Bridget Nordquist

It has returned at last – the sixth most popular TV show at SDSU, according to the Facebook pulse. Ever since FOX lured us in with the brilliant catch phrase, “Welcome to the OC, bitch!” we have not been able to resist the antics of the Newport kids. Okay, that last statement is not exactly accurate. Even though “The OC” returned for season four on Nov. 2, the future of the show is rather murky and thus deserves some speculation.

In the beginning, there was “The OC,” and it was good. We loved bad-boy Ryan Atwood teamed up with comic-freak Seth Cohen. The self-centered snobs Marissa and Summer added a fun spark to the show. In all, it was the most popular prime time teen soap opera since “Dawson’s Creek.”

However, since the first couple of seasons, something has happened in Orange County. First, there were a string of dubious story lines including baby-daddy issues, Marissa’s brief lesbian escapades and a variety of psychotic characters (think Oliver in Season Two). At the end of last season, the show’s creator and the folks at FOX faced some serious issues about whether to bring the show back at all. After reportedly firing some writers and refocusing the show’s direction, the powers that be decided to give “The OC” another whirl.

So here we are at the beginning of a new season, with a new start. Several interesting developments occurred to get the show to its current position. First, Marissa is history and, seriously, nothing could have pleased me more. I’ll admit she had nice hair, but other than that, I was ready for Oliver to shoot her in Season Two.

Marissa’s death leaves the other characters in interesting situations. Her mom is basically nuts, while her best friend Summer has turned hippie. Ryan is his usual angst-ridden self, drawing blood in the first five minutes of the show. All the Cohens are relatively the same, trying desperately to rescue Ryan for the fourth season in a row.

OK, so the first episode of the season was mostly crap, but rumor has it around episode four we can expect the entertaining “OC” of old. However, the question still looms: Can the show survive? It is currently in the same time slot as the two biggest shows on TV, “Grey’s Anatomy” and “CSI,” so it has to do something amazing. If not, Marissa won’t be the only one out of work in Orange County.