So before last week’s episode..I said I didn’t like where things were going. After last week’s episode, I say I kinda like where things are going! Last week was a great episode and I can’t wait to see what happens this week. It’s too bad they had a week off for Thanksgiving as I had to think about what happened last. You can’t remember? Well..might as well start off by going here! That is my recap of the last episode!
Now the preview for this week is all about the future. Seth, Marissa, Summer, and Ryan all start to think about what they will do with their lives. Will that be college? YES! I can’t wait for this episode. Lets hope they don’t disappoint me this week.
Lets just get it going! On with the show!
The O.C. – Season Three (Episode 8) – “The Game Plan”
We open up with, what else, but the cafe and Ryan and Seth talking about college. Seth wonders if it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond. The applications for college are due today for some reason. And here comes Summer and Marissa. They forgot all about the deadline. Marissa doesn’t seem too happy about all of this. Seth rambles on and on..like usual. This time about how leaving Newport will be great for everyone!
Seth: “I’m talking about snowstorm..seal your windows with duck tape..weather. That’s what I’m talking about!”
Marissa is bummed, though. With her record, she doesn’t think she will get into college.
“California…here we come…right back where we started from…California…here we come! Oh!!”
Sandy and Kirsten talk. Kirsten wants to go to work with Sandy or something. Kirsten tells Sandy that she is going crazy. She is going crazy from all the new cooking. She wants something to do outside of the kitchen. Ah..but Sandy leaves without her.
Chili and Johnny come to talk to Marissa. Chili tells Marissa that Johnny is about to win this big breakthrough surf competition today! Johnny picks up on the fact that Marissa is not happy, but Marissa says she is. Ah..been there before.
Now we get various shots of Ryan, Summer, and Seth talking to a school counselor about colleges.
Summer: “I definitely want to join a sorority. But I don’t want to learn Greek!”
Ryan has no idea where he wants to go. Summer wants to stay warm and picks hot places. While Seth wants the North and cold places. Ryan is excited about going to college. But it’s a lot for him as he would be the first from his family to go.
Julie and Kirsten talk. Kirsten tells Julie about her being crazy. Julie could care less as Kirsten asks if she needs to tell her something. She says no. The doorbell rings and it’s a lady. She wants the rent from Julie, but she has no money. Kirsten asks if something is wrong. Of course, Julie says no. Women!
Seth tells Ryan that he could get into Brown. That is on the east coast and it’s cold there! Ryan asks about him going to Berkeley in California. That was Sandy’s alma mater and he wanted Seth to go there. Seth thinks about how to break the news to him. Ryan tells Seth that he “doesn’t have a leg to stand on” when it comes to talking to Marissa and convincing her to do things. Seth tells him to find an ally. Seth leaves but not before spitting on the couch.
Seth: “I don’t give a crap about this school. I’m outta here!”
Taylor runs into Summer and she wants Summer to feel her forehead, because she has college fever! HA! HA! Summer calls her annoying. Taylor knows that Summer signed up for Arizona and then uses that to create some friction between her and Seth. Seth applied to Brown..you see. That’s a long ways away! Taylor is a good manipulator!
Taylor: “Intimacy..it’s a tricky business!”
Seth drops by Sandy’s office. Sandy is just happy that Seth is still considering Berkeley. But Seth doesn’t have the heart to tell him that he doesn’t still have Berkeley on the table. Seth leaves, while Sandy calls Berkeley. Oh no!
Ryan shows up at Newport Union and wants to talk to Marissa about college. Johnny is not far behind. And it becomes pretty clear that Johnny and Ryan are teaming up to try and persuade Marissa into going to college. That doesn’t work so well as Marissa is PISSED!
Sandy tells Kirsten that he talked to a guy named Paul Glass from Berkeley. Kirsten tells him not to pressure Seth into Berkeley. Sandy is just nudging him. Kirsten is late for her fitness class. It’s for Julie, though. Kirsten knows that something is wrong with her and she is going to find out what it is.
Seth comes and asks Ryan how it went with Marissa. Not good. Seth thinks it’s a time to celebrate. They are leaving Newport! Ryan doesn’t think Newport is such an evil place. Summer and Marissa come in.
Summer: “Cohen..me..you..upstairs..NOW!”
Seth (To Ryan): “Tell my parents..I love them!”
They leave as that leaves Ryan and Marissa to talk. Marissa says she is sorry. She realizes that he was just trying to help so Marissa agrees to go see her counselor.
Summer has a list of colleges they applied for. She is mad that their lists are on opposite sides of the country! Summer is mad that Seth hasn’t given a thought about them being apart. Seth tries to apologize, but Summer leaves angry. Good move..Seth!
Julie is skipping town! She has a moving van and seems to be leaving her house. Kirsten drives up and sees Julie leaving. She wonders wants going on.
Summer wants to read up on Brown University. But someone else has the materials on it. Of course, Taylor walks up and brings them back. She already did her homework on it. Taylor laughs at Summer for even thinking that she can get into Brown. Taylor says she can still visit her and Seth if she can’t get in, though! Oh..it’s on!
Marissa and her counselor have a chat. Marissa is still not sure she wants to go to college. Which leads the counselor to ask if it has anything to do with what happened over the summer. Marissa asks if she would have to explain things and the counselor says she would have to explain why she got expelled. But it’s a small price to pay to get into college says the counselor. Marissa just wants to forget about it and not bring it up again. The counselor tells Marissa to write about what happened to her.
Counselor: “You can’t run away from your past. So before you let it ruin your future, you might try learning to live with it!”
Julie pulls up into a mobile home park! This is great! This is her new home. We come to find out that Julie lived in a place like this as a kid and she never thought she would be back here. But she is. Things don’t always work out as you plan. Kirsten drives up a few minutes later to see Julie moving in.
Meanwhile, Marissa sits in front of her computer and tries to write about what happened with Trey on her application. Now we get various shots from the past. Blast from the past, if you will and they are not happy images. This leads to Marissa getting all upset and shoving everything off her desk. She begins to cry.
Sandy and the family are in the kitchen. He tells everyone that his friend from Berkeley is coming to visit them later. Seth says it’s an ambush, but Sandy says it’s just dinner! Somehow..I don’t believe him!
Chili and Johnny come to Summer’s house and want Marissa to come to the surf competition. Marissa doesn’t want to bring them down. She can’t write the essay, so she might as well forget about college. They want her to come on tour with them. Surfing around the world could give her some time to let things heal. Marissa goes upstairs to change and tells Summer that college may be put off for awhile!
Kirsten and Julie meet up for some food. Kirsten wants to Julie to come into business with her. Julie doesn’t want charity. But Kirsten needs to do something productive. So she needs to do this and she wants Julie to be her partner. But Kirsten wants to know what happened to Charlotte first. Julie finally tells her the truth.
Julie: “Charlotte went to rehab to find a rich, vulnerable woman to exploit. She’s a con artist!”
Kirsten is in shock. She asks about the fundraiser and Julie says it was a scam, but she stopped her before she could get away with it. Kirsten is upset that Julie was even in on it to begin with. Oh come on! She still SAVED you!
Seth brings a bag full of stuff to Summer in her room. He always wanted to leave Newport, but the only reason he never left was because Ryan came to live with them and Summer started talking to him. But now he has to go. He wants Summer to come with him. But Seth always wanted to go East and she always wanted to stay West. She asks if her dreams aren’t as important as his? Seth is just trying to make things work. Seth brings up Ryan and Marissa and how they aren’t running away from each other. Summer says not yet, which leads us to…
Surfing! Marissa asks Chili if this is what next year will be like? Just hanging out on the beach all day. Chili has a job lined up for her, if she is serious about this.
Seth comes to talk to Ryan. Seth says next year is ruining this year and he is about to tell him the news, which Summer told him while we were away.
Oh..and the hotties come together! Taylor and Summer battle it out for the hotness award! Err..I mean they come to talk. Summer wanted to meet with Taylor. Summer tells Taylor that she can have Seth. Taylor can have Seth! Summer and Seth won’t be together much longer. Taylor thought they would do the long-distance thing, but Summer says no. Taylor doesn’t believe her and she is correct. Summer tells Taylor the truth.
Summer: “What if he goes to college and meets a bunch of really smart and interesting girls, and realizes that is who he is supposed to be with!”
Taylor: “And that you are just his high school girlfriend..cute, you’re fun to be with, but doesn’t want his kids to have your DNA!”
That is one way to put it. And Summer is about to cry as she says that maybe she should just end it now. Summer tells Taylor to be nice to him and Taylor actually seems hurt as well.
Johnny did a great job at the competition or so it seems as we were busy elsewhere. Ryan arrives at the beach and the showdown begins! Ryan asks Marissa what is going on. She doesn’t want to go to college, but now she wants to go on tour? Johnny walks up and Ryan confronts him. Ryan wants to know if Johnny put her up to this. Johnny tells Ryan that maybe he doesn’t know what she is going through. Ryan asks if that is what Marissa thinks. She says it’s complicated.
Now it’s time to announce the winners of the competition. Ryan walks away angry and Johnny runs off to go and stop him. And holy crap! A car flies around the corner and runs him over! Didn’t see that one coming!
We are at the hospital now. And Johnny blew out his knee. Chili asks when he can surf again, but he might not even be able to walk again! That is just GREAT! Chili can’t deal with this and leaves. Ryan blames himself. Marissa tells Ryan to go before Sandy worries about him. Marissa is off to find Chili.
Sandy’s friend joins them for dinner. They seem ready to discuss some interesting things. But first…
Taylor is at Summer’s house and in Summer’s room. She has a bag as well. The bag has shirts from Providence College. The admission standards are a little lower, so that Summer might have a chance to get in. And it’s 20 minutes away from Brown. Taylor doesn’t know what we will happen in the future, but she says that right now Seth loves Summer and Summer is not even giving him a chance. Summer wonders why Taylor is being so nice. Taylor says they are like her best friends, even if that sounds crazy. Summer says that they are her friends. Taylor is so happy that she acts like Seth and rambles on and on about a sleepover and stuff.
Taylor: “Keep in touch..Summer!”
Sandy’s friend says that around 50% of people meet their life-long partners in college. He asks Ryan and Seth if they have girlfriends and they aren’t too sure about it. HA! You never know! The phone rings and Kirsten goes to get it. It’s Julie. She leaves a message on the answering machine. She says she is sorry and that Kirsten deserves a better friend than Julie. Kirsten has to run to go talk to Julie or so it seems. Summer arrives and she wants to talk to Seth.
Summer and Seth head upstairs and Summer has winter hats! She is coming with Seth! She wants to give this a shot and she can’t do it across the country. Seth asks what made her change her mind and Summer says Taylor. Seth is shocked.
Summer: “She made me see that at Brown you will be surrounded by really smart people that will make you feel stupid. So you need someone to be there who is stupid that will make you feel smart again!”
Seth: “Summer..you’re my little snow angel!”
Awww..that’s too cute Seth. They make out on the bed with their wintery hats on!
Marissa walks into Johnny’s room. Marissa says it’s all her fault. But Johnny says it’s everyone’s fault. But it happened and you can’t change it. You can’t give up when bad things happen to you, though, says Johnny. Great advice Johnny!
Kirsten knocks on Julie’s door. Kirsten finally realizes that Julie didn’t go through with the scam, because of her. She is living in this place now because of Kirsten. Julie and Kirsten decide to go into business together. They hug and all is good again..with them!
Ryan tells Sandy and his friend that he doesn’t know if he is ready for the whole college thing. He finally has a home and he is not ready to leave yet. Seth comes and wants to talk to Sandy. That leaves Ryan and Sandy’s friend alone. Sandy’s friend asks Ryan if a girl has something to do with this. There is ALWAYS a girl involved!
Seth finally tells Sandy that he isn’t going to Berkeley. He is going to Brown. Sandy is happy for him. They hug.
Ryan tells Sandy’s friend that Marissa is an important part of his life and he is not ready to leave that. That leads to Marissa coming to the Cohen house. She and Ryan talk and she tells Ryan not to blame himself. It just happened. She then says she is going to apply to college. She doesn’t want the past to ruin their lives. She is just going to deal with it. Sandy’s friend interrupts and suggests they apply to Berkeley. He then leaves as he doesn’t like sitting alone.
Marissa and Ryan head upstairs to join Seth and Summer in Seth’s room. Marissa and Ryan are headed to Berkeley while Summer and Seth are going East! Summer jokes about Ryan and Seth being apart and being “long-distance friends”! They better not cheat on each other! HA! HA!
And we are out until next week!
