He's a Fine Gentleman, Pa

Episode 1.18: Weapons of Class Destruction. Original Airdate 4.12.05

"After several fire drills and bomb threats rock Neptune High, Veronica looks to new student Ben as a possible suspect. Meanwhile, Veronica and Wallace are shocked to discover that their parents have been secretly dating, and Duncan finds out that Veronica has been spying on him."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Oh hi Deputy Leo, Law Enforcement, making out with a teenager.
• (I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I do like Max Greenfield)
• "Veronica, we need to talk." // "He's a fine gentleman, pa. He'll come up with the dowry to marry me, just you wait." I love the Marses
• KEITH IS DATING WALLACE'S MOM
• Veronica is excited about the prospect of bunk beds with Wallace.
• So ... are we pretending Wallace doesn't have a little brother anymore?
• Oh look, a new journalism teacher. Ciao Miss Dent
• meanwhile Logan's cracking snarky jokes and Veronica's giggling at all of it. I SEE YOU, MY SHIP.

• Hah new journalism teacher is the former pep squad advisor. At least they give us a throwaway line for why they wrote off Miss Dent so quickly - she got knocked up.
• omg the voice of the woman Veronica calls. what kind of fakeass voice is that? Did they just have Kristen Bell go into another room and record that?
• aw it's Corny. hi Corny
• And the whole point of the Corny scene is so we can see that the dogs the cops bring in aren't drug-sniffing dogs but bomb-sniffing ones
• OH THAT'S WHY IT'S SUCH A WEIRD VOICE. Because Veronica fakes the voice and calls Clemmons to get more information.
• I dunno, when my school had bomb threats (literally all of them were pranks/kids trying to get out of class, as far as I know), we all knew what they were. They weren't trying to keep it under wraps. Also, the evacs took way longer than a regular fire drill, and they had to get us farther offsite. If the search took too long, they'd just send us home.
• man, Veronica's denial is still heartbreaking. She's convinced the relationship between Keith and Alicia won't last because she's waiting for her mom to get out of rehab. Wallace is properly offended.
• Seriously, where is Wallace's little brother while Wallace and Alicia are at the Mars household?
• HI MAC. MAC IS BACK.
• How convenient. Veronica comes to Mac to ask her to look at her laptop, and Pete who was just arguing with Mac, gives Veronica a clue about the potential source of the bomb threats.
• "Am I really your best friend?" // "Who else you see around ... quit smiling at me." THEY'RE TOO CUTE.
• And then she asks him to pull up another student's file. Friendship?
• Oh hi Meg and Duncan. Muncan? Deg? Megcan? [I like Megcan or Mean or Dung?-D]
• Duncan is super hella ignoring Veronica and it's making things awkward for Veronica and Meg to try to be friends.
• Luckily he stayed long enough for Veronica to give him the instructions he needs if he wants to skip town.
• Aw Flashback Norris made the jocks stop blowing spit balls at Unpopular Flashback Veronica.
• No school file on Ben ehhhhhh? Could it be because he's a SPOILER.
• Aw Wallace: "I get the top bunk!"
• "For what it's worth, you're my best friend, too." // "I'm glad you found your mom and got her some help. I shoulda told you that sooner." // "Shoulda told YOU that sooner." Seeeeeeee actual friends.
• Ah whoops, Duncan's freeze out was because he knows she's still looking into Lilly's murder and she has a file on him.
• They're certainly leaning pretty hard into making Duncan a viable suspect. "Calm down." "Why, you think I'm gonna have another episode and kill you too?"
• aw shit son JTT is hijacking Veronica's car
• don't worry, Veronica! Logan's still on the phone, he'll find you at the Camelot!
• and punch JTT's face in
• lol the degree to which Veronica is unimpressed by JTT's posturing
• aw apparently Norris has a crush on Veronica. Between Leo, Logan, and now Norris, she's pulling in all the boys
• YO IT'S TIME FOR THE KISS
• that's some good kiss

• "Detention? Me? I think not, Mr. Clemmons."
• It's weird, I was so sure Norris came back in later episodes, but this is his only one. Maybe I just know his face well because this is also the episode where Veronica and Logan first make out.
• Wuh oh. Pete might be framing sweet weapons-obsessed Norris.
• And then shitty shitty Jump Street Ben framed Norris because he was so desperate to land an arrest, planting weapons and fertilizer in Norris's truck.
• Welp and then we're reminded that while Norris may seem sweet now, with his being framed and his crush on Veronica, he was a bully not that long ago and tormented Pete.
• ooooops Duncan's on the lam
• not Sheriff Lamb though
• shut up
• "They will have to really speak sharply to me before I reveal my sources." god I love her
• V and L are exchanging meaningful looks
• Whoops Joey Lauren Adams was signed for only one episode as the journalism teacher

Daniel's Thoughts:

• The title of this episode: Geddit? Cause Bush?
• Aww, Veronica and Leo making out. Why do I always ship the guys that won’t last. [Right? - Riley]
• Ugh, I still think it’s a little weird that a cop is dating a HS girl….even though said cop is only 29 months older than her….less than 2 and a half years.  It does help a bit.
• “He’s a fine gentleman, Pa…” – Oh, Veronica.  I love Kristen Bell so much.
• Oh no, it’s awkward between Wallace and Veronica.  V handles it with jokes while W handles it like a teenage boy.
• Oh Joey Lauren Adams.  She was supposed to be so famous.
• Dumb throw-away line about what happened to Miss Dent.  That said, I’m glad they explained it. I hate when characters just disappear without explanation.
• Miss Rauch’s voice is really stupid.
• “Going to White Castle” – slang for getting high.
• Z and I are pretty sure that Kristen did the voice for Miss Rauch so she could copy it later when calling VP Clemmons.
• First her southern accent, then this – I freaking love how good Kristen Bell is.
• Veronica’s smart but she’s still a teenager.  Even though she knows her parents aren’t right for each other, she’s still hoping they get back together and she’s a little insensitive towards Wallace.
• Hey, It’s Mac! 
• KillemAll.net is not a real website.  But maybe at the time it was.
• More awkwardness as new couple Meg and Duncan sit down with Veronica.
• Especially since Duncan is acting like a total dick, sitting there sulking and not saying a word.
• “The guy playing Norris is like 30 years old.”  *looks up imdb* OMG, HE REALLY IS THIRTY.

"I'm five years older than Deputy Leo."

• Ok, so what’s going on with Duncan.  Ah, it’s because Logan told him about her investigation of Lilly’s murder…   I get it, sorta.
• Shiiit, Veronica, that got deep. Poor Duncan – all sorts of problems.
• Uh oh. Jonathan Taylor Thomas has a gun and is buying fertilizer. 
• And of course, VM is smarter than the average bear and is able to get a message to Logan.
• JTT is kind of a dumbass because he doesn’t realize that when VM dropped the phone, it was still connected to someone.
• And ooh, JTT is Jump Street! 
• Z and I are really happy with this turn of events – V and L kissing, finally.  And it sorta comes out of nowhere – Veronica just kinda kisses him for coming to her rescue….and his face.  Man, his face.  The subtle shock and then tiny panic of what to do next…and then the kissing. You can see every thought in that face of his. [HIS FACE. - Z]
• Poor Leo, but.  He’s available for me now. So upside?
• Is wifi new in 2005?  I’m pretty sure I had wifi before then.
• She connects to his wifi from outside which is kind of impressive – especially since it’s not password protected.
• Ben planted it!  He set Norris up!
• Even Pete used Norris’s wifi from one house away.  
• And the whole reasoning behind everything: Toxic masculinity rears its ugly head.  Again.  Pete set Norris up because his dad’s an asshole and Norris was an asshole and it all has to do with “being a man”.   Man, fuck that.
• Duncan’s missing.  OMG, so much is happening this episode.
• Well Joey Lauren Adams didn’t last long.

Crossfire!

Veronica: Wallace, wait, do me a favor and just wait a few weeks.

Wallace: I gotta say, Veronica, getting a little tired of doing you favors.

Daniel & Zelda: GASP

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "A girl must prioritize: wallowing in the grief of betraying an ex-boyfriend or following the guy most likely to blow up Neptune High? Hell, give me a stick of gum to chew and I'll do all three at once." - Veronica

Daniel: "He's a fine gentleman, Pa.  He'll come up with the dowry to marry me, just you wait." - Veronica, being sassy with Daddy Mars.

Arc/Continuity:

Neptune Roll Call: Wallace, Duncan, Logan (Absent: Weevil)

Recurring: Deputy Leo D'Amato, Alicia Fennel, Vice Principal Van Clemmons, Corny, Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie, Mrs. Murphy, Meg Manning, Hotel Camelot

Familiar TV Face: Theo Rossie, Michael McMillian (ish? he goes on to more notable recurring TV roles)

Past Famous Person: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Joey Lauren Adams

Veronica's Alias: Ellen Roush

Logan's Nicknames: Jump Street (Ben)

Stats:

Dead Humans - 0

Backup Sighting - 0

Veronica Breaks In - 0

Veronica Tases Someone - 0

Mac Hacks - 0

Who's Your Daddy? - 0

Wallace Does Veronica a Favor - 2

Mac Does Veronica a Favor - 2

Veronica Wants a Pony - 0

Logan Punches Someone - 1

Dick's Single Entendres - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

VERONICA WAS RIGHT - 0

VERONICA WAS WRONG - 0