S02.E22: Not Pictured

[Lisin]

From IMDB: "The second season ends as Veronica, on her graduation day, learns who is responsible for the bus crash. After uncovering the culprit, her life is endangered as she tries to warn those closest to the killer. Also, Wallace learns some surprising information about Jackie, Keith enlists Veronica's help in his ongoing investigation of Woody, and the seniors celebrate their graduation with a lavish party at the Neptune Grand."

This show! I mean I know that the climax of this episode has all sorts of problems, but I don't care! Veronica thinking Keith was on the plane and Logan saving her and Beaver jumping off the roof? Then the whole thing with the bacon and Keith not being dead? I can't even take it. Logan is so great here. I loved the "Buffyesque" moment at graduation where everyone cheers for Veronica and Clemmons is all "What were you expecting?" and then tells her he's going to miss her (sort of... not in so many words). I hate watching Weevil being arrested though. I hate it. I'm sorry. I know he did it and all, but I still hate it. 

 

[clemmyb]

I remember watching this one the first time and being absolutely riveted to the screen. I was horrified that Keith was on that plane, and so, so relieved that he wasn't.  It's an epic dramatic episode.

There's a lot of great stuff here: Logan holding Veronica on the couch the way she held him in the season's premiere; Mac sitting in the hotel room crying, and Veronica finding her; Veronica's moment onstage with the cheering; Cassidy's desperation at the moment he yells "MY NAME IS CASSIDY."  I could go on.

The dream sequence at the beginning of this episode is still one of my favorite things about the show. I love how they play with the concept of an alternate reality, and even in that one, Veronica and Logan are together (sorry, fangirl here).

[Lisin]

I can't believe I forgot to mention the dream sequence at the beginning! I love that part! The fact that Logan and Veronica are together is so great, and Lilly being back from College is also great. I realize it made no sense for her to be in the rest of this season but I did miss her. Also nice touch at the very end having Duncan and Lilly on the beach in Australia getting the news from CW and him saying "It's a done deal" which I believe was a shout-out to the fact that this was the last episode of the show on UPN and it was HOPEFULLY moving over to the CW, which we now know happened but at the time it was still in question I think. 

[clemmyb]

You are indeed right about that "CW" shout-out.  If I remember correctly, the episode aired the same day the CW pickup was announced.  KISMET.

[halgia]

This show sure knows how to do finales.

I loved in the dream sequence how sure, Veronica was all happy, but she was also an awful 09er and Wallace clearly hated high school (despite still being a basketball star). Also of course that Veronica ends up with Logan even then.

The Buffy moment of everyone loving her at graduation was amazingly sweet. It's tempered by the saddest thing of Weevil getting arrested right then, though.

I didn't realize that Lilly was a year older (though it makes sense, they would have mentioned if Duncan and Lilly were twins) or that Dick was younger.

The scene with Aaron on the elevator is the creepiest thing this show has ever done.

Duncan ordering murders while playing with his daughter on the beach is great.

Jackie coming clean was great. (There was some continuity question I had there, but it slipped my mind; kind of distracted by other things....)

The rooftop scene is obviously amazing.

And then of course Kendall needs to come and ruin their trip to New York....fucking Kendall.

[Lisin]

Fucking Kendall indeed. She really did ruin everything all the time this season didn't she? 

I can't even watch Weevil being arrested. It's too sad. I know it's coming and I turn the volume down and look away. Too sad. Though he did technically graduate right? I mean walking isn't a requirement I don't think so he should in theory have his diploma. 

I say this because in Season 3 I believe he mentions having a GED which is confusing. Oh continuity.

[ApathyMonger]

I hated the Jackie backstory reveal, because it somehow made her even less likable in retrospect. IIRC, when we first see her, she's being rude to Veronica at the coffee shop, apparently in ignorance. Except it turns out she's a waitress herself back in New York, so she was actually just acting like a bitch on purpose.

Plus, there's the whole thing where she left her kid with her poor mother to fly across the country to her rich father.

Edited February 18, 2014 by ApathyMonger

[Lisin]

I couldn't agree more. Jackie started out as awful, got moderately tolerable and then with the reveal in this episode she goes to being the absolute worst. I mean did she really think VERONICA MARS wasn't going to figure out what was actually going on? Really? That makes here even worse than the absolute worst. 

[halgia]

I dunno. I mean, obviously, abandoning your kid = no good. But I can kind of understand wanting to reinvent yourself with a glamorous past and whatnot. She's a teenage girl trying out a character, right? When she was awful to Veronica and Duncan, she was just seeing what it was like to be on the other end of that exchange.

[starri]

 

I loved the "Buffyesque" moment at graduation where everyone cheers for Veronica and Clemmons is all "What were you expecting?" and then tells her he's going to miss her (sort of... not in so many words).

The "Veronica Mars: Class Protector" thing always gets me.

 

And Clemmons' grudging fondness for her, which got called back in the movie.

[Syme]

This show sure knows how to do finales.

.....

The Buffy moment of everyone loving her at graduation was amazingly sweet. It's tempered by the saddest thing of Weevil getting arrested right then, though.

 

 

I always thought that the writers blew it.  I would have loved for Von Clemmons to have said:

Sheriff, the faculty here and I are proud of Mr. Navarro's having graduated.

Would you might waiting until I give him his diploma before you arrest him again?

Thank you....

 

 

[Hanahope]

Yeah, Weevill still should have graduated even if he didn't participate in the ceremony.

 

Very emotional episode.  I guess Cassidy had chlymidia for years and did nothing about it?  That's kindof surprising. 

 

Also, i'm confused on the timing/ages of people, if Veronica, a senior, Dick a junior and Cassidy a sophomore, I presume. Season 2, Veronica is a senior, Season 1, she's just starting school as a junior and talks about it being a year since Lilly was killed.  So she was a sophomore during the year before and she was just an outcast not doing anything.  So was she a sophomore and at the year-end party despite being an outcast for a whole year and raped by Cassidy who wasn't even in highschool (but in 8th grade)?  Or did that happen while she was still in her freshman year, right after Lilly was killed and raped by Cassidy who was what, 13? 

 

Why would Cassidy steal Mac's clothes?  I guess we're supposed to think he's just nuts?  Since he must be to bomb a bus full of kids. 

 

And really, Kendall makes out like a bandit?  For reals?  Ugh.  I assume the briefcase was maybe full of money?  Or some other sort of evidence that Keith couldn't refuse?  Or something about Veronica?  And he couldn't call her immediately to say he couldn't go to NYC?

 

After seeing Logan with Kendall, I'm surprised Veronica went back to him, but I guess saving her life helps overcome such things.  He's good at saving her life and they have great chemistry together.  And I guess since Logan was with Veronica all night, he doesn't yet know about his dad.  Though you'd think he'd have heard something by that morning by the time Kendall showed up.  Although I would expect she probably snuck out the room once she saw that so she wouldn't have to give a statement.  The police will catch up to her eventually though, considering her dna is all over that sofa.  And her true identity too, I would imagine.  Maybe that's what's in the briefcase, something about Aaron's death.

[scarynikki12]

Cassidy's a year behind Veronica, Logan, and Dick (all in the same class).  Lilly's murder and Veronica's rape both happened during her (V's) sophomore year, so Cassidy would have been a freshman. 

 

I think Cassidy stole Mac's clothes to prevent her from following him to the roof and potentially interfering with his plan to blow up the plane.  I also think the reason he didn't do anything about his STD is due to being afraid to admit to the molestation.  He no doubt spent years letting his feelings (anger, fear, shame, etc) fester until he snapped and became a monster.  He may have been vocal about it had he been able to convince Dick or his father that he'd gotten it from a girl but he couldn't even stand up to them and make them stop calling him Beaver so I don't think that he'd be able to admit to being a victim.

 

Logan did know about Aaron when he shows up to take Veronica to the airport.  Keith asks her how he's doing and she says she thinks that he's taking it (the murder) badly as he refers to himself as Little Orphan Annie.  He has a smile on his face when he arrives, which seems to contradict that statement but I think it's because Veronica makes him happy and because, despite his genuine grief, Logan hated his father and probably does have a part of him that is happy he's gone.  Plus, the show was wrapping up that particular story, only had a few minutes to get them back together, and didn't yet know if they were making the move to the CW (Weidman's dialogue gave all of us hope and showed confidence from the show but we didn't get the official word until after the episode aired as I recall).  If this had been the series finale, then they wanted to at least have them in as good a place as they can be.

[Hanahope]

Cassidy's a year behind Veronica, Logan, and Dick (all in the same class).  Lilly's murder and Veronica's rape both happened during her (V's) sophomore year, so Cassidy would have been a freshman.

 

Oh yeah, that's right, Dick flunked that one class, with the egg, so he didn't graduate until after summer school.  So I guess Veronica fudged a bit with time when she described it as being a year since Lilly had died, when it was probably closer to 6 months.

 

Hopefully, I'll get to season 3 soon.

[bettername2come]

Oh yeah, that's right, Dick flunked that one class, with the egg, so he didn't graduate until after summer school. So I guess Veronica fudged a bit with time when she described it as being a year since Lilly had died, when it was probably closer to 6 months.

Hopefully, I'll get to season 3 soon.

Lilly died on October 3rd, 2003. The series begins September, 2004. The fourth episode is when the actual anniversary takes place.

[Hanahope]

Lilly died on October 3rd, 2003. The series begins September, 2004. The fourth episode is when the actual anniversary takes place.

 

It seemed like it wasn't that long of a time between Lilly's death and that year-end party.  I'm a bit surprised that someone who had been shunned for such a long period of time would show up at a party like that, but I guess that's what made it so shocking.

[bettername2come]

It seemed like it wasn't that long of a time between Lilly's death and that year-end party.  I'm a bit surprised that someone who had been shunned for such a long period of time would show up at a party like that, but I guess that's what made it so shocking

 

The party was on December 2003, not an end of school year party. This website's good for filling in blanks. http://www.marsinvestigations.net/timeline.php?id=3&year=sophomore_year

[Carrie Ann]

OMG, I have always had this timeline wrong. This blows my mind. Definitely thought that party was in June or thereabouts. Thought Lily was killed in May. I guess I haven't given it much thought since S1 aired, and I live in MN, so the tiny sundresses and shorts say Summer to me, not Fall/Winter. My brain just filled in the blanks.

[Hanahope]

Oh, I thought it was a year end party too.  It did make sense to me that it had been several months since Lilly's death, enough time for Keith to try solving it, then have public opinion go against him as he accused Mr. Kane, then have the recall election.  I just thought it was closer to 6 months of time, rather than 9 (thinking it was a year end party).  To me, its even less sense that it would only 2-3 months time lapse. 

 

Reading the time line linked above, I do see that some potential time-line goofs were noted, so I'm not that crazy for thinking the timing isn't quite right.

Edited January 2, 2015 by Hanahope

[Syme]

OMG, I have always had this timeline wrong. This blows my mind. Definitely thought that party was in June or thereabouts. Thought Lily was killed in May. I guess I haven't given it much thought since S1 aired, and I live in MN, so the tiny sundresses and shorts say Summer to me, not Fall/Winter. My brain just filled in the blanks.

The go-to source for VM remains Mars Investigations. Go there and learn all you ever wanted to....

[Carrie Ann]

Yeah, I love that site, I just never bothered to look at the timeline info in my latest rewatch. Maybe in the initial airing, I did understand the timing (at least of Lilly's murder and Shelley's party), but in the intervening years, I lost track of those details.

[bettername2come]

Yeah, I love that site, I just never bothered to look at the timeline info in my latest rewatch. Maybe in the initial airing, I did understand the timing (at least of Lilly's murder and Shelley's party), but in the intervening years, I lost track of those details.

So did the writers. They had Veronica say June instead of December in season three. 

[Carrie Ann]

Oh man, sweet sweet vindication.

[Affogato]

On ‎1‎/‎1‎/‎2015 at 8:43 PM, Hanahope said:

 

Very emotional episode.  I guess Cassidy had chlymidia for years and did nothing about it?  That's kindof surprising.

 

Also, i'm confused on the timing/ages of people, if Veronica, a senior, Dick a junior and Cassidy a sophomore, I presume. Season 2, Veronica is a senior, Season 1, she's just starting school as a junior and talks about it being a year since Lilly was killed.  So she was a sophomore during the year before and she was just an outcast not doing anything.  So was she a sophomore and at the year-end party despite being an outcast for a whole year and raped by Cassidy who wasn't even in highschool (but in 8th grade)?  Or did that happen while she was still in her freshman year, right after Lilly was killed and raped by Cassidy who was what, 13? 

 

Why would Cassidy steal Mac's clothes?  I guess we're supposed to think he's just nuts?  Since he must be to bomb a bus full of kids.

 

After seeing Logan with Kendall, I'm surprised Veronica went back to him, but I guess saving her life helps overcome such things.  He's good at saving her life and they have great chemistry together.  And I guess since Logan was with Veronica all night, he doesn't yet know about his dad.  Though you'd think he'd have heard something by that morning by the time Kendall showed up.  Although I would expect she probably snuck out the room once she saw that so she wouldn't have to give a statement.  The police will catch up to her eventually though, considering her dna is all over that sofa.  And her true identity too, I would imagine.  Maybe that's what's in the briefcase, something about Aaron's death.

I don't think Cassidy would necessarily have symptoms, or be checked unless there was a reason to check him for that specifically, like he told someone he was being raped by his coach, which he didn't.

The timeline confuses me. Lilly and Veronica, I think, are the same age but Veronica is a year behind in school because her birthday is right before the school year starts, or something. 

My initial impression was that Lilly was killed and Shelleys party was in December, but that doesn't seem like enough time for her to be bullying. It is hard to tell because the weather is so unchanging.

Maybe Lilly is killed in Veronica's sophomore year, early October, by November her father is ousted, her mother leaves, Duncan is sent to the loony bin, Veronica 'ignores' Logan to help sell there stuff and move into a smaller apartment and start the business, her father being out of town bail jumping a lot. Logan responds by spending a lot of time bullying her and rallying the troops against her. She is actually pretty busy outside of school. Then I think Shelly's party is in May or early June.  She spends the summer working in her father's business, and has started to pick up some PI skills, which she is using well enough so that Cliff is bringing her cases. Then comes the start of the show, Veronica's Junior year.  Duncan is back, heavily medicated.

Cassidy could have been 15, I think, depending on when his birthday is.

I think he steals Macs clothes so she won't go anywhere.

[marshmallows]

On 2/25/2017 at 0:33 PM, Affogato said:

I don't think Cassidy would necessarily have symptoms, or be checked unless there was a reason to check him for that specifically, like he told someone he was being raped by his coach, which he didn't.

The timeline confuses me. Lilly and Veronica, I think, are the same age but Veronica is a year behind in school because her birthday is right before the school year starts, or something. 

 

This always bothered me. I thought Lilly was younger than Veronica, Logan, and Duncan for the longest time until that dream sequence. It would have made the Aaron and Lilly thing even creepier so maybe that's why they made her older than everyone rather than younger.

[rejnel]

I'm watching the series for the first time, just finished Season 2. These two seasons have been AMAZING. 

Couple of things that seemed a big prescient from the show's 2005-06 time: big story about a coach raping young boys. Not that Sandusky was the first by any means, but it surprised me a bit.

And I yelled and cheered when Veronica said she was taking pepper spray to NY in case they ran into "that Trump character." HA!

[Anela]

So, Cassidy did rape Veronica, and then killed other kids. 
nice guy mayor was an evil shit. Was he abusing his son, too? I know something was off with his wife. Were they both abusing him?

I’m glad that Mac is okay, and Keith. Not unhappy about Aaron, at all. 
 

nice little comment about the pepper spray, and NYC.