Editorial: The Party Favor
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I wholeheartedly regret not having gotten out my last two reviews. But life does get in the way sometimes. There are a number of reasons why I was put on hold. I do hope to have them written up soon, so don’t think they’ll be permanently absent. Now on to this week…
In these closing episodes of season three I have been expecting something richer and more fulfilling. But, alas, despite heightened laughs, returning characters, and, bells and whistles, this is still just the same reworking of The O.C. we’ve had through out this season and a bit of last. If the impact and affect was minimal before, it certainly isn’t much different now. Perhaps it’s an illusion that the bigger and busier an episode is the better it is. But the reality is it’s just muddled and confusing.
So much was fighting for our attention that we couldn’t take a moment to pause and reflect on the lighter and more satisfying moments. And that’s something I miss. Still, I couldn’t ignore the true joys and highlights, even if they were cluttered with the rest of the show.
The comedic tone of this episode was probably the strongest of the season. Between Summer’’s drunken fumbling and her date with a Korean pop star to Seth‘s heightened neurotic nature, it was all in prime form. The real credit goes to Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson who each gave stellar performances. Even in the moments of their pat reunion, you could never fault them for not being loveable and genuine. You could only fault the writers for taking away a bit of the believability. Granted Summer misread the entire situation with Anna, but Seth still lied. His level of honesty is shockingly absent when it’s most needed to sustain the relationship before it has a chance to hit the lowest point. But what is Seth positively doing for this relationship that Ryan, Taylor or Anna hasn’t plotted or pushed him to do? That alone should have had Summer thinking twice before succumbing to his childishly romantic charms. Perhaps when she sobers up they can address the still remaining issues.
And now that Seth and Summer have reunited, Anna has served her purpose. She was wheeled in and wheeled out just in enough time for her to help Seth win his woman. But what happened to the potential impact of the glorious scene in “The Goodbye Girl”. The closing moments at the airport implied that one day they could be right for each other. The time has passed and yet when she returns that’’s not even an exploration worth taking. Essentially what we got was a reworking of season one. Anna makes a plan for him to get Summer, but the plan backfires when real feelings arise. But this time the feelings were drowned out for a more platonic friendship. But I believe it would have been fresher and more captivating to implement a real triangle with Anna. When all attempts to reason with and win back Summer fail, he turns to Anna. Then when Summer is forced to deal with truth of what Anna and Seth’s relationship really wasn’t she’s too late and thus has to deal with the outcome. You’d have implications of trust, fear and so much more, that would have deepened impact and stronger emotional ties.
The highlight for me, beside the great comedic flow, was the wonderful and moving family photo time at the Cohen’s house. They’ve always embodied an essence of family and love and to have that spill over in a standard moment of life was a joy to watch. It was a sheer mix of smiles and awkwardness as the parents shot more photos than ever needed for the average family photo album. It was probably the most realistic moment in the whole episode.
But lurking in the background of the more joyous moments was a smarmy Volchok. His predictable behaviors were a long time coming. Why did we need to drag out over a number of episodes that he’s always going to be a cheat and liar? Why even tease us with the prospect of him being redeemed by Marissa? Still, it was rewarding to have Marissa finally see the light. She deserved a dose of pain and reality to snap her back to the real world. And it was no surprise that Ryan was there to comfort her. But he’s caught between being her rescuer, embracing his history with Theresa and discovering his own path. But at some point he needs to clearly define who he is and what direction he wants to take.
The prom after-party brought me back to those seedy parties of season one. But why did it need a $50 dollar cover charge? Why were the beer taps running? And if this was school sanctioned (unless Taylor was doing this solely under the table) why were there no chaperons? I guess that’s just how it’s done in The O.C. The parents would rather turn a blind eye and reveal in their own lives then waste time chaperoning and concerning themselves with what their children are really up to.
Now just as the moment heats up for Ryan and Theresa, who both have a sweetness and chemistry that’s hard to ignore, Taylor lets out a terribly shrill and untimely scream. Someone has stolen her wad of cash, the money everyone paid to go to the after-prom party. Of course Ryan runs to the rescue and makes a b-line for Volchok’s place. Once there he grabs the cash. But quickly he is overtaken by Volchok’s relentless teasing and sexual innuendos involving Marissa. One thing leads to another and Ryan is throwing punches. A full out physical brawl ensues that oddly starts to take on the form of Ryan’s battle with his brother Trey in the season two finale. Maybe the writers think they are clever for paralleling the moments. But to me it just comes off redundant and pointless. It’s unnecessary drama to stir up the finale episodes of the season. They could have been more clever and came up with something more understated instead.
Sandy and Kirsten’s marriage is breaking at the seams due to some serious damage mostly caused by Sandy. What once started as a mere transition of morals has now turned into a complete of out character characterization. The fact that he can so easily disregard Kirsten’s clear intentions and feelings is astounding me. And now that things have gotten more menacing and he’s under investigation, his demeanor continues to shift and the detachment to his wife grows. It’’s not pleasant to watch. But it’s far more intriguing and dimensional then the problems their marriage had last season. What Sandy has so adamantly sardonically teased, and hated, he has now become.
All of these elements and plot points married together left the show feeling chaotic and at times over-the-top. But I couldn’t ignore the underlining warmth and comedic charm. I guess there is a lot a drunken Summer and a Korean pop star can do for an episode. As for American Idol’s Lisa Tucker, no comment.
*** ¾ stars out of *****
