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So like, you guys? Remember when this episode was supposed to air last week, but no one knew if it was going to be pre-empted in some markets, and Strega awesomely tried to save my sanity by volunteering to cover the recaplet, but then we weren't sure if she'd get the episode either, and then it didn't end up airing anywhere? Yeah, well, that sucked. But was it worth the wait? Hell, yes. It starts innocently enough, as a young student who's taken a shine to Veronica asks her for help in locating his missing dad. Unbeknownst to her, the dad was reported dead years ago. But when she gets a response to her earlier efforts to track down the dad, things get more serious. In the end, she and the kid eventually track down the dad, who's...not so much a dad as she is a mom. Awesome reveal -- I had no clue until then, even though it was foreshadowed. The kid's understandably devastated, but some pointed advice from Veronica on the looooong car ride home convinces him to give his dad a chance. Aw. Now, in the land of the non-one-offs, we discover that Duncan's lack of affect can be attributed to the fact that he's been on antidepressants for months. When he tries coming off them, however, his behavior is erratic, and by the end of the episode he's back to his old robotic self. That's not, however, before his dead sister appears to him and tells him the official version of her death doesn't add up. Well, thanks for taking a break from Purgatory to tell us that. Meanwhile, Veronica hems and haws about Icetwin, but after a failed attempt to track down her mom, she seeks solace in his arms. And Weevil? Not in the episode at all, and despite the fact that I like him, he had no place in this one, and I'm glad that they didn't write him in just because he has to be paid. Just another smart decision made by those responsible for this show. Now, can we see some more advertising? Because seriously, Kevin Hill? We get it. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
Before I start, huge props to Strega for volunteering to do last week's recaplet and send me a tape when it looked like only New York's UPN station was pre-empting the show for the debates. Of course, the new episode didn't end up airing anywhere, but, when offering to do someone else's work for them for nothing in return, it's really the thought that counts. And also, thanks, Wing, for being so chill about the disaster that wasn't.Previously: The pilot. And then the second episode. They rocked.
School, outside. Quick pan by some girl who's probably supposed to be Paris Hilton, from the look of things. Damn, I thought I got rid of her. Better get that special shampoo out again. And I appreciate the effort, show, but that's one of the few kinds of continuity I could do without. A young kid and a couple of slightly older-looking, extremely dorky guys are checking out some blonde girl. The young kid thinks the girl is hot, but the dork without glasses thinks that she's only so in the Hilary Duff sense. Incidentally, Dork Without Glasses is a dead ringer for a young Michael Dukakis. Given that as I write this, the last Presidential debate is only an hour away, I'm going to spin around a couple of times and throw salt over my shoulder, and perform whatever other anti-hex rituals I know. Anyway, Young Kid points out Veronica, expositing that she comes into "the video store," prompting Dorks With and Without Glasses to tell Young Kid that her dad's a PI, and she works with him. Dork Without Glasses looks at Veronica appraisingly and says, "Eight and a half. That's my final offer." Eight and a half…hundred dollars for her to make out with you? Loosen the purse strings, Geek Boy.
Icetwin catches Veronica and asks her what she thinks he's doing that weekend. Veronica: "I'm guessing it involves autoeroticism." Veronica, the guy's sixteen or seventeen. "Guessing" doesn't enter into it. Icetwin, unfazed, says he's going to take his dad's luxury sailboat out, and mumbles something about the Strokes blasting through the speakers and "a wide-eyed, impressionable vixen" by his side. Well, Icetwin, I don't mean to rain on your pop-culture credentials, but I keep up with music trends these days about as much as I keep up with Maxim magazine, and I saw the Strokes live almost three years ago, so you might want to step into the present here. Also, "vixen"? Veronica takes a different tack, pointing out that she's not impressionable, which falls right into his obvious trap, as he says he wasn't talking about her. "You might want to check your ego at the door there, missy." Why not, Veronica -- it's not like Icetwin doesn't have enough for the both of you. Actually, Veronica's pretty intimidating, so Icetwin, I can see why you're playing this schtick with her, but you're still coming close to bugging me, so watch it. Anyway, Veronica's charmed, and it's nice to see a big smile from her, which lasts until some clod runs into her, causing her to drop her books. She's assisted in gathering them up by her knight in unsmiling armor, Duncan. He wordlessly looks at her, and then walks away with Logan as VMVO tells us, "The weird thing about going to high school with your ex is they're inescapable." Bad grammar, however, is not. Not with edit and ban powers, anyway. I think Logan's wearing a shirt he's worn before, which is such nice realism for high school, unlike, say, Buffy Summers, who was supposed to be poor and yet had a wardrobe so extensive that you had to wonder if she was killing a race of vampire cows on the side. Hey, there was a time when UPN would have produced that concept.
Stylish cut to the blue sky as "No Blue Sky" by the Thorns kicks up. Duncan floats on a raft in a pool, which was mentioned in the forums as being an homage to/rip-off of The Graduate. Considering the only Mrs. Robinson type we've seen so far is his mother, I'm sentencing Foreshadowing to ten to twenty years. Anyway, a parental unit does appear, but it's his father, and judging from the forums, Duncan's not the only one who could use a dip in that pool right about now. Jake suggests Duncan get involved in politics the summer, and gives him the name of a senator to write to for an internship. While his dad's still talking, Duncan replaces his earphones, and the music goes full blast again. The last word I hear Jake say before the music drowns him out is "Schwarzenegger," and I am officially in love with the writing and editing staff of this show. Not to mention the fact that it looks like my hex-killing worked. (Damn! Better do it again, just to make sure!)
Chez Mars. Keith tells Veronica that her guidance counselor called and wants to see him. "Have you been playing nice with the other children?" Veronica says she's old-school. "An eye for an eye." Keith says that's actually Old Testament. It's actually Hammurabi's Code, but I'm not going to argue with a fictional character. Not one that's not completely part of my imagination, anyway. Veronica says she doesn't know why the counselor wants to see Keith, and then asks him why her mom was with Jake Kane two weeks ago. She tells him that Lianne's only in Arizona, but he agonizedly asks her to drop it. After a beat, she forces a smile, and asks, "How about those Padres?" See what they did there? Because padre means father? Well, I thought it was clever. Sheesh.
Chez Kane. The family is eating at a long table in front of a long window. There are two empty chairs on the near side of the table, which is interesting. Lilly and…whom? Jake and Celeste -- who's sporting a sassy new bob that makes her look so different that many viewers, including me, thought at first glance that the role had been recast -- are arguing over Duncan as if he's not there. Duncan picks at his food as his parents' voices are amplified. Jake thinks Duncan needs more ambition so he can get into a good college. Because the last thing good colleges are interested is kids whose parents whose net worth could make Donald Trump shrivel in inadequacy. (Yes, I am trying to make you vomit. Did it work?)
Veronica kisses her dad goodbye and says she's going to the library.
Duncan tells his parents that he's going to "Shelley"'s. His dad grins inappropriately. Ew.
Blue light. Duncan and Veronica are making out hot and heavy in a car. But…she's got short hair! And they're wearing the clothes from the scene! WHAT'S GOING ON? An alarm clock, that's what, as Veronica wakes up panting. Well, they got me. Don't worry, it won't be the last time. Credits.
Video store. A middle-aged woman returns a video to Young Kid, saying that his recommendation was excellent as always. He tells her that Kevin Spacey is always great, which is a pretty amazing thing to say, considering that he's had an more precipitous drop in the average quality of his recent films than even John Travolta. Young Kid goes on that the woman should also check out Body Heat. I don't know what film in the Spacey oeuvre makes that a logical transition, but if it's one with a lot of sweaty Spacey nakedness, remind me to put it on my to-see list after the worst movie I can think of that I haven't seen. Which, by coincidence, has to be Pay It Forward. The customer leaves with a fond smile, and Veronica appears, babbling about Slap Shot for some reason to someone offscreen, presumably her dad. Young Kid stammeringly asks her about her PI credentials, and then asks her for help on a private matter. She tells him to find her at school the day. Keith appears and says he got The Cowboys "as a backup." As Young Kid rings him up, Veronica surreptitiously mouths that Keith has rented it five times already. Oh, please. Ask me how many times I've seen This Is Spinal Tap, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure…you know, this is making me reevaluate my priorities. I could probably find more productive uses for my time than sitting around watching TV all the time. On the other hand, this laptop is feeling really heavy. Eh, on we go.
Duncan swigs some milk from the carton as his mom comes in and reminds him to take his pill. As she babbles that there's no shame in taking antidepressants, which is absolutely true, we see said pill on the countertop in the foreground, to a huge glass of water. Looks like someone in the props department's word of the day was "juxtaposition." As Duncan goes over to the sink, his mom says that everyone she knows has needed them at one time or another, and that he should give them a little more time, as he's only been on them for six months. I know very little about them, nor do I know what Duncan's supposed to be on, but I was under the impression that you're supposed to feel results at least from drugs such as Prozac a couple of weeks after the initial dose, so her enthusiasm seems a little off, but maybe being Stepfordian is her way of dealing with all the family trauma. Duncan's way of dealing, however, is to drop the pill down the sink, which his mom totally doesn't notice. Maybe he'd get results if you opened your eyes, lady.
School. Veronica spies Duncan at his locker talking to Logan. Presumably affected by the Body Heat-esque dream she had over the weekend, she looks a bit dazed as the action around her gets all speedy and spinny. Icetwin bumps into her, knocking her out of her reverie, and she asks him out. He hams, "Finally, the girl comes to her senses!" Eh. Veronica and Icetwin skip out of the frame, and Logan and Duncan enter it, as Logan is asking about Shelley. Duncan complains that she's a talker, and Logan agrees that he hates it when they talk. Well, I guess Lilly's death worked out well for you, then. Logan points out that Icetwin has been "all over your trailer-park ex." Well, I'd rather live in a trailer park than stay at the Hilton. Duncan genuinely seems not to care, but suddenly looks ashen and sweaty, and runs to the bathroom. Inside, he rinses his face off, looking like he just vomited and/or suffered a mild panic attack. He could be our forum posters anticipating the overnight ratings of the show. He returns to Logan, looking chipper again. They observe Veronica hustling Young Kid into the girls' bathroom. Logan grins and walks away with a, "That girl is seriously wack." I think she's mad fresh, Logan. You be illin'.
Inside the girl's bathroom, the new Rickie Vasquez asks Veronica to find his dad, who ran out on him and his mom ten years earlier. Oh, this seems as good a time as any to mention that the popular name for this kid in the forums is Poor Man's Frankie Muniz. Now, I hate to break with my beloved posters, but I disagree, for two reasons. One, I don't see any resemblance at all between the two. Far more importantly, however, I don't think it's even possible for there to be a poor man's Frankie Muniz, because I think Frankie Muniz is a no-talent hack whose only purpose in life is to suck screen time away from Justin Berfeld. This kid actually somewhat reminds me of a less chubby version of the protagonist of L.I.E., which makes me wary of dark and sordid plotlines to come. In other words, props to the casting director. Veronica asks the kid, whose name we'll soon find out is Justin (which is also funny, because physically, this kid looks a lot more like Berfeld than Muniz), if he's sure he even wants to find his dad, and shoves the door closed on a couple girls and sticks a stop under the door. Hee. I don't know why drawing attention to yourself in this way is more secret than simply finding a quiet place outside to talk, but true to form for this show, it's entertaining, so I'll go with it. Veronica asks Justin why he wants to find his dad now, and Justin tells her that his mom got laid off, so she's working two crappy jobs, and so is he. Boy, he's ungrateful. Doesn't he know that his mom can go to community college and be on Easy Street in no time at all? (Oh, I forgot to mention: This part of the recap was written after the debate.) Veronica asks him for some details, which are as follows: There are no pictures, as his mom destroyed them all, no Social Security number, no date of birth, and the dad's name is "John Smith." Well, that's like looking for a needle in a haystack. The size of Uranus. (Oh, come on. I restrained myself for so long.)
Keith goes in to see the guidance counselor, who's played by Paula Marshall. I'm not familiar with her work, but Ms. Marshall apparently has such a reputation for show-killing that the forum posters hiss and make the sign of the cross every time she appears on screen. If her reputation is deserved, maybe she can get over to The West Wing or ER, stat. Of course, if that happens, NBC is going to be in more need of rebuilding than the Mets. (Those last two sentences were taken out of the bestseller Getting Lots And Lots Of Hate Mail For Dummies.) Keith asks why he's there, and Back, Show Killer! tells him that over the last year, Veronica's been late a lot, has had attitude with certain teachers, has fallen asleep in class, and has been socially isolated. Wow, you can describe a high-school student like that in one word: "Prototypical." Keith simply agrees and says that Veronica's had a rough year. BSK! tells Keith that she knows how close Veronica was with Lilly. I'm having a little trouble, but wasn't there another little thing that might have affected her, like HER MOM RUNNING AWAY? BSK! offers to talk to Veronica, and I thought from Veronica's comments to Miss Dent in the last episode that she already had, but Keith warily says that no, he'll handle it. I guess he's heard about her too. Back!
We're back at the Dinner Table of Shiny Happy People. Jake is a-chortling about his wife's apparent suggestion that Duncan see a life coach. If he'd seen Nip/Tuck lately, he wouldn't be laughing. He'd be very, very scared. And I have to say that, given the last role I saw of hers was Jean Grey in X-Men United, seeing Famke Janssen in that role was more than a little disturbing. Duncan's making some faces, and we're to infer that going off his meds has made him a little…manic? Loopy? There have been endless pharmacological discussions in the forums since this episode aired, but I'm not even going to speculate about what Duncan was on or what the effects of going off it should be. The show seems to want us to believe that the antidepressants were responsible for his lack of affect, and going off them is making him erratic. Let's just go with it. Duncan interrupts the Bickersons by standing up and proposing a toast to "Molly, God rest her soul." Jake doesn't know who Molly is, and Celeste bites out that it's their old lab. Duncan waxes nostalgic about the dog. "If only she had the good sense not to whiz in our flowerbed, she'd still be with us!" That makes me think about electric fences, and yes, I watched Ren and Stimpy. (I will decline to say in what state I watched that show, but it ain't on the Electoral College map.) Celeste tells Duncan that she's sure Molly was placed in a good home, and besides, it was six years ago. Considering how unaffected the parents seem to be about Lilly, I guess it's no shock that they don't care about some mutt that trampled their prize petunias, but I still find it hard to believe they could have gone through with taking away their beloved ten- or eleven-year-old son's best friend. That's what leashes are for. Although Dick Cheney uses them for another species entirely. Duncan toasts Molly, and leaves the room. What's the rest of this dinner going to be? Awkward.
Justin and Dork Without Glasses pedeconference. We learn that Justin's dad actually died seven years ago. Justin: "Well, then, I guess it's gonna take her a long time to find him." Justin, just cherchez la [SPOILER!]
Mars Investigations. Veronica and Wallace are sitting facing each other at her desk. Keith enters as Veronica records an answering-machine message feigning being the "Stanford Summer Program" administration office. Keith looks wearily amused. He and Wallace introduce themselves. Veronica tells Keith that Wallace is a friend of hers. "Take that, high-school guidance counselor." Don't say her name, Veronica. It's bad luck. Veronica explains what she's doing: She's narrowed the list of "John Smith"s down to 440 people, so she's sending each one a letter congratulating him on his son winning a scholarship. If all goes well, the father will recognize Justin's name and phone to say they've got the wrong address, whereupon she'll trace the call. Keith: "Part of me is proud…and let's just leave it at that." Hee. I like Keith now -- I'm willing to write off the pilot as a fluke. Which breaks down my last resistance to this show. Back! Keith asks Wallace how he got roped into helping her. "She promised me all the answer keys to the" -- glare from Veronica -- "she just promised to be my friend." Hee. Keith: "I'd have held out for a better offer." Let's try this again: Keith, this is Wallace. Keith goes into his office, and Veronica asks Wallace if he can get her permanent file so she can see what the BSK! has been telling Keith. Wallace tells her that it's not worth it to get in trouble just to have a friend. Hee hee! Just seeing if you were paying attention. (I had a friend in sixth grade who slipped a page into his book report asking the teacher to check a box if she'd read that far. Box: Unchecked. Friend: Precocious. And insane.)
Kane Kitchen. Mother greet son. Pill down sink. Parenting still absent.
School. Wallace asks if Veronica really called the geometry teacher a jackass. Veronica: "That's totally taken out of context." What she actually said was, "You don't know jack, ass." Wallace gives Veronica a bunch of shit for past good behavior, prompting Veronica to note that the record goes all the way back to kindergarten. Speaking of which, Justin appears and asks if there's any news. Upon hearing a negative, he gives Veronica a mix CD he made her, for those lonely stakeout nights. Once he's gone, Wallace tee-hees, which is a cover for, "Why the HELL didn't you think of that, Holmes?" Veronica asks Wallace to get her Justin's file.
Date. Icetwin is telling Veronica about the time that he and Duncan tried to use a "fake shark plan" to get on America's Funniest Home Videos. Veronica says she remembers that, which…seems weird. Presumably, she would have heard the story from Duncan at some point, so wouldn't she have been familiar with Icetwin's name before she met him? Icetwin says they were going to "cut off the dorsal fin, nail it to a board," and strap the thing to his back so he could swim around near the public beach while Duncan videotaped the whole thing. Well, I don't know where they got the shark, although it's possible Icetwin marble-mouthed an explanation. But if they're talking about a big enough shark to scare anyone, I find it hard to believe that two young boys could cut the fin off even if they used a hacksaw. Anyway, Icetwin swam around for a while until the lifeguard saw the fin and pulled a rifle, which again, seems sketchy. A lot of lifeguards are pretty young, and I don't know if it would even be legal to give them firearms, much less sensible. (Okay, I won't get into the assault-weapons ban lapsing.) Duncan ran for the lifeguard, yelling that it was his friend, so he didn't shoot. Icetwin finishes that Duncan saved his life. Veronica wryly notes that that's one way of looking at it. The other way is that the both of them were complete fucking morons, but, characteristically yet thankfully, Veronica's already expressed that sentiment, so let's move on, shall we? Veronica beams at Icetwin, who says he's tired of the song that's playing. He hits the fifties-style mini-jukebox on the table, but the song doesn't change. He explains, "I would have expected sex had that worked." Veronica: "Had that worked, you would have gotten it." Icetwin looks like that autoerotic thing is going to be happening sooner than anticipated. Hee.
Outside, Icetwin asks Veronica for her phone. He programs a number and says it's "booty-call enabled." How'd he get Weevil's number? (Oh, as I said in the forums, it's not like I don't like Weevil, but I'm glad they didn't try to shoehorn him into this episode. It's not like this episode isn't as thick as week-old custard already.) Anyway, Veronica babbles about it being a school night (how long is this week, anyway?) but Icetwin leans in for the kiss anyway. Denied! Well, at least he knows the rumors about her are false, if there was any doubt left. Icetwin recovers pretty well -- he switches horses with a soft handshake and a bow. I think some people thought that was obnoxious, but I saw it as a reasonably valiant attempt to defuse the awkwardness of the situation. Nevertheless, Veronica looks embarrassed. He opens her car door for her, and she sits down and looks pleadingly at him. He gives a confused look, and walks to his convertible and drives away. I didn't mean for this to be a running joke, but…awkward.
Veronica tries to sneak into the house, but Keith is waiting up for her and asks how the date went. Dude, what is with the red filter here? I don't need to feel like I'm watching this through a lava lamp. Anyway, considering most restaurants don't stay open too late on weekdays, I doubt a lecture is warranted here. Veronica smarts, "Lousy conversation, but the sex was fantastic." Well, that's a half-truth if I ever saw one. Keith thinks that isn't funny, but Veronica sasses, "I don't know. I'm pretty sure it was." I'm pretty sure it was…asking for an ass-kicking, missy. She goes into her room, and VMVO tells us how Icetwin is "dead sexy" and has "devilish charm." First off, no one has been called "dead sexy" unironically since Fat Bastard hit the big screen, and second, no one can have "devilish charm" until they look old enough to shave. Shut up, VMVO. She asks what she's waiting for, and just like that, we're back in the car with Duncan. I don't know -- Duncan may have resembled a block of wood until this episode, but he and Veronica certainly do the make-out thing well. Anyway, they slide down out of the frame as he says her name, but then the sexy music cuts and they pop back up, only it's Duncan and (we presume) Shelley. HA! That was awesome, and on top of it, when she asks him what he called her, he fishes for a response, and then just cracks up. I wonder if that was ad-libbed, because it was such a perfect reaction. There's really nothing else to do in that situation. Besides duck and cover, of course.
Veronica's Locker. Wallace hands Veronica Justin's file, looking for all the world like Nelly just announced his retirement. (My expression might be a little different in the same situation.) Veronica looks at the file, and then back at Wallace with a "oh no he DI-INT" look on his face. Wallace hopes she's heard the expression about not tasering the messenger.
Table Built For Dorks. Veronica dismisses Dorks With and Without Glasses. Veronica confronts Justin and tells him how much it drives her crazy that he wasted her time, plus he owes her a hundred fifty bucks in postage. Before she can knock him into the middle of week, however, a school employee appears and gives Justin a letter addressed to him, presumably care of the school. The letter is from his father. Dude, you might try demonstrating some acting ability here. Maybe that's what the comparisons to Frankie Muniz were all about.
Veronica's studying in her room, and it's nice to give a nod to the fact that you have to study to get good grades, Buffy Summers's SAT scores notwithstanding. Keith knocks and enters and tells Veronica that a certain "pint-sized" someone is there to see her. Veronica rolls her eyes but sort of smiles. In the RED hallway, Justin meekly apologizes to Veronica, and then tells her that his mom admitted his dad is alive, but said he's better off not having known him. Veronica pointedly says that maybe that's the case, which visibly discomfits Keith. Nice little bit of work from Colantoni there. Justin says he has to try to find out what happened to his dad, and now Veronica's the one looking a little upset, but she asks to see the letter again. Did you hear that sound during that scene? No? Exactly. That was the sound of the anvils that didn't fall.
VMVO tells us that Justin's letter had a San Diego postmark, and only three of the John Smiths were from there. Keith knocks and enters again. He tells Veronica that he couldn't help but overhear, and says that he doesn't want her to think of her mom as the villain of the piece. Veronica counters that the villain is the one that leaves. Keith looks like he's struggling with something as he tells her he doesn't think that's a healthy perspective. Veronica: "It's healthier than me pining away every day praying she'll come home." Man, this show knows how to hit where it hurts. Defeated, Keith closes the door. VMVO tells us that in truth, she'd figured out exactly where her mom is staying, but she wasn't about to tell her dad. She gets an address off her computer and writes it on a Post-It note and puts it on her bulletin board. It's on "Paraket Lane." Well, twet twet twet.
Veronica catches up with Icetwin outside the school. He's a little cold at first, but her big smile wears him down. Meanwhile, up in the bleachers, the rich kids are watching a lacrosse practice. Logan, holding a flask, tells Duncan that he thought his "boy toy Troy" (okay, hee) was going to join them for "happy hour," and wonders if he got "way laid" (pun his, and again, hee) by Veronica. Duncan stands up and grabs the flask out of Logan's hand, and Logan looks at him uncertainly. But Duncan just goes into a Kung Fu impression. I'd love to see Kwai Chang Caine kick Logan's ass, I tell you what. Logan and Duncan wrassle a bit, and then Duncan launches into an off-key rendition of "Summer Nights." Boy, and here I thought flippy-haired girls were the only thing this show and Smallville had in common. Never underestimate the pervasiveness of massive homoeroticism. Some douchebag does a back flip off the bleachers, sending Danny and the Zukos scampering to the railing. But the kid landed safely on some cushiony bags of something or other. More's the pity. Everyone heads back flaskwards except Duncan, who spies Veronica and Icetwin walking together. She tells him that she had a really good time with him. He assumes she's trying to let him down easy, but she pulls him in for a promo-style kiss. It's nice to have a scene play out remotely the way it's depicted in the promos, unlike what happens on some other shows. I won't name names, but one rhymes with Lawson's Beak. Anyway, Duncan starts to walk away, but then turns, runs up to the railing with a war cry, and flips over it. He hits the cushions but rolls off hard. Veronica rushes over to him, and Icetwin looks bummed that he can't break up with his hand yet. Duncan seems high as a kite, and he'd have to be not to be fazed by the blood gushing out of the back of his head. Logan's a total prick here, which wouldn't be surprising except that he doesn't seem to care at all that Duncan's hurt. He usually seems pretty sensitive when it comes to his buddy. Icetwin and Veronica haul Duncan to his feet. Cut to a minute later, where they've gotten a towel for Duncan to hold on his wound and are getting him into Veronica's car. Duncan still seems loopier than Liza Minnelli on Arrested Development. Or, you know, anywhere else. I'm surprised Icetwin didn't insist on going with them, but whatever. Veronica and Duncan drive off…
…and they're driving, as "Edge of the Ocean" by Ivy plays. They've really chosen good music for the scenes so far on this show. Duncan stares at Veronica, who spares a wary glance his way. He takes the towel off his wound, like, I'm sure the leather seats appreciate that. He asks her if she remembers how things used to be. Yes, she does, Duncan. In vivid shades of blue. VMVO gets snitty, and Veronica tells him, "Not really, no." Honey, even with med withdrawal and a head injury, he knows you're lying. There's a reason you're only a guest star, Icetwin.
Hospital. A nurse asks Duncan if he wants his girlfriend to stay with him. Veronica starteth to protest too much, but Duncan tells the nurse yes. Veronica smiles, and Icetwin's heart chips a little bit. Jake Kane makes an appearance, and notes that he and Veronica meet again. Veronica chirps, "What are the odds." Just wait until sweeps, honey. Jake politely dismisses Veronica, but not before she and Duncan exchange a longing look. Jake, as he ices Duncan's head: "Off a bleacher?" Hee.
A doctor is putting up x-rays for Jake and Duncan, and tells them that there's not serious damage. Jake asks Duncan why he jumped off the bleachers, and Duncan, not answering, asks to speak to "Dr. Levine" for a minute. Jake leaves. Duncan comes out. Oh, fine. I just thought the rich kids needed some spicing up, because even calling them "vanilla" is an insult to the inoffensive flavorings everywhere. Scene.
VMVO tells us some stuff we already know. She then tells us she's going to find and photograph the three "John Smith"s in the area. She does realize, though, that the pictures won't do much good if Justin can't identify anything about his dad, so she calls him and asks if he's absolutely sure his mom has no pictures of him at all. Justin, at the video store, doesn't think she does, but says he'll look again. The woman from the earlier scene (played by Melissa Leo, for those who care) appears, and Justin asks Veronica if he can call her back. The woman, per Justin's recommendation, asks for Body Heat, which…isn't completely insignificant, now that I think of it, with the identity-not-what-it-seems plotline. Justin says he'll have to special-order it. If there's a director's cut, I hope he hasn't seen it. He's a little young. Hell, I think I'm a little young for that.
Duncan's doctor is explaining to him that going off his medication cold turkey could produce nausea and hallucinations, which could go on for weeks. Sounds like recapping Charmed, if by "weeks" you mean "years." Duncan says it's worth it. Demian does not agree.
Keith comes in to see BSK! He apologizes for his attitude in the meeting. He doesn't seem to want to look her in the eye, which could be due to his embarrassment. It might, however be due to the fact that though it's not particularly dark, there are some extreme high beams in his face. And if I noticed, we're talking fog lights. Although with bazooms like that, I don't know why she's not a ratings boon instead of a show killer. Anyway, BSK! tells him he wasn't that bad, which he really wasn't, and he admits that Veronica probably does need someone to talk to other than him. BSK! steps up, and then her phone rings, which allows her to somewhat contrivedly knock over a cup of coffee. Keith helps her a little with the cleanup, and takes the opportunity to check out the label on the coffee cup as BSK! tells him she's a coffee addict. Um, join the club. There's room in the back -- just don't step on Sars's toes on your way. Keith opens the door to leave, but she stops him by calling him "Sheriff Mars," and tells him he always had her vote. I'm thinking he's going to have more than that come November sweeps or so. I hope he can handle it -- it's a big job. Or two.
School. Veronica is telling Wallace and Justin that she got pictures of the three John Smiths. She shows Justin the first two, but apparently the dad has brown eyes, and the guys' eyes are another color, like, thanks for sharing that earlier, Justin. The third guy looks like the big brother to Weevil's gang, and is wearing shades. Justin thinks it could be his dad, but Veronica cautions that she followed him from the junkyard to the pawn shop to the racetrack. Well, it could have been worse -- he could have gone to OTB. Justin thinks he could tell if it's his dad from up close, and although Veronica's wary, Wallace and Justin convince her to take Justin after school. Veronica tells Justin that she's in charge and he'll obey her. Wallace: "You should have seen her before charm school." And Wallace, I should have seen you before acting classes…oh, wait. Justin gives Veronica a photograph of his mom and dad, with a large gulf where his dad should be. "In this one you can actually see his hand." I'm suddenly reminded of The Crying Game for some reason. I can't imagine why. Justin also tells Veronica that his dad was obsessed with cars, like, ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW?
Veronica and Justin tail their target to a parking lot in front of some sketchy businesses. The dude's driving an ordinary convertible, which will become convenient in a moment. Speaking of convenient, Veronica's wearing her hair straight, with the bangs pulled back over her head. My friend in high school referred to that as the woke-up-late hairstyle. She was funny. Veronica starts to tell Justin to stay in the car as she takes some more pictures, but Justin gets out and goes after the guy with Veronica close behind. Justin gets the guy's attention, and short story even shorter, it's not his dad, who goes into one of the stores. Veronica, however, notices a shopping list on a Post-It in the car, and grabs it. The handwriting matches the writing in Justin's letter. DUN!
Duncan is watching bowling. I certainly hope he's hallucinating, because that's the only way that wouldn't be mind-numbingly boring. Agreeing with me is Lilly Kane. Oh, yes -- Dead Lilly enters the room, blood dripping from the wound on her head and bathed in green light, and complains about the whole mind-numbingly boring thing. She casually flops down on the couch with Duncan, and then sits up, all while telling him that the official version of her murder doesn't add up, like, at all. "The truth is gonna come out. Clue in, Donut." Duncan is really wondering whether this was worth the trip. She tells him that he knows it too, and she wishes he'd just admit it to himself. He wakes up to the sound of pins crashing. Hee. The Foley guys are my friends too. Oh, and by the way, I was sure going in that Lilly's scene, a clip of which was shown in the promos, was going to be with Veronica, but I think it was far more interesting for it to be with Duncan.
Veronica and Justin follow Old Vin Diesel to his house. Justin notices Veronica's taser, but she tells him to put it back and stay in the car. Because he's demonstrated that he's really good at doing that. Cut to Veronica skulking outside the house. She looks into the garage and sees a tarp covering what might be a classic car, fueling her suspicions about the dad living there. She climbs through the garage window and takes the tarp off the car, but it's a Hyundai. Wow, it's like she chose the wrong door on Let's Make A Deal. Old Vin Diesel appears from the house with a baseball bat and says he's calling the police. Veronica tells him she followed him and she knows what he does, but he tells her he's a parole officer. She's confused, but tells him that his son just wants to see him. He retorts that he doesn't have a son. Veronica: "Are you trying to tell me you're not John Smith?"
A rather classic-looking car pulls up to the house. Justin grabs Veronica's taser. He reaches the car as the driver is waiting for the garage to open. The driver is…Melissa Leo, who smiles and greets him by name. Justin looks at Veronica, adds it all up, and stammers, "Dad?" The woman nods us into the last commercial break.
WOW! That was awesome. I didn't see it coming at all. I was thinking about whether I should have, and the answer is probably, because where else would this woman fit in given that the episode is almost over, but seriously? The story was so well-told, and the episode so well-paced, that I didn't really have time to think about it. Man, this show kicks ass. I don't even care that I'm jinxing it. Choose Mars! Go, Rob Thomas! Go, UPN! (Okay, now I'm getting carried away.)
Oh, the one nitpick about this I've seen is that people wondered whether Justin's dad would have kept his name as a woman, since it seems like he had to him to be on Veronica's original list. I think it's entirely possible that his dad never changed his name in whatever database she used to get the names (Social Security, for example) so that didn't bother me at all. It's possible it doesn't really completely add up, but…see the preceding paragraph.
We return to the same tableau. It's dusk, which seems wrong, since it was still day before the commercial, and you'd think no time would have passed. On the other hand, considering how long I stared slackjawed after the reveal, maybe it's not too much to believe that the actual participants needed a few beats to absorb what happened. Justin is crying as he tells his dad that he thought she was dead since he was eleven. So these last two months must have been really rough. Melissa Leo tells Justin that she's not surprised, as his mother threatened that she would tell him that. She's crying too as she goes on that she came to the video store to see that he was all right. Justin isn't so much about understanding or forgiveness at the moment, and after calling Melissa Leo a "circus freak," he tells Veronica he wants to go. Veronica: "It was nice meeting everyone." That's a pitfall of a line, but Kristen Bell delivered it with just the right amount of "I'm sorry" in her voice. Nice. Melissa Leo cries on her husband's shoulder.
Car. Veronica thickly points out to Justin that his dad travels ninety miles to see him for a few seconds every week. She goes on that she would give anything to feel that her mom cared enough about her to do that. Man, how well do we know Veronica in the space of just three episodes? I've had boyfriends I didn't know this well. And didn't want to, frankly, but that's another story. Justin's tears are still flowing as he considers Veronica's words in silence.
VMVO tells us that she's driving to Arizona after school. In a school week that's apparently a year long. She tells us she can make it to Phoenix in four hours if the roads are clear. And if the speed limit is about a hundred and twenty. She tells us that tragedy uproots everything like a tornado, but after the dust settles, you make a choice. She strides out resolutely. Cut to Duncan taking his pill. "You can live in the wreckage and pretend it's still the mansion you remember." In the school hallway, Veronica smilingly greets Duncan and asks how his head is. Duncan unsmilingly flatlines, "Better." Welcome back-o, Mr. Roboto. He walks off, and Veronica and Logan both look deeply concerned. "Or you can crawl from the rubble and slowly rebuild." Keith "accidentally" runs into BSK! at the coffee house. Hee. "Because after disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on." Someone in the video store gives Justin the copy of Body Heat he ordered. Cut to him calling Melissa Leo. As his tears flow again, they arrange for her to come pick it up Saturday. Well, apparently she'll never see it, then. "But if you're like me, you just keep chasing the storm." Veronica pulls up to a house, outside of which she sees a blonde woman from the back. She yells, "Mom?" No, it's a much prettier woman. Veronica tells her she's looking for Lianne Mars. The woman immediately identifies Veronica (although you'd think she would have known her by sight, as no matter how shitty a mom Lianne might be, she's got to have a picture of her daughter) and quickly embraces her, saying she's "Adrianna," a college friend of Lianne's. Veronica asks where Lianne is, but she took off about two weeks earlier. Veronica starts to panic as she asks where she went, and when Adrianna says she doesn't know, her voice breaks completely. Adrianna says Lianne thought Keith might come looking for her. Interesting. I wonder if he did in these last two weeks. Veronica tremblingly asks if her mom doesn't care about her. Adrianna: "You're all she cares about." Veronica struggles for a moment, and replies, "Mark me down as skeptical." And mark me down as hooked. Veronica leaves.
Night. Veronica, still upset, drives as VMVO tells us that the problem with chasing the storm is that it wears you down and breaks your spirit. Cut to Veronica making a phone call. She tells the person at the other end that she's outside his house. A light comes on, and a figure emerges. He opens the gate, and we see it's Icetwin. He gently says, "It's about time," and she collapses into his arms in tears. Aww. I hope he makes her happy for at least an episode or two.
time: Veronica takes on the "Silicon Mafia." The ep looks Wallace-centric. Kyla Pratt guest-stars. Veronica pulls a Jennifer Garner. There's some serious Icetwin mackage, but still no sign of Weevil. The forum posters tap their toes in impatience. See you then!