The O.C.

It is one of my favorit series. For the story and for Peter Gallagher and Adam Brody, for atmosphere, love affaires, tension and smart use of the rules of drama. A film about generations, love and friendship. About opportunities and about the way to define them more than use them. Fights and alliances and confessions. And the way for define the meanings of ordinaries lives.

Having watched this entire series twice. Once when it aired back in 2003 and now in 2021, I can honestly say that they don't make shows like this anymore. The plot line is simple and at times predictable with high volumes of unnecessary drama. But it has a deep honestly rooted in realism. The characters and plot line actually feels real. This is one of those teen drama's that even after almost 20 years feels fresh.

We just need to pretend that the show ended one season earlier

This is quite the cultural melting pot - and I'm not just talking about Chrismukkah. It's half soap opera, half teen drama, brought together in a fast-moving, wise-cracking, pop culture-referencing, blink-and-you've-missed-it comedy-drama in the 'Gilmore Girls' mold. Plus the soundtrack rightly spawned a good half dozen compilations.

And it really is a case of 'blink and you'll miss it' as the crazy merry-go-round of incestuous, will-they-won't-they relationships play out. By and large it's silly fluff with the occasional dark moment, but it's always entertaining. The characters are great, Adam Brody's Seth being the standout performance.

I actually missed this show completely when it first aired and am currently only on Season 2... so far, so good.

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.