Defending Dustin

Defending Dustin
Season 1, Episode 4
Production Information
Director	Fred Savage
Writer	Anthony Del Broccolo
Prod code	103
Airdate	January 23, 2005
Episode Chronology
Previous	Webcam
Next	Prank Week

Defending Dustin is the fourth episode in Season 1 and the fourth overall episode in the Nickelodeon TV series, Zoey 101.Going by streaming and/or production order, this is the 3rd episode of Season 1.The episode aired on January 23, 2005.

Plot

When a school bully forces Dustin to do his homework for him, Zoey confronts the bully in public, embarrassing Dustin. Dustin runs off feeling hurt and embarrassed, and Zoey finds him eventually. Dustin tells Zoey that he's tired of her treating him like a baby and that he can defend himself. Dustin looks to Chase and Michael for advice. Meanwhile, Zoey, Nicole, Dana, Chase, and Michael try to hide their dog, Elvis, away from their dorm advisor, Coco, since it's against school rules to have pets on campus.

Episode Trivia

• Matthew Underwood (Logan Reese) and Erin Sanders (Quinn Pensky) do not appear in this episode.
• Although, Logan does not appear in this episode, he is mentioned.
• Going by streaming order, this is the 3rd episode of Season 1.
• This episode marks the first appearance of Coco.
• There is a building called the Harry Schneider Library, that is digitally added. This was Dan Schneider's father's name.
• This is the first episode of the series to be named after a main character.
• The lines that Herb the Janitor recited - "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time; The oppressor's wrong; the proud man's contumely; The pangs of despised love..." are from Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet."
• This episode was the first time Blix, the famous drink at PCA, was mentioned in the show.
• This was the second of two episodes actor/director Fred Savage directed, the first being Webcam.
• This episode is very similar to Bad Girl:
  • In both episodes, the main plot is centered around Dustin.
  • In both episodes, it is implied that Dustin is smart for a kid his age.
  • In both episodes, Dustin is involved in something with one of his classmates.
  • In both episodes, Zoey is worried about Dustin because of the situation with his classmate.
  • In both episodes, Dustin gets upset with Zoey for being too overprotective.
  • In both episodes, Zoey's ideas are what gets Dustin out of trouble.
  • In both episodes, Dustin stands up to his classmate.
• The main plot for this episode is very similar to the main plot of the Jessie episode, "Zombie Tea Party 5". Coincidentally, both episodes are the 4th episode of their series and their first seasons.
• This episode is briefly heard in the Drake & Josh episode "Peruvian Puff Pepper", when Audrey, Walter, and Megan are watching TV.
• PCA is revealed to have a strict "no pets on campus" policy.
• In the scene where Dustin is in his dorm, doing Keith’s homework, the background music playing is similar to The Beatles song, “I’m So Tired.” That same background music plays in the episode “Little Beach Party” but only at the end of the episode before the credits roll.

Goofs

• When Chase is giving Zoey a noogie, when Zoey bites Chase's hand, she bites her own and not Chase's.
• On the show, Nicole says Dustin is in sixth grade, but on the website, it says he is in fifth. Additionally, in Bad Girl, which takes place a year after this episode, Dustin is in sixth grade. 
• When Dustin was typing Keith's homework, the words didn't move at all as he typed.

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Cast

Main

• Jamie Lynn Spears as Zoey Brooks
• Paul Butcher as Dustin Brooks
• Sean Flynn as Chase Matthews
• Kristin Herrera as Dana Cruz
• Christopher Massey as Michael Barret
• Alexa Nikolas as Nicole Bristow

Co-Starring

• Jessica Chaffin as Coco Wexler

Guest Starring

• Erik Walker as Keith Finch

Gallery

Zoey 101 Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Defending Dustin.