The OC Friday Morning Hangover: Season Three Premier'pisode

I AM HUNGOVER! And it feels good don't it? Thursday nights have meaning again. And my friend Josh Schwartz came out slinging right out of the shoot. Here's my first sports reference of the evening: The OC is in mid-season form. And they look like a playoff team. One equiped to go deep into the postseason too dammit. This is the episode after Trey tried to kill his brother, Ryan and by the time the credits were ready to roll we were already feeling a little compassion for him. By the way, since great episodes from years past featured Oasis songs, I'm thrilled to disclose that from here on out it looks like great episodes will feature Bloc Party tunes. Yes, a great episode this was. Let's get to the aspirin and bloody's shall we?

I'd say I'm surprised that Trey didn't die, but I'm not and niether is anybody else. What I didn't see coming was Julie Cooper-Nicol-Cooper swanking her way into his hospital room and threatening to kill him via the pillow stiffling if he didn't publically say Ryan shot him instead of Marissa. If he complied she'd cut him a handsome $20,000 check. You've got to hand it to Julie, for a mother that has screwed over her daughter countless number of times, she pulls a lot strings trying to keep her happy. I should mention that I'm not using the word screw tightly either. Of course Trey lies to the feds so Ryan is looking at hard time. Of course he pulls the "I'm running away card" but he gets caught. Smooth Ryan. But apparently his future wife, Marissa Cooper can be stealth just like Seth and finagles her way into Treys room for the elder Atwoods round two with a Cooper female. Surprise, surprise, she gets Trey to confess that Julie offered Trey $20,000 (he should have demanded $500,000 ) to lie. Looks like Julie might be the one serving time with the Big Boss Man.

In a surprisingly touching moment early on in season thrice, during the closing moments, Ryan tries to catch up to his bro who checked himself out of the hospital and boarded a Greyhound bus to who knows where, to supposedly thank him for coming clean and (finally) doing the right thing. Trey is already on said bus, but watching the two polar opposite siblings acknowledge each other through a bus window followed by Ryan actually showing sadness by leaning on and embracing Sandy.

Could Jeri Ryan's character be any creepier? She's like a blond, female version of Oliver. Ok, a little much, but for a character just introduced, she's already just appearing in doorway's in the dark? Yeah, creep with a capital C.

Now, the three people that might actually read this are probably wondering how in all that's humane have I not so much as mentioned Summer Roberts yet? Well, keep your pants on. But I'll say this, was I the only one just baffled at the scene of the Fantastic 4 on the sailboat and on the island or wherever they were? First of all, for the truly attentive, you would have noticed that almost all of the short clips from shows that are featured during the starting credits came from that scene. But I'm not done yet...no, not even close JG so stop bouncing right out of your seat. In this same scene we actually witnessed an actual sailing scene, two years after we discovered that Seth is an avid sailor. We saw Ryan with no shirt on. We saw Seth tossing what at least resembled a football around. Ryan and Marissa were along embracing on the rocks. Seth and Summer were alone cuddling on the beach. They were all sitting and talking around a campfire. THEY WERE ALL ACTING LIKE NORMAL HIGH SCHOOL KIDS ENJOYING THEIR LAST DAYS OF SUMMER AS HIGH SCHOOLERS! Ryan was mockingly talking like Summer, they were enjoying each other's company, just hanging out and not complaining. I'm just stupified. Dumbfounded. I F'ING LOVED IT! It may have been the first time in the last week or so I've desired to be anywhere close to an ocean.

And how bout our hero Sandy just throwing daggers at James Cooper. "Yes I will question your motives for being back." And you know what, if you took anything away from the previews, he's right. I'm still pulling for that Sandy Cohen action figure they hinted at once in season two.

Feels good to be back folks and if I didn't love postseason baseball I'd be furious that The OC is taking the month of The OCT. off to gracefully let The Joe Buck call The WS. I'll catch you The NW (Next Week Filzen, Next Week.)

QUESTIONS FROM THE COUCH
1. Ryan cut his hair in between the finale and this episode. In the opening scene, which was flashbacks to them at the hospital when Trey was admitted, he had short hair. I can see it now. "I almost got killed and now my brother may be dead, shot by my girlfriend. Yeah, this calls for a little SuperCuts before I hit the hospital." I can't be the only one thinking this can I?

2. Have we seen the last of Trey?

3. Will the writers unveil that Oliver is Jeri Ryan's son?

4. Bloc Party has at least nine solid songs, so are we promised nine great episodes? I am taking this Bloc Party thing too far?

5. How many times did JG get angry during the episode? Gaddis, a little help.

6. Was this a fantastic premier or what?

A FEW LAST COMMENTS:
1. We will see more sailing scenes this season.

2. Sandy will actually be cast in an actual courtroom.

3. I'm leaving the door open to JGs Cohen divorce theory.

Daily Brew 9/7

Well I have to admit it's been quite a while since you've seen anything from me, but it feels good to be back.

Are there any Packer fans who don't like Ted Thompson? Anyone? The only bad thing I can say about him as a GM is that I wish he was hired four years ago. Lets just review what he's done so far...

Drafting Aaron Rodgers.

If Mike Sherman is still the GM they don't draft him. They would take a defender that Mike Sherman the coach felt he could use now.

Drafting Nick Collins, Will Whitticker, Terrance Murphy, Marviel Underwood, Junius Conston, Michael Montgomery, Mike Hawkins and Brady Poppinga and signed Chris White and Roy Manning as undrafted free agents. All of whom have made the team and will contribute in one form or another.

Hiring Jim Bates. A no brainer there.

Letting Rivera and Whale leave. Mike Sherman would have re-signed at least one of the two, again because he is also the coach, and much like his prior signings it would have the set the franchise back for years. Don't argue with me on this one, you can't afford to pay that much for a 30+ year old guard with a history of injury problems, or give Whale that much money when you have so many holes on your team as it is.

Not resigning Bhawoh Jue, Michael Hawthorne and Kurt Schottenhiemer.

Re-Signing Bubba Franks and not giving in to Javon Walker or Drew Rosenhaus. Again, two more no brainers.

Now comes my personal favorites:

Cutting R-Kal Truluck, James Lee, Ben Steele, Nick Luchey and Cleditus Hunt. All deadbeats.Trading Steve Morley (who Sherman had the nerve of giving the highest signing bonus ever given to a CFL player) and Chris "I can run, but can't tackle, understand schemes, or play defense" Johnson.

Getting Robert Thomas for Chris Johnson.

Giving Vonta Leach playing time.

Assembling a younger and quicker defense that features 21 players under the age of 30.

Uncle Teddy has truely saved this franchise. I shudder to think where we would be if Sherman was still running the show. We'd be stuck in cap hell, and have guys who can contribute for maybe two more years, but then they're worthless and we're still paying for them. I don't want to pile on the guy, but Sherman invested over $110 million in the defensive line. Most notably guys like Hunt, Jackson, KGB, Jamal Reynolds and Joe Johnson. Yikes.

We all owe Thompson a huge thank you.

I've missed a few tuesdays, but the new cd purchase lately was the new Kanye West "Late Registration." It is one of the best cd's I've purchased in the past year. Full review to come later.

Why can't the Saints play in Reliant Stadium on Monday night? The Texans aren't. Isn't it just punishing them to have them play their "home opener" against the Giants at the Meadowlands?

The Brewers will finish 80-82, which is a real shame, because it only prolongs the losing streak despite making a ton of progress in the season.

ESPN's Brian Kenny has Brian Calhoun in his top 5 to watch for the Heisman.

How did the Badgers score 56 points?

Is there anything more annoying than having someone relay their entire fantasy draft to you? A simple "I got Moss with my first pick" will do for me, I don't need to hear who you "sleepers" were in the thirteenth and fourteenth rounds.

The arrest warrant mentioned on the promo's for the season premier of the OC has to be for Ryan. Speaking of which, it kicks off on Thursday, not he NFL.