The O.C. Season 1

On TV: 2003-2004

Watched on DVD boxset: Monday 28th November-Thursday 8th December 2011

Episode Type: Episodes 1-27 at about 45 minute duration (or about 20 hours worth)

In 1 Sentence: High drama with high stakes and characters that keep you hooked...

A Summary: The residents of Newport beach are rocked by the arrival of Ryan, a “troubled teen from the wrong side of the tracks” who is taken in by Sandy Cohen, a state lawyer. He is thrust into the world of the wealthy harbor-front community which "will forever change the lives of the residents". Sandy’s wife, Kirsten is less than pleased at the news but their son Seth is excited to have a new, cooler brother, who introduces him to the ‘inside’ of Orange County’s world where Seth finally gets to talk to the girl of his dreams, Summer. The Cohen’s live next door to the Cooper’s whose daughter Marissa is intrigued by Ryan, despite her long-term boyfriend. 

My Review: As a huge fan of Gossip Girl and being a teenage girl I was fairly sure I was going to like The O.C. - and I wasn’t disappointed! 

Each episode has high drama and intense emotions. It is essentially a soap but shot beautifully in California, starring young, gorgeous, wealthy characters. What’s best about the show though, despite it’s melodramatic tendencies, is that every single character, now matter how ‘minor’, has their own stories and layers. 

Summer, for instance, began the season as just Marissa’s bitchy best friend and soon blossoms into something much more intricate. The relationship between Seth and Summer is absolutely adorable and definitely kept me hooked, more so than Marissa and Ryan as I felt their chemistry was a little stiff to be honest. 

Another great point about The O.C. is that it doesn’t just focus on the teenagers but also their parents, which believe me isn’t as boring as it sounds. There is as much back-stabbing, betrayals and secrets as there are in their children’s lives!

Boy, the amount of drama that goes on in just one season - let’s just say I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Score: 9.5/10