The WORST episodes of The O.C.
Every episode of The O.C. ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The O.C.!
The O.C. is an idyllic paradise, a wealthy, harbour-front community where everything and everyone appears to be perfect. But beneath the surface is a world of shifting loyalties and identities, of kids living secret lives hidden from their parents, and of parents living secret lives hidden from their children. Cohen, Cooper, Nichol families, and Ryan Atwood, a troubled teen from the wrong side of the tracks, who is thrust into this world, and who will forever change the lives of the residents of The O.C.
#1 - The Goodbye Girl
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/3/2004
Anna is leaving. Theresa is staying. Seth thinks he's the reason for Anna's planned return to Pittsburgh. And Ryan knows he's why Theresa is staying. But what is either guy going to do about it? Caleb is Riviera's Man of the Year (uh-oh).
#2 - The Outsider
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/2/2003
Ryan hangs out with a youth not from the moneyed Newport set, causing Seth to feel blown off. Jimmy's family faces hard choices because of his business crimes.
#3 - The Gamble
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/19/2003
Luck is in the house during a Vegas night fundraiser; Seth becomes Summer's lucky charm and Marissa reconnects with Luke. In the aftermath of events involving Ryan's mom, Kirsten takes a chance and opens her home to the boy.
#4 - The Anger Management
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/17/2005
Divide and conquer. Taylor schemes to separate Summer and Seth. Volchok tries to goad Ryan into a fight. Julie upends Charlotte's charity scam.
#5 - The Brothers Grim
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/24/2005
T is for trouble. And for Trey, Ryan's brother, who's out of prison and trying to go straight while staying temporarily in the pool house. The tape no one was supposed to see is seen by all of Newport.
#6 - The Journey
Season 3 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/16/2006
A little Cohen arm-twisting convinces Ryan that, yeah, he should do something special on his 18th birthday. So who's he going to invite to the party at The Bait Shop? Sadie? For sure. Marissa? Well...
#7 - The Best Chrismukkah Ever
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/3/2003
It's part Christmas, part Hanukkah and totally a Cohen-family way to celebrate the holidays. But a time out for the holidays doesn't mean time away from Marissa's personal problems or Caleb's business tactics.
#8 - The Secret
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/26/2003
No one was supposed to see what happened. But Luke did. And so did Ryan. Now, somehow, all Newport knows that Luke's dad has been living a lie. And subsequent gossip raises questions of secrecy and trust.
#9 - The Pot Stirrer
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/26/2006
Little sister. Big problems. Kaitlin feels she's spent her whole life in Marissa's shadow - maybe now it's time for some payback. Seth, meanwhile, may be seeing his college plans go up in smoke.
#10 - The L.A.
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/24/2004
Operation Protect Marissa! Seth and Ryan plan to keep Marissa from finding out about her mom's affair. It also becomes Operation Rescue Hailey when they inadvertently attend a Hollywood party where she's a stripper.
#11 - The Road Warrior
Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/9/2006
Ryan road-trips with Sadie. Strip poker, anyone? Summer learns - ew! - about her dad and Julie. Kirsten worries that The Newport Group is corrupting Sandy. And Marissa is a suspect in Johnny's death.
#12 - The Heavy Lifting
Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/9/2006
Life goes on. Love goes on. But how can anyone focus on Valentine's Day after Johnny's tragedy? Well, maybe love and understanding are the medicines everyone needs now. Even so, nothing will be easy.
#13 - The Disconnect
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/8/2005
Maybe Seth should accompany Summer to college. She's the one who (surprise!) aces the SAT. Another surprise: Sandy's right-hand man jeopardizes a Newport Group account by hanging out at a strip-club.
#14 - The French Connection
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/11/2007
Taylor's ex-hubby writes a hot-selling wrotic novel. Who's the lead character? Three guesses and the first two don't count. Seth seeks Neil's permission to marry Summer. Kirsten uncovers Julie's biz scam.
#15 - The Undertow
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/23/2006
Trouble's at the door. It's Jess, Trey's sometime girlfriend, and she's coming on to Ryan like Little Miss Vulnerable. Seth and Summer discover a, uh, wheelbarrow. And all those burning Volchok-Marissa glances ignite a bonfire.
#16 - The Dawn Patrol
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/13/2006
No party, no surf. It's a different Dawn Patrol: Ryan's off to Albuquerque to invite his mom Dawn to graduation (maybe). Seth quits Summer (oops). And, at Volchok's party, Marissa sees something secretly poured into a drink (uh-oh).
#17 - The Accomplice
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/27/2005
Ryan tries to smooth things over between Caleb and Lindsay, Alex and Marissa grow closer, Seth uses his life as inspiration for a comic book and Kirsten is uneasy when Sandy is asked to help find his ex-fiancee.
#18 - The Day After Tomorrow
Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/6/2006
The Sweatshirt Bonfire is the party where all the seniors wear the sweatshirt of the college they'll be attending. Hey, Seth's not wearing a sweatshirt. What's up with that?
#19 - The Swells
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/10/2005
Party by night. Surf by first light. The Dawn Patrol beach blast is the backdrop for a developing Marissa-Johnny attraction. Meanwhile, Taylor has a crush on...Seth?! And Ryan again lets his fists do the talking.
#20 - The New Kids on the Block
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/18/2004
Seth pulls off a magnanimous gesture for Summer, then blows it. Lindsay and Ryan become physics lab partners and share some romantic chemistry. Embattled Caleb names Julie as Newport Group's CE-uh-O.
#21 - The Truth
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/11/2004
Julie wears out her welcome with Caleb: true. Seth thinks Summer's hot: true. Oliver is crazy-mad about Marissa: true. Now sure of it, Ryan races against time to keep Oliver from hurting himself or Marissa.
#22 - The Telenovela
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/25/2004
The Ryan-Marissa thing is more iffy than ever when Theresa hangs in Newport. The telenovela-like suds-o-rama overflows with the Seth-Summer follies, the Luke-Julie fling and an insider who may be a threat to the Caleb-Kirsten biz.
#23 - The Dream Lover
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/18/2007
Take her, I want her. Ryan overcomes his indecision and competes with Henri-Michel for Taylor's affections. Che leads Seth on a trek of spiritual renewal. Embrace your inner otter, Seth!
#24 - The Secrets and Lies
Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/30/2006
A race to the bottom: Marissa's ties with Volchok may send her into substance-abuse free fall...but not before she gathers herself enough to save the Ryan-Sadie match. The Newport Group events turn violent.
#25 - The New Era
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/2/2004
It's not a date, it's a group hang. So Seth goes with Lindsay, but looks for Summer. Ryan goes with Alex, but would rather be with Lindsay. And Julie... well, stay tuned. That new CEO has a style of her own.