The 20 best things to happen on 'The O.C.'

The entire series wouldn't have become a thing if not for the act of Sandy Cohen. Feeling a connection with one of his clients, he brings Ryan to the house for a few days to get him back on his feet. Those few days become four seasons' worth of content as Ryan becomes the fourth member of the Cohen household. 

The MCU wasn't a thing yet when this show came out in 2003, as Iron Man came out in 2008. Comics hadn't become a "cool" part of the culture yet, as the nerd stigma still was there. Seth was ahead of his time with his affinity for the comics, and it's a cool thing to see when looking back on this show. 

The most iconic scene of The O.C. The Tijuana episode lives rent-free in the heads of every fan, and seeing Ryan carrying an unconscious Marissa in the first season laid the groundwork for everything that came after it. It also turned out to be a devastating full-circle moment when Ryan would later carry her in the same manner following the Season 3 accident. 

These two were polar opposites. Ryan was the hard-nosed teen from a rough neighborhood, while Seth had everything growing up in luxury. They had different views on life but wound up being the perfect complement to each other as they would eventually realize they were more like one another than they ever could have imagined. 

Anna didn't have a ton to do on this show other than to be in this love triangle, but she totally delivered in being a thorn in the side of these two. At a time, Seth thought this triangle could work out, which led to some hilarious moments, including when they all got together for the first Chrismukkah. 

There's nothing better than a show that nails its theme song. The O.C. had one of the best with Phantom Planet's "California." The song came out in 2002 and rose to prominence due to its use as the show's opening for all four seasons. 

That slow-motion run by Ryan to make it in time for the countdown remains one of the show's best moments. It was also made even better with Finley Quaye's "Dice" soundtrack playing in the background. Oliver was a pain for everyone on this show, mostly for Ryan. It looked as though he wouldn't make it to the hotel, but he did, giving the show an iconic scene. 

He really was one of the more annoying thorns to pop up on a show that consistently introduced like-minded characters. First meeting Marissa at therapy, Oliver Trask created a divide between her and Ryan, making the fans want to pull their hair out. His lies eventually caught up to him, but for the six-episode run he had in Season 1, there never was a character who fans rooted against more. 

The O.C. introduced a lot of new things to society. Chrismukkah takes the cake. This holiday, which was created by Seth due to his celebrating both Christmas and Hannukah, starred in three episodes and was the backdrop for some of the best episodes the show produced. 

Seth loved his comics. He also loved Summer. Seeing him get to live out a scene straight from 2002's Spider-Man was an amazing payoff for a couple that fans were rooting for. This took place in Season 2's 14th episode, and like many iconic scenes from The O.C., it was graced with a memorable song in "Champagne Supernova." 

The O.C. was a pretty self-aware show. It knew what it was doing when it came to the finale, even with a fourth season that sometimes felt a little flat. That said, the full-circle ending really paid off when Ryan looked out in the distance and saw a young teen reminiscent of him struggling. It was a candid look back on Sandy doing the same with him. 

Every fan will admit that the pool house is an ideal place to live in. Ryan was welcomed into the Cohen family with a room in the pool house. It first represented his disconnect from the family as he wasn't fully welcomed on the inside, but it later became the place that ushered him into the family. After seeing the living arrangements of a pool house in Ocean County, who wouldn't want to live in one? 

Every show has a season that fails to deliver. Sometimes it's early in a series' run, or in the case of The O.C., it's the final one. The ending wrapped things up nicely but wasn't a smooth runway. It felt different than the first three seasons without Marissa, but even the skittish final season couldn't dampen all the goodwill built up over its first three seasons. 

This character could have easily been annoying, but Che was actually a funny character. He popped up in nine episodes in the fourth season, including the alternate reality episode which saw him marry Summer. This led to a fun interaction where he was actually sleeping around with other women, including Julie. This was a bonkers storyline, but it gave fans some laughable moments. Oh, and it's pretty cool to imagine what Seth Cohen would think if he knew this actor would later star in The Guardians of the Galaxy movies. 

Ryan and Marissa were set up to be the love story right from the jump. Once Ryan is brought into this new world through Sandy, he soon meets the neighbors and their daughter, Marissa. Brooding in his look and tone, Ryan answers Marissa's question of who he is by saying, "Whoever you want me to be." This sets off what an exhilarating journey that is their love story. 

This was the build-up to that incredible New Year's Eve kiss. The Ryan and Marissa relationship looked grim, though, after their kiss at the beginning of that episode was as awkward as one can get. With Marissa initiating the big moment and an "I love you," Ryan could only sputter out two words, "Thank you." Thankfully it didn't derail them for too long, but that episode was a rollercoaster for fans. 

Julie Cooper was the best. There was no storyline that was too wild for her to take part in. She had an affair with her daughter's first boyfriend. She married her friend's father and became a CEO without experience. She hated Ryan to the point where she tried to frame him for shooting Trey. Julie was very messy, and The O.C. was better off. 

Over four seasons, there were some pretty notable appearances by celebrities. Olivia Wilde had a substantial role, and Chris Pratt popped in during the fourth season. There were appearances from Shailene Woodley, Paul Wesley, Willa Holland, and Lucy Hale. Even George Lucas popped in during a Season 2 episode. 

Sandy is the reason The O.C. exists in the first place. His good act brought Ryan into the family and thus paved the way for this series. Throughout the way, he was always a great father to Seth and later Ryan. He was usually the voice of reason for much of his family's issues. He had an awesome moment in the fourth season when Ryan's biological father entered the fold, which saw Sandy punch him after confronting him about his lies about having cancer. 

The series finale gave fans of Seth and Summer the ultimate payoff with their marriage. The two finally tie the knot after many back-and-forths over the four seasons. The final season had its misses, but getting the show to this point was really all it needed to do. Ryan was Seth's best man, which was a touching moment for these two, who began this journey as polar opposites.