Greek kicked off a new season tonight with an episode that was obviously supposed to be a tie-in to the recently concluded Beijing Olympics. Except on this show, the Olympics-esque Greek Week was more like the Olympics if everyone involved in creating, judging and participating in the events was completely drunk. U-S-A! U-S-A! (Or should I be saying Z-B-Z?)

All of these spoilers were tested for Greek Week performance enhancing drugs.

As usual for this show, the big Greek Week festivities were just a backdrop for interpersonal drama between the characters. All of the storylines pick up right where they left off after last season's Spring Break finale, with Rusty and Calvin trying to work on their newly reformed friendship, Rebecca still acting out in response to the news that her father went and Eliot Spitzered himself, Evan and Frannie trying to negotiate their new relationship, and Casey sitting square in the middle of it all.

Let's start with Rebecca since most of this week's drama revolves all around her, shall we? The episode starts out at the Greek Week kickoff ceremony with Casey and Ashleigh pointing out that Rebecca has been surprisingly chipper since her semi-shirtless Spring Break meltdown from the season finale, and Rebecca's smiling face seems to support this theory. Unfortunately, this smiling bliss doesn't last long when a girl from a rival sorority whips out prime YouTube footage of Rebecca's Spring Break meltdown on her phone and announces it to the entire Greek system. Oops. Once that video goes viral, you're done for. Pretty soon the entire school and beyond has seen it, and Rebecca even gets a call from her father disciplining her for bringing more attention to their family while they are in such a precarious situation. He advises her to "lay low and ride it out," which is pretty horrible of him to do considering she is acting out because of the horrible things he did. Even Cappie sort of agrees with him, though, and gives Rebecca the advice to just lean on her sisters in her time of need.

Back at the ZBZ house, Casey holds a meeting to dole out a punishment for Rebecca in light of her viral video woes. She notes that she could easily suspend her for the indiscretion, but in light of the extenuating circumstances she will just give Rebecca 20 hours of "sister service" instead and to "lay low and ride it out." Rebecca, reacting to those words from Casey the same way she did to her father's, instead decides to get drunk with a fellow pledge and go diving in the school fountain. Casey still puts up with Rebecca's completely selfish behavior, but when Rebecca goes crazy at the ZBZ powder puff football game and tackles the opposing team's coach (the same girl who released her viral video), Casey's had enough and immediately suspends her, saying an expulsion is likely to come. Although Casey is determined she has no choice but to kick Rebecca out for good, Cappie appeals to her softer side and she decides to give Rebecca one last chance before nationals show up to take care of the situation for her.

At this point everyone's favorite ZBZ national officer Tegan returns to get involved and Casey does her best maneuvering to keep Rebecca in the house. I must pause to marvel over Charisma Carpenter's ridiculously long extensions. She's a very lovely woman, but...I think she might be a bit too old for hair that long. Anyway, moving on. In the face of all this adversity, Rebecca up and quits even after Casey gives her an impassioned speech about sisterhood and what it means and asks her to stay. Rebecca sort of sucks, you guys. I don't know why everyone is working so hard to placate her. Let her be friendless and alone! That'll teach her! In the end, Rebecca decides she wants to come back to the sorority and all of the girls stand up to Tegan and say that the whole chapter will deactivate if she isn't allowed to come back. Can we get a new character arc for Rebecca, meaning can she please be nice for more than one episode this season? Thanks.

In a less girl-centric storyline (but no less girly, mind you) Calvin and Rusty are working hard on maintaining their friendship despite being in rival houses. This work mostly involves attempting to go see a showing of Ben Hur with Dale, who is now officially the third member of what they are calling the "three musketeers." Dale, by the way, has finally TAKEN DOWN HIS CONFEDERATE FLAG! Woo! It's about time, show. The boys are all into the name game this week, and besides the three musketeers they are also calling themselves "Switzerland" for being neutral in the face of the brutal fight between their houses due to Greek Week. Dale earns my everlasting love when he says, "Switzerland. You mean the wusses that wouldn't stand up to the Nazis?" Hee. Confederate flag or no, that Dale is funny.

The "Switzerland" alliance is short lived, however, going to pot when the Omega Chi's seemingly steal the Kappa Tau's cheer for the powder puff game. The Kappa Taus immediately blame Rusty for somehow allowing the enemy into their house, and the whole thing is only resolved when Dale finds out what the cheer is and reveals it's actually from the hit cheerleading movie Cheer it Forward. Which was followed by the less successful sequel Cheer it Backward. Heh. Rusty reveals this info to Cappie and stands up to him, saying that he's a good pledge and Cappie isn't allowed to tell him who is friends can be. In the end, Cappie apologizes to both Rusty and Calvin for the gaffe, because Cappie is awesome. Evan, on the other hand, remains a tool throughout the episode by crudely making fun of Rebecca's video to get at Cappie and pushing Cappie off the track at the end of the relay race, ensuring Omega Chi's victory at Greek Week.

Perhaps Evan is testy this week because he's just started his relationship with Frannie, and yet Frannie refuses to go public because she hasn't had a chance to talk to Casey about it yet. A reasonable request, but because Casey is so busy with Greek Week she never quite gets the chance to tell her. After a very amusing morning-after scene where Frannie gets dressed in a football uniform and Evan dons a cheerleading skirt, Evan and Frannie finally decide to let their freak flag fly and kiss in front of everyone at the final Greek Week trophy ceremony, despite the fact that Frannie hasn't said anything to Casey yet. Because this is a soap opera and not real life, Casey sees the whole thing go down and we end the show on her very troubled face. Oh, boy. Can Casey get her own love interest this year? A real one, that's not Cappie or Evan? Because having her look sour over one of them or the other each week is getting old. Casey's a catch! Any guy would want her. Right, guys?

What did you guys think? Is the Rusty/Calvin friendship story getting old? Are you glad Dale finally dumped the Stars and Bars? Does Rebecca deserve to be back in the sorority? Who do you want Casey to date?

Comments

Yay! New season, new recaps. First off, Dale is AWESOME. I enjoyed the episode. I really have no idea why the girls were trying so hard to save Rebecca. Apparently she has a nicer side, but if you blink you miss it. Still, it was nice to see the girls come together. I loved Rusty standing up to Cappie. And Cappie, in turn, apologizing. Evan is still a tool. Surprise, surprise.

Christy | Aug 26, 2008 9:20:08 PM | #

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I found the cheerleading thing especially funny because "Bring It On: All or Nothing" (which is the 3rd movie in the series, for those playing the home game) actually aired for awhile on ABC Family last year.

Sean | Aug 27, 2008 12:37:54 AM | #

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Love, love, love the show and the recaps.

The good:
* Dale
* Boys in a cheerleader competition
* The fun Bring It On (the original) storyline
* Cappie

The bad:
* Dale's hair
* Rebecca

Jen | Aug 27, 2008 10:17:40 AM | #

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I'm disappointed that we didn't pick up right where we left off. What was the point of a cliffhanger--even as small and unimportant as the dudes running away with Casey and Ashleigh's clothes--if you weren't going to conclude it in the first episode?

I'm also disappointed that Rebecca is back to a one-note character. The development we saw in the last episode was great, and I was willing to start loving her as much as I hate her. But, no relativism for me--she is an evil bitch and I accept her only because we must have a villain to counter our hero.

Jen | Aug 27, 2008 2:57:22 PM | #

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My favorite part of the episode: Casey tries to be serious for a moment with Rebecca, and goes into this whole spiel about how sorority sisterhood is a real thing, that a sorority is supposed to be like a family in which people care about each other. It's the most explicit parroting of ABC Family's "a new kind of family" tagline that any show on the network has ever done ... and then Rebecca immediately snaps back, "Yeah, well families suck." She pretty much eviscerates the network's entire branding initiative in a single line.

And that, right there, is why I'll take Rebecca over Casey any day of the week.

andyasensio | Aug 27, 2008 6:17:36 PM | #

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does anybody know the name of the song that cappie and evans faternity cheered to in the priemere?

melissaadams | Sep 6, 2008 8:40:06 AM | #

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