The O.C. S02 E22–24 & Season Wrap-Up

2.22 The Showdown

First thing in the morning and Kirsten is drinking fruit juice with booze in it and yup now she’s an alcoholic now. Remember because she drank vodka recently? We don’t have time for slow burns, there’s only 289 episodes/season!

S is planning on telling Sum about what happened in Miami. Sandy advises, yes this is the best play because confrontations are bad, but hiding things are worse. Like Kirsten is doing! Get it? Sandy, awesome lawyer that he is, sniffs Kirsten’s glass in the sink. It’s booze! Perfect, we’re already gearing up for an intervention for the drinking problem she developed five minutes ago.

M is dealing with the assault by Trey best she can, but has literally the marks from it all over her body. Trey keeps calling and also getting prodded by Pool Girl who lets not forget, is late for high school class. S tries to confess to Sum about whipped cream girl, but instead of hearing him out, being angry, all that kind of thing, she tells him she knows already and (I think?) dumps him and tells S that Zach and her kissed and…stuff. When Sum says it shouldn’t be this hard, I mean yes? Absolutely. But you are both so determined to make it hard (pun not intended) and never overlook anything and make a huge issue out of any easily explainable misunderstanding, that it always will be. Probably leave each other forever?

JC has spent two hours making Eggs Benedict for Grandpa and he’s like ‘Awesome, I’d rather eat shit, fuck you!’’ which suggest perhaps another relationship not long for this world. M is not going to tell R about Trey which is understandable and actually difficult. To make things even more difficult for Kirsten, Carter leaves her a lovely gift and even from NYC he’s causing trouble.

Zach of course would like to know if he means anything to Sum or if this was just her, as usual, treating Zach like an NPC to manipulate S. As some sort of grand gesture, Zach is like, ‘I’m quitting the comic because Sum means more to me than the comic.’ Because yes, totally, to be with the one you love should mean quitting on anything else that is important to you. S thinks that Sum will see through this nonsense and not care and HA. HA. Dude, all she cares about is men throwing themselves at her. Has she offered one word of encouragement to the comic? No, she’s actively tried to sabotage your life’s dream at every possible juncture. Zach makes a full heel turn, telling S he should have known water polo guys are never nice, and this is war. Friendship over!

Trey, who is clearly just itching to go back to prison as soon as possible, is hanging around outside the high school presumably to accost M or maybe just pickup another underage girl to sell drugs with? Here’s an idea, leave town. Do not not pass go. You are actively hurting everyone you purport to love and care for.

Sandy let’s Kirsten know he ‘finished her juice’ aka he knows she has become a boozehound! Kirsten takes this as a way to pull back from the weekend away they had planned, wear the necklace Carter bought her, and of course, drink more. That showed your loving husband who’s boss!

At the very official comic book meeting at the diner, Zach lets Reed know he’s pulling out of the comic. I mean honestly, who really cares, what does he even contribute to the comic, his Harvard business school expertise? His years running Marvel Studios? He is a child. Regardless, Reed is like, nah you signed a contract so you can’t pull out. I mean he’s a 17 year old kid, they really need his business expertise to launch this thing? All they need is S and his creepy perv ideas.

All JC needs is Grandpa to stop acting like a total asshole, but that is not likely in this lifetime. JC suggests a marriage councilor and yes, Grandpa is totally down for that. Haha, no gtfo. But that threat makes him instantly act more normal, less supervillain and he promises to take JC on a date and actually try. Sure. That or, view the PI pictures of her with The Colonel and arch his eyebrows, knowingly.

Kirsten is home alone which of course means she thinks about calling Carter and leaving a message thanking him for the necklace and then pounding a little dash of vodka. Alcohol!

At school, Pool Girl tries to hit on R for some reason. Trey almost speaks to M but here’s R and R swiftly senses something is rotten in Denmark. Kirsten is more interested in the products of Russia, and Sandy comes home with flowers to find her comatose on the couch, empty glass on the floor. I mean, they had her drink a bit of wine earlier in the season, but no more than anyone else. Why do network shows always thrust stuff out there with no foreshadowing, ramping up an issue from not existing to world destroying in like a two episode arc? It wouldn’t have been difficult to signpost Kirsten drinking more over the course of the season with the stress of the JCVP etc, but this all just comes out of nowhere. Next morning she’s like ‘I was just tired’ and Sandy is like, ‘I mean, yeahhhh tired, sure, but you’re drinking a lotttt.’ At least that’s a realistic way of confronting a partner — he’s not freaking out or anything, he’s just like ‘you seem to be drinking a lot, are you OK?’ Voice of reason, almost always Sandman.

S has his comic book nerd super team spy on Sum and Zach, but it’s unclear what exactly is happening here. Zach and Sum are hand in hand, arm in arm and happy? But S dropping the bombshell that Zach has not quit the comic book (remember, he signed a contract and is legally bound to keep working on it even though he did try to quit) which leads to Sum smacking Zach and probably dumping him for the next ten mins. That’ll teach him to not break a legally binding contract, destroy future business contacts and at worst be stuck with a huge legal bill for his family to pay.

Pool Girl tells R she always had a fantasy of two brothers at once. Not gross at all, thanks! I feel like that devil’s threesome is more likely to happen with Zack/Sum/S, although whether or not Sum needs to be a part of that, not 100% certain. They could just scatter some Miss Vixen drawings on the bed or something.

Sum is dumping all her Zach stuff — didn’t she already do that — because of how he is legally obligated to work on S’s comic. She takes three seconds to sort of notice that M has bruises all over her but swiftly pivots back to blaming women, in this case, Reed, for wanting to publish S’s comic. This behavior is past problematic to the point where it’s Sum needs the intervention not Kirsten. Kirsten however, is now ahead of JC in the day time boozing, shocking JC by making her one of her classic 90% vodka 10% OJ cocktails. Kirsten says that her marriage has been a disaster all season, since the boys went to live in Portland etc last summer (still weird) and now Kirsten is heartbroken over Carter and when you have JC solving your marital problems, you’re really at rock bottom.

Sum heads to the comic book store and calls Reed a Super Bitch. OK! Sum screams at Reed how dare she support S by threatening to publish his comic and making his dreams come true. Reed, being an adult confronting a tantrum throwing child, swiftly manipulates Sum into seeing the good part of the comic — she could also get famous off it! Finally, something Sum can support — her own success, which she can steal from a boy!

Turns out M burying the assault from Trey is not the best for her mental health, since now when R is kissing her, all she sees is Trey on the beach. Awful for M, but confusing for R who probably isn’t going to find out for a bit, since we have two episodes left in the season after this.

Kirsten is drinking, what I can only guess from the clearness, is straight vodka, leading Sandy to suggest, hey maybe we should talk? Sandy finally lands on, what happened with you and Carter? Kirsten instead decides to say it’s Sandy’s fault because of Rebecca. I mean, I’m not an expert but I don’t think that’s how it works in relationships, one for you, one for me.

I’m sort of unclear what Reed actually does, does she actually just own a comic book store? I thought she was some sort of Comic Book exec? This launch of what people in the industry had been calling one of the great new voices in comics doesn’t actually seem that big of a deal. It’s attended by like, eleven nerds from school. Most importantly, here’s Sum dressed as Little Miss Vixen. Of course this makes S declare his undying love for her and gives all the other nerds quality jerk material for the rest of their high school days.

JC never quite grasped that Grandpa is not a trusting man. He’s had her followed this whole time, so serving her divorce papers first elicits a ‘I’ll bleed you dry’ from JC, quickly morphing to ‘uh oh’ when he shows her the pictures of her with The Colonel and also tells her he knows about Luke.

Remember when Luke banged JC?

Classic Luke!

JC has a week to find herself and M another place to live, and also, find a job, because Grandpa fires her from her own magazine! Not the JCVP!! Wow that magazine might not be a great state, being that one editor left for NYC, one is fired and the other is now a drunk. Maybe let’s never talk of it again?

Zach and S have a full on brawl, which I’m sure Sum can’t get enough of and will store in her own spank bank for future use. I’m not sure if this will lead to more or less sales of the comic book. Probably net positive right? Sum says she’s over both of them, which, a likely story. Wow, I can’t believe Zach lasted this whole season! Good for him!

M is out looking for R, Sandy searching for Kirsten, thankfully nobody is going to the comic book to support their friends dreams. Trey thinks it’s a great plan to break into M’s house, sneak into her bedroom and tell her it was all a mistake in the most threatening way possible. Trey tries to make her promise not to tell R, which, this is Orange County bro, he’s going to find out about it. The Cooper Mansion really is insane, when R walks down in front of it, seeing Trey leave, it really does like like some sort of Spanish castle.

Sandy drives the roads searching for his wife. But she’s already come to her senses perhaps, taking off Carter’s necklace and leaving it at the bar with an untouched drink. Wasn’t her first drink though, and while she’s on the phone to Sandy crying about reconciling, all she can say is ‘I love you…’ before a giant truck t-bones her! The speed that truck was shown moving at, she’d be 100% dead. Ah well, come back Rebecca!

2.23 The O.Sea

R wakes to S sitting by his bed in darkness at 530am. Cool! S wants to discuss how to lure Sum into going to prom with him. R is grouchy but somehow not furious with anger. The phone rings, it’s Sandy to tell S that Kirsten is in the hospital and judging by the speed that truck was moving at it’s weird Sandy isn’t calling from the morgue, no?

Kirsten awakes with a bit of a bruise on her forehead, but otherwise, totally fine from having a giant semi t-bone her at about 100mph with an impact velocity that would have crumpled her vehicle into the size of a hotel fridge. She swiftly lies to S and R about how she was talking on the cell and that’s why she’s got a concussion. No booze, definitely wasn’t the fault of old Mr.Booze! Sandy learns from the cops that she was, of course, heavily drunk. Fortunately, the cop is Sandy’s friend and suggests, maybe he read it wrong, as long as Sandy gets her into treatment. What a nice guy, everyone loves the Sandman!

M and Sum (still with some strange bangs) discuss how Sum looks likely to be prom queen (?? because she’s so beloved and such a nice person??) but both of them have major issues with their beau’s to sort out. Also with a partner issue, JC, accosting Sandy at home to show him her hilarious pre — nup. Married for a year = $3m. Anything less than a year = $0. She got served 30 days short of a year, because Grandpa is nothing if not frugal. Long as Grandpa files by Monday, she’s out of luck. So you’re telling me there’s a chance!

Zach and S apologize and makeup for maybe the 873rd time and here’s a thought. Maybe they shouldn’t? Maybe they just don’t need to be pals? Sum glories in their continuing uncomfortableness and throws in a totally fucked up bonus — one of them will take her to the prom tomorrow and they have to decide between them. That should finally ruin their friendship!! Nice one!! It is decreed by The Prom Queen in waiting! But first, Reed still wants to talk to these idiots about their comic book. Maybe she too wants to go to a high school prom? Why not!

Kirsten is stunned to find out that Sandy is sending her to rehab. For why? She didn’t even die in the last drunk car crash she had! The nerve! She’s trying to suggest, ‘I’m totally scared straight by getting a concussion (/definitely death in the real world) so I don’t need to go, it’s all gravy!’ Maybe Sandy should mention that the cops kinda made it a point to not send her to PRISON on condition she went to rehab? Nah, why make a big deal out of it.

R finally (sort of) confronts M about how he saw Trey leaving the house last night. M, as usual (but in this case totally justified) jumps straight to outright fury. In R’s defence, they both have been acting super weird since he came back from Miami, but given what happened, that’s actually to be expected. It’s going to be weird until the truth will out, then it’s going to be bad. M is like, ‘Uh, ask Trey!’ OK that should solve it! R will calmly ask Trey s’up.

Reed has just a tiny bit of good comic book news for S and Zach. Uh, George Lucas loves it and might want to make it his next movie. George. Lucas. Atomic County, therefore, is perhaps the most successful new comic book of all time, despite all their efforts to fuck it up. This is the most insane plot. George Lucas?? George. Lucas.

Reed is like you two can’t work together at all (fair) so ONE of you goes to meet Lucas. I mean that is both completely understandable and also, incredibly cruel. This is most likely a once in a lifetime chance to meet the doyen, the Godfather of their worlds and only one can go? Quite why it wouldn’t 100% be S, the creative genius behind the comic vs Zach, the guy excelling at high school business 101, I have zero idea. S created it all. Zach had some nepo-connection to get it made. Who should talk to Lucas? Tough call!

But of course, with one needed for prom and one needed for the meeting, it’s almost like they must decide, what is more important, love or commerce. Or to put it another way, what is more important. The chance of a lifetime to meet and work with a total legend or one more fucking night arguing with their petulant high school gf who they’ll never see again after graduation? Tough call!

Grandpa arrives at the Cohen house, yelling about taking a hardline. I mean, there might be some benefit to this approach vs Sandy’s milquetoast ‘Hey let’s pour away the vodka? No? OK cool’ approach. Grandpa is right, Kiki does have a problem, she is an alcoholic, she does need treatment. Turns out Grandpa’s first wife, Kirsten’s mother was also an alcoholic. Uh. Yikes. Kirsten doesn’t take this tough love great, screaming about how Grandpa is going to die alone. Fair points on both sides. But also, go to treatment. What’s the downside? Turns out you didn’t need really need it? Cool!

S’s plan for prom is based on Saved By The Bell — they should all go and be happy and it will solve all their problems. R is less enthusiastic, since his gf and his brother have basically admitted to hiding something from him, and whatever that thing is, it can not be good. And no, it is not. It is very bad. But whatever, R and M and going to prom together, because of course they are.

Grandpa is over at the Cooper mansion to pick up his sleeping pills, and here we go, once last chance for JC to dose the pills with fentanyl or lock him in the basement until the deadline passes or something. She switched the pills for something else, but unclear what. Death pills! Nobody will suspect the woman 24 hours away from being screwed out of millions of dollars who was also the last person to see him alive and was being blackmailed by a sketchy pornographer!

Kirsten decides she needs to makeup with Grandpa, but Sandy is like let’s just work on our issues ourselves? Which makes sense and therefore has no place on this show.

Pool Girl wants to go to the prom with R (!! for why??) and drops more breadcrumbs that something happened with Trey and M and that’s why Trey is headed back to Chino. She’s very helpful.

Zach and S decide the best way to pick who does what is by flipping a coin. I mean sure, why not. We don’t see the result but both look equally happy/unhappy. Also about to be unhappy, Grandpa and his sleepy time margarita’s. JC is in a bikini and she’s signed the divorce papers and is in her bikini and her plan here I guess is to straight up murder him?

R tracks down Trey in some sketchy Chino bar and Trey tells the story like Trey and M got wasted on the beach and hooked up and she threw herself at Trey and he swears that is the truth. Sure, Trey is an honest guy, why would you not believe him? Because Chino is a tiny village, R immediately runs into REG and is all like ‘hey no hard feelings, what’s up?’ REG also gives solid advice, ‘you don’t know which of them to believe? Are you serious? Believe M you goddamn lunatic.’ Which, yes, obviously. Undermining her honesty is best policy though, is the fact that she can’t let R inside her house because the baby she said she got rid of is in there and alive and well!!

Pulling up outside Sum’s house in a sweet white limo, is Zach, and that actually makes sense. Zach and Sum are better suited and S should be the one meeting with George Lucas, 100%. Oh now I get the episode title, M has come up with the theme for the prom, under the O.Sea which, haha good one! And also, a little Back To The Future nod? The enchantment under the sea dance? R is ‘sick’ and so M is there stag and Sum is not having this bullshit!

Holy shit, at S’s meeting is actually, really, George Fucking Lucas. Why is he in this show?? GL does not want to answer how he came up with the lightsaber. GL does however tell S that he skipped his own prom because he was too busy coming up with Jar-Jar Binks. Wow, OK, you should have gone to prom sir, that was not worth it.

GL admits however, he wishes he went to his own prom. I mean, this isn’t even their final prom though, right? There’s one or two more? The show, like all these shows, is purposely opaque about what year they’re all actually in, but S, dude, there will be another prom next year. There will not be another GL meeting, I’m thinking, ever. Do not leave the GL meeting without closing GL.

At the prom, Zach is mad because Reed is texting him that S is not sticking to the talking points! Hey Reed, instead of texting Zach, you’re at the fucking dinner! Maybe steer it back in the right direction?? You’re the adult in the room! What exactly is your contribution here?

Zach and Sum both tell each other they saw each other’s faces and understand that they both wanted other things. Zach has been ‘dreaming about this comic book his whole life.’ I mean, what does that mean exactly? Dreaming about what? Being involved in marketing a comic book a friend came up with? This isn’t Zach’s idea, he has had very limited creative input, it seems more like he’s just seen it’s a success and is smart about pushing it forward? He should be at the meeting for sure, but in a supporting role. And speaking of supporting, Sum should realize that although prom is very important to her, it’s George Goddam Lucas! If Coco Chanel came back from the dead and asked her to lunch would she say ‘no sorry, S has reservations at IHop?’ No, she would shoot S in the head if it in anyway enhanced her day or future prospects or Zach had committed adultery in his heart that afternoon.

Zach shows up as S is telling GL that they flipped a coin and uh, how is this going to save the meeting?? S bailing halfway through without even an explanation and being replaced by some other kid? Please stoppp.

As Sandy and Kirsten settle down to watch a DVD, Sandy finds a bottle of vodka in her purse. Her purse lol. Yes, news flash, she is an alcoholic who needs to go to rehab, like now, like you promised the cops you would take care of. In other booze news, JC can’t go through with murdering Grandpa, grabbing his drink and pouring it away before he can knock it back.

Great news, Sum is Prom Queen! Not sure how this happened since she’s mean to everyone except M and only ever talks to Zach and S? Alas, Zach is Prom King but he already bailed and oh no the embarrassment for Sum because she has to stand alone. She must break up with either of them again for this!

I don’t really see how this is embarrassing for Sum, since the voting could have thrown any dude up there, it’s not a repudiation of her (at least as far as everyone else knows) but anyway. Fear not, here is S, running up on stage to make a bold declaration — S loves Sum, want prom king be. Sum is like, sure let’s dance, and cue the Coldplay. I did chuckle hard at what sounded like someone shouting ‘He’s a tool!’ which seems like a more realistic outcome to this in a regular school.

M takes this a cue to stand outside, sadly, waiting for, yes, here’s R to kiss her. See everyone did the right thing!

JC is rewarded for doing the right thing because Grandpa topples into the pool, having a heart attack. Yay? Sandy confronts Kirsten like ‘hey, so, kinda not cool to hide vodka in your purse.’ Kirsten makes the interesting counter-argument, ‘I’m doing this my own way,’ which, solid comeback Kirsten. We end with a classic cliffhanger, Sandy taking a call from JC — Grandpa is dead! This gives Kirsten a great opportunity to pick up the vodka bottle and walk off. Huzzah?

2.24 The Dearly Beloved

Season Finale already! Sandy is looking at rehab options and everyone is pretending to be sad that Grandpa is dead, even though he was mainly just an asshole who everyone hated. S finds the rehab pamphlets and apparently was ignorant to his mom’s drinking this whole time and thinks they’re for his dad? R however is like ‘uh yeah, these are for your mom genius.’

Sandy pays a visit to a very pleasant rehab center and is assured not many people check themselves in. M is still being an asshole to JC but even she softens very slightly, apologizing for being a bitch and helping JC find something nice to wear. It’s not really clear if JC gets all the cash now but presumably she ripped up those signed divorce papers swiftly. TD is here, clean shaved and ready to take his place as friendly chap to all. Maybe he could also help Kirsten go to rehab, which seems more likely than WSE helping — but here she is, back from Tokyo (remember that?) and also ready to help. Kirsten is, not surprisingly, sad since the last thing she told Grandpa was that he’d die alone.

S is busy blaming himself for Kirsten’s drinking problem. Why start taking any responsibility in life now pal? Also, this wasn’t actually your fault. The comic book disaster though, sure.

Sum is all down to be nice now that S gave up his comic book dreams to worship at her altar again. Thanks! Trey is back in Newport, still selling drugs with Pool Girl, who also has a gun for him. Of course as we all know, Chekhov won’t let us see a gun this early without some gunplay later on.

At the tasteful funeral, TD and WSE hangout and notice Kirsten hitting the booze and Kirsten doesn’t give a fuck about how it looks. Sandy is in a pretty tricky position here because yes, a lot of people would want to get shitfaced at their father’s funeral. JC is actually being helpful, offering to help Sandy watch Kirsten. The kids of course, make it all about themselves, as is their teenage privilege.

Sandy gives Sum the task of keeping S out of the house and the kids are all happy to bail on the boring funeral and go party at the Bait Shop. Which is being run now by I don’t know? Trey is hanging out at the bar, trying to do his drug deals with Pool Girl. Dude. Leave. Town. Nobody is stoked to see Trey. Hey maybe go to a different bar guys? Nope! Pool Girl is like ‘make sure the gun is loaded’ and wtf is this drug deal? Is she planning to go Omar on these drug dealers? R clocks that something is going on and I’m sure, plans to insert himself in the middle of it.

TD, JC and Sandy notice Kirsten just walking around with a full vodka bottle and they really hit the gas on this alcoholic thing, eh? I mean, it’s her father’s funeral I think you could excuse almost anything so really a trip to rehab should be fine at this point they can just blame it on the shock of dead Grandpa and she wouldn’t even lose any social standing.

Pool Girl is just straight up doing lines on the table with some gangsters and then they tell her yeah, ‘we’re gangsters so we decided to just take the shit, instead of buying it, what you gonna do about it?’ I guess she has a couple of options, first up might be suggesting that she didn’t like, make the drugs herself, and whoever she got them off will not be happy about this turn of events? Instead she decides, option two, I’ll just pull a gun on them in the middle of a crowded club! Solid Plan B.

At least she’s committed — when the guy says she’ll have to shoot him, she pulls the trigger, blasting away at him not a second of hesitation. Pool Girl is a badass, I’ll give her that. Nobody gets hurt apart from somehow, M who got her head cut. The Baitshop is the most exciting club in America.

Sandy tells WSE (now moving down to second worst?) that they’re going to get everyone together and get Kirsten to rehab. R is busy with his own confrontations, next morning heading over to Trey’s house like ‘hey so guns and drugs etc etc, doesn’t seem to be turning the corner on this new life huh?’ R wants Trey out of Newport, which is totally reasonable at this point. I get that Trey is bad decisions personified but even he has to recognize that blowing town is the smart move here. He promises to leave, which, sure he will totally do that.

TD is making his move fast, suggesting JC come on the boat, catch some lobsters, have a bit of fun. I feel like the police might view this whole scenario as a leeetle bit suspicious.

Sandy breaks the news to S that uh, Kirsten needs a bit of a ‘break’ and a rest and actually, yeah full disclosure, your mom is a full on alcoholic which you might have picked up from her wandering around drinking directly from bottles of vodka. S, hours previously an adult negotiating business deals with George Lucas, reverts to the childlike view of ‘Why don’t we just ask her to stop, don’t send her away, no intervention!’ Uh she’s not going to prison S (he says ‘shipping her off’ about 500 times) she’s going to a super fancy rehab center to get actual treatment for her actual disease. S of course, retreats further to childlike anger and bitchines. R is like, I mean, ‘This is the right move dude, stop being an absolute child for once in your goddam life.’ S instead tries to suggest maybe it’s Sandy’s fault she’s drinking and I mean, even if that were true (partially?) that still reinforces the point that she is, in fact, drinking, and it’s a problem.

Sum prods and prods M into finally revealing that Trey attacked her. Now that Sum knows that gives us maybe ten minutes (seconds?) before the whole town knows. S finally apologizes to Sandy and says he’ll help. I mean that was probably a pretty fair reaction, OK, he is just a teenager. WSE is driving Kirsten back from the spa and here we go, intervention time! Kirsten is not stoked to find the Doctor in the kitchen and seems to be confused about the very concept that she might be an alcoholic.

For once, this is actually a very moving, very real scene. You can see that you would feel that way (as Kirsten) that it’s not a big deal and that everyone is overreacting. And you can also feel how she attacks each person, how dare R, how dare her sister. But the closer here is S. Him showing up begging her, finally makes her start crying and breakdown. This story line came in a bit abruptly, but they handled it well in the closing act, gave it a little gravitas.

JC and TD hanging out seems to make them both happy. It also probably doesn’t look the best, her laughing and hanging out with her ex the day after the funeral of her current husband, but maybe it’s a relationship that could last this time? But also, TD moving in, which is what they tell M is going to happen, seems insanely fast and just generally insane. There’s no rush here folks, Grandpa is dead. He’s not coming back. Probably.

Pool Girl has a great plan, her and Trey should go to Vegas and I don’t know, start murdering people for cash or something? Join the Taliban? Seems like there’s nothing she wouldn’t be down for. She’s fun!

Great gag from S, doorbell rings and he’s like ‘way things are going that’s probably Oliver.’ Ha. Oliver! He was a fun guy! Alas, it’s not, it’s Sum, eager to yell to S that Trey attacked M and R can’t know ever! They then immediately pivot from that plan to, let’s tell R straight away! S breaks the news to R in his regular clumsy way. I feel like S should have spent more time getting R calm? Like maybe strapping him down for say, 48 hours? R says how all year he’s tried to be a good person, a better person but now, he has to go settle things once and for all. Unleash the atavistic Atwood!

Kirsten can’t call home for three days as she goes through the hardest part, detox. Kirsten apologies to Sandy but he tells her she doesn’t have to. He’s always going to be there. Come back to us, Kiki!

M finds out that it took about twelve seconds for R to find out after she told Sum, and R is on his way to, I guess, fully murder Trey? Before R can fight Trey, Trey pulls the gun. Why though? Couldn’t he just fight Ryan, is he that scared? Regardless, they start fighting right away and Trey gets the upper hand, choking out R, as M arrives, her having somehow got there before Sum and S, despite leaving way later. Damn OC geography! Trey rips the heavy landline phone off the hook to bash R’s head in, but before he can, M picks up the gun and shoots Trey! Blood everywhere!

Cliffhanger!

Editor’s note, we can’t leave this episode and season without noting the legendary Dear Sister SNL sketch. I never realized it didn’t actually show up on SNL until two years after this episode aired. Weird!

Season Wrap-Up

I had no clear memory of Season 2 but I’m sure I watched it, first time round. It was still a pop cultural touchstone and I definitely remember the episode after summer break, M & Sum by the pool, feeling like yes! We’re back, baby! I remembered that OW was in it, with purple hair, and that R became more rounded and S more annoying but that was about it.

Like a lot of shows, the main issue isn’t so much an issue with the core dynamics of the show, more that it’s spread way too thin and thus becomes hugely repetitive. 24 episodes of 40+ mins is an insane amount of TV to create, and impossible to fill without falling back on the same old radio play dynamic.

There is a misunderstanding.

There is a breaking point.

There is a big argument.

There is a party, where everyone must gather.

There is a reconciliation?

Repeat.

Add in a new character who causes trouble, every 6–8 episodes. After 2–4 episodes that person disappears never to be spoken of again. That’s not a criticism of anything but success — if the show is popular the old TV model bakes in that you have to make as many as possible to cash in and ideally, get to what used to be the golden ticket in TV, 100 episodes and a lifetime of syndication and cash.

Of course streaming changed all that, but The O.C. existed in a world where you made an episode themed around each holiday and you shot it all on a punishing schedule which could only lead to watered down quality and angry actors petitioning to leave the show that made them famous. The characters themselves are not allowed to grow because they’re stuck in the same environment, with all the same other characters, especially when it’s a high school or college show. Sure, this is a purgatory that probably reflects your own teenage years, but this gets tiring quickly, just like having the same argument with your parents every week did.

By the end of season two it feels like the show is kinda over, or at least, headed down the other side, over the mountain top. In some ways, its peak might have even been the pilot. I’m not sure they ever topped ‘Welcome to The O.C. bitch’ as far as cultural impact goes, the fuse that lit the pop culture explosion. That was probably my highlight, that initial thrust of episodes, the opening credits, the model house being burned down, the crazy fights, the opening of that episode where S and R are skating down the pier to ‘That’s The Way We Get By,’ by Spoon. The unknown of will S and Sum get together and you’d actually like them to, rather you hope they both murder each other? That’s the show. The rest is just copies of copies until you can barely see the original. Season two wasn’t bad, no worse than most of season one, but you don’t have the freshness anymore and you can’t ever get it back. Now it’s just a show about two buddies, one of whom is adopted.

The characters fall back towards caricatures and we’re left with nonsensical plotlines and motivations. Does anyone truly understand why Sum was against the comic book? Why S stayed interested in her despite all her negativity? Why she couldn’t just choose one of Zach or S and make that stick? Why Zach was so invested in the comic book? Why Sandy never got Trey a job or helped with an entrance plan back to society?

I mean, they’re teenagers and we all did that thing of desperately speaking in some hyper-literate way to mask our own confusion and fear. It’s totally understandable that they’re going to make bad decisions 75% of the time. But to contrast S with say, Pacey from Dawson’s Creek, Pacey feels like a person who could exist in the world. S seems like someone who could not, at least not easily, and the same for Sum vs Joey Potter. Or maybe a rewatch of Dawson’s Creek would tell another story and we’re all just nostalgic for something that never happened.

Either way, we’re halfway through the show. Onward, to Season 3!