DVD Review: The O.C. – Season Four

By Patrick Luce May 29, 2007, 13:20 GMT

High school is over. Time to move on. But events conspire to reunite Ryan, Seth and Summer in posh, seaside Newport. And there may even be a new Core Four. Because after Taylor Townsend says a quick if not passionate au revoir to her education in France, she just might pursue Ryan until he catches her. Time, too, for the series to move on with these 16 Final Episodes. Seth ...more

It is a year later. Marissa is still dead; Ryan joined Fight Club; Seth is no longer a pot head; Taylor is married to some weirdo from France; and Summer quit shaving her legs. All of this happens in the opening episode of The O.C.’s  fourth and final season - which is now available on a five disc set.

While the fourth season seems to have even more ties to previous similar teen shows that came before (most notably Beverly Hills, 90210), the series does a good job of wrapping up the dangling threads of Season Three (such as the aftermath of the death of Mischa Barton’s Marissa), and also brings a conclusion to the entire series (thank God!). The season sees the cast of young actors (including Benjamin McKenzie, Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson, and Autumn Reeser) struggling to figure out life after high school, and deal with the emotions of Marissa’s death.

Ryan has moved out of the Cohen house and is making a living in a sleazy bar. He is also spending his nights as a cage fighter (what??), and eventually starts a quest to kill/get even with Volchok (Cam Gigandet) – who he blames for Marissa’s death. Seth and Summer are dealing with a long distance relationship, and the changes that Summer is going through as a college student. She isn’t the same funny girl from the past seasons, and instead has become a “tree hugger” bent on saving the world. This is also a way for her to deal with Marissa’s death and prove that she can be as annoying as Barton was in Season Three.

The equally annoying Taylor Townsend (Reeser) gets a bigger part in Season Four and fills the void left by the departing Barton. Her character returns from France to start up a love affair with Ryan – which at times is extremely funny and helps redeem some of the show’s more retarded plots. Willa Holland's Kaitlin Cooper also gets an expanded role for Season Four and fills the “bad girl” void left by the death of her sister. Not quite as annoying as Barton, Holland tends to grate on the nerves towards the end of the season, but for the most part remains just a side character.

Like the series’ teens, the parents of The O.C. (including Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, and Melinda Clarke) continue to have problems of their own. The writers do a good job making the older characters more than just someone to bail out the young actors when they screw up. Clarke’s Julie Cooper has to deal with her daughter’s death, yet another failed relationship, and two marriage proposals – including one from Ryan’s father (Kevin Sorbo).

Sandy and Kirsten Cohen continue to be the role-models for perfect parents. Their relationship has a few ups and downs during the season and even a surprise at the end. For the most part, their characters are basic cookie-cutter roles. They are there to help Ryan and Seth find their way in life, and don’t offer much more for the audience.

Like Season Three, the series is continuing to jump the shark and run out of the steam. The show’s producers were right to pull the plug on the sinking ship before things got even worse with a potential fifth season. This season makes sure to hit all the clichés – including teen pregnancy, drugs and alcohol, and the aftermath of teen death. We also get to see some new issues – including the changes that come after the high school diploma. The season also features jumping forward in time (which was extremely annoying), an earthquake (which I thought was funny), and a marriage (sort of).

The DVD set comes with audio commentary; some deleted scenes; and some featurettes. The deleted scenes are always an interesting touch for a DVD, but these are simply stuff from the cutting room floor. They don’t add anything to the show. The featurettes explore the show’s unique Christmas holiday – “Chrismukkah;” and the evolution of the Summer character. Both are a funny look at the show, and how the series (and the Summer character) evolved over the four seasons. However, you would still expect more features since it is the final season of the series.

Overall, I wasn’t entertained by Season Four of The O.C., and it did little to change my impression of the entire series. I did like the way the writers wrapped everything up in the final episodes, but it took way too long to get there. The characters continued to evolve throughout the season, and the tone was much lighter compared to the third season. If you are a diehard fan of The O.C., you will want to pick up this set just to complete the collection. If not, you aren’t missing much.

The O.C. – The Complete Fourth Season is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.