Directed by Michael Lange
Written by Allan Heinberg and Melissa Rosenberg
While Marissa is in a hospital in Newport recovering from her near-fatal drug overdose in Mexico, Julie unfairly blames Ryan for her condition and forbids him from seeing Marissa, who does not appreciate the help. The kids work to help Marissa run away so she can avoid being institutionalized. Meanwhile, Sandy starts his new job, but finds himself surprised by the case work. Kirsten finds herself surprised by Sandy's new co-worker, the attractive Rachel. Also, Ryan must take an entrance exam to get into the same private school as Seth (the administration has issues with Ryan's "background."
This episode contains examples of:
- Achievement Test of Destiny: Ryan has to take an aptitude test to determine if he gets into the private school.
- Flowers of Romance: Both Ryan and Luke.
- Hand Signals: Played for laughs. Seth makes a lot of military-looking hand signals to Summer and she admonishes him "I wasn't in Panama!"
- Hidden Depths: Summer has read Madame Bovary five times, subverting Popular Is Dumb.
- Lonely Rich Kid: As usual, Seth. He implores Ryan to do well on the entrance exam so that Seth will not spend "another year alone" at school.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Averted in that Kirsten says she trusts Sandy about Rachel.
- Pet the Dog: Luke helps Marissa run away from the hospital.
- Taking the Kids: Julie wants sole custody of the kids in the divorce.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Julie gives Jimmy one of these.
- The Runaway: Marissa briefly in this episode, with shades of The Patient Has Left the Building.
- The Triple: Seth lists who else he would talk to about Summer besides Sandy- "Ryan, Mom, that tree..."
