Seth x Summer

Seth x Summer is the het ship between Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts from The O.C. fandom.

Canon
Presumably, Seth and Summer met as children, when they were schoolmates. Seth fell in love with Summer with her upon hearing her read a poem that everyone believes she wrote to their class.

Seth's love for Summer persists throughout his life. He often watches her, remembers everything about her, and feels bad about himself when she doesn't come to his Bar Mitzvah. But he never finds the courage to go after her her, so by the time they reach high school, Summer doesn't even know Seth exists, let alone about his feelings for her. At thirteen, Seth was heartbroken when Summer didn't go to his Barmitzvah.

At one point, Seth gets a sailboat that he names after Summer, calling it Summer Breeze.

Ryan's arrival
Seth's father, Sandy Cohen, is a public defender. One of his clients is Ryan Atwood, a boy Seth's age, who tried to steal a car with his brother. Sandy manages to get him released, but Ryan's mother, Dawn, is unable to take care of him. When her partner throws Ryan out of the house, she does not object strongly. Ryan has nowhere to go and therefore has no choice but to ask Sandy for help, who had told Ryan to call him if he needed help. Not having the heart to leave him in the middle of the street, Sandy decides to take Ryan to his house for the weekend.

Seth is a lonely, introverted boy. He is addicted to comic books and is not athletic, meaning he has no friends. But he and Ryan hit it off right away, with Seth even telling his new friend about his crush on Summer.

Marissa Cooper, Seth's neighbor and Summer's best friend, is immediately impressed by Ryan and invites him to a party that he brings Seth along to. Summer is also attracted to Ryan, which upsets Seth when he finds out. However, he pretty much gets over it when Ryan defends him from bullies.

When Sandy brings Ryan back to his mother, the two find the house deserted, so he decides to keep Ryan at home for a while longer. Seth later goes to see Marissa and runs into Summer by chance, staring at her and complaining when Marissa doesn't make him look good in front of her. Summer and Seth later go to a casino-themed party, and she decides to use him as a "lucky charm" since she wins craps twice with him close by. Seth is delighted that she wants him near her, but she can never remember his name.

Eventually, Seth's parents decide to adopt Ryan. This makes Seth very happy, and he immediately asks his new brother for advice on Summer.

At the debutante ball, Summer finds herself paired with Seth. She is annoyed by this turn of events, while her partner is elated. At her friend Holly's pre-party for the ball, Summer tries to bribe her to switch chaperones with her, but Holly refuses. Summer doesn't even want to talk to Seth, which disappoints him. At the prom, Seth befriends Anna, a comic-loving girl who recently moved to Orange County. Summer finally manages to replace Seth with Luke, Holly's chaperone, which makes him very sad, but Anna helps him understand that he doesn't have to be Summer's doormat. Summer find herself alone when Luke leaves after arguing with Marissa. She tries to get Seth to be her date again, but he refuses. Some time later, Seth and Ryan accidentally run into Summer and Marissa. Summer asks Seth to take her to his grandfather's birthday party and Seth gladly accepts. His grandfather, Caleb Nichol, is one of the most powerful men in Newport, and Summer wants to go to his party to meet rich and influential people. Seth later brags to his family that he landed a date with Summer Roberts.

After a while, Seth gets tired of introducing Summer to people. When she asks him why, he complains about her exploiting him. Seth explains that no one there knows her like him and recounts moments from their childhood. Summer is surprised that he knows her so well and kisses him. She tells Seth that he doesn't need to introduce her to anyone else, but later go back to ignoring him.

On the last weekend before the holiday ends, Seth tells his parents he's going to a comic convention so he can go to Tijuana. Many of his schoolmates are making this trip, including Summer, who agrees to go with him. Seth hopes to be able to kiss Summer while on the vacation. Summer and Seth start teasing each other, but due to a quarrel, they end up off the road and have to stay in a motel overnight. The two find themselves having to share a bed, and Summer orders Seth not to hit on her, and he obliges. The next morning, while they are having breakfast, Seth tries to get Summer to admit she likes him, but she rudely denies it. Despite all this, once they arrive at their destination, Summer and Seth seem to get along well.

After Marissa finds out that her parents are getting a divorce and that Luke is cheating on her with her friend Holly, she overdoses and ends up in the hospital. Perhaps hoping that this shared trauma has brought them closer, Seth finally finds the courage to ask Summer out. But Summer sees Seth being teased by some of her friends and tries to politely refuse. Seth, however, takes the hint and bitterly states that he won't ask her for anything more. Summer seems sorry to have hurt him. Knowing that Marissa's mother wants to have her interned, Summer decides to ask for Ryan's help. Not being able to find him, she asks Seth for help, and he admits that he feels unable to face Marissa's horrible mother. Despite the situation, the boy still tries to flirt with Summer, to which she still responds negatively, but without as much malice. Summer, Seth, and Ryan then work together to get their friend out of the hospital, which allows Summer and Seth to get to know each other better.

Eventually, Marissa convinces her mother to let her stay with her father. Meanwhile, Summer seems to be growing fond of Seth. However, back at school, Summer goes back to ignoring Seth, but he is now confident he will be able to woo her.

Summer's jealousy and the triangle
Anna, the girl Seth met at prom, has started attending their school. When she and Seth see each other again, they hug, which makes Summer jealous. Seth asks Anna for help making Summer fall in love with him, but Anna's constant presence at Seth's side begins to make Summer nervous. She later sees Anna kissing Seth and seems to feel badly about it. When Seth comes to say hello, she says that she wants someone to ride the roller coaster with her, and he immediately volunteers.

Seth realizes he's always talking about Summer, boring Ryan and Anna, so he decides to invite Anna to a charity party organized by his grandfather, Caleb, promising not to mention Summer. When he tells Summer he's going to the party with Anna, Summer immediately tells him that another guy has invited her and walks away, bumping into Anna on purpose as she goes.

Summer becomes increasingly jealous and complains to Marissa about how close Seth and Anna are, and Marissa immediately realizes that her friend has fallen in love with Seth. Summer finds Seth when he is alone and kisses him, admitting that she has a crush on him. Seth is shocked, but Summer walks away, saying that if he tells anyone what just happened, she'll kill him.

On Thanksgiving, Anna comes over to Seth's house, but Summer also comes uninvited. Seth attempts to navigate his awkward situation, trying to keep the girls from finding out about each other's presence. Summer kisses Seth again, but finds herself unable to explain why she is attracted to him. Seth tries to go further with her, but she refuses. Eventually, Summer and Anna both find out that the other is there and become furious with Seth.

Fearing the wrath of Anna and Summer, Seth pretends to be ill to skip school, but is soon caught and forced to go. Both girls are still hurt and angry, but after a few days, Seth apologizes and the two forgive him, but go back to competing for him.

Summer then thanks Seth for his apology and asks him to go out on Saturday, which he immediately accepts. When Chrismukkah (Seth's hybrid of Christmas and Hannukah) arrives, Seth prepares two identical gifts for Summer and Anna. Both girls want to go to Caleb's Christmas party with Seth, but he doesn't want to ruin anyone's holidays, so he decides not to go with anyone and just meet them at the party. Both girls go against this agreement and show up at Seth's house, both wanting him to escort them to the party. Luckily, Seth manages to prevent a fight from breaking out. When they are left alone, Summer tries to seduce Seth by dressing up as Wonder Woman, but learns that Anna made a comic for him. The two are interrupted by Anna, and Summer tells Seth that he has to choose one of them.

Seth doesn't know who to choose and tells both of them that he just wants them to be friends, but they refuse. Summer goes with Marissa to a New Year's Eve party, where she runs into Anna.She pretends that she no longer cares about Seth, but she hasn't gotten over him at all. She later asks a random guy to choose between her and Anna to make herself feel better. She even kisses him, but doesn't like it since he's not Seth.

At this point, Seth has gotten together with Anna. He tries to tell Summer about his decision, but puts it off since he doesn't know how to tell her without hurting her feelings. Anna offers to tell Summer for him but he refuses, wanting to talk to Summer in person. However, Summer tells him that she already figured it out. Surprisingly, she seems to be fine with it and agrees to remain friends with the others. But Summer is actually very angry about this new development. When the group goes on a weekend trip to Palm Springs, she gets between Anna and Seth constantly.

Seth soon gets bored of his relationship with Anna, since they're just so similar. Summer starts dating a guy named Danny in a very obvious attempt to replace Seth, which annoys the latter. Summer and Danny's relationship doesn't last long, possibly due to accidental sabotage on Seth's part.

Unable to spend much time with Marissa, Summer continues to hang out with Seth and Anna a lot. Seth starts to favor Summer over Anna, neglecting his own girlfriend. Anna realizes that Seth never truly got over Summer and dumps him.

Become a couple
As Valentine's Day nears, Seth asks Summer about her plans for the holiday, telling her that he and Anna broke up. Summer seems happy about the breakup, but then angrily tells him that she's not going to be his rebound.

"Wait, wait. Before you kick me out, can you please give me a second to explain? Okay listen. Summer... it's not like now me and Anna broke up I'm now choosing you. Okay? Because the whole reason that we broke up is because, for me, it's always been you, Summer. It's always been you. I've tried to fight it, and I've tried to deny it. And I can't. I can't do it. You're undeniable."

- Seth declares his love to Summer.

After school, Seth goes to Summer's house and explains that she is not a rebound for him, but that he and Anna broke up because he's only ever truly had feelings for Summer. Summer is delighted and kisses him, which leads to them having sex for the first time.

Later, Seth confides in Ryan that he is not sure if he was able to satisfy her. He then asks his father for advice but it doesn't help much, so he decides he wants another attempt at the whole thing. Summer agrees, but it doesn't go very well. Seth is convinced that Summer doesn't want him anymore, so at the Valentine's Day gala, he tells her that he might be ready in a few years, but he is ready to call it off until then.

Summer: ''The other night when we... had sex.''

Seth: Yeah.

Summer: You weren't the only virgin in the room.

Seth: ''There was someone else in the room? Like, filming us?''

Summer: ''Me, jackass. I'm a virgin. Or, I was a virgin,''

Seth: Why didn't you tell me?

Summer: ''I don't know. I guess I felt like I had this reputation to uphold and I figured you think less of me.''

Seth: ''No. Are you kidding? Not at all. I'm just--I'm shocked. God. Never in a million years would I think that you, of that people, not that-- That is not what's important here. That was a huge moment in our lives and we just blew past it.''

Summer: Really quickly.

Seth: ''Hey, not that quickly. Pretty quickly, yes. And it was a big deal.''

Summer: ''I think that it should've been special. And we rushed it.''

Seth: ''What if we were to slow it down a little bit? Maybe start from the beginning?''

Summer: What do you men?

[Seth puts on some music]

Summer: You are so cheesy, Cohen.

Seth: Come on, I'm sweeping you off your feet.

Summer: Well the sad part is you kind of are.

- Seth and Summer clear things up.

After the party, Summer goes over to Seth's house and tells him that she was also a virgin before they had sex and that she didn't tell him because she thought he might think less of her. The two realize that they've been rushing their relationship, and decide to slow down and start over.

"I just don't know why he likes me. I mean, he's way smarter. And we have like, less than nothing in common. And he's just gonna get bored with me, because, pretty much all boys do. If everybody knows we're dating they'll know when he breaks up with me, which he will. I mean, dumped by Seth Cohen? It's real good for my reputation."

- Summer admits she doesn't feel enough for Seth.

Summer agrees to work a kissing booth to raise money for their school's water polo team. She doesn't tell anyone that she and Seth are together, which makes him think she's ashamed of him. He decides to avoid her until she stops keeping their relationship secret. Summer admits to Anna that she's convinced Seth will break up with her one day and that a public relationship means a public breakup, which would only add to the pain she would feel after a potential breakup.

Seth: I need to talk to you.

Summer: I'll IM you later.

Seth: ''Okay. Let's talk up here.''

Summer: ''Oh, my God. No.''

Seth: Summer, I know you 're scared.

Summer: Yeah, of you.

Seth: ''You kiss these other guys, but you won't kiss me? Acknowledge me now or lose me forever.''

Brad: You're dating this emo geek?

Seth: ''Yes, Brad, she's dating this emo geek. Yeah, that's right. I'm a big dork and I listen to emo. And I'm dating her.''

Summer: Why are you doing this?

Seth: ''Because, Summer, I like you this much. And if you feel the same way about me, then...Someone will have to give me a hand down. It's high up here and I could fall and that would be embarrassing. More embarrassing.''

[Summer joins him]

Summer: I can't believe this.

Seth: It's all over but the public make-out session.

- Summer and Seth go public with their relationship.

Anna encourages Seth to tell Summer how much he loves her. Seth climbs on top of the kissing booth and publicly declares his love for Summer, who kisses him in front of the whole school. When Anna decides to move back to Pittsburgh to live with her relatives, Seth believes that he's the reason she's leaving. Summer realizes that Seth is feeling guilty and tries to comfort him about the situation. However, she starts to become jealous again. Seth assures her that there are no romantic feelings behind his desire for Anna to stay. Summer tells him to go talk to Anna, but he is unable to convince her to stay.

Summer and Marissa accidentally run into Grady Bridges, one of the stars of Summer's favorite TV show, The Valley. Bridges invites the two to a party in Los Angeles, which they decide to bring Ryan and Seth to. Seth becomes jealous of Bridges, believing that the actor is trying to seduce Summer. In turn, Summer becomes jealous as Seth catches the eye of a wealthy socialite. Seth's suspicions turn out to be correct. Bridges was actually trying to get Summer to sleep with him, but she angrily rejects him. Meanwhile, Marissa finds out that her ex-boyfriend, Luke, is in a sexual relationship with her mother and she runs away, horrified.

Having heard that Seth's grandmother, Sophie, is coming to town for Seder/Passover, Summer decides she wants to meet her. However, Seth thinks it's not a good idea, since his grandmother is very politically and socially active, while Summer has never been interested in that kind of thing. The leads Summer to believe her boyfriend is ashamed of her, but he assures he that he is only trying to protect her. Summer goes to Seth house anyway and gets mad at her boyfriend when she discovers that his grandmother is actually very nice. However, it comes out later in the night that Sophie has actually contracted lung cancer and was trying to hide it from her family. Meanwhile, Summer is trying to learn what it takes to join the family dinner. Marissa moves in with her father and Summer helps her get her bedroom ready, convincing Seth to help. While they are rearranging things, Summer finds their 2002 yearbook and decides to flip through it. While she does so, she realizes how long she'd been completely ignoring Seth and feels guilty.

Seth discovers that Summer has a very close relationship with her father, Robert, and asks to meet him. Summer has never introduced any of her boyfriends to Robert as she thinks it is a very important step in a relationship, but she agrees to introduce Seth.

Seth tries his best to connect with Summer's father, but sadly Mr. Roberts doesn't have a good impression of him. For Summer Neil's opinion matters a lot and the next day she makes it clear to Seth that maybe she doesn't want to go out with him anymore which hurts the young Cohen.

Summer herself is devastated and begins to avoid Seth. A few days later Seth queues up at his grandfather's bachelor party in Las Vegas and when he tells Summer where he's going he leaves when he realizes she seems willing to do nothing about their relationship.

Summer: ''Cohen. Listen, I've been thinking.''

Seth: Yeah.

Jenn: Hey, I have to kiss you again.

Summer: What?

Marissa: What?

Summer: ''Cohen? What is going over there?''

Jenn: You're an amazing kisser.

Seth: ''Hold that thought, please. Hey, Summer. Hello?''

Summer: ''He's kissing another girl. Yes. Right in front of me on the phone. I can't believe this. I have been crying actually tears over that ass, and he's kissing randoms''.

Marissa: ''Okay, you know what? We're gonna have a girl's night out. Theresa's coming over. We can do whatever you want''.

Summer: ''Really? Because all I want to do right now is go to Las Vegas and kick Cohen's ass.''

Seth: She's gonna kick my ass.

- The misunderstanding that brings Summer to Las Vegas.

After Seth's departure, the girl dissolves in tears and after a while she decides to call him, but unfortunately she catches him just as a girl is pretending to be with him in order to stay on the beach of the hotel where he is staying (it is possible only access if you are with a hotel guest) and kisses him in the middle of the call. An angry Summer then decides to go to Las Vegas to teach him a lesson, and Seth immediately deduces that the girl will make him pay.

Seth makes friends with this girl, Jenn and in the evening she tries to kiss him. He seems hesitant at first, but begins to enjoy it when Summer arrives. The girl yells at the blonde to get away from Seth, but at that moment three other women arrive and it turns out that Jenn is a prostitute who has hooked Seth and since she has organized a party of her, her pimp demands prepayment. With the misunderstanding cleared up, Summer agrees to help Seth and Ryan pay and she and her boyfriend make up.

The departure of Ryan and Seth
Seth is very happy to have solved things with Summer, but back home the boys have another shock: Theresa an ex of Ryan with whom he has had a casual relationship is pregnant and does not know if Ryan's or another man, Eddie. Seth later decides to sell the boat and give Theresa the money from the sale. Summer goes with him and finds it strange that Seth's boat is named as her, and he doesn't find the courage to tell her that he named it Summer Breeze after her in her honor.

Summer is clearly intrigued that Seth is giving Theresa six thousand dollars. The two later go to the rehearsal dinner together and the girl helps her boyfriend distract Marissa that she doesn't know about Theresa's decision to keep the baby.

Summer: ''They sent me out to find you. Found you. I figured you'd be stuffering your pockets with cocktail weenies. You're still gonna see him. Chino's not that far away.''

Seth: ''I just can't believe he's leaving. He's the first real friend I've ever had. He's the only real friend I've ever had.''

Summer: I know. You have me.

Seth: ''Yeah, but that's not the same thing. You don't get it. Before he got here I was the biggest loser. This place was hell for me, okay? And I can't help him, and-- I can't even imagine what it's gonna be like here without him.''

Summer: ''We'll make it through it. I promise.''

- Summer tries to cheer up Seth. Eventually Ryan decides to return to his hometown Chino to help Theresa raise the baby. All the Cohens are devastated and on their wedding day Summer tries to do the best of her to console her boyfriend, but despite this Seth decides to escape to Tahiti by boat. Summer is devastated, not only by the fact that her boyfriend has left and left her a note, but also because it implies that her love was less important to him than Ryan's friendship.

Season 2
Eventually Seth lacks the courage to go that far, and so he stops in Portland where Luke has gone to live with his father and spends the summer with the Wards. Since he planned to stay in Portland indefinitely, Seth leaves Summer. Over time, Summer begins dating a guy named Zach, a Protestant, gymnastic, non-neurotic version of Seth. Summer comes to see a therapist to overcome Seth's abandonment and declares that she never wants to fall in love again. Summer later on the advice of the therapist brings back home Cohen any object that she centers in some way with her ex.

The return of Seth and Ryan
Ryan in turn decides to join Seth to convince him to go home, only to discover that Theresa has lost the baby (a lie told by the girl who doesn't want the boy to be with her out of a sense of duty). At that point the two boys decide to return to Newport and Kirsten and Sandy are delighted to welcome them back.

Seth avoids Summer until school begins and then she learns of the Jew's return to Newport until she faces him in the yard and leaves without speaking to him. Seth follows her and tries to talk to her, but the girl leaves him in the lurch after exchanging a few words and telling him she has started a new relationship.

Having interests in common ironically Seth and Zach make friends and the young Cohen finds it absurd that Summer has gotten together with someone so similar to him. Seth is upset by what he found out, but he thinks he deserves it and that Summer won't even want to be friends with him anymore.

Seeing him so sad, Ryan goes to Summer and tries to break a lance in favor of his adoptive brother, but fails to pity the girl who now seems certain that she and Seth would not have lasted anyway. Discovering thanks to Ryan that Summer does not see her relationship with Zach as serious, Seth decides to try to win her back by imitating the blatant gesture with which he had convinced her to go public with their relationship.

Summer: ''Oh, my God! Are you okay?''

Seth: Yeah, I'm fine.

Summer: ''Good! What you think you're doing? This isn't a game! You could've gotten hurt!''

Seth: Good thing I didn't.

Summer: What do you want from me, Cohen?

Seth: I just want you.

Summer: ''No, you don't. You had me. You had me at the Crismukkah in a freaking Wonder Woman costume and you chose Anna. You had me three months ago and you left.''

Seth: I wanna make that up to you.

Summer: ''It has nothing to do with me. It is about you, and it is always about you. What you need, and what you want, you know. It seems that you noly want me when you can't have me. You like the chase, and that's all. So you know what? You can have it. I'm going home.''

- Summer rejects Seth,

Summer realizes what Seth wants to do, but the attempt has no effect and the boy ends up standing in front of Zach's car to force her to talk to him. Eventually he succeeds, but she does not forgive Seth and refuses to go back with him.

Seth realizes that there is some truth in Summer's accusations and decides to try to become more altruistic (especially because he still hopes to win her back).

Eventually Seth gets hired at a club to get concert tickets to give to Summer and Zach, and when he goes to bring them the girl accepts them. But Zach decides not to go there and asks the girl to go with Seth, so that she understands who she wants to be with. Summer takes his advice, and when Seth tells her he's been working to get tickets, she's impressed. Unfortunately caught up in the emotion of the moment, Seth gives a kiss to Summer and she goes away. Seth, however, joins her and apologizes, but admits that perhaps he is not capable of just being friends with Summer and she replies that perhaps they shouldn't seeing each other anymore. After talking to Marissa, Seth goes to find Summer to apologize again, but finds her introducing Zach to her father and walks away sad.

Out of spite, Seth decides to start dating another girl and manages to arrange a date thanks to Ryan, to then brag about it to Summer. The latter seems angry, probably a mix of anger due to the presence of Seth and jealousy of him. Coincidentally Summer and Zach go to the same place where Seth and Lindsay went. The two both seem jealous and the embarrassment is palpable. Zach finally gets fed up and leaves and Seth joins him and Summer, telling the girl that it's okay for him to stop talking to each other, but the brunette ignores him and walks off with her boyfriend.

The second triangle
Afterwards Seth and Summer continue to tease each other, and Zach continues to feel annoyed, probably because he understands that neither of them has really managed to archive their romance. The date with Lindsay didn't go well, but Seth manages to snatch a kiss from another girl Alex, and when she doesn't say interested in a story with him, he goes to ask Summer for help and even if he would like to do backed down, his ex decides to help him.

The two seem to begin to regain complicity, but Zach, who saw them, feels bad and decides not to go with Summer to a school party. By a turn of events, Seth and Summer find themselves going to the party with Marissa and Ryan. Shortly after their arrival, the two find themselves alone and after an initial refusal, the girl grants them a dance.

Zach: Hey, Guys.

Summer: ''Zach! You came''.

Zach: ''Yeah. I thought you might still need a date. Stupid, huh?''

Seth: Zach, it's really not like that.

Zach: ''Yeah, it is. And I get it. You're just one of those couples. Even when you'are not a couple, you'll always be a couple.''

- Zach recognizes the bond between Seth and Summer. Zach decides to go to the party and arrives right in the middle of their slow. Of course he gets angry and walks away.

The boy goes to let off steam right in the bar where Alex works and misunderstanding his advice decides to teach Seth a lesson. Alex then follows to stop him, but is unsuccessful. Summer doesn't like it at all, but Zach apologizes quickly and Seth leaves with Alex, so Summer does the same with young Stevens.

Since Summer and Marissa have no plans for Christmas (their boyfriends are away with their families, like Alex), Seth invites them to celebrate Crismukkah with him and his family and they accept. Shortly after Ryan and Seth discover that Lindsay, who has become Ryan's girlfriend in the meantime, is Caleb's illegitimate daughter and Ryan decides to cancel the invitation he gave her to the Crismukkah, begging Seth to do the same with Summer.

"You know, I just think it's really cool that you invited me tonight. After everything we've been through you were able to put aside our differences. I just think you're really changing and that maybe we're actually friends".

- Summer appreciates Seth's kindness. The boy doesn't want to because he finds it a rude gesture, but Ryan soon convinces him. Both girls are thrilled though, so Ryan and Seth are unable to cancel the invitation. Seth tells his ex that he really appreciates his kindness and so the boy gives up. Summer is in such a good mood that she even kisses his cheek as they pass under the mistletoe.

Summer later wonders if Seth and Alex are serious and offers to comfort her ex. Finally she Summer pushes him not to give up the Crismukkah and helps him save the party.

Zach mortified by the situation with Seth, apologizes again and confesses that he kissed an ex of his, while he was in Cabo asking him for advice and he suggests that he tell Summer everything. Unfortunately one evening when all three are in the same room, Seth exaggerates with alcohol and lets slip what happened. Obviously because of this Summer and Zach fight. Summer later gets mad at her ex about it. Finding out that Seth had sex with Alex, Summer gets angry and decides to do it with Zach out of revenge. However Zach misunderstands and introduces her to his mother and sister. In the end the relationship between Seth and Alex fails, and Zach to cheer him up convinces him to draw his own comic, proposing to help him and the boy is convinced. Summer isn't happy about it, as Zach starts devoting a lot of time to the project.

She later brings them back to him and when Seth thinks she's angry and intends to destroy them, she tells him that she finds them very beautiful and even asks Seth to give her at least one. He says he can take them all, but he begs her not to let Zach see them and she agrees and then leaves. Summer fears that the situation involving him having a lot to do with Summer will rekindle his love for her, but Ryan reassures him. Seth also talks about it with Summer, and eventually she ends up posing for him. As soon as the two find themselves close, they exchange intense looks and Seth decides to leave.

Summer herself while talking to Marissa, seems to admit that she still has feelings for Seth. Alex later realizes that Seth still has feelings for Summer. Seth then goes right to the girl and the two decide to spend as little time together as possible, to keep things professional, but Zach has managed to get a publishing house interested in the comic and drags both of them to San Diego for an official meeting. Seth fears trouble, but can't escape the trip which, to top off bad luck, will take place on Valentine's Day. Due to a delay, the meeting is postponed to the next day and the three stay overnight in a hotel and the idea that Summer shares a bed with Zach annoys Seth. Seth tries to get between them a bit like Summer did with him and Anna the previous year and perhaps remembering it, the girl doesn't get too annoyed.

In the end the meeting goes badly due to Seth's nervousness and the girl tries to talk to him, but he ignores her and goes home by bus. The boy is tormented by the idea that his ex had sex with Zach; discovered of Seth's curiosities, Summer gets very angry and goes to him to protest, but after he apologizes she forgives him and tells him that she didn't sleep with Zach, which makes the young Cohen happy. Zach later decides to tell Seth that he intends to have sex with Summer during a trip to Italy, but Summer admits to Marissa that when she thought she was going to have sex with Zach, she couldn't help but think of Seth. Eventually the latter goes to Summer and tells her to stay calm, because the crush on her has passed and Summer seems happy in words. Before her departure, Seth goes to Summer again, but again he can't tell her how he feels. To win back Summer, Seth decides to buy back the catamaran that he had sold to get to Portland that he had baptized with her name. He succeeds, but when he phones Summer she refuses to go to him. Seth is devastated, but at the airport, after Summer hears a message he left on her answering machine, she sees a boy playing with a plastic horse (Seth has kept one since he was little, just like Summer) and so she decides not to leave with Zach and go to Seth. When she reaches him, she gives him a kiss, making her choice clear.

Lindsay and her mother move to Chicago, and Ryan is devastated, so Seth decides to try to cheer him up. He tells Summer about it and she suggests they go to the mall with Marissa too, a suggestion Seth decides to follow. Summer and Seth appear very sweet to each other, they kiss constantly and Summer tries to keep Seth from finding out that Zach sent her a postcard. The four remain locked inside the mall and spend the night there. Seth finds the postcard and he and Summer have a little argument, but make up pretty quickly.

Seth begins trying to get Marissa and Ryan back together as well and Summer tries to dissuade him after realizing that the two are not a well-matched match, but Seth doesn't listen to her. Summer finds out that Seth keeps trying to get their friends back together and the two argue.

Zach returns from Italy and seems in good spirits. He doesn't seem to bear a grudge against either Seth or Summer and he says he's started dating an Italian Francesca. Seth promises not to tell Summer, but Summer finds it strange that Zach took so well that she dumped him for Seth, and Summer eventually extorts the secret from him. Summer feels bad, despite being the one who dumped Zach, but soon discovers that Francesca's whole story was just a lie. That night, Summer storms out at a party at Seth's house hosted by Caleb to celebrate the release of a magazine sponsored by the Newport Group. Seth doesn't understand why she's mad at him and Summer and the two end up arguing, but when Seth claims he's afraid Summer regrets dumping Zach for him, she reassures him.

Carter one who works for a magazine sponsored by the Newport Group, offers to Seth and Zach to make a graphic novel of their comic. Seth is not convinced, but decides to ask Summer if she agrees, but she doesn't even want to hear about it. However, Carter arranges a meeting with a publisher and Zach convinces his friend to go behind Summer's back. The girl finds out, but she decides to allow the two to at least give it a try. Summer decides she doesn't want to know anything about Atomic County (Seth and Zach's project), and the charge they need to talk to is an attractive young woman, Reed. Seth then doesn't tell Summer that Reed is female, but she changes her mind and decides she wants to know about the development of the project. Summer runs into Reed by chance at Trey's (Ryan's brother who just got out of jail) birthday party and when he finds out she's a hot girl she gets mad at Seth and storms out. Seth apologizes and Summer forgives him, and he refuses to see Reed for the graphic novel to take Summer to a concert, but Zach eventually talks him down and Summer gets angry again. The two authors also have to go to a party and Summer is requested to participate and seems to miss Seth at the concert. However, Summer can't mix well with the other guests and has Zach take her home, like she did with Trey's birthday party. Seth has to go to Miami for his grandmother's wedding, and goes to inform Summer to apologize for the party thing. Summer agrees, as she thinks it is good for her and Seth to have some separation. Seth in Miami is forced to help a girl participate in a rather particular competition: the girl will cover herself in cream and he will have to eat the cherry she will keep in her mouth before time runs out. The competition is televised and Summer sees it, and in anger gives Zach a kiss. Seth decides to tell Summer everything, but she replies that she already knows everything, and reciprocates by saying that she kissed Zach. Seth doesn't get mad, but Summer says she doesn't know what's going to happen from then on. The fight for Summer is reopened and Seth comes to make Zach look bad in front of Summer by exposing his omission. The two boys get into a fight in front of Summer and finally ask her to choose one of them, but she refuses them both.

Seth thinks he can win back Summer, convincing her to come with him to the prom and the girl since she has a good chance of being elected prom queen, tells the two that she will go with one of them, but that they will have to find a way to unravel the issue. Reed, however, informs them that George Lucas has taken an interest in their project and decides that only one of them should meet him and the meeting is set for the same night as the ball. This is also an important thing for both of them and the two of them decide that one will go to the dance and the other to the date. Not knowing how to choose between the two possibilities, the two decide to draw lots by tossing a coin. As a result, Seth has to go on a date with Lucas and Zach on a date with Summer. The two follow the coin's decision, but Seth doesn't get the dance out of his mind, while Summer understands that Zach wishes he was elsewhere and he understands that she was hoping Seth would come. The young Stevens thus decides to exchange places with Seth who accepts. Seth arrives as Summer is elected prom queen and joins her on stage, declaring his love for her in front of the entire school. She accepts it and the two share a kiss.

Unfortunately that same evening, Caleb has a heart attack and dies. In addition Kirsten is slipping into alcoholism and Seth discovers that his father is thinking of having her committed and feels guilty because in the last year he hasn't been very close to her, thinking mostly of Ryan and Summer. The latter try to console him, and after this Summer goes to tell Seth that Ryan's older brother Trey has tried to sleep with Marissa, trying to force her. Seth tells Ryan and this leads to a fight between the two brothers in which Marissa is also involved and which ends when the latter shoots Trey.

Season 3
Just before the trial and the start of school, Summer convinces Seth, Marissa and Ryan to try to have a fun day without thinking about their problems. When Ryan faces arrest, the group tries to flee by boat, but fails. In the end, fortunately, everything turns out well.

Eventually Marissa is expelled and Taylor Townsend takes her place as head of social activities. Summer gets angry and decides to challenge her for her place with help from Seth. The boy manages to be a valid support for her and to give her good advice. He later tries to console her about Marissa's expulsion. When Taylor insults Seth, Summer flies into a rage and starts insulting her back. They later help Ryan give Marissa a romantic surprise. However, this gets Seth two months of detention, because he took school materials to help Ryan and refuses to report Summer. Summer would also be willing to confess, but Seth doesn't want to. Summer later confesses the same after being deceived by Taylor, fearing her boyfriend might be suspended. Summer accidentally discovers that Taylor is having a sexual relationship with disciplinarian Jack Ass. Seth initially doesn't believe it, but since Ass is ready to make Ryan unable to go to university and he is fishing boat, Seth not wanting to leave, decides to humor Summer, hoping she's right. The two then make the two lovers fall into a trap and obtain proof of their relationship, so Sandy forces Ass to resign and readmit Ryan to school.

Taylor organizes a night at school for the seniors and Ryan, Summer and Seth are forced to attend. The latter overhears a conversation between Taylor and her mother Veronica and understands that Taylor is not a bad person, but she is simply very lonely and very sad, as he was before meeting Ryan; in fact, Taylor is even worse off than he was at the time since Seth at least had parents who loved him, while Taylor has only her mother who has always treated her as the most annoying nuisance that could happen to her. The boy takes pity and decides to be more friendly with the young Townsend. Taylor however misunderstands and therefore prevents Summer from entering the night at the gym to be alone with Seth on whom she takes a crush. After a while Taylor declares herself to Seth, but although she is a beautiful girl and unlike Summer she shares some interests with Seth, the latter does not even consider accepting her advances. Summer realizes that Seth and Taylor have grown closer and the young Townsend even manages to make them fight, since Summer comes to suspect that Seth has cheated on her with Taylor. Luckily Seth manages to clear up with her the next day by telling her that he was simply trying to help Taylor and that since she's not used to anyone being nice to her he misunderstood. Summer believes him and the two leave to watch a DVD Taylor gave Seth as a thank you.

The University
The time comes to choose the university and Seth has every intention of moving away from California to somewhere cold, while Summer in love with the Californian climate intends to attend a university that is located in a warm place. Seth finally decides to try to get into Brown University, while Summer decides to try to go somewhere else altogether, in Arizona. Taylor then points out how distant she and Seth will be.

The girl then complains to Seth about what happened and when she discovers that she has been worried about the distance that will divide her from Seth for the whole night, while he hasn't worried about it in the slightest, she leaves angry. Later Summer decides to try her turn to get into Brown and when she finds out that Taylor is also thinking of going there, he thinks that she is still determined to win him over. Seth then asks her to try to go with him, but to her pride she doesn't admit that she's already trying.

Summer: Thanks for coming, Taylor.

Taylor: Well, it was no problem at all, Summer.

Summer: I wanna talk about next year.

Taylor: ''First, let me just say that were I apply to college is frankly none of your business. And if some of those schools happen to cross with Seth's, well--''

Summer: ''Taylor. Shut up, okay? You can have him. Go to Brown or wherever you smart people go. He's yours.''

Taylor: This is a ploy, isn't it?

Summer: ''No, it's life. He's going to Rhode Island and I'm going to Arizona.''

Taylor: I thought you would do the long-distance relationship thing.

Summer: ''And struggle along, break up at Thanksgiving and hook up at Christmas. Then break up in January when we're both back at school?''

Taylor: You could apply to a school near him.

Summer: ''Imagine me on the East Cost. I'd be like those animals ripped from their habitat and put in the zoo. My fur would get any mangy. I'd throw dung at people. It'd be awful.''

Taylor: You know, I'm almost offended that you think I would believe that sort of idiotic lie.

Summer: ''You want the truth, Taylor? What if he goes the college and meets a bunch of really smart and interesting girls and realizing that that's who he's supposed to be with?''

Taylor: ''And that you're just his high school girlfriend. Cute, you're fun to be with but doesn't want his kids to have your DNA?''

Summer: ''Yeah. Maybe we should just end it, you know.''

Taylor: Summer.

Summer: You be nice to him, okay?

- Summer still thinks she's not enough for Seth, even after two years of being together. Summer is convinced she won't be able to get into Brown and meets with Taylor who can take Seth, explaining that she's sure their story wouldn't last under such conditions and it turns out that she still thinks Seth could do better than she, then leaves asking Taylor to make him happy.

Summer: Well, I wanna see what we are going to look like next year.

Seth: What are you talking about?

Summer: ''I'm coming with you. Providence College. It's only 20 minutes from Brown.''

Seth: Are you serious?

Summer: Yeah. ''I wanna give us a shot, you know. And I can't do that from across the country, so...''

Seth: ''I don't believe this. What made you change your mind?''

Summer: ''Taylor. She made me see that at Brown you're gonna be surrounded by smart people. It's gonna make you feel really stupid. So you need someone to make you feel smart again. I mean, you want me to come with you, right?''

Seth: ''Do I want you to come with me? Summer, you're my little snow angel.''

Summer: My little rabbit.

- Summer decides to follow Seth. That evening, however, Taylor shows up at Summer's house and urges her to try to enter Providence, a university closer to Brown and more within her reach, reminding her that Seth loves her and she isn't even giving their relationship a chance. After this event Summer begins to judge Taylor a friend and she realizes that she is over her crush on Seth. Summer then reaches Seth and tells him that she has decided to go to Providence and he is very happy about it.

Summer gets an excellent score on the college entrance exam and even surpasses Seth's, who is a bit disappointed. The girl comes to think she can aim for Brown. Seth later makes sure that Summer really wants to go to Brown, and not for him.

Summer: Why do you have to be better than me at everything?

Seth: ''See? That's just it, Summer. I'm not better than you at everything. There was one thing that I was better at.''

- Seth and Summer during their competition to get into Brown. Seth later makes sure that Summer really wants to go to Brown, and not for him. However Brown typically admits only one student a year from Harbor and so the two compete. Seth comes to fear that Summer will lose his esteem, going so far as to beat him in everything, but Ryan manages to cheer him up and convince him to apologize to her. The two make it up and then send their applications for admission together.

The two promise that if only one of the two is admitted, he will not give up and that they will love each other just the same. Chrismukkah arrives and Seth goes tree shopping with Summer, Marissa and Ryan. Seth still can't connect with Summer's father, but he notices that Summer is sad and tries to cheer her up. Summer decides to get Marissa back to Harbor and Seth agrees to help her. In the end Seth manages to convince Taylor to help them, despite the contrary opinion of his mother and the help of the young Townsend proves to be decisive. Taylor begins to become clingy with Summer now that they are friends and when her mother tries to pick up Summer's father she is elated, because in the event of a marriage between the two she would become Summer's sister. Summer is less than thrilled, (mostly because Taylor's mother is a bad person) and she and Seth look for a way to sabotage the relationship between the two with the help of Sandy and Kirsten. Eventually Seth tells a lie to Taylor who repeats it to her mother, and then Veronica lets Neil go. Seth is summoned by Brown, but feels uncomfortable. It also happens to Summer who is over the moon, while Seth feels anxious. Seth and Summer then train for the interview together with Ryan's help. Seth smokes marijuana due to the stress and under its influence he tells Ryan that he is afraid that if he leaves Newport where things have gone well only after his arrival he will lose everything he has achieved (his friendship and the love of Summer) and skips the interview. Seth for fear of disappointing her tells Summer that the interview went well and she is delighted. At Ryan's suggestion, Seth attempts to tell Summer the truth, but fails. But the girl discovers it alone, and the next day she confronts Seth who admits that she was scared, but he doesn't tell her that he took drugs, so she forgives him. Soon Summer also realizes that Seth has started using drugs.

After a while Summer talks about it with her boyfriend, and gets angry not because of the drugs, but because he didn't tell her. Valentine's Day arrives and Seth gets her a present, but since the envelope is identical, his father mistakes it for the one he bought for Kirsten, so she gets angry again. In the end Seth makes it up to Summer by giving her a note in which he wrote all the troubles he's done, telling her that the next time he's up to it, she can give it to her parents. Summer's stepmother later leaves her father and through Taylor she and Seth find out that Neil has been dating Marissa's mother Julie. The two then tail the doctor to make sure Taylor wasn't wrong and discover that their friend was right. Summer isn't happy about it, as she doesn't really like Julie and Seth tries to push her to accept it. Shortly after Ryan and Marissa leave again and Seth this time decides not to meddle, but Summer decides that the two should at least clarify and having to worry about the fact that Julie seduces her father for his money, gives the job to Seth. Seth's interview is approaching and Summer wants it to go well. This time Summer waits outside the door and is happy when she finds out that the interview goes well. After a while, Ryan starts dating a girl named Sadie, while Marissa starts dating Kevin Volchok, a guy Ryan almost got into a fight with and who was making it all up to provoke him. Since the relationship with Sadie is going well and making Ryan happy, Seth and Summer decide not to spoil Ryan's mood by keeping Marissa's new relationship to themselves.

Summer however does not approve of her friend's new relationship and when she skips their parents' engagement party to go away with Volchok she tells Seth that it is better to warn Ryan and he accepts. Ryan, however, initially decides not to care, and the two best friends in the process of becoming stepsisters stop talking, perhaps also because during an argument Marissa insulted Seth.

Seth: ''Everyone's goat good grades and SATs. It's very possible that neither of us could get in. Or one of us could.''

Summer: Which one of us would that be?

Seth: Just as likely you'll get in and I won't?

Summer: You really believe that?

Seth: ''Where would you be? Stuck in Providence, with one half of his-and-hers parka set.''

Summer: Yeah, like I'd go if you didn't.

Seth: What?

Summer: ''Cohen. I applied to Brown so we could be together. I'm not going without you.''

Seth: ''Brown's one of the top universities in the world. People dream about going there.''

Summer: ''No, you dream about going there. I dream about being the one I love.''

- Summer cares more about Seth than her future. Summer arrives to buy matching winter suits for her and Seth, though he claims he's rushing things since they haven't been accepted yet. When she mentions that they might only get one of them, she says that she doesn't care about Brown and that she only applied to be with him and that if he doesn't get in, she won't go.

Eventually Seth's prediction comes true: Summer gets admitted and he doesn't. Not wanting his girlfriend to stake his future for him, he lies and says he got in and later desperately tries to get accepted anyway.

Seth: I'm not sure I wanna go to Brown next year.

Summer: What?

Seth: ''I've just been thinking a lot about it. And I'm not sure that Brown is the right choice to me. For you I think it's great.''

Summer: We applied to Brown so we can be together.

Seth: ''Yeah, I know. I just-- I guess I just changed my mind.''

Summer: So we just suddenly apply somewhere else?

Seth: ''No, I think you should still go to Brown. You should. I'll just go somewhere else.''

Summer: Do you realy mean this?

Seth: ''I'm sorry. I think it's for the best.''

Summer: Okay. Well, I guess, if this is how you feel, fine. We're over.

- Seth tricks Summer. Seth takes to avoiding Summer who understands that there is something strange in his behavior. Taylor involuntarily makes Summer understand anything but Seth finally says he doesn't think Brown is right for him and goads Summer not to give it up and she finally dumps him. Seth doesn't protest because he thinks this is better than ruining the life of the girl he loves. Despite having left him herself, Summer is devastated, and once she gets home she cries in despair. Summer finally senses that Seth is keeping something from her and decides to find out what. She ploys her into grounding her and Seth and tells him she's going to get back with him unless he tells her why he doesn't want to go to college with her anymore.

Summer: You're breaking up with me?

Seth: ''Yes. I'm sorry, I really am but I feel it's for the best.''

Summer: ''What? I-- I un-broke up with you so I could find out why you broke up with me.''

Seth: I'll guess you never know. - Seth breaks up with Summer Seth then visits Summer that night and leaves her, hoping that she will resign. Seth tells her that it's hard for him too, but that he thinks it's for the best. Summer says she wants to know why, but Seth refuses to tell her and walks away. Summer resents it but is too proud to give it another try, but Taylor persuades her to recreate Seth's moment in front of the entire school to push her to go public with their relationship, pointing out that Seth never told her he doesn't love her anymore.

Summer: ''Your breakup was missing a key ingredient. The only ingredient, really.''

Seth: Which is?

Summer: That you don't love me anymore.

Seth: Summer--

Summer: ''Look, I love you this much. And I wanna be with you now and next year and whatever comes after that. So I'm asking, in the presence of this coffee cart and the sacred moment that it represents if you can honestly tell me that you don't love me anymore?''

Seth: Summer, I...

Summer: ''Just say it. Cohen, if you don't love me, I promise I will go to Brown by myself and I will be cold and miserable and alone. And I will never bother you again.''

Seth: I don't love you anymore.

Summer: Oh, my God.

Seth: Summer...

Summer: Just get away from me...

- Seth tells Summer he doesn't love her anymore. Taylor then arranges for Seth to go to the school for detention where Summer awaits him. She then climbs onto the counter and declares her love to Seth for her telling him to tell her if he doesn't love her more than her guaranteeing that in that case she will give up. Seth lies again and Summer kicks him out, devastated. Seth is sad too, but he still chooses to sacrifice himself to keep Summer from making a choice she might regret. Seth then decides to win Summer back and get admitted to Brown. Seth then goes to Brown for freshman week to beg for an admission, trying to avoid meeting Summer and promising to avoid her once he gets there. Surprisingly at Brown, Seth meets Anna who has been admitted there and begs her to help him, which the blonde agrees to do. By sheer bad luck, Seth also bumps into Summer, and when she sees him with Anna, Summer thinks Seth dumped her to get back with her. Seth explains the whole thing to Anna and she decides to help him with Summer too, but the girl refuses to talk to him the next morning. Seth fails to pity the professor, although he understands his situation. Eventually Anna gets him an interview at RISD and, so he can be close to Summer. Meanwhile, the latter talks about what happened with Marissa, and she pushes her to talk to Seth, but she at the airport, sees Seth and Anna hugging and interprets this as a confirmation of her assumptions (Seth is just thanking his ex for the enormous help which she gave).

The prom arrives, but Summer is no longer talking to Seth who can't explain what happened with Anna, so Seth lures Summer on a date with a trick. Summer falls for it, but she doesn't let him talk and refuses, so Seth asks Anna for help again. Seth talks about it with Anna and the blonde, feeling responsible, decides to help her friend by accompanying him to the dance; Meanwhile, Taylor finds a date for Summer and pushes her to go to the dance in spite of Seth. Anna first goes to Summer to explain the truth to her, but the young Roberts doesn't listen to her. Meanwhile, as further revenge, Summer decides to deliver the list to Seth's parents, but seeing him with Anna is clearly jealous. To ease the pain Summer gets drunk and in the end when she is re-elected prom queen she falls off the stage making a fool of herself in front of everyone. Though she mistreats him, Seth cares for her.

Seth: Listen, I don't expect you to respond or even remeber this bur the truth is I actually didn't get into Brown.

Summer: ''What? Way too fast.''

Seth: ''I know you weren't gonna go if I didn't, and I didn't want you to do that. I didn't want to you to miss the opportunity, so I broke up to you.''

Summer: That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Seth: ''Then I realized I couldn't be without you. I flew there to try to talk my way in.''

Summer: ''Okay, now is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. But it's very romantic. Did it work?''

Seth: ''No, it didn't. But Anna got me an interview at RISD. They read my comic book. They really like it, so...''

Summer: ''So that's why you were hugging her at the airport? Oh, my God.''

Seth: Listen, I know I promised I'd never lie again when I gave you that letter...

Summer: Oh, my God, the letter.

Seth: What?

Summer: ''Cohen, I have a confession. [vomits]''

Seth: Wow, that's impressive.

Summer: I love you.

Seth'': I love you too. We can kiss later.''

- Seth and Summer get back together for the umpteenth time. At the after party, Summer is sobered up in a closet and Seth and Anna join her and since she has to listen to him, Seth finally tells her everything. Fortunately, Summer understands that it is the truth and the two get back together for the umpteenth time. Summer ultimately doesn't tell her boyfriend that she put her confessions where her parents can find them and decides to get them back before they do (doesn't ask Seth to do it for fear of arguing again). Meanwhile, Seth is happy he's settled with Summer. Eventually Sandy finds the letter and meanwhile Seth discovers his mother has been drinking again and decides to cover for her. Seth stalking his mother, he also discovers that Sandy risks arrest and so he tells Sandy of the incident, reproaching him for having devoted himself too much to work in the last period and having neglected the family. That night Summer apologizes to Seth, but he doesn't mind; however, since he accidentally set fire to the Newport Group headquarters, he is arrested. Summer is a little worried, but she's sure Seth will be fine, since nothing serious happened (the fire only damaged the offices, it didn't destroy them). At the dinner after graduation, Summer is sad about the end of their group (she's going to Brown, Ryan to Berkley, Marissa has decided to be a sailor on her father's boat, her boyfriend's future is still uncertain), but Seth tells her reassures that nothing will divide them. Shortly after Seth is admitted to RISD and when Summer finds out, she is overjoyed. Seth will start in January having sent in late the application, but the two are ready to endure a few months of separation. Unfortunately that same evening Ryan and Marissa are involved in a car accident. Ryan is saved, but Marissa dies.

Long distance relationship
Seth finally demands an explanation and tries to make his girlfriend think, but he can't and on Taylor's advice he decides to leave her alone for a while. Summer finally heads back to the university and calls Seth and tells him she'll give him a call once she's cleared up and get over Marissa's death.The death of Marissa (her best friend from kindergarten) has a devastating effect on Summer who, after the loss, finds herself alone and very far from home and, wanting to make a clean break with the past, throws herself into environmentalism. Over time she and Seth grow apart and Summer begins to talk to him less on the phone. Ryan who is left even worse than her doesn't go to university and starts doing cage wrestling matches. On the bright side, Seth is finally able to bond with Summer's father. Seth's concern for his adoptive brother filters through his phone calls, so Summer decides to go home to help him help Ryan. Despite his concern for Ryan, Seth is happy with the unexpected arrival of his girlfriend, but he quickly realizes how much she has changed. In the end, Seth, at Summer's suggestion, makes a comic that explains how much Ryan is important to the Cohens and when she sees that he has also talked about their story, she is impressed.

Summer immediately returns to the university, despite her and Seth having made plans for the next morning, warning him by telephone. This depends on the fact that in her house she continues to see Marissa who lived there for the last months of her life. Unfortunately Julie hasn't accepted Marissa's death in the slightest and locating Kevin Volchok (an ex of Marissa's who caused the accident in which she was killed), gives his location to Ryan hoping he will kill him. Seth finds out and decides to accompany him, leaving a coded message to his parents. The hunt takes the two to Mexico and drunken Seth gets Summer's face tattooed. Taylor meanwhile goes to see Summer and fearing that she wants to leave Seth, she tries to push her to call him, but since the boy's phone was taken by a Mexican it leads to nothing. The next morning she Summer she claims she doesn't want to leave Seth, but Taylor can't get her to tell him what's wrong with her. Eventually Summer catches up with Taylor at the airport, and promises to clear things up with Seth. Taylor at one point hides from the Cohens (while she was in France she got married to someone she barely knew and realizing what a stupidity she had committed she filed for divorce and went home, but she doesn't go to her mother, because she knows she will judge her very harshly for it), and because of her Seth begins to fear that there is some problem with Summer who comes home for Thanksgiving and her boyfriend picks her up at the airport. But Summer can't stand being in a place that reminds her of Marissa and drags Seth to volunteer at the soup kitchen. In the end, Summer brings a lot of hoboes for whom there was no room at the soup kitchen and Seth is forced to take them home and make them eat with them. Seth finally demands an explanation and tries to make his girlfriend think, but he can't and on Taylor's advice he decides to leave her alone for a while. Summer finally heads back to the university and calls Seth and tells him she'll give him a call once she's cleared up and get over Marissa's death. Summer decides to see a therapist and after a week decides to go back to being the old Summer, certain that this will make her reconnect with Seth. He the latter visits her fearing she will leave him, but as soon as he sees him she kisses him. The two have sex and Summer tells Seth that she only turned to environmentalism to not think about the pain of Marissa's death and is happy to see the gift he brought her. Seth understands, however, that Summer is really passionate about environmentalism and that it is natural that the boys change, and tells her that the new Summer is fine with him. Seth then inquires about environmentalism, but not being a student he cannot accompany Summer to a rally, but he still urges her to go even if she's sorry. Seth then goes home leaving Summer a message saying he approves of what she's becoming and thinks it's time to give her space.

Seth finds it difficult not to call Summer, but he succeeds and she begins to worry and thinks about calling him, even though her roommate advises against it by telling her that Seth is ignoring her so that she looks petulant, but Summer replies that her boyfriend doesn't play such games. When Summer calls him, Seth is very happy and when she asks him if he still loves her, he immediately says yes.

The return of Summer
When Seth is assigned the room at RISD and he decides to take advantage of it to visit Summer... too bad that she is suspended, for letting some rabbits escape from a school laboratory (she thought they would suffer something horrible, while the schoo just wanted to study them behavior). She protests and tries to pity the committee by talking about Seth's visit as well, but in the end she is forced to return to Orange County. Seth thus arrives in Providence, just as Summer arrives in Orange County. When he calls her, she Summer tells him everything about her and he decides to take revenge on Ché the boy who caused Summer's suspension, despite her trying to dissuade him.

Seth: ''We could try the long-distance thing again. I've got a lot of frequent flyer miles and we survived one semester apart.''

Summer: Yeah, barely.

Seth: ''Why don't you move to Providence? Get a job.''

Summer: You'll be in school and I'll be slinging baba ganoush while kids are living the life I should be having.

Seth: ''You know, I've really been enjoying home lately. Ryan's back and I've been bonding with the Newpsies. Maybe I could put off RISD for a semester. We could both go back together in the fall.''

Summer: You'd really put off college for me?

- Seth and Summer discuss the future. Eventually Summer changes her mind, but Ché slips away and Summer asks him to come home because she needs to be with him. Seth comes home immediately, but Ché who feels guilty for getting her Summer in trouble and using her as her scapegoat, so goes to her to apologize. Seth throws Ché into the pool, but given that to force him to listen to him he had handcuffed her to her, she too ends up in the water. Luckily the girl doesn't take it out on her boyfriend and in the end she forgives Ché to whom Seth orders to disappear. Despite everything, Seth does not intend to give up on university, but in the end he decides to postpone it for six months, so that he and Summer can start again together. Summer accepts, happy and moved by the importance Seth gives to her and their relationship.

Seth doesn't intend to do anything in particular for New Year's, and Summer would rather and gets angry. To fix things at the last moment, Seth decides to join the trip to Las Vegas that Ryan has decided to take with Taylor (the two became a couple). During the trip, he discovers that Taylor has brought along a pregnancy test but Taylor claims it as her own, wanting Summer to face the conversation face-to-face when she feels ready. Summer takes the test, but doesn't have the courage to look and puts it back in the purse that is stolen from her, The four then give chase and catch up with the thief at an alien-themed costume party, where the two couples split up. As they talk, Summer realizes that Seth thinks Taylor is the one who might be pregnant, and is saddened, when Seth considers it a great relief that the test is Taylor's and it makes him realize it was actually Summer's. The two girls then leave, but regret having left their boyfriends there who in the meantime retrieve the bag.

Seth: ''When I found out it was your pregnancy test, I totally freaked out. And I thought this will change everything. But then Ryan asked me if I could imagine a time when I'd ever not wanna be with you, and I realized that the answer is no.''

Summer: I'm totally pregnant, aren't I?

Seth: I don't know.

Summer: What do you mean you don't know? [Seth shows her a ring] Is that gonna squirt invisible ink or something?

Seth: No, but it will make you engaged to me.

Summer: ''What? Are you insane?''

Seth: Possibly, but I'm certain of this.

Summer: No, Cohen, we can't.

Seth: ''We can. We're both adults, we don't share DNA.''

Summer: But--

Seth: ''You just have to want to. I do.''

Summer: Don't you think, we should look first?

Seth: ''And have you wonder if I proposed to you because you're pregnant? I'm doing this because I love you and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.''

Summer: Once you do this, you can't take it back.

Seth: ''I know. Summer Robert, will you marry me?''

Summer: Yes, I'll marry you.

Seth: All right.

- Seth asks Summer to marry him.

Back in Newport, Seth goes to Summer and they both apologize for what happened. Seth says he didn't see the test and decides to ask Summer to marry him and she accepts. Seth declares that he wants to marry Summer because he loves her not because she might be pregnant and she accepts. It later turns out that Summer is not pregnant. After a while Summer and Seth realize that they have done a stupid thing and that they are not ready to marry, but neither of them admits it first for fear of hurting the other, then to save themselves the fool of admitting it is too soon and march backwards. The two then try to scare each other to push the other to be honest. In the end Seth finds the excuse of not wanting to marry Summer without Neil's consent, and visits him in Seattle. Obviously Seth hopes that Dr. Roberts will veto it, but Summer instead seems to begin to accept the idea, so Taylor tries to reason with her by pushing her to talk to Holly who is now married.

Seth: ''Well, here's the deal. I went up there knowing your dad would say no, and I could get out of this. But I realized I don't want out. I want in, with you. Forever, you know? So I think we should stay engaged. You know, it doesen't have to be today but someday.''

Summer: ''Seth I realized something too while you were gone. It turns out I have no idea who I am. In the past few months I went from being a hard-core environmentalist to a Newpsiewed-in-training.''

Seth: You were a Newpsie?

Summer: ''For 48 hours only. The point is I don't think you can be with someone until you can be with yourself. I think it's something I need to figure out.''

Seth: Well, that's sound like a...

Summer: I guess it's a no. I'm sorry.

Seth: Well, I think I'm gonna--

Summer: ''I'm gonna see you tomorrow. Okay?''

Seth: Yes.

Summer: ''Hey. You should take this because we might need it some day.''

- Summer and Seth call off their engagement. Talking to Seth, Neil realizes how much he loves his daughter and says he can marry her when he graduates and can provide for her, while Summer realizes she doesn't know whats she wants to do with her life. The two then talk and call off the engagement. Despite everything, Seth feels bad, because Summer's words lead him to believe that she wants to leave him. Ché returns to Newport demanding to help Seth through his disappointment and Summer invites Seth out, which he accepts, but Summer realizes he's hiding his pain. Summer then apologizes to Seth and assures him that she still loves him, but he is still uncomfortable in her company and eventually agrees to go camping with Ché. This helps him recover, meanwhile, Summer finds her purpose: to create a foundation to save seals.

Seth: Relax. ''I know that psychic has a lot of credibility. She works at a kiosk and she doesn't appear to charge for her services. But I think I'm a better judge of wheter you and I are destined to be together than her. And I brought proof. Happy early Valentine's Day, Summer.''

Summer: The mermaid poem.

Seth: ''That's how I knew, even in fifth grade that you were the one. It's pretty awesome, huh?''

Summer: Oh, my god.

Seth: I know.

Summer: No, I didn't write this.

Seth: What?

Summer: I remember that day [Summer recounts how she got the poem from Taylor because she forgot to write it].

Seth: ''But this mermaid poem is... It's our roots. It' our mythology.''

Summer: ''What if our mythology is a sham? Something tha we invented? What if we are each other's Jimmy Cooper?''

Seth: What?

Summer: ''The one before the one. The one you think is rigth before you meet your Sandy Cohen?''

Seth: Wait, ''are we saying that because Taylor wrote the poem, she's my Sandy Cohen? As delicious a twist as that would be, it's not gonna happen.''

Summer: No. ''What I'm saying is what if we're not destined to be together? That is your cue, Seth, to say that I am wrong. I'm wrong right? Cue to say I'm wrong, right?''

Seth: I don't know anymore.

- Summer's doubt. Seth gets tired of the fact that Summer talks about nothing but the environment and she realizes it. The two talk to a fortune teller who predicts that Summer will soon find her great love, her destiny a man named George, and it shocks her. Summer decides to make a collage as a Valentine's Day gift for Seth and wanting to include Kirsten and Sandy too, she sees some old photos in which the woman is with Jimmy (Marissa's father, her ex-boyfriend) and realizes that their story was very serious. This makes her question her history with Seth who is also worried about the prediction. The fortune teller's predictions seem to come true one after another and Seth tries to cheer Summer up by reminding her that he fell in love with her as a child by hearing her recite a poem to their class ... too bad the poem was written by Taylor, while she's gone 'was forgotten, and so he persuaded little Townsend to give it to him, making her come to his birthday party in return. Seth is shaken by it and can't blame her. But it torments him.

Later, his mother comforts him and prompts him to focus on how Summer showed him that she loved him, not how he ever came to care about her. Meanwhile, Summer discovers that George is not a person, but the acronym of an environmental group that wants to offer her a job.

Seth: ''Back then, you were just this fantasy. You were this little girl who when I would see, you would either ignore me or make an obscene gesture and keep on walking.''

Summer: ''Yeah, I rember that. Sorry.''

Seth: ''But now look at you. You fight for sea otters, you've benfriended Taylor Townsend. You're an incredible mom to that bunny.''

Summer: I guess I have changed.

Seth: ''You've evolved. And over the last 950 days we've been dating. And yes, I've counted, and yes I counted the Zach era because, really, who were we kidding? I've watched you grow into this incredible woman. And that is who I love.''

Summer: Thanks, Cohen.

Seth: What's wrong?

Summer: I met GEORGE.

Seth: I'll kill him.

Summer: ''This guy came from GEORGE to recruit me. He hear about my work and invited me to travel the country and talk to college kids about voting next November.''

Seth: But what about Brown?

Summer'': I'd have to defear a year. Live on a bus.''

Seth: Sounds like a great gig.

Summer: I don't know that we could see each other.

Seth: So you have to choose between me and GEORGE.

Summer: ''That's the thing. I don't know that I have to. I do believe that you are my destiny. I do, Seth. But I just don't know that you're my only destiny.''

- Seth and Summer clarify.

Seth then goes to Summer and tells her that it doesn't matter how they met or how he got interested in her, only that he loves her for who she is now. The girl replies by explaining to him what GEORGE is. and that they offered him to travel with them for a year between the various universities in view of the elections. Summer replies that she is sure that Seth is the man of her life, but that perhaps in her life there should be only their relationship. Seth realizes that his girlfriend really wants to accept, even if it means that they won't be able to see each other for months, and that this worries her, but realizing that she cares he decides not to object.

Fanon
Seth x Summer is one of the most popular ships within The O.C. fandom. Even though they both dated other people throughout the show, it was always clear that they only truly loved each other. It rivals Ryan x Marissa and Rylor as the show's most popular ship.

There are numerous videos and fanfictions dedicated to this couple.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Seth/Summer tag on Fanfiction.net
 * Seth/Summer tag on Fanfiction.net