Editorial: The Aftermath
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Am I the only one here who wasn't impressed by this episode? Sure, it was nice to have new material, and there were SOME good moments in it, but come on. In no way, shape or form, did it meet up to my expectations.
The opening scene, I thought, was shot beautifully. It was the perfect way to show what happened directly after the shooting, without having the series three months behind. Distant voices, unable to focus, the fainting...and then, the kicker? Ryan wakes up and for a moment it seems as if it all might have been a dream. I would have turned off my T.V. had it all been a dream.
Luckily, it wasn't. Now, kind of off topic, did anyone else notice the opening credits changed? I mean, obviously the pictures change, but the font changed too. They used their logo instead of that interesting font where the first word is lowercase and the second word is upper case.
Anyway, we come back from commercial to Summer and Marissa, once again, sitting in their bathing suits in front of the Haunted Mansion. In a casual, passing sort of way, Summer mentions that Trey is in a coma. You know, it's hot, it's senior year, Trey's in a coma, I love the Valley... Very nonchalant. I have read other reviews where the authors thought this was done horribly. I think they could have done it better, yet I can't think of a way for them to get it said. They covered a few topics in one sitting: Trey's in a coma, it is FINALLY senior year, there may be trouble in paradise for Ryan and Marissa, and Ryan is hot. (Sorry, had to throw that in there. What can I say? He is.)
Cut to Sandy pouring a pot and a half into the lawyer's cup. The lawyer guy obviously does not understand sarcasm. That would explain why he is so uptight. Apparently, they want to charge Ryan, not Marissa, for the shooting.
We have to wait to see the deposition, however, because we pay a visit to Suriak. Kirsten is in a meeting and is admitting she is an alcoholic. Over the past few months, Kirsten has been a model patient and made a lot of progress. She admits that the reason she became an alcoholic was because of her father. I don't buy this. I mean, I'm sure part of it is because of her father. But what about her mother dying, Rebecca, Carter, the boys leaving? Did all of those mean nothing? The climax was the death of her father, but no way could it have been purely his fault.
The doctor (the same doc who was oh-so-helpful in the intervention) says Kirsten should be ready to go home. The smile slides off her face. Maybe she isn't so ready.
The deposition of Ryan and Seth is probably my fave scene. It was shot even better than the opening scene. It reminded me of the Chrismukkah episode in the first season, when Seth is talking to both ladies. But I digress.
It is being recorded, and the camera shoots back and forth between the lawyer, Sandy, and the interviewee--either Ryan or Seth. Ryan went over to confront Trey about what had happened and that's when Trey pulled the gun on him. I guess that Ryan didn't tell them about how he attacked Trey. But then, why did Marissa need to save Ryan's life? This part was fuzzy to me. The final question is that Ryan went over there to kill his brother, right? It is unanswered.
Switch over to the Cooper household, where Marissa and Summer about to be grilled. Julie is back to her evil, caniving ways and hopes Marissa lies; just tell them Ryan did it. We don't get to actually see her deposition, nor do we witness Summer's.
Ryan and Seth are visiting comatose Trey. Seth had the best quote. "I like him this way; he's a better listener." Conveniently, just as they leave the room, Trey's finger moves and he wakes up. Now, that really pissed me off. They couldn't go ONE episode with him being unconcious? The best thing would have been if Trey had woken up right at the end of the episode. Oh well.
After the commerical, we find Ryan and Seth playing a baseball video game; fighting and shooting games are on hiatus because of the whole shooting thing. It's just a fad though. They get a call saying Trey's awake. Suspense builds as we visit Suriak once again. Kirsten is waiting for Sandy, and Charlotte comes up, her new friend. She seems harmless, until Sandy comes and Charlotte looks on enviously. Sort of like...Oliver did whenever Marissa and Ryan were showing PDA.
Sandy gets the "Trey's awake call", but apparently hasn't told Kirsten about what happened. After that, there is an awkard encounter with Ryan and Marissa about Trey waking up. It is clear the couple hasn't really been on the same page since that night.
I'm just gonna skip over the part about Caleb's will. Julie has no idea how much she gets, blah blah blah. Personally? I predict that Julie will be left with nothing. The prenuptial is no good because...well they will find a way. Perhaps Caleb re-wrote his will after the porn scandal. The Newport Group goes to Kirsten, Hailey gets her own trust fund, Sandy gets a bong, Seth gets a football (he never did get over the fact that Seth is a nerd). Ryan gets a new leather jacket and a one way ticket to wherever he wants to go, just as long as he doesn't come back; Lindsay gets some money and a note telling her to go to hell.
The Fantastic Four are at the diner, instead of visiting Trey--the reason WHY it is their last chance to have fun. I did not understand that. Have the little fun montage AFTER they visit Trey. Idiots. On the flip side, I thought the beach scene was cute. Teenagery. After all, they are teenagers. (I know, I forget too.) I mean, there was Ryan and Marissa making out and Seth and Summer roasting marshmallows. The best part was defintely Ryan without his shirt on. They never show that, even though he is pretty ripped. (Sorry, off in fantasy land.)
We are suddenly in the ICU, with one nurse and some wicked heels. As a girl, I have to say, do you A)know how hard it would be to walk in those things? B) no way would those things be silent... C) Gimme! Julie gets in to see Trey and threatens him with a pillow and 20 k. Three little words and he gets to live. Ryan. Shot. Me. (Personally, I think the other little words are better. Go. To. Hell. Or: I. Love. You.) Trey gives in. Can you blame him? He was threatened with death! That would really suck--coming out of a coma because of a gunshot wound, only to be killed with a pillow.
It is the next morning, after the break, and Trey told the police Ryan shot him. The D.A. gave Sandy a head's up that a warrant is putting out for his arrest. Ryan shuts himself in the poolhouse.
Julie is celebrating with mimosas. ("Isn't it a little early to be drinking champagne?" Jimmy, when will you learn? In Newport, it is never to early to drink.) Jimmy is slowly catching on that it is a little too convenient that Trey wakes up and immediately tells the police it was Ryan.
Seth and Summer are debating about what to do. Ryan is in the poolhouse with the shades pulled down, assumedly brooding. Turns out Seth doesn't know as much about Ryan as he thought. Favorite hobbies? Activites? Food? I answered that one. Journey. Dry cereal out of the box. Black coffee.
Marissa comes over and gives the two a look. Stop being such wimps and go talk to him. Ryan, it turns out, is running away. He's got the wifebeater, the hoodie, the leather jacket, and the canvas bag. Nope, he's not running away. He is sailing. And he's doing it with friends. (Hello? Sailing is so not the quickest way to get anywhere.)
A quick visit to Suriak shows that Kirsten is worried about coming home and Charlotte is a returning alcoholic. Enough said.
Sandy returns from wherever he was to find them gone. The police are at his front door, and Marissa is gone as well. Too late.
To make a long story short, they don't even get the boat started before the police catch up to them. Yet another thing that pissed me off. They didn't even leave the dock!!!!!!!!
This is getting really long, so I will skip some parts. Ryan is back in jail (glad to see the jump suit still fits). This scene is very much like the jail scene where Ryan first meets Sandy. At the same time, Marissa and Summer come up with a plan involving candy stripers and gun shot vicitims.
Marissa finds out that Julie bribed Trey. It is an emotional confrontation, and she tells him what he knows he should do.
Ryan is released from jail, goes to the hospital, and finds Trey gone. Trey is getting on a Greyhound bus and Ryan gets there just as the doors close. With a half wave from either brother, and a small smile, Trey is gone. The look on Ryan's face was heartbreaking and brought back memories of when Dawn left. For the first time in the show, Ryan breaks down. There have been hints of it: when he and Marissa broke up b/c of Oliver, when he lost the baby. This was full on break down. Sandy is there with a shoulder to cry on.
Last but not least is the best part of the show, after the deposition of course. Ryan finds Marissa at the life guard tower. Ryan reminisces about when he and Trey were little kids. "It was always me against the world; how would I make it without him? And now here I am again, alone, and wondering where he went." Both of them want to put this behind them, and with a simple okay, the couple embrace eachother. The end.
NOT. I mean, it was the end of the episode, but not the end of this review. Overall, I give this episode a 7. Everything was wrapped up. They had this perfect opportunity to have one storyline already written, to last at least two or three episodes. They should have gotten halfway to Catalina and had a big chase scene. Or Ryan should have visted Trey and while he was there, Trey should have almost died. Or something like that. I will say, however, the next few episodes look really good. I don't know if I will review those. I just had to get my opnion on this episode out there.
So what did you think? This is, I guess, the first review I have ever written. I am a writer and I write all the time, but not a review. I'm not gonna give you a scale or anything. Just tell if you liked it and why. Don't tell me it sucked, or that my opinion is stupid because it doesn't match with yours. I don't care if you're gonna be mean about it. You can not agree with it and tell me politely--I respect everyone's opinions and I geniunely want to know why you thought it was so great. Or not. So just leave me a comment. Thanks.
