1.05 "You Think You Know Somebody"

Aired Oct 26, 2004

Roundtable Reviews

alliterator: Okay, should we start?
grim squeaker: Wait, I have to keep my cat from stealing the cheese.
alliterator: That's one smart cat.
grim squeaker: More greedy than smart.
alliterator: I believe the smartest things my cats do is get out of the way while I'm scooping the cat litter.
grim squeaker: She doesn't even like cheese, she is just in it for the stealing.
alliterator: I want the Marses' "Unleash" poster.
grim squeaker: Did we ever find out what the poster's for? Because I like it, too.
alliterator: No clue. It just looks awesome. Maybe Rick can find out for us.
grim squeaker: Maybe he created it. Is Veronica's furniture from IKEA?
alliterator: Maybe.
grim squeaker: Tijuana, Mexico. As opposed to Tijuana, Denmark.
alliterator: There's a Tijuana in Denmark?
grim squeaker: I don't know, but we could ask Chris. It's Luke and his piñata!
alliterator: Why don't you just use the Force? Jason Dohring dry heaves convincingly.
grim squeaker: Ew! What did Logan say?
alliterator: When? "Ay-ay-ay"?
grim squeaker: Just before that.
alliterator: "Juanita from the blah." Blah = I don't remember.
grim squeaker: Ah. I see. Man, all the guys have the same haircut and wear greenish shirts. No wonder no one could tell them apart in the beginning.
alliterator: Ah, foreshadowing. Troy comes back from the bathroom.
grim squeaker: And he is putting on an act of being concerned about the car.
alliterator: Yeah, they are all wearing greenish shirts. Brigadoon? Really?
grim squeaker: What's Brigadoon?
alliterator: It's a play/movie about an ancient town which only appears every 100 years.
grim squeaker: I love Veronica's buns!
alliterator: I assume you mean her hair style, as opposed to her buns of steel. Hey, Albuquerque! Okay, I just like saying Albuquerque.
grim squeaker: Huge cereal box...
alliterator: Wow, we're really great commentators.
grim squeaker: Yeah, we are regular Waldorf and Statler.
alliterator: Aaand it's morning now.
grim squeaker: They have returned.
alliterator: First appearance of Logan/Veronica chemistry?
grim squeaker: There is chemistry between these two? Just kidding. I think they already had chemistry in 1.04 "The Wrath of Con."
alliterator: I think Troy crosses the line from horny to skeezy in this episode.
grim squeaker: There is Wallace's scene for this episode! Troy is definitely a sneaky liar in this one.
alliterator: Ruh roh!
grim squeaker: Shaggy has flavor? Really?
alliterator: I like that Wallace has a subscription to MAD.
grim squeaker: Yeah, me too.
alliterator: Mmmm, manicotti.
grim squeaker: What are manicotti?
alliterator: A type of pasta.
grim squeaker: Nice.
alliterator: Veronica wears a jacket over her sweatshirt? She must be really hot.
grim squeaker: I like the transition from "Punch in the face" to Luke under the weight.
alliterator: Heh. Yeah, he looks constipated.
grim squeaker: Damn, now the cat wants to play with me! Man, Keith is really ready to move on. While Veronica isn't.
alliterator: I like that she's eating cereal like a normal person. No pancakes and bacon and eggs!
grim squeaker: You don't like pancakes? Also, man I am hungry!
alliterator: No, I like them, but it's quite unusual for a teenager to have that type of full breakfast. Or at least it was for me.
grim squeaker: Let's go back to the observation that the haircuts of the boys on the show seem to be rather...one note.
alliterator: How so?
grim squeaker: Because they are all the same. Short-cropped, blonde. Except for Weevil, who has none, and Wallace, who rocks his curls.
alliterator: That could be a commentary on the trends of high school and how everyone, no matter how individualistic they think they are, just copy each other. Or I could be overanalyzing.
grim squeaker: At least this goes for the 09ers. Think about it. Most of the 02ers have individual haircuts. The bikers, however, are uniformly bald. The 09ers are uniformly cut short.
alliterator: I think all the 09ers just go to the same barber.
grim squeaker: Well, they all have the same lawyer as well, so... One more comment on the boys. Troy is clearly suspicious in the first few minutes, but Luke is too, because he is so nervous. Logan seems carefree. Troy's behavior could be attributed to him being nervous about the car being stolen of course.
alliterator: I think that's what makes this episode so good. We have three suspects. Logan would be the first we would think of, because he's been Veronica's antagonist in the past, but Luke's the one that was acting shady. Troy is a little shady, but not as much as Luke.
grim squeaker: But you could also say that he is overacting his concern just a tiny bit, just enough that you would think: Huh? Troy I mean, not Luke....warrrgh!!! Sorry, that was the cat. She always digs her claws into my leg when she wants me to throw something for her to fetch.
alliterator: We used to have a cat toy that would drive our cats wild - it was a stick with a piece of string on the end that had a feather. The cats would always go after the feather with wild abandon.
grim squeaker: Yes, mine love that too. But mostly they like plastic clips they can chase and badger around.
alliterator: Back on topic, Troy being sent to Albuquerque over a stolen car does seem a little excessive and draws up a red flag. But at the same time, Luke's really nervous, and so we're given a red herring to go after as well.
grim squeaker: Yeah, and after the scene with the bodybuilder he is clearly suspicious. Something is up. Let's talk about the Keith-Rebecca-romance subplot for a second.
alliterator: I like the way that Veronica tries to move on, but she just can't. Very teenager-y.
grim squeaker: I agree that her reaction is spot-on. I really like how subtly this is being brought up here. First Veronica catches the message Rebecca leaves for Keith. Then Keith begins moving out Lianne's stuff.
alliterator: Which of course leads to her finding the key which leads to the safety deposit box with pictures of her that were sent to Lianne. So trying to get Lianne out of their life actually makes Veronica learn more about why Lianne left.
grim squeaker: I am wondering if Keith really hoped that Lianne would return one day or if he just pretended for Veronica's sake. I just noticed that Veronica is having her cereal with fat free milk. What for? How much weight would she have to gain before you would even notice?
alliterator: Her pajama shirt is cute, though.
grim squeaker: Yes. I also like the little ponytail. I love how much they manage to do with her hair, even though it is rather short. And it's so flippy! Owww! Go away, cat!
alliterator: (Her flippy hair is sort of like those flippy ships in BSG! Okay, not really, but still.) I think Wesley was right. This whole experiment is about hair!
grim squeaker: I guess you are talking about Mr. Wyndam-Price, but when did he say that? Also, Alexis Denisof is the second-hottest man in the Whedonverse.
alliterator: In Season 4, "Spin the Bottle." It was when they all had amnesia.
grim squeaker: Ah, that one.
alliterator: I think we're getting a bit off-topic.
grim squeaker: Not really!:D Shall we continue?
alliterator: Yes!
grim squeaker: Aw, a Mars family picture! Hey, Ms. Dent! Luke needs help. And is sweating. Does he really look like a sports guy?
alliterator: Well, he hasn't taken the steroids yet. Plus, it's baseball.
grim squeaker: Don't you have to be muscular for baseball?
alliterator: Maybe. I'm not so much a sports person.
grim squeaker: Apparently, it's really easy to fake a Death Certificate...
alliterator: Can you really make a Death Certificate on the computer?
grim squeaker: I doubt it. Of course, Veronica is quite the genius.
alliterator: Ooh, the bull's-eyes! This was when I knew Veronica Mars was really going to be great.
grim squeaker: Whoa, that's an ugly dress! But Rebecca's beautiful! Veronica tries to be grown up. Very good of her. I like the picture behind our cute couple.
alliterator: Are those weed plants on her dress?
grim squeaker: Sorry, these are not weed plants, they are kind of ornamental...thingies.
alliterator: It's hard to tell. Plus, I just got new glasses.
grim squeaker: It looks like the dress is made out of a '70s wall paper...but nice cleavage!
alliterator: Well, Keith did say he was cool in the '70s. So maybe Rebecca is trying to make him feel cool again.
grim squeaker: Maybe that's why he is dating Becky, she reminds him of his good times.
alliterator: Would she count as "foxy"?
grim squeaker: I'd think so. But she is my type.
alliterator: A Good Times van! More '70s references.
grim squeaker: What song is that?
alliterator: No clue. Maybe spacecitymarc can tell us.
grim squeaker: And what's a Good Times van?
alliterator: No clue. Maybe Polter-Cow can tell us. I like how Veronica gently pushes Troy to tell her something. That Beacon corporation sign looks cool.
grim squeaker: And he is getting really defensive. He could be worried that she finds out about the Signorinas, but maybe he just doesn't know what he should tell her.
alliterator: Vandergraff? Or Vandegraff?
grim squeaker: Vandegraff.
alliterator: Super Roger is kinda dorky.
grim squeaker: Oh, Super-Roger, your turn as a superhero is cut short by Bitchy Co-worker. Heh. I liked the "smooth" hand gesture.
alliterator: Me, too. Run, Luke, run!
grim squeaker: And I guess this could be called the Ferris Bueller sequence.
alliterator: Boy, he's flexible.
grim squeaker: Okay, I change my mind, Luke is quite the athlete.
alliterator: Logan has a bottom locker!
grim squeaker: And this is the long-awaited "Veronica suspects Logan" scene!
alliterator: And Logan becomes more of a suspect than Troy — another red herring!
grim squeaker: "Hey, Gorgeous..." — nice. Aw, Backup likes Rebecca.
alliterator: Backup is nice and cute.
grim squeaker: I love that they made a pit-bull such a sweet dog. Rebecca is really trying too hard.
alliterator: Waffles and ice cream? Really?
grim squeaker: And here is another fugly clothing ensemble, this time on Lianne.
alliterator: Boris? What is she, Natasha? I like how Rebecca tries to integrate herself into Veronica's life, but it sort of backfires. Mainly because Veronica has so many issues concerning Lianne, including not knowing why she left (and the evidence in this episode pointing to someone forcing her to leave) and the secret meeting with Jake Kane in the first episode. Plus, Lianne is her mother and she has a sort of loyalty to her.
grim squeaker: I don't think it's only that...speaking from personal experience, it is very awkward when your parent is dating someone new, especially when you are a teenager. I really think she is a little too eager. She clearly has no clue, which seems a little strange for a guidance counselor working with kids. Veronica really believes that her parents could get back together. It's one of the few things about her that's really young and naive.
alliterator: Yeah, she never considers that maybe she and Keith are better off without Lianne.
grim squeaker: It's a perfect example of how stubbornly Veronica clings to some of her beliefs, even if she has to notice that they are wrong. Part of this makes her stick up for Lilly so much I think. Because intellectually she has to know how imperfect and cruel Lilly can be, but she simply ignores it, much like she ignores Lianne's tendency to hurt the people she loves.
alliterator: And Lianne is as much a driving force behind Veronica as Lilly is. So maybe "You Think You Know Somebody" could be referring to the absent Lianne, as well as Troy.
grim squeaker: Great observation. On a smaller scale, this probably goes also for Keith and Rebecca. And Rebecca in general. And even Wallace, when Veronica goes through his file. And, of course, Logan. Veronica thinks she knows all these people, but usually her information is incomplete, so that she gets a distorted picture.
alliterator: And this episode is all about getting the whole picture. Veronica finally sees the whole picture of Troy, but she still hasn't seen it with Lianne or Lilly yet. At the end of the first episode, she says she's getting her "family" back together, meaning she considers Lianne still part of the family, even after she left them.
grim squeaker: She also isn't getting Keith's picture. She does not see that she has to regard him independently of her own needs and of Lianne. She only views him as her dad, not as his own person.
alliterator: Wow. We're really good at this. *pats us on the back*
grim squeaker: Yay! We are not snarky, but we are analytical!
alliterator: As for snarky: what is with Rebecca's apron?
grim squeaker: It clashes horribly with her shirt. Maybe she is colorblind? Or maybe the wardrobe people are?
alliterator: Ooh, I just noticed that they have a food and water bowl and a toy bone for Backup on the floor. The set people are awesome. Sac-n-Pac. Nice continuity.
grim squeaker: Heh. Uncle Angel.
alliterator: More nice continuity.
grim squeaker: Francis should learn Spanish. On the other hand, if they only use Weevil this sparingly, he probably shouldn't.
alliterator: Maybe he's just saying it in English because he thinks Veronica doesn't know Spanish.
grim squeaker: The problem is, the scene looks like Francis doesn't understand the other guy and just says his text.
alliterator: Oops. Candy, but no steroids.
grim squeaker: Veronica looks hot in that leather jacket.
alliterator: Heh. "Does it have to be next to the feminine hygiene machine?"
grim squeaker: Feminine Hygiene Machine would be a great name for a band.
alliterator: Now that's an ugly outfit for Veronica
grim squeaker: The flashback one?
alliterator: Yep. She's wearing a pink sweater.
grim squeaker: Well, it's Veronica Version 1, she is a bit of a Pwink Pwincess.
alliterator: How can Veronica buy so many disposable cell phones?
grim squeaker: With the same money that bought her Apple laptop I guess.
alliterator: There's a baby picture on the shelf. Looks like Veronica was a fat baby!
grim squeaker: There is the most adorable baby picture on the shelf. Heh, jinx.
alliterator: I like how she hesitates before saying "Deal."
He interrupted her lunch.
grim squeaker: No wonder she looks so bitter with just a salad. Man, Luke doesn't even know eBay.
alliterator: Hee. "It's a ball!" Probably worth more than his life, though.
grim squeaker: It's a BALL. Heh.
alliterator: Double jinx!
grim squeaker: Her scarf is kind of...
alliterator: Doctor Whoish?
grim squeaker: No. I meant to say "unfortunate."
alliterator: Enter Wallace, exit Wallace.
grim squeaker: Wallace is Captain Exposition! Or Captain Clue? Interviewing the bitchy 09er girl. It's nice that Veronica is dissing someone for telling herself lies about her parent.
alliterator: Heh. I like the camera work in the question scene. Nice! Ms. Dent is kind of stating the theme of the episode. Too bad she's so boring.
grim squeaker: Yeah, they really don't know what to do with her, do they? I never thought introducing Ms. Dent was a good idea. A teacher Veronica trusts doesn't seem to fit the concept of her being a loner. Also, Sydney Tamiia Portier seems too young for a teacher. She doesn't look that much older than Teddy Dunn. (On the other hand, judging from her imdb entry, she really looks much younger than she is. :) )
alliterator: Yeah, Veronica really distances herself from authority figures, so having a teacher as a friend doesn't really work out.
grim squeaker: And with Wallace she already has a friend who isn't really connected to Lilly's murder.
alliterator: But you see that she ignores everything Ms. Dent said. Veronica does believe the lies she's telling herself, mainly about Lianne.
grim squeaker: Yes, but you can deduce what Ms. Dent says from the episode, she just spells it out.
alliterator: Except that Ms. Dent said it in quite an anvilicious way.
grim squeaker: Well, she is a teacher, she has got to explain things so that we all understand them.
alliterator: I just noticed that there's a paper on Veronica's desk that says, "Help Criminals Find Their Place in Society."
grim squeaker: Heh.
alliterator: Sram Htiek
grim squeaker: I like the constructive chaos in the Marses' office. Enrico's anger seems a little forced here.
alliterator: I like the camera work here, where gets all all shaky, just as Veronica and Keith get into an argument.
grim squeaker: I like how her voice breaks here.
alliterator: Aw. Kristen Bell cries good.
grim squeaker: She does.
alliterator: The music in this scene is good. I think it's by Josh Kramon.
grim squeaker: And here we have Veronica getting slightly bitchy at someone concerned about her. She really isn't much of a cry-on-your-shoulder kind of girl. I love that jacket, but the slightly curly hair looks a little too girly.
alliterator: Of COURSE, she's going to open it! She went to a hair salon in the middle of the night.
grim squeaker: Hey, Becky's shirt matches Keith's tie!
alliterator: Aw, Keith is trying to be a good dad, even though Veronica was mean to him.
grim squeaker: I actually love this scene. It's played very well and it's very sad.
alliterator: I like the framing of that scene with Keith and Rebecca in the bottom corner.
grim squeaker: I love how he takes her face in his hands.
I like Veronica's pendant.
alliterator: His locker's open! His locker's closed! Boy, he's a good liar.
grim squeaker: I love that he gets all defensive and tries to manipulate her into feeling bad. I actually always liked Troy. He was pretty badass if you think about it. Luke on the other hand is a wimp.
alliterator: "Woe is you." Heh.
grim squeaker: "You're here to get pumped?" EWW! Bodybuilder dude has a really bad dye job.
alliterator: Ooh, I like that shot of her holding the phone in front of her face.
grim squeaker: Very nice.
alliterator: He likes calling Luke a "bitch," doesn't he?
grim squeaker: Uhm, yeah, actually...
alliterator: Heh. It looks like he blinked when she took that picture. Wow. That's a bad dub on Troy's father.
grim squeaker: Wow, it's badly acted father from hell!
alliterator: The jowls!
grim squeaker: And he looks really crazy, too. What's "jowls?"
alliterator: His double chin. Dictionary.com says: "The flesh under the lower jaw, especially when plump or flaccid."
grim squeaker: Huh. Let's hope Troy does not take after him. Did you see the letter chain over the window? It says "Happy Birthday." Very cute.
alliterator: Heh. Nice. And I like how her birthday cake isn't perfect.
grim squeaker: The cake being slightly left-leaning (heh) is a great touch.
alliterator: Now I'm hungry for cake.
grim squeaker: Me too!
alliterator: There's a question mark instead of his age.
grim squeaker: Heh.
alliterator: Ah, the part where I started going, "OMG TROY IS EVIL." I love this song, too.
grim squeaker: Yeah, it's cool.
alliterator: He looks so smug.
grim squeaker: Unfortunately, I was spoiled about his evilness.
alliterator: I wasn't and it came as a shock. Wow, Veronica's badass.
grim squeaker: Yay, candy!
alliterator: "She sounds like a keeper." Hee. And now Ziggy is getting the full body cavity search.
grim squeaker: Aw, the phone call.
alliterator: Where is Lianne? Outside a supermarket?
grim squeaker: Or outside a train station? I like the song played here, too, btw.
alliterator: And I love this song, too.
grim squeaker: At least she remembers it's Keith's birthday.
alliterator: I like how her last comment was wishing Keith a happy birthday. She's not such a horrible mom. Well, she is, but she's nice sometimes.
grim squeaker: Yeah, but it's not really enough, is it, being nice when you're also notably absent. Do you want to add anything?
alliterator: Um, Veronica is pretty?
grim squeaker: Agreed. :)
alliterator: Yay! Let us revel in the prettiness of the actors.
grim squeaker: The actors are really pretty. Although I still don't get the lure of Jason Dohring.
alliterator: Me neither. And now Inigo will kill us both.
grim squeaker: Heh.