The episode kicks off with Sandy visiting Ryan in juvie again—déjà vu from the pilot. The arson charges have been dropped but Ryan is stayin due to that whole “stole a car” thing. Cranky, grounded Seth tries to sneak off to visit him, dragging Kirsten along since she can't endure The Real Newpsies Of Newport gals planning Casino Night anymore. In juvie, Ryan defends Kirsten from a “flirty” inmate so back home, Sandy finds Ryan and Seth playing video games, sparking a "what are we gonna do with this kid?" moment with kirsten. Julie runs her mouth at a coffee shop, with Sandy in earshot, leading to a delightful verbal whipping and learning from Jimmy that Kirsten is footing the bills! Ryan’s mom, Dawn, makes a dramatic entrance, claiming she's cleaned up, but Ryan is skeptical. The Vegas Night is a whirlwind: Dawn turns into a spectacle as a drunk blackjack whiz, Julie won’t shut up about the $100K, Marissa pines for Luke and Ryan and Stanley, Sid or Seth becomes Summer’s lucky charm at the craps table. Dawn decides to leave Ryan with the Cohens, admitting Kirsten is the better mom. Ryan, with a mix of relief and sadness, watches his mom leave and embraces his new life with the Cohens.

Our guest today needs no introduction! The one and only Tate Donovan!

Follow @themelindaclarke and @cgmir on Instagram. Stay tuned to Reddit r/theOC, the Beyond the OC YouTube channel and Melinda and CG's Instagrams for our upcoming deep dives so your questions can be answered on the show.

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