1.1 - Pilot (5 August 2003)
Ryan Atwood is a troubled teen from Chino, California. He finds himself in more trouble than he tought, when his older brother, Trey, forces him to participate in a car theft. They crash the car and find themselves arrested. Ryan's older brother Trey, is sentenced to 3 years in prison. Ryan is set free, since he is under 18, and is put under the supervision of Sandy Cohen, a public defender. Ryan's soon finds himself homeless, with no direction, after his mother throws him out of the house. Sandy Cohen, without hestitation, decides to help Ryan and take him home to live with his family in Newport Beach. Many of Sandy's neighbors, and especially his wife Kirsten, are not happy to have this criminal living in there area. Kirsten is also worried about the effect Ryan might have on their son, Seth, who is struggling to find himself. Marissa Cooper, the girl next door, meets Ryan, while she waits for her boyfriend, Luke Ward. She seems to see through his bad boy image, and they exchange intrigued glances. Marissa invites Ryan to the charity fashion show.
Ryan and Seth meet the next morning, and Seth is excited to have a new friend. They play videogames together and sail. Seth tells Ryan how much he likes Summer Roberts, Marissa's bestfriend.
Jimmy Cooper, Marissa's father, finds himself being frequently visited bey government money collectors. Marissa seems distant from her mother Julie Cooper and sister Kaitlin. Ryan and Seth see Marissa and Summer at the fashion show, and Summer invites them to an after party. Summer makes advances on Ryan, seeming very interested in him. Seth see's her and misinterprets this as Ryan betraying him and tells everyone that Ryan is from Chino- everyone seems disgusted. Seth goes out to the beach and is taunted by some of the more popular boys, including Luke. Ryan comes out and rescues him. Kirsten worries about Seth's whereabouts and see's Jimmy walking his dog. They seem to have a history, and Kirsten is concered with Jimmy's distant mood, but he insists that everything is fine.
The next morning Kirsten is furious that Seth was out all night, and that he got drunk and into a fight. She blames Ryan for sons behaviour and tells him to leave. Sandy takes Ryan home. Ryan thanks Sandy for everything and walks into his house to find it's been deserted. Sandy realizes that Ryan can't stay there and takes him back to Newport.
Sandy tells Ryan that it is unlikely that he'd be placed in a foster homeand that he'd most likely be put into a group home, until he turned 18, and be property of the government. At dinner, Seth asks his parents why Ryan can't just stay with them. Kirsten still can't handle the thought of her son being corrupted or negatively influenced by Ryan. Ryan signs the forms to be placed into a group home and will leave in the morning.
That night Ryan decides to run away, Seth insists he tags along. While Seth is gathering supplies, Ryan sees Marissa, and she offers the boys a ride to wherever they are going.
Seth finds a place for Ryan to stay: a model home of his mother's business that had been abandoned. While Seth tries out the skateboard ramp in the back, Ryan and Marissa talk and start to feel a connection. The three decide to keep Ryan's "hide-out" a secret. Seth and Marissa bring Ryan supplies the next morning, but forget food, so they all go down to the diner closeby. They happen to run into Luke and his friends there and a fight breaks out. Police are called, as well as Sandy, and a search for Ryan beings.
Seth, Ryan, and Marissa go back to the model home, and see Kirsten and Jimmy pull into the driveway. Out of curiositly, Seth and Marissa listen in on their conversation. Kirsten talks with Jimmy about his money problems and agrees to lend him $100,000. Marissa and Seth are shocked.
Ryan finds out that the model home will resume construction again soon, and decides to leave again. Seth goes home and Sandy immediately pushes him to help him find Ryan. Marissa goes over to Summer's party, where Luke and some others make fun of Ryan, angering Marissa, who leaves. Luke and his friends secretly follow her. Marissa goes to the model home to see Ryan, but Ryan tells her to leave, afraid of becoming to attached to her and insists it would never work out between them. Marissa leaves crying and Luke sees her. Luke goes inside to confront Ryan and another fight breaks out. Things get rough and a candle is tipped over, starting the house on fire. Luke and his friends take off, bringing Ryan with them. They leave Ryan on the ground outside of the house and then leave the area.
Seth and Sandy continue searching for Ryan, when they get a call from Kirsten who tells them that the model home had been vandalized. They start heading to the model home, Seth admits he knows where Ryan is. Meanwhile Ryan decides he needs to leave town, so he tries to hitchhike. Luke pulls up and gives him a ride back to the Cohen's house. They agree to keep their involvement in the fire a secret, but that doesn't last long...when they get to the Cohen's the police are waiting for them. Both Ryan and Luke are arrested.
Luke and Ryan are at juvy hall. Sandy meets with Ryan and tells him that he won't be released, because he doesn't have a legal guardian.