If you know me, you know that my favorite soap opera will always be The O.C. I usually do an O.C. marathon every year, so it's safe to say that I've seen it enough times to be an expert on each character, their personality, habits, and progress throughout the four seasons it woefully ended upon. Since each character is so different and unique, I started thinking about how much they represent the twelve zodiac signs. (Again, those who know me well know that I'm a huge believer in the signs of the zodiac).
Here, I've described and categorized each person according to what I believe is their sign. You don't have to take my word for it, but I'd like to think I'm very, very much into both topics to be able to confidently blend them in a special, totally geeky post about the show that made me fall in love with the west coast.
Aries: Caleb Nichol
This one was so easy to see from the get-go. Millionaire, play boy, frequent jerk? Caleb's got the money to do pretty much whatever he wants (#nofucksgiven). Huge family man, for sure, but once he gets an idea in his head, he's set on making sure he's proven right--serious warning to those who think they can make the king fall off of his throne.
Taurus: Sofie Cohen, AKA The Nana
Dedicated social worker living in the Bronx with a tough heart and even tougher skin, check. Patiently raised the ubiquitous Sandy Cohen, check. Stubborn to a fault, check. Nana Cohen is the adorable little Jewish grandmother that would make you laugh with her antics but also keep everything in tip-top shape while she's around. You'd probably hate your life if you ended up on her shit list (sorry, Kiki).
Gemini: Summer Roberts
Sassy, bright, witty, and fun, Summer is the quintessential Gemini gal that you'd want in your squad. She's a pro at multitasking her busy social life (candy striper volunteer at the hospital, covering for Coop as Harbor Social Chair, to name a couple), running the household for her even busier of a surgeon father, and being the sweet, hilarious friend and girlfriend that anyone would be lucky enough to have. Extra points for getting into the ivy league school, Brown University, and kicking major ass in her activism duties. Can you tell I have a girl crush?
Cancer: Ryan Atwood
"Punch first, ask questions later" was basically Ryan's motto in the beginning--but I didn't mind all those fights when he had biceps for days, a smoldering gaze and a broody bad-boy vibe. Still, Ryan Atwood is deep down a very protective, loving, sensitive guy who didn't have an easy childhood, so we can't blame him for his anger issues. I was ecstatic when the writers gave him funnier lines and a more mellow approach to life; showing dynamic characters like Ryan who undoubtedly grow as the show progresses always makes you feel like you can really connect with them and love the show that much more.
Leo: Julie Cooper-Nichol
What soap opera can exist without its overly-dramtaic, villainous, and smokin' diva? Emphasis on the overly-dramatic part (the woman almost killed two people, for crying out loud). Anyone who crosses paths with Julie is sure to get burned, but you've got to give the lady respect for getting back up after getting her crown knocked off her perfectly permed head, time and time again. She did a lot for her girls (and maybe a
tiny bit more for herself), but there's no denying that Julie has the street smarts and unwavering charm that most of us only dream of having.
Virgo: Seth Cohen
Seth was my dream guy: sweet, intelligent, and unknowingly adorable. I don't know what it was about him and his neurotic tendencies, but when he had his nerdy moments, I knew I was smitten. Which is probably why Hottie McHotpants Summer inevitably fell for him, too: those scrawny arms, that Jew-fro, that babbling mouth! His love for comic books, indie rock, and skateboarding also made him the typical cutie most of us pined for in high school (if you weren't into the cliche jock, of course). Seth was also the best friend that Ryan could have ever been given on the show; their bromance was one that stood the test of time--through heartbreaks, deaths, and yes, even college.
Libra: Sandy Cohen
Oh, to be perfect... wait, there's no such thing as being perfect? Don't tell Sandy Cohen that! Sandy was the voice of Reason on the show; everyone--and I mean EVERYONE--came to him for guidance and support because, well, he's Sandy Cohen. He could make you feel like your flaws weren't flaws at all, or that no matter what you did wrong, you could always make it right. As a Libra, I respected everything he did for his friends and family (minus the Rebecca part) because he just wanted everyone to feel loved and accepted. Occasionally moody and self-righteous, the man still had a way with fighting injustices while also being the king of 'shmearing' bagels.
Scorpio: Kevin Volchok
You know that totally obsessive and could-be-hot-if-he-wasn't-so-creepy guy that keeps staring at you at the bar? Yeah, that would be probably be a Scorpio. Long-time nemesis of Ryan and self-proclaimed asshole, Volchok was the guy we loved to hate but also loved to stare at when he had his shirt off. His magnetic charm made him a stud with the ladies, and he was even able to sweep former O.C. Princess Marissa off her feet for a brief time. Trouble seemed to follow Volchok anywhere he went, especially since he was so fucking obsessed with revenge and making Ryan pay for God-knows-what.
Sagittarius: Anna Stern
Anna was part of the squad for a short time, but I honestly enjoyed seeing her quirkiness shake things up on the show. Yes, she was the girl who realized that she would only ever be the best friend and not the girlfriend, but Anna was astoundingly mature about it and peacefully realized her time in the O.C. was up. Kudos to the writers for bringing her back momentarily to--what else?--help Seth and his Summer troubles. Truthfully, I'll always miss Anna's manic pixie dream girl cuteness.
Capricorn: Kirsten "Kiki" Cohen
Kirsten Cohen is serious goals: a bangin' body at her age, sons who adore her, a husband who's madly in love with her, and oh yeah, an empire. Goals part two: she's incredibly modest about being so goddamn rich and she's genuinely kind to everyone she meets. I love how she ends up truly taking her role as Ryan's adoptive mother so seriously; her loving gestures towards her family and closest friends shows how loyal she is to the people who really matter at the end of a long, stressful work day. And Kiki would know about long work days--in true Capricorn fashion, she is a workaholic for sure. But that usually works in favor, and with her goofy guys to root for her no matter what, she is far from being an ice queen.
Aquarius: Jimmy Cooper
Jimmy was a true Aquarian as he tried to be a providing husband and father, but found out the hard way that his light-heartedness and boyish charm just wasn't enough to maintain the lifestyle he wanted. Jimmy resorts to his boat and tries to live a life of endless fun with Kirsten's younger sister, Haley, until he realizes that having fun 24/7 isn't all it's cracked up to be: somewhere down the road, we have to drop the Peter Pan "I never want to grow up" mentality and eventually become an adult. His absence from the show stays permanent when we see him and Marissa realize that although he's a great friend to her, he needs to shape up and be an even better father.
Pisces: Marissa Cooper
There is no doubt that Marissa had her share of problems (drinking, drugs, constantly picking the wrong guys after her breakup with Ryan, daddy issues); the fact that her character addresses all of these is actually quite commendable. Like any misguided Pisces teen, Coop struggles so much to maintain her former self while creating a new identity--one that breaks free of what society or her family wants from her. I must admit, at first I couldn't believe she was taken away from the show when she finally gets into her dream university and plans to take a gap year to bond with ol' Jimbo. But the impact her death has on the characters only shows her lasting impression we all got from her, no matter how much we rolled our eyes every time she needed Ryan to rescue her or when she'd find a new way to piss Julie off. Marissa Cooper was indeed the most complex character on The O.C., but her final transformation was the most touching one we'd ever see.
Hold up! Some temporary characters--the good and the bad--deserve a little shout out too.....
Luke Ward: Douchey jock Luke finally mellowed out (and ate a shit ton of humble pie) after his break up with Marissa, and when his father came out. (I also couldn't stop laughing at how Seth starting seeing how ridiculously dorky Luke was himself.) His tryst with Julie wasn't his best moment, but he turned out to be a good friend and decent human being in the end. Standing ovation for this leading Leo.
Oliver Trask: Another creepy guy obsessive over Coop? Scorpio alert!
Taylor Townsend: Poignant, perfectionist, and pristine, Taylor is for sure a lovely little Libra. How adorable was it when she only wanted to shower Ryan with affection?
Caitlin Cooper: Mini Cooper did a total 180 in the third season and completely broke away from the little pony-loving girl we saw in the first season; this edgy and rebellious youngin' even took charge of her mom's love life to make sure they still lived a cushy life. Still, she matured alongside Leo mom Julie and their bond was unbreakable. She definitely had Aries written all over her.
Johnny Harper: Aquarius Johnny was cute, friendly and talented, but his unrequited love for Marissa was ultimately his downfall.
Note: If you want to read more on astrology, there are a lot of books you can find on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. One pair of astrologers that are my absolute favorites are the AstroTwins; I've read
their book "Love Zodiac" probably a hundred times now--so much of it is on point. You can also check out your chart, horoscopes, love compatibility with other signs and more on their
website!
And here's
a playlist with the best tracks from the show because, why not?
xo
