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Veronica Mars Season 2 Episode 2

Driver Ed

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9.2

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/5/05

Veronica finds her life once again swirling out of control as she struggles to deal with the aftermath of the bus crash by helping the daughter of the bus driver rule out suicide. Meanwhile, new student Jackie gets the attention of Wallace, who does a little detective work of his own.moreless

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TV.com Episode Review

The Veronica Mars Season 2 Dossier: Episodes 1-4

Season 2 started strong by wrapping up some unfinished business and then stirring up a whole mess of new business.

By Price Peterson, Jun 22, 2012

Fan Episode Reviews (22)

the bus case continues....

9.0

By jordinajamaica, Sep 16, 2009

Everybody in the bus except form Meg died. They start blaming the bus driver and his daughter asks Veronica to help them prove that it wasn't suicide. During the investigation the deputies found a 'suicide' note in the drivers computer but is later revealed that he wasn't going to suicide but leave his wife for another woman. And although all that they still blame him form the death of the passengers. Logan keeps having sex with Dick and Beavers step mom and they got almost caught and later Casssidy finds a condom that makes him suspect. In the meantime, Wallace helps the new girl find who broke her car's light and gets a kiss as reward. Duncan and Veronica have sex and Keith decides to try to regain his Sheriff work.moreless
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9.8

By cavanagh15, Aug 28, 2008

This is another (for the moment) top five episode of the show for me and think it deserves a little bit of a higher rating then what it got at the time. Everything about the epsiode was pretty much perfect. I mean, sure you expected the bus driver to be the first step, but the storyline involved was just so...real. The actress that played the daughter of the bus drivers daughter played the part really well, made me feel like there had actually been something that had just gone horribly wrong in her life. You can break this episode down into its smaller parts. Veronica Mars investigation of the bus driver crash was just amazingly well done on her part. Finding out that he made a phone call was awesome, I didn't even see that coming but she put it all together. Wallace has a new interest, though I think shes a little "I'll get what I want kind of like Lila in Dexter" kind of way. We'll see where that goes. And then obviously Logan with the affair that he is having with the woman in her house. Interesting storytelling is the key to the beginning of this season that has me drawn in - is what Im trying to say I guess.moreless
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The most obvious first step: The Bus driver

9.0

By PabloExobar, Aug 26, 2008

The first season the amazing pilot was followed with a so-so episode. It was a stepback quality and plot wise - it didn't feel nearly as intriguing as the pilot and the plot didn't move anywhere. However, the writers learnt from their mistakes. "Driver Ed" doesn't try to distract you from the overall plot, and despite some smaller bumps the episode hit, it lives up to the premiere.

So...

It appears the writers didn't run of new storylines for the season. They introduce a new character called Jackie who may be a serious love interest for Wallace it seems. Her character worked well as a star of the sideplot of the episode. Her car's backlight gets crashed, and Wallace offers her his help. He solves the case alone using what he learnt from Veronica. Nothing outstanding, but Wallace having screentime is never a bad thing.

Then. I've to say Veronica's case was good, though, there are much better ones this season(this season is really strong with the episodic cases). It was closely connected to the season's main arc. Everyone believes the driver of the bus commited suicide, she proves everyone wrong. Unfortunately, some of the scenes where she's investigating were too long and killed the suspense. But it was cleverly done nonetheless. And Kevin Smith had a cameo! Then, everything with the Casablancas family. It's just so awkward to watch... knowing what Logan and Kendall is up to. What really stands out for me is the Duncan/Veronica duo in this episode. I thought it was really well done. Yes, Logan is better with Veronica, but Duncan works well too. I loved all of their scenes together. And, obviously the very ending. Creepy, surprising. The kind of cliffhanger season 2 is loaded with. And finally. Meg is alive. She's obviously seriously injured, but she lives. Why? Obviously for a reason which we'll have yet to see. Overall, an episode that puts us back to the usual concept and still doesn't lose the plot and the momentum - in fact, it manages to build it even further.moreless
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Jackie's (new kid)car gets stolen. Veronica feels quilty and investigates the bus crash

9.2

By IsisIsabella, Jul 23, 2007

Let me say first of all: I hate Logan. what's his deal?he used to be funny and now he's just resentful and vicious. How mature of you Logan; well we already know he's not the best adult. Man I hate him, he's only fun when he's with Veronica. This sucks. I expected him to screw Kendall one day or another. Especially this day. I was just waiting, anticipating and boom there it was. The cases... well they were interesting, especially Jessie's. I kinda like her :) She would be a good friend for Mac (and for Veronica duh!) Jackie's a total biatch as she probably knows. Man I already hate her. So I guess this episode brought up a lot of non-fuzzy feelings, but it was good. Very Good. Emotional, but nice. And if Logan continues to f*ck Kendall, let it be, I'll just despise him.moreless
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Veronica helps a classmate prove her father was not the reason the bus crashed.

9.6

By amfarley84, May 24, 2007

I thought that this was another great episode from the creators of Veronica Mars. I really liked how Veronica proved that her classmates father did not purposely crash the school bus into the ocean. I did not like seeing the student using the students death for thier own way of getting public attention. How wrong is that. I liked how Veronica's classmate found out that her father was trying to leave her mother to help give her and her brother a better life away from their mother instead of him leaving that note as a sucide note. I really do not like the new girl Jackie.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Enrico Colantoni	Keith Mars
Jason Dohring	Logan Echolls
Kristen Bell	Veronica Mars
Kyle Gallner	Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas
Percy Daggs III	Wallace Fennel
Ryan Hansen	Dick Casablancas

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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David Starzyk	Richard "Big Dick" Casablancas	Guest Star
Ari Graynor	Jessie Doyle	Guest Star
Kristin Dattilo	Carla Cotter	Guest Star
Jeffrey D. Sams	Terrence Cook	Recurring Role
Michael Muhney	Sheriff Don Lamb	Recurring Role
Charisma Carpenter	Kendall Casablancas	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (6)
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- In the newspaper article about Cervando his surname is given as Perez. In 2.18 I Am God, his surname is given as both Esparza (printed under his photograph on the booth) and Luna (by Veronica in a voiceover).
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- The time of the crash in this episode is about 4:20 PM. In later episodes, the time of the crash is given as about 7:03 PM.
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- The Neptune Register is fifty cents, it is dated September 24, 2005, and the web address is www.neptuneregister.com.
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- The condom wrapper that Beaver found under the couch said "Live Large."
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- When Veronica calls from inside the sheriff's office to check the phone records of the convenience store, she tells the person that answers that she is calling from the "Neptune County Sheriff's Office" not "Balboa County".
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- When Veronica shows Wallace the news article in the Sac n' Pac, the author is listed as Diane Ruggiero, one of the show's writers.
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QUOTES (14)
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- Veronica: (to Wallace) If I die unexpectedly, do me a favor. Go on Oprah and tell the world I loved kittens.
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- Logan: (to Veronica) Hmm. What's different about you? Did you cut your hair or something? FYI, if the cuddling is the best part, he didn't do it right.
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- Wallace: I like my gratitude in small doses. Spread out over time.
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- Lamb: What are you up to, Veronica?
  Veronica: The last question, actually. 'Why do you want this position?' Honestly, and really tell me the truth: how much of an ass-kiss would I be if I admit it's to be close to you? Seriously. Why do birds suddenly appear every time you're near?
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- Veronica: Either I am getting stealthier or your hearing is not what it used to be.
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- Veronica: (Voiceover) If a school bus, traveling forty miles per hour, drives off a cliff and plunges ninety feet into the jagged coastline, how many seconds did the six high school students, their teacher, and bus driver have to contemplate the fact that they're about to die? Two Mississippis' worth of screams, life flashes, and prayers, maybe? But if anyone used that time to make a deal with his maker, only one of them was heard.
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- Sacks: You'll never guess who's in the interrogation room right now filling out an application.
  Lamb: You're right, I'll never guess. Who?
  Sacks: Veronica Mars.
  Lamb: ...You let Veronica Mars in there alone?
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- Veronica: (voiceover) Okay, I know my father is a brilliant detective with a keen intuition and a finely tuned B.S. detector, but there's no way he can tell that I've had sex. Right?
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- Beaver: Hey why is Logan's truck in the driveway?
  Kendall: Uh, because there's water in the pool? He's upstairs waiting for you. You know and I'd really rather your friends not just show up whenever they want. I'm not running an orphanage here.
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- Veronica: I have about 15 minutes until my dad activates the homing device in my molar.
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- Duane Anders: If I was gonna do a kamikaze, you know, off a bridge with a bus full of kids and stuff, a convenience store would not be the site of my last meal. I'd want to eat something on the brink of extinction, you know, like the last emu or a meerkat. Bet that would go down smooth.
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- Jessie Doyle: Just out of curiosity, did you know who I was last week?
  Veronica: Nope.
  Jessie Doyle: Your dad drives one bus off a cliff and your days of flying under the radar are over.
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- Dick: Only psycho chicks want to go to Casa de Killer.
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- Jeff Cotter: When I'm with my family, work doesn't exist.
  Logan: Hmm. I think my father has a similar philosophy. Of course, he's a murderer.
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NOTES (6)
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- Francis Capra (Weevil) doesn't appear in this episode despite being in the opening credits.
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- Kristin Dattilo (Carla Cotter) was a guest star in an episode of Angel, "Bachelor Party", playing Harry, Doyle's ex-wife. This was the same show that shot Charisma Carpenter to fame, as a regular on the show for four years.
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- Music:
  
  "The Minor Waltz" by Asylum Street Spankers
  "Magic Bus" by The Who
  "On Your Porch" by The Format
  "Little Miss Get Around" by Lukewarm Freeda
  "Where Is My Mind?" by Pixies
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- The purple "I heart guitars" shirt that Veronica wears at the end of the episode was meant to be the sort of sloppy and comfortable shirt she would never be caught dead wearing outside her house. At the last minute, though, the script was changed so that Veronica ended up wearing the shirt to school, much to the surprise of the costume designer (who had been away from the set that day).
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- Originally the writers had planned for everybody on the bus to die. The network found that "too grisly" and asked that it be changed, which is why this episode begins with the reveal that Meg survived the bus crash.
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- The actor who played the store clerk was Kevin Smith. He is the director of the '90s cult c movie Clerks, which was about the strange happenings in a day in the life of two store clerks.
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ALLUSIONS (4)
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- Veronica: Okay. I'll help you, but you must chill.
  
  Veronica adopts the 'Lloyd Dobler' catchphrase "You must chill", from the 1989 Cameron Crowe movie Say Anything.... John Cusack, as 'Lloyd Dobler', uttered the phrase "You must chill! You must chill! I have hidden your keys!" in a memorable scene with Jeremy Piven.
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- Veronica: Jessie is a friend.
  
  Veronica is alluding to the classic Rick Springfield song "Jessie's Girl" by speaking the first line of the song to the sheriff.
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- Duane: But if we've been getting a lot of Munsters in here, I'd say that you're the Marilyn, hon, 'cause you're pretty.
  
  The Munsters was a TV sitcom about a spooky family, called the Munsters, whose members bore resemblance to supernatural creatures. Marilyn was the exception of the bunch. She was an 'ordinary' beautiful blonde.
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- Veronica: Why do birds suddenly appear every time you're near?
  
  These are lyrics from the '70s hit "Close to You," performed by The Carpenters and written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David. The next lines are "just like me they long to be, close to you."
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