I've been a fan of Willa Holland from the moment she appeared on-screen, that is documented in reviews posted of previous episodes. Tonight's episode however, she hits the ball so way out of the park, you lot could simper on about Seth & Summer as much as you like, till the cows come home, but I just sit here and go d-uh! little missy is so scrumptious! She has a kind of magical charm that causes a guy like me to just there enraptured, sighing hopelessly and drooling pathetically. :) Oh, those eyes, the hair, okay, I'll shut up now...
Okay, as for the rest of the episode, at least it's an improvement on the previous two (see my reviews) but they don't change my opinion that the show has lost its vitality, and that the male lead, Ryan, is a bore. The about-turn with Julie who are now, at least at times, a good character, is kind of weird to take. I reflected on this especially while watching. She now even has soft appeal. Well, testimony to the beauty of Melinda Clark, but causing a whole lot of inconsistency for the believability of the series as a whole. Leopards do not change their spots. At the start of this season, she seemed to be going into Amanda-mode (only NIKITA fans will know what I am talking about) and tonight she was pussycat enough to have a chat with Summer. The hair and presentation changes with her mood. Understand what I mean about believability? I'm not complaining, though.
If you'd observe carefully, Autumn Reeser as Taylor Townsend is sliding down the ladder (no pun intended on two episodes back when she fell off one), she is of course real cute in a considerably coo-coo way, but there is less effort with her presentation for this episode, the camera-work doesn't favor her as in the others of this season.