Marissa Cooper
Encyclopedia
Marissa Cooper is a fictional character
on the FOX
television series The O.C.
, portrayed by Mischa Barton
. Marissa was among the original "core four" characters on The O.C. until her death in the season three
finale, "The Graduates."
socialite in Newport Beach, California
whose family (mother Julie
, father Jimmy
, and younger sister Kaitlin
) go through some dramatic changes over the course of the seasons. She is a troubled person before the series begins, with a history of substance abuse
and rebellious behavior. This is even evident from the first episode of Season 1 where she is left on her front door by her friends, passed out from drinking. From there, she is detailed to have private emotions due to the number of lost loved ones in her life and lack of understanding from her family and friends. The backstory on her friendship with Summer Roberts
showcases it as a powerful bond, forged during the second grade. One of her deepest connections, and having continued and strengthened throughout the years, the friendship is a central element on the show for three seasons. The show significantly focuses on Marissa's on-and-off again relationship
with Ryan Atwood
as well, which remains a main focus even after her death in Season 3.
has been debated by viewers of the series. When she hooked up with bad girl Alex Kelly, the two entering into a romantic relationship, her heterosexual
identity
became the source of speculation. Fans questioned whether Marissa was actually bisexual
or just bi-curious
. The question became one of the top queries viewers wanted The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz
to answer.
Others cited Marissa's relationship with Alex as a cynical sweeps attempt, noting the timing at which Marissa "just happened" to be romantically attracted to a woman. Critic L. Brent Bozell III especially elaborated on this. The New York Post
attributed the relationship to a ratings ploy as well, stating that the ratings for the show that year were "solid" but had not "exactly been through the roof and a lesbian
storyline — or at least a main character experimenting sexually with someone of the same sex — could help matters".
Schwartz insisted that the relationship between Marissa and Alex was not a ratings stunt, and that Marissa developed real feelings for Alex. Sarah Warn
of AfterEllen.com said that despite Schwartz's statements, "Marissa's predominantly heterosexual past, the huge fan support for the Marissa and Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie
) pairing, and the controversy The O.C. would court by making one of its principal characters bisexual, it's likely that her 'real feelings' for Alex will only last a few episodes." Within the series, Marissa refers casually to Alex as her ex-girlfriend.
Marissa's sexual orientation, other than her known heterosexual identity, was never confirmed by the series, and was reported to be "Marissa just experimenting with the fairer sex and not committing to a full-on romantic, sapphic
relationship". The executives did, however, cite her relationship with Alex as an important one, and one that was successful with viewers.
Marissa's father is caught committing fraud
and eventually files for bankruptcy
. The first episode sees the sparks begin to form between Marissa and Ryan Atwood
- "Who are you?" asks Marissa, "Whoever you want me to be," replies Ryan. Soon after, on a vacation to Tijuana
with Ryan, Seth Cohen
and best friend Summer Roberts
, she discovers that her parents are separating. In the aftermath of this, Marissa catches her long-term boyfriend Luke Ward
cheating on her with one of her best friends, Holly Fischer
. She then separates from her friends, and she overdoses on pain killers. Ryan finds her unconscious in an alleyway in Tijuana and summons help just in time. After this, Marissa battles with her mother, who wants to send her to rehab. She eventually gets through to Julie, but has to agree to see a therapist in Newport after she is caught shoplifting. She meets Oliver Trask
during one of the sessions and they soon become good friends, much to Ryan's displeasure.
Throughout the first season, Marissa is involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with Ryan, with the relationship being jeopardized by Luke and Oliver. Oliver is eventually discovered to be mentally unstable and harboring an unhealthy obsession for Marissa. Ryan and Marissa break up because of his interference. Oliver is eventually arrested after he keeps Marissa as a hostage and threatens to kill himself if she does not leave Ryan for good. After Oliver's arrest, Marissa tries to get back together with Ryan, but he refuses to resume their relationship. They remain friends instead.
During this time, her mother is romantically involved with Kirsten Cohen
's father, Caleb Nichol
. During a brief breakup with Caleb, Marissa's mother has a fling with Marissa's ex-boyfriend, Luke, which causes Marissa to run away — strangely enough — to Chino, California
and, more specifically, to Ryan's ex-girlfriend Theresa Diaz
's house. This leads to Ryan and Marissa once again becoming romantically involved.
Their relationship is strained once more when Theresa comes to Newport towards the end of the season after suffering domestic abuse from her boyfriend Eddie. Theresa reveals to Marissa that she is pregnant, and does not know whether the father is Ryan or Eddie. In the season finale, Ryan leaves Marissa to move back to Chino and help Theresa raise the baby. Marissa moves into Caleb Nichol's home after he and her mother marry in the season finale. Marissa's grief over Ryan's departure makes her turn back to alcohol again.
, caused largely by Ryan's departure from her life. When Ryan returns, it looks as though they may have rekindled their relationship, but after finding out about her relationship with D.J., the yard guy, Ryan decides that they should just be friends, which they remain throughout most of the season. Marissa's relationships in the interim period seem somewhat specifically chosen to take stabs at her mother — first with D.J. and then a same-sex relationship
with Alex Kelly.
Towards the end of the season, Marissa gets back together with Ryan, and becomes friends with his brother, Trey, who was recently let out of jail. After Trey takes cocaine
, he tries to rape
Marissa. Marissa does not want to tell Ryan because she does not want him to worry, and Trey does not want her to tell him because he and Ryan were getting along again. Marissa breaks down and finally tells Summer, who tells Seth, who then tells Ryan. When Ryan finds out, he and Trey get into an extremely violent fist fight at Trey's apartment. The scene ends with Marissa shooting Trey in order to save Ryan's life.
who is in a coma
as a result of the wound. When he awakens, Julie threatens to smother Trey if he does not tell the authority that his brother, Ryan, shot him, in order to keep Marissa out of trouble. Marissa finds out and convinces Trey to tell the truth. Ryan is let free, and Marissa faces no legal liability as she was defending another person's life using proportional force in the circumstances.
Despite a lack of legal repercussions, the event results in Marissa's expulsion from the prestigious Harbor School, as it is cited along with her past of flagrant shoplifting and substance abuse. During her expulsion, she attends Newport Union, where she befriends a local surfer named Johnny Harper
. Johnny causes rifts in her relationship with Ryan, initially because she feels she cannot talk to Ryan about what happened with Trey and later because Johnny falls in love with her. She is eventually readmitted to Harbor after a campaign led by Ryan, Seth, Summer, and Marissa's former rival for power at Harbor, Taylor Townsend
. Marissa confirms her commitment to Ryan, and writes Johnny a letter saying that while he is her friend and she cares for him, she will never love him. This results in Johnny falling to his death from a cliff after a drinking binge, and the tragedy results in Ryan and Marissa's final, tragic breakup.
In the wake of Johnny's death, Marissa struggles to find closure, as well as her own place and purpose in Newport. She develops a relationship with Kevin Volchok
after she and Ryan break up, which causes her to go back to her rebellious ways. She begins to abuse alcohol again and tries cocaine
. Marissa begins to distance herself from Ryan, Summer, and Seth and becomes argumentative once again with her mother. After some time, she comes to her senses and decides to leave Kevin. But when she finds him watching The Sound of Music
, she realizes he has a sensitive side and decides she may be able to have a relationship with him. During their Senior Prom, she catches him cheating on her, and breaks things off.
In the season finale, Marissa receives a letter from her father inviting her to live for a year on a boat with him in Greece
, and she accepts. The day she graduates from Harbor along with her friends Summer, Ryan, Seth, and Taylor, Kevin begins calling her and asks to see her, but she declines. Marissa pays Kevin to get out of town and to leave her and Ryan alone. She says her goodbyes to her family and friends and prepares to leave for Greece. After their time together, Ryan drives her to the airport. On the route to the airport, a drunken Kevin begins hitting their car, causing them to go off the road.
The car flips over several times and lands upside down on another street. Marissa is unconscious, but Ryan pulls her out of the car, which then begins to drip gasoline. Ryan takes Marissa into his arms and far enough away from the car as it explodes. He tells her that he will need to go get help, but knowing that nothing can be done, she asks him to stay. After a few moments of looking into each other's eyes, she dies while in Ryan's arms.
Marissa's death has a significant impact on the entire fourth season which is most explicitly examined in the episode "The Chrismukk-huh?" where Ryan and Taylor Townsend
, both in comas, enter into an alternate universe where he has never moved to Newport Beach, and the lives of most major characters are completely changed.
While trying to find out what is happening in this reality, Taylor stumbles into Marissa's bedroom. She surprises Julie's maid, who tells Taylor that "Miss Cooper's" plane arrives at 3 o'clock from Berkeley. Taylor then sees a photograph of Marissa and Julie on her desk, which leads her to believe that Marissa is still alive in this alternate universe.
After Taylor tells Ryan the news, he immediately wants to go to the airport to see Marissa. Taylor does not want him to in fear that Ryan, who is still recovering from Marissa's death, would be willing to spend the rest of his life in a coma if he could be with Marissa. At the airport Ryan catches a glimpse of a girl with a pink Berkeley sweatshirt tied around her waist. The sweatshirt resembles the one worn by Marissa in "The Day After Tomorrow." Ryan grabs her shoulder and realizes that it was not Marissa, but her sister, Kaitlin. Kaitlin then explains to Ryan that her sister died three years ago in an overdose in Tijuana (a parallel of her non-fatal overdose in the episode "The Escape
" which Ryan saved her from).
Ryan then returns to Newport Beach, realizing that he can never be with Marissa again, alternate universe or not. At first, Ryan and Taylor believe they need to restore the relationships that existed before Marissa's death in order to wake up. However, it becomes apparent that both Ryan and Taylor need to battle their internal demons instead. For Taylor, her demon is her mother
(whom she confronts along with her alternate male self at the Christmas party), for Ryan, it is getting over Marissa.
Back in the real world, Kirsten finds a letter from Marissa addressed to Ryan, but does not read it, and hands it over to Julie, who subsequently reads the letter. In the letter, Marissa wrote that she still loved Ryan, but would be leaving Newport because she knew that it was the best thing to do, so that they could both move on. She stated that when she got back, they might try again, as they would both be older and wiser. The letter is eventually placed right beside Ryan, which allows the letter to be "delivered" to Ryan in the alternate universe.
Ryan then goes to the beach, and upon discovering the letter, reads it. He finally says goodbye to Marissa and exits the alternate universe.
In the final episode, Marissa appears as Ryan's final flashback as he reflects on his life in Newport. As he backs out of the driveway, Ryan remembers seeing Marissa standing on the corner watching as he and Sandy drive away when Ryan thought he was not coming back to Newport (as seen in "The Premiere
").
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, portrayed by Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
. Marissa was among the original "core four" characters on The O.C. until her death in the season three
The O.C. (season 3)
The third season of The O.C., an American television series, commenced airing in the United States on September 8, 2005, and concluded on May 18, 2006, with a total of 25 episodes. The first ten episodes of season three aired Thursdays at 8:00 p.m...
finale, "The Graduates."
Characterization
Marissa Cooper is introduced as a rich beautifulBeautiful
Beautiful is an adjective used to describe things as possessing beauty.Beautiful may also refer to:-Albums:* Beautiful * Beautiful * Beautiful * Beautiful...
socialite in Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
whose family (mother Julie
Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Melinda Clarke.-Background:...
, father Jimmy
Jimmy Cooper (The O.C.)
James "Jimmy" Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Tate Donovan. He is often described as extremely unreliable, immature and cowardly, due to his actions....
, and younger sister Kaitlin
Kaitlin Cooper
Kaitlin Cooper is a fictional character on the Fox television series The O.C., played by Willa Holland. She was originally played by Shailene Woodley.-Season 1:...
) go through some dramatic changes over the course of the seasons. She is a troubled person before the series begins, with a history of substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
and rebellious behavior. This is even evident from the first episode of Season 1 where she is left on her front door by her friends, passed out from drinking. From there, she is detailed to have private emotions due to the number of lost loved ones in her life and lack of understanding from her family and friends. The backstory on her friendship with Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Rachel Bilson.-Background:Summer Roberts grew up in Newport Beach, California, with her wealthy father, Dr. Neil Roberts...
showcases it as a powerful bond, forged during the second grade. One of her deepest connections, and having continued and strengthened throughout the years, the friendship is a central element on the show for three seasons. The show significantly focuses on Marissa's on-and-off again relationship
On-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship is a form of casual relationship, usually sexual, between two people. It is where the couple concerned do not see their discontinuous affair as an ongoing or formal relationship...
with Ryan Atwood
Ryan Atwood
Ryan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is...
as well, which remains a main focus even after her death in Season 3.
Sexuality
Marissa's sexualitySexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
has been debated by viewers of the series. When she hooked up with bad girl Alex Kelly, the two entering into a romantic relationship, her heterosexual
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
identity
Sexual identity
Sexual identity is a term that, like sex, has two distinctively different meanings. One describes an identity roughly based on sexual orientation, the other an identity based on sexual characteristics, which is not socially based but based on biology, a concept related to, but different from,...
became the source of speculation. Fans questioned whether Marissa was actually bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
or just bi-curious
Bi-curious
Bi-curious is a term used to refer to people of a heterosexual or homosexual identity who, while showing some curiosity for a relationship or sexual activity with a person of the sex they do not favor, distinguish themselves from the bisexual label. The term is sometimes used to describe a broad...
. The question became one of the top queries viewers wanted The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
to answer.
Others cited Marissa's relationship with Alex as a cynical sweeps attempt, noting the timing at which Marissa "just happened" to be romantically attracted to a woman. Critic L. Brent Bozell III especially elaborated on this. The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
attributed the relationship to a ratings ploy as well, stating that the ratings for the show that year were "solid" but had not "exactly been through the roof and a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
storyline — or at least a main character experimenting sexually with someone of the same sex — could help matters".
Schwartz insisted that the relationship between Marissa and Alex was not a ratings stunt, and that Marissa developed real feelings for Alex. Sarah Warn
Sarah Warn
Sarah Warn is an American writer and the former editor of entertainment website AfterEllen.com.-Biography:Warn graduated from in Tacoma, WA in 1992. She then attended Wellesley College in 1996 with a degree in women's studies, and received a master's degree in theological studies from Harvard...
of AfterEllen.com said that despite Schwartz's statements, "Marissa's predominantly heterosexual past, the huge fan support for the Marissa and Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie
Benjamin McKenzie
Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan , better known as Benjamin McKenzie, is an American actor and producer. He is best known for playing Ryan Atwood in the television series The O.C. and for playing Ben Sherman in Southland. He appeared in the films Junebug and 88 Minutes which earned him a Sarasota Film...
) pairing, and the controversy The O.C. would court by making one of its principal characters bisexual, it's likely that her 'real feelings' for Alex will only last a few episodes." Within the series, Marissa refers casually to Alex as her ex-girlfriend.
Marissa's sexual orientation, other than her known heterosexual identity, was never confirmed by the series, and was reported to be "Marissa just experimenting with the fairer sex and not committing to a full-on romantic, sapphic
Sapphic
Sapphic can refer to:* Related to Sappho, a 7th century BC poetess** Sapphic stanza, a four line poetic form* Sapphic love, related to female homosexuality...
relationship". The executives did, however, cite her relationship with Alex as an important one, and one that was successful with viewers.
Season 1
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and eventually files for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. The first episode sees the sparks begin to form between Marissa and Ryan Atwood
Ryan Atwood
Ryan Francis Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Benjamin McKenzie. A troubled teenager from Chino, California, he is considered the protagonist of the show, beginning as an outcast and is brought to a lifestyle of luxury by the Cohen family and is...
- "Who are you?" asks Marissa, "Whoever you want me to be," replies Ryan. Soon after, on a vacation to Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
with Ryan, Seth Cohen
Seth Cohen
Seth Ezekiel Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Adam Brody. Seth was one of the "core four" characters on The O.C. alongside Ryan Atwood, Marissa Cooper, and Summer Roberts.-Background:...
and best friend Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts
Summer Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Rachel Bilson.-Background:Summer Roberts grew up in Newport Beach, California, with her wealthy father, Dr. Neil Roberts...
, she discovers that her parents are separating. In the aftermath of this, Marissa catches her long-term boyfriend Luke Ward
Luke Ward
Luke Ward is a fictional character in the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Chris Carmack. At the beginning of the series, Luke was in a long-term relationship with Marissa Cooper. However, it was later revealed that Luke was cheating on Marissa with Holly Fischer. After seeing the two...
cheating on her with one of her best friends, Holly Fischer
Holly Fischer
Holly Fischer is a fictional character from the first and fourth season of the FOX series The O.C., played by Ashley Hartman.-Season One:Holly is introduced at the outset of the series as one of the best friends of Summer Roberts and Marissa Cooper....
. She then separates from her friends, and she overdoses on pain killers. Ryan finds her unconscious in an alleyway in Tijuana and summons help just in time. After this, Marissa battles with her mother, who wants to send her to rehab. She eventually gets through to Julie, but has to agree to see a therapist in Newport after she is caught shoplifting. She meets Oliver Trask
Oliver Trask
Oliver Trask is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Taylor Handley. Oliver appeared in the series' first season as thorn in Ryan Atwood and Marissa Cooper's relationship, soon developing a severe obsession with the latter...
during one of the sessions and they soon become good friends, much to Ryan's displeasure.
Throughout the first season, Marissa is involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with Ryan, with the relationship being jeopardized by Luke and Oliver. Oliver is eventually discovered to be mentally unstable and harboring an unhealthy obsession for Marissa. Ryan and Marissa break up because of his interference. Oliver is eventually arrested after he keeps Marissa as a hostage and threatens to kill himself if she does not leave Ryan for good. After Oliver's arrest, Marissa tries to get back together with Ryan, but he refuses to resume their relationship. They remain friends instead.
During this time, her mother is romantically involved with Kirsten Cohen
Kirsten Cohen
Kirsten Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Kelly Rowan. Kirsten is the wife of Sandy Cohen, mother to Seth Cohen, and the adoptive mother of Ryan Atwood...
's father, Caleb Nichol
Caleb Nichol
Caleb Nichol is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Alan Dale during the show's first and second seasons...
. During a brief breakup with Caleb, Marissa's mother has a fling with Marissa's ex-boyfriend, Luke, which causes Marissa to run away — strangely enough — to Chino, California
Chino, California
Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located in the western end of the Riverside-San Bernardino Area and it is easily accessible via the Chino Valley and Pomona freeways....
and, more specifically, to Ryan's ex-girlfriend Theresa Diaz
Theresa Diaz
Theresa Diaz is a fictional character on Fox series The O.C., played by Navi Rawat. She is the child of Eva Diaz and the sister of Arturo Diaz, who is the best friend of Trey Atwood.-Season 1:...
's house. This leads to Ryan and Marissa once again becoming romantically involved.
Their relationship is strained once more when Theresa comes to Newport towards the end of the season after suffering domestic abuse from her boyfriend Eddie. Theresa reveals to Marissa that she is pregnant, and does not know whether the father is Ryan or Eddie. In the season finale, Ryan leaves Marissa to move back to Chino and help Theresa raise the baby. Marissa moves into Caleb Nichol's home after he and her mother marry in the season finale. Marissa's grief over Ryan's departure makes her turn back to alcohol again.
Season 2
During the second season, Marissa struggles with alcohol and depressionDepression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, caused largely by Ryan's departure from her life. When Ryan returns, it looks as though they may have rekindled their relationship, but after finding out about her relationship with D.J., the yard guy, Ryan decides that they should just be friends, which they remain throughout most of the season. Marissa's relationships in the interim period seem somewhat specifically chosen to take stabs at her mother — first with D.J. and then a same-sex relationship
Same-sex relationship
A same-sex relationship is a relationship between two persons of the same sex and can take many forms, from romantic and sexual, to non-romantic close relationships. The term is mainly associated with gay and lesbian people...
with Alex Kelly.
Towards the end of the season, Marissa gets back together with Ryan, and becomes friends with his brother, Trey, who was recently let out of jail. After Trey takes cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, he tries to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
Marissa. Marissa does not want to tell Ryan because she does not want him to worry, and Trey does not want her to tell him because he and Ryan were getting along again. Marissa breaks down and finally tells Summer, who tells Seth, who then tells Ryan. When Ryan finds out, he and Trey get into an extremely violent fist fight at Trey's apartment. The scene ends with Marissa shooting Trey in order to save Ryan's life.
Season 3
As the series' third season opens, Marissa is under investigation regarding the shooting of Trey AtwoodTrey Atwood
Trey Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., first portrayed by Bradley Stryker during season one and then by Logan Marshall-Green from season two onward...
who is in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
as a result of the wound. When he awakens, Julie threatens to smother Trey if he does not tell the authority that his brother, Ryan, shot him, in order to keep Marissa out of trouble. Marissa finds out and convinces Trey to tell the truth. Ryan is let free, and Marissa faces no legal liability as she was defending another person's life using proportional force in the circumstances.
Despite a lack of legal repercussions, the event results in Marissa's expulsion from the prestigious Harbor School, as it is cited along with her past of flagrant shoplifting and substance abuse. During her expulsion, she attends Newport Union, where she befriends a local surfer named Johnny Harper
Johnny Harper
Johnny Harper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Ryan Donowho.-Season 3:Johnny Harper was an upcoming surfer, rival of Kevin Volchok and best friend of Dennis "Chilli" Childress...
. Johnny causes rifts in her relationship with Ryan, initially because she feels she cannot talk to Ryan about what happened with Trey and later because Johnny falls in love with her. She is eventually readmitted to Harbor after a campaign led by Ryan, Seth, Summer, and Marissa's former rival for power at Harbor, Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:...
. Marissa confirms her commitment to Ryan, and writes Johnny a letter saying that while he is her friend and she cares for him, she will never love him. This results in Johnny falling to his death from a cliff after a drinking binge, and the tragedy results in Ryan and Marissa's final, tragic breakup.
In the wake of Johnny's death, Marissa struggles to find closure, as well as her own place and purpose in Newport. She develops a relationship with Kevin Volchok
Kevin Volchok
Kevin Volchok, more commonly referred to as simply Volchok, is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Cam Gigandet.-Background:...
after she and Ryan break up, which causes her to go back to her rebellious ways. She begins to abuse alcohol again and tries cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. Marissa begins to distance herself from Ryan, Summer, and Seth and becomes argumentative once again with her mother. After some time, she comes to her senses and decides to leave Kevin. But when she finds him watching The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
, she realizes he has a sensitive side and decides she may be able to have a relationship with him. During their Senior Prom, she catches him cheating on her, and breaks things off.
In the season finale, Marissa receives a letter from her father inviting her to live for a year on a boat with him in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and she accepts. The day she graduates from Harbor along with her friends Summer, Ryan, Seth, and Taylor, Kevin begins calling her and asks to see her, but she declines. Marissa pays Kevin to get out of town and to leave her and Ryan alone. She says her goodbyes to her family and friends and prepares to leave for Greece. After their time together, Ryan drives her to the airport. On the route to the airport, a drunken Kevin begins hitting their car, causing them to go off the road.
Season 4
In The Avengers a ghostly Marissa appears to Summer, when she returns to the adjoining bedrooms they shared together, for the first time since Marissa's death, this causes Summer to fast track her trip back to Brown and leave Newport.Marissa's death has a significant impact on the entire fourth season which is most explicitly examined in the episode "The Chrismukk-huh?" where Ryan and Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:...
, both in comas, enter into an alternate universe where he has never moved to Newport Beach, and the lives of most major characters are completely changed.
While trying to find out what is happening in this reality, Taylor stumbles into Marissa's bedroom. She surprises Julie's maid, who tells Taylor that "Miss Cooper's" plane arrives at 3 o'clock from Berkeley. Taylor then sees a photograph of Marissa and Julie on her desk, which leads her to believe that Marissa is still alive in this alternate universe.
After Taylor tells Ryan the news, he immediately wants to go to the airport to see Marissa. Taylor does not want him to in fear that Ryan, who is still recovering from Marissa's death, would be willing to spend the rest of his life in a coma if he could be with Marissa. At the airport Ryan catches a glimpse of a girl with a pink Berkeley sweatshirt tied around her waist. The sweatshirt resembles the one worn by Marissa in "The Day After Tomorrow." Ryan grabs her shoulder and realizes that it was not Marissa, but her sister, Kaitlin. Kaitlin then explains to Ryan that her sister died three years ago in an overdose in Tijuana (a parallel of her non-fatal overdose in the episode "The Escape
The Escape (The O.C. episode)
"The Escape" is the 7th episode of the FOX television series, The O.C.. The episode was written by Josh Schwartz and was directed by Sanford Bookstaver. It originally aired on Tuesday September 16, 2003.-Guest stars:- Plot :...
" which Ryan saved her from).
Veronica Townsend
Veronica Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Paula Trickey. Highly driven and extremely judgemental, she is a highly successful sports agent and served as the chair of the parents' committee at The Harbor School, a prestigious private school where...
(whom she confronts along with her alternate male self at the Christmas party), for Ryan, it is getting over Marissa.
Back in the real world, Kirsten finds a letter from Marissa addressed to Ryan, but does not read it, and hands it over to Julie, who subsequently reads the letter. In the letter, Marissa wrote that she still loved Ryan, but would be leaving Newport because she knew that it was the best thing to do, so that they could both move on. She stated that when she got back, they might try again, as they would both be older and wiser. The letter is eventually placed right beside Ryan, which allows the letter to be "delivered" to Ryan in the alternate universe.
Ryan then goes to the beach, and upon discovering the letter, reads it. He finally says goodbye to Marissa and exits the alternate universe.
In the final episode, Marissa appears as Ryan's final flashback as he reflects on his life in Newport. As he backs out of the driveway, Ryan remembers seeing Marissa standing on the corner watching as he and Sandy drive away when Ryan thought he was not coming back to Newport (as seen in "The Premiere
Premiere (The O.C. episode)
"Premiere" is the series premiere of the television series The O.C., which premiered on the Fox network on August 5, 2003...
").