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"The Ex-Factor" is the ninth episode in the second season of the Fox drama series The O.C.. The episode aired on the twentieth of January, in 2005.

Synopsis[]

Marissa, Summer, and Lindsay have a girl's night out leading to a heated confrontation between Marissa and Ryan. Alex's ex is in town and Seth is determined to find out who they are even during his boy's night in with Ryan and Zach. Meanwhile, Julie and Kirsten work together on an idea to help the image of the Newport Group, while Sandy and Caleb try to convince them that there may be a better way.

Plot[]

Kirsten orders a ton of food and tells the boys to invite Lindsay and Alex over. Lindsay is away at therapy and Seth goes to The Bait Shop to invite Alex over. Alex tells him she is busy and tells Seth her ex is in town. Alex tells Seth that she never really broke up with her ex and needs to handle things with them before she goes to meet this family. She asks him to let her figure it out and Seth isn't entirely okay with it. When Seth leaves, Alex's ex comes up behind her and kisses her on the cheek, her name is Jodie.

Alex and Jodie - The Ex-Factor

Alex must figure out her current status with her ex, Jodie.

At Harbor, Seth is trying not to freak out about Alex's ex to Ryan and Lindsay. Seth assumes her ex is a he and is spiraling. Ryan and Lindsay run into Marissa and Lindsay compliments Marissa's clothes and look. Marissa thanks her and says that she likes her backpack and asks awkwardly where it is from. Marissa hurries off saying she is late for class and asks to all hang out over the weekend. Ryan agrees and as they walk away, Lindsay points out how beautiful Marissa is and says how Ryan hangs out with his ex-girlfriend a lot. Ryan says that they could become friends and then everyone could hang out together and that way it wouldn't be weird.

Marissa and Lindsay - The Ex-Factor

Marissa and Lindsay awkwardly interact and attempt to compliment each other.

Kirsten gives Sandy a massage saying that she needs a favor. She asks Sandy to help give some ideas for the Newport Group to change their input. Sandy gives her a very good idea. Zach finds Summer and surprises her with a cupcake for their 6 month anniversary. Summer didn't even realize it had been that long and they both mention how they have never been in a relationship for as long as they have. Zach says they should celebrate and asks her to go out for a romantic dinner. Summer didn't answer him and tells this to Marissa. Summer mentions how she didn't even realize how long it had been and reminisces with Marissa about their younger selves. Marissa is still upset about DJ but Summer encourages her to forget about him and suggests they have a girl's night.

Zach and Summer - The Ex-Factor

Zach and Summer celebrate their six month anniversary.

Kirsten goes to Julie to tell her about Sandy's idea for an image makeover for the Newport Group but Julie has one of her own that she believes is better than Sandy's. Julie reveals a cover of a magazine titled Newport Living with Julie's face on the cover. Kirsten argues for Sandy's idea but Julie is uninterested and believes the magazine will be more appealing to everyone in Newport. Ryan leaves Lindsay alone to go to a comic book meeting with Seth just as Marissa and Summer sit down to eat lunch. Ryan suggests she sits with them but Lindsay really doesn't want to. Ryan walks her over to them and asks if Lindsay can join them. Marissa lets her and Ryan thanks them. Summer and Marissa got In-N-Out for lunch and Lindsay says it will take hours for them to work it off. Marissa and Summer joke about not exercising and Lindsay is surprised they look like they do and eat what they eat, wow. Lindsay points out how she has a meal with low-carbs, seriously. Marissa ignores this and invites Lindsay to a girl's night with her and Summer. Lindsay agrees.

Newportliving

Julie's idea of giving the Newport Group a new image, a magazine called Newport Living.

Seth is talking to some other members in the comic book club for advice with Alex. He leaves to give Alex a call and Zach runs after him, urging him not to. Ryan runs into them and takes the phone from Seth. Seth says screw it basically and that he will just go confront the guy but Ryan says it is not a good idea. Seth tells him he has a paycheck he has to pick up anyway and Ryan offers to go down to get it instead and will look around for the ex. Sandy gets home to find Julie's idea literally on the table and Kristen tells him about it and is surprised she had a good proposal. Ryan goes to The Bait Shop to pick up Seth's check and doesn't realize he is asking Alex's ex, Jodie, for it. Jodie assumes that Ryan is Seth and is upset when Ryan says he isn't. Jodie says she really wanted to meet Seth and introduces herself to which Ryan quickly realizes she is the ex.

The next day, Ryan hadn't told Seth that he met Alex's ex and Seth begs for some answers. Zach shows up and tells Ryan and Seth that he thinks he freaked Summer out. Seth suggests that they confront their girls at The Bait Shop but Ryan tries to talk them into having a guy's night in instead since they spend a lot of their time with the girls. Zach is in agreement and Seth thinks it is just what he needs for reflection. Caleb shows up to the Cohens hoping to talk to him about Julie's magazine idea. Caleb refuses to let it pass and thinks it will be an embarrassment to the company if it gets out. Caleb asks for Sandy's help and to get Kirsten as well to convince Julie it is a bad idea. Sandy agrees.

Ryan is driving Lindsay to Marissa's to meet her for their girl's night out and tells her she will have fun. Lindsay asks Ryan when he met Marissa and when they started going out. Ryan gets uncomfortable but eventually tells her. Ryan says how Marissa wasn't like anybody he had ever met before and that they have a connection. On the car windshield, you can see the scene in Premiere when Ryan meets Marissa. They are quiet until Ryan pulls up to the house and asks Marissa to take care of her.

Ryan - The Ex-Factor

Ryan tells Lindsay about the moment he met Marissa and the scene is visible on the car windshield.

Lindsay says she doesn't have to do that but Marissa tells her it's okay and its just Ryan. Marissa says that Summer will be there soon and attempts to break the ice with a flask but Lindsay refuses. Marissa puts it away and they sit in awkward silence until Summer rings the doorbell. She leaves telling Lindsay to make herself comfortable. Lindsay walks to Marissa's dresser to find a few photos of Ryan and Marissa together. She picks a few of them up and asks herself what she is even doing there.

Marissa and Ryan's Photos in Marissa's room - The Ex-Factor

Lindsay sees the photos of Ryan and Marissa still on her dresser in her room.

Zach, Seth, and Ryan try to figure out what to do for their guys night and eventually agree to stay home and play video games. At The Bait Shop, Marissa, Summer, and Lindsay arrive and try to interact with each other. Summer proposes they talk about boys but it doesn't seem like that should happen with Lindsay and Marissa. Lindsay says she would like to have a drink now and Marissa gives her the flask of alcohol. Lindsay chokes it down and Marissa goes to get water. Alex and Jodie are arguing at the bar and Marissa interrupts them, saying there is no more towels in the girl's bathroom to help Alex out of it. Alex thanks Marissa.

Alex and Jodie - The Ex-Factor 2

Marissa helps Alex out of a heated conversation with Jodie.

Seth is going on and on about Alex's ex who he still believes is a guy which annoys Ryan. Zach is also going on and on about Summer's freak out and Ryan says it was not how he had imagined their guy's night. Seth and Zach still think they should go to The Bait Shop but Ryan shoots that idea down. Ryan tries to keep Seth at least from going and he knows that Ryan knows something. Seth gets it out of him and Ryan tells Seth the truth.

The Thrills perform and Lindsay and Marissa are drinking a little too much to the point where Summer is concerned as to who will drive. Summer leaves to get them coffee and Lindsay tells Marissa she isn't as scary as she thought. Marissa assures Lindsay that Ryan really likes her to which Lindsay asks if a guy could ever get over someone like Marissa. Summer runs into a teammate of Zach's, Matt, who starts hitting on her. Seth, Ryan, and Zach are driving to The Bait Shop and Seth is freaking out. Ryan encourages him to wait to talk to her but Seth refuses.

Julie, Caleb, Sandy, and Kirsten are talking about the magazine over dinner and Julie is convinced it will be a huge success. Sandy and Caleb agree that the magazine is a bad idea while Kirsten is still in support of the magazine. Sandy and Caleb are surprised and Sandy leaves since he is upset that he got involved in the first place. Julie leaves soon after and Caleb and Kirsten talk about the fact that they should be supporting their partners. Kirsten encourages Caleb to support Julie. Seth, Ryan, and Zach split up to find Alex and the ex as The Thrills continue to perform. Seth finds Alex and asks where the ex is but Alex won't say and makes Seth wait. Summer is ranting to Matt just as she spots Zach. Zach becomes upset that she is talking to him and says it was a bad idea that he came to see her.

As Ryan is looking around, he finds Lindsay and Marissa. Lindsay is very drunk and Ryan gives Marissa a look. Lindsay says she needs fresh air and Ryan takes her outside. Lindsay and Ryan walk by the beach and she asks to go swimming. Ryan says it isn't a good idea as she falls down and he asks her how much she drank. Lindsay says she doesn't know but drank as much as Marissa. Ryan says that is a lot and tells her to wait for him while he gets her some food. Seth annoyingly knocks on Alex's office door until she lets him in. Seth says that she is consistently blowing him off and he is over it, saying it isn't worth it to him anymore. Ryan comes back to find Lindsay's shoes on the shore and calls out looking for her. He then sees some of her clothes and her bag in the sand and gets the impression she went out into the water. Ryan runs out into the ocean looking for her and screaming her name.

Ryan and Lindsay - The Ex-Factor

Ryan is upset to find Lindsay drunk with Marissa.

Seth hears Ryan screaming for her from the pier and goes down to tell him that she is passed out in Alex's office. Ryan and Seth go into Alex's office to find Lindsay asleep on the couch and Marissa covering her up. Marissa asks what happened and Alex says that Lindsay will be fine. Marissa says she can take Lindsay home but Ryan fires back saying that she has done enough. Marissa realizes Ryan is blaming her and Ryan sarcastically says that it was Lindsay's idea. Marissa says it was and that it might have gotten a little out of hand to which Ryan interrupts by screaming at her. Ryan yells at her saying that she tried to drag him down last year and is now doing the same to Lindsay. Seth and Alex are shocked including Marissa who says nothing. He continues to yell at her saying she is continuing to make a mess out of her own life. Alex tries to step in and defend Marissa but Ryan fires back at her as well. Seth tells him they should go and Alex says she will take care of her. Ryan hesitates in leaving and looks at Marissa who is nearly in tears before Seth demands they leave. Alex and Marissa take Lindsay home.

Ryan and Marissa - The Ex-Factor

Ryan yells at Marissa and tells her how things always get out of hand with her.

Summer shows up at the diner for a milkshake alone and sees Zach on the opposite side of the diner. She joins him and apologizes for being rude to him. She explains herself saying that her last relationship was really hard on her. She says that she is trying to learn how to deal with a relationship that doesn't demand as much from her as it did with Seth. Zach understands and jokes that at their one year, he will blow it off. He puts another straw in his milkshake for Summer and they share it.

Theexfactor2

Zach and Summer share a milkshake and truly celebrate their six month anniversary.

Ryan gets out of the shower, Seth tells him that Alex said Lindsay got home safe. Seth says how he screwed things up with Alex and Ryan thinks he was too hard on Marissa. Seth agrees saying there were flashes of the "old Ryan Atwood" and Ryan says that drinking brings up bad memories. Ryan assumes that the only reason why Lindsay drank was because of Marissa. Seth disagrees saying she probably was letting loose and only felt pressure from Ryan, not Marissa, and that he pushed his ex and current girlfriend into being friends. Ryan takes note of this and they both leave to apologize to Alex and Marissa.

Kirsten gets home to find Sandy watching a movie. Kirsten tells him he has every right to be angry with her but Sandy says that ever since he left the law firm, Caleb has been luring him into be his accomplice. Sandy is angry with himself for letting him and feels like he has been preventing himself from figuring out what to do next in his life. Kirsten tells him she is still going to make an effort with his idea but Sandy asks her not to as he believes Julie's magazine will be best for the company.

Ryan and Marissa - The Ex-Factor 2

Marissa tells Ryan in a heartbreaking conversation how much he means to her.

Ryan and Seth go to Alex's to apologize to both Alex and Marissa. Ryan goes inside to apologize while Seth and Alex talk outside. Marissa walks into the living room with coffee, disappointed to see Ryan there. She sits down and Ryan says he was hoping it would be easier between them to all be friends including Marissa and Lindsay. Marissa says that their relationship might not have meant anything to Ryan but it meant a lot to her. She goes on to say how much Ryan still means to her and he says that it's not like that. Ryan says that thinking her and Lindsay should be friends was a bad idea even though Marissa says she likes her. Marissa says that they need some space since things will be awkward. He says sorry to her before he leaves and she does as well.

Seth and Alex talk about Jodie and she says they probably aren't going to get back together. Seth asks if they could go back to the way things were and is willing to wait for her. Alex thanks him for coming by and also apologizes. Ryan and Seth leave together and Alex goes back inside to find Marissa watching a movie. She sits down to watch it with her and offers Marissa a blanket. Marissa looks at her as she covers them both with a blanket. Alex looks at Marissa and they have intense eye contact before Alex looks back at the T.V. Alex and Marissa continue watching the movie but Marissa looks at her once more, somewhat confused.

Theexfactor1

Marissa and Alex share intense eye contact.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Music[]

Quotes[]

  • Sandy Cohen: Honey, I don't want to alarm you, but there is a giant Julie Cooper on the table.
  • Lindsay Gardner: So when did you guys meet? How did you start going out in the first place?
  • Ryan Atwood: Me and Marissa? Uh...
  • Lindsay Gardner: What? I mean were you guys lab partners? Fire drill buddies?
  • Ryan Atwood: No. Actually it was my first night in Newport. I was sitting in Sandy's car, waiting to see if Kirsten would even let me inside the house, walked down to the end of the driveway and there she was. (The scene in Premiere when Ryan meets Marissa is seen on the car windshield) We started talking and I don't know we just, connected. She wasn't like anybody I had ever met before.
  • Seth Cohen: I am a man in the desert. I'm dying of thirst. You have a thermos full of Kool-Aid. Come on, give me a sip. Did you meet the ex? I know you did.
  • Ryan Atwood: All right. Yes, I did.
  • Seth Cohen: And, who is he?
  • Ryan Atwood: He... is a she.

Trivia[]

  • When Ryan is driving Lindsey to Marissa's for girls' night out, as he is talking about how he and Marissa met in Premiere, if you look closely you can see an image of him and Marissa's first meeting next to his head. This is a reflection on the windscreen.

Gallery[]

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