A police station in Baltimore. A detective grabs a fax off the machine, reads it, and tells the person he's talking to that he'll call them back. Cut to a SWAT team at the Motel of the Week. Cut back to Detective Cheap Suit [DCS] talking to a suspect in an interrogation room. He thought the suspect had just upped his game on the petty stuff, then they got a fax from St. Louis about Mystery Suspect killing someone. "So now we know Karen Giles wasn't the first person you murdered," he says. He pronouces Giles as Guylz, and I want to punch him in the face.
Across town, LINDA FREAKING BLAIR (better known as Regan from The Exorcist) and the SWAT team break down a motel room door. "Going somewhere, Sam?" she says.
Veronica stares broodily at her shitty school holiday-themed dessert. Duncan sits down excitedly, but Veronica's got no time for happy and cuts right to the "Your comatose girlfriend is pregnant" chase. Duncan confesses that he found this out from reading Meg's letter, and Veronica's upset that Duncan didn't tell her. Dick arrives to break the tension by inviting them to a big holiday party, which Duncan can't attend. Dick also nonchalantly exposits that Meg woke up. (L: God bless Ryan Hansen for trying to make this exposition work.) Once Dick leaves, Veronica gets into PI mode, pulling out her VISITOR pass from the last episode, assuring Duncan that she can get them in to see the no-longer-comatose Meg.
Democracy Diva: And her superhero vampire slayer fetus that can survive explosions and bus crashes and comas.
Democracy Diva: And her superhero vampire slayer fetus that can survive explosions and bus crashes and comas.
A hazy spirit!Meg asks, "do you love me? Did you ever love me?" Spirit!Meg says that before the crash, her life didn't flash before her eyes. She thought back to her last perfect moment with (presumably) Duncan. We hear Veronica say, "please." Veronica says Duncan can save her if he wants to. Veronica walks up behind Meg's chair wearing some Bad Girl Styling that includes leather pants and fishnet, for real.
Bad!Veronica says she's heard enough. Spirit!Meg asks what Veronica has that she doesn't. Bad!Veronica ties a sleeping mask around her mouth and says that for starters, she's conscious. Bad!V walks toward the camera and asks Duncan if that's really what he wants. "Teddy bears and MASH notes? Grow up. Grow up and get over it." Bad!Veronica slaps Duncan in the dream and this startles him awake.
Bad!Veronica says she's heard enough. Spirit!Meg asks what Veronica has that she doesn't. Bad!Veronica ties a sleeping mask around her mouth and says that for starters, she's conscious. Bad!V walks toward the camera and asks Duncan if that's really what he wants. "Teddy bears and MASH notes? Grow up. Grow up and get over it." Bad!Veronica slaps Duncan in the dream and this startles him awake.
We begin with Andie performing a flawless rendition of the Footloose dance for Joey, Dawson, and Pacey. It's the greatest thing to happen on this show since Pacey's Braveheart speech. I will take a moment to repeat what I say in every single episode, which is WHY ARE THERE EVEN OTHER CHARACTERS ON THIS SHOW BESIDES ANDIE AND PACEY. Oh, and Jack
Kirsti: Truth. At least at this point of the show. Some of the other characters would be permitted to return at certain points, but Dawson would be gone forever if I were running this show.
Diva: Any-tangent, Andie is trying to convince the three least school-spirited kids on earth to go to the homecoming dance.
Kirsti: Truth. At least at this point of the show. Some of the other characters would be permitted to return at certain points, but Dawson would be gone forever if I were running this show.
Diva: Any-tangent, Andie is trying to convince the three least school-spirited kids on earth to go to the homecoming dance.
Hello! I’m Tom, your resident Canadian (one of anyway) and I will be recapping the OC for you! I was so honoured to be asked, and so excited to be a part of this. I started watching the OC in university, with my roommates. We all kind of laughed at it, thinking it was a silly show, and slowly it ended up being a nice bonding moment and appointment viewing for a couple years. That and reruns of Sex and the City. I MEAN MONSTER TRUCK RALLIES AND SPORTS NOT SEX AND THE CITY. Whatevs, men can watch Sex and the City. Deal with it, Society.
After lots of previously ons, we open on the Cohen kitchen, when it’s breakfast. I’ve never understood these people that seem to get all this done in the morning.
After lots of previously ons, we open on the Cohen kitchen, when it’s breakfast. I’ve never understood these people that seem to get all this done in the morning.
Red Lodge, Montana. A terrified girl runs through the woods at night, a man chasing her. She hides behind a tree, and the man runs past her. Or so she thinks. She peeks out from behind the tree, and he chops off her head.
FLAME ON!
After the Not!Credits, we're treated to the delightful strains of AC/DC's Back In Black as the newly remodelled Bromobile rolls down the road. There's like 30 seconds straight of car close-ups just so we can marvel at how shiny it is.
FLAME ON!
After the Not!Credits, we're treated to the delightful strains of AC/DC's Back In Black as the newly remodelled Bromobile rolls down the road. There's like 30 seconds straight of car close-ups just so we can marvel at how shiny it is.
Mona is using a compact to both check her lipstick and spy on Hanna, Aria and Emily. She slams it shut and the music seems to think that's a BFD. We head over to the Liars who are freaking out because Spencer is a no-show for school, even after an SOS text from Emily. Hanna tries to calm everyone down. Emily says that if Spencer doesn't respond, they'll go to her house after school.
The bell rings and the girls take off. They are stopped by someone I'm guessing is the principal. (S: LOL, look at him, pretending to have any authority at this fake school.)
The bell rings and the girls take off. They are stopped by someone I'm guessing is the principal. (S: LOL, look at him, pretending to have any authority at this fake school.)
Veronica Voice-Over starts things off, explaining how a week ago, Veronica thought things would turn out differently. She imagined Keith winning the sheriff election in a landslide, and she and Wallace would sneak champagne and prank-call Deputy Lamb. Instead, the election is unbelievably close, and Wallace is off with his dad somewhere. Meanwhile, Veronica is tense at Mars for Sheriff Election Results Party Extravaganza, while Cliff the lawyer gets drunk.
Sweeney: I usually adore Cliff's sass, but his, "GIMME A DRINK, GIRL," sass wasn't some of his finer work. Fortunately this is just his teaser material and he has the rest of the episode to redeem himself.
Sweeney: I usually adore Cliff's sass, but his, "GIMME A DRINK, GIRL," sass wasn't some of his finer work. Fortunately this is just his teaser material and he has the rest of the episode to redeem himself.
Who wants to feel old and realize that if you only watched The OC when it aired, it's been more than 10 years since you've seen this episode? No one, ok, then let's ignore that I mentioned that at all. It helps that Adam Brody looks pretty much exactly the same as he did as Seth Cohen. If time stopped for him, it must've for all of us, right? Totally.
At school, Seth grills Ryan on what's happening with Marissa, because it totally makes sense that he does that with people around and not before they left the house or while they drove to school or anything like that! Ryan says he Marissa are going to go back to being friends. Smarty-pants-Cohen comes through again with the pointing out of their lack of friendship.
At school, Seth grills Ryan on what's happening with Marissa, because it totally makes sense that he does that with people around and not before they left the house or while they drove to school or anything like that! Ryan says he Marissa are going to go back to being friends. Smarty-pants-Cohen comes through again with the pointing out of their lack of friendship.
First of all, NOBODY LOVES A CLOWN. NOBODY.
Right. Now that's out of the way, let's get to the episode. Medford, Wisconsin. A young girl looks excitedly around a carnival while her parents look bored. She gets excited about clowns, and her dad's all "NOPE." She waves at one particular clown, which waves back, but neither of her parents can see it. Cut to them driving home. She sees the same clown out the car window. Cut to her getting out of bed that night and seeing the clown standing on her back lawn. She goes downstairs and lets it in because SHE'S A FUCKING IDIOT.
Right. Now that's out of the way, let's get to the episode. Medford, Wisconsin. A young girl looks excitedly around a carnival while her parents look bored. She gets excited about clowns, and her dad's all "NOPE." She waves at one particular clown, which waves back, but neither of her parents can see it. Cut to them driving home. She sees the same clown out the car window. Cut to her getting out of bed that night and seeing the clown standing on her back lawn. She goes downstairs and lets it in because SHE'S A FUCKING IDIOT.
Veronica, looking a lot more shaken than normal, is at Mars Investigations (doubling as Mars for Sheriff HQ!) calling the hospital to find out Meg's visiting hours. As she hangs up, an Elle Woods wannabe (D: It's funny because it's literally Laura Bell Bundy from the Legally Blonde musical) (S: AMAZING.) struts into the office in desperate need of a detective to investigate her boyfriend and possible fiance because she found a ring while doing her own snooping. Keith isn't there, but Veronica goes ahead and sells her on hardcore investigative packages. (L: Future Business Leader of America shots!) Keith arrives as she's leaving and is pleasant, but reminds Veronica that she's no longer his employee.
Lorraine: Veronica is looking very intensely at a display of dessert. Veronica Voice Over asks us, "if a school bus traveling 40 miles per hour drives off a cliff and plunges 90 feet into the jagged coastline, how many seconds do the six high-school students, their teacher and bus driver have to contemplate the fact that they're about to die?" No wonder V's serving some pie and she can't even look happy about pie. Those are some morbid thoughts.
Sweeney: This is the brain space of Veronica Mars we're talking about here.
Sweeney: This is the brain space of Veronica Mars we're talking about here.
We pick up exactly where we left off last season, with Dawson and Joey eating each other's faces in the Shrine o' Spielberg. Shit gets monumentally awkward when the kiss ends and Dawson wonders aloud what this means for them now. Joey says they should sleep on it, and Dawson stares at his bed in terror. But no, Joey means they should sleep in their respective beds. Dawson says with a smile that it'll be a like a dream when he wakes up. Joey interprets this as him wishing it had never happened, and glares at him before heading for the window. He stops her and says that's the exact opposite of what he wants. They face-nom some more.
Democracy Diva: So much miscommunication! So much face nomming! I'm already exhausted.
Democracy Diva: So much miscommunication! So much face nomming! I'm already exhausted.
We start at that restaurant where Carrie Bishop worked. Veronica is now the hostess, and she opens her monologue just shy of a title star: "Normal - that's the watchword." I'm feeling the generous glow of a new season and am willing to go ahead and give her that gold star anyway:
Lorraine: Does this extend into real life? Should people start asking favors of you while you bask in the new season glow? I'm asking for a friend.
Democracy Diva: Unrelated, but I am wary of a season that begins with our badass blonde heroine working in the food service industry. It did not go well for Buffy.
Lorraine: Does this extend into real life? Should people start asking favors of you while you bask in the new season glow? I'm asking for a friend.
Democracy Diva: Unrelated, but I am wary of a season that begins with our badass blonde heroine working in the food service industry. It did not go well for Buffy.
The episode begins with the opening chords to Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply," so I am already entirely incapable of taking any of this seriously.
Kirsti: Riiiiiiiiiiiiight there with you. Also, I have had that fucking song stuck in my head for DAYS thanks to this episode. Even reading my "Bahahaha, Dawson's moping to Savage Garden!" notes was enough to get it stuck in my head again.
Kirsti: Riiiiiiiiiiiiight there with you. Also, I have had that fucking song stuck in my head for DAYS thanks to this episode. Even reading my "Bahahaha, Dawson's moping to Savage Garden!" notes was enough to get it stuck in my head again.