The OC: The Swells (episode 6)

November 10

Last week: Dean Of Discipline takes a dive! Ryan leaves on a fishing boat—oh wait, no he doesn’t.

Marissa continues to have nightmares about almost killing Trey, which is weird since she hasn’t mentioned Trey since he left town. She calls Ryan and is all scared. Ryan tells her it was a dream and go back to sleep. Caring as always. Maybe he should punch out her nightmares.

Seth and Summer are worried that Marissa and Ryan are going to drift apart seeing as they’ll never see each other since Ryan is back at Harbor and she’s at Newport Union High TWO MILES AWAY. Summer says, “Ryan and Marissa haven’t broken up all week. I think they’re due.”

Julie is planning to host a charity event with Kirsten and Charlotte. Julie and Charlotte go out for lunch one day, and while Charlotte goes to the bathroom, she finds Charlotte’s vast collection of credit cards complete with different names. Busted! But Charlotte tries to spin it as an act to get Julie back on the Newport social scene, and a nice chunk of change for herself. She says, “Join me on the dark side.” But after Jimmy’s financial problems, Marissa’s alcoholism, Marissa overdosing on pills in TJ, Marissa dating a lesbian AND a pool boy (gasp), Trey’s shooting, the porn video, the Newport Group collapse, I really doubt that a fundraiser that sends overprivileged women to rehab is the way to go.

Beef stew night at the Cohens. Summer brings in the bad news-- Marissa bailed to hang out with Johnny and her public school friends. Ryan looks enraged. With a knowing glance Seth pipes in, “Ryan, try not to punch Summer.”

Sandy tries to sell the Newport Group and has a buyer, until he realizes the potential buyer plans on tearing down the low-income housing Sandy coerced Kirsten’s dad into building. I think low-income housing in the OC means a housing complex without a doorman or yard service. But the potential buyer’s 26-year-old protégé ain’t shady! So after a quick round of wheeling and dealing, Sandy hires someone to run the Newport group: Sandy his real world experience and street smarts + young financial genius with book smarts=success!

The beach. Marissa finds out Johnny almost beat his dad to death when he was abusing his mom! So he and Marissa bond over this. “You tried to kill someone to protect someone else? OMG, me too!”

TaylorTownsend schedules a mandatory lock-in for the senior class, which means Seth, Summer and Ryan have to go. After all, she got Ryan back into Harbor. Summer is hanging out with Marissa before the lock-in, but finds out Marissa is going to a party at the beach with her public school pals. She tells Ryan to hotfoot it over to the beach to get her back. But when Ryan comes running, Johnny is sucking face with his girlfriend. Oops! Summer makes some lame excuse to a puzzled Marissa.

The lock-in still hasn’t officially started yet, but Summer and Ryan haven’t come back. Seth tries to get Taylor to sign them in anyway, but she shuts him down cold. Later, Seth wanders outside and sees Taylor talking to her mom, who is dropping off some materials for the lock-in. Mother Townsend snaps that Taylor only had the lock-in to force people to hang out with her. Taylor looks like she’s going to cry. Apparently Taylor does all these things because she’s lonely and has no friends due to the humongous bug up her ass. Later, Taylor tries to engage people in trust falls and s’mores roasted over Bunsen burners, but the only thing that makes them feel better is rousing cheers of “you suck!” Because Seth is still unpopular, he takes one for the team. He grabs the mike from her and through dorky maneuvers says, “hate me instead!” Taylor’s heart melts as the senior class turns on him. Touched by this act of friendship, she signs Summer and Ryan in.

Johnny has a run in with a rival surfer. He’s pissed with Johnny for being a better surfer or something like that. Anyway, his girlfriend ends up sleeping with the guy, and of course Johnny walks in with all the action goin’ on and runs away. Girlfriend did the classic girl move: she knew Johnny liked Marissa and ended the relationship before Johnny could break up with her! Brilliant! But skinny Johnny tries to beat up the guy, but he’s stronger, more ripped and has four other friends. Who can help in this situation? Well, Ryan of course! With his fists of fury, he takes down surfer guy in no time. But while Ryan leaves, he yells after him, “It’s not over yet!” It sure isn’t, because Ryan and Johnny have become besties!

Summer runs back into the lock-in but is locked-out! She pounds on the door. Taylor hears it, but looks adoringly over at Seth reading a book. Taylor smiles and walks away.

Next week: more fists!