To begin the hour, we're reminded about the lie Seth has been maintaining regarding his acceptance into Brown. While Kirsten isn't questioning this fib just yet, she is suggesting that Ryan asks his mother to attend the upcoming high school graduation. At first, Kid Chino is hesitant, but, soon enough, he's on a plane to New Mexico to suprise his birth mother.
Meanwhile, Volchok catches Marissa off guard when he enters her room; fresh from Baha, he wants to break himself off a piece of the Coopster before there's nothing left to grab (that was an anorexic joke). Julie catches him fondling her daughter and scolds the pair. Naturally, this leads to an inspired Marissa cutting school and heading over to Volchok's sketchy abode later in the day. At least we have Summer to feel good about. She's feeling blue and confused after Seth ended their relationship, but a quick chat with Taylor changes her mind. Summer decides to un-break up the couple in order to get to the bottom of what's actually going on with Seth.
Sandy is also doing some digging. Matt asks him to pass on a blackmailing message to the head of the hospital board - in exchange for the documents Matt has, he wants a great deal of cash. We're not sure why he doesn't just apply for a . Kirsten then calls Sandy, lamenting the fact they haven't felt close for awhile, and asks him to be home for dinner. The Sand Man agrees. Ryan, on the other hand, is having no trouble at all getting close to Chloe, his mother's co-worker at the diner. Before Dawn even knows her boy is in town, he's going down town with this pretty blonde in his hotel room. She notices the graduation tickets and asks if Ryan plans to ask his mom (and her boyfriend) to attend.
In segue news, Marissa is basically forced to attend a party at Volchok's because she's already there. Beth, the girl who mocked her at public school, is also present and drinking a lot. When Marissa notices a drug being slipped into her rival's drink, she actually acts in someone else's best interests. Interfering in the attempted rape, Marissa is overwhelmed by all she's gotten herself into and ends up crying on Julie's shoulder. Summer is feeling down for other reasons. In a romantic gesture, she gets up on the school's coffee cart and asks Seth if he's fallen out of love with her. Our bumbling, confounded hero actually says that he has and the relationship appears over for good. But Seth does at least show remorse at the end.
Sandy may also need our sympathy, as Kirsten is steaming at him for blowing off their dinner. At least he has a good excuse, though - he was helping Matt avoid another beating by covering for him during a meeting with Mr. Hospital. Before the bad man's goons can attack. Sandy steps in, claims Matt was lying about haivng evidence and pays him his own severance package. It's then revealed that Sandy has taken the evidence and hidden it in his safe. Finally, Ryan is actually so ashamed of his mother that he rescinds the graduation invitation. She gets upset. But Ryan changes his mind after seeing Dawn's locker shrine to her soon, realizing that she deserves another chance, and re-invites her in a nice moment that also sums up the OC: problem encountered and solved in five minutes.
"The Dawn Patrol" File: