r.i.p. the o.c.

Dear Josh Schwartz (creator of The OC and fellow Trojan):

Well, they say all good things must come to an end. In this case, I guess all things that “started out really good and then took a wrong turn into Crappyville but then found its way at the last minute when there was nothing left to lose” must come to an end. Either way, your show provided much entertainment over the last 4 years and for that I say, Thanks!

I recently blew the dust off of my copy of the first season of The OC on DVD and began to refresh my memory. Damn this show was really good. The story of the juvenile delinquent from Chino (which I still claim is not ghetto) who gets taken in by an affluent Newport Beach family really had a lot of heart. Who doesn’t like to cheer for the underdog? Season 1 may not have been perfect (the Oliver story was frustrating to watch but the Caleb/Julie scandal more than made up for it), but it felt like the start of a successful series.

However, things started to suck in Season 2. For example, the story line involving Caleb’s illegitimate daughter and how she became Ryan’s love interest but then soon went away (never to be heard from again) was tiresome at best. The drama with Ryan’s brother definitely had legs but you chose to resolve everything in the first episode of Season 3. This definitely made no sense because the previous episode showed Marissa shooting Trey just as Trey was about to seriously maim Ryan with one major blow. How does one resolve all this with just one episode? I don’t know, but you found a way and it lead to a dreadful Season 3 (oh don’t get me started on all the whole Johnny story line because it pains me even to just recall it now).

Knowing that you had nothing to lose in Season 4, you totally went all out and reminded us of just how good this show could be. From Summer’s turn as a tree hugger to Taylor and Ryan’s relatively healthy relationship (at least there wasn’t any alcohol or drugs involved like Marissa), the show experienced a rebirth of sorts. Unfortunately, it had already been cancelled, but you ended the show on a high note. And speaking of the end, that last episode brought tears to my eyes. It was all still a little rushed but I understand that you wanted to tie up loose ends. I could’ve done without the dual-later-in-life pregnancies of Kirsten and Julie, but whatevs. But seeing Seth and Summer getting married and Julie finally getting a degree (why was her son the same size as Marissa?) and then Ryan asking the troubled kid who reminded him of him if he needed help…awww it was all so sweet. What a great way to end things!

Now that it’s all over, I just want to say, Thanks. Thanks to you, when I tell people I’m from Orange County (because they asked not because I am freely volunteering this information), they know what I’m talking about (even if I have to follow it up with “like the show, but not”). And a whole lotta “indie” rock bands have you to thank for making their music popular (like Death Cab for Cutie, Rooney, and Phantom Planet). I wouldn’t have half the music on my iPod if it weren’t for those OC soundtracks. And what would the half Jewish/half Christian kids do without Chrismakkah? The impact of The OC will be seen for years to come.

So thanks for the memories, dude. Oh and thanks for not making Orange County look as bad as those Laguna Beach kids do.

Sincerely,
an OC girl who is a fan of The OC