Last year’s season finale of “The OC” left audiences wondering, what now? With Marissa dead and Summer off at college, how can the show go on without the gang still together? Creator Josh Schwartz proves there is still a little gas in the engine that drives these Cali kids.
The first season was spectacular, the second and third seasons were overdramatic and under par. Now “The OC” returns as a fairly witty and appealing show. The season four opener does bring some respect back from the melodrama of last year.
The first half of the premiere opens a little tried. The once-lovable Ryan is now working in a shady bar, completely shutting out the Cohen family. Summer is at college protesting for chicken rights. Julie Cooper-Nichol is floating through life on booze and pills. The only character that didn’t take a corny, daytime-drama transformation is Seth.
Ryan is trying to forget his past with Marissa and Seth. He throws himself into an underground boxing ring just to get beat up. He’s reverting to his self-destructive, season-one personality. Summer is now “post-ironic.” She’s embracing life without Seth, hanging out with the liberal college kids. Come on, the whole “hippies in college” was cliché back in the 80s. With all the sappy, overused character action, what’s next? Are we going to see Kristen making out with a little person? Thankfully, the melodrama stops before going that far.
The first half was bad. However, the show did return to that OC we all love and talk about. Seth and company show Ryan how much he is loved. Seth and Summer reunite somewhat awkwardly, but it was still the good Seth-Summer dialogue we love. And some new faces come forward, opening up some nice possibilities for the future.
A lot of questions arise after the show. Is Ryan going to turn sensitive again or maintain his gruffness while avenging Marissa’s death? Is Summer going to fly home every episode? Is the new generation of Newport kids going to eventually push out our old favorites?
Hopefully, future episodes will answer these questions, tone down the overused drama and keep us coming back for more of what we love.
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‘The OC’ returns to addict viewers tonight
Daily Emerald
November 1, 2006
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