At the Bait Shop, Summer and Seth observe Ryan and Sadie from the balcony. Summer is positive that their body language indicates attraction. Seth claims that Ryan says they’re taking things slow, but Summer says the body doesn’t lie, and she’s being forced to send out a hot new couple alert. When Ryan and Sadie leave alone, hugging the whole way, Summer’s interpretation is confirmed.
Then Seth and Summer spy Marissa and Volchok making out. Summer is not nearly as excited by that body language. The next morning, Marissa wakes up in Volchok’s arms and a filthy trailer. As the classy couple sleeps, Summer begins pounding on the door. Marissa hides a beer bottle, a bong and Volchok before answering the door. Summer immediately begins demanding answers. Before their conversation goes anywhere, both girls get a call from the parents, each scheduling a dinner that night.
Summer says she’ll wait for Marissa to get dressed so they can head to school together. In the one other room, Marissa finds Volchok treating himself to wake and bake. He earned it after a night of partying. He kisses her, blowing smoke into her mouth in the process. It had to have tasted awesome.
Elsewhere, a very chipper Ryan greets Seth for breakfast. Both Cohen men are confused by the Atwood smiling. Kirsten comes in, cheerily describing her plans for the evening with Sandy. It mainly involves dinner and a walk on the beach followed by stuff Seth doesn’t want to hear about. Sandy begs out, saying he wants to wait for an evening when his head is in it.
School time. Summer asks Seth if he told Ryan about Volchok, but Seth says Ryan is in such a good mood that Seth doesn’t want to ruin it. They decide not to tell anybody anything at any time. At the Newport Group, Sandy explains the situation to Matt. He has no choice but to fire him. Matt angrily responds that he’s being made a fall guy, and Dr. Griffin is no angel himself. He’s been taking kickbacks from vendors for years. When Sandy points out that’s a bold accusation, Matt says he likes to know the people he deals with, and he’d be happy to back up his charges to Sandy or anybody else that will listen. Sandy thanks Matt for letting him know he’s making the right decision. Matt coldly warns Sandy that he has no idea how complicated things can get.
That night, the Roberts and Coopers have come together. When the parents announce their engagement, Summer cheerfully congratulates them. But Marissa, whose downward descent is setting land speed records, isn’t nearly as enthused. She chugs a glass of champagne, sarcastically congratulates her mother and then strolls out. Summer chases after her, only to find Volchok waiting for Marissa. Volchok, like any good badass, rides a motorcycle, and he and Marissa race off into the darkness. That darkness being symbolic of Marissa’s new path.
At the same time, Seth and Kirsten return from a movie, having decided to spend the night together after Sandy backed out. They had such a pleasant time, they’re already looking forward to a second night. Then Seth gets a call from Summer about their Volchok-related emergency. She wants Ryan helps in saving Marissa from her slut spiral.
Speaking of Ryan, he’s just about to get down with Sadie in a candlelit pool house as Kirsten and Seth return home. Seth jiggles the locked door, then shouts that Ryan needs to save Marissa from Volchok. That’s enough to get Ryan to open the door and enough for Sadie to leave.
The next day at school, Seth wants to know what Ryan is going to do about Volchok, Ryan, perhaps hanging up the gloves for good, says he can’t do anything. Marissa makes her own choices and so does he. Seth is confused by Zen Ryan. At the trailer, Kirsten is helping Julie pack up while expressing surprise at her latest engagement. Julie swears it’s not about money this time.
Ryan spots Marissa in the hallway and sidles up to her, wondering why she missed that day’s test. Perhaps the flask that just fell out of her locker answers his question. Over at the Newport Group, Sandy asks Dr. Griffin about Matt’s allegations, and the doctor angrily refutes them. Sandy wonders why Dr. Griffin is so defensive. When Sandy asks for it, Dr. Griffin gives his word that his dealings are clean.
After school, Summer finds Marissa laying on Summer’s car and taking pulls from the flask. Marissa isn’t too interested in Summer’s thoughts on men and good decisions, advising Summer to take her boyfriend in her BMW back to daddy’s mansion. Summer can only retort that Marissa should go with Volchok to a heavy metal vomit party.
Sandy is about to call it a day when he hears noise coming from a file room. He opens the door, only to find Matt taking files he claims are his. If Sandy won’t believe him, then he has no choice but to protect his files. Sandy wonders if he’s being threatened, and Matt coolly tells him, “Game on.” It seems that Matt loves Paradise Hotel as much as everybody else.
Ryan and Sadie sit down for some chili fries at the diner. Just when they think they’re about to have a good night, some skate punks come in, loudly talking about Volchok’s new girl and how hot and wild she is. Sadie leaves and Ryan has to chase after her. She thinks maybe if the mood is constantly being ruined, they’re trying too hard. Give it some time. Then Ryan ducks back inside and tells the dudes he’s looking for Volchok, and Volchok can find him at the pier tomorrow morning. Man, Volchok doesn’t get up before the crack of noon, Ryan! He’s too wasted!
It’s eight o’clock high and Ryan is at the pier, as advertised. Volchok comes up to him, itching for a scrap. But Ryan merely wants to chat. He says that he doesn’t care who Marissa dates, but she looked pretty rough at school the other day. Ryan’s not looking after her any more, so it’s on Volchok now. Volchok seems to take this words to heart. But maybe he’s just high.
Over at the Roberts mansion, Marissa and Summer sit down for a chilly breakfast. Julie and Dr. Roberts tell the girls that they’re having a family dinner tonight, something they hope becomes a weekly tradition. Ryan drops by Sadie’s, only to find some dude there. But the dude is harmless. He’s merely purchased Sadie’s house. Ryan tells Sadie Volchok and Marissa are in the past. Sadie then tells him her Newport days might be in the past. The house is sold, so why stay? She’d have to find an apartment and then what? Wait for Ryan to finish up at Harbor?
The next day, Ryan tells Seth the Sadie train ran off the tracks. Seth can’t believe Ryan would continually put his life on hold for disaster cases, yet put his own happiness on the back burner. Ryan realizes he has to ask Sadie to stay. Nearby, Sandy is having lunch with Dr. Griffin. Dr. Griffin thinks Matt’s file job is just an attempt to get a rise out of Sandy. Dr. Griffin tells Sandy to stop worrying about. He’ll handle this problem from now on. Sandy thinks that sounds a little ominous.
Summer prepares for the family dinner, but finds out Marissa might skip it. Summer immediately calls Seth to ask why this Marissa problems hasn’t been handled yet. Anyway, Seth has another evening with Mom planned, so he has to press END. Three-fourths of the new family sits down to dinner, all wondering where the other one-fourth is.
Well, she’s on the beach with Volchok. She wonders about his sudden interest in her life, and he replies that he merely feels she deserved to be treated right. She smiles and says if she wanted that, she wouldn’t be with him. Volchok is okay with that, so he immediately shakes off all lingering effects of Ryan’s little talk and offers Marissa some cocaine. On a windy beach. How irresponsible can one guy be?
Kirsten and Seth arrive at their second date, Kirsten’s AA meeting. When he finds out what it is, he wants to bail, but Kirsten begs him to stay for only an hour. It’s important to her. It dawns on Seth that he needs to do this.
When Matt gets home, he has two messages on his machine. One from a reporter who’s extremely interested in his story, and one from Sandy saying they need to talk. There’s a knock on the door, and when Matt answers, four goons come in, intent on busting up Matt’s place. And busting up Matt in the process.
Ryan swings by Sadie’s with some flowers, but all that’s there is Bob, saying Sadie just left for Oregon. That hurts too. Pain like that almost…almost makes a guy wanna fight.
Hours later, Marissa finds Ryan standing on her favorite lifeguard stand. They’re both surprised. It’s awkward for a moment, but then Marissa leaves. At the meeting, Kirsten gets her nine-month chip and makes a point of thanking Seth in front of the group, naming him as the reason she got sober.
Sadie treats herself to coffee from the vending machine in the bus depot, then turns around to find Marissa. Marissa tells Sadie she shouldn’t leave because Ryan cares about her. Sadie wonders if he actually expressed that sentiment, but Marissa says she knows Ryan well enough to know what his thinking. Sadie asks why Marissa is doing this, and she has a simple answer. Sadie makes Ryan happy.
Dr. Roberts joins Julie on the couch after dinner and explains that their engagement is merely trial. If they find the families don’t fit together, they shouldn’t go through with the marriage. Julie is stunned. Summer overhears the whole thing, and tries to reassure Julie that her father gets that way. Julie says she’s not worried about him. She’s worried about Marissa.
But there’s no need for that. Marissa just did an incredibly mature thing by tracking down Sadie for Ryan. She certainly turned the corner. Wait. No. She tries to buy a drink at the Bait Shop, then storms off when the barkeep asks for ID.
Sandy drops by Matt’s for a talk and discovers the trashed condo, with a bruised and bloody Matt sitting on the floor. Ryan comes home to the pool house and sees Sadie sitting on his bed. It’s tense for a moment, but then they begin kissing and Ryan asks what he needs to do to get her to stay. Keep kissing!
Marissa, still running all over town, returns to Volchok on the beach. She’ll have some of that cocaine now, please.
have fun reading that
...looks familiar
