Episode 10

Characters made more moves tonight than Tiki Barber. Newport Beach deb Marissa exchanged fluids with Chino transplant Ryan. Marissa's evil mom Julie hooked up with Don Bren wannabe Caleb. Caleb's son-in-law Sandy fought off the advances of his smokin' hot law partner Rachel. And Sandy's nebbish, virginal son Seth is all the sudden fighting off two chicks, Anna and his longtime crush Summer. It's getting so steamy it's little wonder the outside of the kids' Harbor Academy High School looks like the entrance to a Turkish bath house.

As for another hot topic--Sandy's legal battle to preserve the Balboa Wetlands, which are threatened by Caleb's Balboa Heights development--we're treated to a heaping helping of mumbo jumbo, as Rachel and Sandy's case seems to hang on the state taking the disputed land over through eminent domain and then buying it with Proposition 50 funds. If it were only so easy when it comes to the real Bolsa Chica and financially screwed California.

But the biggest incongruity of the night is the sudden, unexplained reappearance of the Cohen family's Latina maid. Where the hell you been, Rosa?

LOCAL REFERENCE OF THE WEEK: The Coopers pose for a society-event picture taken by a photographer from Riviera magazine.

LINE OF THE WEEK: Actually, Summer pulled off three, and I can't decide which is best:

"What does Chino know? Where he's from they don't even have a P.F. Chang's."-- to Marissa, in reference to Ryan's plans for their first real date.

"There was a Paul Frank sale. I figured that was more important than the Ming Dynasty."--to Seth, explaining why she had to serve a detention.

"What's he doing with Tinkerbell? She's from Pittsburgh. That's like the 909 east."--to Marissa, in reference to Seth making time with Anna.

THE O.C. FOX/CHANNEL 11. WEDNESDAYS, 9 P.M. ENCORES, THURSDAYS, 9 P.M.