The OC Friday Morning Hangover: The Punisher'pisode

That LeBron James commercial made me want to put on my finest suit and completely disregard my impeccable do by doing some circus dive into a pool while a younger, more athletic me logged some miles via a running pool workout. But enough about the commercial and more about the episode that is most likely the final season premier in OC history. Season 4 started off with some acid-trip like glimpse into the life of post Marissa Ryan Atwood and Julie Cooper Nicol Cooper Roberts. But there's much to talk about since I haven't posted an OC wrap-up in what seems over a year. But The Hangover's back! Honestly, did it really ever go anywhere? My friend Jimmy's bloody stand would suggest otherwise.

Everybody shout this next line at the top of your lungs: SHENANIGANS! There, perhaps Schwartz heard that out on the west coast. He is my most loyal reader who is to big time to ever post a response. Yes Mr. Schwartz, Shenanigans on this whole Seth/Summer disconnect thing right out of the chute. Your show is pitted against CSI and Grey's Anatomy, you're not breaking up S/S just quite yet. Might it happen before season's end? Perhaps. But that's in May and it's currently November. Marissa's already dead, you can't put the show in the hands of Luke Ward's brother just quite yet. That being said, I like the obvious scenes of S/S clearly not being what they used to be. Lost in the shuffle of Julie becoming a resident of Arkum Asylum and Atwood morphing into the Punisher is the fact that Summer Roberts was Coop's best friend. It is of my belief that all things Newport make it tough for her to come to grips with the fact that Marissa is indeed gone, putting her in the "denial" state of coping, which is easier for her since she's taken up residency in Rhode Island. But long live S/S.

As predicted in May of 2006, Ryan is set to become the Punisher. He is honing his skills in the same cage the Scorpions used for the "Rock you like a hurricane" music video. Ok, that's a lie. But apparently his coping device was getting the snot whiped out of him by biker dudes as a way to toughen up. But seeing the comic book recap of his life and how he touched the lives of so many made him realize that he should come home to the pool house and then seek and destroy Volchok.

The other stories going on are this, in no particular order or importance:
-Kaitlyn Cooper is having menage a trois's with Luke Ward's younger brother and wears the big "I want to get laid" boots.
-Dr. Roberts is two timing Julie, who isn't all there, with his ex-wife, the stepmonster.
-Taylor Townsend removed herself or got kicked out of Paris in no less than two months.

I like the overall direction they're going in S4 of the OC. It has an obvious different tone and feel to it, which, quite frankly, needed to be done. When the main character of the show dies and everyone else is done with high school, changes had to be made and one of my best acquaintances that doesn't talk to me, Schwartz, seems to have stepped up. I'll warn you though, The OC dominates the first four episodes to start a season, blasts out a dousy for Christmakuh, one more for the February sweeps, two or three to end the season, but can come up short for the other 17. so hold your breath. I am.

QUESTIONS FROM THE COUCH
1. Does Ryan really need to prepare himself for his showdown with Volchok by cage fighting in seedy underground pummeling clubs? According to my calculations, Ryan smoked him in the face the first time they met, scared the beans off him by threatening to beat his brains in with a bottle the second time and whupped up on him so bad the third time he nearly killed him. Uh, I think he can handle him already.
2. Why does Ryan Atwood keep getting free passes? He's had life gift wrapped for him since meeting the Sandman and somehow or another finds ways to resort to his old ways.
3. Who will JamesOn Cooper bankrupt next?
4. Did the San Francisco Giants allocate more dollars to their outfielders not named Barroid Bonds or their bullpen in 2006?
5. Is Newport really destined to sink in just 10 more years? That'd be pretty funny seeing as I live in the Midwest. My Johnson Creek becoming a booming metropolis theory might be right on track!
6. Could Summer really "jam on the didge" after only a few months on campus? That's a tough instrument to get down pat.
7. What state don't I give a damn for?

DRIVING DOWN THE 101
The history book gets bigger and bigger each year this show stays on the air. I'll go with a 'first' this time around. It's the first time we ever saw the oft mentioned but here to date never seen, "Stepmonster."

How 'bout one more first for y'all. Seeing the new opening credits and not having Mischa Barton there?

IF YOU BELIEVE THEY PUT A MAN ON THE MOON...
...you'll believe Summer doesn't stay at Brown. If for nothing else, if she's gone hippie this quickly, it won't be able to contain her. Maybe she'll have to transfer to gee, I don't know, Berkeley?
...you'll believe Steve-O will antique someone next 'pisode.
...you'll believe this: Taylor Townsend-Ryan Atwood.