The OC is still considered one of the best and most popular teen dramas of all time. It aired during the early 2000s when teen dramas were all the rage. Between One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Dawson’s Creek, and others, The OC was a standout for its take on teenagers living in Orange County.
It jumpstarted the careers of notable actors and actresses like Adam Brody, Rachel Bilson, Mischa Barton, and Benjamin McKenzie. However, it also had some controversial storylines in its run, such as when Mischa Barton left the series at the end of season three and the show killed her off. We’re taking a look at the ten worst episodes of The OC as ranked by IMDb.
The Groundhog Day (S4E12)
The fourth season of The OC is one of the most controversial because it was the first season to take place after Marissa’s death and Mischa Barton leaving the show. Expect to see several episodes from the fourth season on this list.
The most disappointing thing about the fourth season for fans of the series was the absence of the popular Marissa/Ryan pairing. Ryan begins dating Taylor which had polarizing reactions. In this episode, Taylor tries to get help with her relationship with Ryan. Meanwhile, Seth is drawn into a scheme to steal a groundhog with Che, who was played by Chris Pratt.
The Pot Stirrer (S3E13)
One of the most hated storylines in the show had to be the involvement of Johnny. Mainly, fans didn’t like it when Marissa was sent off to another school and started having a pseudo-romance with Johnny while she was still dating Ryan.
In this episode, Marissa attempts to connect more with Kaitlin and her group of friends but it backfires on her. Elsewhere, Seth tries pot for the first time which does result in some hilarious scenes with him and straight-man Ryan who has to deal with a high Seth. We also got some interesting, but mostly boring, storylines involving the adults on the show.
The My Two Dads (S4E09)
Summer and Seth are considering getting married but both of them realize they’re not actually ready to do that. Seth tries to scare Summer away from the idea of engagement by asking her to give him a home-cooked meal every day and learn the entire Torah. Elsewhere, Ryan is dealing with the return of his biological father, supposedly.
But it winds up causing trouble when Sandy and Kristen find out he’s been lying. We also learn that Julie and Frank, Ryan’s dad, are dating. Kaitlin flunks a school presentation and gets assigned to a new tutor, a boy named Will who won’t be easy for her to take advantage of.
The Road Warrior (S3E16)
Who could forget the mess season three devolved into when Ryan was helping Sadie and Marissa was entangled with Johnny’s death and then with Volchok. In this episode, she gets mixed up in another police investigation into Johnny’s death. Volchok also makes a move on Marissa while Ryan goes on a road trip with Sadie.
Fans had to begin facing the facts that Marissa and Ryan wouldn’t be getting back together any time soon. In reality, they never do since Marissa dies but fans didn’t know that at the time. Summer tries to get her dad a nice date but then finds out that an attraction has formed between him and Julie.
The L.A. (S1E22)
It is somewhat surprising that this episode ranks as one of the worst on the show since it is a pretty fun episode that features the gang making a journey out to LA. While there, Summer and her friends get invited to hang out with members of The Valley, Summer’s favorite reality show.
She is even hit on by Grady, one of the leading actors, although it doesn’t last long. Perhaps fans didn’t like seeing more conflict between the Seth and Summer relationship. This episode does feature some great cameos though, such as by Paris Hilton and Colin Hanks.
The Undertow (S3E18)
The relationship with Marissa and Volchok takes a turn for the worse as Volchok proves to be the worst thing for Marissa. She falls back into her old habits while with him and it leads to potentially damaging consequences. Elsewhere, Ryan is still talking to Sadie and also gets a visit from Trey’s ex-girlfriend, Jess.
She wants Ryan’s help in getting rid of a new possessive boyfriend and she also wants to talk about where Trey is located. The last time we heard anything about Trey he was trying to rape Marissa and it lead to one of the most memorable and violent encounters on the entire series.
The Secrets and Lies (S3E19)
Much to Summer’s chagrin, Julie and her father announced that they are officially engaged upon returning from their romantic cruise. This leads to a fight from Summer and Marissa who aren’t entirely happy with this announcement.
Marissa continues to fall in deeper with Volchok and her relationship with him and his equally troublesome friends lead to rifts with her other friends, like Summer. Ryan and Sadie officially begin to date but it becomes obvious that Ryan isn’t over Marissa so Sadie leaves Newport in her rearview mirror for good. Kristen takes Seth to one of her AA meetings but things don’t end the way she planned.
The Heavy Lifting (S3E15)
This episode occurs after Johnny’s death. Weirdly enough, fans were not unhappy with Johnny’s death because they hoped it signaled the end of what many believed a slump in storytelling. Unfortunately, Johnny’s death gets dragged out into an even longer storyline and his cousin Sadie, played by Nikki Reed, arrives in town and puts another obstacle between Marissa and Ryan.
Fans of the couple would soon realize there were no plans to reunite the pair any time soon. This episode also introduces the new antagonist and Marissa’s love interest, Kevin Volchok (Cam Gigandet), who would ultimately spell the demise of Marissa Cooper.
The French Connection (S4E10)
No one really liked the idea of Taylor having a random ex-husband in the picture. Even though some fans were never going to be on board with the Ryan/Taylor relationship, many started to grow fond of it as season four progressed and it became evident that the fourth season would be more of a return to form.
Unfortunately, many viewers vacated in season three and the show didn’t make it past its fourth season despite it being much better. That said, this episode brought a bump in the road for the Taylor and Ryan relationship when Henri-Michel arrives back in Newport to try and win Taylor back.
The Dream Lover (S4E11)
Again, it is a little surprising that this episode is on the list, especially at the number one worst episode. It’s not a great episode and there are several annoying plotlines that fans disliked, however, it’s not all that notable in general. If it were higher on the list it would make more sense but stealing the number one spot is shocking.
That said, this episode does deal with more of the character Che, who people weren’t all that fond of. It also has Henri-Michel continuing to stay in town and cause further problems between Ryan and Taylor. Also, Julie ends up hooking up with someone with an STD and Kristen has to help her figure out what to do from there.
