1x01 Pilot - The O.C. Episode Guide

The O.C.

- Episode 01x01

Episode: 01x01 (pilot)
Title: Pilot
Type: Regular Episode
Production Code: 475197
First Aired: Aug. 05, 2003

Season 1 » Episode #01 - Pilot

Summary: Welcome to Orange County, an idyllic paradise home to California's wealthy individuals. Here, it seems that everything and everyone is perfect, but behind closed doors is a world hidden loyalties, identities, and lives.When Ryan Atwood, a tough, yet intelligent 16-year-old, is arrested for helping his brother steal a car, pro-bono public defender Sandy Cohen is assigned his case. But when Ryan is abandoned by his mother, Dawn, Sandy, seeing himself in Ryan, becomes a bigger part of his life than either ever expected. Sandy, much to the chagrin of his wife, Kirsten, Sandy invites Ryan to stay with them until his situation is worked out. However, Kirsten worries that Ryan will be a bad influence on their teen-aged son, Seth.Meanwhile, Ryan becomes attracted to Marissa Cooper, the girl next door who seems to have an effortless and perfect life. But neither of them are aware that the indiscretions of Marissa's father, Jimmy, make shatter the perfect world she's living in. Later, Ryan and Seth find common ground after a fight Newport teenagers, including Marissa's boyfriend, Luke.

Watch Episode Videos

Clip: Marissa Meets Ryan (2:49)

Clip: Ryan Meets Seth (1:16)

Clip: Welcome to The O.C. Bitch! (3:07)

Who appeared in this episode?

Guest Stars:

Ryan Atwood	played by Ben McKenzie
Dawn Atwood	played by Daphne Ashbrook
Peggy	played by Ruth Williamson
Norland	played by Drew Fuller
Holly Fischer	played by Ashley Hartman
Karen Coughlin	played by Alison Simpson
Newport Woman #2	played by Alison Simpson
Agent Steve Pearlman	played by Barry Wiggins
Trey Atwood	played by Bradley Stryker

	Season 1 / Episode 1: - Pilot Kirsten: You brought him home? This is not a stray puppy, Sandy. Sandy: I know that, Kirsten. Kirsten: I knew it was only a matter of time before you started bringing home felons.
	Season 1 / Episode 1: - Pilot Sandy: Don't salt his game, honey. Kirsten: What the hell does that mean?

[More Quotes]

MISTAKES/GOOFS

CONT: When Ryan is lighting Marissa's cigarette with his own it first shows a little burned off his cigarette, but in the next angle it shows the cigarette burned down to the filter and when Ryan goes to take a smoke his cigarette is back to almost full.
FACT: Unless all of the characters were held back a year in school, their ages do not match their grade. In the first season, Marissa says she is 16 and her mother says Marissa was born in 1988, even though she is an incoming Sophomore, and should only be 15. This is also evident in the fact that Luke, Summer, and Marissa can all drive cars with no legal drivers.
CONT: When pulling into the driveway after Sandy picks Ryan up from Chino, the car's trunk, which has a bike in it, is open when they drive away from Chino, closed when they pull into the driveway, and the open again when they get out.

TRIVIA

In this episode, the Cohens have a maid and the Coopers have a dog, both of which disappear for the rest of the season.
In contrast to Seth Cohen, Adam Brody (I) actually hates sailing. After they shot his sailing scene in this episode Adam asked to have no more scenes were he would have to sail.
In the pilot, the first scene is of Trey and Ryan walking in Chino, and on a building next to them are the words 'Libraria Genisis', meaning the book of Genesis in Spanish; as a reference to this being the very first episode.
This episode was shot on location unlike all other episodes, which are shot on set.
In episode 2 we find out that Katlin's pony is called China, which is also graffiti-ed on the wall next to Ryan at the very beginning of episode 1.