When I first saw advertisements for "The O.C.", I really didn't think I was going to like it. When the first episode drew such a big rating for FOX, I watched one of several replays later that week, and was instantly hooked. In four years, I think I missed only two or three episodes total. There was just something about Ryan Atwood that you wanted to see him rise up and reach his full potential, and unknown Benjamin McKenzie did a great job of making the audience want to pull for him.
Adam Brody almost stole the show as Seth. He was so funny. He was also lucky enough to land one of the two coolest girlfriends ever in Summer Roberts, played by Rachel Bilson. Their "Spiderman" reenactment may be my favorite TV scene ever.
The first two seasons were cutting edge. The show lost its way in season three mainly due to the hammy performance of Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper. The writing team wasn't at their best either. Marissa is upset that her friend Johnny dies, but rather than reaching out to boyfriend Ryan or best friend Summer, she instead hooks up with Johnny's mortal enemy Volchek, and starts drinking and doing drugs. The whole thing gives me a headache just thinking about how awful, and nonsensical it was. Thankfully, they killed her off at the end of season three. As one TV columnist put it, she "had become an albatross around the show's neck."
Season four saw Autumn Reeser (Taylor Townsend) get bumped up to regular cast member, and she saved the show. She brought back what the show had been missing, and it was all of a sudden fun to watch again. I had never even thought about Taylor and Ryan as a couple, but they really made it work, and by the series finale I was begging for them to get together.
Adam Brody almost stole the show as Seth. He was so funny. He was also lucky enough to land one of the two coolest girlfriends ever in Summer Roberts, played by Rachel Bilson. Their "Spiderman" reenactment may be my favorite TV scene ever.
The first two seasons were cutting edge. The show lost its way in season three mainly due to the hammy performance of Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper. The writing team wasn't at their best either. Marissa is upset that her friend Johnny dies, but rather than reaching out to boyfriend Ryan or best friend Summer, she instead hooks up with Johnny's mortal enemy Volchek, and starts drinking and doing drugs. The whole thing gives me a headache just thinking about how awful, and nonsensical it was. Thankfully, they killed her off at the end of season three. As one TV columnist put it, she "had become an albatross around the show's neck."
Season four saw Autumn Reeser (Taylor Townsend) get bumped up to regular cast member, and she saved the show. She brought back what the show had been missing, and it was all of a sudden fun to watch again. I had never even thought about Taylor and Ryan as a couple, but they really made it work, and by the series finale I was begging for them to get together.