The End Of An Era: "The OC" Comes To A Close

Story of my life, guys.

It’s fitting, really. The OC began my freshman year. It is, in part, how my girlfriend and I started getting friendly. My roommate and I hosted weekly “OC parties” and a dozen of us ooh’d and ahh’d as Seth mustered up the courage to talk to Summer and Ryan learned to fit in at Harbor. When Anna left the show, it was a fucking tragedy; when Marissa was knocked off in the finale of season three, it was just anti-climactic. Seth and his indie-rock fascination (perceptive fans of the show may remember that he spent the show’s first few episodes with classic punk posters on his walls which were randomly replaced with Death Cab and Ben Folds — thus helping to make the world safe for the rise of indie-rock as a valid mainstream genre, not to mention predating Garden State) brought bands like the Thrills and Modest Mouse to national television audiences, and sure, the Killers played too, but whatevs.

Anyway, gang, like it or not, the show made an impact on the pop culture landscape — and the underground one as well. That, and over the course of three* of its four seasons, it was gripping, funny, dramatic television, a show that made liking sissy-boy indie-rock (ever see Les Savy Fav on The OC? I didn’t think so), comic books and being Jewish the coolest thing in the world. At least until Laguna Beach ruined everything. Seth and Summer and Ryan and Marissa and Taylor and the whole crew were my pals all through college, and when I graduate in a few months, I will miss them.

Death Cab For Cutie – “A Lack of Color”: mp3
Is this Seth’s favorite DCFC song? It’s definitely mine.

The Thrills – “Not For All The Love In The World”: mp3
Don’t look at me, I just like the Thrills. They put on an epic Bait Shop performance.

Nada Surf – “If You Leave”: mp3
Man, remember when Seth ran into the airport and Anna was going through the gate and he pleaded with her to stay because he needed her “sage wisdom” and then at the end of the episode, he was rhapsodizing about her maybe being the one *sigh*, but hey, he said with all that glorious Cohen humor — he still had Summer? Pretty much amazing, yeah.

Phantom Planet – “California”: mp3
In an endless string of songs titled after the state where I live, this is the best**. An anthem for rich white kids who own surfboards but don’t actually surf.

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The fab five (plus one), for posterity:

See, I wear clothes like this! Dude is a hero!

“I named the boat after you, okay?!?!”

Look at him brood. Incredible.

Awful character, total babe.

Ryan and Taylor, together at last? I’m okay with that.

In all fairness, Seth and Summer were a more interesting pair, but I wish Anna had been on the show a bit longer.

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But hey, The Office is on tonight. Huzzah.

*Season 3 is a fucking mess, even though Seth still has awesome one-liners.

**Joni Mitchell’s “California” being a little better, but who’s counting?