That's just the first half of this year of The O.C., and we haven't even gotten to the adults yet. Both Sandy and Kirsten found themselves tempted away by more-than-willing suitors, and wicked Julie (Melinda Clarke), Marissa's mom, cheated on new husband Caleb (Alan Dale) with ex-husband Jimmy (Tate Donovan). An extremely tangled web was woven, one from which the show almost didn't recover: the Lindsay storyline started out strong but went nowhere, Sandy's ex-girlfriend (Kim Delaney) was a bit of a bore, and the same-sex relationship between Marissa and Alex never really gelled. All seemed like sure-fire character additions, but it was the later peripheral characters, including Billy Campbell as a magazine editor smitten with Kirsten and the menacing yet sexy Logan Marshall-Green as Ryan's ex-con brother, who injected The O.C. with energy, and helped steer the show back on course. Brody, who became the show's de facto poster boy, got to show off his comedic talents with the wonderful Bilson (who rode the Zach-Seth-Summer romantic triangle most smoothly), and the heretofore sullen McKenzie got to lighten up quite a bit, until the show's violent yet effective season finale.

Forsaking a good amount of its comedy for drama, The O.C. got a little too seriously soapy, but its characters were so compelling you couldn't stop watching--even waiflike Marissa grew some edges. Clarke's scheming Julie was a constant pleasure to watch, and Rowan turned Kirsten's late-season downturn into a steely yet heartfelt portrayal. Despite the bumps, The O.C. remained one of the most exciting shows to look forward to week after week, a soap with smarts thanks to its fresh dialogue, gifted cast, and careening plot arcs. --Mark Englehart

Product Description
With its debut in 2003, THE O.C. quickly became the most popular night-time soap since BEVERLY HILLS, 90210. Captivating audiences with its fresh dialogs, clever wit, steamy storylines, and the mesmerizing power of Peter Gallagher's eyebrows, the series became a trend setting force in terms of popular fashion and music tastes among young viewers. When the second season (and school year) begins, each character is facing the aftermath of the events of last spring. After being abandoned by Ryan (who returned home to Chino on the belief that he'd impregnated his childhood sweetheart, Theresa), and forced to move into Caleb Nichol's mansion, Marissa heats things up with the pool boy in order to spite her mother, and starts drinking in the daytime. Meanwhile, Summer starts dating new guy Zach in order to get over Seth, who sailed away for the summer on his sailboat and has yet to return. With several of last season's secondary characters gone (Anna, Haley) there is room for a whole new group of O.C. residents to cause trouble in the lives of Newport's elite. Even as Seth and Ryan eventually return to the Cohen home, things are not as they used to be. The drama of the second season is not limited to the show's teenage protagonists however, with even the show's moral core, the marriage between Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, facing its challenges with the emergence of an old flame and a new love interest. Like the Cohen's house, which is undergoing renovation, everyone in the seaside community is going through changes. Believe it or not, the second season (contained here in its entirety) contains even more drama than the show's debut season. Show creator Josh Schwartz continues in his mission to include indie music on the show, even working several live performances by bands like Modest Mouse and Death Cab For Cutie into the scripts.