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"The O.C." More at IMDbPro »

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272 reviews in total

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317 out of 353 people found the following review useful:
Surprisingly good, 4 September 2003
Author: McGonigle from bean world, massachusetts

When my girlfriend told me she was going to start watching this show, I figured it would give me 60 minutes a week to myself. But when I actually watched part of the first or second episode, I was surprised to find myself starting to get drawn in.

Here's what I like about this show: First, the kids talk like kids (even if some of them look like adults!). I don't know about anyone else, but after Dawson's Creek and The Gilmore Girls, I find it refreshing to see a show about teenagers who have trouble expressing themselves instead of speaking in pithy, self-aware sound bites.

Second, this show does a believeable job of presenting the class issues involved in having a "poor kid" move in with a "rich family". Others have pointed out that it avoided the initial cliche by having the two teenage boys become friends, but later episodes have shown that in spite of their friendship and common interests (e.g. comic books), there are still deeper issues of class and sexuality that show how different their "worlds" really are.

And finally, I was surprised to see that the writers were actually able to make me care about the problems of the rich characters! (The adults, anyway). For too many nighttime soap operas, portraying the "problems of the rich" are just a way to get us "unwashed" types to sneer at the "problems" that money brings ("I wish I had those problems!"). In "The O.C.", the writers actually explore questions of money, class (again) and love in the various adult couples in a way that brings Jane Austen to mind; we can relate to the struggles the characters are going through even if their day-to-day lives are completely foreign from our own.

All in all, a surprisingly enjoyable TV soap opera that doesn't require you to check your entire brain at the door.

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239 out of 295 people found the following review useful:
Great characters make a great show, 7 October 2004
Author: dark_elf02 from United States

Have we seen this plot before? yes we have albeit not in a place this great looking and thats part of the charm of this fantastically addictive series. So many shows like this take place in a normal setting. This one defies the rules and showcases it in a very rich, very snobby like area full of interesting people.

There are several reasons why this show is great and successful

1. Seth Cohen is the most interesting character the show has to offer. Ya know it all started out with ryan who is the main character but after about 5 episodes it was clear who the real star is. No other character is as fleshed out and real as he is. and funny with his wisecracking demeanor. Seth has actually changed and become more real as the season went on. Most everyone else has stayed the same. Like ryan who hasn't showed any other kind of side or major insecurities, and he's still a hot head.

2. It doesn't try and shove morals down your throat. Just about every show in this vein out there tries to make every episode a "dont do this" episode, and its very refreshing. They present each episode as a day in their life and thats it.

3. Finally parents get their due. Seth's parents are not some stupid "john hughes" parents with little or no screen time and who's pets have bigger brains that they do. Instead they have a decent amount of screen time, fight, make up, and actually have a life that we see.

Is this show perfect . . . . no that would be unfair to say it is or expect it to be. Its fun, interesting, and is the most refreshing addition to the teen genre by far.

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218 out of 257 people found the following review useful:
Better than it ought to be, 20 November 2003
Author: eirefaerie from Texas

It is at times corny, melodramatic, predictable, unbelievable as hell and sugar-coated. And yet? It works.

This show, which by all accounts should have been written off as a redo of good ole' Bev Niners, is funny, quirky and absolutely delightful. Somehow, over the first few episodes, it turned from being a guilty pleasure to just a genuine pleasure. This is largely due to the combined talents of Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Adam Brody and Ben McKenzie. They work as a family. They're funny. They're sweet. And somehow, Peter Gallagher is hot!

Adam Brody's ad-libs, Ben McK's baleful glances, Kelly Rowan's endearing nature and Peter Gallagher's eyebrows all add up to a fantastic hour of television that I await all week. The writing is quick, the acting (for the most part) is great and the in-jokes crack me up. Despite its silly premise, this show is pretty smart. And endearing. And really, really funny.

Would a public defender ever adopt his young client? No. Would ador(k)able, funny, smart Seth Cohen ever be considered unpopular? Probably not. Does Tate Donovan even look old enough to drink, let alone have a teenage daughter? Nah. My advice? Get over all that, sit back, and enjoy being entertained.

Cause this is how we do it in Orange County.

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212 out of 264 people found the following review useful:
OK, so they may be tanned, pretty and skinny, but hey, there's sarcasm!, 13 November 2004
Author: Andi Michaels from London

OK this show is without a doubt hilarious. The user who said it was boring, i can simply not fathom. Okay, so the storyline may be a little bit of a cliché, a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, posh galas every week and people who are too pretty to exist in the real world. But isn't that what T.V is? An escape from the real world? This is the only show the me and my family actually agree on. Why? Because the story lines, although they may seem obvious, are interweaving. (E.G Caleb is kirsten's dad, who is marrying Julie Cooper, the ex-wife of Jimmy Cooper, who was kirsten's high school sweetheart.-OK, when i put it like that it sounds like a sunset beach episode.*shudder-twitch*)

But the point is this, The O.C is different from all those other "Ooh it's sunny, we're rich and pretty but our lives are so hard" shows because it makes fun of itself. Its is not afraid to make fun of itself. It knows that it's a show about a group of beautiful people with loadsa cash but not so much happiness. Bottom line, It's a cliché and there are too many black-tie events, but at the end of the day, it's easy going and will make you laugh out loud. Give it a go.

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121 out of 160 people found the following review useful:
Why do people think this is "unrealistic"?, 18 August 2005
Author: dashfashion from Australia

I come from a part of Australia called the Sunshine Coast where most people come to escape city life and live by the sea. Most of the people who live along the coastlines here are just as beautiful-looking in that sun-drenched, California way, but not only that: this is a place where people come to avoid their problems, only to end up taking them with them. For all the glitz, glamour and romance of this place, I have never come across a more dysfunctional group of self-absorbed people in my life.

That's what immediately drew me to "The O.C.". I noticed the obvious plot lines that have been faithful to Soap Operas for decades, but this show has such a pungent wit about the nature of these people. They may look like they have a life that people aspire to, but they really don't and in some ways the nature of their environment only enhances these problems. I found that this show perfectly captured the reality of this sort of lifestyle, albeit modified for T.V.. A movie version of this would be much more vicious, if made by the right people, but please don't talk to me about the corniness of this show and how it doesn't reflect real life. I know these people. They exist. And they really are contemptible.

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156 out of 248 people found the following review useful:
Greatest show currently on TV, 29 October 2004
Author: Bo HardRock from STL

You know, sadly enough I have become a fan of Dawson's Creek in the past year but no other teen drama compares to the OC. I'm an intelligent college male and shouldn't be attracted to these kind of shows but I just can't get enough of the OC. I actually bought the DVD the night it came out, sad right? No its not. This show has everything. I find myself sitting with my roommates every week watching the OC and at some points cheering to the TV or yelling at the TV. One case was when Oliver showed up, this p***ed me off. Why screw up what Ryan and Marissa had, what a jerk.

In concluding my short commentary, I love the OC and plan on watching every Thurday night even though I have class. This is better than class and I'm sure I can learn much more, such as what new lingo will come of the new episodes. God bless the OC. Bo HardRock

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113 out of 166 people found the following review useful:
Brilliant, 27 November 2003
Author: Carl Lund (copeknight)

The best show on TV in a decade. Funny, surprising, and always entertaining this is far more than a teeny-bopper 90210 knock-off. It's wonderful. The acting is top-notch, but the writing is simply brilliant. If only we all did it like they do it in The O.C. I hope it'll be around for years to come, but, even if it isn't, each episode is 60 minutes to treasure. Plus: the best soundtrack on TV.

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135 out of 211 people found the following review useful:
A MUST SEE, 14 November 2004
Author: chandlersgurl85 from Thousand Oaks, California

The OC. How can I describe it? It is an amazing show. My brother wasn't that big of a fan when he first started watching it, but then I bought the first season on DVD, and now he's completely hooked! The story line is amazing, yet a bit confusing with the whole love triangle thing going, but it's exciting because you never know what's going to happen next.

Some of the acting is not so great (i.e., Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper, she could take some serious acting classes), but everyone else is brilliant, Adam Brody and Peter Gallagher (my personal favorites) make a great team, Rachel Bilson, Benjamin McKenzie, Tate Donavan, Kelly Rowan, Melinda Clarke, they are all excellent!! I give this show a 10 out of 10. A definitely MUST SEE!!!! YOU WILL BE HOOKED!

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75 out of 109 people found the following review useful:
A nice surprise, 26 October 2003
Author: BluRaf185

I watched the pilot episode of "The O.C." when it first ran because I was sick of watching reruns of "Friends" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (even though I love those shows) and I wanted to watch something fresh and new. I expected to be sitting through an hour of a cheesy, sudsy soap opera with a really hot guy (Benjamin McKenzie) and in truth, I did. However, I surprised myself by actually LIKING "The O.C.". For all its sudsiness and corny dialogue, it was really somewhat enjoyable. After having watched all 7 episodes of it so far, I think that its just getting better and better. I mean, sure Mischa Barton's acting skills are drastically limited, and the plot is nothing original, but I don't find it to be TOO much like "Beverly Hills 90210". Besides, I liked "90210" up until a point. Also, the theme song to "The O.C." is amazing, even better than the one for "Smallville". I am looking forward to the next few episodes of one of my newest favorite shows!

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48 out of 72 people found the following review useful:
Entertaining, 30 September 2003
Author: SarcasticCandy

Inevitably when a new show comes out, critics feel the need to compare it to something else. Why can't critics just base their opinions on the actual show and not something that was on the air in the 90's, namely 90210. I am not saying the show is without flaws, there are some things that need to be worked out, but I think it's a good show. It is entertaining and that's the most important thing. I think the actors are doing a good job and getting more comfortable with their characters with each episode. The plot lines for each of the episodes are somewhat exagerated, granted, but I would prefer to have a story that is exagerated and not entirely plausible or realistic. I want an escape. That's what this show provides. People just need to keep in my it's a soap and that's what soaps are like!

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