"The O.C.": Where do we go from here?

Warning: If you haven’t yet seen the season finale of “The O.C.,” stop reading now.


I warned you about the “Hallelujah” song, didn’t I? And yes, I can’t get it out of my head either.

Even if all the press hadn’t already told us who was going to die, it was fairly obvious from the beginning. The dead meat stench around Marissa was pretty strong, although part of me did wonder if the stench was coming from Ryan.

I totally agree with Marissa leaving the show, which is probably why I didn’t cry. The writers had completely written her into a corner with the drinking, the coke snorting and the rotten boyfriend. But why did she have to die (and without telling Ryan she still loved him?)? The tabloids would tell you that Mischa Barton had become too difficult and wanted out, so maybe the show was looking for a permanent exit. If they did it for the shock value, they should have shared that with the FOX promo department who completely gave it away. Personally, I would have been okay with her just sailing off into the sunset.

So where does the show go from here? Honestly, I’m not sure it should have gone anywhere. Because last night’s episode was wrapping up the storyline of the fab four, it felt like a series finale. Maybe that’s what it should have been.

It was nice to see all the allusions to the first season: the model home, Ryan carrying Marissa, even that song. I especially loved Ryan saying the only thing he would have done differently was Oliver, which many people consider to be the character that started the show’s downhill slide. An early trademark of the show was that it never took itself too seriously. It was nice to see that back, if only for a moment.

I have a feeling we won’t get the answer to why Marissa died until next season when we see what the show has planned for who’s left. If the show returns to its former glory, I’ll be okay with new characters (although Caitlyn is way more annoying than Marissa ever was). But with the stiff competition it will face from the other networks, I have a feeling that this is it for “The O.C.” I would have liked for Marissa to be around for that.

“…and every breath you drew was hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah…”