Just asking...

So, now that Mischa Barton seems to have taken some acting lessons, does that mean they had to get some crappy new CoopBot to maintain the craptastic quality? I cannot stand the new Caitlin's delivery. It's awful.

You know what I did love? The whole family plotting to break up Veronica Townsend and Neil Roberts. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Sandy Cohen? And Taylor has grown on me.

Kieran, do you think the re-trashification process has started?

Trashification.

I want The OC to emerge on the other side of trashy. At this point I've pretty much given up hope that the show that I liked is ever coming back, but I retain some small glimmer of optimism that this is going to turn out to be what North Shore promised to be before it was cancelled. Speaking of which, how badly does FOX want to get Amanda Righetti in some show that lasts more than ten minutes? As far as I can deduce from their casting choices, their hope truly does spring eternal.

But hey, at least Peter Gallagher has an album coming out.

A day in the life.

Wow, they wrapped up Ryan's fishing thing, the dean's affair, and Julie's rescue from social oblivion all in one episode. It's part for the course in the OC! Everything happens faster here.

Be sure to tune in next week when Kirtsen's evil friend Charlotte and Julie Cooper go into business together and get found out by Kirsten and exposed to the police, Marissa cheats on Ryan, and who knows what other antics!

You know it's bad when...

The parody of The O.C. on The Simpsons last night was better than any of the new episodes. Maybe they should go to Knott's Berry Farm and get held up by the guy in the Snoopy costume. It's a hell of lot better than the crappy Dean who was the guy Mia Kirshner dumped for a chick on the first season of The L Word. (And yeah, I've watched The L Word. Wanna make something of it?)

Somebody make me feel better.

I don't knOw-C, guys. I'm just not feelin' it. The evil dean, the ease with which Marissa can forgive Julie Cooper Nichol Cooper, Boston Public Threat, the emotionless and only ironic repartee between Summ and Seth, the continued use of covers of great songs by just-good bands. I do still love Ryan's new 'do, but lend a girl a hand. Remind me of the time we first met, why I fell in love with yOu-C.

Rule 1: Let those eyebrows grow

Apparently my beloved Sandy Cohen has some advice for the new crop of TV dads. I am really worried about my crush on Peter Gallagher. It's kind of disturbing.

Also, ESPN's Sports Guy e-mails back and forth with Josh Schwartz, asking him about sports bigamy (didn't know he was a half-hearted Red Sox fan), 90210 and how some of the second-season missteps came to be. It's worth it just for the Ian Ziering references alone.

Maybe now TV Detective will post about the most appealing O.C. "manwiches." My vote: Sandy and Ryan.

And so it begins.

I can't believe they wrapped up the whole Marissa shot Trey who is in a coma and and Ryan goes to jail for it storyline in a single episode. Just in time for school to start next week!

Love Ryan's new haircut, hate Marissa's new blond, hate Kirsten's creepy new passive aggressive friend who will turn out to be evil but whose plotline will doubtless be resolved within a couple of episodes.

And seriously, how can Jimmy Cooper have still more financial trouble?