The wait is over; Ryan, Marissa and the rest of the gang on The O.C. came back to us. Last Thursday night at 8, many students gathered to see how the third season would play out.
We left off last year with Marissa (Mischa Barton) coming to the rescue of her not-so-lucky boyfriend Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie), who was being attacked by his own brother Trey (Logan Marshall-Green). Ryan was attempting to defend Marissa by beating up Trey -- which is what he does best -- after he found out his brother attacked her. However, the young Atwood was not so lucky, and his life was in Trey's hands, literally; Trey was strangling him to death. So what did Ryan's Chanel-clad, on-again, off-again girlfriend do? Marissa shot Trey, and that's how the executives at FOX left us hanging for the rest of the summer. A fantastic end to a great season, if I do say so myself.
In this season's opener, the clever writers of this teen drama touched upon last season and move forward enough in the first episode to appease any O.C. fan. In "The Aftermath," we find our young characters battling with the district attorney's office, trying to explain that Marissa was the one who shot Trey, who's now in a coma, and that she isn't covering up for Ryan.
Everyone believes Ryan actually pulled the trigger, considering his background of violence and previous arrests. This doesn't even come as a shock, and it is almost always expected that Ryan is the one to blame. Thankfully, and not at all surprisingly, Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher) comes to the rescue and assures Ryan and Marissa she is protected under Defense of Others, which is legal jargon for she was just saving Ryan's life.
As the rest of the show plays out, we see that Jimmy Cooper (Tate Donovan) and his ex-wife, Julie Cooper-Nichol (Melinda Clarke), are unhappy to hear that their daughter actually admitted to shooting Trey. Julie, unfazed by anything, heads to the intensive care unit to talk to Trey, who has finally awaken from his coma. After offering him $20,000 or suffocation via pillow, Trey admits that it was Ryan who shot him, and the DA finally has their statement.
While Julie was plotting against Ryan, our four main characters, Ryan, Marissa, Seth (Adam Brody) and his girlfriend, Summer (Rachel Bilson), all head out on Jimmy Cooper's boat for a day of relaxation. However, the fun ends when the news hits that a warrant has been issued for Ryan's arrest, and Ryan decides to run away.
Ryan's decision to run away is predictable, even expected, and I'm starting to wonder if the writers can have him do anything else but run. However, Ryan is caught and heads to prison. To help, Marissa visits Trey in the hospital, where she works a confession out of him. He tells her that it was Julie who paid him off, and Marissa adds another reason to her long list of reasons why she dislikes her mom.
Where is Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan) through all of this? When we saw her last, she was entering into rehab to kick her alcohol addiction. Apparently, she is ready to go home now, but Kiki doesn't feel that she is ready. She confides in another patient, Charlotte Morgan (Jeri Ryan), that she fears she will relapse. Charlotte does little to make Kirsten feel better and stands out as this season's character to watch for what harm she'll cause.
As the episode ended, I was pleased with the progress but upset that there were none of the cliffhangers The O.C. is known for. So fans, stay tuned for what comes next in Newport Beach, as Jeri Ryan's character will be a reoccurring guest role for the next few episodes and Marissa's trial lies ahead. For viewers who didn't catch this season's opener, rest assured. The episode ended with Ryan and Marissa making out on the beach, romance rekindled-- shootings and all.
