The OC: The College Try (episode 22)

Believe it or not, the episodes have been improving lately by leaps and bounds. Still, the adults need to have better plotlines. But I can't complain with having Taylor and Sadie in the show, it pushes Marissa to the background where she needs to be. But, on to the show.

Ryan and Seth are going to their respective college admitted students' weekends. Well, Ryan is anyway. Remember, Seth didn't get into Brown. But he's concocted this scheme to go there and try and weasel his way in anyway. He's not even worried about being seen by Summer because "Brown is filled with pasty-faced Jewish kids, I'll fit right in." So Ryan packs his "two hoodies and wife beater" and Seth packs his own baggage of "not getting into Brown." Kirsten drops the boys off at the airport. But as she's leaving, Kirsten spots Theresa at the terminal. She starts to say hello when she sees Theresa holding a baby that looks MIRACULOUSLY the same age as the baby she would have had if she didn't miscarry it last season. Maybe it's Ryan's love child!

The boys are at the pier. Seth wants to ask Summer to the prom, but yeah, they broke up. Seth is going to trick her into meeting by telling her he's the admissions counselor at Brown. Seth suggests Ryan take Theresa to the prom. Ryan thanks Seth for not mentioning he take Marissa. Seth says, "I figured she'd be taking the surf nazi." Unless he's of course selling crack to blind kids. Seth and Ryan suddenly spot Volchok, making out with some skank whose not Marissa. "Maybe it's his cousin. His really dirty cousin."



At pre-freshman orientation, Ryan is getting along pretty well with his 40 year old "freshman buddy" and even whispers "I came from Chino." to his surprise, nobody beats him up! "There's no mold here," says the freshman buddy.


Summer and Marissa pack their bags too for the college weekend. Summer is deciding that sparkly scarves are not what people wear to Brown, which leads to another conversation about M. breaking up with Volchok. Summer is afraid she's going to have make up sex on his dirty mattress, but Marissa is stronger than that...we hope. Meanwhile, Julie and Neil plan to go to some hospital event and invite Sandy and Kirsten along. When Marissa meets Volchok, he won't give her stuff back, but during this breakup scene, she goes on and on about "The Sound Of Music" and how much she loves that movie and blah blah blah. I wouldn't mention this, except it's a plot point later.

Kirsten immediately tells Sandy about Theresa, and thinks they should call Ryan and tell him. Sandy wants to give him the weekend at college, then tell him when he gets back. I'll have to agree with Sandy on this one. Ryan's life is always in disarray, I don't think it would hurt to have one nice carefree college weekend before getting punched in the gut by reality.

Ryan is enjoying his weekend at Berkeley, and it turns out that (gasp) nobody cares that he's from Chino! And there's actually real live black and latino students there too. Seth made it to Brown and is trying to work out a plan, when who should appear but Anna! From season 1, she was Seth's friend and later love trianglee for a while before she went to Pittsburgh or something. Wherever characters go on this show and never come back. He spills the whole story to her, and she is on board to help him get into Brown.

Berkeley dining hall. Ryan is hanging out with his freshman buddy and other assorted minorities when Marissa comes over. Frosh buddy immediately is hot for her. Ryan can barely stop from rolling his eyes and tells him "We used to date, but you should go for it."

Anna's big plan to get Seth into Brown is talk to the Dean of Admissions at a big prefrosh party. Unfortunately, he's a babbling idiot, but manages to get a meeting with him the next day. Summer spots Seth, and immediately jumps to the conclusion that Seth wanted to go to Brown--just not with her. Especially when Anna comes up and asks, "How did it go?" Summer storms away (summer storms...i just got that...ha!)

Ryan calls the Sandy to report on how he's having a blast at Berkeley. But because Sandy is being evil right now he doesn't care about Ryan at his alma mater, and hands the phone to Kirsten. Ryan gushes about the school, which prompts Kirsten to burst his happy bubble by telling him about Theresa and his possible baby. Thanks, Debbie downer!

Seth meets with DOA, who up until now didn't know Seth didn't get into Brown. But Seth has exactly one minute to convince him why he should get into Brown. His highlights: kick-ass SAT scores, extracurriculars including the chess club and comic club, and his super-wealthy paretns. Apparently Brown has their fill of kids just like Seth, and denies him entry into Brown. Seth does the only thing he hasn't tried: appeal to DOA's sense of romanticism ("I want to go because my girlfriend is going here!"). Unfortunately, since this is not an episode of "Felicity" the Dean says, "Solve your own romantic problems." So time to make some alternate plans, Seth.

Ryan can't stay in Berkeley after hearing the news, and finds Theresa (thanks to Kirsten and google). Theresa is not there, but the nanny is, and so is the baby. It could be Ryan's, I guess.

Sandy and Kirsten are invited to a doctor retirement function, which Sandy is all over and Kirsten is fuming about. Sandy is totally working the room and even gives a speech at this old man's party, though he just met him. Kirsten gives her own speech, which includes barbs like "Sandy has told me how many times this project is important to him," and "I married a man just like my father." Kirsten slips out and downs a whole glass of white wine in one gulp. And so the slippery slide begins.

Marissa comes back to the OC much later than Ryan, but does go to the pool house to chat. Marissa talks about how she doesn't picture herself in college anymore.

Seth leaves Rhode Island dejected...until Anna comes to pick him up and take him to RISD (Rhode Island School of Dee-sign). Seth can apply there! She has an Atomic County comic book to use as his portfolio. Things go well at RISD. At the airport, Anna hugs him goodbye just as Summer walks by. She will DEFINITELY not be listening to any apologies now.

Theresa drops by the pool house. It turns out Ryan isn't the father of her baby and has a paternity test to prove it. Ryan is offically off the hook, though he and Theresa still obviously like each other. Maybe they'll get back together. After all, Ryan's been single for maybe three weeks.