I picked the lyric above from Phantom Planet’s “California” (The O.C.’s theme song) because it nails how I feel about reconnecting with The O.C., a show that holds a curiously large place in my heart. I’ve visited the show at various life stages, from being a teenage college student all the way through being a grown family man with kids of my own. Life changes, but my love for The O.C. stays the same. 
Why? What keeps me coming back? I picked up Alan Sepinwall’s Welcome to the O.C. to try to figure that out. Welcome to the O.C. is the most fun I have had with an entertainment oral history since Melissa Maerz’ Alright, Alright, Alright about Dazed and Confused. Like Maerz did in her book, Sepinwall got contributions from everybody you’d want to hear from.
In Welcome to the O.C., Sepinwall got a lot of great stuff from the actors playing Core Four (Seth, Summer, Ryan, and Marissa), their TV parents, and show brainiacs Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Even Doug Liman was game to provide some explanation on how in the world he ended up directing a nighttime teen soap opera on Fox! Someone I didn’t realize I needed to hear from was Alexandra Patsavas, the show’s primary D.J. Sepinwall devotes an entire chapter to the show’s music, as well as lengthy sections on Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” Patsavas and Josh Schwartz, combined, probably shaped the musical tastes of an entire generation of TV fans (see also Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs).
I devoured this book in a couple of days, so it’s all kind of a blur. But the gist is that season one was lightning in a bottle. Due to factors like the length of the seasons, the quick rise in fame of the Core Four, and network pressure, the show was in turmoil in seasons two and three. Season four was a sigh of relief and fun for the crew and some of the cast, even if people don’t universally appreciate its zaniness. (I do, though!)
Why do I keep coming back to The O.C.? I don’t think I have a deep answer. I just like it; it’s fun TV! There’s always enough going on that something is appealing. And the writers burned through so much story that even if I don’t like something, I know something new is around the corner.
Of course I started a rewatch immediately upon reading the book. I can’t wait to get off of work and go home and see what’s up with the Newpsies.