Episode 21

So who did Riviera magazine blow to get such prominent product placement tonight? As Kirsten finds out how crooked her mega-developer dad Caleb "Don't Call Me Don Bren" Nichol is--an investigator tells Sandy "The Newport Group is Orange County's Enron"--Caleb is feted with a cover photo, glowing "Man of the Year" story and shi-shi cocktail party by Riviera, a real-life, high-society glossy that's distributed everywhere I'm not. It would have been nice to see this installment before a British television interviewer asked me what is it about The O.C. that is uniquely Orange County, because the Caleb-Rivieraconnection perfectly represents the way the powerful are treated like celebrities around here--and how willingly OC's media sycophants overlook their crimes to heap on the Access Hollywood treatment. But the bigger story this week is the departure of two supporting characters: Theresa, who'd been Ryan's lifelong girlfriend before his arrival in Newport, goes home to Chino; and Anna, Seth's sometime girlfriend, confidante and probably the most level-headed chick on the show, moves backto Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh! Please, God, tell me she means Pittsburg (no "h"), California--otherwise known as the Chino of NorCal.

FITTINGEST LINE OF THE WEEK: "I love the society page. It's like all the people we know are getting famous." Summer, her nose planted deep in Riviera, to her pals.

FUNNIEST LINE OF THE WEEK: "It's just . . . your ass." Luke, under his breath to his ex-girlfriend's mom Julie, who is struggling to keep their sexcapades secret.