"The O.C." Moment: Ryan and Taylor's First Kiss

When I first heard the rumors over the summer that “The O.C.” might be planning a Ryan-Taylor romance, I was horrified. After all, Taylor was neurotic, annoying and totally wrong for our brooding hunk.

But in one moment, the show totally made me realize how wrong I was…

Taylor Townsend was first introduced to us in season three as Marissa’s chief rival at Harbor. But her character later evolved into a bit of a leech, sucking every ounce of attention she could from Seth, Summer, Ryan and Marissa, since she got very little attention from her snobby mother at home.

When this season began, Taylor was hiding from her mother, who thought she was in France. Apparently, Taylor had married a Frenchman after he told her he loved her. But when she realized she couldn’t spend the rest of her life with someone she didn’t love, she came back home. However, Henri-Michel wasn’t going to give up so easily, sending his lawyer to bring her back.

Knowing that she didn’t have the will power to say no, Taylor asked the only friend available to go with her—Ryan. When the lawyer told Taylor that the only way Henri would grant a divorce was if she had been unfaithful, Taylor lied and said that she and Ryan were lovers. After Ryan discovered what Taylor had done, he told her she was on her own. But when Sandy reminded Ryan that he was all about saving people, Ryan ran off to save Taylor.

When Ryan arrived at the restaurant, Taylor was in tears, telling the lawyer that she didn’t love Henri-Michel. In a classic “O.C.” moment, Ryan ran to her, apologized for being late, and gave her a passionate kiss. The lawyer said he knew love when he saw it and would tell Henri-Michel. Ryan just walked away, but Taylor was left in a lovestruck daze…

Although not every moment of their relationship has totally made sense, it’s been nice to see Ryan in a happier place instead of all of the gloom and doom he was forced to go through with Marissa. I really hope they get a happy ending…

“The O.C.” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FOX…