(S04E16) Does this count as the end of an era? I'm not sure. When The OC first began, it sure felt like the beginning of an era. Now that it's over, I'm not exactly sure what it's the end of. Other than something that I'm really, really going to miss.
I have to be honest. The first twenty or so minutes of this episode fell pretty flat for me. I really wasn't enjoying the six-month jump, only to find out that everything we thought we knew was no more. Julie was engaged to Bullit, Taylor was back in France, and Seth and Summer had become "comfortable." Nothing was right, and despite the fact that we all knew how this was going to end, I was a little put off by the way it started. But it picked up steam and by the episode's end, I was completely satisfied with the way it all turned out.
The majority of the episode was centered around the Cohen's peaceful invasion of a quaint gay couple's home. This wasn't any house though. It was Sandy and Kirsten's former Berkeley residence and it led to the basis for most of the story. From the birth of Sophie Rose Cohen to the non-marriage between Julie and Bullit, everything came full circle at the house that apparently started it all.
There were actually far too many small, but important, things to list that happened in this episode. It was chock full (in a good way) of nods to all sorts of things that played major roles in the show over the four season span. The Marissa locket, the return of the word "schmear," Summer giving her sage opinion of the five-season renewal of The Valley -- it was all there, even if only for a second. I was a little disappointed that people like Jimmy Cooper or Hailey Nichol weren't fortunate enough to receive a thread in this final story-line, but I can forgive that because the ending made up for anything else the episode may have lacked.
I suppose the ending is really all that does matter here. The rest of the episode was just build-up to that moment. The Cohens move to Berkeley, Seth heads off to RISD, Summer joins GEORGE, Taylor goes back to Paris, Ryan heads to college as well, and Julie finally takes her own advice and stays single.
Then there were the obligatory, tear-jerking, montages as Ryan walked through the Cohen house once more, recalling his first day there. Ending it on that final glimpse of Marissa as Sandy and Ryan pulled out of the driveway in the pilot episode was a nice touch too. A quiet reminder more than anything else, if only because Marissa really was forgotten about this final season.
But that wasn't all. Fast-forward ahead another four, maybe five years and we got all the answers we really wanted. Sandy became a law professor, Ryan and Taylor appeared to be back together, Julie got a college degree, and yes -- Seth and Summer finally got married. And since the montage I mentioned happened about five minutes before any of this, I was choked up throughout all of it.
In the end, Ryan achieved his dream. A college graduate who became an architect. It's fitting that the series ended on the same note that it started. Someone lending a troubled kid a hand. The whole thing is cyclical, as Sandy said earlier in the episode. What goes around comes around. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll see another show as well crafted and culturally meaningful as The OC come around again any time soon.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-23-2007 @ 1:33AM
pinsleric said...
Did anyone else realize that the blonde guy living in their old house was the waiter that popped up a lot during the first season? Anyone?
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2-23-2007 @ 1:33AM
Rhett Frei said...
man it was a tear jerker, seeing this episode just showed me how many great episodes there could of been in between. It is a sad day to see the oc go, I might of talked shit about it for its first season then finally I watched it and was hooked and now I feel sad. It could still be with us today if Greys didn't have to get so hot headed.
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2-23-2007 @ 1:34AM
mikedt said...
Dude, it finally hit me that it's over. I wasn't too pleased with the whole season, but the last five mins. really got to me.
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2-23-2007 @ 6:38AM
BigTed said...
There was a funny reference to the "real-life" couple from "The Valley" breaking up, especially since Seth and Summer had absolutely no chemistry left in their big good-bye scene. It was also funny that everyone seemed to agree that Summer would have been wasting her life if she spent the next four years at college. (Strange to see them have a Jewish wedding, too... Was she supposed to be Jewish all this time?)
All in all, a very satisfying ending to "The O.C." Although if I had my druthers, I'd rather be in Berkeley too.
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2-23-2007 @ 6:38AM
TVSeriesFinale.com said...
Series finales are a tough thing to do well. This one seemed like a nice balance.
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2-23-2007 @ 6:38AM
David said...
I haven't watched a full season of the show until tonight.
Talk about how bad the show began. At least there were a few good points, there was no wedding at all and the jumps through time weren't terrible.
I think it's safe to say that the rumour that the CW would pick the show up are dead.
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2-23-2007 @ 6:38AM
Underseen said...
they kinda did throw taylor at ryan in an attempt to fill the gap left by marissa, introducing kevin sorbo as ryans father was an interesting choice as well, i alwayse thought I was one of the few guys who really enjoyed this series, im kinda sad to see it go, sad having a double meaning after the tearjeker of an ending
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2-23-2007 @ 6:39AM
Slayer4915 said...
Is anyone else under the impression that the boy at the end of the episode may have been none other than Ryan's son with Theresa? Yet another storyline dropped that could have had good potential. Oh well, still love me some OC and the finale was amazing.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:08PM
Maail said...
I'll miss it so much. The last five minutes was a walk down memory lane. I'm definitely going to buy all the seasons DVD's.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:08PM
k said...
the wedding was jewish because of sandy cohen's influence, of course.
no mention of the fact that julie had a baby?!
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2-23-2007 @ 5:08PM
Amanda said...
I have watched the OC from day one and never missed a show. It started out as a show my roommates and I would make sure we were home to watch on Thursdays to now, watching it with my husband when the babies go to bed. This last show was a true tear jerker. I think I started crying just now this was the last time the OC would be on.
To the persons question about Summer being Jewish, No Seth was Jewish, during the years they talked and had many shows based on the Jewish holidays. Remember Seth's made up holiday Chrismkah? That was based on his reglion (Jewish) and Ryan being none jewish.... anyways I agree with others when they say they will buy the seasons on DVD, I have two seasons but i will purchase more. :( its a show thats going to be missed.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:09PM
Will said...
Thanks for the great recap. That episode was a great way to end this show.
I'm glad for the closure and the glimpse into the future. It seems like there's not enough closure in TV these days. This show was a guilty pleasure for me and I hate to see it go.
On a side note, the title of this episode reminds of one my favorite lines from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The line was spoken by Nathan Fillion in an episode close to the end of Season 7. I may be reading too much into because I'm a fan of Buffy and Nathan Fillion.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:10PM
brodeur said...
Would anyone else be interested in a Bullit spinoff???
*BANG*
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2-23-2007 @ 5:10PM
Kirk said...
I don't think that kid was Ryan and Theresa's child. Theresa had pulled herself pretty well together, I don't think her son will end up lost in the street.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:11PM
khamel said...
i think the best (and most tearful) final episode of any show i can remember was six feet under. i was hoping for a six feet under type ending and it was a little similar but it worked. they had 45 minutes but i dont think it was all-out enough. i really like the summer sequence talking about real life valley charcters breaking up and how teen drama's never end; that was good self refferential humor.
glad i continued watching (the season 3 finale was one of the worst tv episodes EVER) and i wish it was still on.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:11PM
emmyg said...
simply put - freaking awesome show!!! the oc will definitely be missed. sucks to see it go man!
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2-23-2007 @ 5:11PM
CaliberSRT4 said...
It is a miracle! The dumbest show is gone! Now they need to kill the "real" oc show Laguna Beach...Hallelujah!
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2-23-2007 @ 5:11PM
Dani said...
its crazy how this show had to end, it was a tear braking moment- i loved this show and i was hooked on to it from the beginning, i kind of new that they were going to sell that berkeley house to them, and i knew that julie was not going to marry bullit.. it was obvious that she was still inlove.. and Kaitlyn wasn't going crazy that her mom wasn't going to marry bullit..but you know what- it all went down for the best.. i love The OC- forever.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:11PM
marah said...
loved it. so sad, though. cried.
flapjacks!
and come on... the beginning was so funny for summer/seth. the chairs, and the rollers, and toaster streudel. "briefcase or no briefcase" i love them.
so so so sad it's over. i'll miss them.
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2-23-2007 @ 5:12PM
Dorothy Evins said...
Where was Dr. Roberts? Shouldn't he have walked Summer down the aisle?
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