Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Veronica Mars 1x20: "M.A.D."

The Mystery: How can Veronica keep a vengeful Oh Niner from posting revenge porn of his ex-girlfriend?

Carmen Rulz and Tad Wilson seem like the perfect high school couple - until Carmen wants to call it off. Tad, not willing to be "just friends," reveals he took a phone-video of a drunk Carmen doing unspeakable things to a popsicle at a party a year and a half ago, and he'll post it if she breaks up with him.

A tearful Carmen seeks out Veronica for help. Carmen doesn't even remember that party or doing those things, but she'll be ruined if that video goes public. At first, Veronica tries stealing Tad's phone - but he's saved the video to his computer. Carmen goes back to Tad, but it's not the same - her eyes have finally been opened to what a controlling, homophobic dickwad he is, and she hates being associated with the same guy who regularly bullies Seth Rafter, an openly gay classmate.

So it looks like Veronica might have to get a little more creative.

Meanwhile, Veronica and Logan are getting hot and heavy, while still trying to keep their relationship a secret (especially from Logan's asshole friends Dick and Beaver Casablancas). However, Logan is an unexpectedly romantic boyfriend, and asks Veronica out on a date on his father's boat.

Keith Mars and Alicia Fennel's relationship is also heating up - to Veronica's dismay, especially when she finds out her father's trying to start divorce proceedings against her mother, whom he doesn't know is still in rehab. Veronica decides not to tell him - because after a year, he deserves to be happy. Over at Kane Software, Clarence Wiedman doesn't share that sentiment when he calls Alicia Fennel into his office and tells her her job will be in jeopardy if she continues to date Keith Mars - especially since her son apparently helped the Marses bug Wiedman's office. Awkward.

Whodunnit: Veronica has Carmen take Tad on a special date on the boardwalk, where she asks Tad to try and score some Ecstasy from Seth, while Veronica takes pictures. That evening, Carmen (on a bugged phone) has a sexy chat with Tad about their upcoming "experimentation."

After several hours of photoshopping, some willing participation from Seth, and a custom website design from Mac, Veronica's created a multimedia presentation about Tad's Secret Gay Relationship, complete with damning photos, goopy love songs, and a tampered phone call that sounds like Tad would rather "experiment" with Seth. Veronica offers Tad a deal - if he keeps his underage amateur pornography to himself, so will Veronica. Mutually assured destruction.

However, even Veronica underestimates Tad's sexist, controlling douchebaggery when he releases his video anyway. Carmen is humiliated - but she decides not to send out the website link. Despite her mortification, she's glad to be free of Tad, and ruining him wouldn't make her feel any better.

Thankfully, Weevil and his PCHers don't have the same upstanding moral character, and they definitely don't like the idea of a rich white boy taking advantage of a drunk Latina from their side of town - so the next day finds Tad stripped and duct-taped to the flagpole.

Veronica offers to cut him down - for some answers. Putting two and two together with the evidence on Tad's video, she figured out that both she and Carmen were roofie'd on the night of Shelley Pomroy's party a year and a half ago. She'll cut down Tad, if Tad will tell her where he got the roofies that night. Tad replies that Logan gave him the GHB. A mortified Veronica leaves him high and dry - while Logan sits on his dad's boat, wondering why Veronica hasn't shown up yet.

Dun dun dunnnnn......

Awesome Things:
  • Veronica-Logan Make-Out Sessions in her Special Bathroom
  • Veronica making the mature decision regarding Keith's decision to serve papers
  • Mac being awesome at computers, as always
  • The casual brilliance of Veronica's revenge
  • The thuggish effectiveness of Weevil's revenge
  • Aaron Echolls is ... surprisingly decent this episode. Almost makes you forget he regularly beats Logan with a belt, drove his wife to suicide, and beat his daughter's boyfriend to within an inch of his life. OH WAIT NO IT DOESN'T. 
Less-Awesome Things:
  • Tad released the video anyway. Poor Carmen.
  • GHB. Boo! Logan's GHB? DOUBLE BOO! 
Lily Kane Case Files:
  • Nothing of note in this episode.

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