Welcome Wagon (Veronica Mars)

Infobox Television episode


Caption = The latest victim.
Title = Welcome Wagon
Series = Veronica Mars
Season = 3
Episode = 1
Airdate = October 3, 2006
Production = 3T5801
Writer = Rob Thomas
Director = John T. Kretchmer
Guests = Ken Marino
(Vinnie Van Lowe)
Patrick Fabian
(Hank Landry)
James Jordan
(Tim Foyle)
Andrew McClain
(Moe Slater)
Jason Beghe
(Cormac Fitzpatrick)
Josh Harto
(Donald Fagan)
Charisma Carpenter
(Kendall Casablancas)
Episode list = List of Veronica Mars episodes
Prev = Not Pictured
Next = My Big Fat Greek Rush Week

"Welcome Wagon" is episode 1 of season 3 of the television show "Veronica Mars". It had an estimated audience of 3.27 million viewers.

Plot

It's a new school year, and Veronica Mars is now attending Hearst College. She and Logan are still going strong and Veronica is still living at home with her dad. Mac and Wallace are also attending Hearst and each have new roommates. The serial rapist is still at large on the Hearst campus.

On the first day of classes at Hearst College, Piz, Wallace's new campus roommate, is the victim of a scam. A "Welcome Wagon" lady - supposedly there to help the freshmen - agrees to watch Piz's things for a few minutes, but when Piz returns he finds it all stolen. Veronica investigates with the aid of Wallace, Piz, Mac and Mac's new roommate Parker, and helps the Sheriff's Department to arrest the culprit and recover Piz's possessions. Several times during the investigation Piz asks Veronica why she does what she does, prompting some unsure responses.

During a protest for more security and more women's rights on-campus, spearheaded by victims of the Hearst serial rapist, Dick Casablancas shows up and tries to ruin things. Later, he gets beaten up by a guy in a coffee shop for hitting on his girlfriend and asking her to move in with him. Dick is only saved by Logan, whom he gives a cold shoulder. Later, Dick shows up at Logan's hotel room, looking extremely disheveled. He tells Logan, through tears, that he's got nowhere else to go and that he's screwed up pretty bad.

Before Veronica and Mac can go to the movies, they realize their tickets are in Mac's dorm room...where Parker is currently with a guy. Veronica slips in, says "don't mind me", and grabs the tickets.

Meanwhile, Keith Mars has been hired by Kendall Casablancas to pick up her lover Cormac Fitzpatrick who is just getting out of prison on good behavior. Kendall has been on the run from Liam Fitzpatrick after the two had a dispute over the money from the Phoenix Land Trust and has been hiding in a secret location in the desert. She has plans to run far away from Liam with his brother Cormac. Keith delivers Cormac to Kendall and while Keith is out getting something from his car, Cormac shoots Kendall. Keith hides in the desert as Cormac attempts to chase him down.

After their night on the town Veronica, quite tipsy, stays the night in Mac's dorm room once they're sure that Parker's latest boy has left. In the morning the two are awoken by Parker's screaming as she sees her now-bald head in a mirror: Parker is the latest victim of the Hearst serial rapist.

Arc significance

* The Hearst serial rapist, last seen in "The Rapes of Graff," is still at large on the Hearst campus.
* Keith picked up Cormac Fitzpatrick from jail and revealed that Kendall Casablancas had paid him to make her disappear. After he drops Cormac off at Kendall's hideaway, he witnesses Cormac shooting into the next room at an unseen Kendall and then he shoots at Keith.
* Parker is the latest victim of the serial rapist, having been raped and had her head shaved during the night.

Music

* "Rump Shaker" - Wreckx-N-Effect
* "Buttons" - Pussycat Dolls
* "Socks and Shoes" - Four Fifty One
* "Waited So Long" - Cheryl Murdock

Writing and acting

* Michael Muhney (who does not actually appear in the episode) and Tina Majorino are promoted to series regulars. Julie Gonzalo and Chris Lowell also join the cast as series regulars.
* James Jordan, who plays the role of teaching assistant Tim Foyle, also played the character of Lucky last season.

Production details

* This episode premiered online September 26, 2006, on MSN, and was available for a week until its broadcast premiere on The CW.
* This episode featured the new opening credits for the first time. Instead of a traditional clip package, images of the characters played over a slower, re-mixed version of the theme song.

Feedback and ratings

* "Welcome Wagon" had an estimated audience size of 3.27 million US viewers on its first airing. According to [http://www.zap2it.com/tv/ratings/zap-ratings100306,0,7959674.story?coll=zap-tv-ratings-headlines Zap2It.com] , the premiere had a household share of 2.1/3.

Quotes and trivia

* Veronica uses the word "frak" twice during the episode after hearing a self-professed "Battlestar Galactica" fan say it. "Battlestar Galactica" characters use the word "frak" as a curse word.
* Veronica's cell phone gets upgraded to the Sidekick 3.
* Veronica mentions a picture of her father stuffing his face full of cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, a famous New York landmark that has been mentioned in "Sex and the City", the romantic comedy "Prime", and the "Saturday Night Live" digital skit "Lazy Sunday".
* The name of the Hearst Welcome Wagon thieving ring's leader is Donald Fagan, a reference to both Fagin, the character from Charles Dickens' book "Oliver Twist", who also had a thieving ring made up of prepubescent boys, as well as Donald Fagen, a musician in the band Steely Dan.
* When the deputy opens Fagan's garage to reveal items stolen from various students, Veronica exclaims "boom goes the dynamite." It is a reference to the lone coherent phrase in an otherwise forgettable sports news presentation by a Ball State University student: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=347328338958022024
* The band Veronica and her friends go to see, credited as 'The Unwashed' are actually a Towson, Maryland band called Four Fifty One. (http://www.fourfiftyoneband.com/) They perform a song off their self-titled EP called "Socks and Shoes".

External links

* MI.net's [http://www.marsinvestigations.net/episodes/301/welcome_wagon/roundtable Roundtable Review] .
* Soulful Spike Society's [http://www.soulfulspike.com/vmars/VMep3-1.htm Open Case] .
* Television Without Pity [http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/articles/content/a12480/ Recap] .