"Maybe life is a song but you're scared to sing along, Until the very ending..."
My journey through The OC is (pretty much) over. And it’s a shame to say goodbye.
So it’s a year to the day since the series finale of The OC aired in the US. I remember all the hype, both over the internet and in real life over the end of such a show. I remember taking a sneak peek at the official fox website seeing “There’s only one episode left!”. But of course, hating being spoiled I quickly retreated, not wanting to know anything. I remember going to the website later that year and seeing Kirsten with a…baby?! Well, I thought. That’s pretty much all that went through my mind.
Now it’s a year on and today I saw the finale, in fact the final three back to back, for the first time today. I have to say I was surprised at the developments that had happened in the six month gap between The Night Moves and The Finale. I was happy with Ryan/Taylor and at least content with Julie/Frank, although they broke that apart in what seemed like an instant to me. I really didn’t think they needed to break Ryan/Taylor up, they could have had some sort of drama within the episode while the two officially still remaining a couple. The episode did feel rushed, but that really couldn’t be helped seeing how brutal and quick the cancellation was. They did their best to wrap everything up within forty minutes and they did a good job. I would have liked to see Kirsten make a screwed up face while having her baby, but there was just no time. And Sophie’s just a mini-Kirsten - aw.
I’m very pleased with how everything turned out, I’m surprisingly satisfied with how they all went their separate ways. I never really liked that possibility of all the characters not being in the same place when going into S4 and didn’t really like all the to and fro-ing during the season but as an ending it seems to work. Sandy going back to Berkeley to teach law was great to see as was Julie graduating from university. She’s really grown throughout the whole series, gradually from manipulative, gold digging Newpsie queen with a heart of ice to a woman who’s trying to actually provide for herself and do what she can with her life. I never expected Julie not to choose either Frank or Bullet, but I’m glad she didn’t, firstly I love Bullet and I’d have just been pissed off with her if she screwed him over yet again, also it’s just a statement of the real beginning of Julie’s independence of getting to know herself rather than the next man she has in line.
So Seth and Summer did get hitched in the end. Aw. I’m glad they’ve decided to stick with Summer’s eco-save the plant new found characteristic, it would have been too easy to just let her revert back to the way she was. Like Julie and Summer, the whole show has definitely changed a lot, in the first season it did seem a little…well shallower. It didn’t state it directly but the environment the characters were in, highlighted the whole idea of beauty being everything, wild drinking, partying, and the general environment of Orange County rich kids. As the show went on the characters just seemed to be surrounded by that a lot less, I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed this. I’m not saying the show wasn’t deep in the beginning, god the whole premise of the show is pretty deep, it’s just comparing Season One where there was a lot of sunbathing and trying to look pretty to Season Four where I just haven’t noticed that at all.
The final montage was brilliant and nearly got me all teary. When watching Ryan reminisce around the Cohen house, with everything he’s gone through in that house, it was just so moving. I adored the final scene. Ryan saw himself in that lonely boy, and it all just seemed to come full circle. It began with Ryan and it felt right that it should end with him.
I did this on a forum so I’ve decided to post it here, my top five The OC couples:
5. Seth/Anna - In Season One, I completely rooted for these two over Sethummer. I thought their chemistry was perfected, they both connected instantly, they thought on the same wavelength, liked the same things and it just...worked in my opinion. Their good times (extremely cute mocking of Newpsies) and their darker times were just brilliant to watch. It was heartbreaking to watch Anna leave and heartwarming to see her pop back into Seth’s life again in S3. They had a good relationship while it lasted.
4. Marissa/Alex - I just know I'm going to get some raised eyebrows at this one. I know that Josh only put this relationship in to get more ratings and the intent wasn't the most pure, but I just loved them together. Apart from being hot I think Alex really was a good fit for Marissa at that time in her life. Both were confused, scarred and wrecked emotionally and the fact they were drawn to one another just felt right.
(As for Ryan/Marissa - I don’t they were right for each other in the long run. I did enjoy them in S1 and thought they worked well together during that time in their lives. I also enjoyed their reunion in the latter part of S2 - as awful as the Marissa/Alex split up was - I just liked how the early days of S1 were reflected at that time. Though after Trey's shooting in early S3 I just think they should have called it a day. They dragged it out in a completely ugly fashion to the bitter end in S3 and that wasn't pleasant to see. To be honest I much prefer them as good friends and I'm glad that's how they ended their relationship in the end - their S2 friendship and late S3 friendship is just so great to see, they can still laugh and joke without the painful commitment to one another. I much prefer that to a long, slogged out and ugly (strange seeing as they're both very attractive people, lol) sexual relationship.)
3. Seth/Summer - Do I even have to explain? Through the good, the bad and the ugly (I just had to say that!) they've come through and made it right through to the end. They started out as a simple idealistic crush from Seth and just grew and blossomed into something beautiful. They were different but the contrasts just fitted and slotted into place so well, how they highlight one another's differences, but still manage to love one another so much is just so refreshing to see.
2. Sandy/Kirsten - “The moral centre of the universe.” That they are. No matter what happens, the only thing that's constant is the Sandy/Kirsten relationship, at first I found that a little dull, but now I see it as something magically wonderful. They've been through so much, but still carry on bringing love into the world, in more ways than one. Sounds corny, I know. But so true.
1. Ryan/Taylor - When I first heard about this relationship, just the idea brought three words to my head - What. The. Hell. I just couldn't picture it. Ryan... and Taylor? Together? Kissing? No, no, no. This must be a wind up. But actually, my imagination was not prepared for such a wonderful thing to grace my television screen. The bond between the two, turned into something so passionate and wonderful. The build up to the relationship and how it developed was lovely. They both helped each other in their time of need, completely unexpectedly. But hey, that's life isn't it? It throws you so many weird and strange surprises. Ryan and Taylor - I'll definitely "Love You 'Till the End".
The OC is definitely my second ever TV love. In the beginning when the hype was highest in the first season, I just never saw what everyone was going on about - although when S1 was first airing over here I’d only caught a few bits of episodes here and there and had never actually watched a full episode. Once I sat down and watched the first episode of S2, I fell in love. And so my passionate affair with this show began, right until here - four years of frolics with the Fab Five. The show has given me so much - introduced me to great music, given me great hours of entertainment, lovable and unforgettable characters and most importantly it’s been such an interesting reflection of my life at times and I’m sure of the lives of lots of people who’ve watched the show. In a way, because it reflects life at times it makes situations seem shared and like the show is going through it with you, which naturally is a great feeling to have. It just made me feel more like a part of something. Roll your eyes at how cheesy this may sound if you want, but I don’t think a television show has ever made me feel like this before. I didn’t know a television show ever could - I’m definitely glad to say that I was wrong. I’m not afraid to say that The OC isn’t just a TV show to me, it’s a part of my life, a major part of my teenage years and probably one of the factors that’s going to shape me for years to come.
Orange County, you will be missed.
So it’s a year to the day since the series finale of The OC aired in the US. I remember all the hype, both over the internet and in real life over the end of such a show. I remember taking a sneak peek at the official fox website seeing “There’s only one episode left!”. But of course, hating being spoiled I quickly retreated, not wanting to know anything. I remember going to the website later that year and seeing Kirsten with a…baby?! Well, I thought. That’s pretty much all that went through my mind.
Now it’s a year on and today I saw the finale, in fact the final three back to back, for the first time today. I have to say I was surprised at the developments that had happened in the six month gap between The Night Moves and The Finale. I was happy with Ryan/Taylor and at least content with Julie/Frank, although they broke that apart in what seemed like an instant to me. I really didn’t think they needed to break Ryan/Taylor up, they could have had some sort of drama within the episode while the two officially still remaining a couple. The episode did feel rushed, but that really couldn’t be helped seeing how brutal and quick the cancellation was. They did their best to wrap everything up within forty minutes and they did a good job. I would have liked to see Kirsten make a screwed up face while having her baby, but there was just no time. And Sophie’s just a mini-Kirsten - aw.
I’m very pleased with how everything turned out, I’m surprisingly satisfied with how they all went their separate ways. I never really liked that possibility of all the characters not being in the same place when going into S4 and didn’t really like all the to and fro-ing during the season but as an ending it seems to work. Sandy going back to Berkeley to teach law was great to see as was Julie graduating from university. She’s really grown throughout the whole series, gradually from manipulative, gold digging Newpsie queen with a heart of ice to a woman who’s trying to actually provide for herself and do what she can with her life. I never expected Julie not to choose either Frank or Bullet, but I’m glad she didn’t, firstly I love Bullet and I’d have just been pissed off with her if she screwed him over yet again, also it’s just a statement of the real beginning of Julie’s independence of getting to know herself rather than the next man she has in line.
So Seth and Summer did get hitched in the end. Aw. I’m glad they’ve decided to stick with Summer’s eco-save the plant new found characteristic, it would have been too easy to just let her revert back to the way she was. Like Julie and Summer, the whole show has definitely changed a lot, in the first season it did seem a little…well shallower. It didn’t state it directly but the environment the characters were in, highlighted the whole idea of beauty being everything, wild drinking, partying, and the general environment of Orange County rich kids. As the show went on the characters just seemed to be surrounded by that a lot less, I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed this. I’m not saying the show wasn’t deep in the beginning, god the whole premise of the show is pretty deep, it’s just comparing Season One where there was a lot of sunbathing and trying to look pretty to Season Four where I just haven’t noticed that at all.
The final montage was brilliant and nearly got me all teary. When watching Ryan reminisce around the Cohen house, with everything he’s gone through in that house, it was just so moving. I adored the final scene. Ryan saw himself in that lonely boy, and it all just seemed to come full circle. It began with Ryan and it felt right that it should end with him.
I did this on a forum so I’ve decided to post it here, my top five The OC couples:
5. Seth/Anna - In Season One, I completely rooted for these two over Sethummer. I thought their chemistry was perfected, they both connected instantly, they thought on the same wavelength, liked the same things and it just...worked in my opinion. Their good times (extremely cute mocking of Newpsies) and their darker times were just brilliant to watch. It was heartbreaking to watch Anna leave and heartwarming to see her pop back into Seth’s life again in S3. They had a good relationship while it lasted.
4. Marissa/Alex - I just know I'm going to get some raised eyebrows at this one. I know that Josh only put this relationship in to get more ratings and the intent wasn't the most pure, but I just loved them together. Apart from being hot I think Alex really was a good fit for Marissa at that time in her life. Both were confused, scarred and wrecked emotionally and the fact they were drawn to one another just felt right.
(As for Ryan/Marissa - I don’t they were right for each other in the long run. I did enjoy them in S1 and thought they worked well together during that time in their lives. I also enjoyed their reunion in the latter part of S2 - as awful as the Marissa/Alex split up was - I just liked how the early days of S1 were reflected at that time. Though after Trey's shooting in early S3 I just think they should have called it a day. They dragged it out in a completely ugly fashion to the bitter end in S3 and that wasn't pleasant to see. To be honest I much prefer them as good friends and I'm glad that's how they ended their relationship in the end - their S2 friendship and late S3 friendship is just so great to see, they can still laugh and joke without the painful commitment to one another. I much prefer that to a long, slogged out and ugly (strange seeing as they're both very attractive people, lol) sexual relationship.)
3. Seth/Summer - Do I even have to explain? Through the good, the bad and the ugly (I just had to say that!) they've come through and made it right through to the end. They started out as a simple idealistic crush from Seth and just grew and blossomed into something beautiful. They were different but the contrasts just fitted and slotted into place so well, how they highlight one another's differences, but still manage to love one another so much is just so refreshing to see.
2. Sandy/Kirsten - “The moral centre of the universe.” That they are. No matter what happens, the only thing that's constant is the Sandy/Kirsten relationship, at first I found that a little dull, but now I see it as something magically wonderful. They've been through so much, but still carry on bringing love into the world, in more ways than one. Sounds corny, I know. But so true.
1. Ryan/Taylor - When I first heard about this relationship, just the idea brought three words to my head - What. The. Hell. I just couldn't picture it. Ryan... and Taylor? Together? Kissing? No, no, no. This must be a wind up. But actually, my imagination was not prepared for such a wonderful thing to grace my television screen. The bond between the two, turned into something so passionate and wonderful. The build up to the relationship and how it developed was lovely. They both helped each other in their time of need, completely unexpectedly. But hey, that's life isn't it? It throws you so many weird and strange surprises. Ryan and Taylor - I'll definitely "Love You 'Till the End".
The OC is definitely my second ever TV love. In the beginning when the hype was highest in the first season, I just never saw what everyone was going on about - although when S1 was first airing over here I’d only caught a few bits of episodes here and there and had never actually watched a full episode. Once I sat down and watched the first episode of S2, I fell in love. And so my passionate affair with this show began, right until here - four years of frolics with the Fab Five. The show has given me so much - introduced me to great music, given me great hours of entertainment, lovable and unforgettable characters and most importantly it’s been such an interesting reflection of my life at times and I’m sure of the lives of lots of people who’ve watched the show. In a way, because it reflects life at times it makes situations seem shared and like the show is going through it with you, which naturally is a great feeling to have. It just made me feel more like a part of something. Roll your eyes at how cheesy this may sound if you want, but I don’t think a television show has ever made me feel like this before. I didn’t know a television show ever could - I’m definitely glad to say that I was wrong. I’m not afraid to say that The OC isn’t just a TV show to me, it’s a part of my life, a major part of my teenage years and probably one of the factors that’s going to shape me for years to come.
Orange County, you will be missed.