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?

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it.

And that's just because of Ryan's new haircut.