The OC Season 2 Episode 10: Matchstick Lesbian

Previously: Season 2 Episode 9



So to recap... [click here to continue]

• Alex shoots down Seth, either because she doesn't enjoy playing Surrogate Summer or Seth doesn't have a vagina. Or both. Seth becomes a recluse and starts drawing, Zach thinks the drawings are totally awesome and they should write a comic book together. Summer isn't happy that Seth is taking Zach away from her and into comic book nerdhood.
  
  She accidentally finds Seth's doodlings from the previous summer, or Summer of Summer, as Seth calls it, and realizes they still have feelings for each other. So yeah, they're on their way back together, and Zach is going to drink Yoohoo and go apeshit.
  
  For some crazy reason, Lindsay wishes Caleb would reach out to her, and Ryan goes to his office behind her back and tries to talk him into calling her. Caleb is reluctant, but at Kirsten's urging, he invites Lindsay to dinner. Lindsay doesn't want to go alone and gets Ryan to come with her, but when Caleb sees Ryan, he thinks it's an extorsion attempt, and walks off.
  
  Marissa and Alex bond. They go over to Alex's ex-girlfriend's place to retrieve some her stuff, and they make googly eyes at each other. Things culminate when Marissa gets one of those slutty lower back tattoos which my friend Tate has an interesting theory on. The previews implied that Caleb would catch the two pre-coital. No such luck. Alex was just checking out the tat.
  
  New storyline alert! Sandy apparently had a love of his life, Rebecca, who was all commie hippie pinko and shit and her father also happens to be Sandy's law school professor. The old prof is dying and wants to find Rebecca before he dies. Kirsten isn't happy about this, but is relieved when Sandy calls around and confirms that she's dead. He calls prof into his office to drop the bad news and in comes prof and... Rebecca. The end.


• Very satisfying episode. Seth and Summer still have the best chemistry together of any heterosexual coupling on the OC, and it showed tonight. As one dimensional as Caleb is and as wussy as Ryan has become, the two have a nice rivalry. Marissa is at her best (least worst?) doing low-key emoting, and yay, a new storyline!


• Elliott Smith's "Pretty (Ugly Before)" requires its own bullet point. What a great, great song to do all the emotional tie up at the episode's end.


• You know, I probably found the episode satisfying because of the Elliott Smith song. I'm such a sucker for his stuff, I was even willing to let go the letdown after the lesbian tease and the awkward introduction of the new storyline.
  
  I bet I would let you get away with anything as long as you play Elliott Smith in the background. I'd probably say some stupid shit like "I find this beatdown very satisfying. I love how the night sky contrasts with the fiery blaze coming from my house, and the way you kick my dog is just so rhythmical. Oh, and the Roman Candle-era Elliott Smith is just awesome."


• Yeah, Caleb's a jerk but at least he walked off before ordering. If he really wanted to be evil, he'd let the kids order and then storm off after the food arrived. I'm still not getting what Caleb has against Ryan though, other than Caleb being one-dimensionally evil and Ryan burning down that house in Season One.


• Lindsay's dropping fast in my Giveafuck Ratings. I really don't know how they can end the Ryan-Lindsay thing cleanly.


• Another The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay parallel. Do I smell a spinoff, a la Michael Chabon's "The Escapist"? Nah, one spinoff is enough.


• I was thinking, what other characters could Seth come up with? Caleb would be a Darth-like villan/father figure. Julie would be... Julie Cooper. Marissa, I'm thinking Matchstick? Vodkagirl? Lumber (you know, like flat and wooden)?


• Summer did have the best line of the night though: "What are you guys, like Kavalier and Gay?"


• Next week: Cardiac Caleb!