Kirsten is adding vodka to her tomato juice when Sandy walks into the kitchen. He asks if she wants to go to Palm Springs for a night and, after Kirsten hedges, haws and then finally agrees, a suspicious Sandy checks the drink she left in the sink. He smells the vodka. Oh, he smells the vodka alright!
Meanwhile, Summer tells Seth about her kiss with Zach. He isn't pleased (due to the absurd storyline? The action? who knows ...) and he and the Z-man decide that, when it comes to winning Summer over, the war is on. In other violent news, Marissa is afraid of Trey. He is trying to apologize, even following her to school, but she avoids him and is not telling Ryan what occurred. He's having issues of his own, as Jess is dropping hints that something is going on between Trey and Marissa. Even less comfortable, is Julie. How come? Because she is served with divorce papers by Caleb after he receives the pictures of her kissing her ex flame, Lance.
The troubles with Kirsten grow because Carter sent her a necklace and she is actually wearing it. And she's drinking more. And Sandy finds her passed out, grills her about Carter and she responds by leaving the house in anger. Summer, similarly, is angry at Zach and Seth because the war is growing out of control. At the comic book launch party, they take the fisticuffs out in front of the public and Reed (and Summer) ain't pleased.
Wait, there's more of this nonsense! Marissa can't even kiss Ryan because she just sees images of Trey. Therfore, she runs out of the pool house, telling Ryan it's over. When he goes to find her at her place, he sees Trey (who had been throwing out by a crying Marissa) leaving and wonders what had been going on. Finally, Sandy is driving around trying to find Kirsten. She calls him, behind the wheel and drunk (a big no-no, kids) and apologizes. But then - gasp! - her car is side swiped by a truck and the episode cuts to black.
"The Showdown " File: