Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

"Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars, and the twenty-ninth episode overall. Written by Diane Ruggiero and directed by Nick Marck, the episode premiered on UPN on November 16, 2005.

The series depicts the adventures of Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) as she deals with life as a high school student while moonlighting as a private detective. In this episode, Duncan (Teddy Dunn) calls on Veronica to help investigate a subject of child abuse mentioned in his ex-girlfriend, Meg's (Alona Tal) journal. Meanwhile, the Casablancas family splits up Dick Sr.'s (David Starzyk) assets.

Synopsis

Veronica and Duncan make out before Logan (Jason Dohring), who is now living there, walks in the door. Logan invites Kendall (Charisma Carpenter) into the hotel room, making Duncan and Veronica uncomfortable. In a Future Business Leaders of America meeting, Cassidy (Kyle Gallner) comes out on top of the hypothetical business contest. Keith talks to new mayor Woody Goodman (Steve Guttenberg), who states his plan to redesign Neptune, and Woody offers to make Keith police chief. Logan meets Veronica in the girls bathroom and asks her to investigate the “witness” to the murder of Felix Toombs, and she agrees. Duncan has searched through Meg’s files and finds evidence that she was attempting to help an unknown abused child between 7-10 years old. Meg babysat constantly, and Veronica and Duncan will have to break into Meg’s house for more evidence.

The Casablancas talk to a lawyer. Kendall has received nothing, and Dick (Ryan Hansen) and Beaver each have a trust fund. Veronica signs up for a babysitting job with one of the people who Meg babysat for, and Gia (Krysten Ritter) invites Veronica over to school. At the babysitting job, the kid’s parents say that they almost let Meg go because of Duncan. Logan appears at the door of Veronica’s babysitting house. Veronica presents information on Logan’s accuser. The boy, Edwin’s, dad starts acting weirdly towards Veronica and hands her Edwin’s drawing of a head coming off a body.

Dick and Beaver’s biological mother appears at their house. Veronica wins the babysitting job from a high-pressure teacher. However, her son is bratty and high-maintenance. Veronica talks to Logan’s witness, Dr. Griffith (Rick Peters), who is a plastic surgeon. Although he seems honest at first, Veronica trails him to a cigar shop. Veronica sees all the signs of emotional abuse when she goes to Gia’s house. Gia “surprises” Veronica with a girl’s night sleepover. Logan ends his friends-with-benefits relationship with Kendall. Kendall tries to seduce Duncan. Veronica meets Gia’s little brother, Rodney, who is extremely anxious. Veronica overhears Woody telling Rodney that he’ll have to tell his mother about him spilling a cup of water on the floor, and the mother leads Rodney to an unknown room. Dick and Beaver, drunk, raid Gia’s sleepover.

Veronica learns from Keith (Enrico Colantoni) that the cigar shop she went into is notorious for drug dealing. Logan tells Veronica that Kendall went into Duncan’s room for a little while. Veronica and Duncan break into Meg’s house. Duncan steals a letter without showing Veronica. Veronica figures out that Meg is actually covering for the child abuse of her sister. Veronica finds Grace Manning locked in a closet. However, Meg’s dad (Geoff Pierson) goes in and fakes that Veronica and Duncan were just breaking in for no reason. Sheriff Lamb (Michael Muhney) arrests Veronica and Duncan but soon figures out that Meg’s dad is the guilty one. After briefly driving away with Veronica and Duncan, he soon lets them go and waits menacingly outside of Meg’s father’s house.

Cultural references

Many cultural references are made in the episode. They include:^[1]

• At the beginning of the episode, Veronica and Duncan are watching The Big Lebowski.
• Mr. Pope references "What a Diff'rence a Day Made".
• Veronica mentions both "Twist and Shout" and a famous scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
• One of the teachers quotes the song "The Gambler".
• In an email to Wallace, Veronica quotes a famous Juliet monologue.
• In a voiceover, Veronica compares her letters to Wallace to Doogie Howser's journal.
• Dick and Beaver's biological mother quotes a lyric from "You've Got a Friend".
• Gia references "I'm So Excited".
• Veronica says that her "Spidey sense is tingling."
• Logan quotes part of the iconic line, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", spoken by Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind.
• One of the girls at the party says that Pretty Woman is her favorite movie.
• Dick and Beaver expect there to be Spin the bottle at the party.
• Veronica jokingly mentions Winnie-the-Pooh and Goodnight Moon.

Arc significance

• The newly discovered witness to Felix's murder is Dr. Tom Griffith, a plastic surgeon. Logan asks Veronica to prove that Griffith is lying and says that he wasn't the man on the bridge.
• Woody Goodman tells Keith of his plan for Neptune, which involves incorporating the wealthy part of the town.
• Dick and Beaver's real mother shows up to unlock their trust funds.
• Duncan finds a letter in the vent in Meg's room and pockets it.
• Sheriff Lamb hints that he was abused by his own father; this is, presumably, his reason for letting Duncan and Veronica go and then returning to the Manning residence. This also marks one of the few times that he immediately takes Veronica seriously when she reports a crime. When cuffing her, he leans forward, to show that he wants her to whisper something in his ear. She then tells him where to look for the secret room.

Music

The following songs are heard in the episode:^[2]

• "Pon de Replay" by Rihanna
• "The Nth Degree" by Morningwood
• "Run" by Air

Production

Diane Ruggiero wrote the episode.

The episode was written by Diane Ruggiero and directed by Nick Marck, marking Ruggiero's ninth writing credit for Veronica Mars and Marck's sixth directing credit for the show. ^[3][4] Despite being credited, Weevil (Francis Capra), Wallace, and Jackie (Tessa Thompson) do not appear in "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner." Among the episode's guest stars are important recurring characters, including Don Lamb (Michael Muhney), Gia Goodman (Krysten Ritter), Woody Goodman (Steve Guttenberg), and Kendall Casablancas (Charisma Carpenter). Ritter noted that her scene in the episode was one of the favorite scenes she filmed."^[5] The episode's title refers to a famous line spoken by the character Johnny (Patrick Swayze) in the 1987 coming-of-age romantic drama Dirty Dancing.

Reception

Ratings

In its original broadcast, "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" received 2.94 million viewers, marking a decrease from "Rat Saw God".^[6]

Reviews

Rowan Kaiser, writing for The A.V. Club thought that the episode was quirky, especially in the scenes involving Veronica's babysitting. On the episode's tone, he added, "And this is fine. This is great, even. Combined with things like Veronica's vision of Lilly in the season premiere, it makes me think that Veronica Mars is moving in a much more metaphorical direction."^[7] Television Without Pity gave the episode a "B".^[8]

Price Peterson of TV.com gave a glowing review, writing that "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" was "[a]nother great episode, with its perfect blend of teenage awfulness (the slumber party), [and] Neptune's seedy underbelly…I mean, what's not to like? But really, the closing sequence in which Lamb arrested and then set free Veronica and Duncan was incredible. One of the more subtle and powerful moments I've seen on any TV show in a while."^[9]

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Veronica Mars#Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

• "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" at Mars Investigations