(S04E14) It's the end of the world as we know it. Well... not really, but it might be the end of Newport Beach. I have to say, I kind of like the idea that the finale Josh Schwartz "always planned to do" for The OC involves an earthquake. It's the ultimate closure for a show that takes place in California and depending on how bad you want to make it (it looked pretty bad), it can immediately force everyone into a situation where they're forced to start over.

Closure is key though. With only two episodes to go now, a lot of the broad ideas that have been lingering since the beginning of the season were brought back into play. Seth's indecisiveness, Ryan's emotional awkwardness, and Sandy's dislike for Newport all manifested themselves in some pretty creative ways. It was a satisfying episode.

Summer finally put Seth's future on the line when she flat out asked him what he wants to do. Despite the fact that we as viewers may love his sarcastic, lackadaisical attitude, you have to admit - he isn't going to make a living off of it. However, Summer's challenge to Seth (make a film about something that really matters to you) helped him in ways that we couldn't have imagined. During filming, when he overheard Summer and his mother talking? That was the blow he needed and now we just get to wait and see what kind of motivation that gives him. Although, that earthquake might get in way of any progress for the time being.

Actually, the earthquake might get in the way of a lot of things. One thing I think it will motivate though is Sandy and Kirsten's decision to move somewhere else. After her encounter with Holly, the next generation Newpsies, and Spitz's air-headed wife, Kirsten suddenly seems to share a lot of the same sentiments that Sandy has always felt about the Newport locals. Here's to hoping that the earthquake doesn't affect her pregnancy though. Give me some drama and questions surrounding it, but don't go overboard.

Then there's Ryan and Taylor. Those three little words that Taylor has been waiting to hear were said numerous times throughout the episode and Ryan seems to OK saying them at this point. That's a big step forward for him. Now we just wait and see if they both go to Berkeley together. I see no reason why they wouldn't.

The only thing I'm not into is the Frank/Kaitlin/Julie story. It still feels forced and tacked on to me. Frank really arrived out of nowhere and the potential of him marrying Julie still seems very weird. Kaitlin's attempts to sabotage the romance, while funny (clown porn!), were just filler. There's really nothing deeper for her to do if you think about it. She's just sort of there at this point.

Despite all the drama, there was still plenty of humor. I loved when, while filming, Seth pointed out that Ryan wasn't the first one to get a crack at Taylor:

"Tell us Ryan. How's it feel to have Dean Hess' sloppy seconds?"

Hilarious... or as Bullit would say, "Bang!"