PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A SPOILER-RICH ZONE

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A SPOILER-RICH ZONE. If your diet requires you to dine on television spoiler-free ... good luck with that.

REVIEW ARCHIVES

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Who the Hell Names a Dog Steve?

Episode 1.15: Ruskie Business. Original Airdate 2.22.05

"As Valentine's Day approaches, Veronica finds herself working as a love detective, tracking down Meg's secret admirer and helping a Russian woman find her missing fiance, both with unexpected results. Meanwhile, Logan's family troubles continue when he stakes out a hotel that he believes is hiding his mother."

Daniel's Thoughts:

  • I kinda hate this “your mom’s credit card has been used” thing because it’s such a red herring and it gives Logan hope that will never come true.
  • Duncan, “Don’t be stingy with the glitter.”  What.
  • Showing Meg on a bus in the dark is super ominous knowing what we fans know.
  • Ah, so the word of the day is “Soulmate”.  How wonderful for VM.  And DK.
  • “Special guest star Alyson Hannigan”
  • Veronica, “You’re on the basketball team right?”  I mean, as Wallace’s friend, shouldn’t she know that?
  • Poor Wallace.  Used for his Ins.  Gets caught with a jockstrap.
  • Catherine, the Russian, doesn’t open her mouth when she speaks and that plus the accent makes it really hard to understand her.
  • Man, Kristen Bell’s Casting Agent voice.
  • Yay! Logan’s first inspirational message voicemail!
  • Dick of a Hotel receptionist who’s a total dick when he thinks they’re poor and then super helpful when he thinks they’re rich.  What a dick.
  • “He’s got that high school kid look.”  Heh, but we all know what he means. [Duncan is the generic brand of generic - Z]
  • Seriously, when does Veronica do homework?
  • How does Russian girl have Keith’s cell phone number?  Why would Veronica give it to her if she’s taking the case herself?  I know she wants her to believe that Keith is doing the case, but she also doesn’t want Keith to know she’s…doing the case.  She’d know how to work that out. SHENANIGANS.
  • The guy’s dog’s name is Steve. “Who the hell names a dog Steve?”  Actually!  It’s a Groundhog Day lyric
  • “We’ve got caller ID”.  That way, you don’t have to say a fake 555 number out loud.
  •  Yay Deputy Leo!  HE DOES NOT STOP SMILING.  HIS FACE IS JUST NOT LIKE THAT.
  • Leaving a friend at a party – not cool Veronica.
  • He calls the british hotel receptionist, “Jeeves”. He shoulda said Giles.
  • Ugh, I really hate that they cast Alyson Hannigan in this role because she’s so freaking bad.  She’s so completely miscast.  She doesn’t do rich girl wanna-be actress well.  And it makes me angry because she’s so good in Buffy.  And I don’t know if it’s the character or she was just directed really well.  Because I haven’t seen her be good since.
  • It’s just really bad.
  • Like, I don’t see her as “Dead Hooker #2” on CSI
  • I would have rather her be cast as the newspaper class teacher.
  • Oh fuck, Logan.  He’s totally breaking down and it’s wonderful.  And bits like this is when we start to really love Logan and Jason Dohring and probably when Rob Thomas put him more in the forefront of things.  He worked his way into leading man because he’s a good actor and that’s….well, kinda awesome. [this is me, nodding along happily to everything you say - Z]

  • This would have been a good episode for Back-Up to have been in.  Cause of all the doggies.
  • When Deputy Leo has his gun raised, his bullet proof vest goes up past his chin and it’s so cute.
  • Oh man.  I love the 80s dance stuff.  I think Meg could have picked something more flattering, though, than Molly Ringwald's dress from Pretty in Pink.  Accurate, yes.

  • Wow, people at Neptune High really got into the theme part of the dance.  I don’t think kids at my high school would have.
  • Again, Veronica is abandoning Meg.  WTH, girl.
  • Ha, Duncan looks kinda cute in his “Duckie” outfit.

  • Aww, puppy Veronica Mars.  So heartbroken.  She’ll be all right.  And there’s Deputy Leo saving the day.  How did he know when/where etc.? Oh, Meg.
  • Nice legs, Logan.
  • An older cop kissing a high school junior – I should be mad about this.
  • Did she…uncrimp her hair on the way to meet her mom?

Zelda's Thoughts:

  • LOGAN IS TOUCHING VERONICA'S SHOULDER HELLO MY SHIP

  • "Thanks for helping out with this." // "I know what it's like."
  • Too many soulmates for one episode. What is this, Buffy?
  • "What is it with you girls and your girly-girl drama?" I guess that's a line of dialogue.
  • Wallace for the win! Realizing looking for the dog is a faster way to track down Tom Cruz than generic guy casting call.
  • YOU GUYS WE'VE HAD OUR FIRST LOGAN'S INSPIRATIONAL GREETING I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG.
  • omg Veronica's massive scrapbook. A pre-pinterest pinterest board full of madness. Did she have that lying around, or did she manage to put it together in no time flat?

  • Man, the way Logan's voice is lightly trembling, trying to hide his excitement that his mom might be upstairs in the hotel room.
  • This florist might be my favorite throwaway character. "He's got that look, you know ... you know, kinda that, uh, high school kid look."
  • Hoo boy, the two guys Meg thought might be her suitors are real ... winners. Ugh.
  • Oh hey it's Willow but callous and snide.
  • I think this is the first Veronica hears about the history of Aaron Echolls abusing Logan.
  • And then poor Logan just completely falls apart. Because there's no more bargaining and no more hope. His mom is gone.
  • Meanwhile Keith is being stalked by Russian mobsters and I'd totally forgotten that was the actual story behind Catherine-looking-for-Tom #oops
  • Luckily for us, those Marses are generally wily. He not only skirts the tail, he breaks into the mobsters' car.
  • Hah, I love that Karl the sketch artist was originally brought in for a joke - he drew a picture of Veronica with devil horns for Deputy Leo, and Veronica brings him to my favorite florist to try to figure out who Meg's secret admirer is.

  • Hah, they even bring back the model house from the party earlier in the episode to sting the mobsters.
  • So question. The pink dress from Pretty in Pink. It's not ... actually a good dress, right? I'm not alone in that? Alona Tal looks fine, but it's a dumb dress.
  • Aw man, Veronica's crying. Duncan ain't worth it, V!
  • and Leo shows up and it's sweet if you ignore the adult-child thing
  • and now Logan's having a drunken meltdown :(
  • SHE IS IN HIGH SCHOOL, LEO

Crossfire!

Leo: *knocks on Veronica's car window, bouquet in hand*
Daniel, melting: oh my god


Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "That, or a drunk dingo had a three-way with an ocelot or a porcupine." - Wallace
Zelda: "He had that look, you know ... you know, kinda that, uh, high school kid look." - Manny, the World's Best Florist Ever


Arc/Continuity:

Neptune Roll Call: Wallace, Duncan, Logan (Absent: Weevil)
First Appearance: Trina Echolls
Recurring: Meg Manning, Deputy Leo D'Amato, Lianne Mars, Clarence Wiedman
Already Famous Person: Alyson Hannigan
Past Famous Person: Zachery Bryan
Buffy Alum: Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), Peter Nicols (Zachery Bryan)
Logan's Inspirational Greeting: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Veronica's Alias: Nasal Casting Director, Logan's fiancee, owner of a Catahoula Leopard dog named Lulu
Logan's Nicknames: Sugarpuss (Veronica), Jeeves (Hotel Receptionist)


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 - 1
Leo Does Veronica a Favor - 1
Veronica Wants a Pony - 0
Logan Punches Someone - 0 
Dick's Single Entendres - 0
Shenanigans Called - 1
VERONICA WAS RIGHT - 0
VERONICA WAS WRONG - 0

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