When the series returns for season four, high school seems like a distant memory to the young graduates, who have been thrust into adulthood after the life-changing events of graduation night. Who heads to college to try to put the past behind them? Who stays in town because they can’t let the past go? Will the person responsible for the tragedy go free? Or will someone decide that the way to heal is through revenge? It’s a battle for Ryan’s soul as the Cohens struggle to keep him focused on the future, fighting the forces that threaten to pull him back into his old life. Sandy returns to the Public Defender’s office, and he and Kirsten find themselves reaching out to another troubled teen, but this one is not a stranger. It’s Kaitlin Cooper, the number-one troublemaker at The Harbor School, and too much to handle for her mother Julie, who’s off making some trouble of her own. The person most excited about leaving high school finds himself back there – as a teacher. And new cast member Taylor Townsend finds herself with some unlikely new roommates – and family members. As much as the arrival of Ryan has changed the lives of this community, so too has the departure of Marissa. The season hits the ground running with just the right mix of heart, humor, action and romance as our characters embrace their futures together. It’s a new day on THE O.C.
