The O.C. Was Wrong To Kill Marissa Cooper – But Her Exit & Season 4 Fixed The Show

While The O.C. was wrong to kill central character Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) in the way they did, the character’s exit ultimately helped the show. Created by Josh Schwartz, The O.C. became a cultural touchstone in the early 2000s. Running for four seasons, The O.C. followed troubled teenager Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) as he began a new life with the wealthy Cohen family. Despite its success, The O.C. began to run into issues around the time of its third season, and this culminated in the unexpected death of one of the show’s main characters.