The Homecoming

This article may not meet the general notability guideline. Please help to establish notability by adding reliable, secondary sources about the topic. If notability cannot be established, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. (June 2009)

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

"The Homecoming" is the 11th episode of the FOX television series, The O.C.. The episode was written by Josh Schwartz and Brian Oh and was directed by Keith Samples. It originally aired on Wednesday November 19, 2003.

Guest starring

Plot

This article or section has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page. It resembles a fan site. Tagged since May 2008. It may require general cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since May 2008.

The family gathers in the kitchen. Seth begs Kirsten to not ruin Thanksgiving, his favorite holiday, by trying to cook. Kirsten's complete lack of knowledge of what to do with the turkey and inability to identify a cranberry doesn't bode well. Ryan, Seth, and Sandy jump in to save the food.

Ryan's brother Trey calls from jail, hoping that Ryan swings by for a visit today since Mom is nowhere in sight. Ryan tells the Cohens he is going but will be back by dinner.

Ryan and Seth prepare stuffing and candied yams, and Ryan wonders what Trey is going to want. Seth asks why Ryan doesn't talk about Trey more, but Ryan cuts such talk short.

Ryan is about to leave for his Trey visit when he spies some cologne on Seth's dresser. Anna is coming over today. Ryan thinks that this is good because Anna is cool and into Seth. Seth has to confide something, but he needs Ryan's vow of secrecy. Summer kissed him but swore him to silence. So now he has two girls after him instead of the usual zero. Ryan isn't very sympathetic to Seth's plight.

The first guests arrive in the form of Jimmy and Marissa. Sandy and Kirsten immediately start sizing up his appearance, which Jimmy doesn't get. Little does he know Rachel the hot lawyer is in his future. Meanwhile, Ryan and Marissa sneak out to the poolhouse before she leaves for her mother's. Ryan says he has to see Trey; Marissa is intrigued by where Ryan comes from, but Ryan doesn't think that's a great idea and sends her off.

Jimmy meets Rachel. Ryan heads out to visit Trey, only to find Marissa waiting in the car for him. She's insists she's coming along. Trey tells Ryan when he got arrested, he owed six grand to some guys. Their friends on the inside want to rough Trey up to remind him of his debts.

Ryan and Marissa head out. He plans on dropping her off at the bus station to send her home because he needs to pick up a stolen car and deliver it to a chop shop to pay off Trey's debt. Marissa's afraid that he'll get caught, but Ryan says he has no choice. It's his brother. Marissa refuses to leave him.

Anna Stern arrives at the Cohens'. While Anna gets items from the refrigerator, Sandy mouths his approval to Seth and gives him the universal "pound that" signal. After Anna makes another joke, Seth starts to think that maybe Ryan and Sandy have a point about Anna Stern.

Outside, Rachel is hip to the Jimmy Cooper fix up and calls Sandy on it. He's a white collar criminal! Sandy tells her Jimmy's a good guy, but she suspects he's doing this because of what's happening between them and says it's not happening with Jimmy. Inside, Jimmy calls Kirsten on the fix up plan as well.

Jimmy and Rachel end up in the family room together and apologize for the awkwardness of the fix up. But then they start to bond over their mutual love of Thanksgiving Day football and ESPN Classic. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Anna and Seth continue making flirtsy with each other. Julie Cooper and Caleb drop by. Their caterer's truck broke down, so maybe they'll have dinner here. They find Jimmy and Rachel in front of the TV and we have the ex-wife and her new boyfriend next to the ex-husband and his awkward fix up.

In a less bountiful land, Ryan is cruising his old neighborhood. He goes to Arturo's house to talk about the car. But his sister Theresa answers the door. It's a little tense because they used to have a past and here's Ryan after five months and his new girlfriend. Seems that Theresa was Ryan's first girl next door.

Back in the nice neighborhood, Julie surprisingly isn't taking to Rachel. Kirsten and Sandy realize she and Caleb can't stay. Caleb comes into the kitchen because he wants to talk to Kirsten. She doesn't want to talk, so Anna jumps in and asks if he knows his development is going to pollute and destroy hallowed ground. Sandy gloats at the reaction of the youth to Caleb.

To escape the awkwardness, Seth goes to answer the door. Standing there is Summer. She was supposed to go to Marissa's, but nobody is there. They go to talk in the pool house. As soon as they do get there, Summer pins Seth against the wall and begins a kissing offensive. She can't help it or explain it.

Over in Chino, Marissa spies pictures of Ryan on the fridge. Theresa asks Marissa how Ryan could just leave one day and never call. Outside, Arturo shows Ryan the car in question and wonders why he's doing this.

Back to Newport. Kirsten's rage is starting to bubble over. She doesn't appreciate Caleb picking this to be the one Thanksgiving he comes over for. Seth comes back inside and Anna spots him. Upstairs, Anna tries to give Seth the Summer treatment, but he nervously avoids it. Anna fights through the distractions. Seth introduces her to his toy horse, Captain Oats, before running out and calling Ryan with his 911.

Staring at Marissa and Theresa, Ryan can't offer much help. Seth gets off the phone and tries to tell Kirsten that Marissa is in Chino. He yells because the blender is on, and everybody hears him.

Ryan sends Marissa off. She doesn't want to go, but Ryan is in enough trouble with Julie and since Marissa lied to him about her okay with being here, she has to go back.

Back in the pool house, Seth and Summer go at it some more. Seth giggles because he can't believe this is finally happening. Those words bring a realization to Summer. She's confused and wants to go inside. Seth comes up with a litany of excuses why she has to stay here and he rushes inside.

Inside, the lid has finally blown off. Julie blames Jimmy for Marissa being in Chino. Caleb blames Jimmy for being a bad parent. Sandy and Rachel blame Caleb for ruining the environment. Julie blames Rachel for being here. Kirsten blames Julie for being an uninvited guest. Julie blames Kirsten for bringing a kid from Chino into Newport. Caleb blames Sandy for that, too. Julie blames Jimmy for trying to get laid on Thanksgiving. Jimmy excuses himself for making up for lost time, Julie tells Rachel not to expect much passion, Kirsten offers up another round of margaritas, and Seth goes flying by on his way upstairs.

Seth goes upstairs for more kissing until he realizes Summer needs attention too. Downstairs, Summer has now entered the house proper. Ryan has brought the car into the shop.

Back at the Cohen residence, everybody is arguing about who ruined Thanksgiving. In the den, Sandy is advising Seth about love. It is made clear to the audience that Seth has feelings for both girls. Their conversation is cut short as the smoke alarm draws everybody into the kitchen: the turkey is ruined. Anna and Summer realise the other has been at the Cohen house all along, both with Seth, and storm out, leaving him alone.

Ryan drops back in on Trey, who thanks him for dropping off the car and tells him to forget about his brother and move on. He has a chance now, so don't blow it.

Music

• "We Drink on The Job" by Earlimart
• "Breathe Easy" by Minibar
• "Different Stars" by Trespassers William
• "Caravan" by The John Buzon Trio
• "Caravan" by Gordon Jenkins
• "Latinos Mundial" by Mellowman Ace
• "Orange Sky" by Alexi Murdoch

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (February 2009)

• This is Bonnie Somerville's last appearance on The O.C.
• Though credited in the opening credits, Chris Carmack (Luke) does not appear in this episode.

External links

• Full Cast & Crew at the Internet Movie Database
• Recap from Official Website
• Recap from Television Without Pity