VERONICA MARS: MARS VS. MARS (TV)
Summary
One in this drama series which follows the exploits of a seventeen-year-old assistant private investigator intent on solving the town of Neptune's mysteries while simultaneously trying to negotiate the rough-and-tumble world of high school. In this episode, Logan comes to Veronica and asks her to investigate his mother's disappearance, refusing to believe that she committed suicide. Veronica seems doubtful, but agrees to help. In history class, Mr. Rooks plays a spirited "death match" quiz game with his students, but Carrie Bishop abruptly announces that she and the teacher have been having an affair. The other students tease her and Mr. Rooks denies everything, and Veronica vows to help clear his name, asking Wallace to steal Carrie's permanent file. Veronica then discovers the name of Duncan's doctor, still curious about his "mystery illness." She then tells Logan that she has put traces on Lynn's missing credit cards and plans to talk to a woman who claims to have witnessed her jump from the bridge, and Logan demands to accompany her. Veronica talks to Carrie and tells her to recant her lie, but she refuses. Upon returning to Keith's office, she learns that the Bishops have hired him to investigate Rooks, and Veronica objects to the "witch hunt," saying that Rooks is a good teacher and Carrie is a liar, recalling the time that she overheard Carrie and a friend gossiping rudely about her relationship with Duncan, whom Carrie called "literally crazy."
Veronica recruits Cliff to pose as a tabloid journalist eager for the witness woman's story, but Logan explodes when he overhears the woman offering to lie about Lynn for money. Veronica then encounters Leo and apologizes for using him, explaining that she has strong evidence supporting the idea that Abel Koontz is not Lilly's true murderer. She then goes to Rooks' home and meets his young daughter, and he guesses that Carrie is seeking revenge for a low grade. She warns him that the Bishops have hired a PI, but Keith tells Veronica that Carrie kept a detailed diary of the affair. Veronica and Logan meet with witness who claims to have seen Lynn escaping in a van on the bridge, but she proves to be nothing more than a starstruck fan seeking attention. Keith "pity-cooks" for Veronica and tells her that Rooks was fired from his previous job under questionable circumstances, and Veronica breaks into her father's safe to retrieve Carrie's diary, but is stymied by Keith's booby trap. When she points out that he can relate to being unfairly accused, however, he gives her the dates and times of Carrie and Rooks' alleged encounters.
Weevil tells Veronica that he has heard about a freshman who has evidence of Lynn's death, and Rooks tells Veronica that he was fired from his previous job merely because of his political teachings. She then confronts Carrie, pointing out that she was at a track meet during one of the times mentioned in her diary, seemingly confirming her lies. Veronica then schedules a fake appointment with Duncan's doctor and steals his file, also taking Abel Koontz's when she spots it in the drawer. At Rooks' hearing, he maintains his innocence and Carrie describes the details of his seduction, saying that she has text messages from him as proof. However, Veronica then proves that it is very simple to fake such messages, and Rooks is allowed to remain at Neptune due to the lack of evidence. When Veronica visits Rooks' home again to return his phone, though, she begins to notice several details mentioned by Carrie and quickly leaves. After discovering that Duncan's mystery illness is likely a form of epilepsy, she researches Carrie's claims again and then journeys to the home of Susan Knight, another former student with whom Rooks really did have an affair, resulting in her pregnancy. She explains that Carrie spoke out about him in her place, using her diary and her cell phone, and Veronica urges her to make things right. Weevil then produces the freshman, Hart, and Logan is stunned to see actual footage of his mother's suicide in the background of Hart's amateur movie, further surprised when Veronica tells him that Lynn's credit cards have just been used. Rooks resigns and Veronica apologizes to Carrie, and Keith praises her attempt to do the right thing. Veronica then visits Koontz in prison and reveals that she now knows about his terminal illness, stating that he is a "patsy" for the real killer. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: UPN
- DATE: February 15, 2005 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:86583
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense; Drama, police/private detective; High school students
- SERIES RUN: UPN - TV series, 2004-2006; The CW - 2006-2007; Hulu - Internet series, 2019-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Joel Silver … Executive Producer
- Rob Thomas … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Jennifer Gwartz … Co-Executive Producer
- Danielle Stokdyk … Co-Executive Producer
- Jed Seidel … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Diane Ruggiero … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Paul Kurta … Producer
- Dan Etheridge … Co-Producer
- Hans van Doornewaard … Associate Producer
- Stacey Fields … Associate Producer
- Marcos Siega … Director
- Josh Kramon … Music by
- The Dandy Warhols … Theme Music by
- Kristen Bell … Cast, Veronica Mars
- Percy Daggs III … Cast, Wallace Fennel
- Teddy Dunn … Cast, Duncan Kane
- Jason Dohring … Cast, Logan Echolls
- Francis Capra … Cast, Eli 'Weevil' Navarro
- Enrico Colantoni … Cast, Keith Mars
- Daran Norris … Cast, Cliff McCormack
- Leighton Meester … Cast, Carrie Bishop
- Max Greenfield … Cast, Leo D'Amato
- Christian Clemenson … Cast, Abel Koontz
- Christine Lakin … Cast, Susan Knight
- Lisa Long … Cast, Jessica Fuller
- Adam Scott … Cast, Mr. Rooks
- Duane Daniels … Cast, Van Clemmons
- Benito Paje … Cast, Corazon Soliman
- Melissa Renee Martin … Cast, Sly Girl
- Leigh Scarritt … Cast, Carla
- Deborah Vancelette … Cast, Sandra Bolan
- Amber Ojeda … Cast, Sly's Friend #1
- Deana Tucker … Cast, Sly's Friend #2
- Eric Beck … Cast, Dr. Levine
- Mike Gaarde … Cast, Hart