Seth/Summer ("The OC")
Pairing: Seth Cohen/Summer Roberts (“The OC”)
Title: Undeniable Plastic Horse Love
Author: Liz [__mintyfresh]
Spoilers: Includes brief overview of Seth/Summer related events of Seasons 1 and 2
Notes: Huge thanks to stay_ and xoluckicharmsox for answering my questions and Lex for listening to me ramble about this.
You know the story. It’s been done so many times before. The Princess falls for the Geek: The fairytale of high school romance. So why is this couple better then the rest?
Because, they are undeniable.
Now, most “The OC” fans roll their eyes at this statement, because it has become the motto of the Summer/Seth relationship. But it is not just a line Seth used to redeem himself. It is really what this ‘ship is all about.
Don’t believe me? Well, how many couples do you know have plastic horses for friends with names like Captain Oats and Princess Sparkle?
And so, I give you:
Seth/Summer: Undeniable Plastic Horse Love.
Captain Oats
Seth Cohen is, in every sense of the word, a dork. He had no friends growing up and his first real friend is a criminal from Chino. He spends his time reading comic books and listening to “weird” music. His dreams of sailing away fill his head. He is a loser in halls full of fake beauty and water polo players. Seth falls hard for the popular girl and she doesn’t even know he exists. He watches her from afar over the years, waiting for the day when they can sail away to Tahiti, on a boat named just for her.
Princess Sparkle
Summer Roberts spent most of her life living in a world of money and popularity. She turned being a bitch into an art form. She knows what she has and dresses to show it off. Her body is her main attraction and spends her time partying with the people on her level, never anyone below.
A superficial, one-sided, spoiled brat, right? No.
Summer is more than her body and her lifestyle; she just knows what to keep inside to keep her place. But when a certain geek enters her life, it all falls apart.
Their Story
Seth Cohen finally makes himself known to Summer Roberts at one of Holly’s beach house parties. Only the drunken haze and shock over the truth about Ryan, overshadows the event and Seth is still unknown to his crush.
Casino Night brings Seth his first real chance when Summer claims him as her good luck charm of the night. Calling him various names, not including his real one, doesn’t faze Seth as he spends the night by her side. The Cotillion looks to be just as successful for Seth, when he manages to be Summer’s escort. The series of events that precede the Ball leaves Summer dateless and Seth arm-in-arm with the new girl in town, Anna Stern.
The night of Seth’s grandfather’s birthday party becomes one of the best for the boy. Reminding Summer that she is not just a great body but a real person by explaining some his memories of her, including the famous “I wish I was a Mermaid” poem, earns him a kiss. A kiss that set in motion the drama of their relationship.
Summer masters the idea of ‘ignorance is bliss’ when it comes to Seth in the months following the kiss. From Tijuana to a yacht party, their relationship goes through its ups and downs. It is the return of Anna that makes Summer realize she needs to act before losing Seth. It seems Anna feels the same way and Summer rings in the New Year kissing a random boy from the party before pulling away to say, “you’re not Seth Cohen.”
Seth begins the year dating Anna, the girl version of him. They agree on music and comics and everything between. He is bored with the similarities and jumps at the chance of spending time with Summer when she asks. Oliver keeps Ryan and Marissa busy, leaving Seth, Summer and Anna to spend time together. Blatant flirting while teaching Summer the basics of comics isn’t lost on Anna and Seth finds himself dumped not long after.
Valentine’s Day approaches and Seth discovers that Summer isn’t going to come running back now that he is single. Dropping by her house, Seth delivers one of the most romantic speeches ever given on the show. This results in the awkward fish sex and the beginning of hidden affairs, leading up to the coffee table incident, where Seth admits to the students of Harbor that he is dating “this girl” and proves it by kissing her.
They continue to date through another onslaught of ups and downs including hookers in LA and Summer’s dad not approving. Leading up to the biggest wedding in Newport, where Ryan announces he has to leave and go back home. Seth can’t take the idea of facing another year in Newport alone and leaves as well. He sails away on Summer Breeze leaving his girlfriend a note.
When Seth finally does return home, he tries to talk to Summer but she will not have it. She is done crying over him and moves on. Seth tries to battle the Zack Attack but has no luck. Summer has her boyfriend now and Seth finds affection from his 17-year-old boss, Alex. Seth and Summer become friends and only that.
Shipping Summer Breeze
Despite their “just friends” status, I ship this pairing because I know they will become more than that again. They are an unbeatable combination.
Their new loves are nothing to worry about because that’s been done before. Anna dating Seth only proved to Summer that Seth wouldn’t always wait for her. Danny proved to be no threat when he explained that Summer said Seth and Captain Oats were the funniest people she knew. The new roadblocks, Zach and Alex are not going to keep these two apart. According to the previews, Alex will be out of the picture and preoccupied with someone new soon.
And Zach? Well, as sweet as Zach is Summer still loves Seth. She may not realize it yet but it is obvious to everyone else, even Zach knows it. She spent all of the Killers show talking about him and how he was probably boring his date. Zach eventually cuts in and tells her to stop focusing on Cohen and try focusing on the band.
Seth really did bore his poor date that night with his endless babbling about Summer. Proving to everyone he is just as obsessed as he has always been.
Seth and Summer have a knack for big moments which makes for great TV and also tugs a few heartstrings. Lines like “You’re undeniable” and scenes like the breakfast in Tijuana really make Seth/Summer so hard to ignore.
The big moments in the Seth and Summer relationship are what drew me in at first but what keeps me loving them is because I want them to work. Watching the adorable dork Seth is, you just want him to win. You want him to get the girl because after years of secretly pining for her, he deserves it. Seth brings out another side to Summer that no one saw before. When she is with him, Summer isn’t the I’m-better-than-you popular girl, but something better, something real. She really let Seth in and showed him that he was right all these years. That she is more than she seems on the surface.
Fans like me cheer them on through everything. Even when Seth is being a big jerk and Summer is being the ultimate bitch, deep down we watch and wait for the inevitable make-up moment. And when it finally happens we all breathe a sigh of relief that for now, everything is okay in the world of Seth and Summer.
So while their current situation may make it hard to keep the love for them alive, always remember that their chemistry is there. It might just take awhile for them to see it.
Episodes with big Seth/Summer moments:
“The Girlfriend” - Their first kiss
“The Escape” - The infamous Tijuana trip
“The Homecoming” - The Thanksgiving debacle
“The Best Chrismukkah Ever” - The Wonder Woman gift
“The Rivals” - The scene at the lockers
“The Heartbreak” - The “undeniable” speech
“The Telenovela” - The kiss on the coffee table
[All from The OC: Season 1, which is out on DVD if you missed any of them.]
Websites:
Sugar
A site with quotes, fanfiction, and more.
Meant To Be
A site with animations, video clips, and more.
Unwavering Affection
A site with a great gallery and video clips.
Fanfiction:
The Freshman Woes by TallyMcKee High school's over, and so is California. What happens when the royalty of Orange County decides to continue their education at NYU? Primarily SethSummer but with RyanMarissa, too, and maybe some other pairings in the future... PG-13 [Chaptered]
Bend Not Break by TallyMcKee Sequel to "The Freshman Woes." Five years later. PG-13 [Chaptered]
Chambers of The Sea by emrie Why is Summer Roberts the way she is? Take a look at the darker side of Newport through the eyes of a lonely princess. The memorable days of her life reveal the complexities of social interaction for a young girl. SS. PG-13 [Chaptered]
The Definition of Intelligence by kieyra Seth. Summer. Mexico and beyond. This happens to be the first Seth/Summer fic I read and it is also one of my favorites. The summary is really vague but it is story starting from Tijuana and going into AU. Definitely read this one.
PG-13 Version linked above. The NC-17 version here [Chaptered]
Escape by Emily [somefairytale] "You suddenly discovered who you were and that person wasn't a person who would want to be with me?" Set after “The Ties That Bind” PG-13 [One-shot]
Title: Undeniable Plastic Horse Love
Author: Liz [__mintyfresh]
Spoilers: Includes brief overview of Seth/Summer related events of Seasons 1 and 2
Notes: Huge thanks to stay_ and xoluckicharmsox for answering my questions and Lex for listening to me ramble about this.
You know the story. It’s been done so many times before. The Princess falls for the Geek: The fairytale of high school romance. So why is this couple better then the rest?
Because, they are undeniable.
Now, most “The OC” fans roll their eyes at this statement, because it has become the motto of the Summer/Seth relationship. But it is not just a line Seth used to redeem himself. It is really what this ‘ship is all about.
Don’t believe me? Well, how many couples do you know have plastic horses for friends with names like Captain Oats and Princess Sparkle?
And so, I give you:
Seth/Summer: Undeniable Plastic Horse Love.
Captain Oats
Seth Cohen is, in every sense of the word, a dork. He had no friends growing up and his first real friend is a criminal from Chino. He spends his time reading comic books and listening to “weird” music. His dreams of sailing away fill his head. He is a loser in halls full of fake beauty and water polo players. Seth falls hard for the popular girl and she doesn’t even know he exists. He watches her from afar over the years, waiting for the day when they can sail away to Tahiti, on a boat named just for her.
Princess Sparkle
Summer Roberts spent most of her life living in a world of money and popularity. She turned being a bitch into an art form. She knows what she has and dresses to show it off. Her body is her main attraction and spends her time partying with the people on her level, never anyone below.
A superficial, one-sided, spoiled brat, right? No.
Summer is more than her body and her lifestyle; she just knows what to keep inside to keep her place. But when a certain geek enters her life, it all falls apart.
Their Story
Seth Cohen finally makes himself known to Summer Roberts at one of Holly’s beach house parties. Only the drunken haze and shock over the truth about Ryan, overshadows the event and Seth is still unknown to his crush.
Casino Night brings Seth his first real chance when Summer claims him as her good luck charm of the night. Calling him various names, not including his real one, doesn’t faze Seth as he spends the night by her side. The Cotillion looks to be just as successful for Seth, when he manages to be Summer’s escort. The series of events that precede the Ball leaves Summer dateless and Seth arm-in-arm with the new girl in town, Anna Stern.
The night of Seth’s grandfather’s birthday party becomes one of the best for the boy. Reminding Summer that she is not just a great body but a real person by explaining some his memories of her, including the famous “I wish I was a Mermaid” poem, earns him a kiss. A kiss that set in motion the drama of their relationship.
Summer masters the idea of ‘ignorance is bliss’ when it comes to Seth in the months following the kiss. From Tijuana to a yacht party, their relationship goes through its ups and downs. It is the return of Anna that makes Summer realize she needs to act before losing Seth. It seems Anna feels the same way and Summer rings in the New Year kissing a random boy from the party before pulling away to say, “you’re not Seth Cohen.”
Seth begins the year dating Anna, the girl version of him. They agree on music and comics and everything between. He is bored with the similarities and jumps at the chance of spending time with Summer when she asks. Oliver keeps Ryan and Marissa busy, leaving Seth, Summer and Anna to spend time together. Blatant flirting while teaching Summer the basics of comics isn’t lost on Anna and Seth finds himself dumped not long after.
Valentine’s Day approaches and Seth discovers that Summer isn’t going to come running back now that he is single. Dropping by her house, Seth delivers one of the most romantic speeches ever given on the show. This results in the awkward fish sex and the beginning of hidden affairs, leading up to the coffee table incident, where Seth admits to the students of Harbor that he is dating “this girl” and proves it by kissing her.
They continue to date through another onslaught of ups and downs including hookers in LA and Summer’s dad not approving. Leading up to the biggest wedding in Newport, where Ryan announces he has to leave and go back home. Seth can’t take the idea of facing another year in Newport alone and leaves as well. He sails away on Summer Breeze leaving his girlfriend a note.
When Seth finally does return home, he tries to talk to Summer but she will not have it. She is done crying over him and moves on. Seth tries to battle the Zack Attack but has no luck. Summer has her boyfriend now and Seth finds affection from his 17-year-old boss, Alex. Seth and Summer become friends and only that.
Shipping Summer Breeze
Despite their “just friends” status, I ship this pairing because I know they will become more than that again. They are an unbeatable combination.
Their new loves are nothing to worry about because that’s been done before. Anna dating Seth only proved to Summer that Seth wouldn’t always wait for her. Danny proved to be no threat when he explained that Summer said Seth and Captain Oats were the funniest people she knew. The new roadblocks, Zach and Alex are not going to keep these two apart. According to the previews, Alex will be out of the picture and preoccupied with someone new soon.
And Zach? Well, as sweet as Zach is Summer still loves Seth. She may not realize it yet but it is obvious to everyone else, even Zach knows it. She spent all of the Killers show talking about him and how he was probably boring his date. Zach eventually cuts in and tells her to stop focusing on Cohen and try focusing on the band.
Seth really did bore his poor date that night with his endless babbling about Summer. Proving to everyone he is just as obsessed as he has always been.
Seth and Summer have a knack for big moments which makes for great TV and also tugs a few heartstrings. Lines like “You’re undeniable” and scenes like the breakfast in Tijuana really make Seth/Summer so hard to ignore.
The big moments in the Seth and Summer relationship are what drew me in at first but what keeps me loving them is because I want them to work. Watching the adorable dork Seth is, you just want him to win. You want him to get the girl because after years of secretly pining for her, he deserves it. Seth brings out another side to Summer that no one saw before. When she is with him, Summer isn’t the I’m-better-than-you popular girl, but something better, something real. She really let Seth in and showed him that he was right all these years. That she is more than she seems on the surface.
Fans like me cheer them on through everything. Even when Seth is being a big jerk and Summer is being the ultimate bitch, deep down we watch and wait for the inevitable make-up moment. And when it finally happens we all breathe a sigh of relief that for now, everything is okay in the world of Seth and Summer.
So while their current situation may make it hard to keep the love for them alive, always remember that their chemistry is there. It might just take awhile for them to see it.
Episodes with big Seth/Summer moments:
“The Girlfriend” - Their first kiss
“The Escape” - The infamous Tijuana trip
“The Homecoming” - The Thanksgiving debacle
“The Best Chrismukkah Ever” - The Wonder Woman gift
“The Rivals” - The scene at the lockers
“The Heartbreak” - The “undeniable” speech
“The Telenovela” - The kiss on the coffee table
[All from The OC: Season 1, which is out on DVD if you missed any of them.]
Websites:
Sugar
A site with quotes, fanfiction, and more.
Meant To Be
A site with animations, video clips, and more.
Unwavering Affection
A site with a great gallery and video clips.
Fanfiction:
The Freshman Woes by TallyMcKee High school's over, and so is California. What happens when the royalty of Orange County decides to continue their education at NYU? Primarily SethSummer but with RyanMarissa, too, and maybe some other pairings in the future... PG-13 [Chaptered]
Bend Not Break by TallyMcKee Sequel to "The Freshman Woes." Five years later. PG-13 [Chaptered]
Chambers of The Sea by emrie Why is Summer Roberts the way she is? Take a look at the darker side of Newport through the eyes of a lonely princess. The memorable days of her life reveal the complexities of social interaction for a young girl. SS. PG-13 [Chaptered]
The Definition of Intelligence by kieyra Seth. Summer. Mexico and beyond. This happens to be the first Seth/Summer fic I read and it is also one of my favorites. The summary is really vague but it is story starting from Tijuana and going into AU. Definitely read this one.
PG-13 Version linked above. The NC-17 version here [Chaptered]
Escape by Emily [somefairytale] "You suddenly discovered who you were and that person wasn't a person who would want to be with me?" Set after “The Ties That Bind” PG-13 [One-shot]