Honestly, I'm not an O. C. fan nor one of teen dramas, especially the 2000s ones, but I thought this episode to be quite... so-so. So, one may wonder, how did I even come to watch it if I'm not a fan of the series? Well, I did so solely because Amber Heard is in it. But, I did enjoy, much to my surprise, some other aspects of it.
Before briefly mentioning these aspects, I have to say that Heard's 20-second or so appearance as a mall salesgirl with a quite strong (and, if I may say, justified) fashion statement is noteworthy for the way she seamlessly blends in to seem like a member of the ensemble cast. I mean, Heard's gives the impression that the mall salesgirl is somehow part of the series' main cast even though we get to see her, glamorously dressed in a stylish black crop top and a matching black pair of trousers, for such a brief duration. Indeed, this short glimpse of Heard's "natural" performance prompts the observant viewer to lament that she was not given a more substantial role in the series, at least even a recurring one. But since Amber Heard was only an up and coming actress who, at that point, had appeared only in bit parts in two TV series and in one movie and had played one supporting role in a B-rated independent movie, it is understandable that she was not cast in a bigger role in the series. Regardless, her performance in this brief appearance in this episode evidences that she had been doing well improving her acting talent if one compares it to her earlier performances.
Besides Heard, other aspects of the episode positively caught my attention. For instance, I found its pacing quite relaxing because it makes for a comfortable cognitively non-demanding watch on a weekday night after a long tiring day at work. Indeed, this seems like one of those mid-season TV series episodes that kinda seeks to take a break from the main narrative arc to allow the audience (and crew) a bit of a breather. I was also delighted, if not amused, to see Olivia Wilde and Adam Brody at such earlier stages of their careers in the episode. Watching Melinda Clarke's presence here was also interesting to me especially since her character's (Julie Cooper-Nichol) narrative in the episode is just about the only source of substantial tension in the episode. Even so, I still think that Melinda Clarke has always been good for horror roles than soap or drama ones. For instance, her performance in the 1993 horror classic Return of the Living Dead 3 as Julie Walker remains, to me, to this day, her best performance in her career.
In conclusion, I'd rate this film a 5 for how unremarkable, but also not bad, it is but I add two stars for its brief inclusion of Amber Heard and for her great performance in that brief role.
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