Last Regret reveals how they ruined ‘OC’ when the series got us

Twenty years ago, we witnessed one of the shortest yet most iconic teen series on television.I mean the ocThe play broke the ideal mold designed by other successful productions of the time, such as Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000), dawson creek (1998-2003) and One Tree Hill (2003-2012), delves into the dark and gutsy dramatic arc where the normalization of drugs, trauma and sexual exploration falls on a protagonist unlike any other: marisa cooper (Mischa Barton).

However, that series of international success and the undisputed “Guilty”, The day they decided to wipe out the show’s star with a tragic and bloody death, it ruined itself, both unexpected and unnecessary. This discovery was so shocking that nearly two decades later, his creators admit their regretsadmitting the big mistake they made with Marisa.

Creator Josh Schwartz and producer Stephanie Savage confirmed it vanity fair, Blame the chain’s pressure for the protagonist’s sudden and unexpected burial fate. “We were under tremendous pressure to do something so dramatic,” recalls Savage. “Killing series regulars came from above. If we want a fourth season, we’re going to have to do something like that.”

However, after making this decision, they immediately regretted it. “In retrospect, we wish we had found a different solution,” he said. “We didn’t see an alternate path at the time, which is why we took it. But obviously, in hindsight, there were a lot of other ways we could have removed the character from the show and given Misha a break, She needs and wants, and that brings the character back.”

Schwartz acknowledged that the public reaction to Marisa’s death was “not happy.” “The audience doesn’t seem to be served or respected in the way we’ve always wanted and aimed,” he added. “Instantly, we regretted it then.”

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They are right. I still remember the impact of that episode. Impossible to forget. This happened at the end of season three, and the show sent Marisa down the path of self-destruction that began season one. The show’s writers left her traumatized by alcoholism, a bad relationship with her mother, an attempted rape, and shooting her boyfriend Ryan’s brother (another great protagonist and rebel played by Benjamin MacKenzie). By the end of the season, Marissa has become a desperate character, drowning in trauma, guilt, drugs, and toxic relationships. Let’s not forget the essential detail of the urgent drama she delivers: She’s still just a teenager. That way, instead of giving her a positive final arc where she recovers, heals, and hopes for a better life in the future, the writers cut her out of the equation with a car accident.

Marisa catapulted Mischa Barton into one of the hottest teen stars, only to die in Ryan’s arms after her ex-boyfriend chased them down a highway. And just like that, the main character disappears from the story bleeding out, without saying a word to complete her narrative arc, leaving the audience with a bittersweet taste they will never forget.

However, that death buried not only the character, but the entire franchise. As a result, productions bogged down, making extreme decisions that affected the public without weighing the consequences.Season 3 has lost viewership along the way (season 1 had 9.69 million viewers in the U.S., and season 3 dropped to 5.6 million) — data from Wikipedia–), the fourth made her sink even harder. Not only was the viewership halved from the first batch (4.28 million), but the season also exuded a sense of narrative desperation without any new content to contribute, leading to its eventual cancellation after only 16 episodes (when the average for each season for 26).

In other words, on the day Marisa Cooper was “killed” by a forced farewell, our desire to keep watching disappeared with it. the oc.

Regardless, the decision to eliminate the character was not only made by the network, Mischa Barton wanted out of the production as well. The actress, then 20, had become the target of tabloids and paparazzi for the show’s success.According to herself in 2016 abc news, “I think I’ve gotten to a point where I’m like, ‘I’m not sure I like this anymore.'” I feel like I’m in a machine and I can’t really escape. It’s time to take a step back. So I went back to the UK and it was a year of real self-discovery. “

Some time later, in 2021, he revealed that and!information She had different difficulties on set, like being bullied by some men and feeling unprotected. “Someone on set was very mean to me,” he said. “It’s not the most ideal living situation for a sensitive young girl who has become a star.”

He added that the second season was complicated by longer hours as producers started “averaging everyone’s salary” after promoting his co-star Rachel Bilson. “Some of the men on set generally bullied me, and it felt really bad,” he added. In turn, she added, she loves the series, and she feels the need to put up walls and ways to deal with the fame that’s been placed on her in particular. “Just dealing with the invasion of my personal life, I feel very unprotected, and I think that’s the best way to express it.”

Indeed, Marisa Cooper is a traumatized, dark and hopeless character. However, they could easily erase her from history by sending her on an adventure of travel, recovery, or self-discovery.In this way, not only are they sending a positive message to all the young viewers we watch the oc

while also leaving the door open for a possible return.

This tragic and unexpected death forced audiences to dismiss the character and the actress — who had achieved the most recognition and fame on the show — with a look of grief they deemed unnecessary. Not only because it makes the characters and the plot darker, but because after so much pain, Marisa Cooper deserves some sort of redemption. But at least they now realize there’s nothing wrong with our feelings.This decision was a mistake and we should not be followers the oc

This article was written by Cine54 exclusively for Yahoo en Español.

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