Mischa Barton Ruined My Life and The O.C.

SPOILER WARNING - If you haven't watched the season finale of The O.C. do not read futher. But seriously, why haven't you watched it yet?

So, Marissa Cooper is dead. I warned you about the spoilers. And as far as we all know, Mischa Barton has left The. O.C. Question is, is this a good thing, or a bad thing? With much of the plot of the show revolving around Marissa's various indiscretions with alcohol, drugs, sex, death and near death, the future of The O.C. is anyone's guess.

Of course, the surprise ending wasn't a very big surprise, what with the constant rumours of Mischa Barton wanting to leave the show. And of course, there was the fact that Access Hollywood totally spoiled it for everyone. It also didn't help much that Mischa spilled the beans to Access Hollywood, saying:

My character has been through so, so much and there's really nothing more left for her to do.

But from the short preview of next season, it seems like anything can happen. Will Seth and Summer go to Rhode Island? Probably not. Will Ryan move to Berkeley? Probably not. Will Kaitlin Cooper be the a million times better than Marissa Cooper? Hell yes!

Still, there are those who want Marissa (and Mischa) back on the show. Yes, the futility of the Internet Petition has already begun. The Save Marissa Cooper Petition is online, and has a goal of 500,000 signatures, but in all honesty, I think petitioning the show's producers is the wrong move, since according to all reports, it was Mischa Barton who most wanted to leave.

A final thought: When Shannon Doherty left Beverly Hills 90210, the show didn't end. In fact, it kept on kicking and screaming for many years after. Was it as good? No, but then again, The O.C. has lost the fire of it's first season too.

I don't know where I stand on the whole issue, but at least they gave us one last look at Mischa Barton in a bikini before they rolled her off a cliff in Ryan's car.