Melinda Clarke Movies

Hook up with what's coming down as the Core Four romances of Ryan-and-Marissa and Seth-and-Summer may (or may not) go from very over to very on, Sandy and Kirsten face choices that could trainwreck their 20-year marriage, felon (and Ryan's brother) Trey gives Newport living a try, Julie's lurid past comes back to haunt her, and other new hunks and hotties become part of the coastal scene. Live. Laugh. Lie. Cheat. Grow. Share. Connive. Love. In California's beach paradise, they do everything under the sun.

During Thanksgiving week, Ryan (Ben McKenzie) is summoned back to Chino by his family. Accompanied by Marissa (Mischa Barton), Ryan ends up visiting his brother, Trey (Bradley Stryker), in prison. Meanwhile, back in the O.C., Marissa's mother, Julie (Melinda Clarke), expresses outrage that her daughter has taken off without telling her or asking her for permission, blaming it on both Ryan and her ex, Jimmy (Tate Donovan). Many unpleasant memories are invoked throughout the remainder of the episode, with (potentially) worse to come. Meanwhile, the romantic triangle involving Seth (Adam Brody), Summer (Rachel Bilson), and Anna (Samaire Armstrong) rushes toward a resolution. ~ Rovi

Alan Dale makes his first series appearance as Caleb Nichol, the wealthy, manipulative father of troubled Newport matron Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan). Caleb sets the Cohen household on its ear when he introduces his new and extremely young girlfriend, Gabrielle (Nichole Hiltz), who may well put Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) in the uncomfortable position of having to refer to a 24-year-old woman as "Grandma." As for Kirsten's lawyer husband, Sandy (Peter Gallagher), he is becoming more and more nostalgic for his "old," pre-Newport lifestyle. Next door at the Coopers, Jimmy (Tate Donovan) faces losing his wife and his job in one fell swoop, while Jimmy's ex-to-be Julie (Melinda Clarke) begins cozying up to the redoubtable Caleb. In other developments, Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) tries to choose between Ryan (Ben McKenzie) and Luke (Chris Carmack). And is Summer (Rachel Bilson) really interested in Seth or is she just playing games? ~ Rovi

Unwilling to be totally dependent upon the generosity of Sandy and Kirsten Cohen (Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan), Ryan (Ben McKenzie) takes a job at the crab shack. Emboldened not only by his newfound independence but also by a steady paycheck, Ryan feels the time is ripe to ask next-door neighbor Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) for a date. Unfortunately, trouble looms in the form of Ryan's co-worker Donny (Paul Wasilewski), another product of the mean streets (of Corona, a city near Chino) -- and a person who fascinates the Cohens' sensitive son, Seth (Adam Brody). And in the ongoing intrigue (financial and otherwise) between the Cohens and the Coopers, Sandy has bad news for Jimmy (Tate Donovan), while Kirsten uncovers a secret long held by Jimmy's wife, Julie (Melinda Clarke). ~ Rovi

After his model-home hiding place has gone up in flames, Ryan (Ben McKenzie) ends up back in juvenile hall -- and, inevitably, Sandy (Peter Gallagher) shows up to plead Ryan's case. Back in Newport, Sandy's wife, Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), must deal with the unbridled anger of her son (and Ryan's new best friend), Seth (Adrien Brody); and the community is "invaded" by Ryan's unreliable mother, Dawn (Daphne Ashbrook) -- who, despite repeated promises to her son, has gone back to binge-drinking and gambling. Also, the financial secrets between the Cohens and the Coopers are brought to the forefront during "Casino Night" in the O.C. ~ Rovi

Destined to run an impressive 27 hour-long episodes (as opposed to the usual 22), season one of The O.C. wastes little time in setting up its premise: trouble-prone teenager Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), booted out of his Chino home and apparently foredoomed to a life of crime, is "rescued" by idealistic pro bono defense attorney Sanford "Sandy" Cohen (Peter Gallagher). Over the initial protests of his former beauty-queen wife, Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), Sandy invites Ryan to live in the pool house of the Cohens' lavish Newport Beach home in California's very upscale Orange County. Quickly making friends with the Cohen's intellectual-loner son, Seth (Adam Brody), Ryan also makes a good impression on his attractive next-door neighbor Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) -- much to the disgust of Marissa's jock boyfriend, Luke Ward (Chris Carmack). Unfolding in a serial-like fashion, the remainder of the season details the disintegrating marriage of Marissa's parents, Jimmy Cooper (Tate Donovan) and his avaricious wife, Julie (Melinda Clarke) (who later has an affair with the cast-off Luke); Sandy's job switch, which causes friction in his relationship with Kirsten vis-à-vis his sexy new law partner Rachel Hoffman (Bonnie Somerville); the decision by Sandy and Jimmy to jointly purchase Newport Beach's favorite restaurant, the Lighthouse; Marissa's self-destructive behavior during a vacation in Mexico, and her ill-fated association with the duplicitous Oliver Trask (Taylor Handley); Seth's dilemma as he tries to choose between two girlfriends, Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson) and Anna Stern (Samaire Armstrong); and the disruptive machinations of Kirsten's high-rolling father, Caleb (Alan Dale), and her hedonistic sister, Hailey (Amanda Rhigetti). The cliffhanger climax of The O.C.'s first season is dominated by two major events: the wedding of the series' two most selfish and mercenary characters, and some devastating news delivered by Theresa (Navi Rawat), Ryan's former girlfriend from his Chino days. ~ Rovi

Mom Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) and son Seth (Adam Brody) both have much to answer for after their outrageous behavior during Thanksgiving. While still wondering if she should become involved with Kirsten's father, Caleb (Alan Dale), Julie (Melinda Clarke) has trouble dealing with the fact that Kirsten's husband, Sandy (Peter Gallagher), is dispensing advice to her own soon-to-be-ex-hubby, Jimmy (Tate Donovan). In other developments, perpetual rivals Ryan (Ben McKenzie) and Luke (Chris Carmack) temporarily bury the hatchet while teamed on a history project, and a prominent O.C.er makes a disturbing revelation. ~ Rovi

A playground sandbox unexpectedly yields the nude body of a woman covered with whip and restraint marks. The ensuing investigation leads a slightly embarrassed Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) to an underground fetish club. And in another case, Warrick (Gary Dourdan) and Sara (Jorja Fox) must determine if a fatal shooting occurred during or after a robbery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the second episode of a two-part story, the dying Xena (Lucy Lawless) asks Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) to return her body to her home village of Amphipolous. Sadly, Gabrielle grants this wish, and upon her arrival in the village, Xena's lifeless body is prepared for the traditional Amazon funeral. Before long, Gabrielle has been crowned Amazon Queen, and in this capacity, must stop a war. Meanwhile, self-styled "King of Thieves" Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) is possessed by the spirit of Xena, who wants to retrieve her body before it is burned on the funeral pyre. Threatening both Xena's "new life" and Gabrielle's present one is the bloodthirsty Amazon warrior Velasca (Melinda Clarke). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After battling Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) in the previous episode "The Quest," ferocious Amazon warrior Velasca (Melinda Clarke) manages to become an immortal god by consuming mass quantities of ambrosia. As the unkillable Velasca prepares to destroy Gabrielle, Xena (Lucy Lawless) realizes that only an Immortal can battle another Immortal. Thus, she summons her arch enemy Callisto (Renee O'Connor), now a god herself, to save Gabrielle from harm. Callisto agrees -- but first, she demands a stiff and daunting price for her services. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

If nothing else, this throwback to the old low-budget psychotronic films of the '50s and '60s is uniquely stylish, even kitschy. A Spanish-British production it is set in New Mexico (but filmed in Spain) and chronicles the twisted adventures of Candy, a thief and con artist who accidentally ingests part of a meteorite and grows an enormous serpentine talking tongue that has a special taste for human flesh. It all begins after Candy and her partner Johnny pull off their latest job. Johnny gets caught and takes the entire rap and Candy flees to a nunnery/gas station in the desert after hiding their loot. Her four pastel dyed poodles accompany her. Soon after her arrival, the meteor crashes as she eats soup with a bit of the space rock in it. She then gives some to the doggies. While the voracious alien appendage grows in her mouths, her poochies turn into drag queens. They help her procure a steady supply of food. Poor Candy tries to cut the horrible thing out of her mouth but to no avail. She finally begs Johnny to escape and help her. He does, but is pursued by a sadistic prison warden. Unfortunately Johnny gets too close to the meteorite as does a speechless nun. When that happens, real chaos ensues. The film contains gory scenes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Hunter (Fred Dryer) continues to search for the link between a Russian defector and the woman he found murdered in his home (whose body immediately disappeared after its discovery!) When a gang of thugs attack him and steal a valuable piece of evidence, Hunter knows he's on the wrong track. The problem now is to stay alive long enough to prove it--and this means butting heads not only with Russian secret agents but also the representatives of a shady Federal spy agency. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi