| Marissa Cooper | |
|---|---|
 Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper |
|
| Portrayed by | Mischa Barton |
| First appearance | Premiere (episode 1. Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born January 24 1986) is an English American film television and stage Actress, perhaps best known for her 01) |
| Last appearance | The Graduates (episode 3. " The Graduates " is the 76th episode of the FOX Television series, The O 25) |
| Cause/reason | Fatal Car Crash |
| Created by | Josh Schwartz |
| Profile | |
| Nickname(s) | Coop |
| Date of birth | May 4, 1988 |
| Date of death | May 18, 2006 |
| Age | 18 (at time of death) |
| Occupation | Student |
Marissa Cooper is a fictional character from the FOX television network series The O.C.. Josh Schwartz (born August 6, 1976) is an American screenwriter and television producer Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation Verb "studēre" This article is about the FOX television series For the location from which the series derives its name see Orange County California. She is portrayed by English-born actress Mischa Barton. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born January 24 1986) is an English American film television and stage Actress, perhaps best known for her
Contents |
Characterization
Marissa is introduced as a rich socialite in Newport Beach, California whose family (mother Julie, father Jimmy, and younger sister Kaitlin) go through some dramatic changes over the course of the seasons. This article is about the fictional character in The OC for the EastEnders character please see Julie Cooper (EastEnders Julie Cooper-Nichol James "Jimmy" Cooper is a Fictional character on the FOX television drama The O Kaitlin Cooper is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O She is a troubled person before the series begins, with a history of substance abuse and rebellious behavior. Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a Drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health
From there, she is detailed to have a heavily guarded heart due to the number of lost loved ones in her life and lack of compassion and understanding from her family and friends. The backstory on her friendship with Summer Roberts showcases it as a powerful bond, forged during the second grade. Summer Roberts Cohen is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O One of her deepest connections, and having continued and strengthened throughout the years, the friendship is a central element on the show for three seasons. Most of the show focuses on Marissa's on-and-off again relationship with Ryan Atwood as well, which remains a main focus even after her death in Season 3. Ryan Atwood is a fictional character in the American television series The O
Sexuality
Marissa's sexuality has been a debated topic by viewers of the series. When she took up with bad girl Alex Kelly, the two entering into a romantic relationship, her heterosexual identity became the source of speculation. Alex Kelly, played by Olivia Wilde, is a Fictional character from the second season of the FOX television series The O Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation Fans questioned whether the previously defined heterosexual was actually bisexual or just bi-curious. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Bi-curious is a term used to refer to someone who does not identify as Bisexual or Homosexual but feels or shows some interest in a relationship or sexual activity The question became one of the top queries viewers wanted The O. C. creator Josh Schwartz to answer. Josh Schwartz (born August 6, 1976) is an American screenwriter and television producer [1]
Others cited Marissa's relationship with Alex as a cynical "sweeps" attempt, noting the timing at which Marissa "just happened" to be romantically attracted to a woman. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television Critic L. Brent Bozell III especially elaborated on this. Leo Brent Bozell III (born July 14, 1955 in Washington DC) is the founder and president of the Media Research Center, the Conservative [2]
New York Post attributed the relationship to a desperate need to increase the ratings as well, stating that the ratings for the show that year were "solid" but had not "exactly been through the roof and a lesbian storyline — or at least a main character experimenting sexually with someone of the same sex — could help matters. The New York Post is the 13th-oldest Newspaper published in the United States and generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continually "[3]
Schwartz, however, insisted that the relationship between Alex and Marissa was not a ratings stunt, and that Marissa developed real feelings for Alex. [4]
Sarah Warn of AfterEllen.com, a website that focuses on the portrayal of lesbians and bisexual women in the media, argued that despite Schwartz's statements, "Marissa's predominantly heterosexual past, the huge fan support for the Marissa and Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) pairing, and the controversy The O. Sarah Warn is an American writer and the editor of entertainment website AfterEllen AfterEllencom is a website that focuses on the portrayal of Lesbians and Bisexual women in the media. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Benjamin McKenzie (born Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan on September 12, 1978) is an American Actor and producer known for playing C. would court by making one of its principal characters bisexual, it's likely that her 'real feelings' for Alex will only last a few episodes. "[4] Within the series, Marissa refers casually to Alex as her ex-girlfriend.
Marissa's sexual orientation, other than her known heterosexual identity, was never confirmed by the series, and was reported to be "Marissa just experimenting with the fairer sex and not committing to a full-on romantic, sapphic relationship. "[3] The executives did, however, cite her relationship with Alex as an important one, and one that was successful with viewers.
Storyline
Season 1
Marissa's father is caught committing fraud and eventually files for bankruptcy. In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against Soon after, on a vacation to Tijuana with Ryan Atwood, Seth Cohen and best friend Summer Roberts, Marissa catches her long-term boyfriend Luke Ward cheating on her with one of her best friends, Holly Fischer. Tijuana (ˌtiːəˈwɑːnə Spanish, ti'xwana|ti'ʍana is the largest city of the Mexican state of Baja California, situated on the U Ryan Atwood is a fictional character in the American television series The O Seth Cohen is a Fictional character on FOX series The OC, played by Adam Brody. Summer Roberts Cohen is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Luke Ward is a Fictional character from the FOX Television series The O Holly Fischer is a Fictional character from the first and fourth season of the FOX series The O In the aftermath of this, she discovers that her parents are separating, and overdoses. The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities Ryan finds her unconscious in an alleyway in Tijuana and summons help just in time. After this, Marissa battles with her mother, who wants to send her to rehab. She eventually gets through to Julie, but has to agree to see a therapist in Newport after she is caught shoplifting. She meets Oliver Trask during one of the sessions and they soon become good friends, much to Ryan's displeasure. Oliver Trask was a highly controversial Fictional character who appeared during the first season of the FOX series The O
Throughout the first season, Marissa is involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with Ryan, with the relationship being jeopardized by Luke and Oliver. Oliver is eventually discovered to be mentally unstable and harboring an unhealthy obsession for Marissa. Ryan and Marissa break up because of his interference. Oliver is eventually arrested after he keeps Marissa as a hostage and threatens to kill himself if she does not leave Ryan for good. After Oliver's arrest, Marissa tries to get back together with Ryan, but he refuses to resume their relationship. They remain friends instead.
During this time, her mother is romantically involved with Kirsten Cohen's father, Caleb Nichol. Kirsten Cohen ( née Nichol) is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Caleb Nichol is a Fictional character on The OC, portrayed by Alan Dale during the show's first and second seasons During a brief breakup with Caleb, Marissa's mother has a fling with Marissa's ex-boyfriend, Luke, which causes Marissa to run away — strangely enough — to Chino, California and, more specifically, to Ryan's ex-girlfriend Theresa Diaz's house. Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Theresa Diaz is a Fictional character on FOX series The OC, played by Navi Rawat. This leads to Ryan and Marissa once again becoming romantically involved.
Their relationship is strained once more when Teresa comes to Newport towards the end of the season after suffering domestic abuse from her boyfriend Eddie. Theresa reveals to Marissa that she is pregnant, and does not know whether the father is Ryan or Eddie. In the season finale, Ryan leaves Marissa to move back to Chino and help Teresa raise the baby. Marissa moves into Caleb Nichol's home after he and her mother marry in the season finale. Marissa's grief over Ryan's departure makes her turn back to alcohol again.
Season 2
During the second season, Marissa struggles with alcohol and depression, caused largely by Ryan's departure from her life. In the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry, the terms depression or depressed refer to both expected and pathologically chronic or severe When Ryan returns, it looks as though they may have rekindled their relationship, but after finding out about her relationship with D. J. , the yard guy, Ryan decides that they should just be friends, which they remain throughout most of the season. Marissa's relationships in the interim period seem somewhat specifically chosen to take stabs at her mother — first with D. J. and then a same-sex relationship with Alex Kelly. Their relationship gets complicated when Alex falls in love with Marissa, but Marissa is not a lesbian, she was only dating Alex to upset Julie Cooper.
Towards the end of the season, Marissa gets back together with Ryan, and becomes friends with his brother, Trey, who was recently let out of jail. After Trey takes cocaine, he tries to rape Marissa, and Ryan and Trey get into an extremely violent fist fight. The scene ends with Marissa shooting Trey in order to save Ryan's life.
Season 3
As the series' third season opens, Marissa is under investigation regarding the shooting of Trey Atwood, who is in a coma as a result of the wound. In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. When he awakens, Julie threatens to smother Trey if he doesn't tell the authority that his brother, Ryan, shot him, so that Marissa won't get in trouble. Marissa finds out and convinces Trey to tell the truth. Ryan is let free, and Marissa faces no legal liability as she was defending another person's life using proportional force in the circumstances.
Despite a lack of legal repercussions, the event results in Marissa's expulsion from the prestigious Harbor School, as it is cited along with her past of flagrant shoplifting and substance abuse. During her expulsion, she attends Newport Union, where she befriends a local surfer named Johnny Harper. Johnny Harper is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Johnny causes rifts in her relationship with Ryan, initially because she feels she cannot talk to Ryan about what happened with Trey and later because Johnny falls in love with her. She is eventually readmitted to Harbor after a campaign led by Ryan, Seth, Summer, and Marissa's former rival for power at Harbor, Taylor Townsend. Taylor Townsend - Taylor Townsend de Maumaront after her unsuccessful marriage - is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Marissa confirms her commitment to Ryan, and writes Johnny a letter saying that while he is her friend and she cares for him, she will never love him. This results in Johnny falling to his death from a cliff after a drinking binge, and the tragedy results in Ryan and Marissa's final, tragic breakup.
In the wake of Johnny's death, Marissa struggles to find closure, as well as her own place and purpose in Newport. She develops a relationship with Kevin Volchok after she and Ryan break up, which causes her to go back to her rebellious ways. Kevin Volchok was a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O She begins to abuse alcohol again and tries cocaine. Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant Marissa begins to distance herself from Ryan, Summer, and Seth and becomes argumentative once again with her mother. After some time, she comes to her senses and decides to leave Kevin. But when she finds him watching The Sound of Music, she realizes he has a sensitive side and decides she may be able to have a relationship with him. Rodgers and Hammerstein 's The Sound of Music is a Musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews in the lead role During their Senior Prom, she catches him cheating on her, and breaks things off.
In the season finale, Marissa receives a letter from her father inviting her to live for a year on a boat with him in Greece, and she accepts. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The day she graduates from Harbor along with her friends Summer, Ryan, and Seth, Kevin begins calling her and asks to see her, but she declines. Marissa pays Kevin to get out of town and to leave Ryan and her alone. She says her goodbyes to her family and friends and prepares to leave for Greece. After their time together, Ryan drives her to the airport. On the route to the airport, a drunken Kevin begins hitting their car, causing them to go off the road.
The car flips over several times and lands upside down on another street. Marissa is unconscious, but Ryan pulls her out of the car, which then begins to drip gasoline.
Ryan takes Marissa in his arms and far enough away from the car as it explodes. He tells her that he will need to go get help, but she asks him to stay. After a few moments of looking into each other's eyes, she dies in Ryan's arms.
Season 4
Marissa's death has a huge impact on the fourth season which is most explicity examined in the episode "The Chrismukk-huh?" where Ryan and Taylor Townsend, both in comas, enter into an alternate universe where he has never moved to Newport Beach, and the lives of most major characters are completely changed. "The Chrismukk-huh?" is the 83rd episode and the seventh episode of the fourth season of the FOX Television series, The O Taylor Townsend - Taylor Townsend de Maumaront after her unsuccessful marriage - is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O
While trying to find out what is happening in this reality, Taylor stumbles into Marissa's bedroom. She surprises Julie's maid, who tells Taylor that "Missy Cooper's" plane arrives at 3 o'clock from Berkeley. Taylor then sees a photograph of Marissa and Julie on her desk, which leads her to believe that Marissa is still alive in this alternate universe.
After Taylor tells Ryan the news, he immediately wants to go to the airport to see Marissa. Taylor does not want him to in fear that Ryan, who is still recovering from Marissa's death, would be willing to spend the rest of his life in a coma if he could be with Marissa. At the airport, Ryan catches a glimpse of a girl with a pink Berkeley sweatshirt tied around her waist. The sweatshirt resembles the one worn by Marissa in The Day After Tomorrow. "The Day After Tomorrow" is the 71st episode of the FOX Television series, The O Ryan grabs her shoulder and realizes that it was not Marissa, but her sister, Kaitlin. Kaitlin then explains to Ryan that her sister died three years ago in an overdose in Tijuana (a parallel of her non-fatal overdose in the episode The Escape). "The Escape" is the 7th episode of the FOX Television series, The O
Ryan then returns to Newport Beach, realizing that he can never be with Marissa again, alternate universe or not. At first, Ryan and Taylor believe they need to restore the relationships that existed before Marissa's death in order to wake up. However, it becomes apparent that both Ryan and Taylor need to battle their internal demons instead. For Taylor, her demon is her mother (whom she confronts along with her alternate male self at the Christmas party), for Ryan, it is getting over Marissa. Veronica Townsend is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O
Back in the real world, Kirsten finds a letter from Marissa addressed to Ryan, but does not read it, and hands it over to Julie, who subsequently reads the letter. In the letter, Marissa wrote that she still loved Ryan, but would be leaving Newport because she knew that it was the best thing to do, so that they could both move on. She stated that when she got back, they might try again, as they would both be older and wiser. The letter is eventually placed right beside Ryan, which allows the letter to be "delivered" to Ryan in the alternate universe.
Ryan then goes to the beach, and upon discovering the letter, reads it. He finally says goodbye to Marissa and exits the alternate universe.
In the final episode, Marissa appears as Ryan's final flashback as he reflects on his life in Newport. As he backs out of the driveway, Ryan remembers seeing Marissa standing on the corner watching as he and Sandy drive away when Ryan thought he was not coming back to Newport (as seen in The Premiere).
References
- ^ "What do you want to ask The O.C.'s Josh Schwarts", EW.com. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
- ^ Bozell III, L. Brent. "Is Sweeps Month Lesbian Month?", cnsnews. com. Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
- ^ a b New York Post, MISCHA Barton's love lorn character on "The O. The New York Post is the 13th-oldest Newspaper published in the United States and generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continually C. ," Marissa Cooper, is slated for a lesbian love scene later this season, according to reports. The girl-girl love scene is usually a guaranteed ratings getter — a lesbian kiss pumped up the ratings for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" a few years ago — so "The O. Fictional narratives (and works of art exist beyond their completion e C. " is going to try it too, says a report on the web site TVgasm. com. A Fox spokesman for "The O. C. " declined to comment on the report yesterday. The ratings for "The O. C. " this season — while solid — haven't exactly been through the roof and a lesbian storyline — or at least a main character experimenting sexually with someone of the same sex — could help matters. Howard Stern had it right a few years ago when he said that "lesbians equal ratings" — the audience for "Buffy" shot when Alyson Hannigan's character Willow began a relationship with Tara, another witch (played by Amber Benson). Howard Allan Stern (born January 12 1954 is an American radio host and Television personality. Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24 1974 is an American Actress. Amber Nicole Benson, born on January 8 1977 is an American Actress, Writer, Film director, and Film producer. Since then, girl-girl love scenes have become more common on TV, so it was probably just a matter of time before "The O. C. " dipped into the well. Gay and bi-sexual characters have been scattered throughout primetime for years on shows like "Will & Grace" and others. Will & Grace is a popular Emmy Award -winning American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from 1998 to 2006 It is believed that Barton's character will just be experimenting with the fairer sex and not committing to a full-on romantic, sapphic relationship.
- ^ a b Warn, Sarah. "The O.C.'s Alex Boosts Bisexual Visibility on TV", AfterEllen.com, 2005-01-17. AfterEllencom is a website that focuses on the portrayal of Lesbians and Bisexual women in the media. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Retrieved on 2008-01-29. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher.
| The O.C. | ||
| Episodes | Website | ||
| Primary characters |
Ryan Atwood | Marissa Cooper | Seth Cohen | Summer Roberts Sandy Cohen | Kirsten Cohen | Julie Cooper | Jimmy Cooper Taylor Townsend | Kaitlin Cooper | Caleb Nichol | Luke Ward |
|
| Secondary characters |
Alex Kelly | Anna Stern | Dawn Atwood | Frank Atwood | Trey Atwood | Carter Buckley | Gordon Bullit | Sophie Cohen | Theresa Diaz Holly Fischer | Lindsay Gardner | Johnny Harper | Charlotte Morgan | Hailey Nichol | Neil Roberts |Kevin Volchok Zach Stevens | Veronica Townsend | Oliver Trask | Rebecca Bloom |
|
| Locations | Newport | Orange County | Chino | Berkeley | Brown | |
| Music | Mix 1 | Mix 2 | Mix 3 | Mix 4 | Mix 5 | Mix 6 | |
| Related | Chrismukkah | |
| Key producers | Josh Schwartz | McG | Stephanie Savage | Allan Heinberg | |
External links
This article is about the FOX television series For the location from which the series derives its name see Orange County California. The following is a complete episode list for the serial Teen drama series The O This article is about the FOX television series For the location from which the series derives its name see Orange County California. Ryan Atwood is a fictional character in the American television series The O Seth Cohen is a Fictional character on FOX series The OC, played by Adam Brody. Summer Roberts Cohen is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Sanford "Sandy" Cohen is a Fictional character on the FOX series The O Kirsten Cohen ( née Nichol) is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O This article is about the fictional character in The OC for the EastEnders character please see Julie Cooper (EastEnders Julie Cooper-Nichol James "Jimmy" Cooper is a Fictional character on the FOX television drama The O Taylor Townsend - Taylor Townsend de Maumaront after her unsuccessful marriage - is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Kaitlin Cooper is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Caleb Nichol is a Fictional character on The OC, portrayed by Alan Dale during the show's first and second seasons Luke Ward is a Fictional character from the FOX Television series The O This article contains recurring character information for the American Teen comedy-drama television series The O Alex Kelly, played by Olivia Wilde, is a Fictional character from the second season of the FOX television series The O Anna Stern is a Fictional character from the FOX series The O Dawn Atwood is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O This article contains recurring character information for the American Teen comedy-drama television series The O Trey Atwood is a Fictional character on the FOX series The OC This article contains recurring character information for the American Teen comedy-drama television series The O This article contains recurring character information for the American Teen comedy-drama television series The O Sophie Cohen is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Theresa Diaz is a Fictional character on FOX series The OC, played by Navi Rawat. Holly Fischer is a Fictional character from the first and fourth season of the FOX series The O Lindsay Gardner is a Fictional character who was featured during the second season of the FOX series The O Johnny Harper is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Charlotte Morgan is a Fictional character from the third season of the FOX television series The O Hailey Nichol is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Dr Neil Roberts is a Fictional character on the FOX series The O Kevin Volchok was a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Zach Stevens was a character in the second season of The OC, portrayed by Michael Cassidy. Veronica Townsend is a Fictional character on the FOX television series The O Oliver Trask was a highly controversial Fictional character who appeared during the first season of the FOX series The O This article contains recurring character information for the American Teen comedy-drama television series The O Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Brown University is a highly esteemed private University located in Providence, Rhode Island and is a member of the Ivy League. This article is about the FOX television series For the location from which the series derives its name see Orange County California. Music from the OC Mix 1 contains music from the TV series The O Music from the OC Mix 2 is a music album compiled from the songs on the TV series The OC. Music from the OC Mix 3 - Have a Very Merry Chrismukkah is music from the TV series The OC. Music from the OC Mix 4 is a music compilation from the TV series The O Music from the OC Mix 5 is music from the TV series The OC. It was released November 8 2005 on Warner Bros Music from the OC Mix 6 - Covering Our Tracks is music from the TV series The OC. Chrismukkah is a pop-culture neologism referring to the merging of the Holidays of Christianity 's Christmas and Judaism 's Hanukkah This article is about the FOX television series For the location from which the series derives its name see Orange County California. Josh Schwartz (born August 6, 1976) is an American screenwriter and television producer Stephanie Savage is a Canadian television writer and producer for Wonderland Sound and Vision. Allan Heinberg (b June 29, 1967) is an American Film Scriptwriter, who currently writes Young Avengers forDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic