The OC: The Game Plan (episode 8)

Yep, it’s college fever!

We see the kids talking to their guidance counselors. Seth wants an east coast school because it’s all snooty and intellectual, while Summer wants Arizona or California where its fun and you can wear shorts year round. Seth wants sweaters and fall. Summer wants summer...all year round. Ryan is all, “uh…” and Marissa is all sulky because of the inconvenient shooting of Ryan’s bro last year. She thinks no college will want an attempted murderess at their school in the fall.

Ryan is all “uh…” about college because the OC is finally becoming like home to him. Although this does go against him wanting to leave Newport three weeks ago on a fishing boat. Or going to jail to help Marissa avoid prosecution. Or the premise of the ENTIRE SHOW. Ryan “fish out of water” Atwood is at a loss when it comes to picking out a college!

Kirsten and Julie yack at the condo. As the story goes, Charlotte made amends with her dad and is going to see him. Hmmm…does Kirsten fall for this story? Who cares, because later Julie gets evicted from her swank condo and she moves to…wait for it...a trailer park. Ever hear of “the circle of life” Jules?

Taylor Townsend, who happens to be working in the guidance counselor’s office and is privy to all sorts of private files, is smug when she tells Summer that Seth is applying to Brown… and she’s going to sorority-village in Arizona. That means the end of their little romance. And who will be there to pick up the pieces? Taylor, since Taylor is applying to Brown too! Ooh, burn!

Ryan and Johnny “persuade” Marissa to see a guidance counselor about going to college, which she does grudgingly. Meanwhile, Summer confronts Seth about the fact that their lists of schools do not match up. Does this mean they’re breaking up?

Sandy wants Seth to go to Berkeley desperately. Seth only has eyes for east coast schools (who can blame him, really?) so he calls in a favor—his old friend Paul Glass who’s now on the admissions board. And guess who’s coming to dinner? By the way, Paul Glass is black—get it? Guess who’s…oh, never mind.

Summer goes to the guidance counselor. He doesn’t think she’ll have a problem getting into any school since she’s got great grades and kick-ass extracurriculars. But she’s worried about the fat expulsion on her permanent record. I still don’t understand how they can expel Marissa since the shooting took place off campus, but I digress. The guidance counselor soothes Marissa by telling her to confront her issues head on or she’ll never get over them. In other words, write it in your college entrance essays! They eat that shit up! Because hey, if you can’t fix it, feature it.


Since Kirsten is bored out of her mind staying home, she pulls a Nancy Drew and starts following Julie to see what she’s up to. She’s been very cagey lately, and not hanging out with the Newpsies. She drives by the infamous trailer park in Newport (which is pretty nice, by the way) and sees Julie moving in. feeling bad, she has lunch with Julie a few days later and suggests that they go into business together. Julie hems and haws and finally comes clean about Charlotte’s fake charity scam, and how she almost was a part of it. Kirsten is horrified and storms away upset.

Marissa tries to write her college essay, but keeps getting writer’s block. Hey, maybe I should write the essay for her! Let’s see…“After I was social chair, I developed an alcohol problem, then tried to overdose on pills. Later, after my mom had sex with my boyfriend, I dated my mom’s pool boy and had a lesbian fling…” Back to Marissa. She has flashbacks from Trey trying to rape her, to the shooting, to the blood on his lips, until she can’t take it anymore and sweeps the laptop off the table and starts crying.

Seth and Summer continue to argue about schools, realizing that they are both moving in different directions. Summer is really agitated, Seth wants to go with the flow and see where they end up next year.

Later, Johnny tries to cheer Marissa up by inviting her to Surf-fest 2005 or something. While they hang out, Ryan finds her and asks what she’s doing there. She mentally retorts, “not writing my essay, obviously.” She just argues with Ryan. Johnny tries to step in and explain to Ryan that “he knows what she’s going through” which really makes his blood boil. But instead of letting his fists fly, he walks away! Marissa stares with indecision, but Johnny runs across the street to try and explain what he meant. Suddenly a car whizzes by and knocks Johnny into the air! Ryan and Marissa race over to help. Hmm. He really should have looked both ways before crossing the street.

At the hospital, Johnny is ok. He’ll just need knee surgery. But there goes his opportunity to be the best Surfer at Surf-fest! The drama!

Taylor Townsend drops by Summer’s house. Not to gloat! But to help Summer with her Seth-distance woes: she should apply to Providence College! Not as hard to get into as Brown, but still fun, and there are plenty of sororities and fraternities to turn her into a Stepford College Student! And it’s sunny and pretty at least three months out of the year…sure it’s when she’ll be back in Newport, but that’s not the point. She’ll be with Seth! Summer wonders aloud why Taylor Townsend is being nice all of the sudden. Taylor Townsend admits she doesn’t have a chance in hell with Seth, so she would rather have them both as friends! I think our little girl is growing up.

Black Paul Glass comes to dinner at Casa Cohen. He and Sandy laugh over good times at Berkeley, thoroughly boring everyone in the room to death. The phone rings and Kirsten knocks over the boys racing to the kitchen to answer the phone. Suddenly Paul Glass asks the boys a random question: "What do you call a black man flying a plane?" Ryan and Seth look uncomfortable. "A pilot, you freaking racist!" Paul Glass exclaims, and Sandy laughs like a hyena. The boys laugh nervously.

Kirsten missed the phone call, but the answering machine picked it up: It’s Julie, apologizing for almost scamming her. Kirsten decides then and there to race over to the trailer park and have a heart to heart with Julie.

Meanwhile, Summer comes over and has her own heart to heart with Seth. She’s worried that Seth will leave her for someone smarter once he gets to Brown. Seth thinks she’s crazy, since he’ll never get anyone as hot as she is. They decide to give their relationship a shot in Providence.

Marissa is with Johnny in the hospital. She feels bad about the accident, but Johnny puts it into perspective: you can’t dwell on the past, you’ve got to work to make the future happen for yourself, because what other choice do you have? Don’t poor people have the best perspective on life?

Kirsten drives to the Newport Trailer Park (which is really nice, by the way) and accepts Julie’s apology. They decide to go into business together after all. Between Julie’s street smarts and Kirsten’s brainpower, it’s sure to be a success, just like when they ran that “Newport Living” Magazine last year!

Marissa goes to Ryan’s too and they discuss Johnny. Ryan blames himself for the accident. But Marissa says that Johnny helped her realize that shit happens and she needs to move on. Paul Glass overhears everything and is impressed enough to say they should both apply to Berkeley. So all’s well that ends well! Ryan picked a college, Marissa gets over her writer’s block, Summer and Seth will live in Providence…oh, Johnny’s still in the hospital. Most is well that ends well.

Next week: Will Johnny walk again?