The O.C. Wiki
Register
Advertisement
The O.C. Wiki

"The Countdown" is the fourteenth episode in the first season of the Fox drama series The O.C.. The episode aired on the seventeenth of December, in 2003.

Synopsis[]

Kirsten's rebellious sister, Hailey Nichol, comes to town on New Year's Eve, causing turmoil in the Cohen household. Meanwhile, Ryan and Marissa take a big step in their relationship that throws Ryan. They plan a quiet evening of popcorn and movies at home, but Marissa later decides to attend a party hosted by, Oliver Trask, who goes to the same therapist as she does.

Plot[]

Marissa and Ryan get home from the movies and they both reminisce about 2003 and the great and not so great memories both of them made in the year. Marissa talks about her dad going bankrupt, her parents getting divorced, and her overdose. Ryan says he had a great year and this is because of the Cohens. Marissa says she can't wait to spend New Years with Ryan and asks what he wants to do. Ryan suggests they have an evening at home because of what happened at Christmas. Marissa jokes about it and Ryan pleads with her to stay home so that he knows she will be safe. Marissa kisses Ryan and then hugs him. Marissa then tells Ryan she loves him unexpectedly and this takes them both by surprise. They separate from each other and Marissa is scrambling to find the words until Ryan says, "thank you." She questions it and he says, "you're welcome," now it's even more awkward. Marissa hurries out of there and leaves Ryan shocked on the Cohens front porch. Ryan gets into the pool house and repeatedly says, "I love you," and asks himself how hard is that for him to say. Someone overheard him in the pool house and meets Kirsten's sister, Hailey. Hailey tells Ryan that Kirsten doesn't know she is there and kicks Ryan to the living room couch.

Marissa, "I love you" - The Countdown

Marissa Cooper tells Ryan Atwood she loves him.


On New Year's Eve, Seth wakes up to find Ryan asleep on the couch and tells Seth about Hailey. Sandy and Kirsten are doing a crossword puzzle when Seth asks them where Hailey is. Seth tells them that she is in the pool house and they are utterly confused. Kirsten starts to freak out when Hailey walks in from the pool house with nothing but a shirt and underwear on. Kirsten makes Seth give her a robe and she says hi to everyone. Kirsten asks Hailey if she is staying with them for a while and she doesn't really answer. Kirsten goes to set up the guest bedroom but makes Sandy come with her. Hailey and Seth catch up then she asks him about his New Year's Eve plans for a kiss. Seth says he had two and now has none and will just do something with Ryan and Marissa. Hailey goes on to say how they won't be doing much because of a 3 word phrase Ryan couldn't say. Seth and Hailey start to tease Ryan and ask him what his response was. Ryan tells them and they are also disappointed.

Kirsten Cohen - The Countdown

Kirsten doesn't know what to expect when her sister, Hailey, shows up at their house.


Marissa gets out of therapy and finds Oliver there. They both start to talk about their New Year's resolutions and then Oliver invites her to a party at his place. Marissa says maybe, "we," will and she tells Oliver about her boyfriend, Ryan. Oliver then tells Marissa that his girlfriend, Natalie, will also be there and that they could all meet each other. Kirsten is trying to talk to Hailey about where she has been the past feew years while Hailey is preoccupied in finding clothes from Kirsten's closet to wear. Kirsten brings up their dad and Hailey says how she was going to tell him that she is back. Kirsten tells Hailey that he won't be back from Paris for a few weeks and he is with Julie Cooper. This shocks Hailey and Kirsten tells her about Julie and Jimmy's divorce. Sandy walks in and Kirsten already knows what Sandy is going to say, where he is going to go, and what he is looking for. Hailey watches this all unfold and points out how Kirsten and Sandy are "deeply, deeply married." Hailey then brings up a party that she thinks Kirsten and Sandy could go to where they would actually have fun but then changes her mind, saying that they are boring now. Kirsten brings up the party to Sandy.

Kirsten Cohen - The Countdown 2

Kirsten tells Hailey not to call her, "Kiki", and only Caleb gets to even though she hates it.


Marissa tells Ryan about the party and Ryan says no since they have plans. Marissa then tells Ryan about Oliver and brings up their inside joke. Marissa says it will be fun but Ryan insists that they stay home. Ryan then says he thought she wanted to stay home and Marissa says it was before ... which eggs Ryan on. She waits for Ryan to say it but he hesitates and decides not to. Marissa asks him to come for a final time but Ryan says he is staying home to watch movies. She gives him the invitation in case he changes his mind in joining her and kisses his cheek, goodbye.

Ryan and Marissa - The Countdown 2

Marissa gives Ryan the chance to say, "I love you," but he hesitates.


Seth and Ryan are playing video games and Seth tells Ryan that he blew it with Marissa. Ryan tells Seth that they didn't break up, they just aren't spending New Year's Eve together. Seth doesn't understand why Ryan doesn't just go to the party and Ryan says that they had plans. Sandy and Kirsten walk in ready to go out and they ask if the boys need anything. Seth jokes that Ryan needs to go back in time to tell Marissa he loves her. Kirsten and Sandy are shocked and ask Ryan what he said. Seth tells them for Ryan and they say how polite he is. Seth tells his parents he loves them and Sandy says, "thank you," as a jab at Ryan. Hailey kicks out Sandy and Kirsten in what seems like a rush. She walks in to find Seth and Ryan and is confused as to why they are both at home still. Ryan tells Hailey how him and Marissa aren't spending New Year's Eve together. Hailey brings up how Marissa will be looking for someone to kiss when the countdown starts and scares Ryan into thinking Marissa will kiss someone that isn't Ryan. This causes Seth and Ryan to get ready to go out. Hailey also kicks them out in a rush but when Ryan opens the door, Hailey's friends and even people she doesn't know come in to the house.

Summer and Marissa are both on their way to Oliver's party. They both agree to not think about either Seth or Ryan as they run into Anna. Anna's parents are friends with Oliver's parents. Oliver finds Marissa, grabs her arm, and shows her around his place. Anna asks Summer where Seth is and Summer tells her she doesn't know. They say they don't care where Seth is and don't need to worry about him once the New Year begins. Back at the Cohen's, Hailey's unrequested party is getting out of hand. Seth tells Ryan they can't go because of how trashed the house will get. Seth and Ryan argue over who will tell Hailey to end the party. They decide Ryan will talk to her. Sandy and Kirsten are on their way to dinner when Sandy notices something is wrong with Kirsten. She asks Sandy if they are in a rut. Sandy laughs and says they are in a marriage and doesn't think anyone thinks they are boring. Kirsten then asks if they need to be taking more chances. Sandy says yes and starts arguing with the GPS system telling him what to do. They both start laughing and Sandy says they are fun and how Hailey is messing with Kirsten's thoughts. Then, they talk themselves into going to the party Hailey suggested.

At Oliver's party, Marissa and Oliver are talking about how they are both on the sober route. Oliver asks where Ryan is and Marissa asks where Natalie is. Oliver tells Marissa that his girlfriend isn't there and that they are in a long distance relationship. Oliver gives her this story about their relationship and how he doesn't think Natalie wants to be in a serious relationship anymore. Oliver and Marissa cheers to each other's significant others. At the Cohen's house, the party is still in full swing as Ryan looks for Hailey. She's in Sandy and Kirsten's bedroom but the door is locked and she is talking with someone that she owes a lot of money. Hailey comes out of the room and Ryan says it's about time they end the party. Hailey disagrees and Ryan threatens her with calling the cops. Hailey suggests they talk about it.

Marissa Cooper - The Countdown

Marissa listens to Oliver's story about his girlfriend, Natalie.

Kirsten and Sandy show up at the party Hailey suggested. One of the Newpsies, Taryn, is hosting the party and is shocked to find Kirsten there, saying she didn't think Kirsten was any fun. Taryn tells Sandy to put his watch in the bowl and whispers to Kirsten that whoever ends up with Sandy will be a lucky lady. Kirsten and Sandy realize they are at a "swingers" party. Kirsten tells Sandy they could still make their dinner reservation and Sandy says they should leave as they are not in that big of a rut. Kirsten gets mad but they also dare each other into staying at the party. Sandy takes off his watch puts his watch in the bowl, hoping Kirsten would stop him.

At the Cohen's house, Hailey takes Ryan and Seth to the pool house and "locks" them inside, (there's many doors and windows so it doesn't make sense they are locked in). Seth starts to freak out since he is claustrophobic and Ryan gets more and more impatient about leaving to see Marissa. Sandy is talking to other women at the party and Kirsten is noticeably jealous. Taryn starts to talk to her about these swinger parties and how they helped her marriage out of a rut. Taryn encourages her to take advantage but Kirsten doesn't want to do so. Summer and Anna are hanging out at the party when they both make eye contact with a cute guy. They notice and can't figure out which of them the guy was looking at. Summer goes up to ask which of them he was smiling at and the guy says they are both cute. Summer tries to get him to choose and the conversation becomes something completely different that ultimately comes back to Seth. Anna and Summer continue to argue over the guy and Seth.

Anna and Summer - The Countdown

Summer and Anna find themselves tangled in yet another love triangle.

Oliver then asks Marissa about her question earlier if he loved Natalie, and if it pertains to Marissa. Oliver somehow knows that Marissa said, "I love you" to Ryan and he didn't say it back. Marissa tells him what happened and she starts to say how she thinks she overreacted. Oliver gets it in Marissa's head that Ryan doesn't love her. Kirsten is talking with another man when Sandy pops in and tells Kirsten he is ready to go. Kirsten tells Sandy she is just starting out and starts talking to him about the man. Sandy says they could still make it to dinner and Kirsten tells him she wants to stay. Sandy asks her what she is doing and Kirsten insists she is having fun and that they needed to do something dangerous to help themselves out of a rut they didn't even know they were in.

Sandy & Kirsten - The Countdown

Sandy and Kirsten try out "swinging."

Ryan and Seth are still cooped up in the pool house as Ryan notes the amount of time left until midnight. Seth then asks Ryan why he didn't just tell Marissa he loved her. Ryan tells Seth he has never said it to anyone when Seth asks if he really does love her. Ryan says he guesses but doesn't really know how you know. Seth says that when you know, you know. Ryan says he does know. Ryan asks Seth why hasn't chosen between Summer and Anna because he must like one more than the other. Seth tells Ryan that he doesn't deserve either of them because he blew it. Hailey is greeting several people when a group of girls come in looking for her. Hailey sneaks off to the pool house and asks Ryan and Seth to help her. Hailey asks Ryan to help clear the party out. Seth and Ryan do so successfully and Ryan leaves to go to Marissa.

At the "swingers" party, Taryn starts the drawing off for the selections. More and more women continue to make their selections as Sandy and Kirsten maintain eye contact with one another. When it gets down to Kirsten and another woman, the woman pulls the last watch out and it's someone else. Kirsten realizes that Sandy took out his watch and he jokes about it. Sandy and Kirsten leave. Ryan is stuck in traffic on the way to Marissa. Anna is by herself at the party when she says goodbye to Marissa. Oliver finds Marissa who is waiting and hoping for Ryan to show up. Oliver says he keeps looking for Natalie and says it's just them tonight and that they have each other ... icky.

Kirsten and Sandy get home to find the house trashed. Kirsten asks Hailey what she did and Sandy tells her he hopes to find a clean house the next day. Sandy walks into his bedroom to find a threesome going on. Kirsten is yelling at Hailey about how she is living her life and what people her age are doing. Hailey says she will leave in the morning when Kirsten says she just wants her to grow up. Kirsten encourages her to make changes with the New Year approaching and Hailey pokes fun at Kirsten's life. Kirsten tells her how she loves her life and her family and her rut. She says how she puts so much energy in her life to have fun and asks Hailey if she is even having any fun. Seth is taking out the garbage and finds Anna walk up their driveway and offers her company.

Dice by Finley Quaye & Beth Orton plays when Ryan runs through the hotel the party is in looking effortlessly for the elevator. He finds it and presses the button several times but is impatient. He finds the stairs and starts sprinting up them. Marissa is looking around, still holding out hope for Ryan to show. Oliver notes how long until midnight to Marissa and she looks at the door. Ryan does his best to run up the stairs but is running out of breath. The countdown starts from 10 and Ryan finally makes it to the floor. Marissa is still watching the door while Oliver and her cheers their drinks. Ryan runs through the hall and bursts through the door of the party. He pushes through the crowds and makes eye contact with Marissa. Relieved beyond words could describe, Marissa rushes to Ryan and they kiss just in time before midnight. They make out as confetti falls around them.

Ryan and Marissa - The Countdown 3

Ryan makes it to Marissa just before the clock strikes midnight.

Sandy changes the sheets on their bed as Kirsten walks in. Sandy gives her his watch and they laugh. Anna and Seth are making out in his room. Summer kissed the guy at the party and says that he isn't Seth Cohen and leaves very upset. Nearly out of breath, Ryan FINALLY tells Marissa, "I love you." He has to tell her twice because she can barely hear and her response is, "Thank you." They both laugh and continue to make out, not a care about anyone else in the world.

Ryan and Marissa - The Countdown 4

Ryan Atwood tells Marissa Cooper, "I love you."

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Quotes[]

"I've got two guesses. Either she's run out of money, or, she's run out of money." -Sandy

"A three letter word for hilarious- dad." -Seth

"Marissa....isn't that the short chick next door?" "No, puberty happened. She's a Laker now." -Haley and Seth

Music[]

Trivia[]

  • This episode marks the change of the opening credits with new clips of the cast and now includes Rachel Bilson, who plays Summer Roberts, and Melinda Clarke, who plays Julie Cooper, as part of the starring cast. This is the first episode in which Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke are part of the starring cast in which they remain for the rest of the series.

Gallery[]

Advertisement