Is realism too much to ask for?
Considering it's been unwatchable at times, I guess I shouldn't complain about "The O.C." after this week's relatively decent episode. But I will. Besides the repetitive story lines (Marissa hitting the bottle again, Ryan getting into another fight--shouldn't this guy be seeing Dr. Melfi or some sort of psychiatrist?), did anyone writing and directing the show attend high school? A few weeks ago, Seth heard from his college of choice, Brown (after apparently not applying to any other school--huh?) and received his rejection letter in a big envelope. Has they stopped sending rejection letters in normal, business-size envelopes, or was this just done to have some dumb dramatic moment where Seth opens his envelope and sees the word "regret"? Because it would have been just as dramatic, and much more realistic, to see Seth rifling through the mail and freaking out at a small envelope.
But the lack of realism got much worse this week. Seth, Ryan and the gang go to a ritzy private school in what we're told is one of the richest places on earth. And they have the prom in the school, not in a hotel? And they wear suits, not tuxedos? Huh? I've never even heard of a non-black tie prom? Wow, I don't know how the guy who owns the formalwear shop in Orange County survives.
Even more ridiculously, Summer was named "prom queen" for the second year in a row. Yeah, I know Summer is an attractive woman, but she seems to have three friends at school--and one of them was suspended for half the year. Meanwhile, Seth, the guy who has been dating the "prom queen," is still teased and mocked at school. So you're telling me someone is popular enough in high school to get elected prom queen TWICE, and yet Seth, dating the prom queen, is still considered a dork by all the popular people at school. This makes so little sense my head is about to explode. And then there's the fact that Taylor Townsend apparently rented a bar, with senior class funds, for the prom after-party. That's right, a bar, which seemed to have beer on tap. Yeah, that's realistic. And I won't even get into how Taylor put $5,000 in her purse and left it laying around like an empty beer bottle in the bar, so Volchok could steal it and Ryan could fight him. Hey, O.C. writers, the good shows get the little things correct. You could use some kind of quality-control consultant.
Oh, and Ryan and Theresa looked like they were attending their 15th high school reunion, not the prom. But that's another story entirely.
But the lack of realism got much worse this week. Seth, Ryan and the gang go to a ritzy private school in what we're told is one of the richest places on earth. And they have the prom in the school, not in a hotel? And they wear suits, not tuxedos? Huh? I've never even heard of a non-black tie prom? Wow, I don't know how the guy who owns the formalwear shop in Orange County survives.
Even more ridiculously, Summer was named "prom queen" for the second year in a row. Yeah, I know Summer is an attractive woman, but she seems to have three friends at school--and one of them was suspended for half the year. Meanwhile, Seth, the guy who has been dating the "prom queen," is still teased and mocked at school. So you're telling me someone is popular enough in high school to get elected prom queen TWICE, and yet Seth, dating the prom queen, is still considered a dork by all the popular people at school. This makes so little sense my head is about to explode. And then there's the fact that Taylor Townsend apparently rented a bar, with senior class funds, for the prom after-party. That's right, a bar, which seemed to have beer on tap. Yeah, that's realistic. And I won't even get into how Taylor put $5,000 in her purse and left it laying around like an empty beer bottle in the bar, so Volchok could steal it and Ryan could fight him. Hey, O.C. writers, the good shows get the little things correct. You could use some kind of quality-control consultant.
Oh, and Ryan and Theresa looked like they were attending their 15th high school reunion, not the prom. But that's another story entirely.
posted by Eric Fingerhut at 12:17 PM
3 Comments:
I'm not a watcher, but I do hear the complaints from fans of the OC about how bad it is this year. Is this its last year finally?
Well I am with you Fingerman on how the writing on the OC has gone downhill fast. I was watching a few episodes from Season 1 the other day and it is amazing how much better it was. Just to clarify though the Baitshop is a juice bar that does not serve alcohol but really cool bands play at. This makes absolutely no sense but supposedly the tap you saw that guy pulling from was grape juice or something. Becuase high school students just love thier juice!
My prom was in my high school gymnasium and the guys did not wear tuxes. Of course that was over 45 years ago and things sure have changed! I agree though that the O.C. has gone downhill. Things just don't make sense anymore.
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