The O.C.

Having watched this entire series twice. Once when it aired back in 2003 and now in 2021, I can honestly say that they don't make shows like this anymore. The plot line is simple and at times predictable with high volumes of unnecessary drama. But it has a deep honestly rooted in realism. The characters and plot line actually feels real. This is one of those teen drama's that even after almost 20 years feels fresh.

It is at times corny, melodramatic, predictable, unbelievable as hell and sugar-coated. And yet? It works.

This show, which by all accounts should have been written off as a redo of good ole' Bev Niners, is funny, quirky and absolutely delightful. Somehow, over the first few episodes, it turned from being a guilty pleasure to just a genuine pleasure. This is largely due to the combined talents of Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Adam Brody and Ben McKenzie. They work as a family. They're funny. They're sweet. And somehow, Peter Gallagher is hot!

Adam Brody's ad-libs, Ben McK's baleful glances, Kelly Rowan's endearing nature and Peter Gallagher's eyebrows all add up to a fantastic hour of television that I await all week. The writing is quick, the acting (for the most part) is great and the in-jokes crack me up. Despite its silly premise, this show is pretty smart. And endearing. And really, really funny.

Would a public defender ever adopt his young client? No. Would ador(k)able, funny, smart Seth Cohen ever be considered unpopular? Probably not. Does Tate Donovan even look old enough to drink, let alone have a teenage daughter? Nah. My advice? Get over all that, sit back, and enjoy being entertained.

Cause this is how we do it in Orange County.

Have we seen this plot before? yes we have albeit not in a place this great looking and thats part of the charm of this fantastically addictive series. So many shows like this take place in a normal setting. This one defies the rules and showcases it in a very rich, very snobby like area full of interesting people.

There are several reasons why this show is great and successful

1. Seth Cohen is the most interesting character the show has to offer. Ya know it all started out with ryan who is the main character but after about 5 episodes it was clear who the real star is. No other character is as fleshed out and real as he is. and funny with his wisecracking demeanor. Seth has actually changed and become more real as the season went on. Most everyone else has stayed the same. Like ryan who hasn't showed any other kind of side or major insecurities, and he's still a hot head.

2. It doesn't try and shove morals down your throat. Just about every show in this vein out there tries to make every episode a "dont do this" episode, and its very refreshing. They present each episode as a day in their life and thats it.

3. Finally parents get their due. Seth's parents are not some stupid "john hughes" parents with little or no screen time and who's pets have bigger brains that they do. Instead they have a decent amount of screen time, fight, make up, and actually have a life that we see.

Is this show perfect . . . . no that would be unfair to say it is or expect it to be. Its fun, interesting, and is the most refreshing addition to the teen genre by far.

This is quite the cultural melting pot - and I'm not just talking about Chrismukkah. It's half soap opera, half teen drama, brought together in a fast-moving, wise-cracking, pop culture-referencing, blink-and-you've-missed-it comedy-drama in the 'Gilmore Girls' mold. Plus the soundtrack rightly spawned a good half dozen compilations.

And it really is a case of 'blink and you'll miss it' as the crazy merry-go-round of incestuous, will-they-won't-they relationships play out. By and large it's silly fluff with the occasional dark moment, but it's always entertaining. The characters are great, Adam Brody's Seth being the standout performance.

I actually missed this show completely when it first aired and am currently only on Season 2... so far, so good.

When my girlfriend told me she was going to start watching this show, I figured it would give me 60 minutes a week to myself. But when I actually watched part of the first or second episode, I was surprised to find myself starting to get drawn in.

Here's what I like about this show: First, the kids talk like kids (even if some of them look like adults!). I don't know about anyone else, but after Dawson's Creek and The Gilmore Girls, I find it refreshing to see a show about teenagers who have trouble expressing themselves instead of speaking in pithy, self-aware sound bites.

Second, this show does a believeable job of presenting the class issues involved in having a "poor kid" move in with a "rich family". Others have pointed out that it avoided the initial cliche by having the two teenage boys become friends, but later episodes have shown that in spite of their friendship and common interests (e.g. comic books), there are still deeper issues of class and sexuality that show how different their "worlds" really are.

And finally, I was surprised to see that the writers were actually able to make me care about the problems of the rich characters! (The adults, anyway). For too many nighttime soap operas, portraying the "problems of the rich" are just a way to get us "unwashed" types to sneer at the "problems" that money brings ("I wish I had those problems!"). In "The O.C.", the writers actually explore questions of money, class (again) and love in the various adult couples in a way that brings Jane Austen to mind; we can relate to the struggles the characters are going through even if their day-to-day lives are completely foreign from our own.

All in all, a surprisingly enjoyable TV soap opera that doesn't require you to check your entire brain at the door.