2.02 "Driver Ed"
Aired Oct 05, 2005
Details
the Hut: Veronica is thinking about the bus accident in her VO. One person did survive. Duncan walks in and Veronica asks him how Meg is. Duncan replies that she's still unconscious. Veronica tells her co-worker that she's going to take her break. She and Duncan go behind the counter. Duncan tells her to stop torturing herself over this and Veronica tells Duncan that she's just feeling appropriate guilt. Duncan says she shouldn't feel guilty because she didn't do anything wrong. A girl who is very done-up comes up to the counter. Veronica replies that if it weren't for her, Meg would not have been on the bus. The girl is getting impatient. She clears her throat and they turn around. She wants to know if she could get a macchiato when they're done breaking up. Veronica starts to say that she's just the hostess, but the girl interrupts her and says she doesn't care and to make her the drink. Veronica walks over to her and spreads her hands as if she's saying, "Poof!" and replies, "You're a macchiato." The girl turns to Duncan and tells him he can do better. Veronica gives her a nasty look.
sheriff's department: Several reporters are asking Lamb questions about the bus incident. Lamb says that the bus driver, Ed Doyle, is under investigation. They found some information that concerns them, such as Ed's history of mental illness and marital problems. He was prescribed an anti-depressant medicine that was never filled and he had previously attempted suicide. There were no drag marks or skid marks at the scene. The first reporter asks if they're investigating the possibility that Doyle drove off the cliff to commit suicide. Lamb replies that they're investigating all possibilities and leaves.
school: Veronica drives into the parking lot. There are several news vans there. Her VO says that reporters are everywhere, interviewing students about their memories of the deceased students.
girl's bathroom: Veronica comes in to wash her hands. A girl is standing there and says hello to her, asking Veronica if she knows who she is. Veronica says she does, but admits when asked that she didn't know who she was last week. The girl, Jessie, replies that she can't fly under the radar anymore since her dad drove the bus off the cliff. Veronica asks if she wants something and Jessie replies that she wants proof that her dad didn't kill himself. She has a mother and little brother and insurance companies don't pay if the person committed suicide. Veronica says she doesn't know how she would even begin to prove that and declines to help. She starts to leave and some 09er girls come in. One is nasty to Jessie and then turns around and cheerfully asks Veronica if she and Duncan are coming to Logan's party. She's interrupted when Jessie turns her around and punches her in the face. Veronica tells Jessie that she'll help, but she has to calm down.
Opening Credits
cliff: The scene of the bus accident has become a memorial. Veronica helps a man light a candle. Veronica's VO says she doesn't know what she's looking for, but there's nothing there to help anyone anyway. Jessie is there, and is upset that her dad isn't being memorialized. She and Veronica leave.
Little League field: Some boys in nice uniforms are playing baseball while Woody Goodman talks to Keith. His platform is "Neptune: Cleaner, safer." He gives advice to the boy at bat. On the side of the field, boys in regular street clothes are waiting to use it. They say that the other boys are supposed to be off the field by now. The uniformed boys don't move. Woody tells Keith that a key part of his plan is having an effective sheriff in office. He wants Keith to run and he'll use all of his resources to support Keith's candidacy. Keith asks him where he stood when he was run out of office. Woody replies that he signed the petition to get rid of Keith, but is admitting that he was wrong. The non-09er boys walk onto the field and start fighting with the 09er boys. Woody breaks up the fight and apologizes to the non-09er boys for letting their practice run over. He reminds them to have good sportsmanship and then clears his team off the field. Woody yells to Keith to think about his offer.
Mars home: Veronica and Keith are eating dinner with the TV on in the background. Veronica says Woody Goodman seems to be a shoe-in and Keith agrees, saying that he's running unopposed. Veronica says that this means Keith is guaranteed a victory. Keith says elections are complicated, but Veronica doesn't think so. Keith says they dredge up ugliness and he doesn't want to put her through that. Veronica counters that he can protect her by running for sheriff. They hear a woman's voice on the TV talking about the bus driver. Duane, a worker at the gas station convenience store is on the screen, saying that Ed behaved oddly when he came in here. He bought some things, started to leave, then came back, bought a St. Christopher medal, and threw it away. Keith says he doesn't know where he'd be if Veronica had gotten back on the bus. She jokes about it but then wonders what else Ed bought at the convenience store. If he bought NoDoz or Red Bull, that would mean he was tired and if he fell asleep, that would explain why there were no tire marks. Keith tells her she can't try to make sense out of this. She replies that she knows the driver's daughter and that the daughter would like to understand things.
school hall: Two 09er girls are talking while one is opening her locker. She is glad that everyone they knew got off the bus, except Meg. She wonders if Meg's face will be normal. The girls laugh and Veronica slams the 09er's locker closed and walks away. Duncan meets up with her and asks her what's wrong. She doesn't reply, but her face shows she's upset. He jokes and she angrily asks if she should be feeling happy, like he is. He gives her a look and walks away.
Cook home: Terrence Cook comes into his daughter's room and tells her to get up. This is the snotty girl from the Java Hut. He tells his daughter, Jackie, that she needs to get up and not miss another day of school. She is very sarcastic towards him, giving the impression that he's been an absent father. He tells her that she will go to school or go back to New York and explain to her mother why she's there. Jackie gives in. Terrence says he'll be gone for two days and gives her the keys to the Bronco, not the Porsche as she had hoped.
school: Jackie arrives in the Porsche.
classroom: Wallace is listening to two 09ers talk about Cervando, a PCH biker who apparently was a great person and on the honor roll. Wallace looks exasperated. Jackie walks in and Wallace drools. Jackie smiles at him. She hands papers to the teacher who tells her to take them to the attendance office. She says she doesn't know where that is and Wallace offers to take her.
hall: Wallace and Jackie talk on the way to the attendance office. She says she hasn't dated a guy in high school since eighth grade. He says he's a nice guy, but she doesn't like nice guys. He wants to know why hot girls always have a daddy complex. She gets annoyed at him and he apologizes. She's still not going for him.
Casablancas home: Logan and Kendall are having sex. She tells him not to remind her that he's in high school. She also mentions that he's her first younger guy. He's honored.
school parking lot: Duncan comes over to Veronica, who apologizes for being so upset earlier. They hug and he says he's upset as well. Veronica says she's having several emotions: grief, guilt, and joy.
Casablancas home: Logan and Kendall are still having sex but she stops him when she hears something. The door unlocks and she says someone is home. They rush to avoid being caught. In the other room, Big Dick, Dick, and Beaver come in. They walk into the room and Kendall is there, in her robe, painting her toenails. Beaver asks why Logan's truck is in the driveway. She says he's upstairs waiting for them and that their friends should not just drop in whenever they feel like it. Beaver rolls his eyes and the brothers leave.
Dick's room: Logan is playing a video game. The brothers walk in and Logan asks why their stepmom is such a bitch. Big Dick comes in and tells him not to worry, that he's always welcome in their home. Big Dick invites Logan to come to the shooting range with him and Dick, Jr. for target practice. Beaver is a little upset that he's not invited.
school parking lot: Jackie is standing by her car. Wallace comes over to talk to her. She tells him that someone hit her dad's car and left a note that said they weren't giving her their insurance information. Wallace says he can help and that he knows someone. He calls Veronica.
convenience store: Veronica sees that bus-crash souvenirs are for sale. Wallace calls her and she's very upset.
school parking lot: Wallace changes his mind and doesn't ask her for help. He says he'll take care of it himself. He hangs up and tells Jackie he's on the case.
convenience store: Veronica gets the attention of the store clerk, Duane, by saying she saw him on the news. He starts babbling on about that and being fat. She responds by saying how freaky it was that he talked to the bus driver and says she's into the macabre. He tells her that they've been getting a lot of sex-and-death types in there lately. Veronica then asks if she could have the last meal the bus driver had. He gives it to her and says that a lot of people have asked for it. Veronica makes a face that shows she's less than thrilled to hear this. The "meal" is a slushie and peanuts. Her VO says that this tells her nothing. She pays for it and notices a sign that reads, "We do not make change. Don't even ask!" Below that are several St. Christopher medals. Veronica picks up a medal and says she can't leave without one of those. She looks at the sign again. Duane rings it up and hands her the medal and change. Veronica looks at the change in her hand, then a payphone, and her VO realizes that buying the medal and throwing it away didn't mean anything. Ed needed change for the pay phone, so he bought something cheap. This means he made a phone call, but who did he call, and why doesn't anyone know about it?
sheriff's department: Veronica asks Deputy Sacks for an application. She holds up a newspaper that says they're looking for a part-time receptionist. He hands her an application and she asks if she can go someplace quiet to fill it out.
interrogation room: Sacks opens the door and lets her sit in the interrogation room. He leaves. As soon as he does, she pulls out a notebook and picks up the phone. Her VO says there aren't too many people who have quick access to payphone records, but the police do. She calls, pretending to be a deputy and asks for a number and address for a call placed last Wednesday between 4:15 and 4:30.
school parking lot: Wallace comes up to a group of guys who are playing hacky sack. He says they're always there and that his friend's car was hit. He was wondering if they noticed anything. One boy asks if it was the Porsche and Wallace replies that it was. The boy says that he did see it but doesn't know who it was, just a blonde girl that he had never seen before driving a green car.
sheriff's department: Sheriff Lamb comes in and Sacks tells him that Veronica Mars is in the interrogation room, filling out an application. Lamb is alarmed as he realizes Sacks left her in there alone.
interrogation room: Veronica thanks the person and hangs up the phone just as Lamb walks in. She puts her notebook into her bag and says she wants the job to be close to Lamb. He pulls her chair out and walks her out.
school: lunch outside: Wallace tells Jackie that he used his connections in the attendance office to get a list of the parking permits. He has the make, and color of every car at Neptune High. He eliminated the guys and then he used the yearbook to cross-reference the names to eliminate all non-blondes. That narrowed it down to four girls. Jackie is still upset, saying that her dad is coming home tomorrow. Wallace says the car will be fixed by then. She agrees, but when the credit card bill comes, she won't have the money and will have to tell him. Wallace promises she'll have the money because there is only one girl left on the list. Later, Wallace is looking carefully at a green car. A girl on crutches asks him what he's doing. Wallace asks the girl, Jane, what she did to herself. She says she had knee surgery about a month ago. Her guy friend is acting as her chauffeur right now, but she's very careful to point out that he's just a friend. Wallace laughs nervously.
Doyle home: Jessie gives Veronica something to drink. Jessie asks if it's good news that her dad called someone. Veronica says it might be and asks if she knows anyone named Cotter who lives in her apartment complex. Jessie doesn't recognize the name. Veronica says she went to their place once, but no one was home, so she'll try again later. The doorbell rings and Jessie answers it. Lamb is there with other deputies. They have a search warrant. Suicide is a crime and suicide that kills six others is murder. Lamb asks Veronica what she's doing there and she replies that Jessie is a friend.
shooting range: Big Dick, Dick, and Logan are all practicing shooting. Big Dick is a good shot. Dick isn't. Logan makes some shots, but none serious. Big Dick talks to Logan, telling him if he wants to shoot someone, take them down by going for the head and heart. He tells Logan that when he's at work, his family doesn't exist, but when he's with his family, work doesn't exist. Logan says his father has a similar philosophy, but is a murderer. Big Dick laughs and walks away. Dick tells Logan that they should have some girls over tomorrow night because his dad has a banquet at the Neptune Grand and is forcing Kendall to go with him. Logan asks if Dick has forgotten that he lives alone, but Dick says girls don't want to go to "Casa de Killer." They laugh and Dick walks away. Logan turns around and shoots the target right in the heart and then walks away.
Sac-N-Pac: Wallace shows Veronica an article about Cervando that says how great he was.
Cotter home: Jeff Cotter answers the door and Veronica asks him if he knows Ed Doyle. Jeff replies that he knows who he is, but doesn't know him. Veronica informs him that Ed placed a call to his home about 15 minutes before he drove off the cliff. Jeff said he wasn't home and gets his wife, Carla. She also doesn't know what Veronica is talking about but says there was a wrong number that could have been last Wednesday. Veronica gets a phone call, thanks them, then leaves. She answers her phone and it's Jessie. She tells Veronica to stop whatever she's doing because Lamb found a suicide note on her dad's computer.
Doyle home: Veronica comes over to see how Jessie is. Jessie's mom is angry, saying they shouldn't cry because their father didn't care about them. She goes into another room. Jessie comforts her little brother, who is crying, saying he knows not to listen to his mom when she's like this. Jessie tells him that their dad was sick and in a lot of pain. Her brother doesn't understand, but asks if he can go play outside. He leaves and Jessie shows Veronica the note that Lamb faxed over. The note says that Ed is sorry to leave his wife like this, but he can't stay, even for the kids, because this isn't good for them. Jessie says her mom was right for a change: they're better off without him. Jessie's mom calls her and she leaves the room. Veronica looks at the note again and thinks.
Sac-N-Pac: A man talks to Wallace, asking him if he goes to Neptune High. Wallace replies that he does. The man asks if he knew any of the kids on the bus and Wallace says he didn't and asks if the man is looking for a story. The man pulls out a notebook to take notes. Wallace looks at the notebook and rips off a sheet of paper. The man asks what Wallace's story is and Wallace says he doesn't have one.
Cotter home: Carla answers the door. Veronica asks why, if it was a wrong number, the call was four minutes long. Carla looks upset and doesn't know what to say. Veronica says she read his suicide note and has a theory that Ed wasn't planning on killing himself. He was planning on leaving his wife and she's guessing for Carla. Carla starts to cry and invites her in.
the Hut: Veronica introduces Carla to Jessie. Carla tells Jessie that she loved her dad. He called to tell Carla that he would see her later. bring himself to leave Jessie and her brother with her mother. Jessie is upset, but sits down. Carla says she wishes she had been less understanding, because she never got to be with the man she loved. Veronica's VO says she just had an epiphany: she's not going to let the list of things she wants to do before she dies turn into a list of regrets.
Neptune Grand hotel room: Duncan answers the door and is surprised and happy to see Veronica. She hugs him, crying. They kiss and he picks her up and brings her over to the bed. Later, Duncan and Veronica are lying in bed together, hugging, after sex. They hear some banging and moaning from another room. Duncan says that maybe they did it wrong. They laugh. He turns up the TV, loud. Later, Veronica is dressed and walks out of the room while Duncan is sleeping.
hall: She shuts the door and sees Logan come out of a room down the hall. She looks surprised and guilty. He, knowing what has happened, asks what is different about her. Did she cut her hair? He tells her that if cuddling is the best part, then Duncan did it wrong, and leaves. Veronica calls the Neptune Grand and asks for room 1147, the room Logan came out of. She doesn't look happy. A woman's voice answers the phone, but Veronica hangs up when Duncan comes out of the room. He asks why she didn't wake him and she said she has to get leave before her dad comes looking for her. They kiss and Veronica leaves.
Casablancas home: Beaver is asleep on the couch in front of the TV, holding a bowl of popcorn. Big Dick and Kendall come in and Big Dick scares Beaver, causing him to drop the bowl of popcorn all over the floor. Big Dick and Kendall laugh, but Kendall tells Beaver to clean that up. They leave. Beaver gets down on the floor and starts to pick up the popcorn when he notices something under the couch. He pulls out a condom wrapper and takes a long look at it.
sheriff's department: Keith meets with Woody, telling him that he won't be running for sheriff. Woody tells him to let him know if he changes his mind. Woody leaves and Keith sees Jessie, trying to talk to Lamb. She tells Lamb that it wasn't a suicide note, her father was planning on leaving her mom for another woman. Lamb says the case is closed and walks away. Keith watches this whole thing.
school parking lot: Wallace and Jackie are waiting at his car. They see a blonde girl get into her car, then get out. The girl takes a note from her windshield and looks at them. Jackie gets up, planning on taking care of things from there, but Wallace tells her to wait. The girl comes up to them and asks for her spark plugs. Wallace asks for her insurance information. The girl gives it to him and he tells her they're in a paper bag in the back seat. She gets the bag and Wallace, after copying the info down, gives it back to her. She leaves. Jackie plans on finishing things in the girl's locker room, but Wallace tells her she doesn't go to Neptune. She's an undercover reporter. Wallace told Clemmons about it. As the girl is trying to figure out what to do with the spark plugs, two security guards arrive and lead her away. Wallace says he likes his gratitude in small doses. Jackie gives him a kiss on the cheek and leaves. Veronica comes over and asks Wallace who that is. Wallace replies that she is Jackie. Veronica looks at him, and at Jackie.
Mars home: Keith is making dinner. Veronica wants to know how Woody took the news and Keith says he was fine with it. He's running. Veronica is happy and gives him a hug. Keith looks at her and tells her she looks different. Veronica's VO says that he can't know that she's had sex. She looks uncomfortable.
beach: Lamb and other deputies are inspecting a man's body that has washed up onto the shore. This is the same man that Veronica helped light the candle at the cliff memorial. Lamb looks at the man's hand which says, "Veronica Mars" on it.
Closing Credits