(S04E09) So far everything about this season has been good. So I suppose it was inevitable that we'd get to a storyline that I'm not a big fan of. Of course I'm talking about Chris Brown. I really think he is a talented guy (he's got one hell of a singing voice), but this isn't the right venue for him to showcase his skills. His character (Will) just doesn't feel right.

It doesn't help that the storyline he's been tossed into is completely flat. Kaitlin has felt distant nearly the entire season and now it's further highlighted because the only character she's connected to just showed up. I'm not buying him as the dorky band-geek either. It feels forced for the sole purpose of creating the "beauty and geek" aspect between him and Kaitlin.

Alright, I'm done ranting about that. Let's move on to the rest of the episode. Can we talk about how much I love that Ryan's father is Hercules?

I thought Kevin Sorbo played the part of Frank well. You can't argue about the casting either. He was the perfect fit for that role. Despite the fact that the whole bit about him not actually having cancer was completely predictable, I liked the dynamic between Ryan and his father. It was much better than any of the episodes that his real mother was in. It was actually pretty surprising to see Sandy get so defensive about Ryan but I liked that side of him. It's almost as if his adopted son's rough and tumble attitude rubbed off on him.

What's with the kiss between Frank and Julie though? As far as I knew, Sorbo had only signed on to do two episodes. Now that we know The OC is done for sure at the end of February, I'm not so sure it was a good idea to leave something like an ambiguous kiss out in the open. Then again, I may be reading into this too much since Julie will kiss just about anything with a pulse.

Speaking of love, the entire process of "planning the marriage" between Seth and Summer was probably the best written bit all season. It was hilarious, touching, and just really well done. Neither of them want to do it but they're both too stubborn to say something. Seth asking Summer to learn how to cook and convert to Judaism was priceless though. I wonder if Neil will be in the next episode when Seth visits him in Seattle? Maybe we'll get some more Grey's Anatomy references? Or what about Luke Ward? Didn't he move to Seattle with his Dad? It'd be cool if they brought him back once more before the show takes a bow.

There's plenty of tension to build between Seth and Summer now. I'm guessing the two of them won't be happily engaged for long. That isn't to say they won't eventually tie the knot before the show ends. Then again, if she started using the word "frak" more often (and in front of Cohen), he might warm up to the idea of marriage knowing that his bride to be is Battlestar Galactica savvy.

Quotable:

Seth (scolding Ryan for being rude to Pancakes): "How dare you talk to your nephew that way."