series regulars to the show. On casting the new season, Thomas explained that he "conceive[d] the show as a one-year mystery" and decided that he needed to introduce and eliminate several characters to be able to create an "equally fascinating mystery" for the series' second season. Thomas felt that he could not bring back the Kanes and the Echolls and "have them all involved in a new mystery"; he needed "new blood". In the opening credits, three new actors are given star billing. Two of these actors, Ryan Hansen as Dick Casablancas and Kyle Gallner as Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas, served as recurring characters in the show's first season. In addition, this episode marks the first credit of Jackie Cook, played by Tessa Thompson, despite the fact that she does not appear in the episode. Several important recurring characters of the show's second season are also introduced in "Normal Is the Watchword." Kendall Casablancas, portrayed by Charisma Carpenter, best known for her role as Cordelia Chase on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel makes her first appearance in the episode. During casting, Heather Graham was considered for the role. However, Graham was filming Emily's Reasons Why Not. Carpenter said that she wanted to play the role because "the name is really spectacular." The episode also introduces the character of Gia Goodman, played by Krysten Ritter, who would later become known for her roles in Breaking Bad, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, and Jessica Jones. Ritter would reprise her role in the film continuation of Veronica Mars and called her role on the series "her first big acting job." Ritter was a fan of Veronica Mars before her role on the show, and she unsuccessfully auditioned for a guest role in the first season. However, the producers enjoyed Ritter's performance, so they told her that she "would be on the show at some point." Reception Ratings In its original broadcast, "Normal Is the Watchword" garnered 3.29 million viewers and ranked 97th out of 112 in the weekly rankings. This was an increase over both the previous season's finale, "Leave It to Beaver", which received 2.99 million viewers, and the previous season premiere (the pilot episode), which garnered 2.49 million viewers. At the time, the episode was the highest-rated episode of Veronica Mars in the show's history. However, this ratings high would be surpassed by "One Angry Veronica". Reviews The episode