A little less than 13 years ago, a brand new teen drama premiered on Fox. It lasted almost a full four years and managed to captivate the teen audience of the early 2000s. Many current young adults never had the experience of watching or even hearing about "The O.C." during this time, due to their young age. I, however, had my first encounter with the show when my older sibling viewed it during the height of its broadcasting. I later watched the entire series in 2010 when I was about 13. I immediately fell in love with the characters, the story line and overall just the display of lifestyle the show gave off to viewers.
Many of my peers aren't familiar with the show, and honestly, it breaks my heart. At times, I admit the program can be over the top, and some of the dialogue or actions unneeded, but the show, as a whole, has stood the test of time. Many of the themes are still relevant today, and I truly believe if the show has premiered now, as opposed to 2003, it would still be the hit it was. Here are some reasons why the millennials of today should check out this amazing show.
1. Music
Whether you know it or not, "The O.C." introduced us to some very important artists who are still relevant today. The Killers and Death Cab for Cutie all had music that was showcased on the show and brought them into the limelight. Even Coldplay premiered their popular song "Fix You" on "The O.C." for the first time. Music was a huge part of the show and one of the large reasons why there are many memorable moments.
2. Parents
Unlike a lot of teen shows, the parents play a huge part in the show and storyline in "The O.C." In fact, without Sandy Cohen bringing Ryan Atwood home with him to Newport, we wouldn't have the inciting incident that sets the show into motion. Not only are all of the parents on the show involved in the lives of their children, but they, too, have their own subplots that make the show more interesting to watch.
3. Seth Cohen
For those of you who are fans of the current MTV series "Teen Wolf," Seth Cohen is the original Stiles Stilinski. It goes without saying that Seth brings comedy to the show, and manages to entice the audience with his one-liners and sarcasm. He's what made the show lighthearted in moments where it feels overwhelming with drama. Not to mention, he also combined Christmas and Hanukkah to give us Chrismukkah.
4. Guest Stars
Before they had breakthrough roles that introduced them to the mainstream world, many stars, such as Shailene Woodley, Chris Pratt, Olivia Wilde and Paul Wesley, all had reoccurring roles on the show.
5. Issues
Throughout its four seasons, "The O.C." dealt with many problems and issues, such as sexuality, alcoholism, mental health and domestic abuse. Just like most shows, they can be overdramatized at times, but they brought these issues to the spotlight because at this time, a lot of people were too scared to talk about them.
6. Friendship
The main teens focused on in the series, Ryan Atwood, Marissa Cooper, Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts, all go through ups and downs over the years. However, they still manage to encompass this strong friendship through all of the problems surrounding them, always managing to be there for one another. They make mistakes like any group of friends do, but somehow, they still have this tight bond that makes you desperately want that for yourself.
7. Summer Roberts
Besides Seth, Summer has to be one of my favorite characters to ever be on TV. Throughout the course of four seasons, we see Summer change and grow into a mature, strong, young adult. We see her start out as this popular girl, but we end up liking her more as we see her true colors and the person she becomes. She has probably the strongest character development on any TV show I've seen, even in recent years.
8. Romance
Of course, the heart of most teen dramas is the romance – who's with who, who dumped who. At times, it may feel cliche, but I can promise you'll soon be invested in these relationships. The bond between Seth and Summer, specifically, would have anyone hanging on the edge of their seat concerned with their future. However, not everything is perfect all the time in these relationships, just as it would be in real life.
"The O.C." is a very entertaining program that truly is worth watching, whether you're hesitant or not, I would suggest just giving it a chance. Soon enough, you'll be hooked, and I'm really not sorry about that.
