Why The Dream Lover?
"Double entendre. Seth has a dream. And also, Taylor has to choose who is her true 'dream lover' — Ryan or Henri Michel. And also, it is the name of a nice old song."
— Leila Gerstein (Executive Story Editor), Writer of The Dream Lover

An Animalistic Crush
All the way from the largest state in the country, Che senses Seth is in trouble. He hops on his old man's private jet and flies to Newport to save Summer Bear's boyfriend. Seth resists the temptation; but, over time (like a matter of hours) he decides to let Che help him discover his "spirit animal." If Seth walks out on the chance to have sexual relations with Summer because he needs a glass of water, you know something must be wrong. Che knows this is simply an inner spirit animal illness. If watching Seth hike in a real forest with real trees and real bugs isn't entertaining enough, we then get to watch him brave an evening in a sweat lodge with Che. I never imagined Seth as a sweat lodger; maybe now he'll join a gym for its sauna amenities. Nonetheless, while in said sweat lodge, Seth has the best dream he has probably had since Summer kissed him on that yacht in Season 1 — he finds a sea otter trapped in his pool. While many may balk at the possibility of a sea otter in the Cohen pool, stranger things have happened in Newport. Oh yeah, and Che dreams of a personal connection with a sea otter. Yawn…another day in the O-sizzle.

Rice Krispie Treats & Chocolate Chip Cookies With a Lil' Drama on Top
Should Kaitlin really fear this Lucy chick? Honestly, she's in the band and probably is on her way to Barnard. For all we know she listens to Avril Lavigne while eating pizza-flavored Combos. Not exactly a Mike Tyson in the making. Notwithstanding, Lucy's words strike a chord with Mini-Coop. Kaitlin realizes she really does mistreat Will; and in doing so, she is making him less and less the person he wants to be. I mean if a pop star wants to play a band geek who enjoys the fine arts of Betty Crocker, then darn it, let him! Kaitlin is cool, smokes weed, tells guys what to do and is, umm, cool. She can't waste her time trying to help Will shed his training wheels. Kaitlin relinquishes her quest and dumps the poor milquetoast. Almost certainly, Will returned home, drank some warm milk, downed a batch of his Rice Krispie treats and played Guitar Hero 2 until dawn break. Love is so sad. Kaitlin will certainly miss him, too; at three episodes, he's her longest relationship.

Ryan "Robert Frost" Atwood
Only Ryan could storm into Pages bookstore and steal the show from a New York Times best-selling French author. Unfortunately, Taylor does not fall for his Chino-seduction powers. Maybe if he had read the first (and longer) version of the poem, he would have come up victorious. Lucky for you, I attained the rough draft of the biggest thing to hit Newport since the Cohens:

TO TAYLOR, IN POEM

Taylor, Oh Taylor, Taylor,
I ain't no…no bailer.

Our relationship hasn't been easy,
But when you talk and talk…I get weasy.

You wear these cute sweaters from Lacoste,
They make me melt as if I was frost.

When I first met you I thought you were annoying,
But soon I found out you were just toying,
Life is meant to live you told me,
For enjoying.

Basically it comes down to one thing and all else is wrought,
Taylor…you're hot.

Song of the Episode
"Dear Mr. Supercomputer," Sufjan Stevens

Quote of the Episode
"Like I'm sharing a sauna with the Blue Man Group."
— Seth's initial feelings about sharing a sweat lodge with Che

The O.C. Forecast

• Seth finds a sea otter for Pancakes to take out on a date
• Summer rejects aforementioned proposal (because Pancakes is too young to date)
• Kirsten decides to not be Julie's friend again (and then takes her back, again)
• Kaitlin begs Will to come back (but he can't answer his phone in time because he's stuck in the ridiculously extra, extra small Harbor Band sweatshirt he always wears)
• Taylor eats the gummy bears Ryan gave her
• Sandy wonders why the pool smells like sea otter (and suspects Seth was up to something)
• Julie works the street corners herself (…joking…or am I?)
• Ryan switches his architecture major (to Creative Writing with an emphasis on post-modern poetry)
• Metz can't get the "Dream Lover" song out of his head