Charisma Carpenter Discussion Forum: O.C. Season 2....SPOILERS

Against my better judgement... from the official site.

Kirsten's having her morning antioxidants with a little Vodka, when Sandy enters the kitchen. Kirsten downs her "juice" and leaves the glass in the sink. When she's out of sight, Sandy picks it up and smells it; then puts it back down, clearly troubled.

A nervous Trey continues calling Marissa, despite her refusal to talk to him.

Seth finds Summer in the student lounge and awkwardly tries to come up with a way to break the news of his whipped-cream-licking indiscretion in Miami. But turns out it was wasted energy because Summer already had the pleasure of viewing it. Oh, and by the way, she and Zach kissed. Seth wants to know what that means, but she's not sure yet.

Ryan approaches a jumpy Marissa at her locker and immediately notices she's acting odd. Marissa quickly covers up the bruises on her collar bone.

Zach runs into Summer in the hallway and tells her he needs to know what the other night meant. Was it just a revenge thing or did it mean something? Summer admits that, in the moment, it was mostly revenge. But maybe also something more. Then Seth barges in on them and Zach tells him that Summer means more to him than the comic book, so he's quitting. Just before the launch party? Zach also tells Seth that, if it comes down to it, he's prepared to sacrifice their friendship in order to be with Summer. So, it's war? Oh, it's war all right.

After school, Marissa is heading to her car when she spots Trey waiting for her. She pretends her car's out of gas and gets a ride home with Summer.

Zach and Seth have a lunch meeting with Reed, who makes it clear to Zach that he signed a contract and unless he wants to deal with a lawsuit for the next four years, he better roll up his sleeves and get to work.

Kirsten returns home to an empty house and calls Carter to thank him for the necklace he left for her. Then she apologizes for calling and tells him not to return the call.

Sandy comes home with a bouquet of flowers, but Kirsten's out cold on the couch. In the morning he delivers her breakfast in bed and mentions that he's worried about how much she's been drinking lately. Is it work? Is it that Carter left? What? No, he was just wondering if she had to take on some of his duties too. Oh. Suddenly she's not hungry.

Meanwhile, Seth has recruited the comic book club to spy on Summer and Zach. One of his young recruits calls with a location and Seth takes off. He just happens to bump into Summer and Zach coming out of the diner at the pier. Then Seth just happens to mention that Reed said he and Zach should be at the launch party a half-hour early for an interview or something. Summer reminds Seth that Zach quit his stupid comic book. Oh, Zach didn't tell you? Seth feigns innocence as he heads into the diner to watch the drama unfold. And it does. Summer yells and pushes Zach before storming off.

Summer pays Reed a visit and accuses her of manipulating Seth and threatening Zach so she could have all the power herself. But before Summer knows what's happening, Reed manipulates her into believing that she's the true rising star of Atomic County. It'll be her image on the posters and billboards, not Seth's or Zach's. Summer knows she's being manipulated but she thinks it has a nice ring to it anyway.

In the pool house, Ryan and Marissa are making out before the launch party when Marissa starts seeing Trey's face instead of Ryan's. She flashes back to herself struggling to get away from him and abruptly pushes Ryan off of her. On the verge of tears, Marissa heads for the door and tells Ryan she can't do this. Too much has happened.

Sandy confronts Kirsten again about her drinking. He asks if something happened between her and Carter. Kirsten tries connecting the dots for Sandy by responding that nothing happened the same way nothing happened between Sandy and Rebecca. But Sandy doesn't seem to get it.

At the launch party, Summer upstages Seth and Zach in her Little Miss Vixen costume, complete with a black leather whip.

Julie arrives at The Arches for her make-up dinner with Caleb, but instead of showing up himself, Caleb sends a messenger... with divorce papers. Julie heads to his office and threatens to bleed him dry if he divorces her. But Caleb holds up some photos and tells her she'll have to explain these first. Julie is shocked as she looks through the photos of herself and Lance, kissing. Caleb admits that he's been "monitoring" Julie for a while now and that includes her affair with her ex-husband Jimmy and her tryst with Marissa's high school boyfriend Luke. He gives her a week to get herself and her daughter out of his house. Oh, and by the way, you're fired.

Back at the launch party, Zach walks in on Seth and Summer as Seth is declaring his love to her. A fight breaks out between Seth and Zach and comic book paraphernalia goes flying... until Summer cracks the whip. Literally. Seth and Zach tell Summer she has to choose. So she does... neither.

Back at the mansion, Marissa's in her bed crying when Trey shows up to apologize. He tells her he was out of his mind and never meant to hurt her. Hurt her? What about Ryan? He's your brother! Trey accepts that Marissa won't accept his apology but he warns her not to say anything about what happened to Ryan. Marissa threatens to call the police if he doesn't leave... so he does.

Unable to reach Marissa, Ryan heads over to the mansion and spots Trey nervously heading out the gate.

Meanwhile, Kirsten's alone at a bar, contemplating her wedding ring and the necklace Carter left as his parting gift. Finally, she takes off the necklace and heads out the door. In the car, a teary Kirsten calls Sandy and apologizes. She thought she was losing him. He assures her that's never going to happen. Then she accidentally drops her cell phone and when she looks up, she's in the middle of an intersection with a truck barreling towards her. There's no time to move. The truck slams into her car, flipping it over.

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Cordelia: You're a lot smarter than you look. Of course, you look like a retard.