Why was the o.c. season 4 so bad

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Joshua Spaulding

5.0 out of 5 starsThe end's not near, it's here

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 26, 2007

With the death of Marissa Cooper bringing to an end the third season of The O.C., things certainly had to swing upward with the start of the fourth season. While the first few episodes of what turned out to be the final season of this addictive primetime soap opera were a little sluggish, the rest of the season was a return to the glory of season one, albeit a little too late to salvage the show.Coming into season four, it was likely that this would be the last season for the show, one of my favorites and midway through the season it was announced that the show would conclude after 16 episodes. The announcement did give creator Josh Schwartz enough time to pen a great ending, one that wrapped the series up in a nice bow and presented it to the fans who had been with the show since day one.But starting the season was tough, as it was six months after Marissa was killed in a traffic accident caused by bad boy Volchok. Ryan (Ben McKenzie) is still traumatized over the death of the girl who had changed his life, and as we open the season, he is working in a seedy bar and cage fighting. But, he has connections with Marissa's mom, Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke), who reaches out to him when her private investigator finds out where Volchok is located.Ryan's distance is hard on Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan), as they struggle with watching their adopted "son" fall on hard times. In the first few episodes, Ryan is finally convinced to come home to Newport Beach and begin mending his life and his heart.The early part of the season takes viewers on a trip to Mexico as Ryan and Seth (Adam Brody) look for Volchok south of the border. Sandy and Kirsten follow and eventually, Volchok turns himself in, with Sandy's help, keeping Ryan from going off the deep end and killing him as he truly wanted to do. Sandy's act not only helps Volchok, but helps Ryan stay out of trouble and on the right side of the law.From there, the season picks up and returns to the soapy drama and humor that made it such a hit in the first season. This season truly found the groove again, thanks in part to a great casting move, one that anybody watching season three would've found hard to believe.The show runners brought in Taylor Townsend (the gorgeous Autumn Reeser) in season three, seemingly as a foil for the main characters. While she was only a guest star during that season, the new season finds her among the regular stars in the opening credits and her addition to the full time cast was a blessing. She truly brought a lot of the humor that the show needed. Taylor has been away in France in college for the six months since graduation and returns to California with a wedding ring and a need to escape her French husband, Henri-Michel. She finds her reason in Ryan, though their relationship takes some great twists and turns along the way. Ryan trying to express his feelings for Taylor is pretty funny and when Henri-Michel comes to Newport to woo Taylor back to France, it becomes obvious that he has feelings for her even if he can't completely express them.The relationship with Taylor is Ryan's main story throughout the season, as he is still having a hard time letting go of the memory of Marissa and can't commit to Taylor the way she wants. Watching him struggle to figure out what he is feeling provides a good dose of humor.Summer (the beautiful Rachel Bilson) has spent her first semester at Brown University where she has undergone major changes. Instead of the Newport girl that left Seth, she is now an environmental activist, wreaking havoc on the Rhode Island campus with her new friend Che (guest star Chris Pratt, who is hilarious in this role). When she gets kicked out of school for setting rabbits free from their cages, she returns to Newport and has to face the fact that her best friend is gone, something she had been putting on a back page during her activist stage.Seth is working in a comic book store, leaving long messages on Summer's answering machine, longing for the days when he had Ryan and Summer to keep him company in Newport. He soon gets both of them back and things seem to return to "normal" for Seth despite the fact that Summer has obviously changed.Julie and Kirsten continue as business partners in New Match, a high-end dating service that Julie turns into a male prostitution ring, temporarily ruining her friendship with Kirsten. It is through this business that Julie meets Gordon Bullitt (guest star Gary Grubbs) and Ryan's father, Frank Atwood (guest star Kevin Sorbo). Unable to decide, Julie dates both men, unable to make a choice in her life, despite the best efforts of her daughter Kaitlin (Willa Holland) to get her to choose the wealthy Bullitt.The return of Ryan's father also brings trouble, much like the return of his mother and brother in previous seasons. Frank has been in jail and initially, Ryan wants nothing to do with him, but Frank lies to get Ryan to see him and the two slowly begin to mend the fences that came down quickly in the past. Ryan even helps Frank on the Julie front, teaming with Taylor to form "Team Frank."Sandy and Kirsten get a major surprise on Kirsten's 40th birthday, as she reveals she is pregnant and instead of having an empty nest, the couple will be welcoming a new baby, though both parents cringe at the thought of raising another kid in Newport.Perhaps the highlight of the season was the Chrismukkah episode, where Ryan and Taylor fall off a ladder and end up in an alternate Newport, where Sandy is mayor and married to Julie, Kirsten is still working at the Newport Group and married to Jimmy Cooper (guest star Tate Donovan), Seth is still a geek and Summer is marrying Che (or Chester as he's known in the alternate world). This episode allowed the stars to play different characters for a while and was pretty funny to watch.The final few episodes wrap the series up very nicely. An earthquake rattles Orange County, putting everyone in danger and it is revealed that the Cohen house has been destroyed. This leads Ryan and Seth on a mission to Berkeley to try and purchase Sandy and Kirsten's first house even as a pregnant (with Frank's kid) Julie prepares to marry Bullitt (and yes, he knows). Sandy and Kirsten fly to Berkeley and end up having the baby in their old house, prompting Julie and Bullitt to move the wedding there as well, eventually convincing the new owners to sell the house to Sandy and Kirsten.The final few minutes glimpses into the future of the characters, looking at what Ryan, Summer, Seth, Sandy, Kirsten, Julie, Kaitlin and the whole group is up to. It is a great way to end, with everyone seemingly in a good place, just where you might hope they'd be.This set also has some good extras, which add to the release. Schwartz provides commentary on the series finale and it is well done and informative. There is a couple of good featurettes, one on the creation of Seth's holiday blend, Chrismukkah and another on the evolution of the Summer character, focusing on her transformation from Newport Barbie to well-rounded young woman. Her character did go through possibly the most changes throughout the four-year history of the show.

All told, the season wrapped up well, surely leaving viewers pleased and as a big fan of the show, I think this DVD set did a great job presenting the final 16 episodes.

What did we think about the final season of this witty teen soap?

The forth and last season of The O.C. includes 16 Episodes. To see music featured during this season, see Season 4 Music . Julie’s, Ryan’s and Summer’s struggle to move on, after Marissa’s death. Julie and Kirsten, continue to manage their dating agency, but at some point, problems will arise, with the management of it.

Due to a combination of low ratings and the death of Marissa in season three, it was rumored that the show would not return for a fifth season. In June 2006, Fox confirmed that “the current order for The O.C. is 16 episodes”, but added that there was a chance to add more installments.

Summer realizes her new personality is just a new way of coping with Marissa’s death, and Seth continues to support her. Ryan helps Taylor legalize her divorce. Meanwhile, Julie and Kaitlin attempt to stay out of trouble.

The O.C. turned the central actors into superstars in the mid-2000s. The series was also well-received by viewers for the topics it focused on such as social class, drug addiction, anxiety, homophobia, and grief, among many others. After a tumultuous third season, The O.C. seemed to get back on track with season 4.

Why was the O.C. cancelled?

Despite the hope for the future of the show, Fox announced in January 2007 that the current season would be the last. The main reason behind The O.C. ‘s cancellation was the low ratings.

In The O.C .’s season 3 finale, Marissa was killed, ending Barton’s time on the series. This turned away a lot of loyal viewers who felt that the storyline was too dramatic. It was clear that Fox was already losing hope in the series considering they ordered a shortened season 4.

The debut season of The O.C. did very well for Fox, averaging around 9.7 million viewers per episode. The numbers held steady even though the timeslot was switched from Tuesday to Wednesday. Season 2 featured another timeslot change, this time to Thursday nights, going up against popular series such as Survivor and Will & Grace.

There were last-ditch efforts from viewers to save The O.C. with a petition that nearly reached 750,000 signatures. The CW also briefly considered taking on the series as part of their programming slate but they ultimately decided against the idea.

Ryan, Seth, Marissa (Mischa Barton), and Summer (Rachel Bilson) were the central characters of the series as they tackled the final years of high school. The O.C. turned the central actors into superstars in the mid-2000s.

When The O.C. began, it centered on a troubled teen, Ryan Atwood ( Benjamin McKenzie ), who had very few options at finding a stable home life. Ryan was then adopted by Sandy (Peter Gallagher) and Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan), a wealthy couple who had a teenage son of their own, Seth (Adam Brody).

Schwartz was able to take a step back and get back to the more comedic elements that made the early seasons well-received. By that point, even the cast knew the end was near. Even though The O.C. was cancelled, Fox allowed Schwartz to carry out the previously ordered episodes as he wanted.

When did the O.C. season 4 come out?

The season was released on DVD as a five-disc boxed set under the title The O.C.: The Complete Fourth Season on May 22, 2007 by Warner Bros. Home Video. The season was also made available in the American versions of Zune and iTunes Store. Before the season premiered on television, it was available through on demand streaming.

On January 3, 2007, Fox announced that The O.C. was to be cancelled. In a statement, Schwartz said “This feels like the best time to bring the show to its close” adding that “what better time to go out than creatively on top”.

The O.C ‘ s final season aired Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET in the United States on Fox, a terrestrial television network. Fox tested a new timeslot by airing the second episode on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET against ABC ‘s Lost and CBS ‘s Criminal Minds. With Lost about to enter a three-month hiatus, Fox hoped that changing the timeslot for The O.C.

What is the O.C. story?

The O.C. is a story of father/son and husband/wife relationships and the coming of age of three young people. When Ryan Atwood, a tough, guarded fiercely intelligent teenager, plunges headlong into the wealthy, privileged community of Newport Beach, he soon discovers that the ruling families of Orange County are every bit as territorial as the tough crowd with which he ran on the streets of Chino. For Sandy Cohen, the patient, pro-bono public defender who takes Ryan in; his wife, Kirsten, the linchpin of O.C. society; their awkward adolescent son, Seth – Ryan’s presence will forever change their lives. Meanwhile, Marissa Cooper, the heartbreakingly beautiful girl next door who is dating her classmate Luke Ward, seems to glide through life effortlessly–that is, until the indiscretions of her wealthy father, Jimmy threaten to break her world apart, along with that of her mother, Julie.

is a strange TV show, in that it went from debuting as a huge pop culture phenomenon, whose impact and influence were widespread, to cancelled, all in less then four years.

What happens after the earthquake in The Outsiders?

After the earthquake, Ryan tells Seth he needs to get to the hospital, but doesn’t want to worry Taylor. An aftershock leaves Kirsten wondering if her unborn baby is still alive. Taylor takes control when Summer and she hear an intruder in their home. Kaitlin and Julie are trapped in an ice cream store.

Summer’s evolution into a hippie-girl on Brown and her getting expelled from Brown because of Ché. Kaitlin’s teenage-problems and friends. Sandy’s change’s job, going from manager of the Newport Group to public defender. The unexpected return of Ryan’s biological father, Frank Atwood.

Summer encourages Seth to find something he’s passionate about. Kirsten realizes what Newport’s society is all about. As the night comes to a close, an earthquake hits Newport Beach. After the earthquake, Ryan tells Seth he needs to get to the hospital, but doesn’t want to worry Taylor.

November 9, 2006. Volchok turns to Sandy for advice, without Ryan’s knowledge. Summer prepares to face life in Newport as she returns from Brown. Meanwhile, Julie finds herself alone on Thanksgiving when she is not welcome in the Cohen’s house.

Meanwhile, Julie, whom is now three months pregnant herself, is planning her upcoming wedding to Gordon Bullit, but Kaitlin realizes that she is not over Frank Atwood. Seth and Ryan visit the old house that Sandy and Kirsten lived in before there move to Newport Beach.

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