As I'm sure pretty much any Veronica Mars fan will tell you, no one is really who they seem to be in Neptune, California. The show was essentially built on the idea that you never really know a person, and this was clear with everyone from Logan, who was initially introduced as nothing more than the "obligatory psychotic jackass," only for Veronica (and, by extension, the audience) to discover that his behavior actually stemmed from deeper familial issues, to Troy, who Veronica initially thought was a nice, well-adjusted guy...until he turned out to be a two-timing drug dealer. One of the most shocking "true color" reveals, however, without a doubt took place in Season 2, when Veronica discovered that Cassidy Casablancas was not only the person who raped her before the start of the series, but he was also behind the Season 2 premiere's bus crash that was responsible for killing a number of Neptune High School students. As far as shocking moments in the history of television go, this one was a doozy.
For context, Cassidy was always considered the quiet, kind, and smart Casablancas brother — which, to be fair, isn't too difficult a feat when you consider that his older brother was Dick Casablancas. Often nicknamed "Beaver," (though he hated this nickname) Cassidy was consistently picked on, and his parents often ignored him in favor of giving their older child attention. Cassidy being revealed to be a murderous rapist was pretty much the last thing any viewer expected at the time — but, that's exactly what happened in the Season 2 finale, "Not Pictured."
As a fan, I can vouch for the fact that it's hard to really understand how to feel about Cassidy after this reveal. Though there is absolutely no excuse for his actions, it also shouldn't be forgotten that Cassidy turned out the way he did not only because he was constantly picked on by his brother, but also because he was a victim of molestation when he was a child.
Luckily, however, I'm here to help you figure out exactly how you feel. Thanks to this super accurate, super scientific breakdown, we now have a visual depiction of what every fan thinks of Cassidy Casablancas:
Images: Warner Bros. Television; Dawn Foster/Bustle
