Remember the iconic moment when Marissa shot Trey on The O.C. and "Mmm, whatcha say?" blared on the soundtrack? If you don’t, it’s OK, because we just rewatched it.
Kirsten and I reminisced before watching, while Louis prepared to watch The O.C. for the first time:
Kirsten King: This episode is absolutely iconic. Obviously, I owned The O.C. mixtape so I was able to listen to Imogen Heap's "Hide And Seek" and reenact the scene after this aired.
Ira Madison III: Obviously, we're all waiting to get to the "Mmm whatcha say?" moment that launched a million internet memes, but also, this was the second season finale, which means that it involves Kirsten's (Kelly Rowan) Greek drama-level alcoholism.
Louis Peitzman: The sprawling shot of all the OC houses that look the same in the opening credits make me weirdly nostalgic.
Caleb Nichol's Funeral
The Intervention
Summer and Seth's Pony Time
Louis: Adam Brody is reading Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs and I'm weirdly turned off.
Ira: This is actually the episode that made Chuck Klosterman my favorite author during high school and college.
Louis: Summer makes a Legends in the Fall reference — I am sucked back in. God bless Dawson's Creek for making us think teenagers talk like this.
Kirsten: OK but Princess Sparkle and Captain Oats are my second fave love story (next to Seth and Summer) on this show. So, let's leave them out of this.
Trey And This Random Heffa
Kirsten: Jess (Nikki Griffin) kissing Trey is too similar to the Drake/Madonna kiss. She might have just sucked his soul out of his body Dementor style.
Ira: I'd definitely do a lot more than that to Trey tho.
Louis: Trey and Jess and their bad softcore porn dialogue. I know he's supposed to be evil but I love that guy from Prometheus.
Kirsten: Why is Trey always dressed like a gas station attendant?
Ira: Also, this whole "drug dealing" storyline is the height of ridiculous. You wouldn't even see this shit on 21 Jump Street reruns.
Louis: Are the only POC on this show gangsters?
Ira: Pretty much. Except for Ryan's pregnant ex-girlfriend from last season, I guess.
THE SHOOTING
MMM WHATCHA SAY?!
Kirsten: So the last episode, to catch up, Trey sexually assaults Marisa on the beach and tries to rape her.
Ira: And Marissa keeps it to herself, until her boyfriend finds out and can go punch things, because teen shows always go that route. I think it's time we switched up how we present rape in TV shows.
Kirsten: Seth to Ryan: "Before I tell you, you gotta promise you're going to stay calm." Yeah that's not gonna happen.
Louis: Famous last words. Also this is the bro-iest description of sexual assault.
Ira: All the mumbling and the "he kinda like, assaulted her, and..." DUDE. JUST SAY SHE WAS ALMOST RAPED. But anyway, Ryan finds out about Marissa and goes off to be a white knight and if I knew anything about Chekov's Gun in high school, I would've known someone was getting shot during this episode.
Kirsten: Trey looks at Marisa after she shoots him like, "Girl I didn't think you had it in you."
Kirsten: The timing of the Imogen Heap song is iconic.
Louis: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SONG.
Ira: The best thing that has ever happened ever, is what it is. And the inspiration behind one of the best SNL sketches ever.
Final Thoughts
Ira: The build-up to the shooting is less dramatic than I remember. Kirsten's drinking storyline gets wrapped up horribly and everything involving the drug deal is teen soap opera at its worst. But the ending makes it all worth it.
Kirsten: Honestly, this episode of The O.C is unforgettable. You've got the Ryan/Trey drama going on, and the Seth/Summer, Ryan/Marisa love stories are in full-swing. A+ episode, overall.
Ira: I think I like the funnier episodes from the first and the fourth season, but I will admit this was all I talked about during the summer of 2005.