The O.C. (season 3)
Encyclopedia
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. ET
in the US on FOX
, a terrestrial
television network
; however, from January 12, 2006 onwards, The O.C.
was shifted to a later time of Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Following on from season two, the series continues to follow the characters' lives in the wealthy community of Newport Beach
, Orange County, California
, with the main characters entering their final year of high school. Series creator Josh Schwartz
said he wanted to explore the characters moving away as he "didn't want to be one of the shows that stayed in high school too long". He added that "graduating from high school is such a seminal moment for kids and parents. It's something we knew we wanted to mine and explore." The season revolves around Ryan Atwood
's savior complex causing trouble, and Seth Cohen
's lies posing problems in his relationship with Summer Roberts
. Seth's mother Kirsten
attends rehab in an attempt to put her life back together, while her husband Sandy
assumes leadership of the Newport Group after Caleb Nichol
's death and finds himself the heir-apparent to a legacy of scandal, and Marissa Cooper
spirals out of control after younger sister Kaitlin
causes trouble on her return home from boarding school. The season was released on DVD as a seven disc boxed set under the title The O.C.: The Complete Third Season on October 24, 2006 by Warner Bros. Home Video.
Season three was also broadcast outside of the United States. In Canada, the season was simulcast
on the terrestrial network CTV Television Network
. It was broadcast on Network Ten
on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. (local time
) in Australia, and premiered several months after it did in the US. In New Zealand the season started February 11, 2006 on TV NZ. It premiered in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2006 on the digital
terrestrial channel E4, airing Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. GMT. The episodes were rebroadcast the following week on the analogue Channel 4
, E4's parent channel, on Sundays at 1:50 p.m. GMT.
and Wonderland Sound and Vision
. The executive producers were series creator Josh Schwartz
, McG
, a co-founder of Wonderland, and Bob DeLaurentis
. Stephanie Savage
, the other co-founder of Wonderland, served as co-executive producer, whilst Ian Toynton
served as supervising producer. The staff writers were Schwartz, Savage, DeLaurentis, John Stephens, J.J. Philbin and Mike Kelley
. The regular directors throughout the season were Toynton, Michael Lange
, Michael Fresco
, Norman Buckley
and Tony Wharmby
.
The third season had star billing
for seven major roles. Mischa Barton
as Marissa, Rachel Bilson
as Summer, Adam Brody
as Seth, Melinda Clarke
as Julie
, Peter Gallagher
as Sandy, Benjamin McKenzie
as Ryan, and Kelly Rowan
as Kirsten all returned to the main cast. Former main cast member Alan Dale
did not return due to his character, Caleb, dying at the end of the second season, while Tate Donovan
, as Jimmy Cooper
, returned only in a recurring role.
Logan Marshall-Green
returned for the season premiere, portraying Trey Atwood
, comatosed as a result of the shooting in the second season finale. Additionally Navi Rawat
, Samaire Armstrong
, Daphne Ashbrook
and Nikki Griffin
all made brief returns to guest star as Theresa Diaz
, Anna Stern
, Dawn Atwood
, and Jess Sathers, respectively. Willa Holland
took over from Shailene Woodley
in portraying Marissa's younger sister Kaitlin, who returns to the show after being away at boarding school last year. Cast member Michael Nouri
continued as Summer's dad, Dr. Neil Roberts
, who became a larger part of the series. Other actors to leave the series were Nicholas Gonzalez
(D.J.), Michael Cassidy
(Zach
), Shannon Lucio
(Lindsay
), Olivia Wilde
(Alex), Billy Campbell
(Carter), Kim Delaney
(Rebecca), Johnny Messner (Lance), Kathleen York
(Renee), and Marguerite Moreau
(Reed).
The season introduced a number of new students to the show. Additions to the cast included Autumn Reeser
, Cam Gigandet
, Ryan Donowho
and Johnny Lewis
, as new social chair Taylor Townsend
, rival surfers Kevin Volchok
and Johnny Harper, and Johnny's best friend Chili. Jeri Ryan
and Jeff Hephner
also joined the cast to portray new adult characters Charlotte Morgan, a mysterious woman Kristen befriends in rehab, and Matt Ramsey, an overzealous business partner working at the Newport Group. New guest stars in recurring roles included Paula Trickey
as Taylor's mother, Veronica Townsend
; Erin Foster
as a Newport Union student called Heather; Kayla Ewell
and Nikki Reed
as Johnny's girlfriend, Casey, and cousin Sadie; Eric Mabius
as new Dean of Discipline, Jack Hess; Shaun Duke as Henry Griffin, head of the board at Newport Hospital; and Morena Baccarin
as Griffin's daughter Maya.
After the eventual cancellation of the show, Schwartz admitted that "the whole first half of the third season was a total mess".
The third season was nominated for five Teen Choice Awards
and won four of them, including "Choice Drama/Action Adventure Show" and "Choice Actor: Drama/Action Adventure", which Adam Brody won for the third consecutive year. IGN
faulted a season which, in their opinion, had "far too much time and too many episodes spent with the less than beloved character Johnny". IGN also noted that "Kirsten and Sandy both suffered from unsatisfying stories", and that the departure of character Caleb Nichol had been a mistake "as he had been a great character to bounce off both of the elder Cohens". In September 2007, Schwartz admitted in an interview for New York
that the show "went down the wrong road" with Johnny. The season did, however, receive some praise. The new character Taylor Townsend was stated as being "played to perfection by Autumn Reeser" and her character was described as "one of the greatest elements of The O.C." Jeffrey Robinson of DVD Talk
described the storylines as "very intelligent and also incorporate a great deal of humor to keep your interest".
USA Today
critic Robert Bianco said that the season premiere was "as dreary and ridiculous as any episode the show ever gave us",
but the season finale was commended by IGN's Eric Goldman for killing off main character Marissa Cooper. Goldman said that "the episode documenting her demise was a fairly strong one" and that the following season "would really pay off this shocking twist". Despite not being the final season it was also noted that the graduation of characters gave "the show a feeling of ending".
in the US on October 24, 2006 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including a gag reel, featurettes, and the making of a music video by The Subways
.
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...
, 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. ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
in the US on 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...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
; however, from January 12, 2006 onwards, 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...
was shifted to a later time of Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Following on from season two, the series continues to follow the characters' lives in the wealthy community of Newport Beach
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...
, Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, with the main characters entering their final year of high school. Series 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...
said he wanted to explore the characters moving away as he "didn't want to be one of the shows that stayed in high school too long". He added that "graduating from high school is such a seminal moment for kids and parents. It's something we knew we wanted to mine and explore." The season revolves around 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...
's savior complex causing trouble, and 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:...
's lies posing problems in his relationship 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...
. Seth's mother Kirsten
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...
attends rehab in an attempt to put her life back together, while her husband Sandy
Sandy Cohen
Sanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen, is married to Kirsten Cohen. Their eldest child, Seth, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and...
assumes leadership of the Newport Group after 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...
's death and finds himself the heir-apparent to a legacy of scandal, and Marissa Cooper
Marissa Cooper
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."...
spirals out of control after 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:...
causes trouble on her return home from boarding school. The season was released on DVD as a seven disc boxed set under the title The O.C.: The Complete Third Season on October 24, 2006 by Warner Bros. Home Video.
Season three was also broadcast outside of the United States. In Canada, the season was simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on the terrestrial network CTV Television Network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
. It was broadcast on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. (local time
Time in Australia
Australia uses Standard time, i.e: the same well defined time for a region. The proper names of Australia's time zones are Australian Western Standard Time , Australian Central Standard Time , and Australian Eastern Standard Time...
) in Australia, and premiered several months after it did in the US. In New Zealand the season started February 11, 2006 on TV NZ. It premiered in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2006 on the digital
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
terrestrial channel E4, airing Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. GMT. The episodes were rebroadcast the following week on the analogue Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, E4's parent channel, on Sundays at 1:50 p.m. GMT.
Regular
- Peter GallagherPeter GallagherPeter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
as Sandy CohenSandy CohenSanford "Sandy" Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX series The O.C., portrayed by Peter Gallagher.Sandy, a lawyer, raconteur, and son of Sophie Cohen, is married to Kirsten Cohen. Their eldest child, Seth, is something of a social misfit. Sandy's father left his mother when he was young and... - Kelly RowanKelly RowanKelly Rowan is a Canadian television and film actress and former fashion model. She is best known for portraying Kirsten Cohen on The O.C.-Early life:...
as Kirsten CohenKirsten CohenKirsten 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... - Ben McKenzieBenjamin McKenzieBenjamin 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...
as Ryan AtwoodRyan AtwoodRyan 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... - Mischa BartonMischa BartonMischa 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:...
as Marissa CooperMarissa CooperMarissa 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."... - Adam BrodyAdam BrodyAdam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs...
as Seth CohenSeth CohenSeth 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:... - Melinda ClarkeMelinda ClarkeMelinda Patrice Clarke is an American actress who has primarily worked in television. Clarke is best known for playing Faith Taylor on the daytime drama Days of our Lives, the manipulative and cunning Julie Cooper-Nichol on The O.C., and the professional dominatrix Lady Heather on CSI...
as Julie CooperJulie CooperJulie Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Melinda Clarke.-Background:... - Rachel BilsonRachel BilsonRachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
as Summer RobertsSummer RobertsSummer 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...
Recurring
- Willa HollandWilla HollandWilla Joanna Chance Holland is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her role as Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's devious younger sister, on the television series The O.C.. She also appeared as Agnes Andrews on The CW series Gossip Girl...
as Kaitlin CooperKaitlin CooperKaitlin 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:... - Autumn ReeserAutumn ReeserAutumn Alicia Reeser is an American actress and blogger. She has portrayed Taylor Townsend on the Fox series The O.C., Lizzie Grant on HBO's Entourage and most recently appeared as Katie Andrews on ABC's No Ordinary Family....
as Taylor TownsendTaylor TownsendTaylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:... - Cam GigandetCam GigandetCam Joslin Gigandet is an American actor, whose roles have included Twilight, The O.C., Never Back Down, The Roommate, Burlesque and Priest.- Career :...
as Kevin VolchokKevin VolchokKevin 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:... - Ryan DonowhoRyan DonowhoRyan Wayne Donowho is an American actor and musician.-Early life:Born in Houston, Texas, Donowho moved to Brooklyn, New York and then to Los Angeles. He was a street musician in New York City as "bucket" drummer...
as Johnny HarperJohnny HarperJohnny 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... - Nikki ReedNikki ReedNicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
as Sadie Campbell - Johnny LewisJohnny LewisJonathan Kendrick "Johnny" Lewis , also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, is an American actor.-Life and career:Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens with guest starring roles in American Dreams , Boston Public , and The Guardian , among others...
as Chili - Michael NouriMichael NouriMichael Nouri is an American television and film actor. He may be best known for his role as Nick Hurley, in the 1983 film Flashdance. He has had recurring roles in numerous television series, including NCIS as Eli David, the father of Mossad officer Ziva David, The O.C. as Dr...
as Neil RobertsDr. Neil RobertsDr. Neil Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX series, The O.C., portrayed by Michael Nouri.A plastic surgeon in wealthy Newport Beach, California, Neil is the father of Summer Roberts. He was married to Summer's mother until his daughter was 13 years old, when Summer's mother left for...
Episodes
"Series #" refers to the episode's number in the overall series, whereas "Season #" refers to the episode's number in this particular season. The third season's episodes are altogether 1089 minutes in length.| Series # |
Season # |
Title | Directed by | Written by | American viewers in millions | Original airdate | Production Code |
|---|
Crew
The season was produced by Warner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
and Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision is the production company of producers McG and Stephanie Savage. They are responsible for producing The O.C. and Supernatural as well as Chuck. Wonderland also co-produced all of McG's films since Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.-History:McG and Stephanie Savage formed...
. The executive producers were series 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...
, McG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
, a co-founder of Wonderland, and Bob DeLaurentis
Bob DeLaurentis
Robert "Bob" DeLaurentis is an American writer and producer.DeLaurentis wrote the 1982 film, A Little Sex, and has also written a proposed script for a Dr. Who film. He has both written and produced for television shows including The O.C., Providence and Alfred Hitchcock Presents...
. Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage is a Canadian screenwriter and television producer. Savage is best known for developing The CW's teen drama series, Gossip Girl from the novel series, and being an executive producer of the Fox series The O.C....
, the other co-founder of Wonderland, served as co-executive producer, whilst Ian Toynton
Ian Toynton
Ian Toynton is a British television director, producer and editor.His most notable work has been on The O.C., on which he served as director, supervising producer and co-executive producer for a number of episodes. He has both directed and produced episodes of the series Bones, The Pretender,...
served as supervising producer. The staff writers were Schwartz, Savage, DeLaurentis, John Stephens, J.J. Philbin and Mike Kelley
Mike Kelley (writer)
Michael "Mike" Kelley is an American television writer and producer and creator of television series Swingtown and Revenge.-Early life:...
. The regular directors throughout the season were Toynton, Michael Lange
Michael Lange
Michael Lange is an American television director and record producer.-Early life:Born and raised just outside New York City, in Mamaroneck, New York and attending Mamaroneck High School where he was heavily involved in music and a bit in drama, Michael Lange first developed a taste for drama in...
, Michael Fresco
Michael Fresco
Michael "Mike" Fresco is an American television director and producer.Most notably Fresco has directed a number of episodes from shows including The O.C., My Name is Earl and the pilots to 1-800-Missing and Providence...
, Norman Buckley
Norman Buckley
Norman L. Buckley is an American television director and editor best known for his work on The O.C., Chuck, Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars.-Early life:...
and Tony Wharmby
Tony Wharmby
Tony Wharmby is an English television director and producer.Wharmby is best known for his directorial work on television series such as JAG, NCIS, The O.C., Bones, Providence, Coronation Street, High Sierra Search and Rescue, The X-Files, Coins in the Fountain, New Scotland Yard, Gossip Girl,...
.
Cast
Billing (film)
Billing is a performing arts term used in referring to the order and other aspects of how credits are presented for plays, films, television, or other creative works...
for seven major roles. 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:...
as Marissa, Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
as Summer, Adam Brody
Adam Brody
Adam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs...
as Seth, Melinda Clarke
Melinda Clarke
Melinda Patrice Clarke is an American actress who has primarily worked in television. Clarke is best known for playing Faith Taylor on the daytime drama Days of our Lives, the manipulative and cunning Julie Cooper-Nichol on The O.C., and the professional dominatrix Lady Heather on CSI...
as Julie
Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Melinda Clarke.-Background:...
, Peter Gallagher
Peter Gallagher
Peter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
as Sandy, 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...
as Ryan, and Kelly Rowan
Kelly Rowan
Kelly Rowan is a Canadian television and film actress and former fashion model. She is best known for portraying Kirsten Cohen on The O.C.-Early life:...
as Kirsten all returned to the main cast. Former main cast member Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
did not return due to his character, Caleb, dying at the end of the second season, while Tate Donovan
Tate Donovan
Tate Buckley Donovan is an American actor. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C....
, as Jimmy Cooper
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....
, returned only in a recurring role.
Logan Marshall-Green
Logan Marshall-Green
Logan Marshall-Green is an American actor best known for his roles in Dark Blue, The O.C., 24, and Traveler.-Early life:...
returned for the season premiere, portraying Trey Atwood
Trey 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...
, comatosed as a result of the shooting in the second season finale. Additionally Navi Rawat
Navi Rawat
Navi Rawat is an American television actress, known for her roles as Theresa Diaz on the drama series The O.C. and math prodigy Amita Ramanujan on the drama series Numb3rs. She is the niece of Prem Rawat....
, Samaire Armstrong
Samaire Armstrong
Samaire Rhys Armstrong is an American actress, fashion designer and model. She is best known for her roles in Stay Alive, The O.C. and It's a Boy Girl Thing. Her best known role to date is portraying the role of Juliet Darling in the ABC television series Dirty Sexy Money...
, Daphne Ashbrook
Daphne Ashbrook
Daphne Lee Ashbrook is an American actress.-Personal life:Daphne Ashbrook was raised in the San Diego, CA area. Her parents are San Diego theatre actress D'Ann Paton and late actor/Director Buddy Ashbrook...
and Nikki Griffin
Nikki Griffin
Jeanne Nicole "Nikki" Griffin is an American actress.-Life and career:Though Jeanne Nicole Griffin was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, formative years of her childhood were spent living in Germany...
all made brief returns to guest star as 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:...
, Anna Stern
Anna Stern
Anna Stern is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Samaire Armstrong. Initially intended to appear in only one episode, she was brought back at fan request for several episodes of the first season...
, Dawn Atwood
Dawn Atwood
Dawn Atwood is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Daphne Ashbrook. She is the mother of Trey and Ryan Atwood. She has a history of alcoholism and of forming relationships with abusive men who also drink. Her husband Frank Atwood is both abusive and an...
, and Jess Sathers, respectively. Willa Holland
Willa Holland
Willa Joanna Chance Holland is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her role as Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's devious younger sister, on the television series The O.C.. She also appeared as Agnes Andrews on The CW series Gossip Girl...
took over from Shailene Woodley
Shailene Woodley
Shailene Diann Woodley is an American actress. Woodley is known for portraying Amy Juergens in the ABC Family series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and for co-starring with George Clooney in the 2011 drama film The Descendants.-Early life:Woodley was born in Simi Valley, California...
in portraying Marissa's younger sister Kaitlin, who returns to the show after being away at boarding school last year. Cast member Michael Nouri
Michael Nouri
Michael Nouri is an American television and film actor. He may be best known for his role as Nick Hurley, in the 1983 film Flashdance. He has had recurring roles in numerous television series, including NCIS as Eli David, the father of Mossad officer Ziva David, The O.C. as Dr...
continued as Summer's dad, Dr. Neil Roberts
Dr. Neil Roberts
Dr. Neil Roberts is a fictional character on the FOX series, The O.C., portrayed by Michael Nouri.A plastic surgeon in wealthy Newport Beach, California, Neil is the father of Summer Roberts. He was married to Summer's mother until his daughter was 13 years old, when Summer's mother left for...
, who became a larger part of the series. Other actors to leave the series were Nicholas Gonzalez
Nicholas Gonzalez
Nicholas Edward Gonzalez is an Mexican-American actor, best known for playing Alex Santiago in the TV series Resurrection Blvd..-Early life:...
(D.J.), Michael Cassidy
Michael Cassidy (actor)
Michael Cassidy is an American film and television actor. He attended La Salle High School in Milwaukie, Oregon and graduated from the Two-Year Conservatory program at The New Actors Workshop in New York City in 2003....
(Zach
Zach Stevens
Zach Stevens is a fictional character in the second season of The O.C., portrayed by Michael Cassidy.-Conception:Creator Josh Schwartz described Zach as someone "who's sort of the WASP Seth, a.k.a. the anti-Cohen, and a formidable potential opponent for Seth"-Season 2:Zach joined Seth's fledgling...
), Shannon Lucio
Shannon Lucio
Shannon Lucio is an American actress who played Lindsay Gardner on The O.C..Lucio is a graduate of the University of Southern California and was cast in the lead female role of the CBS television drama Moonlight , but was replaced by Sophia Myles in April 2007...
(Lindsay
Lindsay Gardner
Lindsay Gardner is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Shannon Lucio. Featured only during the first half of season two, Lindsay is the illegitimate daughter of Caleb Nichol by his former secretary, Renee Wheeler...
), Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is an American actress and fashion model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the serial-drama The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrayed Dr...
(Alex), Billy Campbell
Billy Campbell
William Oliver "Billy" Campbell is an American film and television actor. In television, he is best known for his roles as Rick Sammler on Once and Again, as Det. Joey Indelli on Crime Story, as Jordan Collier on The 4400, and as Dr. Jon Fielding on the Tales of the City Miniseries...
(Carter), Kim Delaney
Kim Delaney
Kim Delaney is an American actress best known for her starring role as Detective Diane Russell on the ABC drama television series, NYPD Blue. Early in her career, she played the role of Jenny Gardner in the hugely popular ABC daytime television drama, All My Children...
(Rebecca), Johnny Messner (Lance), Kathleen York
Kathleen York
Kathleen "Bird" York is an actress, screenwriter and Oscar nominated songwriter-recording artist.As a screenwriter, York has written projects for John Wells Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount and has just completed a one hour pilot for Fox Television Studios...
(Renee), and Marguerite Moreau
Marguerite Moreau
Marguerite Moreau is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles on the television series Blossom, her role as Katie in the comedy cult film Wet Hot American Summer, and her role in The Mighty Ducks series of films...
(Reed).
The season introduced a number of new students to the show. Additions to the cast included Autumn Reeser
Autumn Reeser
Autumn Alicia Reeser is an American actress and blogger. She has portrayed Taylor Townsend on the Fox series The O.C., Lizzie Grant on HBO's Entourage and most recently appeared as Katie Andrews on ABC's No Ordinary Family....
, Cam Gigandet
Cam Gigandet
Cam Joslin Gigandet is an American actor, whose roles have included Twilight, The O.C., Never Back Down, The Roommate, Burlesque and Priest.- Career :...
, Ryan Donowho
Ryan Donowho
Ryan Wayne Donowho is an American actor and musician.-Early life:Born in Houston, Texas, Donowho moved to Brooklyn, New York and then to Los Angeles. He was a street musician in New York City as "bucket" drummer...
and Johnny Lewis
Johnny Lewis
Jonathan Kendrick "Johnny" Lewis , also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, is an American actor.-Life and career:Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens with guest starring roles in American Dreams , Boston Public , and The Guardian , among others...
, as new social chair Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend
Taylor Townsend is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., played by Autumn Reeser.-Personality:...
, rival surfers 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:...
and Johnny Harper, and Johnny's best friend Chili. Jeri Ryan
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
and Jeff Hephner
Jeff Hephner
Jeff Hephner is an American actor, known for his recurring role as Matt Ramsey during the third season of The O.C., and as the lead Morgan Stanley Buffkin in the 2008 television series Easy Money...
also joined the cast to portray new adult characters Charlotte Morgan, a mysterious woman Kristen befriends in rehab, and Matt Ramsey, an overzealous business partner working at the Newport Group. New guest stars in recurring roles included Paula Trickey
Paula Trickey
Paula Trickey , is an American actress who has starred in many TV movies. She has also appeared in television series. Trickey's most well-known role was on the USA Network series Pacific Blue as Officer/Sgt. Cory McNamara from 1996-2000...
as Taylor's mother, Veronica Townsend
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...
; Erin Foster
Erin Foster
Erin Taylor Foster is an American actress. She has become most recognizable for her role as Heather, Marissa Cooper's enemy, on The O.C....
as a Newport Union student called Heather; Kayla Ewell
Kayla Ewell
Kayla Noelle Ewell is an American actress known for her roles on television as Caitlin Ramirez on CBS's long-running soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful, as Maureen Sampson on NBC's acclaimed Freaks and Geeks, and as Vicki Donovan on The CW's The Vampire Diaries.- Early life :Ewell was born in...
and Nikki Reed
Nikki Reed
Nicole Houston "Nikki" Reed is an American film and television actress, and screenwriter. She became known in 2003, after the release of the film Thirteen, for which she co-wrote the screenplay. Reed has since appeared in several films, including Lords of Dogtown and Mini's First Time...
as Johnny's girlfriend, Casey, and cousin Sadie; Eric Mabius
Eric Mabius
Eric Harry Timothy Mabius is an American actor known for his work as Daniel Meade on the ABC television series Ugly Betty. He also worked on the Showtime series The L Word and in the films Resident Evil and Cruel Intentions....
as new Dean of Discipline, Jack Hess; Shaun Duke as Henry Griffin, head of the board at Newport Hospital; and Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin is a Brazilian-born American actress most widely known for roles in several American science fiction television shows: as Inara Serra in the series Firefly; as Adria in the series Stargate SG-1; and as Anna in the 2009 version of the series V...
as Griffin's daughter Maya.
Reception
Season three was widely regarded by both fans and critics as the worst season of The O.C. The season premiere attracted 7.5 million viewers, but average viewing figures decreased twenty percent from the previous season to 5.6 million. The first half of the season averaged 6.3 million viewers, representing a substantial decrease in the show's popularity. However Marcy Ross, head of current programming at FOX said that the "ratings are perfectly fine and acceptable".After the eventual cancellation of the show, Schwartz admitted that "the whole first half of the third season was a total mess".
The third season was nominated for five Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
and won four of them, including "Choice Drama/Action Adventure Show" and "Choice Actor: Drama/Action Adventure", which Adam Brody won for the third consecutive year. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
faulted a season which, in their opinion, had "far too much time and too many episodes spent with the less than beloved character Johnny". IGN also noted that "Kirsten and Sandy both suffered from unsatisfying stories", and that the departure of character Caleb Nichol had been a mistake "as he had been a great character to bounce off both of the elder Cohens". In September 2007, Schwartz admitted in an interview for New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
that the show "went down the wrong road" with Johnny. The season did, however, receive some praise. The new character Taylor Townsend was stated as being "played to perfection by Autumn Reeser" and her character was described as "one of the greatest elements of The O.C." Jeffrey Robinson of DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
described the storylines as "very intelligent and also incorporate a great deal of humor to keep your interest".
USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
critic Robert Bianco said that the season premiere was "as dreary and ridiculous as any episode the show ever gave us",
but the season finale was commended by IGN's Eric Goldman for killing off main character Marissa Cooper. Goldman said that "the episode documenting her demise was a fairly strong one" and that the following season "would really pay off this shocking twist". Despite not being the final season it was also noted that the graduation of characters gave "the show a feeling of ending".
DVD release
The DVD release of season three was released by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in the US on October 24, 2006 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including a gag reel, featurettes, and the making of a music video by The Subways
The Subways
The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...
.
| The O.C. - The Complete Third Season | |||
| Set details | Special features | ||
|
|
||
| Release dates | |||
| October 24, 2006 | September 4, 2006 | September 6, 2006 | |
External links
- Episode guide at Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
' The OC Insider - The O.C. episode list at IMDb.com
- The O.C. season 3 episode guide at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- The O.C. episode guide at SavetheOC.WordPress.com
- The O.C. music guide