Adam Rose makes his second appearance in "Poughkeepsie, Tramps and Thieves", while the episode was one of Thomas's favorites of the season, particularly enjoying scenes between Logan and Veronica, Veronica and Keith, and Chelsea and Max. In its initial broadcast, the episode received 2.69 million viewers and mixed reviews from television critics, with critics being divided over the case of the week and the development of Veronica and Logan's romance. Eric Goldman of IGN thought that the episode was "extremely witty and fast-paced", while Rowan Kaiser, writing for "The A.V. Club", believed that the episode suffered from a "lack of development for Max's character."