Feisty Young Barbara Eden

Episode 3.17: Debasement Tapes. Original Airdate 5.08.07

“Washed-up rock star Desmond Fellows arrives at Hearst to play a charity concert for the campus radio station to find that his backing tapes have disappeared. With his job and the survival of the radio station at stake, Piz calls Veronica despite their recent post-kiss awkwardness. Piz and Veronica are tasked with tracking down the tapes and babysitting a drunk, irresponsible, and depressed Desmond Fellows. Meanwhile, a new and surprising contender emerges to challenge Keith in the race for Sheriff.”

Daniel's Thoughts:

• So we find out that after the Viz (is that what we’re calling them?) kiss, Veronica left.  She’s trying to chat with Wallace about it but Wallace is way too masculine to talk about feelings.  They’re watching a Joan Crawford movie, so Veronica feels this enough for Wallace to…what? Be more gay? I mean Joan Crawford is obviously code.  Might as well use the phrase ‘friend of Dorothy’.  Oh wait, I forgot.  Wallace already did that. And apparently Fresca is girly or gay too?  Sometimes I forget how problematic this show really is.  To be honest, I’m looking forward to getting to the end.
• Keith saves the day by coming home and giving good news.  He’s running unopposed...for now.
• Piz seems to be interviewing for a job by participating in fake game show?
• So he gets to interview some guy in a fake band. He asks Veronica to go to the to the concert and she just becomes Awkward Girl.  Does that count as one of her aliases?
• I totally forgot Paul Rudd was on this show.  He’s the guy in the fake band.
• Oh man.  And a naked fan surprises him…but I guess she’s too old for Paul Rudd.
• And here’s the mystery of the week. Paul Rudd’s backing tapes have been stolen from his duffel bag.
• Mac!  Mac & Wallace!  It’s amazing.
• Ohh, Paul Rudd is a…’special guest star’.
• Logan sees Veronica and she gets all awkward again.  This is a running theme.  And he asks her about the time she stayed in Piz’s room.  And then the elevator doors open and Piz is there.  More awkwardness.
• Paul Rudd calls Veronica a “Feisty Young Barbara Eden”.  I can totally see it.

• Omg, AOL.  This show is dating itself.  Then again, I still have a Hotmail account, so.
• Lol, this is the beginning of people-doing-stupid-things-to-get-views-on-the-internet era.  It’s unfortunately a fad that will last.
• SEMITES FOR THE SAVIOR? WHAT! HAHA.  I guess they were worried Jews for Jesus would sue?
• DEPUTY LEO! OMG HE’S BACK! YAY!  He’s still fired.  Still doing security.   He’s here with a case for Sheriff Mars.

• Veronica was wrong – she kept insisting Grace, the naked fan/Chinese language teacher, stole the backing tapes.  She did not.
• This ‘poor little rock star’ b-story is boring me.
• So no one stole the tapes.  It was just an airport luggage mix-up.  This is why you always check your luggage before you leave the airport!
• Piz & Veronica listening to Paul Rudd’s new stuff – and they kinda love it and I’m kinda like what?
• I’ll give Piz credit.  He doesn’t hound Veronica for an answer or a follow up.  He called once, the day after and then left her alone.  He called her for a case, with no ulterior motive.  And, slowly, they get together.  He’s a nice guy, but like an actual nice guy.
• It’s kinda gross that Logan thinks Veronica was unfaithful during their relationship.  So much so that he not only asked Veronica, but he didn’t trust that and followed up by asking Mac.
• Aww poor Eco-Boy.  Mac wants to be with a fellow nerd.
• I think we’re supposed to feel sorry for Logan here & blame his professor for being…what, old fashioned?  Prude-ish?  It’d be one thing if it was men and women but it’s not. It’s completely and totally sexist.  Mac should be ashamed for being a part of it.
• Aww, Deputy LEO is a deputy again!
• And….Vinnie Van Lowe is running for Sheriff now, so that’s a thing.

Zelda’s Thoughts:

• Oh right, this is the Paul Rudd episode
• Welp, V may have made out with Piz, but now she’s playing pretty aloof with him.
• Oh look, the plot showed up! Paul Rudd’s backing tapes—aka his ability to perform because his partner is dead—have been stolen.
• V calls Mac out (Mac is here again!) for possibly having a thing for Max while still being with Bronson. Mac pot-kettles her for how she keeps hot-and-colding Piz.

• And V tries to clear the air, and Piz had already figure out her “subtle” signals because he’s not an idiot.
• Wow Paul Rudd called Piz “Pus.” The fuck
• And he’s also calling V “Monica,” so he’s just all levels of dipshit
• “Anyone ever tell you you look like a feisty young Barbara Eden”
• I’m not sure what’s got Logan concerned, watching the video of Dick running a car over his own foot (how is that new)
• Ohhh it’s for his final project. He needs to build a site that will rake in the hits.
• And now he’s calling Piz “Plax”
• I mean, to be fair, it’s not like Piz is a name you run into every day, but now he’s just making up syllables?
• Omg it’s Leo! Daniel, it’s Leo! And his hair looks really good.
• Dammit, he’s here to bring back in Danny Boyd and the Fitzpatricks. I thought/hoped we were done with that whole thing.
• TAWIST. The woman who crashed Desmond’s hotel room in her underwear is also the random teacher in the background when they’re trying to get the Chinese character translated.

• “I hope we’re still friends after I taser you.” Aw man, iconic line! Even if we don’t get to stat it cuz she’d never tase Wallace.
• And now he calls Piz "Buzz. Bizen." (at least that's what the transcript says. I heard “Puz. Spizen.”)
• “The key to good skinnydipping is what I called total nakedness.”
• Paul Rudd has a really weird career, guys.
• “See, the point of the internet is to make money off stupid people.” Daniel, we’ve been doing the internet wrong. [Should we be charging? - D]
• Gasp Vinnie is part of … whatever weird thing with the Fitzpatricks Leo brought Keith into and I really haven’t been paying attention.

• And right now V is on the hot end of the hot-cold spectrum with Piz, I guess.
• But GASP Desmond not only knows Piz’s name now, he calls him Piznarski. I guess that’s what the kids call an Arc.
• Also GASP Leo’s gonna work for the Sheriffs office again?
• Wait, is that true? Does he stick around? HOW DO I REMEMBER NONE OF THIS
• Now this I do remember. Shitty Shady Vinnie Van Lowe is running against Keith in the special election for Sheriff
• Ken Marino is lucky we like him so much because fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck you Vinnie

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: “Coming up! A household object that could be dangerous to your pets.  And your children!” – News Reporter

Zelda: "I hope we're still friends after I taser you." - Veronica

Arc/Continuity:

Neptune Roll Call: Logan, Wallace, Dick, Piz, Mac (Absent: Parker, Lamb, Weevil)

Recurring: Vinnie Van Lowe, Leo D’Amato, Max, Bronson Pope, Trish, Danny Boyd, Deputy Jerry Sacks, Jeff Ratner, Professor Corrigan

Already Famous Person: Paul Rudd

Desmond's Nicknames: Pus, Plax, Pez, Buzz, Bizen, La Paz (all Piz), Monica (Veronica)

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 - 0

Veronica Wants a Pony - 0

Logan Punches Someone - 0

Dick's Single Entendres - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

VERONICA WAS RIGHT - 0

VERONICA WAS WRONG - 1 (Grace didn't steal the backing tapes)