OC Liveblog Episode 12 - The Groundhog Day

Enter Taylor looking suspicious. Hovering in some darkish area and whispering on the phone like she’s hiding from someone. She’s on the phone with Caitlin who asks her if she’s going to “Kirsten’s thing” – apparently Kirsten is turning 40. Taylor says she isn’t going.

Taylor is creeping out the business owners in the mall by looking at things with binoculars and the security guard kicks her out. Apparently (no surprise here) she is watching Ryan at work.

Back at the Cooper-Cooper-Roberts-Townsend house, Julie explains to her daughter that she is broke because she left New Match (she and Kirsten are better friends than business partners). Julie gets a phone call which causes her to speak suggestively to whoever it may be on the phone. Apparently she misses him. A strange wailing sound causes her to go outside – it’s Summer’s friend Che. Why is Julie still responsible for Summer (and therefore Che)? I’m so confused. Summer busts in on Che wailing and doing the I Ching to find out the mysteries of the universe. He explains that in his dream his soul mate was revealed to him.

Che wants to free Newport Chuck, the Newport groundhog (they have groundhogs in southern California?). Summer doesn’t want to be involved since that’s how she got kicked out. Che is a leetle suspect and tells Summer “You know besides getting kicked out of college, I’d never do anything to hurt you?” Uh, sure.

Ryan, Seth and Sandy are headed out to a craptastic movie with people eating each other or something. As soon as they leave the house, Kirsten picks up the phone and calls the doctor. Suspect again. There’s a lot of suspicious activity going on in this episode.

How I will miss these shots of the hillsides of Newport houses over the ocean.

What – Kevin Sorbo is in this episode? God damn it.

Seth wakes up to see Che in his bedroom urging him to go save burrowing animals. Che pounds on the bed. Seth says, “I’m glad I don’t sleep naked.” The question is, is CHE glad? (I really can’t believe Che is still on this show.)

Caitlin and the Luke brothers sit around while she tries to “close the deal” between Bullitt and Julie. She’s been pulling a parent setup for a month now via e-mail. The internet is so tricky in its anonymous ways.

Sandy comes up to the pool house to try to cheer Ryan up and have one of his famous pep talks. Ryan is mopey in a sort of absentminded way, a nice break from the usual mope-age. He says he isn’t “Sitting around missing Taylor if that’s what you’re asking” and then Sandy promptly takes off. Leaves Ryan flipping through his Taylor memory book.

Taylor hits up a shrink – about time. Naturally she does it in a Taylor way – she just sort of show sup after doing some research and decides this is the right shrink and then launches into it. This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone on this show voluntarily seek help for any kind of problem. How refreshing. She says that she is suffering from an emotional addiction and says her mom is like “Idi Amin with fake boobs – you know big on the torturing and the tyranny not so big on the nurturing.” Since then anyone who shows the slightest bit of kindness throws her into a big obsessions spiral. There’s the French guy story, and then the Ryan situation. She confesses that she “kind of” stalks people she likes and logs their activities in a “factually accurate and aesthetically pleasing scrapbook.” This shrink has “aggressive methods” for fixing people.

Julie is planning on selling all the paintings she and Dr Roberts had because “times are tough.” Can’t she sell the house? I’m still confused about Dr Roberts’ random exit from the scene. Caitlin kind of spills the beans on Bullitt and the e-mails and Julie sort of slipped up and made a comment about her boyfriend “not being a billionaire.” A.k.a. being Frank Atwood, lllllllame. Caitlin gets a bouquet at the door for her mom that says “Can’t wait till tomorrow, miss you already.” Suspicion again.

Kirsten shows up at the doctor and says she’s been feeling drained and weak and light-headed but doesn’t have any stress and hasn’t been drinking. She has a very prominent vein in her forehead.

Down at the mall, Seth says he’s not going to help Che steal Newport Chuck. Aww, isn’t he cute! (Get my reference?) The music is a loose riff on Groundhog Day, I would like to point out. Seth kind of gives in to Che’s thieving plan because Che helped him save his spirit animal and all that.

Caitlin calls Bullitt to tell him there’s a problem with her mom and the whole plan. He wants to meet her at the jewelry store. Not more of this. (I already know too much about this week’s worth of TV, what is it, V-day fever, can we please not put a proposal on EVERY show?) Caitlin okays the whole proposal plan.

Taylor is tossing all the Ryan memorabilia like valet tickets and toothpicks. This is very Tai in Clueless. Summer tells Taylor that if she likes Ryan and he likes her, they need to figure it out together without the therapist. Taylor says that if she doesn’t do this cleansing process she’ll lose Ryan anyway, so this is better than the other alternatives. Go Taylor! Be down with your bad self.

Caitlin shows up at the mall to meet Bullitt (I assume) and runs into Ryan. He asks about Taylor and Caitlin says that Taylor’s been even weirder than normal. Sandy says that “the guy in Carson lost it” whatever that means. Caitlin hides until she sees Bullitt with the most expensive ring. “Well I bought it, and your momma deserves it.” Bullitt and Caitlin are a hilarious combination.

Che apparently brought his VW bus with him from Providence (why isn’t he in school again? And why does he have a car that creates so many greenhouse gases?). He tells Seth that they need to break into City hall and yesterday on the city hall tour he spotted a weak spot on the roof. Says that the City Hall tour is actually quite good. Brief cute convo between the two about how Seth was always curious about the tour. Che climbed Denali last year so climbing onto the roof will be totally easy. Seth comments that the heard the groundhog was captured in Irvine and I still don’t think groundhogs exist in southern California. Che suggests a snowcone and Seth goes for it and then says “My favorite flavor’s cherry but my dad’s is blueberry” which I think is straight from last week’s episode? I get confused with all the self referentialism.

Doorbell at Ryan’s which he opens to discover the shrink with the box of Ryanisms from Taylor. Shrink then takes off. Sorry, not a shrink, she’s an emotional crisis manager. The shrink says that Taylor isn’t supposed to have direct contact with Ryan for a week. Taylor passes messages to the shrink about how he needs to trust her for a while because this is the best thing. You know, when you take a patient that isn’t supposed to talk to their obsessee to his house it’s a good idea to do it in car that’s not a convertible. But that might just be me. Maybe I could start an aggressive emotional crisis management business.

Seth and Che in all black with carabiners and ropes and shit steal the groundhog from city hall. Which apparently has no alarms on the roof or anything. Apparently Che accidentally locked the door to the roof and left the ropes inside, thereby screwing them over. Now, post commercial break, they are on the roof, it’s morning, Seth is asleep next to the groundhog and Che is doing like tae bo or something. He says he has been meditating over a dream. This is the second time they have spent the night together. “Does that mean anything to you?” Seth says “You’ll be going on your little adventures by yourself from now on?” Che says that the universe sometimes wants shit to happen and you don’t have a choice about it. He needs to tell Seth something. The cops come up to the roof and catch them.

Kirsten refuses a big breakfast and Sandy thinks it’s just about her whole birthday turning 40 kind of thing. It’s not so bad, the kids are going to be gone soon and they’re going to be like kids again. Ryan interrupts right when Kirsten is about to say something to Sandy about, you know, being pregnant or something. Sandy is having no luck with this phone calling Carson thing. Kirsten wants to hear whatever it is the doctor has to say in person.

Caitlin calls her mom (just leaving the spa, does she understand the concept of saving money) and asks “What does it feel like when your appendix bursts?” Julie freaks.

Taylor has a very cute coat. They are at the Groundhog Day festival, apparently quite early in the morning (at least I assume from my extensive knowledge of the groundhog festival in Punxsutawney that these things happen early). Caitlin accidentally runs into some guys dressed like groundhogs… sees Ryan and Sandy walking through the park and gets some strange idea… what is this all about.

Julie runs home to find Caitlin standing in the middle of a bunch of flowers all over the house. Nice try though. Caitlin plays whatever music it is that Bullitt has brought back from Dubai or whatever and gets down on his knee. Caitlin looks very expectant and Bullitt already looks worried. Caitlin needs to stop wearing so much eyeliner and so does Julie. Why is Caitlin so into this? Bullitt wants to know what about those e-mails? They are officially onto Caitlin now.

Summer is at the groundhog festival and sees the groundhog getting walked by in a cage. She gets a call from Che – the groundhog looks so sad why didn’t Che rescue him? He says he got caught by the man and that summer needs to save him. Che, looking at Seth in the jail cells, says sometimes our destiny is chosen for us. Summer is on the mission. Seth is pissed. He gets pushed out of the way of the phone by some other weird guy.

Summer impersonates a reporter from “Groundhog’s Day Weekly, which comes out once a year usually around Groundhog Day.” She is doing some recon work.

Caitlin tells her mom that she knows Julie is seeing a mystery man. Caitlin says she likes Bullitt because he loves Julie and is a really nice and funny guy. And that’s why she was emailing. “He’d make an amazing step dad.” A wise one, this one. Caitlin wants to know what Julie is going to tell Bullitt, and Julie wants her to tell him the truth. Caitlin says she needs to decide fast cause she is taking him with her to Kirsten’s party.

At this moment we see Kirsten enter her house looking kind of burned out. Gets a call from Julie who needs her help. She doesn’t know what to do since Bullitt proposed but she’s been seeing someone else in secret. Kirsten is totally wiped and says she’s going to lie down. What is this really all about? (I already know I’m just going with it.)

Julie is disgruntled and Kirsten is just weird.

Sandy says “That was a guy at the junkyard in Chatsworth – he’s got one and it’ll be at the Newport club within an hour.” GOT ONE WHAT?

Mysterious groundhog sneaks up on Ryan and Sandy talking about the whole Taylor situation. Very smooth, Taylor. You are seriously a stalker. Sandy gets another call and leaves Ryan sitting on the bench looking unsuspecting. Groundhog Taylor turns around and trips and loses her groundhog head. She runs away saying “Forget you ever knew me.”

At the jail, Seth and Che watch on TV as the groundhog gets jacked by someone wearing a groundhog suit. Awesome. The groundhog is missing but they think that they have captured a woman who is the kidnapper. Seth tells Che his dad should be there soon. How many times has Sandy bailed people out? Che tells Seth that he hasn’t been honest with him. He says that he had a dream where his animal self was in love with…

And then a groundhog walks into the jail. Takes off the head. And is not Summer! The music starts that indicates that perhaps this is his soul mate! It’s not an otter but a groundhog that Che loves and this chick is totally the groundhog thief and they are MFEO. Hot. There is a bit of a dance between the jailbars and che pets the groundhog girl which is… um… a bit too plushies and furries for me.

Che and Seth get bail posted but Che is going to sit there and pet the groundhog girl. Again, so weird.

Back to Kirsten looking mopey. Can she meet Sandy at the yacht club instead of him picking her up? She is disappointed but you know, he had to post bail for his son and all that (she doesn’t know that). She gets a knock on the door and opens to find a chauffeur to go to the yacht club. Well then.

Outside the yacht club Seth explains that the universe sometimes makes you do things like steal groundhogs. Seth says that this is probably the proudest moment of Sandy’s life for Seth to be arrested for political activism. Kirsten arrives and hopes that Sandy didn’t do anything too extravagant. OH MY GOD HE GOT A MAIL TRUCK!!! That is adorable. Her real present is first class tickets around the world… not bad right? Kirsten says he needs to talk to him in private. Dum dum dum. Nice concealing body wrap, Kirsten. She tells him that she went to the doctor and she’s sick “but only in the mornings.” She’s pregnant, WTF. Seriously, people. Kirsten says “Everything is going to change.” They are never going to be able to be playful adults.

Bullitt now knows that Caitlin wrote all those emails and that he last one (about butts) was “a little frisky.” Julie tells Bullitt no. She says they need to spend time together and if they like each other then maybe she can marry him. Oh Julie. Wiser. Cute dress Caitlin.

Ryan and Seth find out the truth about the whole pregnancy sitch. These heartwarming Cohen family moments… Are they standing next to an airport? I’m so confused.

Summer sends the groundhog off with the weird groundhog girl and Che. Apparently Summer actually stole it an the other girl got busted for it but doesn’t care ‘cause now she knows Che. Che departs with the hippie chick and tells Seth “Maybe in another lifetime.”

Taylor crashes on her bed very upset about this whole situation. Picks up the phone and it’s someone going “Oh yeah what are you wearing?” in a fuzzy stalker voice on the phone. He says he needs a little more practice and then Taylor says that’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done. They are so cute.

Julie is at the party looking mopingly at her phone and watching Bullitt dancing with Caitlin. Come on Julie do the right thing! I never though I would want Bullitt to say on this show. She looks sad to see all the other happy couples. And then she gets on the phone to Frank Atwood and says she won’t be making it tonight. It’s the best thing for her family, see. Oh and we are so surprised to see Frank Atwood in this hotel room. Kevin Sorbo I hope you got paid for OH MY GOD HE HAS A RING TOO!! THIS SHOW IS SO RIDICULOUS!

Only 4 episodes left… I am so sad about this.