Greek: Springing Forward, Looking Back

Greek:
"Spring Broke"
Well, it's (finally) time for the season finale of Greek. It seems like this second semester arc has been going on for a long time, doesn't it? My theory is that the writer's strike has made TV viewers completely uncomfortable with a non-shortened 20+ episode season. It's like we don't know what to do with ourselves now when we get more than 13 episodes of something.

Anyway, as for Greek, I haven't particularly been feeling its last few episodes. I haven't blogged about them either, mainly because I was on vacation during one of them and the sound quality of my tape of another ep was so bad that it sounded like everyone was talking under water. Tonight's finale was all right--not my favorite episode ever, but it definitely had some parts worth seeing.

Before I comment on anything else, however, I must say how much it bothers me that it is supposedly just now Spring Break. I mean, come on. This is the 12th episode of the second semester. Spring Break takes place at most two months after the spring semester begins. So everything in the second half of the season took place in less than two months? I can't believe that's possible. (Didn't Frannie have to undergo a several week waiting period before moving back into the ZBZ house?) Whatever, I'm over it.

No, wait, I'm not over it. Namely because ending the season at Spring Break leaves us with at least a month of the semester that will be unaccounted for. If that month is anywhere near as eventful as the last two seem to have been, we'll miss an awful lot of stuff.

In other news, you can tell its an arc premiere or finale because Casey and Cappie made out and nothing came of it. I was glad that Casey acknowledged to Ashleigh that we've heard this story "a hundred times before," because I was thinking the same thing. Everytime Casey breaks up with one of her boys, she talks a good game about moving on and being independent, but then immediately just heads over to the other boy to see what he's up to. Trading in Evan's "10 year plan" for Cappie's "plan-less living" is not being independent.

Ultimately, I would have felt cheated if Cappie and Casey had actually gotten back together because Rebecca flipped out and dumped him. If Cappie and Casey were half the ideal, super couple that the show tends to paint them as, then Cappie needs to figure out for himself that he belongs with her and not Rebecca. No easy way outs should be necessary.

By far the best part of the episode was Rusty and Calvin making up, thanks to the thoughtful (and hilarious) meddling of Dale. Go Dale. What a sweetie he is. And the Rusty/Calvin/Dale combo can pack quite the comedic triple threat.

Recap:

• Dale: "Have fun perpetuating stereotypes of wasted, reckless youth, Rusty."
• They're all going to Myrtle Beach? What happened to Mexico or somewhere more wild than South Carolina? I guess I'm jaded from watching too many debauchery-laden trips to T.J. on The O.C. and Veronica Mars.
• Casey had to make hotel reservations for her whole sorority? Can these girls do nothing for themselves?
• I'm glad Beaver threw Rusty's bag off the bus; I'd feel bad if it had been anyone else's.
• Ashleigh's wannabe boyfriend is hot, but could probably stand to take a few more acting lessons.
• Evan's got a nice haircut. I guess he doesn't wear ties on Spring Break :-(
• Nice of Calvin to try to keep Evan from hooking up with Frannie.
• Casey (to Cappie): Is anyone easier than you?
• Ha! Rusty's wearing a Myrtle Beach sweatshirt.
• I was wondering what Cappie was thinking with his beach run as well. Way too much effort.
• Casey (when Rusty expressed disappointment with the realities of Spring Break): "It's the New Year's Eve syndrome; you can never live up to the hype. I blame the media."
• Ha--Rusty complained about not having a travel guide. I don't know if the Eyewitness Guide has a Myrtle Beach edition. There must be a Frommers or Fodors.
• Girl: "Well, my friend thinks you're cute."
  Calvin: "Yeah, no..."
• Well, at least Frannie is better than those two girls who talk in unison. Eesh. They were scary.
• Frannie's playing Evan hot and cold.
• Rental Car Lady: "What color are your eyes?"
  Rusty: "My eyes?"
  Rental Car Lady: "That's why I thought."
  Rusty: "Damn it!"
• Ok, why was that guy so angry about Rebecca leaving the wet T-shirt contest? There were at least four other girls with bigger boobs still on the stage.
• Dale's back!!! I love that he's Rusty's ride.
• Dale: "Apparently my mom's been hitting the firing range pretty hard and has developed quite an ego."
• Cappie was an anatomy major! That's one of the show's major mysteries, right? Well, technically, we still don't know what his current major is, since he just said what he is switching it from.
• Calvin: "Look, either turn off the music or leave us out here to die!"
  Rusty: "The sad thing is that I know the words to that song."
  
• Calvin: "Since when did ambition become such a terrible attribute?"
  Dale: "I think in the '80s!"