The ultimate power that fans have is the ability to change the channel. And, as you know from my previous post, I was so angered by what I thought was a cheap trick by the writers of Grey’s Anatomy that I swore off the program. I love some of the comments have tempered my anger over the week, but for now I’m sticking to my guns. I love the empowerment, but that doesn't mean I'm not sentimental. Thursday at nine, then, gave me the opportunity to catch up with my old pals at The OC. As you know this was the final episode, and I was a big fan from the very beginning. If you refer to my previous post, you know how I like my pop culture - neatly sewn up in the end. Yes, the ending was sapping. Ryan becomes an architect, and as he is leaving a construction site he eyes a boy in trouble. We know that Ryan will take the young lad under his wing the same way Sandy came to his rescue. And as for Sandy and Kiki, they had a baby girl, and moved to Berkeley so that Sandy could teach law. The program flashes forward to Summer and Seth’s wedding. Julie marries Ryan’s father and we see her sweet happy family wearing “team Julie” tee-shirts at her graduation ceremony. What a neat little package: Easy to watch; Easy to digest; I can rest easy knowing that all is well in the world of The OC. I can’t say that I always like this sort of pablum. But sometime--every once in a while--it’s nice to know that things work out - no complications, no cliff hangers, no death and destruction. Yeah, happily ever after. That’s the way I like my pop culture.Friday, February 23, 2007
Goodbye Old Pals
The ultimate power that fans have is the ability to change the channel. And, as you know from my previous post, I was so angered by what I thought was a cheap trick by the writers of Grey’s Anatomy that I swore off the program. I love some of the comments have tempered my anger over the week, but for now I’m sticking to my guns. I love the empowerment, but that doesn't mean I'm not sentimental. Thursday at nine, then, gave me the opportunity to catch up with my old pals at The OC. As you know this was the final episode, and I was a big fan from the very beginning. If you refer to my previous post, you know how I like my pop culture - neatly sewn up in the end. Yes, the ending was sapping. Ryan becomes an architect, and as he is leaving a construction site he eyes a boy in trouble. We know that Ryan will take the young lad under his wing the same way Sandy came to his rescue. And as for Sandy and Kiki, they had a baby girl, and moved to Berkeley so that Sandy could teach law. The program flashes forward to Summer and Seth’s wedding. Julie marries Ryan’s father and we see her sweet happy family wearing “team Julie” tee-shirts at her graduation ceremony. What a neat little package: Easy to watch; Easy to digest; I can rest easy knowing that all is well in the world of The OC. I can’t say that I always like this sort of pablum. But sometime--every once in a while--it’s nice to know that things work out - no complications, no cliff hangers, no death and destruction. Yeah, happily ever after. That’s the way I like my pop culture.
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It's funny for me to read a post like this because due to my busy schedule I do not really stick to one show. The only shows I really dedicate myself to watching each week are Nip/Tuck and Entourage, so I started to think- maybe I watch shows that are just generally tumultuous and fun so that I don't have to worry about a happy ending.
There is the constant debate between making a real ending and making a happy ending- can they be one in the same?
By watching 'crazy' shows like Nip/Tuck and Entourage I avoid the situation entirely and take the absurdity for what it is. Also they both follow a general plot but missing one week will not ruin your programming enjoyment.
That being said with those two shows I watch them both with a guy audience- do guys prefer tv for ridiculous tv sake? Do girls want an involved emotional continuous plot?
I couldn't tell you...
The OC. Another show i didn't watch in its entirety. But i did watch random episodes. I didn't really know the charcters or have a connection to them, but here and there i began to figure out who was what. So why watch a show so sporadically? Well, i have long days as a student, intern, job-holder,student leader...When i come home and switch on my background TV while i do my homework, the only things that make me actually look up and start paying attention are,well, words like "sex","murder,killer"...and sappiness. Because after a long, hard day,long class hours,traveling down into Baltimore on the bus, realizing i'm a senior and need a job!...it's great to escape into this far-off OC life-- where i can be the blonde bombshell(err..blonde?...not too sure about that!), have the great bf/husband, nice wedding,beautiful kids, dream job...It's the life we all want. To know that in the end (hopefully soon enough)my bus days will end and i will drive an SUV, i will get a great career and have lasik surgery, i'm not doomed to be single for life!LOL...So..yes, i guess i like the nice lil bow endings,too. That's what we all want..Happily ever after...And that's what TV is about..escaping our harsch realities.
The O.C. to me, has been going downhill since the loss of Mischa Barton. I was a big fan of the show from the second season. I found myself getting hooked with friends and all gathering around the television as a ritualistic ordeal. As i got into the show, i went back and watched the first season because there were some things that needed to be explained. However, my fan-base i wouldn't say was because of "Marissa Cooper." However, i saw that once she was off the show, there seemed to be a lack of plot. I remember not getting so excited about the next episode. I do remember however watching an episode where Ryan and Taylor were having dreams about saving the Cohens, I think that that was my last straw. It seemed as if they ran out of things to do. The show had so many twists and turns, drama after drama, without introducing more characters, what was left to happen? So for the last episode, in reading your blog it does not surprise me that everything ended happily ever after, because to me, they had nothing left--no steam in the engine.
I do agree that every once in awhile it is nice to see 'happy ever after' taking place in television programs. I will admit that week after week of watching Prison Break and 24, it does get frustrating to see the characters constantly battling the odds of society, yet this is intriguing and ultimately is what keeps me coming back week after week to watch the show.
I think that the ultimate reason I stopped watching the OC is because the situations the characters were dealing with seemed unrealistic and almost ridiculous. It is nice to see that the writers were able to end the show on a happy note for all characters; however, I also think this scenario is equally unrealistic, in that this perfect situation does not reflect actual reality. Overall, the characters on the OC all dealt with many issues throughout the years and it is nice to see that they made it through it and succeeded in the end.
I share the desire to watch television or movies with happy endings. Most of the movies I watch are "chick flicks" with happy endings that can be spotted within the first two minutes of the movie. I can usually tell what is going to happen in the movie, which may defy the point of watching a movie in some people's opinions, but I like the challenges characters usually have to overcome to get to the happy ending. Why do I prefer happy endings? Because that's what everyone wants for themselves in real life. Real life is stressful and demanding enough--I watch TV and movies to get away from it.
That being said, the desire for happy endings is a decidedly American characteristic. The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales are full of unpleasant endings that children in other countries have accepted for centuries. Disney and other companies "Americanize" these stories by letting Princess Ariel keep her legs and the man, refraining from mentioning Pocahontas's case of Small Pox, and countless other incidents in children's stories.
I wish that my favorite shows ended on such a happy note; two of my favorite shows of all time, Twin Peaks and Carnivale, both ended on humongous cliffhangers that will never be resolved. While there are probably plenty of fan fictions out there that attempt to bring closure to these characters, we will never officially know what happened, though things don't look good for the characters involved in both programs.
I can only hope that as another popular show nears the end of its run, that there will be resolution and even happiness in store for its main characters...though it is highly unlikely. I'm talking, of course, about The Sopranos. The first of only six remaining episodes aired last Sunday, and with such a small timeframe remaining, I would hope that characters either a)die or b)leave the show on a happy note. Instead, Tony almost goes to prison (AGAIN) and gets into a druknen fist fight with his brother in law, who later kills some random Canadian guy. That's it. My hopes aren't very high that all will end well for Tony Soprano and his family, though if The OC can do it, other shows can too.
I never really got too into the O.C. although I definitly did try. I just could not get into it, especially after Marissa was killed off. I thought the show was too unrealistic and a bit ridiculous. But I have to admit- I like my drama so I prob wouldnt have enjoyed the ending. I did love Grey's and the whole Meredith incident though!
I was oh so pleased to read this blog! I was a loyol O.C. fan for the first 2 seasons, but as the 3rd season continued on I found myself bored and almost sick of the same drama that continued to happen. Despite my break from the show, I was still so eager and interested to hear about how it all ended.
This intense interest surprised me... Why was I so adament on finding out what happened in all their lives? And then I came to realize that one of my strongest imaginary social relationships in the past couple of years has been that with Ryan, Marissa (r.i.p), Seth, and Summer. Despite the fact that I "broke off" our relationship, I found myself eager for closure. I felt comfort in knowing that if I wanted to skip an episode of Grey's one night, I could return to my previous obsession with The O.C. To come to discover that I will no longer have accessibility to the characters that I knew and loved, left me devastated and almost with a feeling of guilt. I thought these feelings were interesting because I've come to realize that imaginary social relationships are not temporary. They are an ongoing thing that part of you always feels a little bit attached to. And in reading this blog, I notice it in other individuals too, just as Dr. Alperstein needed closure before his relationships with The O.C. characters would no longer be present in his life.
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