1.12 "Clash of the Tritons"
Aired Jan 11, 2005
Details
school office: Veronica's VO tells us that the guidance counselor, Rebecca James, got a grant to study the long-term effects of grief on teens and would like to interview those hardest hit by Lilly's death. Veronica was going to decline but had an idea. A guy sitting next to her, wearing an MIT sweatshirt, is playing chess against himself. Several guys run past the office. They are naked, except for ski masks. The MIT guy comments that he can't wait to leave Neptune High. Rebecca calls Veronica in.
Rebecca's office: Veronica sits in front of Rebecca's desk. She plays with the stapler on the desk and ignores what Rebecca asks her. Eventually, Veronica says she doesn't want to talk away her grief. She wants to turn it into fuel because talking about it won't make her feel better. She is still playing with the stapler, and Rebecca draws her attention to that fact. Veronica apologizes, and puts it down, only to knock it over on purpose. She bends down to pick it up and as she does so, pulls out an identical stapler from her bag. She puts Rebecca's stapler into her bag and the replacement on the desk. Rebecca asks Veronica how she will find closure. Veronica replies that she will find closure when Lilly's killer is rotting away in jail.
classroom: A student hands a piece of paper to Miss Jeffries who then tells another student, Rick, to go to the office.
Clemmons's office: Sheriff Lamb is in the office with Clemmons. Lamb tells Rick that his friend, Tim, is in a coma. Rick literally dropped Tim off at the hospital after the two of them had been on a pub crawl. When Lamb asks how they got into the pubs, Rick shows him the fake ID he used. Lamb tells Clemmons that the fake IDs have been showing up all over the place, and he thinks they're coming from the school. Lamb tells Rick that he owes it to Tim to tell them who is making the fake IDs. After hesitating, Rick tells them it was Veronica Mars.
hallway: Clemmons and Lamb are at Veronica's locker, waiting for her. She opens her locker for them, joking about what they expect to find. However, when she opens it, blank IDs fall from her locker. She claims they're not hers. Lamb asks to search her purse. He finds Lilly Kane's license with Veronica's picture, a license for a 22-year-old Veronica, a San Diego State student ID, and a licensed massage therapist card. Veronica smiles and says those are hers. Lamb pulls out handcuffs. Clemmons suspends her for three days. Lamb handcuffs her as the bell rings. Students laugh and make snide remarks as he leads her away. One student takes her picture, and Logan, smirking, gives her a casual salute. Veronica's expression shows she isn't thrilled.
Opening Credits
sheriff's department: Cliff comes in and informs Veronica that he posted her bail. She asks him not to tell her dad, who is in Arizona. Cliff says he'll find out and that she has to be at the courthouse next Tuesday at 9 A.M. Cliff tells her that the IDs in the locker are what the sheriff cares about. Until Tim wakes up from his coma, they only have the other boy's testimony. Veronica asks who the other boy is, and Cliff tells her that it's Rick, who walks by at that moment. Veronica gets up and goes after him. She pushes him against the wall and yells at him, asking why he framed her. He says he can't tell her in public because "they" will destroy him. Veronica says they'll talk at school tomorrow. Rick says he thought she was expelled. She gives him an annoyed look while walking away.
Mars Investigations office: Wallace brings Veronica's books and homework assignments to her. Wallace and Veronica banter. She asks Wallace to find out who at school is making fake IDs, other than her.
school parking lot: Logan pulls in to a parking spot. He is listening to radio DJs talk about Aaron getting stabbed and the fact that he was cheating on Lynn with the help. He looks upset.
hall: Everyone is looking at Logan's locker, which has clippings of Aaron, Lynn, and the stalker taped to it. Most students leave as Logan approaches his locker. Hector, a PCH biker, says that Logan's mom is way hotter. Logan slams him against a locker and they start to fight. It's quickly broken up by the gym teacher and another teacher.
Rebecca's office: Weevil is talking to Rebecca. At first, he says he doesn't remember the week Lilly died. Then when Rebecca says he threw a chair against the wall, he says a girl in his neighborhood went missing the same day Lilly Kane died, but no one cared. There's a close up of the stapler.
Veronica's car: The scene changes to Veronica sitting in her car, tuning in to a radio station to pick up the signal from the bugged stapler.
Rebecca's office: Rebecca reads a letter Weevil wrote to Lilly. It says, "You tore my heart out. You can act like what we had together meant nothing to you, but you can't stop me from loving you. For the rest of your life, wherever you go, I'll always be there, just out of sight, in the shadows." Rebecca tells him that Lilly wanted to transfer to a different PE class because of problems with a boy. She showed Rebecca the letters as proof. Weevil says he wouldn't have hurt her, and that the police have already talked to him about this.
Veronica's car: Veronica's VO is shocked about Lilly and Weevil.
Rebecca's office: Rebecca tells Weevil she invited him into the office to talk about why he wrote that letter. He tells her that she had just broken up with Logan. Lilly swore to Weevil that she would never go back to Logan. However, one day Logan snapped his fingers, and she was back with him. She treated Weevil like he didn't exist. Weevil tearfully says that Lilly was someone he could have loved, and he was sure she felt the same way.
Veronica's car: Veronica wonders in her VO why Lilly didn't tell her about Weevil. Was this her big secret?
lunch: Rick gets a call on his cell phone. Veronica tells him to meet her in the back parking lot, fourth row. He goes there and looks around, asking where she is. Her car is under a blue tarp. She opens her door and tells him to get in, which he does. She asks Rick who framed her. He tells her it was the Tritons, a secret society at school. Each year, six new juniors are inducted by the seniors. Rick and Tim were two of the pledges this year. Veronica wants to know who is in charge, but Rick says that no one knows. She asks how he was invited to join then.
flashback: Rick tells her that two weeks ago, he opened his locker and found an invitation to join the Tritons. The invitation has a picture of a conch shell on it.
Veronica's car: Rick says this was all part of a hazing ritual. He found a fake ID in his locker and was told that he and the other pledges had to do one shot each in 12 bars. When Tim passed out, all the pledges left, and Rick was left to take care of him. He threw him in the car and drove him to the hospital. Veronica asks him how he knows all of this information if the Tritons are so secret. Rick replies that his dad and two older brothers were Tritons.
flashback: Rick is in class. He receives a note with a conch shell on it that says to blame Veronica Mars.
Veronica's car: Rick tells Veronica that the Tritons will destroy him if he doesn't listen to them. However, after what the Tritons did to Tim, and considering the fact that Tim's family is suing him, all Rick wants now is revenge. Veronica wants to know who the others pledges are. Rick tells her that the Tritons pick the six best guys in everything including academics and sports. He names four other boys, one of whom is Duncan Kane.
parking lot: Veronica bugs Duncan's car with a tracking device.
outside the school office: Logan is waiting on a bench. Aaron comes out of the office, after talking to Clemmons. He and Logan walk outside. Aaron tells Logan that he's not being suspended, but that Clemmons wants the three Echollses back for a disciplinary conference on Friday.
outside school: Aaron tells Logan he is proud of him for sticking up for his mom. Logan bitterly replies that he can die happy now. Aaron grabs his arm and threatens to help arrange that but is interrupted when Lynn arrives.
Mars Investigations office: Cliff is there when Veronica arrives. She sees Keith is also there. Veronica tells them about the Tritons and how she is positive that they are making the fake IDs. They bullied Rick into blaming her. She thinks the Tritons put the fakes in her locker. Cliff tells her that they have bigger problems. Tim's parents are suing the Mars family and every bar in town. Veronica is stunned. Later, Aaron comes in to talk to Keith. Aaron jokes that he should have canceled the party after all. He asks Keith to find out who's been sending pictures and intimate details of his affairs to the tabloids. He says it's tearing his family apart. His daughter Trina is the only one who will talk to him now. When Keith asks, Aaron replies that he has no idea who could be doing this. He tells Keith that his wife is fragile, and he's not sure how much more scandal she can take.
Mars home: Veronica is reading up on the Tritons of Greek mythology. Wallace comes in and reports that nobody at school knows anything about fake IDs. However, a kid from school came into the Sac 'n Pac and bought alcohol with what was obviously a fake ID. Wallace followed him into the parking lot, told him about the video surveillance cameras and persuaded the kid to talk. The kid told him that there is a mystery locker at school. If you put your name and $250 in locker 110 in the morning, you'll get a fake ID in your locker that afternoon. Veronica asks him if he's willing to put $250 into the locker to test it. Wallace says no, he'll use her money.
school hall: Veronica enters the school after hours. In her VO, she says that according to Wallace, locker 110 isn't assigned to anyone at school. She reasons in her VO that all she has to do is see who opens locker 110. She opens a display case opposite some lockers and sets up a camera display with a banner and several cameras. She focuses one of the cameras on locker 110 and sets it to take a photograph every 30 seconds.
Rebecca's office: Logan comes in and thanks Rebecca for getting him out of a calculus test.
Veronica's car: Veronica is listening to the conversation.
Rebecca's office: Logan says the week Lilly died would have been their two-year anniversary. When Rebecca asks, he says they were off and on, and at the time of Lilly's death, they were off, temporarily. Rebecca asks why they broke up. Logan replies that they were supposed to go to a party and Lilly was mad at him for some reason so she stood him up. Logan got drunk and kissed another girl for about three seconds. Veronica saw them and told Lilly. Rebecca tells Logan that it sounds like he blames Veronica. Logan says she was his friend too.
Veronica's car: Veronica, listening, is stunned.
Rebecca's office: Logan thinks if Veronica hadn't ratted him out, they would still have been together and Lilly wouldn't have been alone that day. He says that yes, he blames Veronica. He continues on, saying he also blames himself and Lilly. Rebecca says if he was with her, he might have been dead too. Logan asks, "What's so great about living?"
Veronica's car: Veronica is very somber and seems lost in her thoughts.
Veronica's bedroom: Veronica is staring intently at her laptop. Wallace comes in and starts talking about his great plays during basketball practice, but Veronica is not paying attention. She asks if he wants to go with her to track Duncan. Wallace shows her the ID he found in his locker. Veronica studies it. She's surprised to see all of the flaws in it.
karaoke club: Duncan is doing karaoke, horribly, as Veronica and Wallace walk in. After Duncan is done singing, Veronica tries to get info from him about the Tritons. He isn't being cooperative. She tells him that they framed her and put Tim in a coma. Duncan shakes his head, but only talks in panagrams (sentences that have all the letters of the alphabet in them). Veronica gets annoyed and walks away to sit at a table with Wallace. A few minutes later, Veronica is about to leave but Duncan comes and hands her a card that reads, "The judges hold the vital scores. You shall hear my voice once I've heard yours. The Great Triton." Veronica looks confused. The MC then announces that Veronica Mars is going to sing next. She is stunned. Everyone starts chanting for her to sing. She looks at the card again and finally decides to get up on stage. She dedicates her song to the Tritons. The song is Blondie's "One Way or Another." The lyrics include, "One way or another, I'm gonna find ya, I'm gonna getcha." She puts on a great performance. Everyone in the crowd cheers. When she steps down, she is handed a note that reads, "Meet in the bathroom - Alone".
club bathroom: Veronica goes into the bathroom that seems empty. She goes near the stalls and says, "Hello?" A distorted voice responds, saying he is the Great Triton. She asks why she was framed and mentions Tim in the hospital. The Great Triton then says he doesn't know what she's talking about. Veronica pulls open the stall door and sees a guy sitting there. She asks him who he is and he says his name is Jeff. Someone paid him to pull a prank on a friend. Veronica leaves, annoyed.
school: Veronica opens the display case to take her digital camera's memory card out.
outside school: Rick catches up with her as she leaves the building. He says the Tritons found out that he talked to her. He found a live rat nailed to the front of his door the night before. Veronica won't back down, however, and tells Rick that they need to make sure what happened to Tim doesn't happen again. Rick walks away, scared.
Rebecca's office: Duncan arrives in the office. Rebecca says he's missed his last three appointments. He apologizes, saying he's been busy.
Veronica's car: Veronica listens.
Rebecca's office: Duncan says he feels like Lilly is watching him all the time. He says he knows he sounds crazy. Rebecca says he sounds like someone who lost a sister and asks him how long he's felt this way. He says since he stopped taking his medications. Rebecca, looking concerned, asks if his physician knows about this and if he's had any episodes. Duncan tells her that he just stopped taking the anti-depressant. He's still taking the old standbys; he's not stupid.
Veronica's car: Veronica is wonders in her VO what kind of episodes and what kind of medication Duncan is talking about.
Rebecca's office: Rebecca says that explains a lot. She surmises that the medication calmed him and maybe stopped him from fully processing his sister's death. Now that he's off the medication, his feelings and grief are rising to the surface. Duncan says he thinks Lilly is mad at him because he doesn't remember. He says he recalls being at soccer practice in the morning, but that his next memory is of being in the back of a limo, three days later. Lilly is dead and all of the time in between is just gone.
Veronica's car: There's a knock on the window. Veronica assumes that it's Wallace, says that he forgot the secret knock, and opens her door. Several figures with hooded robes are there, and they grab her.
darkness: Veronica breaks free of the rope that bound her hands and looks around. She's in a dark, enclosed space. She takes her cell phone from her pocket and calls Wallace.
school parking lot: It's nighttime and Veronica's keys are in her car's trunk lock. Wallace gets to the parking lot and opens her car trunk, letting her out. He asks what happened. She says there's no time to explain because they have to find where the Tritons are meeting. She starts her car and is about to leave when she hears the radio.
Rebecca's office: There is a close up of the bugged stapler in Rebecca's office.
school hall: Veronica very quietly makes her way to where the Tritons are. They are conducting their initiation. Once it's finished, they remove their hoods. Duncan is there, and the guy with the MIT sweatshirt is the Great Triton. Veronica snaps pictures of them and takes off running down the hall with the Tritons chasing her. Veronica keeps running until she's outside. Her car is waiting nearby, with the top down. She runs over the trunk of her car and lands in the passenger seat. Wallace speeds away, and the Tritons are left standing there.
Veronica's bedroom: Wallace is proud of their getaway. Veronica tells him that now she just has to match the photos with the video footage of whoever opens locker 110. Later, Veronica is confused. She asks Wallace if 110 is a top locker. He says it is. She says no one goes near it all day. She then has an epiphany and figures it out.
Mars Investigations office: Aaron stops by on the way to his meeting at school. Keith tells him that he isn't going to like who has been sending the pictures to the tabloids.
sheriff's department: Veronica comes in with a box of donuts and tells Lamb she's going to stay in his office and wait for the bad guy to turn himself in. Lamb thinks this is nonsense. She says she can't tamper with a government-issued document if she's in his office all day. She makes a deal with him. If the real criminal doesn't show up by 5 P.M., she'll plead guilty. Lamb asks what he has to do. Veronica tells him to pick any name out of the yearbook, write it on a Post-It, put it in an envelope with money, and have someone drop it off in locker 110. By the end of the day, that student will have a fake ID and Lamb will have the culprit. Veronica sits and waits. Lamb acquiesces. When he leaves, she calls Rick and tells him they're hauling in the real culprit this afternoon and that she knows who the Tritons are. She tells him he doesn't want to miss it.
outside the school office: Lynn and Logan Echolls are sitting on the bench together. Aaron arrives and sits on the other side of Logan. He asks Lynn what her plan was: to embarrass him? Destroy his career? She says she just wanted to hurt him like he hurt her. Aaron says that if she wants a divorce, he'll make sure she's left with nothing. Logan interrupts him, yelling at him to shut up or he'll kill him. Lynn says she can't take this anymore and leaves. Aaron leaves as well. Logan looks deflated. Lynn goes to her car, pops a pill, and drives off.
sheriff's department: Lamb is nasty to Veronica, who completely ignores him. Rick comes in, asking if the criminal arrived yet. Veronica says he just arrived. Deputy Sacks tells Lamb that the fake ID was in the locker. Rick denies any wrongdoing. She asks him to explain the $250 in his wallet. He hands it to Lamb, saying it's his money. Veronica tells Lamb to read the writing on the top bill. Lamb does so and reads, "Veronica Mars is...smarter than me." Lamb asks if it was Rick's locker that Sacks put the money into.
flashback: Veronica explains in a VO that Rick's locker was below locker 110. There's a hidden door at the top of his locker, covering a hole just big enough for Rick to get the envelope from the locker above his.
sheriff's department: Veronica says that Rick and Tim were using the money from their fake ID business to drink on their own. He wasn't part of the Tritons and was mad at them because his dad and brothers were a part of it, but he didn't make the cut.
flashback: Veronica's VO says that when Rick was called to the office, he put several blank IDs into her locker on his way there. She asks why he framed her.
sheriff's department: Rick explains that last year Keith was hired to track down an embezzler. It was Rick's dad. However, the newspapers failed to mention that the company from which he embezzled had cheated him out of his bonus for three years. Their house and cars were confiscated, and his parents divorced. He says she must be proud. Veronica drops her head.
school parking lot: Veronica gives Duncan the pictures of the Tritons and tells him his secret is safe with her. Duncan says he heard Tim came out of his coma. She apologizes for going after the Tritons. She says he shouldn't have doubted him. He smiles and asks who the Tritons are. Veronica's VO says that Duncan can joke about this, but she wonders what his mystery illness is and what other medication he's taking.
Coronado bridge: A helicopter circles the bridge. A red Dodge Viper is on the bridge, abandoned, with its door open. A person radios in, requesting assistance for a possible jumper. The license plate is ECHOLLS 2.
Closing Credits