The OC: The Sister Act (episode 12)

Note: I just started a public speaking class (yay!) but it meets on Thursday nights (awww!) so for the next few weeks I'm only going to catch the last 30 minutes of the OC. So I will use my 20-plus years of TV-deductive watching skills to figure out what happened in the first 30 minutes. Should be a challenge.

This is the big episode where Marissa's little sister Kaitlin comes back from prep school on "break." I don't think they ever explained how penniless Julie is managing to keep her in private school. But I digress...Kaitlin goes to her old house which is occupied by strangers, and soon learns that the Cooper family lives in a trailer park. I think Veronica Townsend maneuvers a date out of Dr. Roberts by using the highly successful Julie-Kirsten Dating Service. They get along pretty well, since Taylor goes over to Summer's house, calling her "sister" and picks out a new bedroom. Over Summer's dead body! Though it's strange since Taylor's been nothing but nice to them (Marissa Cooper Graduates ring a bell?) and Seth and Summer alternate between being nice to her or complete jerks. This week it's jerks, so of course Summer starts scheming to break them up.

Apparently, some guy from prep school keeps stalking Kaitlin. Ryan buts in and finds out that Kaitlin stole 1500 bucks from him. He confronts Kaitlin, who says that it was for "a friend of hers who the random guy got pregnant and won't pay to...ahem...take care of it." Of course, Ryan hotfoots it over to Marissa and spills his guts. Marissa has the best line of the night, with "I don't know what's harder to believe. My sister stole that guy's money or that she did it to pay for someone else's abortion."

The sisters fight in the trailer. Kaitlin is mad at Marissa for forgetting about her for the past two years. Poor deluded Kaitlin. Everyone knows it's all about Marissa, and Marissa only. And she stole that money so she could come home and see how everyone was doing. Marissa admits she's been a crappy sister and they do make up.

Another launch party with the Julie-Kirsten Dating Service. Of course, The OC's elite eligibles and their children are in attendance. Dr. Roberts and Taylor's mom are acting all chummy. Julie is saddened by the whole affair. Seth comes to the rescue by whispering something to Taylor, who repeats it to her mom. Taylor's mom practically runs away from Dr. Roberts. Dr. Roberts, perplexed, and unable to be without a woman for five seconds, motions to Julie and asks her if she wants to get a drink. Summer is really excited, and asks what Seth said to Taylor's mom. He says, "I told her your dad has genital warts. Hey, 'he voted for John Kerry' was not going to work." Summer doesn't like social diseases, which prompts her to smack her boyfriend around a bit.

Ryan manages to get most of the money back from Kaitlin, and gives the guy back what he's owed. He's a bit shell shocked, and sad that he doesn't get to see Kaitlin one last time. According to him, that girl's "....amazing..."

Johnny shows up at the launch party (Elite eligibles, their kids, and the dregs of Newport. Great party). He apologizes for something. I guess he told Marissa to stay away from him in the first half hour. Because he's grown some balls which immediately shrank. Of course, Marissa accepts, and immediately asks him to take her sister home. Princess Marissa must always have her way. Dude, he just got there! He drives a bored Kaitlin home. But on the way, she demands he stop the car at the beach. Kaitlin's dress comes off and she dives into the water, leaving Johnny to gawk. Love triangle, perhaps?

Next week: Someone in The OC tries drugs!