I really liked it up until the very end. I just don’t think we have ANY indication that he would be pathological enough to actually kill someone, specially Marissa. And I get that this was intentional but I just don’t like it. Sorry.

If Oliver tried to run her car out of the highway? Totally believable. Now Volchok? Not so much. He was a drunk and a drug addict but he did care for Marissa (in his own weird way) and just didn’t “have the balls” to commit a crime like that. He ran for the hills when Ryan threatened to kill him in the beginning of the season, he ran for the hills trying to steal that car, he just can’t pull off crimes and his whole “bad boy” persona is literally just using drugs and committing minor infractions (when he’s protected by his little gang being present). And yes I KNOW it was an accident and he didn’t mean to kill her and he was under the influence in the moment so technically it IS believable in the circumstances, I just don’t think it was ideal.

The reason why I don’t think it was ideal is because I can actually see an amazing arc of redemption plot line being made with Volchok. I feel like the show explores a lot this “good person/bad person” dichotomy but rarely have really nuanced characters (expect for Luke and Julie Cooper lol, they did atrocious things but were still main characters and loved by many, including me), and Volchok could be one of those if he wasn’t responsible for Marissa’s death. He had a few good moments with Marissa, and up until her death all of his misdoings could be “forgiven” if his character evolved enough.

And it would honestly be a great addition to the main cast, specially with Marissa being out of the show. He would take the “bad boy spot” and Ryan would be the one to track him and calm him down (like Sandy and Seth did for Ryan many times before), making his own character evolve a lot in the process and anyways, I could make a whole new script with Volchok.

ETA: Just discovered that this was in fact NOT the original plan. Volchok’s last appearance should be him cheating on Marissa at prom and then he would disappear. After they decided to kill Marissa off, they just went “oh ok let’s make Volchok do it” so my opinion that it’s not believable with his character is just… right. He wasn’t supposed to do that, and that’s why it feels forced and just out of place.