Hot Dogs
Hot Dogs
Episode No.   Season
19 1x19 One
Original Broadcast Date April 19, 2005
Written By
Story By
Teleplay By
Directed By
Chronological Information
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"Hot Dogs" was the nineteenth episode of the first season of Veronica Mars.

In this episode, a student named Mandy hires Veronica to help find her lost dog. Meanwhile, the Echolls family deal's with Trina's domestic abuse, and Weevil (Francis Capra) gets arrested for breaking into the Kane home.


Veronica tutors Weevil in math. Weevil tells her that the word is that Duncan ran off because she told Duncan that he killed Lilly. Meanwhile, a girl, Mandy, loses her dog, Chester. The next day at school Logan tells Veronica that he has no idea where Duncan went. Mandy talks to Veronica about her dog, and she agrees to help. Wallace tells Veronica that Weevil broke into the Kane house the previous night and was found in Lilly's bedroom. Veronica visits Weevil who says that he broke in to steal back a ring he gave to Lilly. Trina Echolls talks to Aaron before Logan comes in and makes sarcastic comments. A lawyer appears and says that Lynn Echolls did not include Aaron and Trina in her will, while she gives Logan $115,000 and other assets. Veronica and Mandy visit the pound, but according to a classmate, Hans, the pound hasn't found the dog. The pound contacts Veronica, who says that Chester had been hit by a car on the highway the previous day. The next day, Veronica notices that the board near the beach is now covered with lost dog notices and deduces that dog notices with expensive rewards got their dogs back, while the others did not. Celeste Kane walks into Mars Investigations and she blames Veronica for her family's problems. Veronica tells Celeste that she'll tell her what happened with Duncan (even though she doesn't know) if the Kanes drop the charges against Weevil.


Aaron Echolls deals with his daughter's abusive boyfriend his own way.

Veronica posts a fake lost dog notice as bait. Logan finds out that Trina is a victim of domestic violence. Wallace tells Veronica that their parents were making out last night. Veronica gets a lead on the lost dog notice and she sends Wallace to take care of it. Wallace meets a Spanish-speaking man and Veronica secretly places a tracker on him. Veronica tracks the man and he and his friends say that they get the dogs from a "dog man." Veronica enters a mysterious van, but Hans, the owner, denies any involvement. Weevil walks up to Veronica, indicating that he was released under Celeste's orders. Logan asks Veronica for help in tracking down Trina's boyfriend, Dylan Goran. Aaron, seemingly oblivious, asks Trina to bring her boyfriend over that night. Veronica finds out that the man's name is Dylan Goran, who has been put under two restraining orders recently by ex-girlfriends. Dylan comes over to the house. Suddenly, Aaron grabs Dylan and starts to beat him up. Eventually, Dylan is helpless on the ground before Logan and Veronica arrive. Logan and Veronica escort Dylan to his car and he drives off the premises. Logan and Veronica talk about Lilly and Weevil, but Veronica doesn't know who she actually cared about more, but she does know that Lilly loved Logan. After talking some more, Veronica and Logan kiss again and decide to start secretly dating.

Veronica talks to Mandy and they decide to visit the pound to report Hans. Veronica breaks up with Leo and reveals that she kissed Logan. However, they decide to remain friends and Leo helps them get an official search for the pound. After opening a locked door, they find all the "lost" dogs. After Mandy tases Hans, he reveals that Chester is not dead—he was sold when they couldn't get a ransom. Later, Veronica finds out from Leo that Weevil was not just looking for a ring—he was stalking Lilly. Keith tells Veronica that he already knew this, but had been ruled out due to an airtight alibi. Mandy and Veronica visit the woman who had bought Chester. Veronica confronts Weevil about breaking into Lilly's room; he wasn't looking for a ring, he was looking for a "secret message pen" Lilly used to have. He gives the pen to Veronica, but the pen is empty and he is evasive when Veronica asks if the pen had a message in it when Weevil found it.

Arc significance

  • Weevil breaks into Lilly's room and steals a pink "spy pen" that Lilly used to hold secret messages. He gives it to Veronica, but it's empty.
  • Keith discreetly takes hair samples from Veronica and sends in for a DNA test.
  • Aaron's violent nature is highlighted.
  • Logan's claims of being abused by his father as a child are made more likely by Aaron's behavior. Also, Aaron himself remembers being beaten and abused by his own father during childhood.

Cultural references

A variety of cultural references are made in the episode:

  • Mandy is reading Forever by Judy Blume.
  • Aaron Echolls says that Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson gave him the novel Siddhartha to read.
  • Logan imitates Yoda.
  • Hans references One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
  • Weevil mentions Get Out of Jail Free cards from the board game Monopoly.
  • Trina Echolls compares Aaron's would-be role in Dylan's film to John Travolta's character in Pulp Fiction.
  • After watching Aaron beat up Dylan Goran, Logan says "Father knows best," a reference to the radio and television show of the same name.


Main Cast

Guest Stars


  • "Marc" - Louis XIV
  • "That's Amore" - Dean Martin


Veronica: That's the one.

Trina: Good morning, bro. Pop-Tart?
Logan: Hmm, a tart from a tart.
Trina: He of the sickle wit. Can I ask you something?
Logan: Hmm. Will you look at that? There was a string attached to my Pop-Tart.

Veronica: And it's time for the international language of…
[She blows an air horn.]

Veronica: How old are you?
Hans: Eighteen, why?
Veronica: Community soap.


  • Veronica looks at the kidnapped dogs and reads their names off as she goes along. Two of the kidnapped dogs, the ones named Shakes and Lola, are Kristen Bell's real-life dogs. Those are their actual names.
  • Veronica says to Mandy that "lost dogs aren't really my specialty". In real life, Kristen Bell is known for taking care of stray dogs and helping them find their owners.


  • The screen of the tracking device which Veronica placed in "Kanes and Abel's" and "Hot Dogs" is the same in both episodes, despite being different vehicles.
  • The girl's grip on her Judy Blume book changes between shots.

External links