Normal Is the Watchword

"Normal Is the Watchword"
Veronica Mars episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 1
Directed by	John Kretchmer
Written by	Rob Thomas
Production code	2T7201
Original air date	September 28, 2005 (2005-09-28)
Guest stars
Jeffrey Sams as Terrence Cook Alona Tal as Meg Manning Max Greenfield as Leo D'Amato Charles Duckworth as Kelvin Moore Krysten Ritter as Gia Goodman Charisma Carpenter as Kendall Casablancas Steve Guttenberg as Woody Goodman
Episode chronology
← Previous "Leave It to Beaver" Next → "Driver Ed"
List of Veronica Mars episodes

"Normal Is the Watchword" is episode 1 of season 2 of the television show Veronica Mars. It had an estimated audience size of 3.30 million US viewers on its first airing.^{[citation needed]}

Plot

When Wallace gets kicked off the basketball team for failing his drug test, Veronica starts up with her old hobby: investigating. She successfully solves the case her first time back on the job, uncovering a plot by several wealthy parents to get their children starting positions by rigging false positive drug tests for the competition. While doing so, Veronica looks back on how her relationship with Logan fell apart over the summer when Logan was accused of murder, mainly because of his continued self-destructive behavior. She also tries to deal with the new hatred between her and former friend Meg, who was dumped by Duncan so that he could reconcile with Veronica after Logan and Veronica broke up.

In the end, Veronica goes on a school field trip with a large number of classmates and during a rest stop, is distracted by the ghost of Lilly. As a result, Veronica is left behind while she and Weevil verbally spar over Veronica's decision to attempt to return to her old life as a member of the 09er clique at school. However, Veronica soon finds out being left behind was a good thing when she and Weevil (who decides to give Veronica a ride home) discover that the bus containing Meg and a half-dozen of Veronica's classmates has crashed off the cliff and into the ocean.

Arc significance

• On the bridge after "Leave It to Beaver", Logan was beaten up by the PCH bikers. When he woke up, Felix was dead beside him and Logan was holding a bloody knife. He threw the knife in the water and went to Veronica.
• Deputy Leo came to Veronica's to arrest Logan. There was a long trial, during which Veronica supported Logan, and eventually the charges against Logan were dropped because of a lack of evidence.
• A civil war escalates in Neptune, with Logan and Dick burning the community pool.
• It's shown that last summer, Veronica broke up with Logan because he was recklessly destroying the town and seemed to be having fun.
• She begins going out with Duncan, who is now Logan's enemy.
• Logan begins sleeping with Kendall Casablancas, Dick and Beaver's new stepmom.
• During a field trip, Veronica gets left behind by the school bus. However, when she next sees the bus, it has gone off a cliff and Gia, the new girl, hysterically yells, "They're all dead!"

Writing and acting

• Ryan Hansen and Kyle Gallner are promoted to series regulars.
• Near the beginning of the episode, Veronica says, "Logan and Duncan don't speak anymore. I guess that's what happens when your best friend starts dating your ex." The audience is led to believe that she's going out with Logan and Duncan is spiteful because of it,^{[original research?]} but it's later revealed to be the other way around- that Veronica broke up with Logan last summer, and started dating Duncan.

Production details

• This episode was originally titled "Urine Trouble".^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• "Normal Is the Watchword" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Normal Is the Watchword" at TV.com
• "Normal Is the Watchword" at Television Without Pity