1.09 "Drinking the Kool-Aid"
Aired Nov 30, 2004
Details
prison parking lot: This episode picks up where episode 8 left off. Veronica is in her car, crying. She composes herself and says in a VO that Jake Kane is her father and she has to deal with it. She wonders if Keith went after Jake so obsessively because of the affair. She then realizes that Duncan must be... Veronica's car is stopped and she has her door open while she's throwing up. Her VO continues, wondering if the pictures of her in a gun sight were Jake's revenge on her dad. If so, she's taking him down.
Veronica's bedroom: Veronica is looking at the bull's-eye pictures. She realizes in her VO that one was taken downtown. She was there every Thursday for six weeks because Lianne wanted her to get therapy after Lilly's death. The sessions weren't productive. Veronica then notices a picture with a "Neptune High School Book Week" banner in the background.
school office: Veronica sees Mrs. Murphy behind the counter and asks her when Book Week was last year. Mrs. Murphy replies that it is always the first week in February. Veronica's VO says that she now knows which Thursday it was.
downtown: Veronica stands in the spot where she was photographed last year. She notices a restaurant nearby. In the next shot, Veronica is sitting on the deck of the restaurant, with her camera trained on the spot where she was just standing. Her VO says that the person who took the photos had to be sitting where she was because of the angle. Veronica looks at her receipt and sees that it is date and time-stamped. Veronica talks to a waitress and asks if she can get receipts from February 4th between 4:45 and 5:30 P.M. She tells the waitress that someone has been stalking her, showing the pictures to prove it. The waitress gives Veronica the receipt. A man named Clarence Wiedman, Jr. paid via credit card and therefore signed the receipt.
car: Veronica watches Clarence Wiedman leaves his house and get into his car. She follows him to Kane Software. Veronica calls Information and gets the phone number for Kane Software. Once connected, she asks for Clarence Wiedman. She gets his voicemail, on which he says he's the head of security. She hangs up. Veronica says in a VO that if she really is Jake Kane's daughter, that information will be worth millions — and after what that family has done to hers, she intends to collect.
Opening Credits
Mars home: Veronica enters to find Keith in a very hyper mood. She notices he has a bad cut on his face. Keith says he got scratched sliding into home plate. He is very excited about showing Veronica something and grabs her hand so she'll come with him. He puts her other hand over her eyes.
Veronica's bedroom: Veronica sits down on her bed only to discover that it's a waterbed. Keith is very excited, saying that she wanted a waterbed when she was a little girl. Veronica laughs at him but thanks him, saying he's sweet. She also notices the masking tape price tag reading $10. Keith is embarrassed, but Veronica doesn't mind, since they don't have a lot of money at the time. She says she loves him and gives him a hug.
Mars Investigations: Keith's office: Mr. and Mrs. Gant are talking to Keith about their son, Casey, who joined a cult called the Moon Calf Collective. He even sold his Porsche to give them the money and has been spending all of his free time there. They will tell Keith what they want from him, making sure to tell him that they will pay him handsomely. Keith comes out with the Gants, who leave. Veronica is at her desk and tells her dad that she is trying to draw a blood sample for an HIV test, which would give her extra credit in health class. She says she's afraid to do it and suggests to Keith that he do it instead. She says no one will know the difference, and anyway, she's not sexually active. He laughs at her timidity and pricks his finger for her. He asks her if she knows Casey Gant. She says he's an 09er jerk. Keith says that his parents are unhappy that he's in a cult and that they will pay a $5,000 bonus if Keith can find some sort of illegal activity that could shut the cult down. Since Casey is over 18, that's all that can be done. Keith says he'll do the background, run the title, etc. He wants Veronica to see if she can find any information out at school, but under no circumstances should she go to the compound. Veronica agrees, and Keith goes back into his office. Veronica says in a VO that there's no HIV test. She wants the blood sample for an online DNA test so she can find out who her real father is.
school outside: Duncan greets her, but Veronica ignores him and quickly walks by. Her VO says she can't face him yet. Duncan looks puzzled. A little later, Veronica watches a group of boys, including Casey, play hacky sack. Wallace asks if Casey is her new crush. She tells him that no, Casey recently joined a cult. Wallace says he looks normal, but Veronica says he's a lot different than he used to be.
flashback: Weevil is reading a poem in a literature class while students lie on pillows on the floor. Veronica is on a pillow with Duncan. Casey, who is with his girlfriend, laughs aloud as Weevil recites the poem. Veronica gives Casey an angry look. Miss Mills encourages Weevil to continue and when Casey interrupts with laughter again, she threatens to send him to see Mr. Clemmons. Casey tells her that Weevil's poem isn't original poetry but the lyrics to a Social Distortion song. Miss Mills asks Weevil if that's true.
school outside: Veronica tells Wallace she'll ask Casey's ex-girlfriend for information.
girl's room: Casey's girlfriend, Darcy, confirms that he was babbling about materialism and such, so she dumped him. Veronica asks if he talked about any new friends that he had made, but Darcy says no. However, she thinks he's hooking up with Miss Mills, the literature teacher. They spend a lot of time together and he even joined the literary magazine.
Veronica's bedroom: Veronica's VO wonders how to get into the lit mag crowd. She decides to write crap teen poetry which includes themes of alienation, sexual ambivalence, self-loathing, death, etc.
bathroom: When Veronica tries to take a shower, she finds that the water is freezing. She asks Keith to please get the landlord to fix it. Keith says that with the Gant bonus, they might be able to look for a new place.
classroom: The students are assigned to work in groups of four. All of the students instantly form their groups, except Veronica; she's the only one left out of the groups.
school hall: Miss Mills tells Veronica that she read her poem and that Veronica has a unique outlook. If she ever feels like sharing, Miss Mills has a place for her to do so. Miss Mills then invites Veronica to go with her today to the Moon Calf Collective, where she lives. Veronica's VO observes that Miss Mills lures kids to cult headquarters. Veronica accepts the invitation, even as she remembers in her VO that she's not supposed to go out there.
Moon Calf Collective: The Moon Calf Collective is located on lush farm grounds. Miss Mills tells Veronica to call her Holly. She tells Veronica to wander around, but to stay out of the barn. Holly then introduces her to Josh, the leader of the Collective, saying he belongs to all of them. Josh and Holly kiss for quite some time. Veronica watches and is now convinced in her VO that this is a cult. Josh gives Veronica a big, long, uncomfortable hug and welcomes her. Casey comes up to her and talks to her for a little bit, then walks away. Holly says that the gardens have blessed them this year and introduces Veronica to Rain, who is helping to prepare food, and Chef Jango, who is cooking. Veronica says she'll help. Rain and Veronica are alone as Rain shows her how to milk a cow, but Veronica isn't successful with it. She brings up the subject of the barn, but Rain doesn't pay much attention to it. Veronica then mentions how hot Josh is but Rain hasn't noticed. However, Rain does mention that what they grow is the ultimate cash crop and that she can't begin to describe it.
campfire: After dinner, the Collective members sit around a campfire. One member plays a guitar and sings. Rain and Casey both want Veronica to sit next to them, but Veronica chooses to sit next to Casey. Casey says they've known each other for three years but haven't ever talked. The music ends Josh asks how everyone's day was. Several people share, prompting Veronica's VO to caution her not to roll her eyes. Josh introduces everyone to Veronica and they welcome her. Holly asks if Veronica will share her poetry. Veronica's VO says she read that cult leaders like their handmaidens to be on the verge of a breakdown so she tells the group that she has to go, grabs her bag, and leaves.
barn: Veronica says in her VO that her performance should have them asking her back. She opens the barn is startled by a horse in it. She falls backwards into some mud and as she gets up, Casey, Holly, and Josh come over to her. Veronica apologizes, saying she was looking for a place to pull herself together. Holly it's her fault for saying things about the forbidden barn. Josh tells Veronica that they are nursing the horse back to health.
Mars home: Keith notices that Veronica is all muddy but she doesn't give details. He asks her what she learned at school. She replies that Casey's ex-girlfriend confirms that he is definitely a cultist. As Veronica takes another cold shower, her VO says that she can't get the paternity test out of her mind. She doesn't care about the money, just about making Jake Kane pay.
school hall: Veronica apologizes to Casey for her meltdown the night before. He reminds her of the jackass that he used to be and asks her to come back. She agrees.
Moon Calf Collective: Josh is happy to see that Veronica has returned, as are the other members. He invites her for a walk. She agrees and reaches into her bag to turn on her tape recorder. As they walk, Josh tells Veronica that she's built a fortress around herself that keeps people out. He suggests that she open up and let people in. Veronica's VO takes this as Josh wanting to be with her and decides to discretely flash her taser. However, as she reaches for it, Josh asks if anyone has told her what the Collective grows. She tells him she only knows that it's the ultimate cash crop. Josh takes her into a greenhouse and shows that they are growing poinsettias. Christmas is right around the corner. Josh tells Veronica that they wouldn't have been able to finish the greenhouse it if it weren't for Casey giving them money. Veronica says she wishes she could donate as well, but Josh says that the Collective is not looking for donations. This surprises Veronica, who says in her VO that it's strange they don't want anything from her, just for her to be happy. Later, Veronica is helping to make the food. Josh tells them that Sal from the County Water Department is there to check for lead in the pipes. "Sal" turns out to be Keith, and he is not pleased to see Veronica. He doesn't say anything, but his look shows that she is in big trouble. Her VO says she's dead.
Mars Investigations office: Keith yells at Veronica for being at the cult, saying how dangerous it was. She apologizes and promises not to go there again, telling him that they seemed so harmless. Keith yells some more, and she apologizes again. Veronica wants to know if he bugged the Collective and Keith said he did. He hasn't learned anything incriminating at all. The background checks on Josh and Holly came up empty. Keith tells Veronica she is off the case, and she's not happy about that. Keith doesn't care what she's learned. Just then, the Gants enter Keith's office with a creepy-looking guy in tow. Veronica listens in the main office. Mrs. Gant tells Keith that her mother is dying, and they just learned from their attorney that Casey will get most of her fortune when she dies; about $80 million. They are afraid that he'll hand it all over to the cult. Keith tells them that he hasn't found anything wrong with the cult yet but that he's still working. However, they don't need to worry because Casey doesn't seem to be in danger. At this point, the creepy man interjects, saying that he disagrees. He says the sooner they get Casey off the compound, the better. Keith asks what his job is, and the man replies that he is a deprogrammer. Keith asks how it works. The man shuts Keith's door before replying that he controls the subject's environment to get rid of undesirable modes of behavior and re-instill desirable ones.
school hall: Wallace asks Veronica for an update. She tells him the Collective is harmless and that she can't go out there anyway, since Keith caught her out there. Wallace teases her, saying she's "drinking the Kool-Aid," or being taken in by the cult. She disagrees, and he says she's getting soft. Veronica denies that as well, but before Wallace can reply, Casey asks Veronica to come with him to visit his grandma in the hospital. She accepts and Casey leaves. Wallace playfully whispers, "Soft," to her.
hospital: Casey's grandma is hooked up to hospital equipment and is unconscious. Casey says that his parents' fortune comes from his grandma's publishing company. His parents do not like her and when she started having strokes, they completely ignored her. Casey says they treated him much better when they found out his grandma was leaving her fortune to him. Veronica asks how long they've know this, and Casey says for a year.
Moon Calf Collective: Veronica drops Casey off at the Collective, but doesn't stay. He thanks her for spending time with him and tells her she could stay if she wanted to. Veronica says in her VO that she wishes she could stay.
Mars home: Veronica sees Rain's picture on a milk carton. Later, Keith comes home and asks Veronica why she's staring at a milk carton. Veronica shows Keith the picture of on the milk carton, telling him that it is Rain, from the Collective. She's a runaway named Debbie Meyer. Keith says they'll tell the Gant family right away, but Veronica asks her dad not to tell them yet. She says they aren't corrupting anyone, but Keith says their clients pay them to do a job and they need to do it.
Miss Mills's classroom: Veronica starts to tell Holly that she works for her dad who is a private detective, but Casey enters, crying. His grandma has died. Veronica and Holly comfort him.
funeral: Veronica, Casey, Josh, and Holly walk together. Veronica tells them about the investigation and that they should have Rain leave. Josh says it's okay and invites Veronica to come to the Collective later. He and Holly walk away. Casey and Veronica walk to her car. He thanks her for being such a good friend to him. Veronica asks how he can say that, after what she just told them. Casey said she wasn't faking the kindness. They smile at each other. Veronica gets in her car and Casey goes to talk to his parents.
Veronica's car: Veronica looks in the rear view mirror and sees two men grab Casey and push him into a limo. The creepy deprogrammer gets in as well. Veronica gets out of her car and runs to the limo, yelling for them to stop, but she is too late.
Mars Investigations office: Veronica tells Keith that Casey's been kidnapped. Keith says that they can't do anything for a few days, since he is 18 and got into a car with his parents after a funeral. Veronica regrets that they told the Gants about Rain. Keith tells her he didn't, surprising Veronica. Keith says he thought about what she said and that the Collective is a very good environment. He also looked up Debbie Meyer's background and discovered that she has been in four foster homes, and some were abusive. She's better off where she is.
school parking lot: Veronica transfers a flier from her car to Duncan's. He thanks her, and they talk briefly. He smiles at her and walks away. Veronica's VO says she sent for the paternity test results because she wanted the truth. But now, even if Jake is her father, would she claim him as such and deny Keith as her father? Wallace catches up with her as Casey pulls up in brand new, very expensive car. Casey gives her a brief nods, asks her what's up, and saunters off. Veronica realizes that he's back to his old self.
Mars home: It's nighttime and Veronica comes home and goes through the mail. She notices it includes an envelope with the DNA test results. She sits on her waterbed debating whether or not she should open it. She quietly sneaks into Keith's room. He's asleep. She shreds the envelope in his shredder. The noise wakes up Keith. He asks if it was really necessary to do that now. She replies that it was. Keith looks surprised and Veronica smiles, a little sadly.
Closing Credits