On or off?
It's been a week, and Seth still doesn't know where he stands with Alex
- and if she's still with Jody, could he maybe join them? Ryan and Zach
try to cheer him up, but they're interrupted by their respective girlfriends.
Seth decides to go to Alex's apartment and find out what's going on once
and for all. Alex has apparently spent the intervening week hanging out
with Marissa, who has a pretty loose schedule since Julie's "researching
the magazine" in Europe and Caleb is clueless about her. Alex says she's
busy today, since Jody's still there. When Seth shows up, she tells him
she's not interested - and inadvertently reveals that she's through with
Jody, too.
Fathers and daughters
Sandy's looking for office space, and if he can get a place with beach
access, all the better. Kirsten is skeptical. Their office hunt is interrupted
by a phone call from Max, Sandy's old law professor. When Sandy meets
him, Max tells him that he's been sick, and that he needs help finding
his daughter, Rebecca, who fled the country after a protest at a nuclear
power plant went horribly awry and killed someone. Rebecca also happens
to be Sandy's first love - they would have married if she hadn't fled.
Meanwhile, Lindsay pumps Ryan for information about Caleb, who still hasn't
made contact with her. Ryan tries to be diplomatic. Later, he stops by
Caleb's office and tells him that Lindsay really wants to get to know
him. Caleb, as always, dismisses Ryan.
New beginnings
Zach suggests Seth find something to take his mind off rejection. After
he sees Seth's sketches of Alex as an evil villainess, he enthusiastically
recommends Seth start his own comic book. Summer is appalled - how has
Seth turned her boyfriend into such a geek? She's in an even worse mood
when Zach starts blowing her off so he can talk comic scripts with Seth.
They decide to do a semi-autobiographical comic - their lives, but with
powers! Seth starts drawing all his friends as superheroes. Of course,
he's already got a whole sketchbook full of Summer-in-tights drawings
from his lonely summer in Portland. Ryan recommends that he not show those
to Zach or Summer-they're a wee bit stalkerish. But when Summer finds
them, she's not threatened, but flattered. She tells Seth she expects
and action figure by Chrismukkah. Still, they agree that maybe she shouldn't
show the sketches to Zach.
Recovery mission
Alex is livid when she discovered Jody took her favorite necklace, which
matched one she bought for Jody when they were together. Marissa suggests
they get it back. She blows off school again so she can back Alex up -
Alex needs someone to make sure Jody doesn't talk her into getting back
together. Alex finds lots of her stuff in Jody's apartment, but no necklace.
While the erstwhile girlfriends argue, Marissa takes the opportunity to
sneak around the apartment. She finds - and takes -- both necklaces. Jody
looks like she's talking Alex into staying the night, but Marissa bluffs
that she's not letting her girlfriend shack up with her ex. Jody backs
off. Alex thinks Marissa is the coolest, and gives her one of the necklaces.
Significant glances ensue. Later, they stop and get Marissa a tattoo.
Caleb is livid when he sees it, but Marissa blows him off.
Dinner with Caleb
After a conversation with Kirsten - and now that he realizes how bad a
father he is to Marissa -- Caleb finally calls Lindsay and invites her
to dinner. Lindsay tells Ryan he has to go with her, even though Ryan
tells her Caleb hates him. It doesn't go well - when Ryan arrives, Caleb
assumes he and Lindsay are in some sort of plot to scam money from him.
Lindsay is devastated.
Searching for Rebecca
Kirsten is not happy that Sandy is looking for Rebecca. She accuses him
of still being in love with her. Sandy denies it, but he seems awfully
obsessed. One contact tells him she's dead, but Sandy refuses to believe
it. Finally, it's confirmed, and Sandy is distraught. Kirsten commiserates,
and tells Sandy she's going to have to get over Rebecca too. But when
Sandy meets Max to give him the news, Max has a surprise - Rebecca herself
is with him.
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Ryan, Seth and Zach walk down the pier debating Seth’s next move with Alex. It’s been almost a week since they’ve talked and he wants to know where he stands. Is she back with her lesbian ex? And, if so, are they open to some sort of three-way? Zach thinks maybe Seth should just focus on all the other great stuff in his life. Like friends! They stop into their favorite diner, and first Summer shows up and squeezes in next to Zach, then Lindsay shows up squeezes in and sits next to Ryan, then Seth squeezes out and takes off to find Alex.
Marissa’s starting the day with a little OJ… and vodka. Julie’s in Europe doing research for her magazine about life in Orange County. Makes sense. Marissa fakes sick for Caleb then calls Alex to see what’s on the docket for the day. Alex would love to get together but… the Ex is still in town. Saved from the awkward Ex conversation by the doorbell. Who would drop by at 9am? Seth, that’s who. Then Jody comes out of the shower and introduces herself to Seth. Alex apologizes, explaining that she would have introduced them earlier but she didn’t want them to meet.
At school, Lindsay grills Ryan on what her dad is really like. Ryan explains that Caleb thinks he’s after the Cohen’s money, but other than that, he’s fine. Why not give him a call? And say what, “Hi Dad, it’s your illegitimate daughter. Want to have lunch?”
While renting a surf shack on the beach for his new law office, Sandy receives a call from his old law professor, MAX, who’s coming into town.
In the student lounge, Zach asks Seth what happened with Alex. Well, the good news is -- Alex threw out Jody too. Zach attempts to comfort Seth by telling him at least now he can go on with his life but Seth reminds him that he doesn’t have a life. Then Zach notices the sketch pad with Seth’s doodles and decides that’s what Seth should be doing with his life! So they head off to bounce some comic book ideas around.
On the phone, Marissa asks Alex what the deal his with her and Seth. Friends. Jody? Over. Alex starts to explain that they meant too much to each other to just let it go… then she realizes that Jody stole her heart necklace – the matching one they bought for each other a year ago. Marissa suggests they go to LA to get it back because, after all, Alex can’t let Jody steal her heart.
Ryan visits Caleb in the hopes of convincing him to spend a little time with Lindsay, but Caleb’s not interested. If he wanted a relationship with his daughter, he would have one. Ryan admits that that’s what Lindsay said. Smart girl. Ryan tells Caleb he has no idea. But he really should.
Max stops by Sandy’s office and implores him to help find his daughter, Rebecca. Why now? Turns out the professor has had a couple strokes and he wants to see his daughter before it’s too late. He tells Sandy he was the love of her life. Max doesn’t want to stir things up again, since Sandy’s married and all, but he really needs his help. Sandy says his wife will understand. Will she?
The guys are brainstorming on the comic book when Zach suggests Seth make it autobiographical. Great idea, it could be about a young Jewish kid… growing up in Orange County… with secret powers… in a town full of secrets. Break through!
In between classes, Lindsay tells Ryan that she dot-commed Caleb and according to the “OC Weekly,” he’s pretty much everything that’s wrong with Western Civilization, so even if he did call her… Suddenly Lindsay’s cell phone rings. Guess who? Caleb invites Lindsay to dinner. Then unbeknownst to Caleb, Lindsay invites Ryan to join them. Ryan doesn’t think Caleb’s going to be happy about that. But when Lindsay asks if he really cares about Caleb’s happiness, Ryan agrees to tag along.
Sandy visits the LOMPOC Federal Prison in Santa Barbara to meet with an old political activist from his Berkeley days. Sandy explains to Joe why he’s there but Joe can’t help him. Why not? Because Rebecca’s dead. ;Back home, Sandy tells Kirsten the news but Sandy’s not sure he buys it. He just can’t believe that if Rebecca were dying she wouldn’t try to contact her dad. Or, Kirsten adds, Sandy.
Marissa and Alex drive down to LA to retrieve Alex’s necklace. When they get to Jody’s door, Alex tells Marissa she’ll do all the talking. But when Jody answers the door, Alex freezes and Marissa takes control.
Ryan, dressed for dinner with Caleb, drops by Seth’s room and notices a book of drawings from Seth’s stint in Portland. The Summer without Summer. Seth’s planning to show his Summer-obsessed drawings to Zach but Ryan quickly nips the idea in the bud.
Back in LA, Jody tries to convince Alex to stay but Marissa jumps in, telling Jody that she has no intention of leaving her girlfriend there overnight. Outside, Marissa asks Alex if she thinks Jody bought the girlfriend bit. Totally. Alex thanks Marissa for everything but quickly finds out she has even more to be thankful for. Marissa lifted not one, but both, heart necklaces. Alex tells Marissa the second one is now her’s and gently clasps it around her neck.
At dinner, Lindsay and Caleb are making polite small talk when Ryan shows up. Suddenly Caleb jumps to the conclusion that the two of them must want something from him -- money, new car, Ivy League education? He tells them to drop by his office with a list of demands, then he takes off.
Meanwhile, Sandy’s still trying desperately to reach somebody who can confirm Rebecca’s death; and his intensity is starting to disturb Kirsten. She tells him he’s still in love with Rebecca. What? Well, Rebecca’s a smart, political, Jewish woman who Sandy was supposed to marry before he ended up with Kirsten. Finally Sandy gets a call from a friend confirming Rebecca’s death. Now who feels bad? Sandy’s got to go tell the Professor in person. He heads out.
Meanwhile, in the privacy of her bedroom, Summer looks through the sketch book she accidentally stumbled upon under Seth’s bed and accidentally slipped into her purse. She appears to be more touched than creeped-out.
Marissa and Alex stop by the Nichol mansion so she can change. It looks like instead of heading straight home, the girls stopped off at a tattoo parlor and now Marissa also has a tattoo gracing the small of her back.
Summer stops by Seth’s room to return something she stole. Seth suddenly realizes his sketch book is missing. He quickly apologizes and promises to destroy the sketches. But Summer’s not mad, in fact, she’d like to keep one. Seth offers her the entire book… but maybe there’s no need to show it to Zach, ok? Summer tells him to get back to work because she expects her own action figure by Chrismukkah!
Sandy waits for Max in his office. Max shows up and Sandy apologizes for the late hour. Max says it’s ok, actually he’s got something he wants to show Sandy. Oh my god, it’s Rebecca.
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