Episodic Classics: The O.C., “The New Era,” ”The SnO.C.,” ”The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn’t” | Season 2, Episodes 4, 5, & 6
The Core Four get better acquainted with the new kids on the block
“The New Era,” “The SnO.C.” (a truly inspired episode title), and “The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn’t” is probably my favorite stretch of episodes in this season of The O.C.1 By this point, the season (and series) hadn’t gone off the rails, we were still having a good mix of meta references to Season One,2 alongside fun new bits for Season Two, and there was just the right amount of melodrama that you’d look for and expect in a teen drama/nighttime soap of its ilk. Of course, there is a turning point in this season, and upon looking back at all of this for this coverage, I would have to say that 2005—which is when the rest of the season airs—appears to be said turning point. But in 2004, we’re still in the thick of what made The O.C. work and what makes it a “magical” show, as I’ve brought up over and over again throughout this Episodic Classics coverage.
I’ve also already brought up this show a couple of times in my reviews, but it’s with “The New Era” that the ABC one-s…