“I have a really difficult, complicated life.”
Tonight is the final installation of our super-special holiday treat: Newport Harbor: Home For the Holidays. We last left Chrissy pouting over the fact that she can’t have everything and everyone and also, her ultra-annoying friend Kylie has been acting like she’s way too good for all of this and we are all lucky to know of her. Let’s join the troops once again to find out what’s happening down in the real Orange County.We return this week to our original Cookie Cutter Scene #1, watching Chrissy and Sasha play tennis while Sasha asks Chrissy questions about Clay. It seems that there has been no word from Clay. No phone calls, no text messages, not a peep. Chrissy says that seeing Clay with other girls totally made her realize that she made a mistake. Billy’s cool and all, but unless Clay agrees to just sit and pine for her, Chrissy thinks she wants him back. If she can’t have him, no one can! Sasha says, “Never say never.” Goonies never say die.
As we get another look around Newport Beach on our way to Cookie Cutter Scene #2, I realize just how all-out Mayor G-Thing went when I see actual presents hanging from trees. This truly is a wonderland. We zero in on Clay’s Beach House, where the Mayor is arriving to discuss Skjsonby’s party. He asks Clay if he talked to Chrissy at all, and when Clay says no, Mayor G-Thing says that he saw her staring at Clay a lot. Clay goes, “Really?” Remember last week when Chrissy said that she and Clay kept staring at each other but not talking? Apparently Clay has a different version of what happened. He says that his feelings aren’t 100% gone, but he has no idea what Chrissy’s situation is with Billy and he wishes that she would come to him and tell him what she’s thinking.
Um, I’m not really sure what to say about our next location except that it looks like we are arriving at a small-to-medium-sized European palace, so I wonder who is spending the holidays abroad when a subscript comes up that says “Allie’s New House.”
Welcome to Neuschwanstein
You have got to be kidding me. I guess that little shack by the water just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Sejour (the restaurant Allie’s parents own) must have had a really good year or two to explain this massive expanse of real estate. I guess Art and Carolyn were feeling pretty cramped – especially after Allie moved away to college. Carolyn welcomes Original Allie and Fatty to the new pad and then Art – one of my personal favorite characters – enters to welcome the girls as well. They take a tour of what looks like a giant museum and discover that there is an indoor pool which would serve as an absolutely perfect setting for a party!
Allie and Fatty sit out on one of the many patios and decide that they simply must throw a party – preferably this weekend. Fatty suggests a theme party and I flashback to Pretty in Pink. What will the boys be dressing as this time? Allie says that she wants to theme it 20′s and 30′s because she likes that fashion era. Good call, Allie! Very cute fashion era. But won’t there be a bit of a time crunch if the party is this weekend? I mean, we’re still on “Thanksgiving weekend,” right?
Elsewhere in the Newp, Chrissy heads out onto her front porch to call Billy and let him know that she’s not, in fact, going to be heading up to San Jose, aka Douche Town to see him this weekend. She tells him awkwardly that she has some things to take care of and can’t make it. Billy’s like, “That sucks,” and Chrissy just says she’ll see him back at school. Honestly Billy doesn’t seem too broken up about it, but what’s he going to do, cry for us? Chrissy mopes, as usual.
“Boo freakin’ hoo. I got to be on TV!”
Next we join Sasha and Chrissy walking Bogey and discussing how excited they are to attend Allie’s party tonight. Chrissy says she hears that Allie is doing a 20′s theme. So it’s the day of the party and they hear it’s a 20′s theme, so what will they be doing about costumes? Sasha, thank goodness, has a really cute sparkly dress that is 20′s style and her mom has vintage shoes she can wear. Chrissy is just nervous to see Clay – again. She tells Sasha that she blew Billy off for the weekend and Sasha asks if this means that Billy is out of the picture, to which Chrissy answers yes. I wonder if Billy got that message from Chrissy’s explanation of taking care of some things. Sasha says that Chrissy has to look so gorgeous tonight that everyone will turn to look at her as she enters. Um, may I throw up please? Wait it gets worse. Chrissy says, “Like in Cinderella? I hope the slipper fits.” I, personally, would like to beat her with the slipper, but Sasha is more optimistic, assuring her that the slipper will fit because she and Clay are meant to be, he just has to realize it. Sasha, that is the mantra of psychotic women everywhere. Chrissy says she has to make Clay fall in love all over again. Or you could be nice and spare him the torture, Chrissy.
Mayor G-Thing, who refused to wear pink to the Pretty in Pink party, is now dressing in bright pink fabulous for the 20′s party. He teases Clay about “pimping some chicks” which is how I just hope guys talk about me because it’s so flattering. Chrissy and Sasha are getting all dolled up as flappers over at Chrissy’s house and Chrissy starts whining that she’s scared.
“You have to listen while I complain some more.”
Yes, yes, yes we know, Chrissy. You’re scared, big news. Clay and G-Thing get gangstered out and start doing DeNiro imitations into the full length mirror.
Isn’t he pretty in pink?
Well, through the miracle of MTV story editing all of the local girls seem to have managed to find sparkly flapper dresses to wear to this impromptu shindig. Original Allie and Fatty welcome the guests and it looks like most of the guys didn’t make as much of a costume effort as the girls – with the exception of Clay and Mayor G-Thing. It doesn’t seem like this is a pool party as the girls are so carefully coiffed and made up, but nevertheless several boys go flipping into the pool in swimsuits. You just never know with these Newport kids.
Well, I spoke too soon about the boys’ outfits because in struts Chase with an entourage and they are all decked out in black with fedoras so they are either the Hebrew Hammer or 20′s gangsters. Ew, all of a sudden Kylie is here and it looks like she has decided to betray her friend Billy because she is prodding the ever-nervous Chrissy to go over and talk to Clay. P.S. How freaking adorable does Clay look in his suit and leather fedora? Hello!
I bet he smells good, too.
Chrissy just sort of paces back and forth around Clay not saying anything.
And as Chrissy does her stalling dance, Original Allie and Chase have a little heart to heart. She wants an answer to the question on everyone’s mind. What is up with Chase and Kylie? Chase tells her that he’s moving to Santa Barbara and Allie warns him not to play with girls’ hearts because someday someone will do it to him and then he’ll be sorry. Chase doubts it, saying he won’t ever let a girl get close enough to hurt him. Oh dream on, robot boy.
“Believe it or not, someday you will have an emotion.”
After what seems like about six months Chrissy finally asks Clay if he wants to talk. This next scene made me want to cry for some reason. I am really getting soft because this is the second Newport Harbor episode that has made me misty. The shame! So here’s how it goes: Chrissy handles the convo with her usual awkwardness, just saying that she doesn’t like that things have been “weird” ever since they broke up. Clay says he doesn’t either, but he doesn’t really know what to say about that. Chrissy goes on to say that she didn’t think she would care, but she got really jealous when she saw Clay with another girl. Clay’s response is so perfect. He shrugs and half-laughs: “Well yeah. It’s – how do you think I felt when I met Billy?” Yeah, Chrissy! And you were sucking Billy’s face off when Clay first saw him. Can you please stop tormenting him now and go on about your sorority life? Apparently no she can’t. She goes on to say that she and Billy just hang out, then later she voices over, “It’s nothing like it was with us.” Clay says that he really doesn’t know what to tell her, and I totally agree with him. All she told him is that she doesn’t like seeing him with other girls and what the crap is he supposed to say to that? Especially after how she treated him. Too bad, Chrissy! They both agree that this isn’t the way they planned for things to go and then Clay says, “All right,” and walks away. I have to get a tissue, I’ll be back.
The next morning Sasha and Chrissy head over to Haute Cakes Café to recap the party. Sasha says that she had a good time other than being pushed into the pool – an incident that MTV didn’t see fit to include in our footage. Chrissy starts pondering that she needs to prove to Clay that she’s sorry, she wants him back, and that he’s the only one she has deep feelings for. Oh, deep feelings, okay. I guess when you classify your feelings as deep and not-so-deep that makes all the difference. She implores Sasha to come up with something for her to do that will remind Clay of all the good times. Oh great, she can’t even think of a way to tell him herself? Yes, her feelings are awfully deep.
“I love him too profoundly
to have any idea what to tell him.”
Clay and Mayor G-Thing are having their own party recap over at Mayor G-Thing’s house while they play pool. G-Thing wants to know how things went with Chrissy, adding that “girls are so stupid.” Clay says it seems like Chrissy still has feelings for him and that he’s not completely over it either. Mayor G-Thing says that maybe Clay should give Chrissy another shot. Whaaaaaat? After all the nagging he did telling Clay not to have a girlfriend, then ratting Chrissy out to him and even dragging him up to Santa Barbara to watch Chrissy make out with Billy right in Clay’s face, now he’s advising him to give her another shot? This is so fishy I don’t even know where to start. Mayor G-Thing says that Clay should have the Christmas spirit and give her another chance, and also that he’ll probably never say such a thing about any other girl for the rest of his life. Well, yeah, there probably won’t be a giant cue card instructing you to say it at any other point in your life, G-Thing.
“You’re absolutely joking, right?”
Original Allie and Fatty are on their way back up to Santa Monica and are also discussing the party. They are quite pleased that so many people dressed up. Then Allie drops a huge bomb. She has a job!
“I’m going to like, get paid! To shop!”
She was hired to work at Dame, a clothing boutique in Santa Monica. I did a little digging and they don’t really have a website, but they have a MySpace page. I was really liking their stuff until I saw a picture of Lauren Conrad on the site and then I immediately clicked away. That girl totally rubs me the wrong way with her completely unoriginal “fashion designs” and her face all over every magazine for doing nothing but being a huge snob. Yuck. Anyhoo, Allie is now a working girl and I may have to drop in on her to say hello. As long as Lauren doesn’t cross my path things should go well.
Ah hah! Chase and Kylie have gathered on the beach to have a little chatty-poo about the question everyone and their uncle keeps asking: Where do these two stand? Kylie wants to know when Chase is planning the Big Move and then she tells him that things are going to be different when he gets up there.
“I don’t think you can handle what I’ve got.”
She likes him and everything, but she doesn’t want to be so serious. Chase says he didn’t think they were getting too serious and Kylie says that she doesn’t want it to become serious. See, she has this whole new life up in Santa Barbara and she’s not sure Chase is “ready for it.” Just kidding, for once that’s not what she says, she just dances around it, saying, “I don’t know.” Chase says that he gets it and that Kylie can do “whatever.” Wow, that’s so romantic.
So now we get an external shot of Clay’s Beach House and to my horror I don’t think that this is the same as his other house – the one that’s close to where Chrissy lives. This really is just a second house for his family to play in that’s right down the street from their first one. I wonder if Clay’s parents own a restaurant like Allie’s. Chrissy arrives at the dock behind the Beach House and proceeds to decorate Clay’s little boat with ten thousand Christmas lights and trinkets – even a Nutcracker. Then she ties mistletoe on the antenna. Noooooooo! Don’t do it, Clay! Don’t take her back! Then she drives over to Clay’s regular house and sticks a note on the front door. When Clay comes home he finds a card instructing him to meet Chrissy at the Beach House for a “surprise.”
The heart on top of the “i” shows how deep her feelings are.
And it was Sasha’s idea.
Well, because Clay is such a nice guy who totally deserves better than Chrissy he shows up to see her surprise. She’s waiting for him out by the dock and tells him that she thought it would be nice for them to talk alone instead of amid the hubbub of a party. Clay asks what is up with Chrissy and Billy and she says that she doesn’t even talk to Billy anymore. Anymore? What has it been, like 48 hours? She says it was really dumb and she made a mistake and she’s sorry. Also! She has a present for Clay. He opens it and pulls out a USC sweatshirt. Then Chrissy busts the news that she’s transferring to USC next semester so that she’ll be closer to home and able to come visit more often. When the crap did all this happen? Wouldn’t she have had to apply like, months ago in order to attend winter semester? She can’t just decide in December that she’d like to start at USC in January. Well, whatever. She tells Clay that if he’s for it, she’s for trying to make things work between them.
“Well, the Mayor advised me to give you a second chance.”
Clay says he agrees (to my eternal disappointment) and then Chrissy says she has another surprise and she stands up. At this point I honestly and truly thought she was going to take her clothes off. I really, really did. I’m not quite sure why my mind went there because all she does is plug in the lights that she strung all over Clay’s boat. They kiss and Clay suggests that they go for a little cruise. As they set off he notices the mistletoe and asks what it is, ha ha, wink wink. They peck a couple of times and then just stand there looking confused. Well, isn’t that adorable? They’re back together just in time for Christmas. Ugh.
“So we’re a couple for reals. Or for TV. Are we done?”
So! That’s the end of our four episode Home for the Holidays arc. I’m not really sure what I think about it. It all ended so conveniently smoothly that I wonder how much of it actually happened and how much MTV… okay, I won’t go there. We’ll pretend it was all spontaneous and real and we got to sit in on the drama as it unfolded. How did you like this darling little story?
Thanks for reading!
-Honey Gangsta
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27 Comments
Very good recap except for your comments about LC. I still love her and her style!
I hope Chrissy is good to Clay this time. After what she did with first Chase and then Billy, she didn’t deserve a second chance.
I was also dumbfounded when I realized Clay’s beach house and his regular house were not the same. The captions at the bottom of the screen were different for each house. So weird! Was Chrissy this annoying during the regular season? I honestly cringe whenever there is a scene with her. I wonder if Sasha is starting to feel the same way. I bet Clay gets come modeling gigs once he graduates high school.
Gotta love how Chrissys headband kept coming on and off at the part– did anyone else notice it was different in each camera view?? That whole “I’m gonig to USC” bugged me too– don’t you need to apply, be accepted, etc– since when can you just decide over thanksgiving weekend you are changing schools?? Made no sense! But Clay is still adorable…
PS– Just went to Sejours website, good ol Art didn’t get his money from the restaurant. Seems he was a big attorney in AZ and sold an investment firm he started before coming to Newport to “retire” and open a restaurant as a hobby. Must be nice!
Great recap, I have to admit as embarassing as it is that I got so sad in a couple of the episodes and all misty eyed eek. Anyways, it looked like Sasha was getting tired of her sidekick role and listening to Chrissy whine all the time. She should just hook up with Clay and give Chrissy the boot. Sucks that it’s over. Oh well.
So is this it or is there going to be another season? Anyone know?
Great recap — although I am of two minds with regard to this 4 episode season. On the one hand, it was SO very staged, and too ‘neat’ with the story arc. Especially given the timing (it was all happening at Thanksgiving through Christmas break, and it was basically aired beginning Christmas break). On the other hand, Clay was exceptionally cute about how he felt about Chrissy, and he is in no way a good enough actor to be able to give the very sweet looks he was giving her when they ‘got back together’. Very sweet looks — I’ve always been struck by how much he seems to like Chrissy.
(I used to like Chrissy, but I don’t like think she like put together like a coherent sentence in, like, the whole 4 episode arc…. know what I, um, like, mean? On the other hand, I kind of liked the good natured ribbing the sorority sisters were giving her about being a party animal (‘yeah, right, CHRISSY is going to stay home’ – seemed real to me, unlike the fake Thanksgiving dinner (as if those kids parents would let them be away for Thanksgiving).)
So, questions for those out there in cyber land: Is Chrissy transferring to USC — and why? She seemed to have a lot of friends at UCSB and liked it… And, of course, are Chrissy and Clay really together?
And, is Sasha in college or she is still in high school? Because she is my favorite character.
Heee! I love you HG…totally agree about LC 100%.
Yeah I have the same thoughts as rjfrankel.. SO much of the show was staged (not quite to The Hills level, but more than LB3 even) but Clay is not good enough of an actor to fake liking Chrissy. I don’t really get how the UCSB-USC transfer happened just like that either.. someone needs to go dig their myspaces!
I don’t watch this show or read the recaps, but I was bored, and this was definitely worth it. Funny recap, and awesome captions.
Now for questions: is Kylie wearing giant gold peace sign hoop earrings in that picture? And a side-ponytail? And a mesh… vest? With lace trim? And a dream-catcher on her wrist? Please don’t say no and ruin my joy.
I don’t watch this show or read the recaps, but I was bored, and this was definitely worth it. Funny recap, and awesome captions.
Now for questions: is Kylie wearing giant gold peace sign hoop earrings in that picture? And a side-ponytail? And a mesh… vest? With lace trim? And a dream-catcher on her wrist? Please don’t say no and ruin my joy.
I’m at least glad to see a guy being a doormat on this show, although chrissy’s no kristin, that’s for sure.
Clay is adorable and seems genuine enough (like maybe the producers talk him into all this Chrissy drama, and he goes along with it cause he likes her and knows how their arc will end).
I am from California, and know all about colleges here. UCSB is not so hard to get into, but USC is much much harder. I don’t understand how Chrissy, who uses “like” every 10 seconds could get in.
And of course, there are indeed deadlines for transfer. Could all of this perhaps be staged? Because there was no mention of USC whatsoever in the previous episodes. If MTV just made up the whole “USC” thing to add another tear jerker to the story, that would be really embarrassing
I am from California, and know all about colleges here. UCSB is not so hard to get into, but USC is much much harder. I don’t understand how Chrissy, who uses “like” every 10 seconds could get in. Besides how much time does she even get to study? All we see her do is party.
And of course, there are indeed deadlines for transfer. Could all of this perhaps be staged? Because there was no mention of USC whatsoever in the previous episodes. If MTV just made up the whole “USC” thing to add another tear jerker to the story, that would be really embarrassing.
I can’t even begin to express how disgusted I am. Well I guess I can lol. Thank goodness this is staged because Clay deserves so much better than Chrissy. I’m really over her. I pray that Chase doesn’t stay in Newport and get back with Taylor. She is too cute to be messing with a douche like him.
While USC is considerably harder to get into than UCSB, it is possible and if anyone remembered, Chrissy was a 4.0. student in H.S…. if i remember them informing us… so I’m guessing that carried on to college. And due to the magic of editing these days, they don’t have to show us everything that has been said. While it was a random and sudden announcement, maybe that’s how the story editors wanted it to go down. And crazily enough, you can be as obnoxious as you want went it comes to using the word like, and still be book smart. Miracles never cease.
great recap, altho i must confess, I’m still an LC fan!
as a male, i can appreciate the genuine side of Clay when it comes to his feelings for Chrissy. he’s young and probably doesn’t know many girls outside of his newport bubble, and at that age we have all had that 1 girl that we think we are totally in love with. once he leaves for college next year (which i doubt will be in arizona, as indicated in an earlier episode) he will meet many new girls who will be dying to be with him.
a random note here, but chrissy’s last name is schwartz and clay’s last name is adler….where i’m from every person with those last names are jewish….kind of funny to see them celebrating christmas if they are jewish.
g-thing is so lame with his act about being hard with chicks, he tries to tell clay what to do and don’t take her back and blah blah blah….if the roles were reversed and we were talking about g-thing and taylor….he’d be on his knees begging her to come back to him. dudes who act like he does, get no pu**y, and with the cameras around 24/7 we have video proof on g-thing.
kylie is annoying and not cute. she has an abnormally small head and face, she looks like an ewok. wouldnt surprise me at all if they was a lesbian…there is just something masculine about her but i cant put my finger on it.
g-thing is right….billy is a complete douche.
here’s to hoping for a new season in a few months.
I loved how Billy just got cast aside with that random phone call..Funny how Chrissy “needing to take care of stuff at home” translated into “things are definitely over with Billy.” That was one hell of a Thanksgiving weekend, with Swanskie’s party (or whatever his name was – I’ll just call him FNL Landry), then Allie’s parents moved and staged a party at their new crib, Chrissy found time to apply to and be accepted at a new college (and go out and buy a sweatshirt), and decorated Clay’s boat and won him back! Thank god she had a flapper outfit already – she definitely wouldn’t have had time to shop for one that crazy weekend!
Honey Gangsta is hilarious; your screencaps are the best. Chrissy annoyed the hell out of me this entire mini-season, and Clay deserves better. It’s amazing how she went from being fairly likeable in the regular season to an annoying and self-centered whiny brat in 4 short episodes!
I am also shocked and dismayed that Chase and Kylie’s “cruising” did not lead to a serious and meaningful relationship. SHOCKED!
My brother just graduated from UCSB and he’s been telling me for ages that Chrissy wasn’t attending the school (based on stories from his friends still in school and other); according to him, she was attending a community college. At UCSB, apparently community college students can live in the dorms. She was probably accepted in the Spring 2008, instead of Fall 2007 and only took classes that would transfer (Math, English) at community college. People do it all the time. I knew plenty of people in college who did that for a semester or even in the summers.
My brother just graduated from UCSB and he’s been telling me for ages that Chrissy wasn’t attending the school (based on stories from his friends still in school and other); according to him, she was attending a community college. At UCSB, apparently community college students can live in the dorms. She was probably accepted in the Spring 2008, instead of Fall 2007 and only took classes that would transfer (Math, English) at community college. People do it all the time. I knew plenty of people in college who did that for a semester or even in the summers.
Your brother’s been telling you for ages? She’s only been at the school for 3-4 months! As much as I disliked the girl this season, according to past shows she did well in college. I doubt she would “go away” to community college and live on campus. I mean the sorority thing could be all fake, but I would think you would need to be enrolled in the school to be a part of the sorority.
oops – I meant she did well in high school…also I just looked them up on Wikipedia and they were all born in ’89…even Grant and Clay…kinda weird.
if that story about chrissy is true and she never attended UCSB then she is the biggest poser ever. how embarrassing.
My friends and I who graduated from UCSB and sadly still watch this high school show have all said that the campus she is on does not look familiar but looks like SBCC (city college). The dorms at UCSB usually had a floor dedicated to the city college kids so that would explain it. Why Chrissy wears UCSB sweatshirts all the time is beyond me.
On a side note, I liked how Chase tried to shut Kylie up when she kept going on about them being “whatever”. Someone was a little embarrassed about being practically dumped in front of the cameras…
To Mr Sandiegoisonfire- I married into a big catholic family with the name of Schwartz. People assume often that we are Jewish, but it happens not to be the case.
Why would Chrissy want to change schools to be closer to Chase if he’s only going to be around for another year, and then off to Arizona? Don’t people put more thought than that into where they’ll attend school? Shouldn’t you pick your school based on what you plan to major in, and the reputation of the education there????????? I guess I’m just old fashioned…
@ EstelleHairball:
Why the fuck would you think Chrissy is moving to be closer to Chase? I thought it was pretty clear that she was moving for Clay. Too bad everyone can’t be as smart as the Cheez Whiz! I’m fucking awesome! Hands up, all of you who love me!
relax, she just accidentally typed “Chase” instead of “Clay”
Ok, here’s the deal. I am a student at USC and it is in fact true that Chrissy is now a student here. She is currently enrolled in one of my classes. I was also very confused when she announced her plans to transfer from UCSB because freshmen cannot just randomly transfer into USC in the spring semester. Applications were accepted for fall only, but a few hundred freshmen were put on a spring admit list because of limited space in the fall. This means that they were accepted to USC, but could not start classes here until spring 08. I don’t know for sure if Chrissy is one of these spring admits, but it makes sense.