Marathoning old episodes of The O.C. always leads to some surprise celebrity cameos. You didn't know at the time, but The O.C. was often a demo reel booster for on-the-rise stars. A full list would be seemingly endless, but some include, Chris Pratt, Lucy Hale, Olivia Wilde, Paul Wesley, and plenty, plenty more. To say the least, The O.C. offered some "big breaks" for some of these former up-and-comers.
As meta as it gets, The Valley was the show you could only hope would be a reality one day. Summer's favorite waspy, teen drama was eerily familiar, especially considering all the location-based high school soaps which followed in The O.C.'s footsteps. You knew Summer's TV taste had to err on the side of trashy, but who were you to judge?
When the show first starts, Ryan, Seth, Summer, and Marissa are all described as juniors in high school. However, it seems something must have been lost in translation considering the gang spend three years completing their diplomas. Unless the writers failed to mention they were all held back, it seems as though the gang took an extra year to graduate, despite attending a highly esteemed preparatory institution.
Who knew you could age four years in 18 months? I'm a little worried for Kaitlin Cooper. Who knows what she may look like in the next 10 years, when she's aging at double the rate of the rest of us? When little Coop is first portrayed by Shaliene Woodley in season one, she is described as 11 years old. But when she comes back to haunt Marissa, she's suddenly 15, despite it having only been a year and a half in the show's timeline.
You wouldn't quite know it at first, but The O.C. hardly ever actually took place in The O.C. In fact, most of the filming occurred in Malibu and Santa Monica. So, the whole LA episode was actually a lot closer of a drive for the gang than anticipated.
By the time the series concludes, Julie Cooper has managed her way into the hearts of just about every major characters' dad. Aside from Sandy, who is the strict property of Kirsten, Julie is irresistible to the DILFs of Newport. Caleb Nichols, Dr. Neil Roberts, Frank Atwood, and of course Jimmy Cooper, were all defenseless against Julie's sexual prowess.
Don't get me wrong, I came to really love Taylor Townsend. And as much as fans blame Mischa Barton for the show's demise, Taylor's relationship with Ryan is what really threw everyone for a loop. On her own, Taylor was hilarious. But kissing Ryan was not an option for the fanbase, especially when the death of Marissa was such a fresh wound. In my humble opinion, I blame Taylor for the show's decline.
Quite possibly the most upsetting and confusing storyline, there never seemed to be any straightforward answer to the age old question of who Theresa's baby daddy really was. At first, it seemed as though Theresa lied to Ryan about the fate of their child so he could live out his life as a part of the Cohen clan. But when she runs into him, she assures Ryan that the kid is Eddie's. Ultimately, this mystery will remain in the O.C. vault, as we'll sadly never receive new episodes to answer this mind-boggling question.
After Marissa is expelled for shooting Trey, she is forced to slum it at a local high school. You would think that Marissa was locked away in a penitentiary considering how extreme the reaction to this move was. From a #FreeMarissa campaign to near skull-shattering brawls in the courtyard, Marissa's life seemed pretty bleak while attending public school. I know she's not accustomed to a working class experience, but the polarities were a little exaggerated to say the least.
Not exactly surprising, but The O.C. was especially liberal in their casting for high school students. Ryan's stubble needed pounds of makeup alone to hide his five o' clock shadow. The age difference between the characters' actual age and the age of the actors are much more apparent the more you watch the show.
To be honest, it's quite shocking that Marissa Cooper made it as long as she did. From getting blacked out and dosed up in Tijuana to living her daily life as a self-proclaimed alcoholic, it's difficult to understand how Coop didn't drop dead at any moment. Just when you think Marissa is finally going to get her second chance, the creators rip the rug right out from under you. Devastation is an understatement when you think about rewatching Ryan as he carries a dead Marissa in his arms to "Hallelujah."
It is a well known fact that the Cohens loved their bagels. And in true Cohen fashion, their morning kitchen rituals always revolved around bagels in both conversation and eating. Despite being one of the richest families in all of Newport, all O.C. fans primarily had their eyes set on just one of the beloved Cohen Crown Jewels: the bagel slicer. Quite possibly the greatest household appliance created, the bagel slicer was a Cohen staple and an Ikea trip in the making for you.
The O.C. soundtrack never gets old. Known for its indie playlists, The O.C. was a music maverick when it came to pulling artists to guest star in episodes. Pulling up The O.C. playlists on Spotify is always necessary when you're in the mood for some 2005 nostalgia and Death Cab for Cutie throwbacks.
While The O.C. introduced a lot of hot new bands at the time, nothing was more iconic than Phantom Planet's most fitting, opening theme. The O.C. always had us screaming "California" at the top of our lungs to the start of every dramatic episode.
