The O.C.

February 25, 2008 at 12:18 am (Uncategorized)

The O.C. aired on Fox beginning in 2003 and was short-lived with only four seasons. Half teeny bopper drama and half adult soap opera, The O.C. was the perfect mix of Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place. It offered something to everyone.

The show was set in high class Newport Beach in Orange County, Calif., and was a look into the private lives of the people that live there. Though they seemed perfect on the outside, beautiful and rich, each character had a secret. Each episode took you further into their past, explaining why their present was the way it was. Their interactions were interesting, and each twist in the plot sucked you further into their surprisingly dysfunctional lives.

One thing that made this show an original was the music. It was always something fresh and Indie, including bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon, Interpol, Sufjan Stevens, Modest Mouse and Beck. Another thing I felt put The O.C. on a higher level than other shows was the time the producers spent developing each character, something I feel is necessary for a quality evening soap opera.

First is Ryan Atwood, who arrived in Newport Beach in the midst of a very confusing teenage-hood. He was raised on the wrong side of the tracks, made some bad decisions and had to create a new life for himself in an unfamiliar environment. After getting arrested, his attorney, Sandy Cohen, took him into his home in hopes it would help Ryan get on the right path. Ryan is James Dean with a dash of JFK, which makes his character attractive, mysterious, engaging and a tiny bit innocent.

Sandy Cohen is a public defender. He doesn’t make much money, but the independent wealth of his wife Kirsten allows him to follow his passion. His Jewish heritage comes up occasionally, but it does not drive who he is. His compassion for others and genuine, likable personality makes him stand out from other characters as an honest guy with nothing to hide.

Kirsten Cohen is an exec in her father’s multi-million dollar real estate company. She and Sandy are very much in love, the perfect couple, and have one child, a son named Seth. Her father, Caleb Nichol, is a run-of-the-mill, ruthless businessman and she often finds herself in moral dilemmas due to his lack of ethics.

Seth Cohen is nerdy, but lovable and cute. He serves as comic relief through nearly every episode. Seth has a natural talent for comic book style art, often finding escape in his superhero characters. He is a kind soul and takes Ryan under his wing, accepting him as a brother.

Marissa Cooper is tall and thin, a classic beauty with the personality to match. She began the show dating the captain of the Polo team, but was set up right away to have a relationship with Ryan. The good girl and the bad boy, madly in love, much to the chagrin of her parents.

Julie Cooper is Marissa’s mother. She is the black-hearted vixen looking out only for herself. Though she has a family, Julie is selfish in all of her actions and is always causing trouble for everyone.

Summer Roberts, Marissa’s best friend and Seth’s secret love, is petite and beautiful, the sexy Newport Beach girl next door. She’s book smart and quick-witted. Her serious, logical side comes out often when giving advice to everyone else.

There were numerous other well developed characters that played an integral role in the plot of the show. The above characters all had boyfriends, girlfriends, stalkers and secret loves along the way. Babies were born and people died. The O.C. lasted four seasons, three of which I have watched.

At the end of season three, Marissa Cooper died. I think The O.C. died with Marissa.

My theory on why the show didn’t make it is that they changed main characters mid-stream. Though Ryan was set up from the start to be the main character, they made Marissa Cooper more interesting. And we all knew she was going to die. They spent season three pushing her and Ryan apart as she fell prey to drugs, alcohol and mis-placed love, one step closer to the edge by the end of each episode. Once Marissa was out of Ryan’s life for good, there was no longer hope they would end up together forever. The romance that waxed and waned between Seth and Summer was not dramatic enough to evoke the same amount of interest from viewers. Attempts to bring new love into Ryan’s life fell short and were always disappointing.

Though I was sad to see The O.C. go, it almost overstayed its welcome. From what I heard, season four was a complete bust and if they had continued with a season five, I’m afraid fans would have only ended up forgetting what made it so good.

I loved The O.C., and some of my “educated” friends made fun of me for watching it. But I was avenged one Friday evening while listening to This American Life on NPR. My love for this night soap opera had been confirmed by a highly regarded, intelligent man. Ira Glass, the host and a nerdy pop-culture icon, was doing a live anniversary show. He wrapped it up by sharing the sadness he felt after watching the last episode of The O.C., as a single tear slid down his cheek while he and his wife sang along with the theme song, California by Phantom Planet, for the last time.

“California here we come, right back where we started from…California!…”