The Ties That Bind

We open with Seth and Ryan peering out over the pier as Seth suggests possible baby names. He lands on "Thor," because it's a strong name and "no one's gonna mess with Thor." But somehow I think if Seth's name were Thor, he'd have gotten messed with even more. Ryan, clearly not yet into the name-picking, unenthusiastically thanks him, and Seth moves on to proposing "Seth" for the baby: "Although at Camp Takaho, I was often referred to as a girl, so I guess it works either way." Ryan plaintively asks Seth to stop with the name game, and Seth -- always the wordsmith -- apologizes that the discussion is "premature." He proposes that Theresa might not even be pregnant because of the possibility that Ryan "shoot[s] blanks." That doesn't make Ryan feel any better. Seth agrees not to "kid," and then stumbles on the "unfortunate choice of word." He stops himself before further beLABORing the point because there's nothing funny about Ryan's predicament, PERIOD, and no one should have the MISTAKEn CONCEPTION that there is. Ryan narrates that they don't even know if the kid is Ryan's: why is no one paying more attention to that fact? In short, he's willing to sacrifice his entire new life to help Theresa based entirely on the assumption that the baby might be his? Seth insists that they don't even know if there is a kid: "How much faith can you put in a pee swab?" Ryan tells him not to say "swab." So far on The O.C., characters have been advised not to say the words "swab," "pee," "pool house," "underpants," and some other words that I'm having a hard time tracking down. But the point is: they use that line a lot. Seth is amazed that Ryan Atwood made a joke, albeit a thoroughly worn-out one. Ryan responds that he's got to keep his sense of humor, a sentiment with which Seth commiserates, since he's spent so much time stuffed in a locker with his shoes full of the water polo team's urine. He jokes that having Ryan around has made him soft; with no one picking on him, Seth's had no need for the "Seth Cohen retaliatory zinger." Maybe if Ryan stuck around just a little longer, Seth would also have no need for the "Seth Cohen talks about himself in the third person" tendency. Theresa emerges from the clinic, looking unhappy. For some reason, this causes Ryan to look hopeful. Ryan should know by now that he was not meant to look hopeful.

At The Big House for Wayward Chino Near-Adults, Kirsten stomps around the kitchen and rants into the phone about Caleb's hatred of cilantro. Sandy jazzes into the kitchen (and there's really no better description for how Peter Gallagher enters a room than "jazzes") and snarks, "Somebody get me some cilantro!" Hee. Kirsten continues raging into the phone that Caleb also won't have colored lights at his wedding -- he'll have all white lights. I've always been a fan of the colored lights, but I'm not sure even the biggest fan of colored lights has them at his/her wedding. Kirsten adds that colored lights remind Caleb of a carnival, and that he "hates carnies." It kind of makes me wonder what happened in Caleb's life to engender such an avowed hatred of all members of the carnival community. Did he get lost in a fun house? Did his wallet fly out of his pocket on the swings? Did a clown poke fun at his bald spot? Sandy's all, "Note to self: hang with carnies." There's a fourth-season episode for you.

At the docks, Seth removes the tarp from his boat, cooing that he missed it, and that it's been too long. When Ryan points out that he's talking to a boat, Seth responds that he talks to a plastic horse, too, but that never worries anyone. Ryan says, "It worried me." Hee. Seth fishes a compass out of his gear and explains that it will lead him to Tahiti. Ryan asks what happened to that plan, and Seth admits that when Ryan came, Seth "suddenly had less reason to flee." Aw. Seth boasts that he could have made the trip in forty-two days, and Ryan laments that they'll never know now. And why not? Is there an expiration date on traveling to Tahiti? Seth announces that the Summer Breeze is "back in action," and I'll bet he's wishing the same could be said about Summer. He suggests a trip to Catalina with their "ladies," and Ryan perks up at the thought; he suggests catching fresh fish right off the side of the boat and cooking them right there. And I can so see Marissa and Summer getting into that. Except totally not. Ryan says that the trip sounds good, and then amends that it sounds great.

And while this show may consider itself risqu, they still can't bring themselves to have a character say the word "abortion." Instead, we see Theresa reading a pamphlet which declares, "The Truth about Abortion." Kirsten walks her through the day's schedule, while Theresa looks unhappy. They appear to be drinking lemonade, and I cannot imagine a drink that goes less well with a frank discussion of abortion. We also see that on the table are marigolds, which in a recap I apparently mistook for carnations. They must have busted those out when they noticed Theresa coming, because a Newport restaurant would only have roses or lilies or some other upscale flower on its tables. Kirsten finishes out her summation by exclaiming that "everyone there seems really nice." What a totally random thing to say; I'm sure the first thing on Theresa's mind is whether the nurse will give her a lollipop or validate her parking when she leaves. Theresa ignores the randomness and says instead that she can't believe she's doing this. When Kirsten points out that she doesn't have to, Theresa announces that she does because she's still in high school -- or should be in high school, as she points out; on that matter, would the Cohens really harbor a high-school dropout? Is that even legal? Theresa adds that she only makes eleven dollars in tips a day, so it's not like having a baby makes the most sense. When Kirsten counters that Theresa doesn't have to base her decision on what makes the most sense, Theresa scoffs to hear this from Kirsten, who has such a perfect, together life. Kirsten's face freezes up as she chokes out that nothing's perfect and that sometimes, "things...just...happen." Theresa -- who is suddenly as dense as Marissa -- responds, "Yeah, but never to someone like you, right?" Kirsten stares blankly while Theresa does the math. She apologizes, but Kirsten cuts her off to say it's okay and that she doesn't regret her decision, but that she wishes that when she was trying to choose, someone had been there for her. Aw, poor Kirsten. She adds that whatever Theresa decides, the Cohens are there for her.

Back at the pool house, Theresa lights a candle, although it appears that only one candle has made the trip to The Big House for Wayward Chino Near-Adults, as opposed to the seventeen thousand candles she surrounded herself with at The Mermaid. Ryan asks how she's feeling, and she admits that she's "pretty lousy." She asks whether he "remember[s] that part last night about [her] not having the baby." Ryan thinks really hard about it, but draws a blank; between eating lunch with Marissa and going to the boat with Seth, he only remembers the important parts -- like the fact that he was wearing a brown shirt. After that, it's a complete wash. Okay, so he remembers, but what a dumb way for her to ask that question. He looks wary as she adds that as hard as it is to imagine having a baby, it's even harder to imagine not having it. Ryan concludes that she's going to have the baby, and she insists that she has to. She hugs him, while he makes a vomit face. If you don't know what a vomit face is, go back and rewatch the episode -- there's your definition.

Inside, Kirsten walks down the hallway, stalked by Sandy, who is interrogating her about her conversation with Theresa. He accuses Kirsten of talking her into having the baby, and Kirsten wonders whether she should just have let Theresa make a completely uninformed decision. Sandy points out that Ryan and Theresa are two kids with nothing; how can they start a family? He asks if she knows what Ryan is going through right now and she evasively responds, "Not as well as I know what she's going through." Sandy gets all up in Kirsten's face to ask what that means, and she backs out of the confession, insisting that it means nothing except that Theresa is alone, can't talk to her mother, and is scared and confused; all Kirsten did was listen. Sandy is obviously not convinced that Kirsten's disclosure is "nothing," but the conversation is halted as Ryan enters the kitchen. Responsible fathers brush their hair while forgoing product, so that's what he's done. It's not really an improvement. The boy just needs a new haircut or something. Kirsten hurries to offer him breakfast, but he's just on his way through to check on Theresa. In his wake, Kirsten segues the conversation to Caleb; she asks whether Sandy has talked to him lately, because he hasn't seemed himself. Sandy says he wouldn't want to be Caleb, either -- about to be bound by law to Lady Heather. Kirsten doesn't want to be reminded -- "Denial is a very effective coping mechanism" -- and we focus on Sandy, whose wheels are turning about whether Kirsten could be in denial about other things, as well.

Ryan joins Theresa in the pool house, where she is packing up her clothes and wearing a tie-back maternity shirt. When he determines that she's leaving, Theresa admits that she told her mother everything and is going back to Chino; she should have left the night before, after seeing the aforementioned vomit face. Ryan insists that Theresa doesn't have to leave, and that they can figure it out together. She urges him to come with her then, and his silence is answer enough.

Marissa, Hailey and Jimmy -- continuing his pattern of showing up in the most inappropriate of places -- carry boxes into The Palace. They comment on its castle-like appearance, and Jimmy suggests that the torture chamber must be in the basement. Lady Heather clickety-clacks into the room, reprimanding Jimmy for showing up, since Caleb is due back any minute, and thanks to Jimmy he'll have a black eye in his wedding photos. It's amazing how frequently I find myself agreeing with Lady Heather. Jimmy makes some snide comment about the "black lump of coal where [Caleb's] heart should be." Lump-of-coal-for-a-heart jokes are so 1957. Lady Heather asks why Jimmy can't just be happy for her, since she's happy for herself. Even she sounds surprised to admit it. Hailey snipes that Lady Heather can't be happy, which makes her happy. Lady Heather gasps, and then commends Jimmy on his "classy choice." She thinks it's obvious, though, that he's only with Hailey because he can't be with Kirsten, which in psychology is called "transference." Jimmy counters that in psychology, what Lady Heather is doing is called "shameless gold-digging." Lady Heather contends that Hailey is out for the same thing where Caleb is concerned, and Hailey's all, "Do not make me --" Lady Heather's all, "-- go back to life as a stripper or coke whore?" leading Jimmy to ask in disbelief whether Lady Heather has forgotten about the '80s. Hee. Lady Heather so wore shoulder pads and a vial of coke around her neck, which she snorted out of her really, really long red nails. She points out that at least she's not a criminal, to which he responds, "At least I'm not marrying one." Except being a criminal is worse than marrying a criminal as far as I'm concerned; not to mention the fact Lady Heather was previously married to a criminal who kept his criminal past from her and who is now criticizing her for marrying another criminal. So being married to a criminal is fine, apparently; it's just which criminal that's the issue. Marissa storms into the room, throws a box down onto the ground, and yells for them to stop because Lady Heather is getting everything she wants, including Marissa moving in with her. A confused Lady Heather says she thought Marissa wanted that too, and Hailey and Jimmy look back and forth and back and forth between mother and daughter like it's a tennis match.

Summer stands dockside, while Seth sits in his boat. They so missed the opportunity to have Summer pull a Tori Spelling and don a sailor suit for the occasion. Unlike Tori Spelling, she would look adorable in a sailor suit. Summer rambles on about what a coincidence it is that Seth has a boat named Summer Breeze, and Seth manically agrees that it's crazy. She zings, "Well, it's the only Summer you'll be riding for a while." Seth's all, "Right. Yeah. No sex. I got it." A Random Boat Boy asks Seth for paperwork, and we deduce through their conversation that Seth is selling his boat for six thousand dollars in cash. Summer asks if he's planning to flee the country with all that money. When he explains that it's for Ryan, she asks if he's buying him "vintage wifebeaters?" Hee. Seth swears Summer to secrecy before revealing that Theresa has decided to keep the baby. Summer plotzes at this news, as Seth continues that since he spent all his money on Vegas hookers, the boat is all he has that's worth anything, and he doesn't know how else to help. Summer sweetly coos a "Cohen" at him in response to this announcement.

At The Big House for Wayward Chino Near-Adults, white twinkle lights abound. Pretty. Sadly, there's not a carnie in sight. When Jimmy enters, Caleb snits over what he's doing there, and Kirsten counters that Jimmy's family, too. Caitlyn is also family, but no one remembered to unlock her from the trunk, so she's absent at the dinner. Jimmy back-handedly congratulates Caleb on getting a "hell of a woman." Meanwhile, Lady Heather greets Summer and Seth, who snits that being a groomsman is the "fulfillment of a lifelong dream." Marissa flounces up and -- after giving her a prolonged once-over in which she can apparently find nothing to complain about -- Lady Heather declares her beautiful. Marissa manages a sullen "thanks" before Lady Heather takes her leave. Marissa asks if the others have seen Ryan, because he hasn't returned any of her calls; is he okay? Seth rambles that he "takes a long time with his hair," and is probably busy making his signature "angry claw," which takes "like, four hours" and which Marissa should see because it's weird. Summer peppers his ramblings with brief emissions including, "I don't know. Mousse. Product. I know." Hee. They both make mock hair claws with their hands, accompanied by growling noises.

Sandy tracks down Caleb to inform him that he talked to Otis the District Attorney. Caleb calls him something that sounds like a "pad load." I don't know what that means. Sandy declares that it's "over" for Caleb, which must be heartening to learn on the eve of your wedding. When Caleb wonders what he's supposed to do, Sandy questions whether he's told the "future Mrs. Nichol" about his financial situation. Caleb asks if Sandy is saying that Lady Heather is marrying Caleb for his money and through fits of stifled laughter Sandy chokes out, "No! Never! Of course not!" When he suggests that they consider postponing the wedding, Caleb deems it impossible; he's never let anyone push him around, and so the wedding will indeed be tomorrow! He manages to thank Sandy for trying, and then an amused Sandy heralds the irony of the fact that Lady Heather left Jimmy to marry Caleb, and now Jimmy is "worth millions." I'm still not getting the "worth millions" part, since he not only has people to pay back from his career as a financial advisor/thief, but he only pocketed half of $2.5 million, which doesn't go so far after purchasing a beachfront manse in Orange County. Caleb sips his wine and declares, "I don't believe in irony." Sandy suggests that that's too bad, since believing in irony might just get Caleb through these bad times. But I think Sandy has confused "irony" with "humor."

Marissa enters the pool house, wearing a blue dress that matches Ryan's blue shirt. The blue is spreading from the men to the women. Ryan explains that he's hiding, and then announces that Theresa went back home to have the baby. Marissa asks whether Theresa and Eddie made up. Who wants an abusive couple to "make up"? I swear Marissa is making us try to hate her. When Ryan doesn't answer, she draws an alternate conclusion: that Theresa is having the baby alone. When Ryan still doesn't answer, Marissa pouts her response. Ryan can't actually be picking a helpless, unborn baby over a near-grown woman with a family, plenty of financial resources, and really, really long legs, can he? I mean, a baby's legs are only like nine inches long!

We join the rehearsal dinner meal, where Caleb toasts Kirsten for hosting the dinner. As if she had a choice. He goes on about how tomorrow is important, and what a great joy it is to watch his family grow after being through so much together; tomorrow, he declares, the Nichols, Cohens, and Coopers become one family. "Atwood" is conspicuously absent from that list. As various characters make eye contact with each other through Caleb's speech, Seth sits all hunched over and weird at the table. He might be his cutest at his weirdest. Caleb adds that he feels "very lucky to be at the head of that family," which elicits an eyebrow lift from Sandy. As Caleb finally wraps it up and they all clink glasses, Ryan leaves the table and heads inside, where he paces around looking angst-y. Well, he almost always looks angst-y, but this time we understand that it's specialized angst as opposed to standard angst. Marissa tromps in behind him, followed by Seth and Summer, all wanting to know if he's okay. He just wants to get out of there!

We cut to the foursome walking down the beach. Seth points out that it was on this very stretch of beach that they first got their asses kicked by the water polo team. He stoops to collect some sand, and then declares that it "definitely tastes the same." Hee. Marissa asks when that was, and the boys explains that it was after the fashion show when Ryan first arrived at Holly's beach house party. Summer skeptically asks whether they were actually at that party, and Seth groans that "those were the days." As Seth and Summer snuggle, Marissa and Ryan are noticeably apart. She asks if he's okay, and he struggles through announcing that he's been thinking he needs to go back to Chino, because Theresa can't do it by herself. This leaves the group understandably bereft of further witty banter.

I've never thought men should wear shorts, and the scene is proof: Seth stands to Random Boat Boy, who we saw earlier. Seth sports khaki pants and looks typically charming; Random Boat Boy sports shorts and looks like Dorf. When Random Boat Boy reveals that the boat's buyer backed out, Seth is indignant about the dissolution of their deal and says he really needs the money. Random Boat Boy points out that the buyer will have it in a few months, but Seth needs it right now! Random Boat Boy apologizes and walks away, and he should stop payment right now on the checks for the acting lessons from Mischa Barton, because they are not paying off. Meanwhile, Seth mumbles that it figures, since that's the way things have been going for him lately.

Seth heads into a diner to join Marissa and Summer. He announces that he has a plan: since no one, including Ryan, wants Ryan to leave, they'll make him stay by all getting jobs, pooling their salaries, and getting an apartment in the numbered streets. Why don't they just set up a lemonade stand or an advice booth or something? That would be so much easier. When Marissa points out that Theresa wants to be with her family, and that Ryan has to be with her, Seth yelps that he's not just letting Ryan go! Summer thinks there's nothing else they can do short of kidnapping him, and Marissa insists that she'd do something if she could. Well, if Marissa got pregnant, then Ryan would have to stay to help her, right? Now there's a solution I'd expect from Marissa. Seth snits that Marissa has done enough already, and then gives all of us Seth-lovers even more reason to adore him by laying into Marissa for the Oliver fiasco; he whines that all she ever did was "drag that kid into your messed-up life." Dang! Except yay! Instead of defending herself in a rational way, Marissa counters with the accusation that "all [Seth] ever did was use [Ryan] to pick up girls and get out of fights." In lashing out at Seth, Marissa appears even more ridiculously self-centered than ever. Summer tries to mediate as Seth snits off that he's got to get ready for the wedding, and he doesn't care what happens as long as Marissa is cool with Ryan leaving.

Sandy enters the pool house as Ryan packs. He explains the timeline for the wedding pending Kirsten's readiness, and then cracks, "It is a mystery to me what goes on in that bathroom." Ryan asks if they'll be done by 6, since he told Theresa to pick him up then. Sandy takes this in without a reaction, so we know he knows that Ryan is leaving. Sandy announces that, as Ryan's guardian, he can stop him. Ryan knows that, but counters that Sandy won't, because if he taught Ryan anything, it's to do what it takes to protect his family. I thought that was Jimmy's MO? These writers need to get their stories straight. And while Sandy is an excellent father, I would think he would have also taught Ryan kindness and patience and open-mindedness in equal measure, but I guess none of those went with this particular plotline. Ryan announces that Theresa is his family now, but Sandy insists that the Cohens are his family, too. He announces that Theresa and Ryan can both stay with the Cohens, and that they'll make it work "as a family." Aw. Aw! Ryan can't ask them to do that, though, because the Cohens have already done more than Ryan could have asked of anyone. Sandy grins that he told him once already that he could have done worse. Indeed. Kids do worse with their biological parents every day. Ryan huskily points out that when Sandy took him in, Ryan had no family and no hope, and that he doesn't want his kid to grow up the same way. Sandy earnestly declares, "Well, just 'cause you're leavin'...doesn't mean I'm lettin' you go." While watching this scene, I determine that Ben McKenzie plucks his eyebrows; as we all well know, Peter Gallagher does not. Sandy lightens the mood by hurrying Ryan to dress so that they might witness the "most unholy of all unions."

We hear the chimes of the wedding march, and red-attired bridesmaids file down the aisle. Lady Heather appears in a poofy strapless ballgown; alas, the costumers missed a major opportunity to have Lady Heather's dress designed by Juicy Couture. We suddenly see the aisle and altar via LadyHeatherCam, and she zooms in on Caleb. I expect him to turn into a dollar sign, much like one cartoon character turns into a giant turkey leg in front of another. Her stride slows a bit, and I think something is about to go down, but it's not -- as much as a lot happens in this episode, the pace is very even and there aren't any big shockers or dramatic revelations. It's all very matter-of-fact, which I think helps make the episode more successful. We see members of the wedding party exchanging looks, including a particularly skeptical one between Sandy and Kirsten. We also see that while the Atwood last name didn't make the union, Ryan did score a place in the wedding party. We also see that Jimmy continues his campaign of impropriety by assuming a place in the front row. Oh, and I see Cyndi! I don't see Caitlyn, but apparently she's there somewhere. They probably wheeled in her trunk so that she could bear witness to the occasion.

We abruptly cut to the reception, and I credit the editors for not making the audience endure the sappy vows of a couple who clearly do not love each other. Caleb and Lady Heather take to the dance floor to "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Jem. I'm preferential to the McCartney version, but this one holds its own. We see various dancing couples looking happy, while Ryan stews alone at a table, staring at a gold-plated goblet and calculating how many of them he'd need to smuggle out to provide for the future of his child. When Marissa approaches him sullenly, he asks if she wants to dance, and she silently agrees. And thus commences a painful scene in which Marissa runs through the entire repertoire of Precious Moments figurine facial expressions while basically granting Ryan permission to go, but begging him not to. I feel for her, but what I feel is burning hate. She nuzzles up to him while a bizarre couple bops around behind them. We pan slowly out from the dance floor, where Ryan and Marissa remain immobile while the other couples dance. The music tinkles. Then it tinkles some more. Tinkle tinkle tinkle tinkle. And then more tinkling.

Prolonged tinkling brings us to Seth, sitting alone on a bluff. Summer kneels beside him and softly explains that she was sent to find him; in response, he can only muster a grunt. She jokes that she figured he'd be busy "stuffing his pockets with cocktail weenies" right now, and we know that Seth is upset since he doesn't take the opportunity to admonish her not to say "weenies." Summer knows he's upset about Ryan and points out that Chino isn't too far away, but this is no consolation to Seth, who yells that Ryan was the first and only real friend he ever had. Summer corrects him that he also has her, and Seth angrily insists that it's not the same thing; before Ryan arrived, he was Newport's biggest loser and his existence was hell. He hates that he can't help Ryan, but also can't imagine what it will be like without him. Summer promises that they'll get through it together; in response, Seth tells her to let the others know he'll be back in a few minutes. As she slowly walks away, he announces, "And for the record, the boat was named after you."

And that's all we get of the wedding, since we suddenly find ourselves in the pool house while Ryan continues to pack. I can't believe there was no dress-tearing, and that no one ending up pushed into a pool or off a bluff. The camera surveys the empty pool house, which doesn't have much of an impact since it didn'' ever exactly look full with Ryan as a resident. All of Ryan's fifty-seven wifebeaters and three leather wrist cuffs fit into one small duffel bag and a backpack.

In the kitchen, Sandy and Kirsten try to act busy but are clearly waiting for Ryan. Kirsten's voice breaks as she asks if Theresa is there yet; she gives Ryan a brown bag packed with a snack and explains that he shouldn't worry because she didn't make it; she offers to learn to cook if it would convince him to stay. Ryan is not in a joking mood; instead, he earnestly thanks them for inviting them into their home. He starts to choke up as he recalls the year, and Kirsten cuts him off: "For us too." She sweeps him up into a hug, and for once he brings himself to reciprocate. Sandy joins them with an arm around each, announcing, "And Kirsten's not even a hugger." She reprimands Sandy for knowing how to ruin a moment, and they share laughter through tears.

Ryan heads upstairs to say goodbye to Seth, where there is no laughter to be had. Seth pouts on the bed listening to his headphones as Ryan announces that he's got to "jet." Seth dismissively says it's "coo' [sic]," and then briefly drops the nonchalant act to ask if Ryan really has to go. He announces that if they need a nanny, he'll take the graveyard shift. When Ryan insists that they'll manage, Seth says he was afraid Ryan would say that. Ryan says that Seth can come visit him, but Seth can't muster a response. Trying another tactic, Ryan says he got Seth a present and hands over a map of Tahiti. Seth tosses it onto the bedside table, and his cute little heart is just breaking in half. Ryan stares at him, but Seth just looks away. The doorbell rings, and they exchange unhappy "see ya"s. Seth turns back to his headphones while Ryan just stands there, hoping for something more. The quiet chiming of Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" begins, to accompany the saddest Montage of Sadness ever.

The shot we see is in the gray-toned ChinoCam. We see Ryan's doleful face through the window, while Marissa stands curbside at Lady Heather's Lair. She hopefully perks up when she sees the car, and then sadly watches them continue onward. Ryan stares back at her as she's washed over in strange light. A limo pulls in front of her, obstructing her from Ryan's view. The car turns out onto the coastal road. If this sounds familiar, that's because it is, puppy-face and all. For once, it's a successful -- as opposed to completely random -- parallel.

Hallelujah!

Upstairs, Seth packs up a duffel bag. He does so with his tongue stuck out, which is the mark of packing concentration. As he swings out of the room, we see two letters labeled "Mom and Dad" and "Summer" on his desk.

Hallelujah!

Marissa carries a box, containing what looks like a single Care Bear, into her new bedroom at The Palace. If she's so poor, then why does her turquoise purse so perfectly match her turquoise tank top? She opens the doors off her bedroom and stares out at the lovely vista below.

Hallelujah!

Seth unties his boat from the dock, consults his compass, and heads out on what appears to be a split-decision sailing excursion to Tahiti.

Hallelujah!

Kirsten changes Ryan's sheets, and then pauses.

Hallelujah!

Ryan stares out through the gray-tone ChinoCam. He and Theresa exchange a lingering look.

Hallelujah!

Seth sails.

Hallelujah!

Kirsten sits on the bed and breaks down into tears. Sandy slowly comes into the room.

Hallelujah!

Marissa sips alcohol straight from the bottle, and immediately looks drunk and surly.

Hallelujah!

Seth sails out of the harbor area.

Hallelujah!

Kirsten takes a deep, calming breath, and then breaks down into hysterical tears while Sandy silently holds her.

Hallelujah!

Gray-toned ChinoCam. Ryan's puppy-face.

Hallelujah!

Seth sails on a beautiful, sunlit ocean.

Hal-le-looo-ooo-ooo-ya!

And as I said in the recaplet: full circle indeed.