Well things are really heating up. At least that is what Fox Broadcasting keeps telling me.
The pawns of Rupert Murdoch sure have been pumping up the season premiere of The O.C. I haven’t decided if that is a good or bad thing yet. (They even have a clock on the webpage which is counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Over the top, just a wee bit.) Hopefully they haven’t spent the shows budget solely on marketing and have left some for the writers. The O.C. was everyone’s surprise hit last year. It has been called this generation’s 90210. Although the definition of a generation seems to be 10 years now instead of the standard 25. Even though most of the O.C.’s viewers only caught the tail end of 90210 I remember those first awkward moments when Brenda and Brendan were trying to adjust to California from their native Minnesota.
So will The O.C. be able to live up to the hype? I think the odds are about 50/50 that it will. Some may say I am a pessimist but with the now now now of TV I fear the producers will push the show too fast too far. This summer there were rumours of a Seth Cohen spin-off. In my opinion he is the heart of the show. It would be like taking Will from Will and Grace. At least that didn’t happen but it made me worry that Fox is looking on how to cash in on the O.C. and not care about the actual show. A TV network that cares more about profits then quality programming? Nah, that’s not possible!
Now that I have had my rant let’s look at the upcoming season has in store for us loyal viewers.
Will Seth and Summer rekindle their romance?
Who is the father of Theresa’s baby?
Will Ryan get even moodier and darker then last season?
Will his evolution into Luke Perry be complete?
How will Seth and Ryan’s friendship be after a summer apart?
Will Caleb go to jail? Will his daughter Kirsten implicated along with him?
Will Julie become the most hated woman on primetime television?
Will Seth become a big dork like he was before? I however like Seth as a dork though.
Will Peter Gallaghe’s eyebrows get their own weather system?
Will Mischa Barton eat a sandwich?
When will Marissa get caught for the alcoholic she is and face the all too apparent intervention followed by a stint at rehab?
The big question on my mind is how will the show deal with the new found pressure placed on it. When it debuted no one had any expectations. Now it is being touted as the next great show. Will fame go to the heads of the young actors? Will the producers and writers try too hard to be popular then just do what made the show a hit in the first place? Will the show have a sophomore slump? Sports fans know all about how star rookies get fat over the summer and don’t train as hard. They let the fame, fortune and groupies go to their heads. Will this happen to The O.C.?
Can The O.C. match the comparisons to 90210? Will it help define a generation and give us memorable characters that we compare ourselves to? Can the show create it’s own identity or will it be formulaic and copy the success of other shows?
Do we need to see The O.C. doing an episode about virginity (i.e. Tori Spelling) or gun safety, although it would be classic if they brought some guy in as a guest star only to have him accidentally shoot himself ala 90210. Let us hope they do not decide to have a Peach Pit equivalent hang out joint.
Now that the show isn’t facing cancellation, as most first year shows face on a daily basis, it may allow the producers to be more creative and daring knowing that even if ratings go down slightly Fox will stick with it for at least a third season.
So what are the loyal viewers of The O.C looking forward to this season? Let me know.
Personally I am looking forward to Seth getting back to normal, playing video games and skateboarding.
I hope the whole parents aspect of the show is downplayed. I don’t care about Caleb and his business deals. Is every businessman in Orange County corrupt?
I hope the writers are able to not make this show a cliché.
