Lord of the Pi's

Infobox Television episode


Caption = Hearst and her beloved puppies.
Title = Lord of the Pi's
Series = Veronica Mars
Season = 3
Episode = 8
Airdate = November 21, 2006
Production = 3T5808
Writer = Diane Ruggiero
Director = Steve Gomer
Guests = Patty Hearst
(Selma Hearst Rose)
David Tom
(Chip Diller)
Charles Shaughnessy
(Bud Rose)
Chastity Dotson
(Nish Sweeney)
Cher Ferreyra
(Fern Delgado)
Michael Charles Roman
(Wilson Behan)
Krista Kalmus
(Claire Nordhouse)
Brian Kimmet
(Brant)
Keri Lynn Pratt
(Hallie Piatt)
Scott Alan Smith
(Roger Hearst)
Ed Begley, Jr.
(Cyrus O'Dell)
Episode list = List of Veronica Mars episodes
Prev = Of Vice and Men
Next = Spit & Eggs

"Lord of the Pi's" is episode 8 of season 3 of the television show "Veronica Mars". It had an estimated audience of 2.57 million viewers. It was the lowest rated episode of the season to date.

Plot

Veronica investigates when the granddaughter (played by Patty Hearst) of Hearst College's founder vanishes just before a crucial vote regarding the Greek Fraternity system at the College.

Arc significance

* Veronica discovers that more than Claire's rape may have been faked by the girls in Lilith House.
* A heavy-set sorority pledge's humiliation and injury was the reason given for faking Claire's rape as a way of helping the cause of shutting down the Greek houses on campus.

Music

* "Made to Be Broken" - Paul Minor
* "Slipping Away" - The Aeroplanes
* "Poison Cup" - M. Ward

Writing and acting

* In reference to Hearst's guest appearance, creator Rob Thomas said, "She is playing a character close to herself. She's playing the granddaughter of Hearst College's [founder] , who in our world is a railroad baron rather than a publishing baron. It'll be similar, but she is not literally playing Patty Hearst."

Production details

* A same sex kiss was scheduled between Patty Hearst's character and Keri Lynn Pratt's character, but The CW would not allow it and offered no explanation. This brought up some controversy since both UPN and The WB allowed same sex kissing when they were separate networks. A possible reason is speculated to be the differences in the characters' age.

Feedback and ratings

* "Lord of the Pi's" had a viewership of approximately 2.57 million viewers, according to [http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-tvratingstext29nov29,0,1031409.htmlstory?coll=cl-tvent CalendarLive.com] .

Quotes and trivia

* The episode title is a reference to the novel Lord of the Flies and the Pi Sigma fraternity.
* The wheelchair-bound Budd having a servant named Brandt is one of several references the series has made to "The Big Lebowski".
* The character Budd Rose is a reference to Rosebud from the movie "Citizen Kane", which was allegedly based on the life of William Randolph Hearst.
* Patty Hearst's character's name is Selma. This is most likely a reference to the "The Simpsons" characters Patty and Selma, Marge's twin sisters.
* After jumping the wall at the Hearst Mansion, Veronica makes a sound effect reminiscent of "The Bionic Woman".
* Veronica's line "She always gets the replay, never tilts at all" is a reference to a near identical line in The Who's song "Pinball Wizard".

External links

* MI.net's [http://www.marsinvestigations.net/episodes/308/lord_of_the_pis/roundtable Roundtable Review] .
* Soulful Spike Society's [http://www.soulfulspike.com/vmars/VMep3-8.htm Open Case] .
* Television Without Pity [http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/articles/content/a12669/ Recap] .