The Lion, the Witch, and the Videotape

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Veronica Mars'. Or, just to be safe, 'The Wizard of Oz' or 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. Even though neither is really mentioned at all.
Rating: PG Summary: What Veronica may have been thinking during the courtroom scene in the pilot.
Notes: I did a little case-study of the sheriff in my head the night after I saw the pilot, and I don't know why. I figured I might as well put it to some use.

Maybe it's a little silly, me coming here to watch this. Maybe a little immature. You'll know I did it. Then again, you're gonna know I did it anyway, and me being here? It still won't give you proof.

I think I deserve a little gloating.

Sitting there so damn confident on the stand. Oh yeah, I got your number. I've got you figured out. Took a while, but it's really very simple.

You're a coward. A complete and total coward.

See, the trick is, you don't know that. You can't admit that to yourself. You're too much of a coward to walk around, knowing you're a coward. So what do you do?

Every time something happens that you're too weak to prosecutesomething done by one of the vast legions of people you're scared ofyou don't think it's your fault you're not pursuing it. You don't think you're giving in to pressure. Somewhere inside you you know it, but you just become absolutely certain it's somebody else. Kid won't report a robbery, it's him who's giving in to the gang pressure, not you.

Kid gets raped, you don't have any evidence and it's somehow her fault.

It's almost understandable. I mean, of course you don't want to admit you're a coward! If I were as much of a bastard as you, I probably couldn't bring myself to think about it either. Projection, I think it's called. Everybody does it.

But the thing is, you're the sheriff. You're the law. You don't kick your dog, you kick the victims. And that's... I don't know if there even is a word for something that awful.

"No evidence". You are so full of it. God, I wish I'd realized that before I walked out the door.

But I still don't know what's up with the "wizard" thing. I mean, what the hell?

Then again, if you look at it from the point of view of someone who isn't you, it does make a little sense. 'Cause you know who went to the Wizard to get courage? That's right. A lion.

That's what I want to get through to you someday. All these people you've hurt? Some of them are taking your advice. Some of them went on a long, dark journey and found themselves some courage.

And you know what that means? It means that I'm not the only lion who's after you now. If I can't bring you downwhich, by the way, I highly doubtthere'll be more and more people to come and help me. And we will bring you down. We will stop you from hurting anyone else.

Hi, Sheriff. I'm Veronica Mars. In case you haven't noticed, I found myself a backbone. And I'm here to tell you you're a corrupt, pathetic little man who's as bad an excuse for a sheriff as he is for a human being. And everyone is going to realize that someday. You'll know when the day has come because me and all the other people you've hurt will be watching you, and smiling.

Sayonara.