Friday, February 23, 2007

The End's Not Near It's Here

From left to right - Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reeser), Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher), Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson), Seth Cohen (Adam Brody). Front - Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan)

I am utterly bereft - the last ever episode of The OC played last night and now I can no longer spend my Thurday evenings ironing in front of a dramatised Jackie Collins with 90210 undertones novel. There have been very few shows that I've watched from the start but The OC is one of them. I can even remember sitting in our first house in Phoenix watching the very first episode and thinking "That Ryan Atwood is hot!" And so yes I was totally sucked in to the dramatic lives of the rich kids of Newport: urging the kid from the wrong side of the tracks, Ryan, to keep his head in the heady, shallow world of the uber wealthy after the Cohens adopt him; watching Seth grow from a totally awkward high schooler to an only slightly less awkward graduate; pretending to be surprised but succombing to the inevitable of Seth and Summer's relationship; completely enthralled at Marissa's lesbian relationship with the totally sexy Olivia Wilde (who's busy living her own M&B storyline in real life, married to the Italian prince, Tao Ruspoli, son of Dado Ruspoli); not wholly disappointed when Marissa was killed at the end of season three (I always felt her character a little lacking) and pleasantly enraptured when Ryan and Taylor Townsend hooked up. It was thanks to The OC that I learned Peter Gallagher has a lovely, crooning singing voice which resulted in me buying 7 Days in Memphis and totally playing Still I Long For Your Kiss and Leave Right Now to death. The often ironic, self mocking tone lent itself easily to iconic quotes and a cult-like status amongst its fans for the constant references that ran beneath the norm of mainstream popular culture, particularly in the realm of music and literature. The final episode was a suitably fitting end to a four year run, tying up all the loose ends, providing hope and promise of goodwill continuing as we are catipulted forward in time and watching snapshots of happy ever after, witnessing the circle of life in Ryan's final words, "Hey kid. Need help?"

No comments: