THE OC SUNDAYS – VOLUME SEVENTEEN: S01: E18 – THE TRUTH

The O.C. Sundays – Volume Sixteen – Season One: Episode Eighteen: The Truth

Recap by Holly Hill

Why Rewatch The O.C.?

The O.C. premiered on August 5, 2003 and ended on February 22, 2007. Or May 18, 2006 if you like to pretend that the fourth season never happened (a lot of people do, it’s okay). The O.C. not only introduced a lot of people to some fantastic music through its heavily bought mix tapes (this is before YouTube, Spotify, & Apple Music), it also created Chrismukkah, and inspired a decades worth of ‘THE REAL’ reality shows.

Not sure what I mean by that? Well The O.C. prompted the reality show Laguna Beach: The Real O.C., and a thousand other spinoffs to it. The catch phrase ‘The Real O.C.’ morphed into The Real Housewives of fill in the blank rich people cities.

Needless to say, despite its shortcomings, The O.C. had some great writing, a fantastic soundtrack, and truly inspired a generation worth of TV, for better or worse. The O.C. is the only TV show I own on box set. I haven’t watched it in awhile, so why don’t we watch it together? Whether you’re new to The O.C. (you can stream it on Hulu) or a long time fan, it’s a show anyone with a love for the dramatic can enjoy.

Recap:

Ryan has been suspended. Sandy comes into the pool house to let Ryan know that Harbor school’s disciplinary committee is deciding on whether to expel him or not. Ryan says he’s not sorry for what he did because Oliver admitted the truth to his face. Sandy says the he can’t ground Ryan and that he’s welcome to leave and go after Oliver right now, but if he wants to be apart of the family he’s not allowed to go anywhere or see anywhere unless Sandy and Kirsten say it’s okay.

At school, Summer wisely tells Marissa that Ryan wouldn’t punch Oliver for no reason. He’s violent, but he’s not stupid. Marissa says that Ryan thinks Oliver is in love with her and Summer is like…well yeah. Marissa gets defensive because she’s insane. Marissa admits she broke up with Ryan.

Seth admits to Anna that he hasn’t talked to Ryan since he punched Oliver. Seth says he begged Ryan to stay away from him and he didn’t listen so he’s a little miffed. Anna tries to get Seth to let her in more about the whole thing, but he rudely tells her that she doesn’t really know Ryan very well so maybe she should STFU (essentially). Seth, Anna, Summer and Marissa meet up in the hall and without Ryan the entire thing feels pretty weird. Oliver shows up to make it weirder and asks what they are all doing this weekend because he just invites himself into things. His lip is still all fucked up and he walks off with Marissa. Summer, Anna and Seth mention how happy Oliver looks.

Summer: Why shouldn’t he be? He’s got Marissa all to himself now.

Oh good of you all to finally catch on to what’s happening here! At lunch Oliver keeps trying to get Marissa to come snowboarding with him this weekend. She can’t because she’ll be at her Mom’s house all weekend. Luke shows up and Oliver says he has to convince her to go because it’s not healthy for her to spend the weekend right next to Ryan. Luke tells Oliver that that’s up to Marissa not him. Marissa gets a call on her cell and it’s Ryan. She doesn’t answer, and Luke having had enough of this shit, leaves. Marissa gets up to get dessert (yeah right) and Oliver takes her cell phone and listens to Ryan’s voicemail asking Marissa to meet him in the library after school to talk. Oliver deletes the message.

Sandy and Kirsten have lunch together and Sandy wonders if he made a mistake bring Ryan home. Kirsten disagrees and they both feel secure in their decision. Suddenly men come into the office and start moving furniture. Apparently as the Newport Group’s new design director, Julie has decided to redecorate the entire office. Yikes.

Back in brother and sister land, aka Seth and Anna, Seth keeps blowing Anna off. He doesn’t want to hang out with her after school and he doesn’t want to talk with her about Ryan. Summer asks if she can hang out with them after school and suddenly they’re a weird threesome again. They are about to leave when Ryan shows up at school. Seth begs him to leave since he’s not supposed to be there. Ryan says Oliver is unstable and violent and he’s supposed to meet Marissa after school. He says that Natalie, Oliver’s girlfriend, probably doesn’t exists and Seth disagrees. It’d be INSANE to make up a girlfriend, right? Ryan goes any way and eventually Oliver meets Ryan in the library instead of Marissa. He tells Ryan that Marissa said she’s not coming and to stop calling her or she’s going to file a restraining order. Ryan doesn’t believe him and tells him this isn’t over.

Kirsten’s kitchen at home suddenly becomes her office as Julie’s decorating gets out of control. Julie shows up and asks if Kirsten wants to carpool to work. Seeing no way out of it Kirsten goes to change while Julie sits outside with a newspaper and coffee. Suddenly, Ryan shows up staring at her like a weirdo. She asks him why he isn’t at school.

Ryan: I got suspended.

Julie: Who did you beat up this time? Dr. Kim?

Ryan can’t help himself. He tells Julie all about Oliver and it seems as if she doesn’t believe him.

At work, Kirsten asks her Dad if she can talk about Julie. Caleb admits that Julie is driving him crazy. Caleb asks Kirsten if he can break up with Julie for him. Seriously, he asked that. Kirsten shows up at the office the next day and she is super impressed with the work Julie has done with the office. She tells Julie that her Dad doesn’t want to see her anymore.

At school, Oliver keeps pressuring Marissa to ask to spend the weekend with him instead of her Mom. He guilts her, saying she doesn’t want to hang out with him. Marissa says she would like to blow everything off and hang out with him but she can’t. Oliver is like okay, let’s just blow everything off then. Marissa agrees to ditch therapy and school with Oliver as long as he can bring her back in time for dinner with her Mom. Luke and Seth watch them go from afar and Luke laments on how he doesn’t trust Oliver. Seth asks if Luke has met Natalie and he says no.

Seth: Ryan thinks he made her up.

Luke recalls Oliver telling them Natalie went to Pacific and Luke knows people there so he says he’ll ask them if they know. At home that night, Seth has Anna and Summer over reading comic books. Anna is clearly jealous and starting to realize Seth might not be into her anymore. Luke stops by to see Ryan and tells him Marissa left school with Oliver today and didn’t come back and that he talked to his friends at Pacific and they said there is no Natalie.

Ryan sneaks next door to see Marissa and tells her there is no Natalie. Marissa is pissed off for some reason and is extra mad that Ryan called her Mom to tell her she wasn’t at school so her and Oliver both got in trouble. Marissa takes off and Sandy is super pissed that Ryan went to go see Marissa anyway. Suddenly Marissa is at Oliver’s pethouse and he is thrilled that he now has her all to himself.

The next morning Ryan apologizes to Sandy and tells him he shouldn’t have gone over there last night. Luke shows up at the house and Ryan tells him that he confronted her and she didn’t believe him. Luke says he is going to go make Marissa talk to him. In Oliver suites, he has a whole day planned with Marissa and even offers to take her to Paris too. Okay Marissa WAKE UP! Marissa’s phone rings and it’s Luke telling her there is no Natalie. Marissa asks him to go to her house tell her Mom she’s fine, pick up some clothes and bring them to the penthouse.

Luke shows up at Marissa’s and Julie invites him up as she packs some of Marissa’s things up. She’s been crying since Kirsten broke up with her for Caleb. Luke comforts her and then BOW CHICKAA WOW WOWWW, they almost kiss. Julie breaks away immediately because she’s the adult here and even though Luke looks like he’s 30, he’s only 16.

Marissa goes down to the lobby to see if her bag has been dropped off and notices that the front desk woman is named Natalie. She asks if she knows Oliver and she says she has since he was little, he used to babysit her. Marissa goes back upstairs more than a little freaked out (finally). She says she met Natalie downstairs and says she’s gotta go. Oliver starts hitting himself and Marissa promises she’s not going anywhere. She tells Oliver to go get changed and then they can go. When he leaves the room she calls Ryan immediately instead of I don’t know LEAVING? Ryan grabs the phone and Marissa tells him that Oliver won’t let her leave the hotel. Oliver comes back with a GUN because WHY NOT PSYCHO, and tells Marissa’s to give him the phone and he hangs up on Ryan.

Ryan comes in the kitchen and is ready to go! Sandy tells him to give him the keys. After a long internal struggle he does and Sandy says, “I’ll drive.” YESSSSSS favorite part. In the penthouse Oliver is pointing the gun around and Marissa is freaking out. She says she has to leave sometime and they can still be friends.

Whoop there it is. Fuckin’ A Marissa. Are you stupid? He literally says, “How can you not know that?” I don’t know Oliver! It’s a mystery to everyone. Ryan and Sandy go to the front desk and find NATALIE and tell her they had an emergency call from the penthouse, but now no one is answering. They go up to the penthouse with Natalie and security and Natalie knocks on the door. Oliver says everything is fine and Sandy says they’ll go. Ryan ain’t taking that shit lightly so he bangs on the door and yells Marissa’s name, which seem to wake her out of her stupor. Oliver is pointing the gun at her telling her to be quiet, but she can’t help herself.

Marissa: Ryan he’s got a gun!

Security comes in right away guns drawn and Oliver has the gun to his own head now. Ryan talks him down enough so security can detain him and Marissa runs into Ryan’s arms apologizing. OH CHRIST GIRLFRIEND YOU DON’T GET TO JUST BEG FOR FORGIVENESS NOW.

At the Cohen’s, Anna and Seth are playing Jenga when they find out that Marissa is okay. The first thing Seth wants to do is call Summer and Anna loses it.

Anna: I think you’re a great guy, but I’m not going to stand here and pretend that I’m your girlfriend when I’m not.

Seth can’t make decisions until they’re made for him apparently. Anna leaves him and he’s only baffled for about two seconds. Ryan makes it back to the pool house and Seth is laying on the bed. He apologizes for not believing him. Awww.

Best Song of the Episode:

“Love of the Loveless” by Eels

Best Quote:

“If Julie Cooper asks you to do anything you nod your head yes and you do nothing.” – Kirsten

Number of Non-White People with Actual Lines in This Episode:

Not a single one.

Weird 2004 thing:

So many flip phones!

Best Fashion Statement:

Julie’s wearing this white sweater with an obnoxiously loud fur looking thing draped around it. It’s amazingly awful.

Obvious Reasons to NOT trust Oliver Trask:

1. He knows who you are even though you have no friends or places in common
2. He knows your medical history
3. He lives in a hotel
4. Anna says her parents know the parents of the guy who’s throwing the party, but she doesn’t know who Oliver is.
5. He says his girlfriend lives long-distance so you’ll probably never get to meet her. Super convenient.
6. He gives you ‘come make out with me’ eyes on new years even though he knows you have a boyfriend.
7. His name isn’t on the list for backstage passes at the front door but he meets you in back to get you in
8. His girlfriend Natalie never shows up when he says she will (spoiler, she doesn’t exist)
9. He makes angry phone calls about cocaine then tries to buy some off an undercover cop and gets arrested
10. He watches you and your friends creepily from outside your boyfriend’s house.
11. He says his parents and Natalie will be in Palm Springs, then they don’t show up
12. He tries to run you off the golf course by nearly crashing into you in a golf cart
13. He breaks a plate and freaks out when you call him on his shit
14. He fakes a suicide attempt so he can make sure he has your full attention
15. He shows up as a transfer student at your school with zero warning (because at this point he’s probably stalking you)
16. He makes sure you and him have the exact same schedule
17. He has previously slit his wrists in the high school bathroom over a girl and she filed a restraining order
18. He tricks you into believing all of this is your fault before he coerces you into punching him several times
19. He listens to your voicemails and deletes them
20. He offers to take you to Paris and run away with you, making you skip your very important therapy and make everyone around you worried
21. He lies about his girlfriend Natalie and you find out that Natalie is actually a middle aged woman at the hotel’s front desk who took care of him when he was a kid
22. When you try to leave he takes a gun out and threatens to kill himself if you leave