“So Much For My Happy Ending” (“Rash Decisions” Recap)

Remember that panic button I mentioned a few months ago?

EEEP! EEEP! EEEP! EEEP! EEEP!



I know there's still eleven episodes left for Alex's senior year stories to play out (actually probably only nine, since as I've noted ad nauseum I have little reason to hope for much out of the next two), but after tonight I have serious doubts anything is going to end well for her.

I am depressed and borderline angry that I was so right about this episode, with regards to its downsides:

It was the least involved story of the four, and it ended way too early (actually, I'd say it never ended – would it have killed them to write one more quick scene to tell us what happened after she insulted the interviewer? Instead we got an “An Imperial Affliction” ending). That's twice now they've reduced a key moment in her senior year (the other being her feeling she had to go overboard studying for a test by not sleeping for three nights) to a mere afterthought of a story. Of course, it's Alex – so what else is new about her being an afterthought?

The story was played totally for laughs – heck, Stella's story was far more dramatic (yes, I cried when Jay said goodbye to her).

Although the interview wasn't held at home, there was family involvement (Alex faking her way through it by using Haley's story) that ultimately may have cost her.

And the interview was at least as much about the interviewer (and how she hated what she was doing, forcing Alex to switch gears) as it was about Alex.

The only possible bright side was there is still is a story to tell about where Alex goes next year (I'm not that concerned from the long term standpoint that she bombed the interview – she'll have more chances with other schools). The problem is, the way the writers are treating Alex this year, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't come back to it until the last minute of the last episode (“Guys, I'm going to [College X] next year. I'm off to my graduation ceremony – bye!”). Can't they give her at least one true happy ending?

(OK, “Do Not Push” did end happily for Alex, but I hesitate to call her rebound date in “Strangers In The Night” a happy ending – if that story had one more scene Alex would probably have been badly injured and Teddy dead in a tragic motorcycle accident.)

I hope seeing the lousy attitude of one interviewer for a top college doesn't cause Alex to rethink where she wants to go and settle for a nicer, but less challenging school.

Another thing that disturbed me – after all these years of not wanting to be like Haley, why did Alex start now (or at least start faking being like Haley – obviously that was her “rash decision”)? I would have much rather seen her stay true to herself (even if would have been a concession that Princeton was no longer going to be on her list), even to the point of going off on the interviewer about her “I hate dealing with these smart kids who all think alike” attitude (certainly Alex was in the right frame of mind to do so, ticked off from having just gone through the ordeal of listening to Haley's long phone conversation).  Although I suppose (inadvertently) calling her a "slut" would do for a "telling off" moment, too.

And couldn't the writers let Alex have a snappy comeback to Haley mocking her fashion sense?

I suppose I could go with Alex's comment about how Haley got into college as her line of the night, but I'm just so down in the mouth I really can't officially award one.