Normal Is the Watchword

"**Normal Is the Watchword**"
"Normal Is the Watchword"
Veronica Mars episode
Episode no.	Season 2; Episode 1
Directed by	John Kretchmer
Written by	Rob Thomas
Production code	2T7201
Original air date	September 28, 2005
Guest appearances
	Jeffrey Sams as Terrence Cook; Alona Tal as Meg Manning; Max Greenfield as Leo D'Amato; Charles Duckworth as Kelvin Moore; Krysten Ritter as Gia Goodman; Charisma Carpenter as Kendall Casablancas; Steve Guttenberg as Woody Goodman;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Leave It to Beaver"	Next →; "Driver Ed"
	Veronica Mars season 2
	List of episodes

"Normal Is the Watchword" is the season premiere of the second season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars, and the twenty-third episode overall. Written by series creator Rob Thomas and directed by John Kretchmer, the episode premiered on UPN on September 28, 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, Veronica reveals the events that transpired over the summer after the resolution of the murder of Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried). Meanwhile, Veronica investigates a scam involving students' forged drug tests, and a school bus mysteriously goes off a cliff.

"Normal Is the Watchword" featured several casting changes to the show, including the introduction of Kendall (Charisma Carpenter) and Gia (Krysten Ritter), as well as the promotion of three actors to series regular status. The episode received mostly positive reviews, and Thomas was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for his writing.