Veronica Mars/The Rapes of Graff

The Rapes of Graff
Season 2, Episode 16
Airdate	March 29, 2006
Production Number	2T7216
Written by	John Enbom
Directed by	Michael Fields
← 2x15 The Quick and the Wed	2x17 → Plan B
Veronica Mars — Season Two

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The Rapes of Graff is the sixteenth episode of the second season of Veronica Mars, and the thirty-eighth episode overall. Veronica sees her first foray into college life as she tours Neptune's very own Hearst College with Wallace. On the campus, she runs into her old boyfriend and a seemingly unsolvable mystery.

Starring: Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars), Percy Daggs III (Wallace Fennel), Teddy Dunn (Duncan Kane) (credit only), Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls), Francis Capra (Eli "Weevil" Navarro) (credit only), Ryan Hansen (Richard "Dick" Casablancas), Kyle Gallner (Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas) (credit only), Tessa Thompson (Jackie Cook) (credit only)

and: Enrico Colantoni (Keith Mars)

Guest Starring: Michael Muhney (Sheriff Don Lamb), Daran Norris (Cliff McCormack), Jessy Schram (Hannah Griffith), Rick Peters (Dr. Tom Griffith), Aaron Ashmore (Troy Vandergraff), Michael Cera (Dean Rudolph), David Tom (Chip Diller), Alia Shawkat (Stacy Wells), Tayler Sheridan (Danny Boyd)

Co-Starring: Linda Castro (English Teacher), Amanda Noret (Madison Sinclair), Einat Tubi (Jen), Kip Martin (Gordon), Charlie Koznick (Drew), Reem Mahmoud (Girl), Daniele O'Loughlin (Tory), Ka'imi Kuoha (Pink Hair), Cristina Balmores (Dawn), Angelica Bridges (Sugar Jones), Richard Neil (Foreman), Rosina Reynolds (Dean Harlow)

Plot Overview

While checking out Hearst College with Wallace, Veronica is stunned to run into her shady ex-boyfriend Troy Vandergraff during the tour, but the real surprise comes when Troy gets accused of date rape on campus and calls Veronica for help. Meanwhile, Logan's legal troubles and ongoing relationship with Hannah both reach important turning points. Keith after having receiving a call for help, arrives at a hotel and finds his attorney buddy Cliff in a compromising position in a room.

Notes

Mystery of the Week

• Clearing Troy: When Troy Vandergraff is accused of date-raping a girl he met and then shaving her head, he goes to Veronica for help. Despite her loathing for Troy, she agrees to help. Although she reaches several dead ends on who the rapist actually is, she does uncover that a rape with the exact same MO occurred a month prior to a Hawaiian girl, while Troy was on the other side of the country. Although the rapist isn't caught, Veronica does get Pi Delta put on probation for their scoring game and gets Troy off the hook.

The School Bus Disaster

• Veronica confirms that the explosives Veronica found in the hanger are C4, being used to demolish the stadium in Neptune. She also discovers that Danny Boyd works at the construction site. This also ties in Woody Goodman, who owns the stadium.

Felix's Murder

• Logan's case was dismissed due to Dr. Griffith withdrawing his testimony.
• Cliff's briefcase with the case files for Logan's murder trial was stolen by a hooker. It's presumed that the Fitzpatricks paid her to steal the briefcase to use as leverage against Logan.

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Logan: Although Logan broke it off with Hannah in order to appease her father, he goes back on his promise and gets back together with her. However, she's sent away to Vermont when Dr. Griffith catches them together.
• Wallace: Wallace is accepted into Hearst College with a full scholarship.

Referbacks

• 1x05 - You Think You Know Somebody: Although they had been dating for some time, Veronica learned the hard way that she really didn't know Troy when he turned out to be involved in dealing drugs and lied to her about it. When Troy's parents sent him to boarding school, he ran away.
• 2x10 - One Angry Veronica: Veronica was previously approached by a woman representing Hearst College when she was the foreman for the jury earlier this season. Although she continues to be nudged the way of the college (clearing the way for a third season in Neptune), she remains defiant.

Trivia

The Show

• Reunion: Guest stars Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat both starred in the FOX sitcom Arrested Development. In one of the last episodes, Cera made a reference to Veronica Mars but the reference was censored as a joke.
• Music: The song that plays at the end when Logan and Hannah are busted is "I Know I Know I Know" by Tegan & Sara.

Behind the Scenes

• Despite both being billed for over a season and a half, Wallace and Logan appear in the same frame for the first time in this episode. They still have yet to be seen to speak to each other on screen.

Allusions and References

• The Grapes of Wrath: The title to this episode is a parody of John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939.

• Folsom Prison Blues: Veronica quotes a line from Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash during the truth/lie game she plays with Dean. The song is about a man who killed someone in Reno and is now on his way to prison by train. It was first recorded at the prison on the At Folsom Prison live album.

• Aquaman: Troy claiming that he can speak to sea creatures with his mind is a reference to the primary superhuman ability of Aquaman, a DC comics superhero created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.

Troy: And I communicate telepathically with all denizens of the sea.

• Kierkegaard: Søren Kierkegaard is a Danish philosopher who is often credited as being the first person to openly philosophize about existentialism. He was also a theologist, who spent much of his career fighting against Christendom and philosophizing about an unprovable but known God.

Wallace: I actually talked to a cute girl about Kierkegaard.

• Ryan Seacrest: Ryan Seacrest is the host of American Idol, a FOX reality/competition series where a handful of singers are chosen from auditions and they must impress the judges with their singing abilities and style. Seacrest is most known (and maligned) for his catchphrase, "Seacrest, out!"

Veronica: You had to do it or your frat brothers would shave off your awesome Ryan Seacrest hair.

• Arrested Development: Guest stars Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat play cousins-in-love on the show Arrested Development.

Memorable Moments

• To encourage his cooperation, Cliff and Keith present Sheriff Lamb with a mock campaign poster with the captions "18—It's Legal!" and "Re-Elect Don Lamb" around a surveillance picture of Lamb making out with Madison Sinclair.

Quotes

• Wallace: Man, you believe it about Logan? The guy's like a cat.

Veronica: You mean useless and selfish?

Wallace: I mean like nine lives. Just wish I knew how he does it.

Veronica: That's funny. I do know how he does it, and I wish I didn't.

• Troy: Maybe I wanted to demonstrate that I really had changed.

Veronica: So you're no longer evil, you're stupid. Congratulations.

• Veronica: Dad, your hooker's here.

Keith: Escort, honey.