2.01 "Normal Is the Watchword"
Aired Sep 28, 2005
Details
the Hut: Veronica's VO says that senior year starts tomorrow and everything appears to be going well. She has a best friend and a boyfriend, Lilly's killer is in jail, and she now has a regular teenage job working as a hostess. She just wishes so many of her classmates didn't come there. She greets Kelvin Moore. He tells her that he's been kicked off athletics for his entire senior year because he failed the mandatory drug test. Veronica asks why he's surprised, since he failed it last year, too. Kelvin goes on to tell her that he's been clean for ten months now. He asks her to help him figure out what happened, but she says she doesn't do that kind of work anymore. He's not happy with her and says she's gone back to being an 09er again. She has a rich boyfriend and last year was an act for her. These days, people have to choose sides and she's obviously chosen hers. He also adds that none of the rich kids failed their tests. Kelvin leaves, and Veronica's VO says she doesn't care because Kelvin is a bully. Her manager gets her attention and they look at the TV screen. Keith is being interviewed by Julie Chen about the book he co-authored about Lilly's murder investigation, called Big Murder, Small Town. Veronica's VO says he's only doing it to cover the bills. The manager comments that Keith is hot. Julie asks Keith about the night when he risked his life to save Veronica. Veronica's VO says that was only the beginning of her night.
flashback: Mars home: Veronica is asleep and is awakened by a knock on her door at 3:07 A.M. She gets up to answer the door, smiles, and says, "I was hoping it would be you." There is a figure facing away from the door, and as he turns around, Veronica says, "Logan?" in a surprised tone. He faces her, revealing that he is very bloodied and battered. He collapses into her arms. Inside the house, Veronica cleans him up as he lies on her lap on the couch. Logan tells her that Weevil and the bikers caught him alone on the bridge.
flashback: bridge: Logan, on the edge of the bridge, asks Weevil what he thinks he can do to him. Weevil says he'll think of something and gets off his bike and approaches Logan. Veronica's voiceover is heard, asking Logan what he was doing on the bridge. His voiceover is also heard, saying she had broken up with him and accused him of killing Lilly. Weevil nears Logan and hears a car honk at them. He turns and Logan takes the opportunity to kick Weevil in the face, knocking him out. Felix tells Logan he doesn't know what he just did. Felix and the bikers pull Logan onto the road and kick and beat him to a bloody pulp.
flashback at Veronica's house: Veronica tells Logan he's lucky to be alive, but he doesn't agree.
flashback on the bridge: Logan comes to as a passing motorist asks him if he's okay. The motorist tells him he's calling an ambulance and to put the knife down. Logan looks at his hand and sees that he is holding a bloody knife. He then sees that Felix is lying dead next to him with blood on his chest.
flashback at Veronica's house: Logan says he didn't stab Felix and Veronica believes him. Logan says he threw the knife into the water and got in his car and drove. Veronica starts to tell him about his father being Lilly's killer, but Logan says he knows because it's all over the radio. He starts to cry. There is another knock on the door. Veronica goes to answer it and Deputy Leo D'Amato is there. He tells Veronica that he's looking for Logan and saw his car outside. He says it will be easier if she lets him in. Veronica, looking very sad, opens the door. Leo caresses the back of her neck, then walks in and reads Logan his rights.
the Hut: Veronica takes the remote and turns the TV off.
school outside: Wallace meets up with Veronica as she's walking into school. He tells her that he failed his drug test and was kicked off the basketball team. Five athletes in total were kicked off their teams. Jimmy Day, the starting quarterback, passed the test, even though everyone knows he was doing drugs. Veronica says she heard no 09ers failed the drug test. Wallace asks if she thinks it's a conspiracy, and Veronica replies that nothing happens accidentally in Neptune. Wallace tells her she's wrong about no 09ers failing; one did fail. Meg. Veronica is surprised to hear that and agrees to help.
Opening Credits
lunch outside: Wallace explains the drug test procedure to Veronica. You do your business in a cup and hand it to the person administering the test. They seal it with a piece of tape and make you sign the tape. Then they send it to a lab to be tested. If the seal is broken, they're supposed to reject it. Veronica says this means that no one can switch the specimen. She asks Wallace what period he has office aide this year, and he replies that he's not doing it. Veronica isn't happy about this, but Wallace said it's his mom's idea. However, he did manage to get a copy of the master key and as many administrative passwords as possible. When Wallace asks Veronica what she's going to do now, she says she's going to try to figure out what the connection is between all of the people who failed the test. She asks him if he has any enemies, and he says everyone who hates her. He then asks where her boyfriend is, and she responds that he's taking the first few days of school off to visit his dad. Wallace leaves and Veronica's VO says that while a secret boyfriend was much easier, that's not possible now.
flashback: the Hut: The manager tells Veronica that a boy asked to sit in her section and asks if she knows him. Veronica sees that it's Duncan and says she does. She says hello to him and comments that she hasn't seen him around this summer. He says things were complicated. His parents are on trial, and they finally had enough and moved to the Napa house for the duration. Duncan didn't want to change schools during his senior year, so he is staying in the presidential suite at the Neptune Grand. The manager comes over and informs Veronica that her boyfriend is here. She turns around and sees Logan. Logan and Duncan barely acknowledge each other. Logan and Veronica kiss in greeting.
school: Veronica's VO says that Logan and Duncan don't speak anymore. She goes over to talk to Kelvin about the case. She asks him if he can think of anyone who would want to do this to him. He says that no, people love him. Veronica tells him that they don't because he's a bully. He doesn't look at it that way, but then he remembers someone who said he'd ruin his life. A sophomore called Butters was climbing the peg board in gym, and he annoyed Kelvin, so Kelvin pantsed him. He says it was hysterical. Veronica doesn't agree and snaps his picture. Veronica goes to talk to Jilly, a volleyball player who got kicked off the team. Jilly tells her that her dad is getting sued by Boatloads of Fun Corp. She says her dad leased a house to a group of families that call themselves "Boatloads of Fun" and they include Steve Wacker's parents and that group. The roof leaked in one room, so they want all of their money back. Veronica snaps Jilly's picture. Next she talks to Viet, who tells her that he beat out Jennings Crawford for number one singles last year in tennis. Jennings threw a fit, and his parents even tried to have the coach fired. There was a school board meeting, and they brought in Ilie Nastase to testify that Jennings was a better player than Viet. Veronica snaps Viet's picture too, and he leaves. Veronica's VO says that there used to be one 09er girl that she could call a friend, but when Duncan broke up with her, she blamed it on Veronica. She talks to Meg about getting kicked off the cheerleading squad. Meg is very nasty to her. When Veronica asks who would have done this to her, she says that there is a girl who she used to think was her friend, but now that she thinks about it, she'd have no reservations and definitely has the talent to pull it off. Meg leaves and Veronica looks upset.
school: Veronica enters the building, passing through the new metal detectors. Her VO says that tensions between the haves and have-nots have never been higher.
flashback outside of courtroom: Veronica's VO continues while Logan is coming out of the courtroom, being bombarded by the press. There are crowds of people there with signs, protesting. He gets into the limo where Veronica is sitting. He looks very upset and she holds his hand. Her VO says that the passing motorist probably saved Logan's life by calling 911, but he left the scene before the police arrived. The knife was never found. Logan's high-priced lawyers crushed the bikers. Weren't the bikers there to kill Logan? Didn't he have the bruises and broken ribs to prove it? If Logan did stab Felix, wasn't it self-defense? The DA decided there wasn't enough evidence and Logan was released six weeks after he was arrested. The town went crazy, since another rich kid got off scot free.
Veronica's room: Veronica is working on the case, using a whiteboard. Wallace is very upset because he found out that the drug test results go on his permanent file and any college he applies to will see it. He asks Veronica what she found out. Veronica says that Kelvin is still a jerk and that he pantsed Butters. Wallace says he knows because he was there. A few other students were there, after a pep rally, even some cheerleaders. People were laughing. Butters was swearing at everybody, saying he would get even. Veronica asks if Meg was there and Wallace thinks so. Viet and Jilly were both there. Veronica asks Wallace if he was laughing, and he says it was funny. Wallace and Veronica walk out of her room. She says she'll talk to Butters tomorrow. Keith comes home, and they all joke about Alicia and Keith. Wallace leaves. Keith asks Veronica how her first day was, and she jokes about beating up freshmen. They hug, and he wants his food.
school hall: Veronica talks to Butters. He says his name is Vincent. She says she heard about how he was pantsed last year and now, all of the people involved or who laughed are kicked off their athletic teams. He says it's justice. Veronica asks if he got even, and he says it looks that way. Veronica warns him that Kelvin will go after him if he finds out. Vincent isn't worried and says hello to his father, Mr. Clemmons, as he walks by. Veronica is surprised.
school administrative office: Veronica and Wallace get into the office to look at Wallace's permanent file. Veronica looks in Clemmons's desk and finds the file cabinet key. She looks closely at Wallace's file and compares it to other ones. Veronica assumes the results were overnighted to Clemmons and his son altered them before he saw it. The negative and positive drug test results are in different ink and have full sentences, not just a checkmark. There are no eraser marks or white-out, and they were all signed by Jim Chimory. There's no alteration or forgery. Veronica suggests that the results might have been accurate. Wallace might have ingested an illegal substance but in such a small dose that he wasn't aware of it. She asks him if he's eaten any mystery brownies lately. Wallace remembers that he ate several cookies from the spirit box in his locker. Veronica says she'll stop at the drugstore on the way to her house. Wallace insists on following her so she's not alone. Veronica's VO agrees, saying that after Logan was released, Neptune became a different place.
flashback: Logan's car: Logan and Veronica are kissing. She says her dad is watching, and Logan signals for five more minutes. He tells her he is in love with her. They lie down on the seat, kissing. Motorcycle noises are heard, and then a shot is fired into Logan's car, shattering the window. The motorcycle drives away.
Veronica's room: Wallace is in the bathroom, trying to do a urine sample. Keith comes in and asks what they're doing. Veronica asks him to give Wallace tips, which he does, to their dismay. Veronica kicks him out. Later, Veronica does the test and says he's clean, which means Butters didn't lace the cookies and they're back to square one. Wallace says he's thinking that this is going to be a bad year for Neptune athletics, because all of the people who were kicked off the teams were star players. Veronica asks him who will replace the starters. Wallace lists several students, including Steve Wacker. Veronica calls for her dad, and he comes into the room. She asks him how to get the names of the shareholders for a corporation. She tells him what's going on, asking him to promise not to tell Alicia. He agrees and looks up Boatloads of Fun Corporation. All of the shareholders are the parents of the students who would replace the starters. All except the Days, which explains why their son's drug test was negative.
journalism room: Veronica tells Wallace that the only way the 09er parents could have pulled this off is if they bought off someone at the lab. She says they're going to send an email to the parents saying that Jim Chimory wants to meet with them to discuss a new financial agreement. This should scare them. Ms. Dumass interrupts them to ask Veronica for her permission slip. She is the new journalism teacher and is taking several students on a field trip to see Shark Stadium. Wallace is surprised that Veronica is going on a class trip, but she says she's doing what normal students do. Wallace says that normal is the watchword and leaves.
school hall: Veronica walks past Weevil and some bikers. Weevil gives her a dirty look. Veronica's VO says in Neptune these days, you're forced to choose sides.
flashback: school outside: Veronica's VO says that Logan had to take summer classes since he missed his finals due to his own arrest and his father's. She came to school to visit him at lunch. Logan tells her that Trina is negotiating with networks to tell her version of the Aaron Echolls story. They walk toward the parking lot and are greeted by Dick and Beaver, who get out of Dick's car. Dick goes out of his way to be friendly to Veronica. They open the car trunk and pull out several gasoline cans. Dick says they're all set and are meeting other people at the Sac N Pac. Veronica asks what they're doing and Logan replies that they're going to burn "Pan Sucks" on Pan High's field.
school hall: Veronica's VO continues, as she walks down the hall, saying that the next day, the community pool somehow caught on fire and it closed for the summer. All of the 09ers have their own pools, so this only affected non-09ers.
Casablancas house: Beaver, Dick, and Logan are hanging out at the pool. Dick asks Logan if he's ever going back to school. Logan replies that he's practically an orphan and no one cares, so he can do whatever he wants. The back door of the house opens, and a woman in a black bikini saunters out. The boys gawk at the woman, Dick and Beaver's new stepmother Kendall, and the brothers argue. Kendall swims in the pool while Logan asks how Dick's dad met her. Dick replies that she used to be a Laker Girl and was fired because someone's wife didn't like her. Dick's dad has good seats. Dick asks what Logan is doing tonight and he replies that he won't be spending it in the company of men.
the Hut: A couple tells Veronica that they're meeting Jim Chimory. She shows them to a table where several other partners from Boatloads of Fun Corp. are sitting. Veronica has an earpiece on and overhears them talking about paying Jim Chimory off. She approaches Clemmons and asks him if he's heard enough. He pulls out an earpiece and says he has. The manager comes to Veronica and tells her that her boyfriend is here. Veronica walks over and greets Duncan by kissing him.
outside school: Duncan and Veronica walk toward the bus. Logan talks to them there and tells Veronica that he'll miss her. Duncan and Veronica pretty much ignore him and get on the bus. As they get on the bus, Veronica's VO says that Logan didn't take the break-up that well.
flashback: Veronica's house: Veronica tells Logan that she can't stay with him when he's acting the way he is. It's only escalating the tensions between the 09ers and non-09ers. She's afraid someone will get killed. Logan reminds her that someone already has and that people think he did it. His friends have his back. Veronica says that she thinks he's having fun with all this. Logan gets up from the couch and smashes a lamp. He yells at her, saying that his mother is dead, his girlfriend is dead, his father is a murderer, and the only person left that he cares about is dumping him. Keith rushes into the house and holds Logan in a lock up against a wall. He tells him not to talk to Veronica like that and to never come back.
bus: Dick is loud as usual and a new girl smiles at him. He asks Duncan who the new girl is.
Casablancas home: Logan knocks on the door. Kendall answers the door in a robe, and he asks if Dick and Beaver are there. She says they'll see if they can find them, walks into the house, and takes her robe off. She gives Logan a look, who shuts the door and follows her.
Shark Stadium: Woody Goodman talks to the students. He is the owner of the Sharks baseball team and is running for mayor of Neptune. He thought his daughter should attend the public school because of this. He wanted to host the field trip so his daughter, Gia, could get to know some students. Newspaper was her favorite thing in her private school. He introduces Gia, and she explains her wardrobe choice. Later, the students get some food. They see Terrence Cook, a famous baseball player, talk to Woody. He says that Woody did this to him and Woody replies that it's okay, and he will introduce him. Dick comes over to Duncan and Veronica and says his dad sent a limo to follow the bus back to school and wants to know if they want to join him. They agree. Dick talks to Meg, but she glances at Veronica and Duncan and declines. Veronica tells Duncan she's going to take the bus to try to make amends with Meg. Terrence gets some food, and Veronica tells him how much her dad admires him.
bus: Veronica sits in front of Meg and turns around to try to talk to her, but Meg is very nasty in response. Veronica says never mind and turns back around. Meg moves to another seat. Veronica's VO says that the way Meg is acting, it's like she seduced Duncan, but that's not how it happened.
flashback: the Hut: Veronica's VO continues, saying that Duncan visited her at work almost every day.
bus: Her VO says that she heard Duncan broke up with Meg on the last day of school. She doesn't know if it had anything to do with the fact that she told him they weren't related or not. However, she was faithful to Logan. She and Duncan didn't get together until her 18th birthday, weeks after Keith threw Logan out.
flashback: the Hut: Duncan gets up from his seat and walks away. Veronica comes over to clean the area up and sees a gift. She unwraps it and a fortune cookie is inside. She opens it, reads the fortune, and rushes over to Duncan. They kiss.
bus: Veronica's VO says that she's sorry that Meg is hurting, but she doesn't have any regrets. The bus pulls into a gas station and Ms. Dumass says they have five minutes.
gas station: Veronica comes out of the store and hears her name called. She turns around, and Lilly's ghost runs behind the store. Veronica follows and sees Weevil there with his motorcycle. They aren't happy to see each other.
bus: Ms. Dumass asks if everyone is there. Meg sees Veronica but replies that everyone is there.
gas station: Weevil is very nasty to Veronica, saying that as soon as the 09ers changed their minds, she went running back to them. Now she's sleeping with the richest guys in school. Veronica says he doesn't know anything about her or the guys. Weevil replies that he knows Logan killed Felix and got away with it because he's rich and white. Veronica says that six guys jumped Logan, broke his ribs, and gave him a concussion. Yet somehow he wrestled a knife away and killed Felix? Weevil didn't see it because he was out cold. Weevil asks if Felix stabbed himself. Veronica says somebody did. Weevil says that not his boys, because nothing goes down without his say. Veronica asks him if he knew that a biker fired a gunshot into Logan's car window. Weevil doesn't reply. She asks him if he's sure he's still in charge. The bus drives away. Veronica watches it go and turns back to Weevil who gets on his bike and drives away. She calls Wallace, but tells him never mind when Weevil returns and offers her his helmet.
road: Weevil and Veronica are riding back to school when they see smoke ahead. The limo is stopped and the students jump out of the car and race over to the cliff. Some people are crying in shock. Veronica races over to see what happened. Gia tells Veronica that the bus didn't even slow down but went straight off the cliff. They're all dead. Duncan sees Veronica and is relieved. He hugs her. There are only remains of the bus floating in the water over the edge of the cliff.
Closing Credits