Second Coming Of The O.C.

It’s an old cliché but you really don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. When The O.C. stormed our screens 4 years ago, its debut season pulled in an unerring amount of teens, but even for those older TV fanatics it became a guilty secret. As the seasons wore on, ratings stared to falter, and when Mischa Barton chose to leave the show you could tell the end was in sight. With its last few breaths, The O.C. stuttered to 16 episodes of a fourth season before Fox cancelled the series, leaving a tear in the eyes of fans.

But you can’t help but feel, each tear was tinged with a hint of hypocrisy. From the very start of season 2, disappointment reigned high after the wonder debut run, and fans were more than vocal in their protest. Calling for creator Josh Schwartz to revert to the high octane action of season 1, viewers were not happy with the slower, more heartfelt approach to latter seasons. The benefits instead are paying off now.

With a lack of new alternative, and UK channel E4’s late night O.C. spot, I found myself returning to the sun soaked shores for more of the power four. I even strummed up a liking for Taylor.

While when it first hit screens, The O.C.’s latter sentimental pace did little for adrenaline junkies, I though was unwittingly growing an even stronger affection for this bunch of troubled characters, and realise now that for different reasons, seasons 2, 3 and 4 deserve just as much credit as the premiere batch that made its name.