https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2006-01-13/323638/

Clips From 'Mars'

By Belinda Acosta, January 13, 2006, Screens

Since you likely won't gain admission to the Alamo Drafthouse's Veronica Marsathon, for which Thomas personally compiled a clip show, I decided to do one myself. What follows is a totally subjective "best of" list of Mars-isms and scenes from the series' first campaign. And, yes, I did get Veronica Mars: Season One on DVD for Christmas.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Pilot

Veronica Mars, teen sleuth, on a stakeout hoping to catch an adulterer ...

Veronica (voiceover): "Do us a favor if it's you in there. Dispense with the cuddling. This hotel tryst is what it is. Make it quick. The person sitting in the car across the street might have a calculus exam in five – make it four – hours and she can't leave till she gets the money shot."

Burning image: Wallace Fennel (Percy Daggs III) taped naked to the Neptune High flagpole. As everyone looks on, only Veronica Mars steps forward to help.

Credit Where Credit's Due aka the Paris Hilton Episode

We meet sly public defender Cliff McCormick. Weevil Navarro's (Francis Capra) grandmother is charged with credit card fraud ...

"I sincerely doubt ... Mrs. Navarro suddenly decides to steal from the Echolls after 10 years of loyal service just so she can get a new piercing from Puddy Tats."

Burning image: Paris Hilton, head to toe in Pepto Bismol pink, riding a matching scooter

Meet John Smith

More great father-daughter banter between Veronica and her dad, Keith ...

Keith: How was your date?

Veronica: Oh, you know. Lousy conversation, but the sex was fantastic.

Keith: That's not funny.

Veronica: I don't know. I'm pretty sure it was.

The Girl Next Door

Eli "Weevil" Navarro and Logan Echolls find themselves doing detention together. They hate each other, but in such an entertaining way ...

Logan: If I donate to the United Latino Pain in the Ass Fund, will you shut the hell up?

Burning image: Logan finding the name of his murdered girlfriend, Lilly, on Weevil's arm

Like a Virgin

A season one gem. When good-girl Meg finds her results of a "Purity Test" broadcast online, she seeks Veronica's aid to clear her name ...

Veronica: Meg, you're the last good person at this school. I believe cartoon birds braided your hair this morning.

Lots of new and important characters and information are introduced in this episode – Wallace's mom (and future love interest for Keith); Dick Casablancas, whose smoking-hot step-mom (Charisma Carpenter) plays well with boys in season two; the introduction of creepy Abel Koontz, who confessed to Lilly Kane's murder, even though the evidence doesn't add up. And, most importantly, we meet Mac the girl geek.

Burning image: Mac driving off campus in her apple green VW Bug after the Purity Test case is cracked. Veronica ruefully realizes it was Mac who set up the whole scam.

Veronica: How can I resent someone who took sex-crazed 09ers for their allowance money?

Drinking the Kool-Aid

Veronica milks a cow, wearing an unfortunate, fake-fur collared down vest, checking out a possible cult. In the meantime, Dad Keith is jumping out of his skin, thrilled at a surprise he has for his daughter ...

Veronica: What's your deal? You're jacked up like some hillbilly kid who just stumbled into daddy's meth lab.

Later, Veronica has trouble drawing blood for a health class project (really, for a paternity test) ...

Keith Mars: This is so endearing. My bad-ass, action-figure daughter is afraid to draw a teensy little drop of blood.

Burning image: Veronica shreds the results of the paternity test, sight unseen.

Echolls Family Christmas

Nothing says Happy Holidays like a stabbing at a posh Christmas party. The victim is Aaron Echolls (Harry Hamlin), Logan's psycho movie-star dad.

Burning image: Aaron Echolls bleeding while guests watch fake snow fall on Victorian-costumed Christmas carolers out by the pool.

Fast Forward: Veronica's mom returns; Duncan disappears (found by Keith Mars), afraid he might have killed Lilly and freaked out that he and Veronica might be brother and sister; Veronica and Wallace confront the possibility of being siblings; Trina, Logan's spoiled and overbearing sister, returns home under false pretenses. But the kicker of the season comes in the last two episodes, "A Trip to the Dentist" and "Leave It to Beaver," when Veronica finally discovers how she lost her virginity, and, in a scene that will make viewers gasp, we find out who killed Lilly Kane.