The Case of the Franks

Infobox Television episode
Colour = #ffaa44
Series = The O.C.
Title = The Case of the Franks


Season = 4
(2007)
Caption = Frank, Julie, Bullit, Ryan and Taylor at the Yacht Club
Episode = 13
Airdate = February 1, 2007 (FOX)
Writer = J. J. Philbin
Director = Norman Buckley
Production = 3T5263
Prev = The Groundhog Day
Next = The Shake Up

"The Case of the Franks" is the 89th episode and the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the FOX television series, "The O.C.". It originally aired on Thursday, February 1, 2007.

Guest starring

*Gary Grubbs as Gordon Bullit
*Kevin Sorbo as Frank Atwood
*Ellen Hollman as Young Kirsten
*Max Greenfield as Young Sandy
*Graham Miller as Young Jimmy
*Samantha Figura as Young Taryn
*Chelsea Smith as Young Summer
*Bella Thorne as Young Taylor
*Tristan Price as Young Seth
*Conner Webb as Young Luke
*Kerby Moore as Young Holly
*Wayne Dalglish as Brad Ward
*Corey Price as Eric Ward

Plot

As Valentine's Day rapidly approaches, the newly engaged Julie struggles between her loyalty to Kaitlin (therefore sticking with Bullit) and true love. When Ryan says that they won't do anything for Valentine's Day (he says it's a recipe for disaster), Taylor attempts to patch things up between the distant Ryan and his dad, who they realize is in love with Julie. Kaitlin plots with Bullit to win her over, while Ryan and Taylor struggle to bring Frank and Julie together by Valentine's Day.

With a new baby on the horizon, Kirsten is preoccupied with memories of her relationship with Jimmy Cooper. Her memories reveal how she ended their relationship when she discoverd that she was pregnant but didn't tell Jimmy, and ended up having an abortion.

Meanwhile, Summer questions her future with Seth as he questions their past after a fortune teller tells her she is destined for a man named George. He shares how a childhood classroom memory of Summer reading a poem told him that she was the girl for him. She then reveals that she didn't write the poem but had manipulated another little girl, Taylor Townsend, into giving it to her. They both seemed resigned that that perhaps the fortune teller was right. Kirsten tells Seth to stop focusing on the image of who he thought Summer "was" and focus on who she really is.

But by the time the stars align on the big night, everyone is in each other's sights. Taylor and Ryan succeed in hijacking Julie's night with Bullit, bringing her up to a romantically lit hotdog stand. Ryan's dad struggles for the right words, but makes a plea for Julie's heart. In the end she states that she only has one daughter left, and she loves Bullit even if Julie doesn't. Kaitlin arrives hot on her trail and Julie gets into the limo they go to meet Bullit. On the drive Kaitlin realizes that her mother's heart is not with Bullit, and when the limo pulls up at the airport to meet Bullit's private jet only Kaitlin emerges. She tells him that she knows she asked him to be her stepdad, but would he settle for being her friend? They walk off together and he says that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Julie soon arrives back at the hotdog stand. She says that the best thing that ever happened to her was meeting him on campus one month later when he was campaigning for Walter Mondale on their college campus. She presents him with the original campaign button as a Valentine's Day gift.

Music

*"Theme From Picnic (Moonglow)" by Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra
*"Talk About the Passion" by R.E.M.
*"Wannabe" by young Summer
*"Start Today Tomorrow" by Youth Group
*"Unaware" by The Midway State

Trivia

*This episode was originally going to be called "The Destiny" but the title was changed in favor of the more comedic "The Case of The Franks", a reference to Julie's 'Ailment'

*The following younger versions of these characters appeared in the 1985 flashbacks in the order they appeared::Kirsten Cohen, Jimmy Cooper, Taryn Baker and Sandy Cohen

*The following younger versions of these characters appeared in the 1998 flashbacks in the order they appeared::Seth Cohen, Luke Ward, Summer Roberts, Holly Fischer and Taylor Townsend

*In "The Ties That Bind", Kirsten hinted she had an abortion. In the 1985 flashback, it was revealed she aborted Jimmy's child.

*Marissa Cooper was oddly not in the 1998 flashbacks in the grade 5 classroom, but several episodes have stated that she was the same age and in the same grade with Seth, Summer and Luke and grade 5 was when Marissa and Luke started dating.

External links

* [http://www.fox.com/oc/recaps/413.htm Recap from the official website]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=719648578299049361 Video Clip of The OC, Season 4, Episode 13]