The O.C. - Complete Season 1-4 [DVD]

The OC can be summed up in one simple word: escapism. It is a story of sunshine, affluence and beauty of which all but the most cynical secretly crave at some point in their life. But The OC is also a story of two halves. One half resulting in numerous awards, an addicted fan base and critical acclaim; the other resulting in the show being prematurely axed due to low ratings.

The first season sees Ryan Atwood's (Ben McKenzie) life being transformed from a Chino juvenile delinquent into a member of the lavish Cohen household in Newport Beach after public defendant Sandy (Peter Gallagher) takes pity on his case. Ryan gains new friends, including the fast-talking son of Sandy, Seth (Adam Brody), new enemies, and comes to make an impact of almost every person he comes into contact with. His story is ultimately the quick-fix American dream. The episodes are often light hearted, funny and endearing as the viewer comes to realise that like everyone else, the rich have their ups and downs.

It is deliciously far fetched, beyond the remit of reality, yet delivers a plausibility to the characters that makes you want to keep watching further. We are led to loath Julie Cooper (Melinda Clarke), mother of sociopath Marissa (Mischa Barton); laugh at the callous insensitivity of Caleb Nicol (Alan Dale) and lust after the figure of Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson).

But where the first season succeeded, it's successors never quite managed to. Season two is highly watchable, yet more improbable that the first. It waxes and wanes between drama and soap opera, constantly meddling with the lives of its protagonists - perhaps not always when it should. Most characters are rarely far from catastrophe, and the adults enjoy a more promiscuous and precarious life that their offspring. The Cohen's marriage is tested by Kirsten's (Kelly Rowan) alcoholism and Sandy's love for another woman; Ryan and Marissa's relationship is tested by Marissa's sudden lesbianism and a new, rather dull, character on the scene, and Julie Cooper's love life goes from absurd to obscene. Perhaps the saving grace is Seth and Summer, whose Spiderman parody is one of the outstanding clips from the entire series'.

Whilst both seasons two and three retain the charm that has kept The OC so popular, the melodramatic tangled-web created by the production team make them, often, difficult watching. Three, again, waxes and wanes between enjoyable episodes and a ridiculous pile of nonsense. The characters that were cared for about so much in the first and second seasons slowly start to become cardboard cut out of themselves; desperately shallow and two-dimensional. Marissa Cooper is perhaps the epitome of this - really by this point a train wreck of a character, misanthropy personified - and one is left to wonder whether the season ending tragedy is really so tragic after all.

It is, therefore, a breath of fresh air to season four that the show essentially becomes a parody of itself. The melodrama is thankfully toned down and the humour ramped up. Finally there is some respect for its own implausibility: does The OC know it's far fetched? Yes. But does it care? No. Unfortunately, by this point, the writers had taken the characters through enough to last them seven seasons worth, and it is the narrative thus far that perhaps ended The OC before time. Yet, particularly it's early days, will always remain a triumph to easy watching, and the characters will be warmly felt by viewers worldwide. The soundtrack is also a major boasting point for The OC, and you will be walking away humming its, now instantly recognisable, tunes.

All in all, there is so much more that The OC should have been. It set the bar high yet was ultimately a victim of its own overly complicated narrative. But its target audience will nevertheless watch through all four seasons with fond memories. It is certainly worth a watch as The OC is addictive television if not always as satisfying as it should be.

Season 1 is in 4:3 format - the only downside to a great value box set. It seems strange, given that seasons 2, 3, and 4 are not only in widescreen, but are available elsewhere (on iTunes) in HD. I already had season 1 in the older "gatefold" packaging. The season 1 in this set is absolutely identical in terms of the discs, albeit they are packaged in a slimmer plastic box. The "16:9" mark on the bottom of the outer box is therefore a bit misleading. That said, this set is a bargain and the show puts newer "teen dramas" in the shade.

We had already seen all of the O.C on tv and loved it so much we wanted to watch it again & again! Being able to get the box set at such a fab price was great. If you've ever watched any of the O.C and liked it then this box set is a must. A great series about the trials & tribulations of being a teenager and everything that goes with it!!