TVSquad

I hated the beginning of season 3 because it was depressing -- every storyline and it was hard for me to watch these characters that I had come to really care for because it was depressing. But it did get better as the season progressed. I think killing off caleb was the beginning of the worst mistake the show has made. I don't think they should have killed Marissa -- at least not the way that they did it, it seemed too random. But having said that I think its the best thing the show has done because the show is really really good again with the pairing of Ryan and Taylor -- something that could not happen if Marissa was around. I think it's also the timeslot changes that affected the ratings of the OC-- it should have stayed after IDOL for a little longer before being placed up against the powerhouses on Thursday. It made the move too soon. I hope that fans at least check out the next episode (thurs at 9 on Fox). I sincerely say that it is as getting as good as season 1. Fox still should move this show to Wed.

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I read the article too and that's not what it said. The reporter said it was hard to do both stories - for kids and adults. Schwarz said he wasn't "focused" on the show last year but that's all he admits to. He doesnt think Marissa was a bad idea. FOX killed the show. THey moved it to Thursdays and then let it die there. But you should report the article as it was written.

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I wish that fans would get over season 3 and the death of Marissa and forgive the OC for these mistakes. Season 4 is phenomenal and with all the joy that this show has brought all of us in season 1 -- I think it's worth another look. Everything is in repeats anyway.

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The OC is much better then it has been in previous years. It is as good as the first few episodes of season 1 (cause we all know the show started going downhill around Oliver time, and only picked up its momentum when he left). These are some of the best episodes yet! I would actaully argue that, while killng Marissa rid the show of many fans, killing her actually has done quite a bit for the show itself. I urge EVERYONE to watch this next week. You won't be disappointed.

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I saw the OC the summer it premiered. Amazing stuff: great story line, great characters, great character development, great conflicts (Ryan&Seth v Newport, Sandy(&Ryan&Seth) v Kirsten, Marissa v parents, Marissa's dad v rich folks who asked him to invest their money, etc.) It was great soap opera magic. I was hooked.

I only watched the subsequent 2 seasons for loyalty sake and for the Summer-Seth union. Now, they've just lost me altogether. They lost the magic somewhere near the other ill-defined characters, cheesy, flip-floppy, uninteresting story lines (how many times can Marissa and Ryan break up and get back together? Teresa, the old flame = bad distraction and uninteresting; how many times can Julie remarry or start a new venture? how many different projects/jobs can Sandy and Kirsten start/hold? How many times can Ryan punch someone ?(what was so special about him in season 1 got old) By the end of last season, I was so happy they killed off Marissa (though I didn't get to see the episode; I had lost interest by then). Marissa was the flakiest thing on 2 legs - how many relationships and problems could one teenage girl have?

I say, sure, bring The OC back so we can rewind back to the end of Season 1 and start over again.

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I have watched every ep since the beginning, and I concur with Jake that this season has bee a great return to form of Season 1. It is too bad its buried on Thursday.

Anna you should watch again. They are all out of high school so its more believable (I said MORE believable, not believable per se) and Kirsten's alcoholism is barely mentioned. So your problems are gone. It's enjoyable again.

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Yeah, killing Marissa was the best choice the show could have made, in my opinion. Her endless stream of shitty boyfriends and exhausting, dark storylines pulled the entire show down even more. God knows I never liked her. It's just a shame that Fox is putting it in the suicidal spot against Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy. Of course it's losing viewership! Fox can't just expect that fans will automatically forgo every other show they watch and go back to The OC after how horrible Season 3 was. Just take it back to Wednesday, where it succeeded to start with, and start working to get fan's trust back. It really shouldn't be too hard -- this season is pretty great.

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Was it a good idea to kill off Marissa? YES!

I enjoyed both Season 1 and Season 2. I thought they had some fantastic episodes and storylines, and I was rooting for Seth and Summer. It was good stuff.

Season 3 was absolutely horrible. I can't believe I actually watched the whole season. The humor of the show, one of its best attributes, disappeared. Seth became extremely annoying, Marissa continued to be the worst character on the show, and they introduced some awful stories (Johnny, anyone?). Even the season's Chrismukkah episode sucked.

Season 4 is....actually really good. Taylor has been a great addition to the show, Seth is cool again, Summer has a great storyline going, Marissa is nowhere to be found, and the show is funny. But unfortunately it is still 3rd in that timeslot for what shows I watch, behind Grey's and Supernatural. Fox really screwed it by leaving it there.

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Havent watched the show for a looooong time until last week. I was so glad they killed of Marissa, she was the only character without any comedy, the big plus of the show. It got way too soapy and dark. Looks like it's back on track tho, all the characters seem to be in a groove, even starting to like Marissa's sister (whats-her-name) and her goofy twin hang-ons! Funny.

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this show dug its own grave during season 3. it sucks that its going to be canceled but atleast it did something to deserve it (unlike arrested development which was robbed!).

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Seaon 1 was great and then the balloon broke.

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We all agreed Season 1 was the best. I think Fox really gave the show a slap to the face on Season 3. Now its really struggling to get ratings, facing off Grey's and CSI:. The OC is really compared to great Aaron Spelling shows like 90210 and Melrose Place which both became really successful shows. The casting is waste if you cancel because the actors have brought out alot of potiential to the show and they really enjoy what they do.

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I think people exaggerated a bit on the previous posts. All shows have ups and downs. Yes, the last two seasons have been hard to follow, but honestly, every now and then there were some very good episodes. This latest season is like watching season 1 all over again. The characters have evolved, and I love how they are making Ryan fall for Taylor, they are an unlikely couple and thats what makes it interesting. This season is only 16 episodes long so I'm sure Schwartz will make the most of them. The timeslot for the show is also not a good one, I mean, Grey's Anatomy is beating CSI left and right and CSI is getting 19-20mil viewers on average, with Grey's getting more than that, so thats already 40mil viewers on two shows, the OC just cant compete. It has to be moved to another night or else it will really die.

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I watched this show up until "My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" moved to Thursday nights. FOX is crazy for putting "The O.C." up against CBS' and NBC's Thursday night line-ups.

That aside it's been obvious Josh Schwartz has been phoning it in the last two years. My guess is he probably was focusing on that O.C. spinoff (Athens) FOX had him develop but never put into production.

Killing of Caleb Nichol was a bad idea. Every show needs a villian to drive the plot. Caleb could have been The O.C. version of J.R. Ewing. Julie Cooper could have been The O.C.'s version of Alexis Carrington. I think back to that episode when Julie put those sleeping pills in Caleb's drink and handed it to him. He said something nice to her so she stopped him from taking the drink and dumped it.

Just imagine had she killed him, inherited all his money and stock in his company. Then at the end of the season she gets arrested...Cliffhanger.

Missed opportunities:

- Julie's affair with Luke.

- Ryan father not being Sandy or Caleb.

- Trey not being killed by Marissa.

- Kristen not having an affair with Jimmy while she was drinking and ending up pregnant.

The O.C. doesn't push the envelope. And that is why this will probably be it's last season while shows like "Dallas", "Knots Landing", even "Beverly Hills 90210" will have lasted longer then "The O.C." will.

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Is this the I hate Marissa blog?Yeah,she was depressing!Yeah,she was boring!But was her death really necessary?I don't think so.I haven't watched the new season's episodes and honestly I don't think I will.Ryan and Taylor?OMG

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Anna, have you been watching Season 4? IMO, it's the best work The O.C has ever done, so far the 5 episodes are up there with the start of season 1.

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My opinions are basically the polar opposite of popular opinion, so I'm going to post them for the sake of diversity:

Five Reasons I Stopped Loving the O.C.:
1. The sex -- the constant, crazed, rabbit-esque sex -- drives me up the metaphorical wall. These people are incapable of keeping their clothes on. And that's fine, I guess, but why do I have to watch every single instance of it? Call me stupid and naive, but I really thought the show would get better about that once it had established characters and didn't need racy scenes to make people tune in.

2. I liked Oliver. It was an interesting storyline. You know where I dove off the boat the first time? When Seth and Summer, otherwise my favorite couple, had that embarrassing losing-their-virginity storyline. Ew. I felt physically ill trying to sit through that.

3. I like happy. I like consistent. I would rather watch my happy couples take half-hour walks through the park while birdwatching than slowly fall out of love and ultimately break up and choose a new partner just for the sake of conflict. So, Teresa. DJ. Trey. Lindsey. Alex. These are all names I hate with a fiery passion. I refused to watch season two for one simple reason: my two favorite couples had broken up. And while Seth/Summer was at least a tolerable breakup, that whole teen pregnancy storyline was ridiculous, and led to the introduction of the aforementioned characters.

4. However, I loved Johnny. I LOVED the first half of season 3, the one everyone else hated. Mostly because there was no sex (discounting Taylor, because we didn't have to see it, or the nasty beach montage). There were con artist storylines, and blackmailing plots, and a new gang of friends I actually liked. All of these things were interesting to me. I'm still deeply bitter about Johnny's death, and it is where I jumped ship for the second time. I came back to season 4 because everyone told me how great it was, but really, while I like Seth/Summer, 80% of my amusement is derived from ranting about everything I dislike.

5. My problems with season 4 are...Taylor, who needs so much therapy it's not even funny anymore, and Kaitlin/the Ward twins/everything they're trying to do with "the new crowd" at Harbor. I'd rather spend half the season following activism storylines with Summer at Brown than go back to OC High with Marissa's sister.

I used to believe that the characters were capable of redemption, live in eternal hope that next year would be the year, but now I've given up. Too many partners, too much alcohol, too many drugs. Now I just want the show to die quietly with whatever dignity it has left.

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I love the O.C. Its my favorite show. i have seen every episode sice the begining, the first season was excellent, the story lines were great, everything was awsome. the second season was ok. i didnt like it as much, but it wasnt horrible by any stretch of the imagination. Season three was awsome. the con artists, the fact that julie was poor for a while, the way seth and summers relationship was, the way taylor tried to ruin their lives, and then sandy bluffed the dean into thinking he had pictures of him and taylor. When seth smoked pot, that was hillarious! the story line with johnny and volchok, the third season was awsome. I think the fourth season is back to the way it was in the begining. they have really intersesting story lines developing, i think it is great.

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Let me start off by saying I am a huge fan of the o.c. if not the number one. As each season came around I would get more and more excited....each year the episodes kept getting better and better. Then came the biggest shocker ever. Marissa Cooper's death. I was a little upset when they didn't even show her funeral on the first episode of season four. It probablly was a huge mistake for killing Mischa Barton off the show. Despite all the problems she had on the show, she was everyone's favorite O.C. Chick. I am very sad to see the show go, but who knows maybe the other actors and actresses can move on and continue their careers, for the all will be greatly missed! California here we come...California here we go!

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