Series creator Rob Thomas had planned this case of the week for "There's Got to Be a Morning After Pill" since the beginning of the season as one of what he considered "college-age crimes". In addition, the subplot involving Logan and Veronica's breakup triggered a discussion in the writers' room about Veronica's character traits. The episode received 2.40 million viewers in its original broadcast and mixed reviews from television critics. Eric Goldman of IGN thought it was indicative of a general upward trend in the show's quality, while Rowan Kaiser of "The A.V. Club" thought it was uneven.