Veronica Mars/Clash of the Tritons

Clash of the Tritons
Season 1, Episode 12
Airdate	January 11, 2005
Production Number	2T5711
Written by	Philip Klemmer & Aury Wallington
Directed by	David Barrett
← 1x11 Silence of the Lamb	1x13 → Lord of the Bling
Veronica Mars — Season One

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Clash of the Tritons is the twelfth episode of the first season of Veronica Mars.

Starring: Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars), Percy Daggs III (Wallace Fennel), Teddy Dunn (Duncan Kane), Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls), Francis Capra (Eli "Weevil" Navarro)

and Enrico Colantoni (Keith Mars)

Guest Starring: Lisa Rinna (Lynn Echolls), Michael Muhney (Sheriff Don Lamb, Daran Norris (Cliff McCormack), JD Pardo (Rick)

with Paula Marshall (Rebecca James)

and Harry Hamlin (Aaron Echolls)

Co-Starring: Duane Daniels (Van Clemmons), Patrick Wolff (Hector Cortez), Carl Bresk (Computer Teacher), Mark O'Leary (Triton Initiate), Tim Altbaum (Karaoke MC), Sean Sedgwick (Roadhouse Waiter), Josh Temple (Dex), Monique Gaffney (Homeroom Teacher), Brandon Hillock (Deputy Jerry Sacks)

Plot Overview

When Tim, a kid from school, ends up in hospital after an drinking binge, his friend Rick is forced by Sheriff Lamb to name the person who supplied their fake IDs. He fingers Veronica, and sure enough her locker is full of blanks. These and the fake IDs in her purse are enough to get her arrested and suspended from school for three days. She corners Rick at the police station and he claims he was forced to put the blame on her; she makes him agree to meet her later.

At school, Miss James is conducting interviews with those hardest hit by Lilly's death as part of a study on grief. Veronica planted a bug during her session, but is forced to hide in her car in the parking lot under a car cover to listen in, thanks to her suspension. She manages to learn some important secrets about Logan, Weevil, and especially Duncan.

Keith is hired by Aaron Echolls to find out who's been leaking details—accurate ones—of his infidelity to the tabloids in the wake of his stabbing. The increased media attention is forcing tensions to rise in the Echolls household, and Logan gets into a fight at school.

Rick tells Veronica about a secret society at Neptune High called the Tritons. He and Tim were new pledges, and one of their initiation tasks was to use their fake IDs to drink in different bars around Neptune. When Tim passed out, the other pledges ran off, leaving Rick to drop Tim at the hospital—and face the music. It was also the Tritons who told him to blame Veronica; and Duncan is among the new pledges.

Wallace tries getting a fake ID himself so Veronica can find the real culprit, and it turns out there's a secret locker where anyone can place money and a note with their name; a fake ID will turn up in their own locker. Veronica films the mystery locker, but doesn't find anyone opening it. Her investigations into the identity of the Tritons also go nowhere, until they tie her up and lock her in the trunk of her car. Wallace springs her and she gets her break when she hears the initiation ceremony over the radio—the Tritons are in the school, being picked up by her bug in the counselor's office. Veronica escapes with photos of the members' faces.

The next day at the station, Veronica reveals the secret of the fake ID racket, and the real perpetrator: Rick, who has a hole in the top of his locker, which is under the drop for the IDs. He was never a pledge for the Tritons, and was just out drinking with Tim; he blamed Veronica so he could use her to bring the Tritons down; he wanted revenge, since his brother and father were members, but he hadn't been allowed to join.

Keith reveals to Aaron that his wife Lynn is the one giving the information to the papers; he confronts her about it at the school in front of Logan, and Lynn storms off in her car, taking a bunch of pills as she gets in. Later, her car is found abandoned on a bridge.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Lynn Echolls seemingly throws herself off a bridge at the conclusion of this episode, though the other characters don't find out until next episode.

Characters

• Logan and Lilly's relationship was very much on-and-off; at the time she died, it was off, because Veronica told Lilly that she saw Logan kissing another girl at a party.

• Duncan has a condition or illness that requires him to take regular medication. He's still taking those, even after he's stopped taking the anti-depressants.

• Weevil and Lilly had some kind of relationship, which he's sure meant as much to her as it did to him. She transferred out of gym class because Weevil wouldn't let it go; from his perspective, Logan clicked his fingers and she came running.