Although The O.C. is fun to binge for the nostalgia and memories, some fans have a really difficult time getting through season 3 as there were many storylines there that they hated. Airing on Fox between 2003 and 2007, The O.C. initially followed the life of troubled teen Ryan Atwood, who struggled to adjust to life in Newport Beach after he was adopted by the wealthy Cohen family. However, after he began to form strong bonds with his foster brother, Seth, his neighbor, Marissa, and her best friend, Summer, the writers then began to explore the lives of other families and characters.
This was one of the reasons why the first two seasons were great; not only did fans love how The O.C writers built up the relationship between Seth and Summer and Ryan and Marissa’s, but they were also enthralled with the intense rivalry that occurred between Sandy Cohen and his father-in-law, Caleb Nichols. The O.C. writers also made sure that each of the storylines was relatable for viewers as it discussed several social and political issues (such as the disparity of wealth, mental health, and substance misuse). Unfortunately, the writers decided to abandon this successful plan for season 3 in favor of other creative choices.
The OC Season 3 Had Way Too Many Unnecessary New Characters
With season 2 ending on a huge cliffhanger, fans were looking forward to season 3 as they were intrigued about how Marissa shooting Trey would impact the core four’s dynamics. Given that both Marissa and Ryan and Seth and Summer had just gotten back together, there were high hopes that season 3 would see the two couples work on their communication issues and help each other through the toughest of times. There was also a hope that the writers would show the characters had matured and wouldn’t make the same mistakes they did in the past.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. While Seth and Summer’s relationship showed some progress, Ryan and Marissa’s relationship suffered a lot as the writers brought in several new love interests (such as Cam Gigandet’s Volchok, Ryan Donowho’s Johnny, Nikki Reed’s Sadie, and, once again, Navi Rawat’s Theresa). Other than causing conflict in Ryan and Marissa’s relationship, these characters didn’t get much character development, which made it harder for viewers to connect with them. It was also frustrating that Theresa was only brought back for a brief stint since The O.C writers never confirmed whether Ryan was the father of her baby. There was a lot of potential that ended up being wasted.
The OC Season 4 Is Better (Even Though It Killed Marissa)
Although season 3 didn’t get much better when The O.C. writers decided to kill off Marissa Cooper instead of just letting her leave for college, this shocking twist did end up helping season 4 in the long run. As Marissa was a core part of everyone’s lives, the viewers did see their characters change dramatically (Ryan and Marissa’s mother, Julie, put aside their differences as they grieved and Summer went on a journey of self-discovery).
The viewers also saw a refreshing change as new dynamics were created, such as Ryan and Taylor, Summer and Taylor, and Summer and Ché. It might not have recaptured the magic from season 1 and 2, but the mature and gritty tone they took with season 4 was a lot better than the dramatic and overstuffed storylines of season 3.
