All drama in The OC

TV's favorite formula: hot actors, cool clothes and drama. FOX uses the formula to good effect with their new hit, The OC. Despite the shallowness of this teen drama, it captures the audience with crazy cliffhangers, sticky situations and Adam Brody.

When we left the troubled, but very rich teens of Orange County, California, they were in Tijuana trying to get their party on. Looks like that didn't work out so well. Marissa (Mischa Barton) attempted suicide after finding out about her parents divorce and stumbling upon her long time boyfriend, Luke (Chris Carmack) cheating on her with one of her close friends.

Marissa is alive, which did not seem possible after the last season's closing shot of her lying limply in Ryan's (Benjamin McKenzie) arms. But just when were celebrating her recovery, more problems come along. Marissa's very stuck-up mother, who looks like she could be her sister, is threatening to send Marissa to a mental institution and to sue Marissa's father for sole custody of their children.

The OC is the new Dawson's Creek, attracting hormonal teens to swoon over the very attractive actors, despite the actor's sub par acting ability. McKenzie seems clueless in Ryan's world of trouble, and Ryan's "bad boy" reputation does not come across at all. Rather than the criminal from Chino, he more resembles the cute puppy dog you've been begging your mom for. Barton also demonstrates a complete lack of acting ability. Other than her many crying scenes, her performance is almost emotionless. Marissa's best friend Summer (Rachel Bilson) is just as bad. Even when she tries to be upset, she still comes off as nothing more than a prissy rich girl. Adam Brody, on the other hand, who plays Seth, is great as the lovable dork. His quick wit and quirky personality shine through in this role. Seth is the only comic relief for the incredibly dramatic show.

Despite the bad acting, The O.C. is great, almost addictive. The crazy twists and turns throughout the show make it hard to turn off.

The O.C. also explores many pressing issues. Wild parties, depression, money laundering and, of course, sex are a huge part of this program. The cool part about The OC is that they don't comment on the crazy life of teens, unlike shows such as 7th Heaven, which would would make it corny.