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  • May. 13th, 2005 at 12:25 PM
andrew bird in a chair in a puddle
Looking for real, intelligent content? That's too bad. This is about a television show on FOX.


Why The O.C. Totally Sucks This Year
I made this list before/without seeing last night's episode (though I have read the TWOP recap), so milage may now vary, but a lot of this is still valid. Originally I was going to do an essay, but I think the notes suffice.

1. repeating plotlines (kirsten-marissa alcoholism [PS: ALCOHOLISM DOES NOT EQUAL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT], summer/seth/zach [WORST MOST BORING TRIANGLE EVER])

2. not trusting your characters/random introduction of characters (WHO IS JESS?!), only to whisk them away (i actually sort of miss lindsay and alex) to parts unknown/unlikable everyone (OMG seth!); case in point: sandy/kirsten's twin extramaritals--why no consistency, why no parallel until it was time to fight about it, why does everything appear without build?/this would fix the fact that every episode has the same structure because it would force the writers out of the "introduction of new elements"/"end of elements at gigantic party" frame--you wouldn't always introduce or end!

3. "yes and" (improv term that says everything's better when you agree with suggestion rather than try to deny it for your own agena)/believe in your soapy plots and MAKE THEM GO LONGER THAN ONE OR TWO EPISODES/put characters together so they have a chance to develop some damn chemistry

4. complete misunderstanding/misuse of drug overdose (um, ecstasy?) and rape as unreasonable plot twists

5. too much parody/self-reference (particularly spring break episode; anytime seth comments on previous year)

6. not enough julie cooper. duh.

Okay, one extra note: A lot of the plotting this season reminds me of those two Sports Night episodes that "deal" with Natalie getting sexually harassed by the football player. They introduce it, use it for a modicum of character gain, then it's gone forever. What's that about? Why introduce gigantic issues if you don't know how to deal with them? Oh, I know: because you don't know how to deal with them. Because you actually don't understand what they mean in the world. Because instead of developing intricate soap plots, you use bad "dangerous" devices without a thought for extended implications. MY BAD.

Comments

( 27 comments — Leave a comment )
[info]snafuuu wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 04:42 pm (UTC)
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.
5. Yes.
6. YES!!!!

This is why you need to sit down and watch all the Veronica Mars episodes I sent Liz. There was a rape issue in VM this season that was dealt with in such a compelling, intelligent way, and there is just SO MUCH continuity on the show that it's insane. That show is way smarter than I am.
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:09 pm (UTC)
It really would be nice to love a show for its continuity. I've had so many bad relationships (The X-Files, the last few seasons of Buffy)! I don't even know what's real anymore.
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[info]sucktastic wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:12 pm (UTC)
WORD on The X-Files. uggo.
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:16 pm (UTC)
Who needs a show Bible when you have the ability to pretend?
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:16 pm (UTC)
And second reply, just for the icon.
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[info]melcore wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 05:01 pm (UTC)
THANK YOU FOR THIS! i'm totally dying over the crappy turn the OC has taken this season.

the seth/zach/summer storyline is RETARDED! but not as boring as the kirsten/carter "affair". the "sexual tension" seemed so forced and lame. the dual affairs were dumb blips on the cohen radar. the nana all of a sudden loves the beach and ISN'T dying of cancer? didn't she only have 4-6 months to live last season? and i find it SUPER hard to believe that kirsten was in that horrible accident last week, and walked away with only some sprained fingers and a bump on her head. WHATEVS! (and don't get me started on the cop not charging her with a DUI!) and seriously! what is the point of jess? what was the point of DJ? what was the point of marissa being a lesbian for an entire 5 seconds? i'm tired of plot points disappearing/ending with no resolution. people just disappear or change personalities all of a sudden. it's stupid! i loved seth last season, and now he's just annoying.

there could never be enough julie cooper-nichol! (spoiler alert!) i'm so seeing her getting blamed for caleb's death in the future. (/spoiler alert!)

everyone keeps talking about this veronica mars show, but i have yet to see it. i don't even know what day it is on tv. probably some stupid night i have to work. does it live up to it's hype?
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:11 pm (UTC)
The Dead!Caleb thing is even sort of irritating, because remember when he was sort of a fixture on the show, an actual schemer? This season he's just popped up to scowl at Julie. I sort of had this idea that they're turn into this dynamic duo of evil, but I just feel like they forgot what to do with him.

I haven't seen Veronica Mars but [info]snafuuu has been preaching the gospel and I think I'll try to get caught up with back episodes sometime. I just wish it weren't opposite Scrubs!
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[info]melcore wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:51 pm (UTC)
yes, i miss scheme-y!evil!alive!caleb. the "i know everything about julie's past" thing was the last little bit of the old caleb you got to see, and even that didn't go anywhere! much like "newport living" or anything else the newport group was going to do this season.

ahhh, that's why i've never seen veronica mars - i work on tuesday nights. hmph.
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:55 pm (UTC)
Yeah, the "I know everything" Caleb seemed like a pose. Like a shadow of his former self! Maybe he'll come back a ghost...
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[info]melcore wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 07:53 pm (UTC)
oooh, like on six feet under, but more evil! that would be awesome.
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[info]kfan wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 05:03 pm (UTC)
i totally agree with all this, and it perfectly describes why i haven't watched in a loooong while. thanking your giving voice to my feelings!
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[info]merlinmann wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 05:04 pm (UTC)
I hate to say it: I'm with you. The show has lost its center and forgotten what makes it good.

1. Ryan needs to start punching preppies again
2. The Summer Triangle is beyond played
3. More Julie Cooper; more track suits; more belly-baring outfits; more new haircolors; more revelations from the past!
4. Make Cohen funny again (didn't we already learn this like three times?)
5. Everyone needs new haircuts (and Sandy needs to drop 5lbs or lose the sweaters)

At least I still have Lorelai and Rory; GG's gotta be 2nd only to the Simpsons in the richness or supporting cast/characters. Some days Kirk is all that keeps it together for me.
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[info]overtaking wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 05:19 pm (UTC)
KIRK ON THE LAST EPISODE = SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD/HILARIOUS. as always.


meg, i hate to agree, but it's true. after the whole "marissa thinking she was a lesbian" ordeal, everything went downhill. ryan needs a haircut and to bust out the wifebeaters again, i hate zach and summer, and amen on the "not enough julie cooper" front. i kind of miss jimmy, too, but that's because i love tate donovan.
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[info]melcore wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:48 pm (UTC)
jimmy cooper is coming back next week! hooray!
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:08 pm (UTC)
Yes, MORE TRACK SUITS! Good call, my friend.
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[info]merlinmann wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:12 pm (UTC)

http://del.icio.us/merlinmann/the_o.c.

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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:15 pm (UTC)
xoxoxo
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[info]angstident wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 09:05 pm (UTC)
"More Julie Cooper" is never a wrong demand.
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[info]allegraslade wrote:
May. 14th, 2005 05:03 am (UTC)
omg, merlin. we so need to talk GG, i'm so worried about the finale!
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[info]teapotgirl wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 05:45 pm (UTC)
Seth Cohen's a tool!
That's the one thing that has really annoyed me this season: the 2-episode long story arcs with characters that are introduced and taken away so quickly they are practically cameos. I think sometime during the Carter thing they finally had gotten back in their groove but the season was already 2/3 over.

I thought Trey was using cocaine. Anyway, I'm still holding out for the truth of Marissa's assault to come out during the finale (fingers crossed that Ryan finds out during Caleb's funeral and accidentally knocks the casket over).

BTW, Seth canonically sneaking into the pool house on a regular basis = Awww yeah.
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 06:08 pm (UTC)
Re: Seth Cohen's a tool!
Coke or no coke, they aren't handling the rape thing well at all. It's just become another dumb thing for Marissa to half-assedly hide from Ryan. Furthermore, the actual rape scene, when Trey's going on about how only Ryan gets the good life--that was vaguely almost an interesting angle. Rape is about power, and money is about power, and Ryan has power, and Trey is acting out to gain that--and, in course, breaking the only person who has actually cared to be good in him/believe in him. But they gave him the coked-up thing as an excuse, an out, rather than doing something interesting.

And then there's the show's whole inability to portray women and how that resonates now that there's a terrible rape plot. But, you know. I guess it's the drugs.
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[info]monkeysoflove wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 08:13 pm (UTC)
Re: Seth Cohen's a tool!
yeah... this rape thing is not being played out well at all. marissa already seems like she's over it and now it's just a secret that will cause drama, instead of being a serious issue...y'know?

i didn't start watching this show until about january, so i can't really compare this season to last season. but if it wasn't part of my thursday night routine (get home from a late class, make dinner and watch the oc), i doubt i would be still be watching. eh.


also, you should check out tvgasm.com. they're funny. twop is way too lengthy for me.
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 14th, 2005 01:57 pm (UTC)
Re: Seth Cohen's a tool!
You should way rent the first season DVDs!

Also TWOP is often too long for me, except for when I am totally at work and totally filling time.
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[info]michaelpop wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 09:04 pm (UTC)
I thought The OC totally sucked this year until the Spider Man episode that brought Summer and Seth back together. And see, I didn't dislikelike it for any of your reasons (thought they're good ones), I just wanted EXCITING SHIT TO HAPPEN.

The last few episodes have been pretty damn ridiculous/awesome, so my love for the show's at least temporarily been rekindled. Still, I'd like to further echo the peanut gallery's sentiments by saying MORE JULIE COOPER PLEASE!!
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 14th, 2005 01:56 pm (UTC)
I just have no emotional connection to the things that are supposed to be exciting...so it's like...it's like a whole season of one-night stands, man.
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[info]em_meredith wrote:
May. 13th, 2005 09:19 pm (UTC)
YES.

The Seth/Summer/Zach paralleling the Seth/Summer/Anna got ridiculous last night.

Also, you don't fuck with the Sandy Kirsten ship. Some things are sacred, dammit.
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[info]rollerboogie wrote:
May. 14th, 2005 01:57 pm (UTC)
Yeah, you know what, I am so sick of watching someone "choose." Though at least Summer and Anna weren't assholes about it.
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( 27 comments — Leave a comment )