An old show gets a new twist: and it’s not a half-baked reboot
Your favorite Californian teen drama of the early 2000s is back. The O.C. gets an updated look from Orange County’s infamous Julie Cooper and beloved Summer Roberts who released “Welcome to the OC, B******.“ It is an amazing podcast discussing behind-the-scenes information that fans have been speculating about for years. As they welcome their devotees back into their worlds, Melinda Clarke (Julie Cooper) and Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts) uncover untold stories from the cast, crew, writers and more.
1. The Early 2000s are back in style and The O.C. is the quintessential 2000s teen drama
Early 2000s trends have seeped into newly twenty-something Gen Z, leaving a strong sense of nostalgia for the style of our early childhood years. Juicy suits, big sunglasses and even low-rise jeans surged in popularity in the past year and a half. My six-year-old self was obsessed with all things pink and Sharpay Evans, so I am so excited to see where everyone’s early 2000s nostalgia takes them. Personally, my rekindled love for that decade brought me to binge-watch The O.C. and then scour every corner of the internet for more content when I finished the show. I was thrilled when Spotify brought me to Clarke and Bilson’s riveting podcast. Their following seems strongly-connected to the early 2000s, yet their stunning podcast brings Bilson and Clarke’s Orange County TV personas into the present. Without surprise, Bilson and Clarke are just as fashionable as they were 20 years ago.
2. There is something for everyone with their podcast.
For those whose teen heartthrob was geeky Seth Cohen, played by Adam Brody, there is an amazing two-part episode where Bilson, Brody and Clarke dig deep into Brody’s time as the star of the show. One thing he revealed was that at the end of certain scenes, he managed to make up some of his famous one-liners (Bilson & Clarke, 2021). For sports lovers, “Welcome to the OC, B******” is the only place you can learn how Peter Gallagher, who played steadfast Sandy Cohen, hosted a legendary capture-the-flag game with the entire first season cast (Bilson & Clarke, 2021). Bilson and Clarke loved this game so much that once it is brought up, listeners find out something new about it in almost every episode. For everyone who grew up watching Victorious, and is curious about the television industry, Elizabeth Gillies (Jade) visited one episode to discuss how she, like so many of us, is a superfan of The O.C. (Bilson & Clarke, 2021).
3. You get to know Melinda Clarke’s and Rachel Bilson’s true personalities
I love bubbly Summer Roberts and despise conniving Julie Cooper as much as any self-respecting fan of The O.C. Four seasons with 16-27 episodes per season is a lot of time to make assumptions about the actors and to form your opinions about their on-screen counterparts. “Welcome to The OC, B******” allows you to throw all of your assumptions about Clarke being Julie Cooper and Bilson being Summer Roberts out the window. Melinda Clarke is much kinder than Julie Cooper, and Rachel Bilson… well, she basically is Summer Roberts. Both women come off as hard-working, fun and hilarious in their podcast, which makes it so entertaining to listen to. They are not afraid to ask their former co-workers questions to get answers everyone has been dying to know. They had the guts to ask Chris Carmack how he felt about Luke having an affair with Julie Cooper (Bilson & Clarke, 2021). And the response was riveting! After so many years of not seeing each other, it is a lovely experience to hear them reconnect with each other as co-hosts, and as they bring in guests, reconnect with their former co-workers.
If you’re anything like me and are obsessed with the resurgence of early 2000s fashion, curious about the television industry and an avid fan of teen dramas, then this podcast is a must-listen. Even if you are nothing like me, this podcast has many guests with all kinds of angles. If you are interested in technology, sports, bagel schmear and more, the information is there in a format that will keep you incredibly entertained. Personally, I do not know anyone who isn’t interested in Sandy Cohen’s famous bagel schmear. Stay in style and develop a fanatic’s knowledge of The O.C. when you listen to “Welcome to the OC, B******.”
- Bilson, R.S. & Clarke, M.P. (Hosts). (2021, August 24). The Truth with Elizabeth Gillies (No. 18) [Audio podcast episode]. In Welcome to the OC, Bitches. Kast Media. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TwK5f8eaJPs1MKDg9hGjc?si=0a5a0a408045429e
- Bilson, R.S. & Clarke, M.P. (Hosts). (2021, July 13). The Secret with Chris Carmack (No. 12) [Audio podcast episode]. In Welcome to the OC, Bitches. Kast Media. https://open.spotify.com/episode/52DiVoBxdAEYMD4qEfT3I3?si=2eb8670b1aab4f05
- Bilson, R.S. & Clarke, M.P. (Hosts). (2021, March 11). The Gamble with Peter Gallagher (No. 3) [Audio podcast episode]. In Welcome to the OC, Bitches. Kast Media. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2drOzR5MGIKdsmO0ozEhEL?si=66b93a3becb34075
- Bilson, R.S. & Clarke, M.P. (Hosts). (2021, November 2). Adam Brody: The Strip + All Things The OC (Part 2) (No. 26) [Audio podcast episode]. In Welcome to the OC, Bitches. Kast Media. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ooz3mInJ3Q4pyZsFkAkBE?si=65357e4ad5d74fc6
- Bilson, R.S. & Clarke, M.P. (Hosts). (2021, October 26). Adam Brody: The Strip + All Things The OC (Part 1 of 2) (No. 26) [Audio podcast episode]. In Welcome to the OC, Bitches. Kast Media. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BySeUzONloHMM1lQFrgwn?si=48f78f37b5884a8c
- Schwartz, J. (2003, August). The O.C. whole, Fox.