Season Five

Due to a worldwide campaign by the large cult fan-base of The OC, it is back with its Fifth Season which once seemed impossible!

Episode One:

This episode picks up with the characters exactly where they were in the flash-forwards shown in The End's Not Near, It's Here.

Sandy - working in Berkley as a Law professor, still happily married to Kirsten and trying to be a "cool" Dad to his daughter!

Kirsten - spends most of her time with her daughter Sophie, they're best friends. But Kirsten also likes to spend her spare time working on her art and plans to open her own gallery.

Ryan - finally working as an architect but things are very difficult, he's finding it hard to win contracts and make deals.

Seth - has big dreams of being a reviewer for a national publication, but for now has to settle for the local newspaper, he's not earning much and it's far from fulfilling but he feels he must do it to support his wife.

Summer - is spending a lot of time campaigning, she feels bad that she is not earning any money and that she must rely on Seth so much, also she feels guilty that she's away so much with protests.

Taylor - as messed up as she is, it turns out Taylor is wonderful at sorting out other people's problems and works as a pyschologist, she also features on a local radio station giving advice to lovers.

Julie - with her degree in business Julie has decided to resurrect the Newport Living magazine and make it into the success she knew it should have been, however she has great trouble balancing this with taking care of her son, Jody. Luckily Frank has stayed around to help.

Kaitlin - she is still studying mathematics in university, but while she has great ability for maths her personal life is somewhat different and equally high numbers are dealt with in regards to her partners, she has developed a reputation!

In this episode we see a few incidents where students stay back after lectures and seek help from Sandy, both in relation to his lessons and to personal problems! Of course Sandy is more than capable of helping them! One girl wants him to explain a theory again, while a guy wants to know if he can sue his ex-girlfriend for injuring him during sex! Of course Sandy takes it all in his stride and is loving his new career path.. and he's always home early to Kirsten and Sophie now that he doesn't have huge legal cases to deal with into the night!

One day Sandy arrives home earlier than usual to find an empty house, he walks around and finally spots Kirsten and Sophie sitting outside. He comes outside and they both stop talking. "Well this looks cozy" he says, and they both smile. "Well what's going on?" he enquires suspiciously. "We're just talking", says Sophie with a huge smile spreading across her face. "Sandy, you've had years and years of guy talk, now it's my turn for some girl talk!" Kirsten jokes and they both let out a giggle! "Oh I see! Well, my dear Sophie, it won't be long until you come asking for the Sandy-Cohen-inspirational-speech!"

Sandy decides to head back to the college and prepare notes for the next days lecture.

Ryan decides to locate his business in Berkley, but with no contacts in the area he is having trouble getting his business off the ground. He is forced to charge lower prices to attract customers and is experiencing difficulties covering his costs. Luckily Kirsten pulled some strings and got him a meeting with a large construction firm. He has spent weeks preparing for the pitch and rehearsed it countless times with his girlfriend Taylor. We see a few examples of this during the episode, we're shown how nervous Ryan is but Taylor is confident that he will do a great job.

Taylor even persuades him to pitch his services at the original price to this firm. If Ryan is honest he had no problem doing this, he is desperate to earn some extra money. He and Taylor have been dating for over 5 years and he has been eager to propose for so long, but he wants to have everything perfect, which requires money that he doesn't have. It is the night before and Ryan phones Seth and they talk about the looming conference, Ryan tells Seth that he will finally propose to Taylor if he gets the contract.

The next day Ryan gets all prepared for the meeting with his best suit, he asks Taylor how he looks, and she replies "Terrif", he sets off.

We see a few examples of Taylor counselling her clients, she has some crazy ones with very strange problems, one of whom repeatedly dreams of marrying their pet cat. Taylor certainly has a unique, direct and frankly hilarious way of treating her clients! Word has spread and she has become a great success, people are queuing up for her services! She was even hired to give relationship advice on a local radio show! Taylor is shocked when a caller tells of the exact same problem relating to their pet cat!

It's a pity Taylor isn't as direct in her own relationship, she has spent the last 2 years desperate for her boyfriend, Ryan, to propose. She dreams of a simple, romantic wedding with just the two of them and some close friends, but she can't tell Ryan this so she has to phone Summer. We see that Taylor is still dealing with her needy issues, but for once she may be justified. Summer thinks it is about time Ryan got down on one knee! Summer threatens to have a word with him herself but Taylor warns her not to!

"I dunno, Summer, this isn't the kind of thing you force someone to do!" "What?! I pretty much forced him to say 'I Love you' five years ago!" "Not funny Summer! Anyway, there's a new client coming today, gotta go!" Taylor heads to her office.

We first see Seth in a cinema watching a movie with his laptop to take notes. He works for the pathetic local newspaper and is forced to review Hollywood RomComs every week! He can't help but scream and whine at the screen, to the annoyance of the other people present! It isn't long before he gets kicked out of the cinema! Seth walks up and down the path but doesn't know what to do, he feels lost. He sits down on the sidewalk.

He calls Summer and tells her what happened. She assures him that it won't be long before he is doing fulfilling and rewarding work that he enjoys, it's just going to take time and hard work. "Well if I was a big-shot in the journalistic world, then would you come home to me?" "Seth, you know how important these pandas are!" "Maybe if I was bringing in a decent wage?!" "They're an endangered specie, Seth" "So am I... without you." "I'll be home as soon as I can Seth" "Make it sooner"

Seth hangs up and heads home.

Summer has been in Africa for over a month now, working effortlessly to save the endangered animals. She works night and day and barely has time to think. She has made friends with an Irish girl called Jenny and we see them risk their lives on one occasion to save a bear from being murdered for its fur! After the long day they both relax and talk about how difficult it is living in the wild and trying to stay clean and hygienic. Jenny notices that Summer has yet to open her only box of tampons... "Ew! What is with people noticing that?!" Summer laughs, thinking back to the time Taylor did the same thing.

While lying in bed Summer gives the idea some serious thought... maybe she actually is pregnant this time! Because of the time difference she only receives the call from Taylor now. They talk about the possibility of Ryan proposing. Summer thinks about how long ago it was when her and Seth married, and how little time they have been spending together and how not much has changed. Just after hanging up from Taylor she gets a call from Seth. For the first time in a long time, maybe years, she begins to put her marriage first as well as her friends back home who need her.

Summer gets out of bed and dresses.

Julie is introduced at a photo-shoot for the return issue of Newport Living. This return is used as a metaphor for The OC's return throughout the episode with things like "It should never have stopped in the first place!" The episode title refers to both The OC and Newport Living's return.

Julie is accompanied by her new attractive young assistant, James, who is far too eager to please and just gets on Julie's nerves. Anything he says is usually met by a nasty Julie Cooper comment. He shouts overly fake praise during the shoot which is met with "that may be appreciated in the strip clubs you spend all your time, but not here!" The photo-shoot is interrupted by Julie's phone ringing, the screen flashes: Incoming call - Frank.

"Oh crap!" Julie screams! "Let's not put that on the cover!", James says desperate to make his new boss laugh. Julie responds with a sour look and answers the call. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry. It slipped my mind, Frank. I know, yes he is my priority!" All love is lost between Frank and Julie and they can barely be in the same room, Frank takes Jody at the weekends, but this week she forgot to pick him up from Frank's house.

Julie rushes out of the shoot with her ball gown still on, she turns around to James, "well, are you going to drive or what?!"

We see Kaitlin in a very complicated and advanced Math lecture but she is doing great and is better than the others! Everyone else stares at her, guys admire her beauty and brains, while girls just look on in disgust and jealousy! After the lecture she walks around campus and it seems almost every guy knows her name! She suddenly becomes aware that she is even being followed... she turns around to find Brad standing behind her. "Wow, Brad! Was it not bad enough you followed me to the same college, now you are literally following me?!" Kaitlin turns and walks on. "Kaitlin, we really need to talk."

"Look, Brad, it was a one time thing. I'm sorry if you ever thought it would be more. But you weren't my first, and you certainly won't be my last." "I know, that's the problem." "What?" "You gave me something." "Again, not following!" "Let's just say.. you left something behind.. somethings!" "Oh my god.. no way!" "Yes way. And Kaitlin, I've never been with anyone else, they came from you!" "This can't be happening!" Kaitlin runs off. The rest of the day is filled with texts, voice-mails, emails and visits from guys that "really need to talk!" Kaitlin phones the one person she thinks best able to deal with such a problem..

"Mom?!" "No, this her assistant James, your mother is making me answer her calls while I drive so I suggest you hang up if you don't want me to crash into an ice-cream shop across the street!" Kaitlin hangs up at once and cries into her pillow.

FINAL MONTAGE... with some cool indie rock song of course!

-Kirsten and Sophie continue to talk in the back garden. "Mom, I like talking to you. I can tell you everything, my secrets and all?" "Of course, what good would a mom be otherwise?!" "Well there's this boy I like in school, don't tell Dad! His name is Jody!"

-Julie finally arrives at Franks house, "Stay here!" she barks at her assistant and rushes inside. "Well, where is he, Frank?" "Outside, playing." "Right, call him in." "I will, but you make the most of him this week, because tomorrow I'm calling my lawyer, we need to re-negotiate our custody agreement!"

-Sandy arrives back at his lecture theatre and sits down to do out a lecture plan. A student walks in... "Sandy, I'm in need of some of that wisdom you dish out so well..." "I'm not surprised!" Sandy smiles but it is not returned... "What is it?" "I... I... think I just... may have... killed someone..." Sandy drops his pen in shock.

-Ryan is in his conference and has presented his pitch perfectly.. but it turns out the boss is just as shady as Caleb was, he will only hire Ryan if he agrees to defy legal building requirements. Ryan is speechless and stands there with an impossible decision, he knows it's wrong but can't get Taylor out of his head at the same time, what does he do?

-Taylor arrives at her offices to find her new patient is already waiting there for her. He stands up and with an over-powering smile, offers to shake her hand and she accepts. "Thank you so much for taking me on as a client, Taylor, I've heard great things about you!" "Well it's all true! Your name again?" "It's Oliver, Oliver Trask."

-Seth arrives home and drowns his sorrows with a bottle of vodka and his loneliness with a bottle of whiskey. He wakes up very late the next day, freshens up and heads to his offices where he hands in his pathetic review of the movie from the night before. He arrives home in the afternoon to find Summer sitting waiting for him! "SUMMER!" he screams and rushes towards her. She remains seated and he stops, "what's up?". Summer stands up, slowly walks to meet Seth in the centre of the room... "I'm pregnant, Seth! Everything's going to change, now we're having a baby!" They both smile uncontrollably and embrace one another.

I would love to hear your thoughts, please comment!