The Sun Finally Sets On The OC

Newport is no longer just a city in Southern California. "California," by Phantom Planet is no longer just a song. Adam Brody is no longer just an actor and Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson are no longer just pretty faces. Water polo is no longer just a sport. And "The O.C.," is not just a county or a hit show on Fox.

"The O.C." is a pop culture superstar, and a show that will be a defining memory in the lives of anyone who tuned in on Thursday nights, or Tuesday nights before that, anyone who bought the DVDs or has said the words, "Can you believe what happened on 'The O.C.'?"

After four roller coaster rides of seasons "The O.C." has been cancelled and the final episode will air on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m.

"The O.C." introduced the bands Bright Eyes, Death Cab for Cutie, Imogen Heap, Rooney and so many more into the mainstream vocabulary.

Through a device in the show, a indie music club called the Baitshop, real life musicians came onto the scene to perform working to both boost the careers of these musicians and something for the characters in the show to do for entertainment. Rooney was the first band to appear, and this episode was so popular they continued the trend by bringing in musicians Jem, The Walkmen, The Killers, Modest Mouse, The Thrills, Rachel Yamagata, Death Cab for Cutie, T.I., The Subways and Tom Vek.

Besides it's influence on the indie music scene, "The O.C." has also had an impact on other TV shows.

MTV's uber-popular reality show "Laguna Beach" is called "The Real O.C.," which has now had three successful seasons and one spin-off, called "The Hills." Another recent MTV release is "Maui Fever," which is basically "Laguna Beach," in Hawaii.

Throughout it's time on air "The O.C." has had it's ups and its downs. From it's first episode, aired on Aug. 5, 2003 the main cast has had a bit of a change.

The following is in a few sentences the high and low moments of the show: Marissa and Ryan meet eyes for the first time at the end of Marissa's driveway, they share a cigarette and tension that can be cut with a knife. Ryan and Seth crash a beach party where they get into a huge fight and Ryan gets welcomed to the county in a not-so-friendly way, by macho water polo player Luke, who also happens to be Marissa's boyfriend. Flash forward to Seth, in love with Summer since third grade, who now has hair under his thumb, but wait, there is the adorable Anna who shares his love of comic books.

Then there is the infamous Oliver, the psychopath Marissa meets while in rehab and befriends, who then tries to kill her and himself, but Ryan comes to the rescue. Marissa nearly overdoses in Mexico, becomes a lesbian for five seconds, gets involved with bad boy Volchick and then dies tragically in Ryan's arms after a car accident.

Seth smokes pot, lies to Summer about Brown University, burns down the Newport Group, asks Summer to marry him and then gets a job at a comic book store. Ryan starts as a cage fighter and now he's dating the preppiest girl in Newport. Summer goes all hippy, environmental and rejects Seth's proposal, and is about to take a job talking to college students across America.

The message boards and blogs are all a-buzz with how they are going to end it. The series finale is called "The End's Not Near, It's Here," and according to discussion on tv.com predictions are being made about the future of Ryan and Taylor, "I obviously want to see Ryan happy, as well, but I was such a big Ryan and Marissa fan that its hard to see him with someone else," said TheOCIsLove. "It is sad knowing that at any moment, if he found out Marissa were alive, he would ditch Taylor."

Another message posting "was what are we going to do now?" One fan, Lois-Lane didn't really know what to do with herself, "The O.C. is one of the best shows I know and I know its a TV show but damn its going to be hard getting over it … What will be nice is that after few years they make a movie on how things turned out, that would be awesome."

However, the show turns out, or how hard it will be to get over it, just know there will always be the boxed sets. The fourth season is already in production, to be release May 22 for about $50.