewers about politics as a serious topic. Carlson responded by basically accusing Stewart of being a hypocrite for saying that news organizations (like Crossfire) were making no effort to hold public officials accountable, when Stewart himself had been known to ask "softball" questions of the political guests that appeared on The Daily Show.
As you might imagine, Stewart was incredulous and suggested that if "news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity," then that supports what he had been saying all along. When Carlson continued to press Stewart on his journalistic integrity, Stewart said, "You're on CNN! The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls! What is wrong with you?" When Carlson told Stewart he was not as funny in person as he was on his show, Stewart retorted, "You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show." In response to prods from Carlson to "Be funny," he said, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey."
Seriously. Jon Stewart? Is so my hero. Him and Stephen Colbert (hee!) totally rock my socks.
In January 2005, CNN announced that it was canceling Crossfire. When asked about the cancellations, Jonathan Klein (CNN's incoming US president), said about Stewart's appearance on the show, "I think he made a good point about the noise level of these types of shows, which does nothing to illuminate the issues of the day."
Stewart one, cable news-media zero.
Moons of Jupiter ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell complaining to Veronica how we can get pictures from there but not fix his air conditioner.)
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and the largest within the solar system. Jupiter and the other gas giants -- Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune -- are sometimes referred to as "Jovian planets." In a rather unique twist, Jupiter also has at least sixty-three moons or natural satellites. And no, that isn't a typo.
The first certain observations of Jupiter's satellites were those of Galileo Galilei in 1610, who sighted the four largest of Jupiters moons with his 33x telescope. These four moons, known as the "Galilean moons," are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. No additional satellites were discovered until E.E. Barnard observed Amalthea in 1892. Further discoveries, aided by telescopic photography, followed quickly over the course of the twentieth century, and by 1975, before the Voyagers reached Jupiter, the planet was known to have at least thirteen satellites.
Pictured from left to right in order of increasing distance
from Jupiter, Io is closest, followed by Europa, Ganymede,
and Callisto.
In 1979 the Voyager 1 mission discovered three additional inner moons, bringing the total then known to sixteen. Or seventeen if you counted the moon Themisto, which had been found but then lost in 1975. That's right folks - we temporarily "lost" one of the moons. For twenty years.
No additional natural satellites were discovered until 1999. In the last seven years, researchers using sensitive ground-based detectors have recovered Themisto (it was staying with a friend on the fringe of the solar system) and also discovered another forty-six tiny moons in long, eccentric, generally retrograde orbits. Each moon averages three kilometers in diameter, with the largest barely nin km across. All of these moons are thought to be captured asteroidal or perhaps cometary bodies, possibly fragmented into several pieces, but very little is actually known about them. The total number of known moons of Jupiter now stands at sixty-three, currently the most of any planet in the solar system. (Ya think?) Many additional tiny moons may exist that have not yet been discovered. My mind boggles.
Where's Waldo? ... (Referenced by Veronica to the Dean when explaining what she's learned in college thus far.)
Where's Waldo?, also called Where's Wally? in Australia and the UK, is a series of children's books created by British illustrator Martin Handford. Each page of the book features a full spread, detailed illustration of a crowd of people, and challenges the 'reader' to find Waldo. Waldo dresses in a red and white striped shirt and bobble hat, carries a walking stick, and wears glasses.
Where's Waldo?
In addition to finding Waldo, there is usually a list of other assorted things for readers to find in each picture listed on the inside of the back cover. The books received some criticism for getting children excited about picture books, but failing to encourage them to actually read stories.
Pot (Seeds) ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell demanding Veronica tell him who gave them to Karen.)
The Cannabis plant -- known more commonly as marijuana with many a nickname including pot, mary jane, reefer, etc. -- is often dried or otherwise processed to create a "product" that offers medicinal and psychoactive effects. Despite past use as an accepted medicine, in the early 20th century, the drug became illegal due to the overwhelming consumption of the recreational variety.
To this day, marijuana usage remains against the law despite the mellow side affects as opposed to the harder drugs of the day. While not widespread, legalizing marijuana has been the efforts of activists for some time, among those fighting for its legal use is Oscar-nominated actor Woody Harrelson. Apparently, none of these activists (including Woody) have ever heard of the dangers that can befall one who has been taken over by reefer madness. Just ask Mary Lane.
New York Times ... (Referenced by Dean O'Dell reminding Veronica Hearst Free Press isn't the NYT.)
The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. and owned by The New York Times Company. The newspaper, nicknamed the "Gray Lady," is distributed throughout the United States and around the world. The paper was founded in 1851 as the New-York Daily Times by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones. In 1857 the name was changed to its current moniker. The Times was originally published every morning except on Sundays, but during the Civil War Sunday issues were started. Adolph Ochs acquired the paper in 1896 and, one year later, coined the slogan, "All The News That's Fit To Print," likely a jab at the widespread yellow journalism at the time.
In 1904 the newspaper moved to new headquarters on 42nd Street and gave its name to Times Square. In 1907 the Times started the tradition of dropping a lighted ball from its building on New Year's Eve. In 1961 the original Times Square building was sold. New headquarters for the paper are currently under construction, a skyscraper at 41st Street and 8th Avenue. Today The New York Times has sixteen news bureaus in New York, eleven national news bureaus and twenty-six foreign news bureaus. The paper has twenty printing locations and circulation of around 1,131,000 on weekdays and 1,681,000 on Sundays.
The Times has three main sections: (1) News, which includes International, National, Washington, Business, Technology, Science, Health, Sports, New York Region, Education, Weather and Obituaries; (2) Opinion, which includes Editorials, Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor and (3) Features, including Arts, Books, Movies, Theater, Travel, NYC Guide, Dining & Wine, Home & Garden, Fashion & Syle, Crossword, The New York Times Magazine and Week in Review. With the growth of the Internet, the Times has had a strong online presence since 1995, and its website, www.nytimes.com, is considered one of the top overall web sites and the number one newspaper site. The current executive editor is Bill Keller, and notable columnists include Maureen Dowd, Thomas L. Friedman, John Tierney, William Safire and George Vescey.
The Times has withstood a number of controversies. One of these was an allegation that leading up to and during World War II that paper downplayed accusations that the Third Reich had targeted Jews for expulsion and genocide. Another charge was that the Times' coverage of the Soviet Union by correspondent Walter Duranty helped cover up the Ukrainian genocide by Joseph Stalin in the 1930's. One notable recent controversy was the 2003 admission that reporter Jayson Blair had commited journalistic fraud on multiple stories over the span of several years.
The Times is the recipient of ninety-four Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any newspaper, including a record seven in 2002.
Front page of The New York Times on
D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Guitar Hero ... (Referenced by Kurt to Veronica, game he was playing with friends in flashback.)
This award-winning PlayStation 2 video game was developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane on November 8, 2005. Two sequels are currently pending release.
Guitar Hero is a simulation game, where players can rock out on the electric guitar. Or rather on a special game controller that resembles a half-scale Gibson SG guitar. The standard PS2 controller can be used, but really why do that? The controller (seen below) has five colored fret buttons, a strum bar and a whammy bar, all of which are used to play a variety of songs that are displayed on the screen, with colored notes corresponding to the controller's fret buttons. Each player has a "Rock Meter" that will decrease with each missed note and increase when notes are played correctly. If the Rock Meter is depleted, the player has failed the song.
The game includes forty-seven playable songs plus seventeen bonus songs. Most of these are covers of songs originally released by artists such as Deep Purple ("Smoke on the Water"), Joan Jett & the Blackhearts ("I Love Rock & Roll") and the Ramones ("I Wanna Be Sedated").
Pell Grant ... (Referenced by Trish when she tells Kurt that she has it all worked out for him.)
A Pell Grant is federal grant money that is awarded to undergraduate students on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Unlike a loan, a Pell Grant does not have to be repaid. Eligibility for the grant is determined by a standard formula that was developed by Congress. Applicants for financial aid must fill out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which reports back to the applicants with an EFC (Expected Family Contribution) value. The lower an applicant's EFC is, the more eligible he or she is for the grant. The maximum Pell Grant value for an academic year is about $4,000.
Neolithic ... (Referenced by Veronica describing Dick to Dick.)
The Neolithic -- which means "new" Stone Age -- followed the terminal Pleistocene Epipalaeolithic and early Holocene Mesolithic periods. The term Neolithic was so named by Sir John Lubbock in 1865. Unlike other eras, it doesn't refer to a specific chronological period, but rather a complexion of behavioral and cultural characteristics -- those characteristics esentially being the creation of a village frame of mind, including the use of metal tools, the domestication of animals and growing crops. The Neolithic Age came in the last part of the Stone Age and was known as a period of the development of human technology.
In other words, Dick, Veronica called you a caveman.
Sonoma State University ... (Referenced by Pop telling coach he received an offer from them.)
Sonoma State University sits on two hundred and sixty-nine acres at the base of the Sonoma Hills in Rohnert Park, in the heart of Northern California's wine country. About one hour north of San Francisco, the university has about 7,749 students, 6,599 of those undergraduates, placing it as one of the smaller schools in the California State University system. Founded in 1960 as a teacher education center for the North Bay, Sonoma State is now a liberal arts and sciences university.
The Sonoma State teams are part of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, a conference in Division II of the NCAA. The university has thirteen teams: baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and tennis for men, and basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track, volleyball and water polo for women. Notice that football is not among them. In addition to the thirteen intercollegiate sports, Sonoma State also has a club lacrosse team.
The university's mascot was originally the Cossacks, a nod to the Russian traders of the area's early history. In 2003, after complaints that the mascot was offensive to Jews and women, the mascot was changed. The teams are now known as the Seawolves, a name that comes from the novel The Sea-Wolf by Jack London (who, coincidentally, was also mentioned in Witchita Linebacker).
Sonoma State University Campus
"It's good to be the King." / History of the World: Part I / Mel Brooks (Referenced by one of the Lampoon editors as he enters the Dean's office.)
Mel Brooks, born June 28th, 1926, is responsible for some of the cleverest (or lamest -- depending on who you're talking to) spoof films ever made. He wrote hilarious parodies of several popular Hollywood genres before spoof films went bad (Scary Movie, need I say more?). Among his credits are: Blazing Saddles (satirizing Western films), Space Balls (the Star Wars series), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (every Robin Hood movie ever made), and The Producers (cheesy musicals). He was also one of the writers in the long-running spy-spoof TV series Get Smart. From the list of films, it should already be obvious that he's famous for the kind of humor that those Lampoon jackasses would lap up.
Brooks is famous for making people laugh at things that really shouldn't be funny; being Jewish, he considered it necessary to regain the ability to laugh in the face of the Holocaust. Consequently, he wrote The Producers around a fictional broadway show called, Springtime for Hitler. His corrupt producers invest their money in the show because they consider it a guaranteed flop -- who wants to go see a camp musical supporting the nazis?? They plan to embezzle the cash that the musical 'loses.' Ironically, the guaranteed flop becomes their first big hit when the pro-nazi play is hailed "satiric genius."
It's this ironic humor which inspired Brooks to write History of the World: Part I (1981), a film which pokes fun at some of the darkest moments of ancient history, including: The Inquisition, the French Revolution, the Roman Empire and the Last Supper.
The script was clever enough to inspire cinematic genius Orson Welles to narrate it in his best, serious historical voice. You'll never see another film where Spanish Inquisition victims sing fun vaudeville numbers about their torture or biblical Philosophers line up for the dole as professional "bullshitters." You may not want to see it but I think Veronica, like Brooks, has a habit of laughing in the face of darkness and she'd probably like it.
History of the World: Part I was also responsible for launching Mel Brooks' trademark line, repeated in his later films such as Robin Hood: Men in Tights (when the King kisses Maid Marian). It was first uttered by Mel Brooks in his parody of the decadent, beheaded King Louis XVI. Louis is the randiest King of all time: Groping any woman that walks past and playing games of chess with his servants which turn into orgies when he orders all the pieces to "take" the queen. He gets away with his ... eccentricities because he's the King, hence the line: "It's good to be the King."
The line became so synonymous with Mel Brooks that it was the tag on his DVD box set, a collection of his most popular films.
Lampoon ... (Referenced by Magazine boys and women are fighting over in O'Dell's office.)
The term "lampoon" came into use in the 17th century from the French lampon, meaning let us drink (from a common refrain in drinking songs). A lampoon is a work that exposes folly by the use of humor or irony, often a light, good-humored satire, but sometimes a more harsh attack. The Hearst Lampoon is likely based on the Harvard Lampoon, which was founded in 1876 and is the world's longest-running humor magazine still in publication. It is published five times a year and is financed largely by licensing the "Lampoon" name to National Lampoon, which was started by Harvard graduates in 1970 and which indirectly led to the creation of Saturday Night Live. <
i>The Harvard Lampoon (like it's Hearst counterpart) has a long-standing rivalry with the school newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, which has been a source for many of the Lampoon's parodies and fake-issues over the years. Notable Harvard Lampoon alumni include William Randolph Hearst (HA!), George Plimpton, John Updike, Conan O'Brien, and many writers and producers for such shows as The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Seinfeld and more.
Volvo ... (Referenced by O'Dell showing the students the picture of his vandalized car.)
Did you know that volvo is Latin for "I roll" or "I turn?" Well it is, not that the origin of the word has anything to do with the vehicle, instead it has to do with the original product of SKF (for Svenska Kullagerfabriken AB), which had registered as their trademark of a special series of ball bearing. That was the original plan, but they instead decided to go with SKF, but then decided it was a nifty name for their automotive company. The Volvo, or Aktiebolaget Volvo, is a leading Swedish Manufacturer of vehicles, drive systems for marin and industrial applications, as well as aerospace components and financial services. Volvo is basically a spin-off of the SKF and was founded on August 10, 1926 in Gothenburg. In 1999, Ford Motor Company bought Volvo cars.
The first series produced Volvo automobile, called 'V4' (ppen vagn (Open wagon)-4 cylinders) left the factory on April 14, 1927. Just nine hundred and ninety-six cars were produced between 1927-1929. 'V4' was replaced by model PV651 in April 1929. Volvo's first success in the automobile production came with the PV444 that was introduced in september 1944. The Volvo Group today has more than 81,000 employees, with manufacturing in twenty-five countries and sales in more than one hundred and eighty-five markets. The group provides complete solutions for financing and service.
Noam Chomsky ... (Referenced by Logan asks Veronica if she's free to do something.)
Born in East Oak Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 7, 1928, Avram Noam Chomsky is the Institute Professor Emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is credited with the creation of generative grammar which is thought of as one of the most important contributions to the theoretical linguistics field made in the twentieth century. (Damned if I can understand exactly what "generative grammar" is, but maybe those smarter than me can based on this definition: A type of grammar that describes syntax in terms of a set of logical rules that can generate all and only the infinite number of grammatical sentences in a language and assigns them all the correct structural description. Okaaay. Well, Avram Noam Chomsky is definitely smarter than me.)
In addition to the joy of generative grammar, he also helped spark the cognitive revolution in psychology through his review of B.F. Skinner (he of 'Behavior Modification' fame -- that I understand) and his Verbal Behavior study. Chomsky challenged Skinner's approach to the study of mind and language that was dominant in the 1950's. But wait! Chomsky's not done yet! He also affected the philosophy of language and mind with his naturalistic approach to linguistics. Ole' Chomsky is also credited with the establishment of the ChomskySchtzenberger hierarchy, a classification of formal languages in terms of their generative power. Phew!
In the arena of non-education, Chomsky has become widely known for his criticism of the media and radical politics, moreso than for his brilliant linguistic theories internationally. In the politics of the United States, he is often considered the key intellectual (of course) figure within the liberal sector. Chomsky describes himself as a libertarian socialist and a sympathizer of anarcho-syndicalism. And a genius ... does he consider himself a genius? I know I do. According to the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, between 1980 and 1992, Chomsky was cited as a source more often than any other living scholar, and the eighth most cited scholar overall. Well, color me shocked. Not. Man, what a mind!
Havana ... (Referenced by Logan when he asks Veronica if she's free to do something like listen to Chomsky read the Havana phonebook.)
Havana (Spanish in full: San Cristbal de La Habana, usually shortened to just La Habana;) is the capital of Cuba. It is the largest city with a population of more than 2.2 million. Located roughly ninety miles south-southwest of Key West, Florida, it is one of the fourteen provinces of Cuba.
Founded in 1515 by a Spanish Conquistador, Diego Velzquez de Cullar, on the southern coast of Cuba, near the present town of Surgidero de Bataban. Havana moved to its current location on what was then called Carenas Bay in 1519. Originally, a trading port, the city suffered regular attacks by buccaneer pirates and French corsairs. In 1607, the city became the capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba, and the main port of the Spanish colonies in the New World.
Havana was officially designated as "Key of the New World and antemural -- Def: An outwork of a strong, high wall, with turrets, in front of the gateway (as of an old castle), for defending the entrance. In other words, a defensive barricade into the Spanish colonies. -- of the West Indies" by the Spanish crown. Goods traded in Havana included gold and silver, alpaca (!) wool from the Andes, emeralds from Colombia, mahoganies from Cuba and Guatemala, leather from the Guajira, spices, sticks of dye from Campeche, corn, manioc and cocoa. Shipments were received from large convoys of sailing ships guarded by Spanish military ships during the summer months.
In the middle of the 18th century, Havana, which by now had more than seventy thousand inhabitants, was seized by the British navy. The British seized the city as part of the Seven Years' War, opening it to free trade and bringing thousands of enslaved Africans to the island. In the middle of 1763, only a year after invading, the British returned Havana to the Spanish in exchange for Florida.
As trade between Caribbean and North American states increased in the early 19th century, Havana became a flourishing and fashionable city. Havana's theatres received the most distinguished actors of the age, and prosperity amongst the burgeoning middle-class led to new expensive classical mansions being erected. During this period Havana became known as the Paris of the Antilles.
At the end of the 19th century Havana saw the last moments of the Spanish colonization in America, which ended definitively when the United States warship Maine was sunk in its port, giving that country the pretext to invade the island. The 20th century began with Havana, and therefore Cuba, under occupation by the United States. Under American influence, the city grew and prospered with numerous buildings in the 1930s, when sumptuous hotels, casinos and splendid night clubs were constructed. Today, the city still has a glamour of magnificence handed down from the centuries.
G-Rated ... (Referenced by Logan regarding a library booty call with Veronica.)
G is one of five trademarked ratings classifications given to American films by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This ratings system is observed by the majority of film exhibitors and was first instituted on November 1, 1968, after MPAA President Jack Valenti abolished the outdated Hays Production Code. The Production Code either approved or disapproved of content in a motion picture, preventing films from being released that the Production Code Administration considered "immoral" or that contained even one scene or line of dialogue they didn't deem to be appropriate for audiences.
As more daring films began to be released in the 1960's -- in flagrant disregard of the Code -- it became apparent to the MPAA that a new system was needed. This system would be monitored and guided by the MPAA, NATO (National Association of Theatre Owners) and IFIDA (International Film Importers & Distributors of America) and would theoretically be used as a guidance or parental warning system for films, rather than as a censorship tool. Originally only three ratings categories were planned, but NATO pushed for an adults-only category. The original ratings used from 1968-1970 were: G (General audiences; all ages), M (Mature audiences; parental discretion advised), R (Restricted; under 16/17 not admitted without parent/guardian), and X (under 17 not admitted).
These ratings, except for X, were all trademarked by the MPAA. Anyone who didn't submit their film for a ratings classification could use the X or any other description when promoting their film. In 1990, the X rating was changed to NC-17 (and trademarked), since an X rating eventually became too closely associated with pornographic films, which was not the MPAA's intention for the adults-only category. Since the M (Mature) rating was often mistaken to be a more adult rating than R, it was changed to GP (General audience -- Parental guidance suggested), only to be changed a year later to PG (Parental Guidance suggested).
In the 1980s, three popular Steven Spielberg films -- Poltergeist (1982), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Gremlins (1984) -- contained scenes considered by many to be too violent or frightening for a PG audience, yet these films were not necessarily violent or profane enough to merit the R rating. So a middle rating, PG-13, was created in July of 1984 that would still allow pre-teens to attend without a parent or guardian, but would act as a cautionary rating to warn parents in advance that a film might not be appropriate for younger moviegoers. The first film to receive a PG-13 classification was The Flamingo Kid, but due to its delayed premiere, Red Dawn was actually the first PG-13 film released.
Individual film ratings can be found at the MPAA website, including the basic reasons used for classification (e.g. intense action violence; sexuality/nudity; language; drinking).
Stairmaster ... (Referenced by the student in hall telling Veronica where Mac and Parker are.)
Stairmaster is a line of exercise machines owned by Nautilus, Inc. The first designs released in 1983 were stepping machines and revolving stairs, but modern models are elliptical trainers which are easier on the knees. The machines offer a non-impact cardiovascular work-out, designed to stimulate the heart rate more than build muscles, though the more popular machines are designed to build strength in both leg and arm muscles.
Stone Age ... (Referenced by Veronica complaining to Kurt about printer.)
The Stone Age refers to an immense period of time that boasts the first widespread use of technology and the spread of humanity from East Africa to the rest of the world. The Mesolithic Period, or the Middle Stone Age, dates back about 6,000 - 10,000 years ago, and the Neolithic Period, or the New Stone Age, began in about 8,000 BCE. This time span marks the development of agriculture and the domestication of certain animals. It is part of the prehistoric time, or the time before written word.
The slang use of the phrase is typically used to describe a relatively primitive condition, a misnomer likely fostered by the classic cartoon, The Flintstones. The cartoon depicted a family in the Stone Ages whose primitive technology included television sets made of hollowed out stones, cars with stone wheels powered by the occupants' feet, and a wooly mammoth's trunk serving as a water hose.
VW Bug ... (Referenced by Weevil telling Keith what the guard drives.)
Volkswagen is a German automobile company that was founded in 1937 by the German Auto Association. The Beetle is one of many models manufactured by Volkswagen, but is easily the most unique.
Here's a shot of a classic 1961 Beetle a.k.a. the VWBug!
Heroin ... (Referenced by Weevil telling Keith about the truck driver's habit.)
Heroin (diamorphine or diacetylmorphine) is an illegal and highly addictive narcotic which creates a feeling of euphoria in the user. It can be administered orally, through injections, and through inhalation when heated from below. Street names for the drug include chiva, diesel, smack, bag, skag, heron, black tar, horse, junk, jenny, brown, brown sugar, dark, Dope, and H.
The onset of withdrawal symptoms can begin anywhere between six to twenty-four hours depending on the tolerance the user has developed for the drug. Symptoms of withdrawal include sweating, malaise, anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, cold sweats, chills, severe muscle or bone aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever. Other potential risks of use are death through overdose and the spread of diseases such as HIV or hepatitis through the use of non-sterile needles and syringes.
Muse ... (Referenced by Veronica to the artist, Larry, re: his painting.)
Today, a muse is most often referred to those in the creative world, be it artists or writers -- of prose, poetry or music. One's muse is an individual who inspires the artist to do great work. The origin of that inspiration comes from the Greek, specifically, Greek mythology. There were nine Muses -- goddesses who embody the right evocation of myth, inspired through remembered and improvised song and traditional music and dances. They were water nymphs, associated with the springs of Helicon and Pieris; from the latter they are sometimes called Pierides.
Daughters of Zeus (the highest ranking god among the Olympian gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky and thunder) and Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory), they were wild until reformed by Apollo (god of of the sun, song, music), who tamed them and taught them ways to express themselves. They lived together on Mount Parnassus, and were often in the company of Apollo. Initially, the Muses didn't have personalities or names, but later they were all assigned names and specific traits. Clio was the Muse of history, Urania of astronomy, Euterpe of lyric poetry, Polyhymnia of songs to the gods, Melpomene of tragedy, Thalia of comedy, Terpsichore of dance, Calliope of epic poetry, and Erato of love poetry.
Hitler ... (Referenced by Veronica's response to Larry's "I'm just a painter.")
Before he became the despot whose name is now synonymous with evil, Adolf Hitler just wanted to be loved for his art. Born on April 20, 1889, Hitler bcame the Chancellor of Germany in 1933 (only only one year after becoming a Gernam citizen) and the leader ("Fhrer" in German) in 1934 through 1945 ... April 30, 1945 exactly. That was the date of his death, which took place during the final days of World War II. He committed suicide in a bunker alongside his new bride, Eva Braun. It was a far cry from his yearning dreams of youth.
As a young man, he lived the life of a Bohemian and longed to be a painter. He applied twice (and was rejected both time) to the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. His rejection was due to "unfitness for painting", and was told his abilities lay rather in the field of architecture. His memoir, Mein Kampf detailed as much:
- "The purpose of my trip was to study the picture gallery in the Court Museum, but I had eyes for scarcely anything but the Museum itself. From morning until late at night, I ran from one object of interest to another, but it was always the buildings which held my primary interest." (Chapter 2).
- "In a few days I myself knew that I should some day become an architect. To be sure, it was an incredibly hard road; for the studies I had neglected out of spite at the Realschule were sorely needed. One could not attend the Academy's architectural school without having attended the building school at the Technic, and the latter required a high-school degree. I had none of all this. The fulfillment of my artistic dream seemed physically impossible.''(Mein Kampf, Chapter 2).
Click the image to see a larger version of this painting by Hitler, depicting Laon, France.
He did continue to struggle as an artist, copying in Vienna, copying scenes from postcards and selling his paintings to merchants and tourists (there is evidence he produced over 2000 paintings and drawings before World War I). After the second refusal from the Academy of Arts, Hitler gradually ran out of money. By 1909, he sought refuge in a homeless shelter, and by the beginning of 1910 had settled permanently into a house for poor working men.
In 1913, he received the final allotment of his father's estate and moved to Munich. The move helped him escape military service in Austria for a time, but the Austrian army later arrested him. After a physical exam and a contrite plea, he was deemed unfit for service and allowed to return to Munich. However, when Germany entered World War I in August 1914, he immediately petitioned King Ludwig III of Bavaria for permission to serve in a Bavarian regiment. This request was granted, and Adolf Hitler enlisted in the Bavarian army. Hitler had long admired Germany, and during the war he became a passionate German patriot. He was shocked by Germany's capitulation in November 1918 even while the German army still held enemy territory. Like many other German nationalists, Hitler believed in the Dolchstolegende ("dagger-stab legend") which claimed that the army, "undefeated in the field," had been "stabbed in the back" by civilian leaders and Marxists back on the home front. The fervor over the national situation now took precedence over his painting and thus died his dreams of artistic glory and his career in politics began.
By the end of his reign, Hitler's politics had culminated in the mass murder of at least eleven million people, including the deliberate genocide of about six million Jews, and the systematic killings of many other groups and nationalities, including Romany people, Russian and soldiers and civilians, Polish people, Communists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Social Democrats, members of trade unions, homosexuals and others that composed the other five million dead, in what is now known as the Holocaust. I've often wondered how different history might have been had the Vienna Academy of Arts accepted him as a student. We'll never know.
Thorstein Veblen ... (Referenced by Veronica to kid in library as she gives him book.)
Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Tosten Bunde Veblen on July 30, 1857, was a Norwegian-American sociologist and economist and a leader of the Efficiency Movement. He was also part of the Technical Alliance, created in 1918-19 by Howard Scott and which became the Technocratic movement. Veblen is best known for his seminal work Theory of the Leisure Class, which was published in 1899. Leisure Class was a satiric look at American society written while Veblen taught at the University of Chicago. He coined the widely-used phrases "conspicuous consumption" and "pecuniary emulation."
Thorstein Veblen's career began amidst the growth of the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. He argued that culture inevitably shaped economics and that no universal "human nature" could possibly explain the variety of norms and behaviors discovered by the new science of anthropology.
Veblen's most important analytical contribution was what became known as the "ceremonial / instrumental dichotomy." Veblen saw that although every society depends on tools and skills to support the "life process," every society also appeared to have a stratified structure of status that ran contrary to the imperatives of the "instrumental" or "technological" aspects of group life. (Hello, 09ers - we're lookin at you!) This gave rise to the dichotomy: The "ceremonial" related to the past, supporting the tribal legends; the "instrumental" oriented itself toward the technological imperative to judge value by the ability to control future consequences. Neptune appears to be largely influenced by the "instrumental" aspects of its culture.
In addition, Veblen's The Theory of Business Enterprise, his monograph Imperial Germany and the Industrial Revolution and the essay entitled Why Economics is not an Evolutionary Science became influential in shaping the research agenda for following generations of social scientists, including the technocratic movement.
GPS ... (Referenced by Veronica's voiceover about putting one in Logan's phone.)
GPS, or the Global Positioning System, is the only fully-functional satellite navigation system. A constellation of more than two dozen GPS satellites broadcasts precise timing signals by radio to GPS receivers, allowing them to accurately determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude) in any weather, day or night, anywhere on Earth.
GPS has become a vital global utility, indispensable for modern navigation on land, sea, and air around the world, as well as an important tool for map-making, land surveying and tracking your teenage daughter. GPS also provides an extremely precise time reference, required for telecommunications and some scientific research, including the study of earthquakes.
The United States Department of Defense developed the system, officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging GPS), and launched the first experimental satellite in 1978. The satellite constellation is managed by the 50th Space Wing. In late 2005, the first in a series of next-generation GPS satellites was added to the constellation, offering several new capabilities, including a second civilian GPS signal called L2C for enhanced accuracy and reliability.
In the coming years, additional next-generation satellites will increase coverage of L2C and add a third and fourth civilian signal to the system, as well as advanced military capabilities. The Wide Area Augmentation System, available since August 2000, increases the accuracy of GPS signals to within 6 ft for compatible receivers. GPS accuracy can be improved further, to about half an inch over short distances, using techniques such as Differential GPS.
Although the cost of maintaining the system is approximately $400 million per year, including the replacement of aging satellites, GPS is available for free use in civilian applications as a public good -- something for which both Keith and Veronica are eternally grateful. Low cost GPS receivers are often combined with PDAs, cell phones, car computers, or vehicle tracking systems. A GPS tracking system uses GPS to determine the location of a vehicle, mark, mobile teenager, or pet and to record the position at regular intervals in order to create a track file or log of activities. The recorded data can be stored within the tracking unit, or it may be transmitted to a central location, an Internet-connected computer, a teenage slueth or a concerned father with a hand-held device using a cellular modem, two-way radio, or satellite. This allows the data to be reported in real-time, using either web browser based tools or customized software.
Blackjack ... (Referenced by the game Logan was playing.)
Blackjack, or Twenty-one, is a popular card game in casinos. The object of the game is to have cards that sum up to 21 without going over. The game originated in French casinos in the 1700's and was initially unpopular when it was brought to the United States. Casinos offered a 10:1 payout for a hand with an ace and a black Jack (club or spade), thus the origin of the name "Blackjack."
The face cards (King, Jack, and Queen) count for 10, and the aces can either be 1 or 11. The player with the greatest hand, as long as it doesn't go over 21, wins the hand. If the player and the dealer get 21, it's called a "push" and neither wins the hand. A hand over 21 is called a "bust." The dealer will play his hand after the rest of the players have finished. A player's options for their hand are to hit (take another card), to stand (take no more cards), to double down (to double the wager and stand after one additional card), to split, or to surrender.
Catbird Seat ... (Referenced by Mercer to Logan about the state of his game play.)
The 'catbird seat' is an expression which refers to an enviable position, often one of great advantage. The expression is credited to legendary baseball broadcaster Red Barber, who used the term to describe a player in a good situation (like a batter with three balls and no strikes). The expression is a reference to the Australian catbird. The male of this species will build an elaborate nest to attract its mate.
Vodka ... (Referenced by Mercer to one of the players, asking him to go get more.)
Vodka is a typically colorless liquor that is usually distilled from fermented grain or potatoes. The term is a diminutive of the Slavic word "voda" for "water." Vodka consists of water and alcohol (ethanol) and insignificant amounts of flavorings, with a typical alcohol content ranging from 35-70% by volume. While generally drunk neat (alone), vodka can be used in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, and the Vodka Martini.
Nineteen Eighty-Four / Big Brother / Cage of rats ... (Referenced by Logan and Veronica during their hallway argument.)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (commonly referred to in numerical form, "1984") is a dystopian novel written by the English writer George Orwell (real name, Eric Blair) in 1949. The book tells the story of Winston Smith and his attempt to rebel against the totalitarian state in which he lives. In the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four there are only three countries on the entire planet: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Smith lives in London, Oceania which is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone's behavior, even their thoughts. Disgusted by this oppression and secretly longing to join the fabled Brotherhood -- a supposed group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government -- Winston winds up meeting Julia and falling in love. The two fall into an affair ... something that is a crime in the state of Oceania. Eventually, the two meet up with one of the members, O'Brien, of the Brotherhood and the two meet at his house to join the group. In actuality, this is a trap as O'Brien is a devoted member of Big Brother. Winston and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love -- a rehabilitation center for chriminals accused of thoughtcrime. The pair are separated and Winston is tortured and brainwashed. The tale ends with Winston denoucing all that he believed in before, including his love for Julia. He is released to the public and drinks his life away at a local bar.
The novel is among the most famous and most cited works of dystopian fiction in literature. In addition, its terminology, as well as the author, have become bywords in discussions concerning privacy or state-security issues. The term "Orwellian" has come to describe actions or organizations reminiscent of the totalitarian society depicted throughout the novel. And phrases from the novel have also become catchwords of their own in pop culture. In fact, CBS created a popular reality TV show entitled Big Brother whose concept is that a group of housemates are watched constantly, every second of their life. The show just finished its seventh season.
Logan's jibe about the "cage of rats" refers to a scene in Chapter five, where O'Brien is in the process of the torture/brainwash. As part of the torture/brainwashing, O'Brien allows Smith into room 101 which had aroused his curiosity. In there, O'Brien tells him that everyone has their worst fear and in the case of Winston Smith, he knows it's rats. Throughout the early part of the chapter, Winstom is teased with a cage that holds two large rats and "fixed to the front of it was something that looked like a fencing mask, with the concave side outwards." As Winston is put into the mask, he comes face to face with the two rats.
- The circle of the mask was large enough now to shut out the vision of anything else. The wire door was a couple of hand-spans from his face. The rats knew what was coming now. One of them was leaping up and down, the other, an old scaly grandfather of the sewers, stood up, with his pink hands against the bars, and fiercely sniffed the air. Winston could see the whiskers and the yellow teeth. Again the black panic took hold of him. He was blind, helpless, mindless.
Cliffs Notes ... (Referenced by Logan telling her he has them for "101 Brooding Comments.")
Often incorrectly called CliffNotes, these are a series of pamphlets used as study aids to help students understand various literary works including novels, plays, poetry and essays. Cliffs Notes offer a biography of the author, discuss the time during which the work was written, summarize the plot and characters, and explores the themes and symbols contained within the work.
Supporters say that they help increase understanding of the works, while detractors say that they let students avoid reading the actual works. The company has expanded its range to other courses such as math, government, sciences, languages and grammar. As far as I know, there is no Cliffs Notes for 101 Brooding Comments; methinks he was employing sarcasm. I know, Logan!
Mexico ... (Referenced by Logan telling Veronica he, Mercer and Dick are going surfing.)
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 have been known to cross the border into Mexico to evade U.S. authorities and skip tracers. 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.
The Tell-Tale Heart ... (Referenced by Pop when he shows up to check it out after Veronica's e-mail.)
The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, which was first published in James Russell Lowell's The Pioneer in January 1843; Poe republished it in his periodical The Broadway Journal for August 23, 1845. It is widely considered a classic of the Gothic fiction genre and is one of Poe's most famous short stories.
The tale is the first-person narrative of an unnamed character who is taking care of an old man with a clouded eye. His feverishly heightened senses lead to an irrational fear of the clouded eye. The narrator becomes obsessed with the eye to the point that he plots to murder his patient. During many a night, he watches the old man sleep, waiting for the right moment to get the eye. Unfortunately since the man is asleep, his eye is shut and since the narrator is unable to see the eye, he loses the urge. However one night, the old man awakens and the narrator attacks, smothering the man with his mattress. After he dies, the narrator chops the body up, hides the pieces under the floorboards and cleans up the room, attempting to hide his crime. A neighbor heard the old man scream before his death and called the police; the narrator invites them in, confident that all is safe. Despite sitting atop the very spot of the hacked-up corpse, the police do suspect nothing. However, the narrator's paranoia surfaces and he's convinced he hears the man's heartbeat coming up from the floorboards. Despite the officers hearing nothing, the narrator is sure that they do and that they are just waiting, he jumps up and tells them to tear up the floorboards and get the body. Throughout the story the narrator insists that he is sane, simultaneously giving the impression of serious derangement or paranoia.
Third Degree ... (Referenced by Pop when doesn't get why Veronica's giving it to him.)
The origin of the phrase "third degree" derives from Freemasonry -- a fraternal organization whose membership is held together by shared moral and metaphysical ideals and, in most of its branches, by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. In a masonic lodge there are three degrees, the first is called Entered Apprentice, the second Fellowcraft, and the third is master mason. When a candidate receives the third degree in a masonic lodge, he is subjected to some activities that involve an interrogation and it is more physically challenging than the first two degrees.
The definition of the term is "mental or physical torture used to obtain information or a confession from a prisoner," while the legal definition is similar in that it is defined as unlawful methods of coercing an individual to confess to a criminal offense by overcoming his or her free will through the use of psychological or physical violence. Unrelated to this usage, the medical community defines third degree in relation to burns in which the damage of a burn has progressed to the point of skin death. The popular usage of the phrase to non-Masons, lawyers or doctors is simply an interrogation that is stronger than unexpected, but rarely is torture -- mental or physical -- implied.
The Transplants ... (Referenced by Weevil when giving Veronica the CD from O'Dell's car.)
The Transplants are an American hip-hop/punk band formed in 1999 as a side project by the members of other bands (Rancid, AFI, and Blink-182). Rancid (punk band) member Tim Armstrong began experimenting with different styles of music and was joined by former AFI roadie Rob Aston (known as Skinhead Rob) on vocals. They released their first self-titled album in 2002, joined by Blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker. They have seen some commercial success, but the majority fan base of their successful punk endeavors did not follow the musicians to their joint hip-hop effort.
In addition to the core group members, the Transplants also boast several guest vocalists from various punk bands. Armstrong's ex-wife Bodey Dalle, lead singer of The Distillers, supplied guest vocals on a track, as did Rancid frontman Lars Frederickson and AFI member David Havok. The band's second album, Haunted Cities, was released in 2005.
"You're entering a world of pain, Larry." / The Big Lebowski (Referenced by Kurt as he pins Larry down and demands "Where's the playbook, Larry? Where's the playbook? You're entering a world of pain, Larry.")
Written and directed by the Coen Brothers (Ethan and Joel), The Big Lebowski stars Jeff Bridges as The Dude. Not quite your normal movie fare, the convoluted plot weaves about eccentric characters as The Dude attempts to replace his urinated-upon carpet. Yes, you read that correctly. This cult classic also stars John Goodman and Julianne Moore. Long-time Coen favorite John Turturro is also featured.
In a scene from the film, the Dude and Walter go after a twelve year-old kid named Larry Sellers, after they find a page of his homework stuffed into the seat of the Dude's car, which he just got back after it was stolen. Believing Larry might be in possession of a million dollars that was in the car at the time of the theft, the Dude and Walter track him down and interrogate him, as he sits there, just staring at them. The interrogation, which Kurt somewhat reenacts in this episode, goes something like this:
- Walter: Is this your homework, Larry? Is this your homework, Larry?
Dude: Look, man, did you
Walter: Dude, please! Is this your homework, Larry?
- Walter: Look, Larry Have you ever heard of Vietnam?
Dude: Oh, for Christ's sake, Walter!
Walter: You're entering a world of pain, son.
A piata is a bright container made from easily breakable materials like straw, papier-mch, or clay. They are often shaped like people, animals, cartoon characters, or stars, and are covered with colorful tissue paper.
Filled with candy or small toys, they are generally used for children's parties. Traditionally, a filled piata will be hung up by a rope and then hit by a succession of blind-folded children with a stick or bat until the piata breaks open and the candy is released. The children then rush to pick up as much candy from the ground as they can. The piata has been used for hundreds of years to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. Spanish colonists are thought to have started the tradition in Mexico, though it has been argued that the piata was brought to Mexico by Chinese sailors in 1421.
Kansas ... (Referenced by Trish when she tells Veronica that Kurt went back there.)
The State of Kansas, in the Midwestern United States, is named after the Kansas River that flows through it, which got its name from the Siouan word Kansa meaning "people of the south wind." It is also home to the geographical center of the contiguous United States. Nicknamed The Sunflower State, Kansas has an estimated total population of 2,688,418. Its capital city is Topeka, while the largest individual city is Wichita and the Kansas City metropolitan area has the most population. State symbols include the sunflower (flower), American buffalo (animal), cottonwood (tree) and Western Meadowlark (bird). The state song is "Home on the Range."
Most of Kansas was acquired by the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Southwest Kansas was part of Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas until the end of the Mexican-American War. Kansas was part of the Missouri Territory, and in 1827 Fort Levenworth became the first permanent settlement of white Americans in the future state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 established the Kansas Territory, which included much of western Colorado. During the 1850's the territory became known as Bleeding Kansas when a hotbed of violence and chaos as abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers came there to determine if it would become a free state. In 1861 Kansas officially joined the Union as a free state, and following the Civil War the population grew as immigrants began to turn the prairie into farmland.
Kansas' economy is largely agricultural and industrial. The state leads the nation in wheat production and overall is one of the most productive agricultural states. Other agricultural products include cattle, sheep, cotton, corn and salt. Indistrial products include transportation equipment, food processing, chemical producs, machinery, petroleum and mining. Major employers in the state include Sprint Nextel, Cessna, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Payless Shoes and Boeing.
Thomas Jefferson on nickel / "Head of white slave-owning patriarch" ... (Referenced by Piz during his debut radio show.)
The third president of the United States (1801-1809) and often considered one of the best (in the top five), Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 and passed on July 4, 1826 (yes, July 4th). Jefferson was the key author of the Declaration of Independence and a leading founder of the United States. some of the major events during his presidency included the Lousiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He was a political philosopher, who promoted republicanism and the separation of church and state. In addition to his role as politician, Jefferson was a plantation owner, horticulturist, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, author, inventor, violinist, and the founder of the University of Virginia.
To read about the decision, evolution and history of Jefferson and his place on the United States nickle, visit the Coin Resource - Jefferson Nickels 1938 (to present) Coin Guide.
Rimshot ... (Referenced by Nish during the interview on the radio.)
A rimshot is the sound produced by hitting the rim and the head of a drum at once with a drum stick. Rimshots are usually played to produce a more accented note, and are typically played loudly. However, soft rim shots are possible. I believe that the lampooner guy was thinking of the sexually-related term "rimjob." The rimshot here most likely referred to that drumbeat to signal a new beat in the interview.
Jack London and Mercury Poisoning ... (Referenced by the student asking Veronica for information on the two.)
Jack London, born John Griffith Chaney) on January 12, 1876, was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild, White Fang and several other novels, short stories and essays. A pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction, he was one of the first Americans to make a huge financial success from writing. is stories of men and animals against the environment, and survival against hardships were drawn mainly from his own experience.
An illegitimate child, London passed his childhood in poverty in the Oakland slums. At the age of seventeen, he ventured to sea on a sealing ship. The turning point of his life was a thirty-day imprisonment that was so degrading it turned him on to education and led him to pursue a career in writing. His years in the Klondike searching for gold left their mark in his best short stories. Another novel, The Sea-Wolf, was based on his experiences at sea. His work embraced the concepts of unconfined individualism and Darwinism in its exploration of the laws of nature. He retired to his ranch near Sonoma, where he died on November 22, 1916 at age forty of a combination of drug overdose and alcohol abuse, culminating in kidney failure, an assumption fostered by the presence of both substances at place of his death. And a course that many believe was done deliberately, essentially labeling London's death a suicide.
Or so the "official" reports want us to believe. There is speculation that London's death was actually not so. There are various theories and the mercury one is courtesy of Dawne Mitchell, one of the interpreters at the local Jack London Museum in Dawson City, Yukon. Her mercury theory is based on the attack of yaws which he contracted while travelling in the tropics later in his life. The standard treatment of the time was a concoction which included mercury. Mercury poisoning also weakens the internal organs and has symptoms similar to those of lupus. It could have contributed to London's death a few years later. Mitchell says she has pitched this theory to a number of doctors who visited the center over the last summer. For the most part, they have confirmed that it's feasible.
Unfortunately for the London lover, I find it highly unlikely that a book specifically about Jack London and his "death by mercury poisoning" is going to be found in any college library, let alone one in Neptune, California.
Donkey Shows ... (Referenced by Logan to Veronica regarding feeling bad for the donkeys in Mexico.)
A donkey show is an entertainment show in which a woman performs sexual acts with a donkey. It is widely believed that donkey shows are performed in Tijuana, leading to the phrase "Tijuana Donkey Show." Ooh, fun. And uhm, eww! So, tell me ... when I wrote in the You Think You Know Somebody Case File about the donkey show referenced: I can deal with Troy and even Luke taking in such a form of entertainment, but I refuse to believe that Logan would be even remotely interested in such. At least I really hope he wouldn't. Does his sympathy for the donkeys count as proof that I was right? I'm saying it's a 'yes!'
- The originally episode title was "Friday Night Sleights," a play on Friday Night Lights -- the Peter Berg college football film that is currently a television show on NBC. Had Veronica Mars not gotten a third season, Rob Thomas may very well have been executive producing the show as he was offered the job.
- Veronica lowered her sunglasses slightly to look at the two girls when they called out to Logan and didn't raise them back up until the girls were past and she and Logan were walking away.
- There's a nice tracking shot with no breaks, beginning with Piz and Trish walking into the hallway, into the radio station, passing through more than one doorway inside, and finally ending when it cuts over to a closer shot of the two as Piz describes the premise of the show he's pitching.
- Kurt is wearing a TSAR t-shirt when he first meets Veronica and in the flashbacks to the night before when he and Trish went to the art show and when he played Guitar Hero. Tsar is a band whose song "The Girl Who Wouldn't Die" was featured in the season one episode, The Lord of the Bling.
- Weevil and Veronica's "leopard's spots" conversation calls back to his earlier admission to Veronica, in Hot Dogs, that "I am what I am, V. Leopard, spots, you know what they say." Coincidentally enough, that conversation was also shortly after Weevil got out of jail.
- Veronica's less than enthusiastic tone of voice when greeting Piz in the library.
- Contrary to what Rob Thomas might think, in no way does Piz resemble a slightly older Lloyd Dobler, Seth Cohen on crack maybe, but Lloyd Dobler, no.
- Larry bears a remarkable resemblance to Harry as played by Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber.
- Veronica's hilariously bewildered expression upon hearing that Mac and Parker left the dorm wearing gym clothes.
- Veronica's visible sigh of relief after she's managed to believes that she successfully lied to Coach Fry regarding her presence in his office.
- When Logan is parking beside Veronica, he actually begins to get out of the car before it's completely stopped.
- The double-play (and yet, not dirty!) in Logan's comment: "You know, as adorable as it when you do it to criminals, the surveillance thing is starting to bug." Get it, "surveillance" and "bug." Bug? I love it.
- When Logan told Veronica about bad boys, "You don't want to reform them, you just want to judge them," he did the hasn't-been-seen-since-early-season-one patented hand gesture making the circle.
- Veronica's "Whoopsie!" face after she accidentally asked if the Dean's wife was one of his kids.
- The email Veronica sends to Pop clearly accuses Pop of stealing Kurt's playbook, and says nothing about going to the library to check out Poe's Tell Tale Heart. Whoops.
- Veronica signed the blackmail e-mail, "The Retriever." Hee!
- Veronica has a key lock/unlock mechanism for Logan's new shiny
- After Veronica asks him about a guidebook for a girlfriend who is pathologically suspicious, you can tell that Logan really is trying to think of a word that means "beyond pathological" but can't come up with anything. It's cute.
- Veronica's tone of voice is so soft and loving when she says that she thought he was in Mexico. You can tell she's really, really glad he's there with her and not actually in Mexico.
- The really great, subtle look on Veronica's face when Logan first mentions the film festival, that you can tell how much she appreciates the gesture. Like she's seeing that even though she's the one that needed to apologize, Logan still really wants to be with her and is willing to compromise and do some things that appeal to her.
- When Veronica is pulling Logan towards the dark, lonely top floor, he gives the unassisted student a "Hee!" look.
- In the final scene, if you manage to take your eyes off of Logan and Veronica, check out the student who had asked for help. He's still watching them with a look of 'I need help, where is she going?!" on his face and at one point, he slightly raises his hand and then just gives up and shoves his hands back in his pocket. Hysterical. Great job in such a small part by the actor.
- It appears that the Hearst Library is the new Neptune High Girl's Bathroom.
- Logan's comment to Veronica about not believing Dick is entirely innocent on the surface, but just a few seconds later, the naughtiness of it hits. "You're hardly the first girl to be led astray by Dick." Uh huh.
- Another Logan comment about Dick -- this time in reference to his, erm, speedy lovemaking ... or at least according to Madison Sinclair.
- And number three goes to Logan as well as he references the lovely Tijuana Donkey show wherein a woman performs sexual acts with a donkey.
- Veronica said she could get Weevil $2,000 for fixing the dean's car, but she later tells Dean O'Dell that she had it fixed for free. Where did she get money to pay Weevil? Out of her pocket or out of thin air? Or did Weevil waive the fee in lieu of getting the job?
- Where did Veronica get her little uniform she wore when she sneaked into the coach's office? Did she steal it? Borrow it from, uh ... did she steal it?
- How in the world did Veronica get the dean's car to the shop without him finding out about it? What ... did she and Weevil hotwire it and the dean just failed to notice his car was missing?
- In the scene where Weevil reveals the Dean's "badass tunes," where did The Transplants' CD come from? Did he pull it out of his pocket? Out of thin air? If it was the former -- was he planning on stealing it? And if the latter, what's with all the random magic acts in this plotline? I thought Weevil was kidding about his bag full of doves.
What happened to Logans X-Terra?
- Did Larry know the play book was in Trish's room or did he just happen to find it when he delivered the painting?
- So, if Veronica decides to remove the tracking device from Logan's car based on Trish's comment about mistrust and deceit "costing her the guy she loves," does that, in fact, mean Veronica loves Logan?
- In what alternative universe does being vocally opposed to rape automatically make you a man-hating, militant feminist?
- Now that Weevil is on the janitorial staff at Hearst College with access to restricted areas and other fun stuff, will he assume Wallaces old position as Veronica's Guy Friday?
- Shouldn't Dean O'Dell spend less time trying to uncover confidential sources and perhaps more time stopping the serial rapist that is terrorizing the Hearst campus?
- From my understanding of the situation, the Beaver rape retcon was done partly to make this season's mystery more personal to Veronica. So why hasn't it been?
- What exactly is the function of the Lillith House?
- Does Logan know that Veronica has a key lock/unlock mechanism for his new shiny
- This episode was originally titled Friday Night Sleights (a play on the movie/television show, Friday Night Lights, but writers John Enbom and Phil Klemmer -- who know nothing about football -- were told by Rob Thomas that there was no football on Friday night.
genova (Cara): Literature; Social Science; Extra Credit
holly96 (Holly): Social Science; Homeroom
Iloveyoubearymuch (Kathryn): Literature; Homeroom; Philosophy
JenniferH: Report Class; Chemistry; Band Class; Literature; Social Science; Homeroom; Detention; Philosophy; Extra Curricular Activities
Pixigal (Gerrie): Drama Club
PolarTruckin (Belinda): Social Science; Detention
ramwitz (Margarita): Social Science
sawmg (Shannon): Literature; Social ScienceHomeroom; Philosophy
SeluciaV (Alli) Study Hall; Literature; Social Science
Tar Frimmer (Joanne): Study Hall; Literature; Social Science
