Plot
Season 1 focuses on Ryan Atwood's arrival in Newport Beach after being taken in by Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. A major theme of the first season is the culture shock Ryan feels as he adjusts from a life of domestic abuse and poverty to living in a superficial high-class society. He quickly befriends and bonds with Seth Cohen, and begins to have a romantic relationship with Marissa Cooper. Other storylines involve the ascension of Seth from a friendless loner to having two romantic choices in Summer and Anna, and the arrivals of Oliver Trask and Theresa Diaz in Newport. Meanwhile, Sandy Cohen frequently comes into conflict with Caleb Nichol, Kirsten's father and a wealthy industrialist who is said to "basically own Newport".
The second season of The O.C. continues to follow the tumultuous romantic relationships between Ryan and Marissa, Seth and Summer, as well as Sandy and Kirsten. Josh Schwartz, the show's creator, stated that in season 2, the show would "no longer be about Ryan's past; now it's going to be about Ryan's future" and that this season would "slow down the storytelling a little bit ... and evolve the characters". The Bait Shop becomes a prominent social destination for the teenage characters. A number of recurring characters are introduced, such as D.J., Lindsay Gardner, Zach Stevens, and Alex Kelly, to which the main characters form a variety of relationships. Ryan's brother, Trey Atwood, gets out of jail and threatens to bring Ryan's old life into his new one. Sandy and Kirsten also face new conflicts after drifting apart during the summer.
Season 3 begins as Marissa is expelled from the Harbor School. The Cooper family, left with little money, is forced to move into a trailer park. Marissa's life begins to spiral out of control. The other characters look towards college, with Seth and Summer both vying for a spot at Brown University. Sandy's moral compass becomes imperiled when he takes over Caleb's old position as head of The Newport Group, pursuing a project to establish more low-income housing in Newport. Ryan also attempts to resolve his individual relationships with his mother, and with his childhood friend Theresa Diaz.
The fourth and final season begins five months after Marissa's death in a car accident. Ryan starts the season in isolation as a broken, grieving man. However, the continued love of the Cohen family and the company of the eccentric Taylor Townsend guide him back to the light. Meanwhile, Seth and Summer face the problems of a long distance relationship as Summer goes off to attend college. The first half of the season focuses on the characters accepting the reality of Marissa's death. The second half focuses on the characters 'finding themselves' while facing a myriad of identity crises.
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—James Thurber (1894–1961)