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The Escape is the seventh episode of season one which aired September 16, 2003.

Summary

Ryan, Seth, Marissa and Summer plan an end-of-summer trip down to Tijuana, Mexico. Luke wants to tag along with them to try to get back together with Marissa, but she later changes her mind about him when she catches Luke making the moves on Holly Fischer. Back in Newport, Jimmy has plans of his own to get out of his financial and legal problems, which don't sit well with Marissa or Julie. Sandy gets a new job at a large prestigious law firm, which Kirsten can't understand why.

Plot

Seth convinces Ryan to take a trip to Tijuana, while pretending to Sandy they're going to Comic Con. Ryan claims to be over Marissa, but Seth doesn't believe him. Marissa tells Summer about losing her virginity to Luke. Jimmy is struggling to find a place to live and is distracted while talking to Marissa, but covers it up and goes to see Kirsten for help. She tells him he needs to tell Marissa and Kaitlyn about the divorce, but Jimmy doesn't want to.

Marissa and Luke are making out and he begins talking about how much fun Mexico will be. However Marissa doesn't want to go because she's worried about her dad, and Luke leaves. Seth and Ryan are discussing Summer at the Lobster Shack when he runs into Marissa and they have a very frosty conversation and she goes to sit with Summer, Luke and Holly.

Sandy meets an old colleague, Rachel, and they swap banter and she tells him everyone's impressed he's taken Jimmy's case. Marissa explains to Summer that she can't go to Mexico, while Holly attempts to seduce Luke again. Seth overhears Marissa's conversation with Summer who laments that she now doesn't have a ride to Mexico, and offers to take her instead. However when Marissa tries to stay at home with her dad, he hurriedly tells her he has other plans and tells her to go to Mexico. Upset Marissa leaves to pack and then goes with Summer realizing that their ride is Seth and Ryan. Jimmy explains to Kirsten that he's unable to tell Marissa because he doesn't want to disappoint her, but Kirsten tells him she'll love him no matter what.

In the car, Ryan and Marissa are ignoring each other and Seth and Summer are arguing loudly. Summer angrily grabs the steering wheel and the two struggle and the car drives off the road. The four of them are forced hitch a ride and book rooms at a sleazy motel. Sandy is considering a new job at a huge prestigious law firm and get a bigger pay rise so that not all the income comes from Kirsten. However she argues that he loves his job and he says that she likes being the earner of the family because it makes her different from all the other ladies in the county. Marissa and Ryan fight about Gabrielle and he explains that he was only with her because Marissa was with Luke. She asks him if he ever wondered why she went looking for him in the first place, and so he asks her why, however she changes the subject. Summer and Seth argue about who gets the bed in the motel room and finally consent to sharing. Jimmy calls Marissa and tells her about the divorce and apologizes for not telling her earlier. Marissa comes into the hotel room with Ryan and begins crying and lies on the bed next to Ryan.

The next day the two of them are spooning and holding hands, and Marissa smiles. She tells Ryan she doesn't want to go home and leaves to take a shower. Seth and Summer are at breakfast together and Seth states that Summer actually likes him and reminds her of their kiss. She makes excuses and denies it, before threatening him with a fork. Ryan tells them about the divorce and Summer comforts Marissa and convinces her that Tijuana will help cheer her up. They arrive in Tijuana and head to a chemists, and Ryan tells Marissa he'll go with her despite the fact she's going to go meet up with Luke.

Sandy meets Rachel for lunch and she once again tries to convince him to take the job, stating that he wants to do more with his life. He says no and tries to change the subject but she says that the clock is ticking. Jimmy and Kirsten are fixing up the apartment and he asks her if she ever wonders what life would've been like if they'd ended up together. He then moves in and kisses her, but Kirsten pulls away. Jimmy immediately apologizes but Kirsten leaves.

At the club, Holly is trying to seduce Luke again, telling him that Marissa isn't even here. Seth, Summer, Ryan and Marissa arrive and begin drinking. Holly and Luke are dancing together and making out, and Marissa arrives just in time to see them. Marissa angrily yells at Luke and Holly, and Holly yells that everyone knows that Luke gets with everyone. Marissa storms out while Summer attacks Holly, and Seth pulls her away. Luke tries to go after Marissa and Ryan punches him and runs out, and the three of them leave to find Marissa. Summer finds her crying back at the hotel room and comforts her. Marissa sobs that she can't go home and that she has no one. Summer goes to grab her stuff and Marissa sees the bottle of painkillers Summer bought for her stepmother in her bag. Summer calls the boys and tells them to come over fast, but when she leaves the bathroom she finds Marissa and the painkillers are gone. Sandy tells Kirsten that he took the job.

Marissa's sits at a bar washing down some of the painkillers with alcohol. She struggles to stay awake and the others search for her in the crowds in a panic. Some men begin looking at Marissa at the bar, and then begin to walk towards her. She hurriedly runs out of the bar and into the crowd, staggering and stumbling, and almost throws up. Barely conscious, sweaty and dizzy she pushes through the crowds and manages to stumble into an alleyway where she collapses. Ryan, Seth and Summer find her unconscious and Summer begins to cry in shock, while Ryan tries to wake Marissa. She doesn't stir however and he picks her up and carries her to the others and all three look at each other in shock.

Music

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