Piz wins the right to be Hearst College Radio's host to a visiting rock star, Desmond Fellows (Paul Rudd), currently touring as "My Pretty Pony." Desmond formed this band with a fellow named Johnny Scopes, who is now deceased, and still tours by using cassette tapes of Scopes' vocals and playing the backing parts. This makes it a disaster when the tapes turn out to be missing from his backpack, replaced by a blue hotel robe. He's also ambushed at his hotel room at the Neptune Grand by a woman (Suzanne Cryer) in leopard-print undergarments and little else, whom he told in an Internet chat to look him up if he was ever in Neptune. She flounces off once Desmond reveals he doesn't remember her at all, making her the prime suspect in the tape theft. Since Fellows is in town to perform a benefit concert for Hearst Radio (which was recently hit by heavy FCC fines after a profanity malfunction and desperately needs the money), Piz calls upon Veronica.
Logan's homework assignment is to come up with, and present in front of the class, a proposal for a business that "caters to the lowest common denominator" and involves a "simple interactive element." He realizes he's forgotten to do it when he's called upon to make said presentation. He begs off until Monday. Inspiration comes in the unlikely form: Dick uploads to a compilation website a video of himself ghost-riding a car (poorly), and at the bottom Logan finds an advertisement for a rate-my-rear-end website. He hires Mac to do the programming, and she loops Max in for his experience with monetization. Dick provides end-user feedback, including the idea to hide the best asses further down so people have to click through more.
Veronica takes the case, despite the awkwardness between her and Piz: she's decided that, despite their snog-fest in front of Logan (or perhaps because of it), they ought to remain Just Friends. She asks to check Desmond's chat logs with the woman in question, and they discover a Chinese character, 恩, which she used to sign off with. However, translating it will have to wait, as Desmond is due to be the special guest on Piz's radio show. Things go pretty badly, with Desmond being: accused of riding the coattails of his deceased partner; invited to a party, and; accused of anti-Semitic lyrics by a group called "Semites for the Savior"—a group whose initials are "S.S.," Desmond chortlingly notes. Worst of all, Desmond announces that the show is canceled.
Keith is excited that the deadline for the special election is on Monday and no one has registered to run against him for the office of Sheriff. He then takes on a new investigation at the urging of Leo D'Amato, who is currently working in private security for a sporting-goods store. Leo is pretty sure the store owner is allowing the Fitzpatricks to "rob" the store, but has been discouraged from investigating the matter. He and Keith set up a stakeout to observe. They indeed find the Fitzpatricks engaging in a robbery, with the help of Vinnie Van Lowe... who, unexpectedly, locks them in their truck and calls the cops. He was hired to foil the robbery, and soaks up the acclaim for his deed. It will fuel his political ambitions, he explains: he's decided to run against Keith for Sheriff. The only good thing to come out of the situation is that Keith re-hires Leo as a deputy.
Veronica and Piz get the character translated by visiting Mandarin Chinese 101 right before class begins. Piz's two friends identify it as meaning favor—no, kindness—no, grace—which causes the professor to turn around and say, "Yes?" Grace Schaffer, the woman who was waiting for Desmond in her room, admits to being a former fan, but denies having the tapes, and practically offers to donate a kidney when Veronica claims she (the professor) also "stole" some important medicine Desmond needs. Veronica crosses her off the suspect list, but a new one is immediately presented when they find a Semites for the Savior flyer claiming they want to "STOP DESMOND FELLOWS". They put it on their to-do list.
While Piz attends Desmond in his room, Desmond begins to improvise a melody and lyrics on an electric keyboard. Piz compliments him on the composition, and asks if he ever comes up with his own material. Desmond pooh-poohs it, claiming nobody wants to hear anything but the old hits, but brightens up when Piz offers to bring over his fancy guitar. While he's gone, though, the news lights up with a "Where Are They Now" segment about My Pretty Pony, complete with a song about how they're in for the Money, Dear Boy. Next we see him, he's chugging at the party he was invited to during the radio show, and by the time Piz tracks him down he's leading a contingent of skinny-dippers. This is how Piz ends up as his representative while he's locked up, with Keith hotly debating him over the merits of The Beatles as a rock band.
Veronica and Piz visit the Semites for the Savior meeting, and encounter, amongst others, Brett Ratner, the Neptune Grand employee who brought Desmond Fellows' bags up and wasn't tipped for it. "What are you gonna accuse me of this time?" he snarks. Piz asks him if he planted the blue robe—causing both Ratner and Veronica to have a "Eureka!" Moment. Neptune Grand robes are white. Veronica apologizes to him sincerely, which he does not accept. That's probably his right, considering that Veronica's zero for three on him by now.
Veronica takes a look at the actual bag for the first time this episode. It doesn't take her long to figure out it doesn't have Desmond Fellows' tapes: it's Danny Cleaver's bag, grabbed in drunken error. According to the "If lost please return to" tag on the inside, Danny Cleaver lives in Los Angeles, and Veronica and Piz should be able to get there and back in the four hours before Desmond is scheduled to take the stage. Danny Cleaver, equally drunk, turns over Desmond's property without fuss.
On the drive back, Piz thanks Veronica for taking the case, despite the awkward state of things between them. He then takes the opportunity to rifle through his idol's bag. In addition to sundry drugs in various states of legality, he finds a demo CD entitled "New Shit." He and Veronica admire the material. Next thing we know, Piz is calling Desmond and claiming they're stuck in traffic and won't get the tapes back in time. Of course, they aren't; they're parked at the venue. But it's enough: Desmond decides to trot out some of his new original material. The crowd loves it, and Veronica leans over to say, "You're a good man, Piznarski." Of course, when Desmond finds out, he says the exact opposite—"You're a bad man, Piznarski"—but he's smiling when he says it. He then links up with Grace Schaffer for a drink.
And, over at Logan's subplot, Max has finished his part of the work, and asks Mac to join him for breakfast. Mac demurs, partially because her part isn't done, and partially to set things in order: next we see her, she's confessing to Bronson that she feels like they need to go their separate ways. She also demurs on Logan's payment, instead requesting 50% ownership in the new venture. That may not have been a good bargain, though, as Logan's professor shuts down his presentation before it's barely begun. (Then again, maybe the professor just thinks Sex Is Evil. The fact that he's played by a stuffy old man is probably meant to imply so.) Whatever the case, Logan's a bit taken aback, but his classmates are definitely engaged.
- Dumbass Has a Point: Dick's suggestion on the site layout is actually pretty astute.
- Holding Hands: Piz and Veronica during the concert.
- Shout-Out: To This is Spın̈al Tap, when a TV anouncer says Desmond is "In the where are they now? file".
- Ship Sinking: Mac and Bronson split up.
- White-Dwarf Starlet: Rare Male Example in Desmond Fellows.
