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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Veronica Mars 1x12: "Clash of the Tritons"

The Mystery: 1) Who framed Veronica for a sudden rash of fake IDs? 2) Who's leaking pictures of Aaron Echolls' cheatin' ways to the press?

Veronica's used to having her locker subjected to a "random" search, so when she walks up to her locker to find Vice Principal Clemmons and Sheriff Lamb standing beside it, she's unfazed. Apparently, Rick and Ted, two Neptune High students with fake IDs, went on a crazy pub crawl that left Ted in an alcohol-induced coma. Rick, the non-comatose student, told the Sheriff's department that Veronica Mars made their fake IDs and has been distributing bogus driver's licenses all over school.

Unfortunately, when Sheriff Lamb opens her locker and a stack of blank ID cards falls out, Veronica knows she's been set up.

Furious at being publicly arrested in front of the whole school and given a three-day suspension, Veronica confronts Rick and demands the truth. Rick reveals that he was ordered to blame Veronica by the head of the Tritons - Neptune High's very own secret society. Rick and Ted's pub crawl was just one of the many hazing rituals they were asked to undergo to gain entry into the society that only picks the best and the brightest, a society that has the power to destroy any student who stands against it.

Veronica has no idea why the Tritons have it in for her, but she's determined to find out why - especially once Ted's family names her in a multimillion dollar lawsuit. The plot thickens when she discovers Duncan Kane is also being rushed by the Tritons.

Meanwhile, Aaron Echolls, still recovering from being stabbed in the Christmas episode, asks Keith to find out who's been leaking pictures of him with his adulterous affairs to the press. Those affairs are all old news but they're taking a steep emotional toll on his wife and son.

Since she's been suspended for three days, Veronica has a lot of extra time on her hands. When she finds out student counsellor Rebecca James is reconnecting with the students most affected by Lilly Kane's murder, Veronica bugs her office and learns all sorts of dirt. Weevil, for instance, was in love with Lilly and wrote her some vaguely stalkery letters when his feelings weren't reciprocated.

And Logan reveals the real source of his hostility towards Veronica - when Veronica caught him kissing another girl last year and ratted him out to Lilly, Lilly broke up with him just days before her murder. Logan admits he blames Veronica for Lilly's death because if he and Lilly had still been together, he might have been able to protect her. However, he doesn't blame Veronica more than he blames himself.

And lastly, Duncan reveals he's still taking the medication for his "condition" but admits that he has no memory at all of the three days surrounding Lilly's death.

Whodunnit: 1) Rick was actually the one behind the fake ID ring - no Tritons were actually involved in Veronica's frame-up. Despite having a father and two older brothers in the Tritons, Rick was never asked to join. That same Triton father was arrested for embezzling by Veronica's dad last year, ruining his family's standing. So when Rick's shenanigans with Ted got him caught, he decided to kill two Grudge Birds with one Revenge Stone by blaming Veronica, and then siccing her on the Tritons.

He underestimated Veronica Mars, however - not only does she manage to unmask the members of the Tritons, but she uses them and an unsuspecting Sheriff Lamb to clear her name.

2) Lynn Echolls, Aaron's scorned wife, was the one who leaked Aaron's flings to the press because she was tired of his cheating and abuse. When Aaron finds out, he promises to ruin her - if she divorces him, she'll be left with nothing. Lynn flees in tears, gulping how she "can't take it anymore" - and the episode ends with the sheriff's department discovering her empty convertible left idling on a devastatingly high bridge.

Awesome Things:
  • Veronica gets a musical number!
  • More Logan angst, yessss, we loves Logan character development...
  • Okay, so Veronica getting framed and arrested in front of the student body is crappy, but it was interesting to see her encounter the wrong end of the Vengeance Stick for once. Will this affect her "get tough and get even" stance in any significant way?

Less-Awesome Things:
  • Sheriff Lamb handcuffing Veronica just because he can. What a dick.
  • The Tritons may not have framed Veronica but they did stuff her into the trunk of her car - and did Duncan help?
  • Logan's mum. :( 
The Lilly Kane Case Files:
  • Weevil had a thing for Lilly, and did not take rejection well.
  • Lilly broke up with Logan days before her murder.
  • Duncan can't remember the three days surrounding Lilly's death, and is apparently taking medication for an undisclosed medical condition. 


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