R.I.P "The O.C"

It was announced last week, that the show, "The O.C", has been cancelled after four seasons. Of course, no one was watching. The show debuted in August of 2003 and became what critics called "a phenomenon," although I don't remember it being that big. I didn't get into the show until the second season. I wanted to see what all the brouhaha was about. I was immediately sucked into the convoluted storylines, the witty dialogue, the character of Seth Cohen who was a total geek but had the best pop culture zingers, and the music. "The O.C" became a platform for emerging indie bands. I discovered a lot of great bands in the past few years. I had never seen the first season until a year ago when I decided to rent it and catch up. I was blown away. I must've watched 14 episodes in a row. It was like crack. Ryan's (Benjamin McKenzie) broodiness, Kirstin and Sandy Cohen, the coolest and most understanding parents ever, and Seth finally getting the girl of his dreams, the out of his league Summer Roberts. I always marveled at the high school portrayed. It had a full-service coffee bar. My high school had a place called The Hole in the Wall which was exactly what it sounds like. It sold candy bars not lattes. The second and third seasons took quick dives. They developed a plotline in season 2 having Mischa Barton's character, Marissa, become a lesbian for four episodes to increase ratings. Marissa comes to her senses and the characters never speak of it again. The producers decided to kill her off last season, and it actually worked in favor of the show. Season 4 has seen a resurgence with more compelling storylines, but it hasn't been enough to save the show.

I've spent quite a bit of time in the real O.C. It's absolutely stunning. Newport Beach. Huntington Beach. Laguna Beach. Breathtaking views. Orange County is ten times better than L.A. I have a good friend who lives in Tustin and I visited her last year. She lives within five miles of the grand Pacific. Lucky her. The O.C also hosts one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. One of my fave lines from "Arrested Development" (another brilliant axed show from Fox) is when Gob and I think Buster refer to Orange County as The O.C and Michael immediately corrects them: "Don't call it that." An ode to a pop culture phenom. I wonder what will happen to "Ryan" and "Seth." Will there be life for them after "The O.C"? "Ryan" showed promise in the film Junebug. "Seth" will probably be pigeonholed. It's probably in the show's best interest to end now because he and "Summer" were a couple in real life until a month ago. Goodbye, "The O.C." You've wasted so much of my time. Don't be ashamed. Go ahead, watch some of tv's best soap.