8.6/107 votes#1 - Now or Never
Season 5 Episode 24 - Aired 5/14/2009
In the second part of the two hour season finale, George delivers stunning news to Bailey, sending shockwaves throughout the hospital, and Izzie's friends anxiously await her recovery from surgery. Meanwhile Bailey is surprisingly displeased after being accepted into the pediatric fellowship program, and the victim of a near-fatal traffic accident brings the talents of Seattle Grace's doctors together. This is the second hour of a 2-hour season finale.
Director: Rob Corn
Writer: Allan Heinberg
8.0/108 votes#2 - Testing 1-2-3
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 5/10/2007
The interns finally take their first year medical exams, the biggest test of their careers, and one of them is ill-prepared. Callie grows more suspicious of George and Izzie. The doctors treat a patient named Dale. Three mountain climbers are treated. Cristina works on her vows. Adele wants Addison to keep a secret from Richard.
Director: Christopher Misiano
Writer: Allan Heinberg
8.0/106 votes#3 - Here's to Future Days
Season 5 Episode 23 - Aired 5/14/2009
In the first part of the two hour season finale, Izzie spends time with a fellow cancer patient and contemplates whether or not to undergo a risky surgery, as Mark is ready to take his relationship with Lexie to the next level and a patient makes Owen reassess his place at Seattle Grace.
Director: Rob Corn
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.9/109 votes#4 - Oh, the Guilt
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/19/2006
Derek learns one of Addison's secrets. Bailey talks about motherhood and depression to a mother who is set to have cancer surgery and who seems to not care about any decisions concerning the future. A resident is fiercely questioned about the death of a male patient. An ex-couple meet before lunch and get stuck - Meredith and Addison work on their case. Things get awkward when the ex-couple's daughter, Michelle, arrives at the hospital.
Director: Jeff Melman
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.8/108 votes#5 - What I Am
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/2006
Shawn Sullivan, a car salesman who just had surgery, wants to get back to his routine so he doesn't lose his renown. Addison works with a pregnant woman named Rebecca who may need a C-section and Addison doubts her medical skills. Rebecca wants to have the baby naturally. Derek and Mark's opinions clash when the try to decide the course of treatment for a burn victim. Izzie gets surprised. Cristina pushes Burke to get better faster.
Director: Dan Lerner
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.7/107 votes#6 - The Strip
Season 1 Episode 26 - Aired 4/28/2004
It's Bachelor and Bachelorette party time for Caleb and Julie. Caleb and the boys head off to Las Vegas while Kirsten organizes an evening at the Cohen house for Julie, strippers included. Seth and Ryan get themselves into a tricky situation in Vegas while back home, Summer pines over lost love, and Marissa comforts Theresa. Jimmy and Sandy learn of Caleb's true motives. Julie and Hailey take a swim, while Theresa has some shocking news for Ryan and Marissa.
Director: James Marshall
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.6/107 votes#7 - The Rescue
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/29/2003
Everyone is back home in Newport, and Marissa is recovering. Julie points her finger at Ryan and forbids him from seeing Marissa, who does not appreciate the help. Sandy starts his new job, but finds himself surprised by the case work. Kirsten finds herself surprised by Sandy's new co-worker. Ryan enrolls at his new school, with conditions. Julie gets an intervention, and Jimmy gets a new roommate.
Director: Michael Lange
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.6/107 votes#8 - The Truth
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/11/2004
Changes are happening within the couplehoods of the O.C.'ers. Lines seem to be blurred. Oliver reveals himself as he falls apart, but not before Ryan is completely left in the cold. Someone loses school, one loses work, two lose their partners, and one more loses it all.
Director: Rodman Flender
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.5/108 votes#9 - The Heart of the Matter
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 10/18/2007
A face familiar to one of the year-twos shows up and dredges up issues that were never really dealt with. A teen soccer player needs counseling because of his father and surgery for an injury he sustained while playing the game. Another patient's, named Courtney, finds out that her cancer is back.
Director: Randall Zisk
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.5/1010 votes#10 - The Model Home
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 8/12/2003
Faced with the prospect of life in a group home, Ryan decides to run away from Newport, but Seth and Marissa convince him to stay and hide in a vacant building project. Jimmy discusses his recent financial woes with Kirsten, and she offers a solution. After Luke witnesses a close encounter between Marissa and Ryan, he confronts Ryan and a fight breaks loose. Ryan's presence in Newport is exposed in a big way, and two arrests are made.
Director: Doug Liman
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.5/108 votes#11 - The Perfect Couple
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/12/2003
Couples are plentiful in 'The O.C.' It is a night of firsts. Now that they are free to love one another, Ryan and Marissa plan their first official date. Kirsten sees her father with a new woman, and fears Sandy has found a new woman of his own. Seth takes matters into his own hands with a girl, and is taken by another girl.
Director: Michael Fresco
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.5/106 votes#12 - The Aftermath
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/8/2005
In the season three opener, we start off with senior year starting in a few days. It has been a couple of months since the shooting. Trey has been in a coma all this time leaving the D.A. impatiently waiting for his side of the story. Feeling the pressure from the community the D.A. continues to put pressure on Ryan, Marisa, Seth, Summer and others for more information. Meanwhile Julie is steaming mad because Caleb’s accountant won’t give up the goods on Caleb’s will and Kirsten is still in rehab.
Director: Ian Toynton
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.5/106 votes#13 - The Shape of Things to Come
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 9/15/2005
Social Chair Marissa tries to plan this year’s carnival but is having much difficulty due to a little pest named Taylor. Sandy is surprised to find Kirsten has been released from rehab but instead of informing him, she has been living with another woman named Charlotte who she met in rehab. Julie and Sandy meet with the Dean and Dr. Kim to discuss Ryan and Marissa’s future at Harbor High. Later Ryan and Marissa partake in a similar meeting. Elsewhere Jimmy meets a man and feels more than open to discuss his money problems with him.
Director: Tony Wharmby
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.5/104 votes#14 - The Happy Couple
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 5/19/2016
Ben makes a critical decision just as the matriarch of the Kensington Firm, Sybil Griffiths, pays an unexpected visit that throws everyone off their game. Meanwhile, Alice has a breakthrough in therapy that helps her and her team get that much closer to taking down Ben’s associates.
Director: Rob J. Greenlea
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.4/107 votes#15 - The Nana
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 3/31/2004
Nana Cohen comes to California for Passover with some sad news. Ryan searches for Marissa, who'd gone missing after learning Julie and Luke's secret, and he finds her in the most unlikely of places. Summer tries to impress Nana. Jimmy and Hailey take a step forward.
Director: Michael Lange
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.4/107 votes#16 - The Way We Were
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 11/11/2004
Now that Ryan and Seth have returned to Newport, its time to get back to school. The boys reunite with their former girlfriends but it becomes apparent that things will not be going back to the way they were. Caleb's legal troubles catch up with him, and Hailey has bad news for Jimmy.
Director: Michael Lange
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.3/107 votes#17 - Help Wanted
Season 2 Episode 20 - Aired 5/7/2002
Lorelai helps Richard establish a consulting business. Rory becomes angry that everyone blames Jess for what happened to her.
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.2/106 votes#18 - New History
Season 6 Episode 9 - Aired 11/12/2009
Owen recruits Dr. Teddy Altman, a former Iraqi veteran, as the new cardiothoracic surgeon. Cristina questions her abilities in the E.R. and relationship with Owen. Izzie returns to Seattle Grace with her high school mentor seeking treatment for his dementia. Richard's responsibilities, post-merger, are taking a toll on him.
Director: Rob Corn
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.2/106 votes#19 - Sympathy for the Parents
Season 6 Episode 19 - Aired 4/1/2010
When Alex's younger brother, Aaron, shows up at Seattle Grace-Mercy West with a hernia, it's up to Alex to get Bailey's approval for his pro bono surgery. Matters are further complicated when Aaron discloses that his family has not heard from Alex since he arrived in Seattle, and parts of Alex's past long kept secret are revealed to his friends and fellow doctors.
Director: Debbie Allen
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.2/104 votes#20 - The Wedding
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 5/19/2016
Sybil proves to be a formidable adversary and devises a well-orchestrated con that takes place at a high-profile wedding. Meanwhile, Alice finds herself in a precarious situation and Ben puts everything on the line to keep her out of danger.
Director: Kevin Dowling
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.1/107 votes#21 - The Accomplice
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 1/27/2005
Things heat up between Sandy and Kirsten when Sandy decides to help his mentor in law school find his daughter, Rebecca, whom was Sandy's first love. Seth and Zach start up a comic book based on their lives in Newport, while Summer questions why she's been left out. Ryan makes the attempt to unite Lindsay and Caleb after Lindsay tells Ryan she is curious in getting to know her "new" father. While Julie is in Paris, Marissa looks for new ways to rebel; in doing so, her friendship with Alex increases.
Director: Ian Toynton
Writer: Allan Heinberg
7.0/104 votes#22 - The New Deal
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 3/9/2017
Now in jail, Ben is forced to reckon with his criminal past, while the team at Anderson Vaughan Investigations must come to terms with getting in bed with the bad guys.
Director: Allan Heinberg
Writer: Allan Heinberg
6.8/106 votes#23 - The Debut
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 8/26/2003
It's time for the annual Cotillion ball. Cherished by many, hated by most, it's the time when Newport's finest young ladies enter society. More information about Jimmy's business trouble comes to light, and Kirsten's loan to Jimmy is not happy news for Sandy.
Director: Daniel Attias
Writer: Allan Heinberg
6.8/108 votes#24 - The Secret
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 11/26/2003
Seth and Kirsten want to avoid facing the world after their respective displays at Thanksgiving. Sandy has some advice for Jimmy, which doesn't sit well with Julie. Ryan and Luke find themselves getting along after an O.C. loved-one comes out of the closet to face negative reactions.
Director: James Marshall
Writer: Allan Heinberg
6.7/1010 votes#25 - Lay Your Hands on Me
Season 4 Episode 11 - Aired 1/10/2008
George has a surprise visitor. Bailey's family is falling apart. Derek sorts through what kissing Rose means. Meredith discovers something that doesn't inspire hope or happiness in her. Alex treats a faith healer.
Director: John Terlesky
Writer: Allan Heinberg
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Allan Heinberg Ratings Summary
"Now or Never" is the best rated episode written by Allan Heinberg. It scored 8.6/10 based on 7 votes. It was directed by Rob Corn. It aired on 5/14/2009 and is rated 0.6 points higher than their second-best episode, "Testing 1-2-3".