The O.C.

Summary

This class , The O.C.celebrated its 20 - twelvemonth anniversary , and twelvemonth after its close , a few second remain determinate of the series . Through many ups and pile in its four seasons , The O.C.hasremained a staple in conversations about teen drama showsin the 2000s . The level border a mathematical group of four friends and their family in the rich community of Newport Beach and , while not always handled in the best way , the show deal with various issues such as mental wellness , dependence , and erotic love .

The show had a inclination to move through storylines promptly , leaving a mass of room for unexpected or out - of - type events to take place . With as many plot ancestry that were put into the four season of the show , it can be difficult to guess there ’s anything to take out from it . However , there are key present moment throughout the season that not only serve in shaping and define the chief character but also lead to some of the openhanded bit in the show overall .

10Ryan’s Stay At The Model Home

Season 1, Episode 2, “The Model Home”

have nowhere to go after getting into sound trouble , Ryan chooses to run away from the Cohen ’s residence . Before he is able to leave , Seth finds him , and with Marissa ’s assistance , convinces him to move into a exemplar home for the company his mom work for . The three keep Ryan ’s presence and living situation a mystery , and while his stop at the modeling household is short - lived , this episode cements hissoon - to - be permanent residence with the Cohen fellowship . In addition , he grows closer to Marissa , giving more context behind the shared opposition between him and Luke , her boyfriend .

9The Trip To Tijuana

Season 1, Episode 7, “The Escape”

Ryan , Seth , Summer , and Marissa , known as the " nub four , " take a trip-up to Tijuana and thing do n’t go as planned . During the trip , Marissa is inform that her parents are getting divorced , and her boyfriend is cheating on her . To make do with these late events in her life , Marissa mix medication and alcoholic drink , which results in her make pass out in an bowling alley . This instalment is the beginning ofMarissa ’s insalubrious relationship with alcohol- a theme that comes back throughout the remaining seasons . Her reliance on intoxicant often comes back during times of heartbreak or rebellion despite those around her trying their best to help .

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8Chrismukkah Celebrations

Season 1, Episode 13, “The Best Chrismukkah Ever”

Chrismukkah is a holiday make by Seth Cohenthat combines the spiritual vacation of each of his parents , Christmas and Hanukkah . While the Chrismukkah episodes do n’t set of import element of any plot line or summate much deepness to the show ’s quality , it mean a lot to Seth . In his eyes , the spirit of Chrismukkah often serves as a solution or positive mindset during elusive times , such as Ryan almost getting in hassle with the law again ( another summation noted by Seth is get more gifts ) . For its spell and singular twist on the holidays , Chrismukkah stay one of the most memorable contribution of the serial .

7Seth, Summer, And Anna Love Triangle

Season 1, Episode 15, “The Third Wheel”

The abbreviated love Triangulum between Seth , Summer , and Anna supply context that delimit aflaw of one of the show ’s main characters . When Anna , the new girl , come to schooltime , Seth finds that she and him have a spate in vulgar . Seth is then put into a position where he must opt who he wants to be with , as both Summer and Anna admit their feelings towards him . This love triangle is just one example ofSeth Cohen ’s bad actions . He purposely miscommunicates with the girls , moderate them on , and lying to them . In the end , he chooses Summer and reunites with Anna as friend in a later time of year .

6The Coffee Cart Confession

Season 1, Episode 20, “The Telenovela”

At this point , it ’s too soon on in thetimeline of Seth and Summer ’s relationship . However , Summer ends up disregard Seth at school , and it ’s because of this that Seth decides to declare his erotic love and relationship with Summer in front of the school , asking that she does the same . This minute delimitate the series because not only is it a grown step in pushing their human relationship forward , butit also reveals another side of Summer .

She confesses to Anna that the understanding why she ’s keeping her relationship private is that she feel insecure about Seth wish her . She think he ’ll soon break up with her and , to protect her image , she ’d rather others not know they were date stamp to begin with . It ’s a newfangled side of Summer audiences had n’t been able-bodied to see before and is the first of many instances where she ’s vulnerable about her insecurities .

5Atomic County Series

Season 2, Episode 10, “The Accomplice”

Similar to Chrismukkah , the Atomic County funny serial publication that Seth start does n’t supply many important element to the show as a whole , but instead tie into Seth ’s personal journey . During the procedure of creating the comic , Seth worked alongside Summer and her boyfriend Zach . It ’s during this time that he and Summer realize they still have feelings for one another and end up back together .

Seth ’s art skills are also established when create the comic . In the following season , he is ineffectual to get into his first alternative of college and utilise to an art school rather . Outside the show , the concept of thecomic serial publication was also developed into an animated seriestitled , The Atomic County .

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The OC TV Poster

4The Return Of Ryan’s Brother

Season 2, Episode 17, “The Brothers Grim”

Ryan ’s brother Trey is release from jail and ends up staying in Newport Beach for a while . One night , he test to attack Marissa and when Ryan find out , thing escalate . In a move to deliver Ryan ’s biography , Marissa shoots Trey . As a result , tenseness builds between Ryan and Marissa as a couple when she need to talk about the incident and he does not . In addition , the two are expel and , while attending a new school day , Marissa is introduced to a group of citizenry , with one soul specifically having a hapless influence on her .

While the scene in whichMarissa shoots Trey has become the beginning of a viral resume , theimplications on the show negatively affect her . Had she not been expelled , she would n’t have met Volchok , a lineament who helps in the revival of her alcohol use as an enactment of rebellion . He would also be the one subsequently to take her aliveness .

3Caleb’s Death

Season 2, Episode 23, “The O.Sea”

Similarly to Marissa , Kirsten Cohen ’s alcoholic beverage use stems from moments of worry and sadness . This is seen when her father , Caleb Nichol , passes away . His passing touch on the life of his wife too , Julie Cooper . She was planning on drugging Caleb , taking his life after he tell her he wanted a divorce . However , before she was able-bodied to do anything , he died of a mettle attack . While previously she was extremely dependent on his financial status , she was allow to figure out a live on state of affairs on her own .

His death move these two characters inways that change the grade of their lives . For Julie , a vulnerable side is depict when she ’s forced to move into a trailer family and express the motive to keep up an effigy of things being fine in parliamentary law to not worry her daughters . Despite what would be expect after their interactions betimes on in the serial publication , the women were able to become friends , remaining one of the airless adult friendly relationship on the show .

2Summer Getting Into Brown

Season 3, Episode 20, “The Day After Tomorrow”

With each season , Summer ’s insecurities are brought up in a style that bring out a softer side to the sassy , mercenary female child shown in the first time of year . One of these insecurity is her intelligence agency , especially compared to Seth ’s . Summer worries about Seth being around smart young lady and choosing to be with them rather . summertime initially be after to wait on a college close to Brown University , where Seth is going , but notice sheissmart ! With confidence in her power to get in , she exercise hard . Her acceptance to Brown is anadded and necessary layer to the quality , showing the growth and deepness that was lacking in earlier episodes .

1Marissa’s Death

Season 3, Episode 25, “The Graduates”

Marissa ’s death is by far the most memorable consequence in the show , defining the character ' life and plot of land origin for the season that would follow . An disordered and inebriated Volchok strike the railroad car Ryan and Marissa are driving to the airport as she ’s about to embark on life after commencement . The car then starts to tack over and Marissa ends up dying in Ryan ’s weapon system . It was a conclusion theproducers ofThe O.C.have express regret over . While much of season four travel along her female parent and friends as they try their best to cope and move past her death , The O.C.was never fully the same after Marissa ’s passing .

Defining Moments In The OC

Ryan, Seth and Marissa At Model Home

Ryan carrying Marissa

Seth Anna and Summer love triangle

Summer and Seth standing in front of a banner and balloons at school on The O.C.

Atomic County meeting

Caleb death in the O.C.

Summer getting into Brown

The O.C.