Welcome To The OC Bitch!!

When you find yourself entering a spell of morose boredom in life, part of you screams out for the good old days, and a slice of the youth and naivety that you once were immersed in. For me, the sunlit wistful days spent at sixth form college signify this dreamy time, when money, work and social ties held no weight. Setting the backdrop to all this freewheelin' attitude were regular viewings of the popular teen drama, The OC; a show that seemed to encapsulate the feeling of being young and living life to the fullest, despite all the issues and troubles that come along. Having recently found myself in a rather dull patch, 4 years on from the twinkle of sixth form, I decided to grab hold of my lost spirit and set about re-watching the whole four series of the show. This was hugely beneficial, not only for rekindling forgotten memories, but also for discovering new elements of the twisting stories and off centre dilemmas that the characters face.
If you are unfamiliar with the show, the general overarching premise is this: Ryan Atwood, a rough-around -the-edges kid from a broken home in Chino is rescued from prison by the moralistic public defender Sandy Cohen, and taken to his family home in Newport Beach. Here, Ryan must learn to adjust to glamorous Newport living, but quickly finds himself up against judgemental 'rich kids', such as Luke, the cheesy-on-the-outside water polo playing boyfriend of the girl next door, Marrissa; who Ryan quickly falls for. As the series ensues, Ryan and Marrissa's relationship develops, despite the odds, and Ryan's influence changes the lives of those around him, including Sandy's geeky son, and Ryan's new best friend, Seth.
Remarkably, this premise doesn't get dull, and the writing team behind the drama never fail to surprise the viewer with fresh twists and turns of plot throughout, without pretension. The other winning quality to the show is the use of counter culture references and, more importantly, music. Over the course of 4 seasons, a vast mix of genres and styles of music are omitted to the viewer; some mainstream, but mostly alternative band's and artists are chosen simply for their more organic link to the show. For example, signature band's such as Death Cab For Cutie, Rooney, Jem, Imogen Heap and Modest Mouse, not only feature heavily on the soundtrack, but in some cases actually appear on the show itself. Although this may not be a unique aspect in television dramas, The OC was the only show at the time showcasing these particularly great and inspirational band's music.The other crafty use of music in the show is how a particular song attaches itself to a specific scene; as if the song is telling the story. This happens throughout the running of the show, and has tremendous effect. Like when Marrissa shoots Ryan's brother Trey to the theme of Imogen Heap's 'Hide And Seek' at the end of series 2, or The Beastie Boys' 'Ch-Check It Out' when the group head to Vegas in series 1. Another example could be the use of Radiohead's 'Like Spinning Plates' to symbolise Ryan's tortured mental state following the earthquake towards the end of season 4. But one of the most effective moments has to be in series 1 when Ryan carries Marrissa to his beach house room to Mazzy Star's 'Into Dust'; a moment later repeated in the series, and at the end of series 3, at her death.
Naturally, as a popular serial continues, the writing becomes more and more difficult and the tangential story lines and relationships between the array of characters start to appear more diverse and unbelievable. As this was looking imminent towards the end of series 3, the writers took the decision to 'kill off' Marrissa in the season finale. Even though this may have been a bold move, the resulting fourth series had the weight of a major character aftermath to contend with, and as a result came across as shabby. Unfortunately, due to this poor judgement, and the downward spiral in ratings, the show was forced to cancel mid season. This forced the writers to draw the entire sprawling story to an abrupt close, leading to ridiculous occurrences and ramshackle plot twists, providing a shoddy closing feel. The writers disdain can be felt running through the final series, and in some cases an off the cuff reference is made, even the odd snarky gag. For this reason alone, one can't help but feel sorry for the show, and also respect the cheeky charm wrapped up in its demise.
If like me, and you loved The OC, and you have enough time on your hands, then I strongly suggest re-immersing yourself in its magic, and the glimmered glamour of Newport Bay. However, if you've never seen The OC then I strongly suggest watching it anyway, because even if you find it cheesy and dull, it will definitely warm you. And who knows, you may even discover your new favourite band along the way.
The OC was, and will always be one of those shows that existed at a certain time, and for that reason raises doubts as to whether it will ever return. Personally I believe that the characters have run their course, and to squeeze any more quirky plots out of them would be wrong and unnecessary. But who knows, maybe a one off holiday special might be on the cards, after all, it would be a Christmukka miracle.....
In honour of the fine music and memories from The OC, I have thrown together a Spotify play list containing tracks featured in all four series', Welcome To The OC Bitch. Check it out and join me in the glorious reminiscing. So, for the repeat viewer, I leave you withOC bitch, this is how it's done in Orange County!".