Meg Manning was a student at Neptune High and was the former girlfriend of Duncan Kane. She was initially the only survivor of the Neptune High Bus Accident.
Biography[]
Season 1[]
She was first introduced in the episode Like A Virgin. She is one of the popular 09er girls and the anchor on the school news program. Despite all this, Meg was kind to Veronica, lending her a spare cheerleading uniform when Veronica's clothes were thrown into a toilet as a prank. When Mac created the purity test for Neptune High, an unknown student used Meg's computer login and took the test for her, publishing her fake score for all to see. When Meg was overwhelmed by the false rumors and accusations, Veronica came to her home and told her to get tough. Eventually, Veronica helped Meg find the person responsible: Kimmy, a girl jealous of Meg's success. In Ruskie Business, while Meg is helping to set up the '80s dance, she asks Veronica to help her find a secret admirer. Veronica was initially keen to help until she found out that the
secret admirer was none other than Duncan Kane, Veronica's ex-boyfriend.
Eventually, Veronica accepted Meg and Duncan's relationship. In Betty and Veronica, Meg is officially dating Duncan. When Veronica is out on a date with Leo D'Amato, Meg is at the same restaurant with Duncan and his parents. Meg is happy to see Veronica and greets her with a hug. At school, Meg brings up the new awkwardness and tells Veronica that they can be good friends despite being in different groups. Together, they manage to uncover the truth about who took Polly the parrot, the school mascot.
Season 2[]
After finding out that he and Veronica were not in fact half-siblings, Duncan broke up with Meg, who blamed Veronica. In the opening episode of Season Two, Normal is the Watchword, Meg's attitude towards Veronica was openly hostile. On the way back from a field trip to a baseball ground, while Veronica was talking to Weevil during a rest stop, Meg deliberately implied that Veronica had returned to the bus, causing it to leave without her. This inadvertently saved Veronica's life, as the bus subsequently careered off a cliff and into the ocean. Meg was the only survivor, but she remained in a coma for much of the second season.
Meg has two younger sisters, Lizzie and Grace. While Meg was in a coma, Lizzie brought Duncan Meg's laptop, asking him to remove Meg's personal files from the system before her parents were able to check them. Duncan and Veronica found that Meg had compiled information about a child whom she often babysat. The young boy was being abused by his parents. Soon, the two uncovered that the abused child (who was referred to by Meg as a boy) was actually Meg's youngest sister Grace. Meg's parents are religious zealots who lock Grace in a closet when they are out, and make her fill out exercise book after exercise book with the phrase: "The path of God is paved with righteousness." Duncan and Veronica found dozens of these books in Grace's room.
In the episode, My Mother, The Fiend, Veronica visited Meg in the hospital and discovered that Meg was pregnant. Shortly after she left, Meg awoke from her coma. Meg apologized to Veronica in One Angry Veronica for her harsh treatment and then asked Veronica to make sure that her baby wouldn't fall into her parents' hands should anything happen to Meg.
- Meg: Veronica? Can you stay a second? Veronica, I just hope you can forgive me for being such a b—
- Veronica: Meg, you don't have to—
- Meg: It's just that I knew that I was pregnant and seeing you with Duncan...
- Veronica: You don't have to say anything.
- Meg: And is it too much to ask for just one small favor?
- Veronica: No.
- Meg: (starting to cry) If anything happens to me, don't let them do it. Don't let them send the baby away. And no matter what, don't let them keep it.
Later that same episode, Meg died of a blood clot to the heart, but not before giving birth to her daughter Faith Manning, who was later renamed Lilly by the child's father Duncan Kane.
However, in an alternate ending for My Mother, The Fiend featured on the season 2 DVD of Veronica Mars, Meg's mother is implied to have killed Meg by smothering Meg with a pillow.
Meg appeared in Veronica's dreams in the episode I Am God, along with the other kids who died on the bus. At one point she wore a t-shirt with "Baby on Board" written on it and in another dream she and Veronica discussed Lucky.
Meg is mentioned at the Memoriam of the fallen students at the Neptune High Reunion.
Appearances[]
- Veronica Mars
- Season One
- Season Two
- Veronica Mars (film)
- Is mentioned during the In Memoriam scene at the reunion.