The series depicts the adventures of Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) as she deals with life as a college student while moonlighting as a private detective.
In this episode, when a Hearst student and former child soldier in Uganda named Apollo (Nelsan Ellis) publishes a memoir, Veronica receives a phone call from a man claiming to be his father.
"I Know What You'll Do Next Summer" incorporates the organization Invisible Children, Inc. into its storyline and includes a public service announcement for the group at the end of the episode.
In its original broadcast, the episode received 2.10 million viewers and generally positive reviews from television critics, with many praising the character development of Dick and the case-of-the-week.
Keith (Enrico Colantoni) tests Veronica on her upcoming private investigator exam, and Piz states that he is interviewing a former child soldier and Hearst student, Apollo, for his radio show.
However, Wallace (Percy Daggs III) urges her not to expose him as a hoax, as his book is actually helping charities that aid child soldiers.
[3] The episode contains several references to the charity Invisible Children, Inc., which aims to increase awareness for the use of child soldiers in the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda.
[4] The episode also ends with a public service announcement delivered by Jason Dohring, Kristen Bell and Ryan Hansen out-of-character.
[8] Series creator Rob Thomas was initially worried about including the reunion between Apollo and Kizza because he thought that such scenes did not play to his strengths as a storyteller.
The first was when he was initially informed about the situation by a former student of his mother's, while at Christmas the previous year, Hansen had given books about Ugandan child soldiers to all the writers.
[12] The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics, many of whom praised the case-of-the-week and the character development of Dick Casablancas.
Keith's storyline was another center of praise, with the reviewer stating that he thought the Fitzpatricks' plot line had been too rushed earlier in the season.
[13] Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly was generally positive as well, noting the romantic uncertainty between Veronica and Piz, Logan and Parker, and Mac and Max, drawing parallels between this aspect of the episode and the series' uncertain future.