The Family Ties

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“The Family Ties”

The O.C. episode

Episode no.

Season 2
(2004-2005)
Episode 7

Written by

Drew Z. Greenberg
Josh Schwartz

Directed by

Lesli Glatter

Production no.

2T5107

Original airdate

January 6, 2005 (FOX)

Episode chronology
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"The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn't"	"The Power of Love"

"The Family Ties" is the 34th episode of the FOX television series, The O.C. The episode was written by Drew Z. Greenberg and Josh Schwartz and was directed by Lesli Glatter. It originally aired on Thursday January 6, 2005. Modest Mouse made a special appearance playing at the 'Bait Shop'.

1 Guest starring
2 Plot
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Guest starring

[edit] Plot

In the Cohen kitchen, Seth watches Ryan quietly studying… and he just can’t take much more of it. He wishes Ryan would punch someone for old time sake. Seth does manage to grab his attention when he starts flipping through an old family photo album looking for the resemblance between his mom and Lindsay. Ryan doesn’t know what to make of the whole situation. Seth thinks he just needs to ask himself one question – “Is she your girlfriend or is she your aunt?” Sandy enters and suggests that maybe it’s too soon to joke about this, even for a Cohen. By the way, he thinks it would be best if Kirsten doesn’t find out they’re dating.

At the student lounge, Summer tries to convince Marissa that introducing D.J. to her dad won’t be so bad. Anyway, it can’t possibly be worse than the meeting between D.J. and her mom. Good point, at least this time he’ll be wearing clothes.

Seth enters the lounge and Zach approaches him. After making sure they’re okay with each other, post brawl, Zach asks Seth for some advice. Turns out, when Zach was on vacation with his family in Cabo, he ran into an old girlfriend and, well, they kissed. Seth asks if he still has feelings for his old flame. Well… he really likes her kids. Her what? Turns out the old flame is a bit older than Zach. In fact, she was his math tutor when he was 14. Seth’s advice: tell Summer he feels terrible about what happened and all it did was make him realize how much he likes her.

Ryan runs into Lindsay for the first time since vacation. She still wants to spend time with Ryan, they just need to find their own private Switzerland. Lindsay’s mom’s at her house and her…sister’s? at his house.

Sandy drives Caleb home from the hearing a free man. Where’s the party? Sandy reminds him that his freedom comes at the expense of others, especially his daughter. Which daughter? Caleb knows he’s got work to do in that area. Speaking of work, Caleb doesn’t see any reason for him to stay away from the office now that the scandal’s over. Yeah, except, Sandy reminds him, that the woman running the company despises him. Which woman?

Julie’s lounging on Jimmy’s boat when she gets the news about Caleb’s freedom. Jimmy wants to know if it’s over? Julie wants to know what he’s talking about -- the hearing or them? Julie thinks maybe she and Jimmy just needed this time apart to appreciate what they had. Maybe. They head back into the cabin to find out.

Kirsten stops by Harbor High to offer Lindsay a ride home, but Lindsay’s got a car… that runs most of the time. Ok, then how about cup of coffee? Lindsay accepts.

Marissa and DJ walk down the dock towards Jimmy’s boat. Marissa’s trying to convince DJ that he has nothing to be nervous about, when he looks up at the boat… “Uh, is that your mom?” Marissa looks up and sees Julie and Jimmy making out.

Seth stops by Alex’s place to welcome her back from vacation but is greeted by a shirtless man with wild hair. Then a disheveled Alex comes out carrying a bag of garbage. She didn’t expect to see Seth so early in the morning. Um, it’s three-thirty in the afternoon. Apparently that’s early for someone with a bad hangover. Then the shirtless guy emerges, followed by another guy and a girl. Seth is trying to do the math and he’s got a few questions. Alex promises to answer all his questions tonight at the Modest Mouse concert. Then she tells him it was nice to seeing him, really nice.

Back at home, Seth complains to Ryan and Sandy that Alex thinks he’s nice. And the more edgy and dangerous she was, the more like a Jewish grandmother he became. “Bruce Banner gets mad -- he turns into the Hulk. I try it and turn into some seventy-five year old yenta.” Kirsten comes home. Surprise, the boys made dinner! Surprise, she brought home Lindsay!

Marissa stops by Jimmy’s boat. He wants to know why she and D.J. cancelled on him. Marissa explains that it just wasn’t a good time -- she was busy with homework, D.J. was a little tired, oh, and he was busy making out with Mom. What?! Before Jimmy can worm his way out of it, Marissa tells him she saw him with her very own eyes and she can’t understand how he could get back together with the woman who ruined his life and hers. She wishes for once he’d grow up and be like a real dad.

That night at The Bait Shop, Seth approaches Alex at the bar holding a flask of whiskey. He tries to impress her but unfortunately can’t remember whether the flask contains his good friend John, Jim, or Jack.

Meanwhile, Jimmy confesses to Sandy and Kirsten that he’s fallen in love with his ex-wife. You were married before Julie? Uh, no, he’s talking about Julie. Jimmy explains that he can’t be here and be with Julie but he can’t be here and not be with her. So he needs to go. He’s purchased a yacht chartering company in Maui. He leaves in a couple days.

Back at The Bait Shop, Modest Mouse is rocking the house while Lindsay tries holding Ryan’s hand. He offers up his little finger. You’re giving me the pinky? She drags him outside for a talk. Meanwhile, Zach is about to tell Summer what happened over winter break when an intoxicated Seth appears, talking way too loudly. Summer tells him his breath smells like Marissa. Then Seth turns to Zach and notes that he and Summer are still hanging out. “So I guess that means Summer was cool with it?!” Um, cool with what? Outside, Ryan and Lindsay are having the inevitable girlfriend vs. sister talk. Ryan’s cool with Lindsay hanging out with Kirsten but it makes the whole kissing thing a lot weirder. Alex appears and starts screaming at Ryan to take Seth home… now! He’s drunk, puking on the merchandise, and leaving a path of destruction in his wake… as is evidenced by Summer and Zach, who’ve just come out screaming at each other. The morning after, Ryan and Seth discuss the events of last night and it is brought up how much Seth has vomited. Seth then asks, "How much vomit? Like the little girl in The Sixth Sense or the fat guy in Monty Python?". Mischa Barton (Marissa) portrayed the little girl in The Sixth Sense.

Back on the boat, Jimmy tells Marissa that he’s thought about what she said and decided she’s right -- about everything. So you’re going to end it? Yep. But it’s more complicated than that. Jimmy needs to get some perspective on the world and learn how to be a real dad… so he’s moving to Maui. Oh, and there’s going to be a goodbye party for him tonight at the Cohen’s. She tells him he was the last thing keeping her sane so it should be interesting to see what happens when he leaves.

At Jimmy’s going away party, Seth asks Ryan to cover for him while he slips out to talk to Alex. Ryan and Lindsay join Summer, who came solo and is obviously bored with the whole affair. Don’t worry Summer, things are about to get a whole lot more interesting. Here comes a drunken Marissa with D.J. on her arm. Marissa approaches Julie, “Well, if it isn’t the wicked witch of the West Coast.” Julie tries to blame D.J. but he explains that she was like this when he picked her up. Marissa pulls D.J. away from Julie, “Come on, before she tries to sleep with you next.” What did you say? You heard me! Jimmy tires to break up the fight but Marissa thinks it’s time for him to tell everyone why he’s leaving. Julie points out that Jimmy’s leaving her with a screwed-up kid. “Of course I’m screwed up. I’m the daughter of a thief and a slut.”

Seth arrives at Alex’s place in Caleb’s Aston Martin and proceeds to brag about having stolen the car. It’s just something he does from time to time, just for kicks. Alex tells him that she’s been with a lot of bad boys, and he’s just not one of them. And, it turns out she likes him because he’s a good guy. Seth’s relieved. He doesn’t think the whole bad boy thing was working out for him anyway. Alex sees the cop car pull up beside him. Hmm, maybe not.

Summer returns home to find Zach sitting on her floor listening to a meditation tape. He’s operating at a higher frequency now and believes this is a big moment for them -- it’s their first fight… that wasn’t about Cohen. This is their own fight. Then he apologizes and promises from now on to tell Summer everything.

Ryan and Lindsay finally have a moment alone in the pool house. Lindsay thinks that instead of hypothesizing about how kissing her might be like kissing his sister, he should just find out. Good idea. And they’re in luck -- nothing sisterly about that kiss.

Jimmy finds Marissa and D.J. sitting on her favorite lifeguard station. She wants to know what her dad’s doing here. D.J. confesses that he called him, then takes off. Jimmy apologizes to Marissa for letting her down.

After seeing her dad off, Marissa drops by the Cohen house with a bag of bagels. The family welcomes her in, Ryan sweetly puts his arm around her as comfort, and they all gather around Sandy for a demonstration of the art of bagel smearing.