The Disconnect

Infobox Television episode
Colour = #ffaa44
Series = The O.C.
Title = The Disconnect


Season = 3
(2005-2006)
Caption = Summer and Seth
Episode = 9
Airdate = December 8, 2005 (FOX)
Writer = Stephanie Savage
Director = Tony Wharmby
Production = 2T6259
Prev = The Game Plan
Next = The Chrismukkah Bar-Mitzvahkkah

"The Disconnect" is the 60th episode of the FOX television series, "The O.C.". The episode was written by Stephanie Savage and was directed by Tony Wharmby. It originally aired on Thursday, December 8, 2005.

Guest starring

Plot

The gang gives Johnny a ride home in the Range Rover to his modest bungalow in the flat part of town. Johnny's clearly embarrassed, but Seth assures him that the place Ryan comes from is a lot worse. Johnny tries to make it up the steps on his own, but Marissa rushes to his aid.

Julie and Kirsten brainstorm on a new business. They land on party-planning - a service Newport needs and something they know something about.

At school, Ryan and Seth run into Summer, who received her S.A.T. scores. How'd you do? Seth tells Ryan never to ask a lady her age, weight or S.A.T. scores. But Summer got a 2300, which is just a tad better than Seth.

Marissa is getting Johnny set up on the couch, when his mom comes home with some good news. She got him an appointment with the best sports medicine doctor in all of Orange County. But because he's so popular, the wait could be months.

Summer finds Seth in the student lounge and makes a startling announcement. She's been to see Dr. Kim and it turns out she's intelligent. Yeah, you are, in your own way. No, actually, in Seth's way. Apparently, Summer's one of those academically gifted female students who just never applied herself. But if she studies hard enough, she could get her grades up high enough to go to Brown too.

Sandy and Matt Ramsay are at the Cohens' working on a proposal for their affordable housing development, when Seth and Ryan come in. Ryan takes a look at their model and makes a suggestion, which apparently shows a lot of aptitude because they offer him an internship.

Summer stops by Johnny's to pick up Marissa, who's been researching orthopedic surgeons on a laptop. Johnny confesses to Summer that he's in love with Marissa.

Kirsten and Julie are at the Yacht Club having a business lunch, when Julie strikes up a conversation with a fellow diner, Jeff, who hires them to cater a dinner party at his house for $5,000.

Sandy enters Matt's office and hands him a heavy folder. There's new legislation on the table that would change the zoning regulations around the site they're building. He needs Matt and Ryan to come up with 2 scenarios: 1 if it passes, 1 if it doesn't. That's twice the work. Sandy leaves and Matt grabs Ryan. Apparently he thinks now's the perfect time for a field trip.

Meanwhile, Seth and Summer are at a Brown University event, when the representative from Brown informs the Harbor students that they only admit one student from Harbor each year. Summer immediately corners the rep and asks what it takes, besides good grades and good S.A.T. scores, to get in. The rep tells them that what it really takes is a "hook."

It turns out the field trip Matt takes Ryan on is to a strip joint where the dancers know him by name. He buys Ryan a lap-dance and heads to the bar.

Summer drags her tuba out of the closet and attempts to blend into the school band, while Seth, dressed in a pirate hat, tries to convince the head cheerleader to let him be the team mascot. Then they run into each other trying to one-up the other, and it just gets worse from there. Finally, Summer asks why Seth always has to be better than her at everything. But that's the thing, he's not. This was the ONE thing he was better at.

A disheveled Matt shows up late for the investors' meeting and he's only mapped out 1 scenario. Sandy tries to cover for him, but the investors are unimpressed. They didn't come all this way for a hypothetical.

Kirsten and Julie arrive at the home of their first client and quickly discover that no guests are expected at this dinner party, except Julie. Kirsten is ready to haul their food and flowers back out the door, but Julie is intrigued. "You did all this for a date with me?" Apparently he did. And guess what, he's not even hungry.

Sandy and Ryan find Matt at the strip club. He wants a chance to explain himself, and Sandy would give him one except he dragged Ryan to a strip club and lied to Sandy's face. Matt promises it'll never happen again. He's right, it won't. He's fired.

Johnny's pumped up on pain pills from a recent spill he took in the kitchen when he decides it's time to tell Marissa the truth. He's falling in love with her.

One of the strippers, who happens to be a friend of Matt's from college, and is currently stripping to put herself through law school, shows up at the Newport Group and pleads Matt's case for him. His girlfriend broke up with him because he took this job and he just kind of crashed and burned. But the job means the world to him. Then she informs Sandy that she's the one who put Matt in touch with the investors in the first place, and she can get them a second meeting.

Seth drops by Summer's to apologize. It's just that she's superior to him in so many ways- better looking, more popular, stronger-and not just emotionally. Summer tells him she'll always look up to him, and not just because he's taller.

Sandy agrees to take Matt back. But the next time he has a problem, he'd better say something and that this is his second and last chance.

Julie reports back after her $5,000 date with Jeff. He was boring and his tongue felt like sandpaper. Suddenly Kirsten has a new idea for a business. A high-end call girl service? Uh, no, a high-end dating service.

Seth and Summer work together on their Brown entrance applications. Then they drop them in the mail and wish each other luck.

As Marissa leaves the house, Johnny's mom drives her son by and Marissa and Johnny talk. They decided that they need some time off from each other and so they hugged, then Marissa leaves for Ryan's house.

Ryan leaves to go to see Marissa at Summer's house.

When Marissa arrives at the pool house, no one is there. When Ryan arrived at Summer's bedroom, no one is there. Then Ryan calls Marissa.

Marissa and Ryan then talk to each other on the phone, lying in each other's bed.

Music

*"Hard to Be You" by The 88
*"My Worst Nightmare" by Fine China
*"Come On" by Client
*"The Stroke" by Billy Squier
*"Make It Bounce" by The Invisible Men
*"On and On" by Nikka Costa
*"Go Sadness" by Shout Out Louds

External links

* [http://www.fox.com/oc/recaps/309.htm Recap from the official website]