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* MonochromeCasting: A constant joke about this show is its exceedingly white cast. Sorta justified in that Orange County's rich upper class elite would mostly be white. Why everyone in Chino is also white is a mystery though.

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* MonochromeCasting: A constant joke about this show is its exceedingly white cast. Sorta justified in that Orange County's rich upper class elite would mostly be white.white (Newport Beach is over 80 percent white with the rest of being made up by Asian and Hispanic). Why everyone in Chino is also white is a mystery though.
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* MonochromeCasting: A constant joke about this show is its exceedingly white cast. Sorta justified in that LA's rich upper class elite would mostly be white. Why everyone in Chino is also white is a mystery though.

to:

* MonochromeCasting: A constant joke about this show is its exceedingly white cast. Sorta justified in that LA's Orange County's rich upper class elite would mostly be white. Why everyone in Chino is also white is a mystery though.
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** Like father, like son: at a party early in season one, Seth walks in on some sexcapades in a bathroom, which prompts a line that Sandy later repeats upon walking in on a menage a trois atfter Hailey throws a party in their house:

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** Like father, like son: at a party early in season one, Seth walks in on some sexcapades in a bathroom, which prompts a line that Sandy later repeats upon walking in on a menage a trois atfter after Hailey throws a party in their house:



* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Compare Summer's personality in the first couple of episodes with the rest of the series: she comes across as a lot less likeable, a slutty , obnoxious, partygirl airhead who dumps her unconcious best friend in her driveway after a night out. Likewise original flavour Taylor is very different from the adorable GenkiGirl she became, being a bitchy SmugSnake who is fooling around with a teacher (a SadistTeacher at that). Neither character was originally intended to be a regular but the unexpected appeal of Creator/RachelBilson and Creator/AutumnReeser meant they ended up staying on and developing into quite different characters.

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* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Compare Summer's personality in the first couple of episodes with the rest of the series: she comes across as a lot less likeable, a slutty , obnoxious, partygirl party girl airhead who dumps her unconcious unconscious best friend in her driveway after a night out. Likewise original flavour Taylor is very different from the adorable GenkiGirl she became, being a bitchy SmugSnake who is fooling around with a teacher (a SadistTeacher at that). Neither character was originally intended to be a regular but the unexpected appeal of Creator/RachelBilson and Creator/AutumnReeser meant they ended up staying on and developing into quite different characters.



* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Ryan Atwood. Lampshaded at seperate times by different characters in Season 1, 2, 3, and 4. One episode in Season 3 had Kirsten helping Ryan to figure out he doesn't need to help every DamselInDistress anymore. One episode in Season 4 had Sandy helping Ryan to figure out he needs to help every DamselInDistress because it's "his thing" and he "shouldn't turn his back on that".

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* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Ryan Atwood. Lampshaded at seperate separate times by different characters in Season 1, 2, 3, and 4. One episode in Season 3 had Kirsten helping Ryan to figure out he doesn't need to help every DamselInDistress anymore. One episode in Season 4 had Sandy helping Ryan to figure out he needs to help every DamselInDistress because it's "his thing" and he "shouldn't turn his back on that".



* DumbBlonde: Holly Fischer. Not so much in the first season when she was [[SmugSnake unpleasant]] but not noticably dim but when Holly eventually returned after an absence of two whole seasons she'd enthusiastically embraced the vapidity within.

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* DumbBlonde: Holly Fischer. Not so much in the first season when she was [[SmugSnake unpleasant]] but not noticably noticeably dim but when Holly eventually returned after an absence of two whole seasons she'd enthusiastically embraced the vapidity within.



*** Johnny is one to Ryan for his DarkAndTroubledPast and having a violent dad. Interestingly Johnny fall in love with Marissa when she starts her studies at Newport Union in constrast with Ryan who had a crush on her during his first day at Orange County.
*** Casey is one to Summer being the first (and only) girl who helped marissa during her first day and having a protective nature. She often mocks of the group's CoolLoser (like Summer with Seth). However she dating with the more popular guy but she cheated on him while Summer is with the CoolLoser and never cheated on Seth.

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*** Johnny is one to Ryan for his DarkAndTroubledPast and having a violent dad. Interestingly Johnny fall in love with Marissa when she starts her studies at Newport Union in constrast contrast with Ryan who had a crush on her during his first day at Orange County.
*** Casey is one to Summer being the first (and only) girl who helped marissa Marissa during her first day and having a protective nature. She often mocks of the group's CoolLoser (like Summer with Seth). However she dating with the more popular guy but she cheated on him while Summer is with the CoolLoser and never cheated on Seth.



** Ryan has a thing for girls with complicated family/love relationships (Marissa is in a DysfunctionalFamily, Theresa becomes pregnant with a physically abusive guy, Lindsay is the illigitimate daughter of Caleb and Taylor lives with an abusive mom ). Only Sadie averts this being a ordinary girl. Kirsten lampshades the contrast saying Ryan haves [[ChronicHeroSyndrome a "Saving the girl" attitude.]]

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** Ryan has a thing for girls with complicated family/love relationships (Marissa is in a DysfunctionalFamily, Theresa becomes pregnant with a physically abusive guy, Lindsay is the illigitimate illegitimate daughter of Caleb and Taylor lives with an abusive mom ). Only Sadie averts this being a ordinary girl. Kirsten lampshades the contrast saying Ryan haves [[ChronicHeroSyndrome a "Saving the girl" attitude.]]



** In Season 2, [[LovableAlphaBitch Summer]] is torn between two geeky comics lovers (Seth and Zach) creating a OppositesAttract dynamic. In a friendship varation, Summer tends to get along with blondes: Marissa, Holly (at first) Anna, and Taylor.

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** In Season 2, [[LovableAlphaBitch Summer]] is torn between two geeky comics lovers (Seth and Zach) creating a OppositesAttract dynamic. In a friendship varation, variation, Summer tends to get along with blondes: Marissa, Holly (at first) Anna, and Taylor.



* ReTool: The first half of Season 2 had the writers slow down all the storylines (Josh called it [[Series/MySoCalledLife My So-Called OC]]), not have Ryan punch anyone, not have any [[WildTeenParty wild teen parties]], and split up all the couples. Viewers weren't very receptive, and this era ended at Episode 14. Season 4, however, can be considered a genuine ReTool as it became more of a lighthearted comedy without many soap opera plotlines. Aside from one Prostitution Ring, most storylines revolved around quirky plotlines like [[ItMakesSenseInContext slutty aliens]], offbeat french authors, sleep therapists, and freeing bunnies.

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* ReTool: The first half of Season 2 had the writers slow down all the storylines (Josh called it [[Series/MySoCalledLife My So-Called OC]]), not have Ryan punch anyone, not have any [[WildTeenParty wild teen parties]], and split up all the couples. Viewers weren't very receptive, and this era ended at Episode 14. Season 4, however, can be considered a genuine ReTool as it became more of a lighthearted comedy without many soap opera plotlines. Aside from one Prostitution Ring, most storylines revolved around quirky plotlines like [[ItMakesSenseInContext slutty aliens]], offbeat french French authors, sleep therapists, and freeing bunnies.



* ShipToShipCombat: [[InvokedTrope Occurs in-universe]] in Season 4 - after it becomes apparent that Bullit & Frank [[spoiler:Atwood]] are both in love with Julie, the show gives us Team Bullit (Kaitlin) & Team Frank (Ryan & Taylor). [[spoiler:Julie initially chooses Bullit, but Kaitlin encourages her to go to Frank instead after realising that Julie was only choosing Bullit because of Kaitlin's fondness for him, when she was really in love with Frank. Then the TimeSkip occurs, during which Julie gets pregnant & Frank freaks out, leading to Julie to get together with Bullit, who doesn't care she's pregnant. Frank then makes a anguished declaration of love during Julie & Bullit's wedding. Julie chooses to be single instead of date either man, and it's unclear what her final decision is - the last time that the three are seen, Frank & Bullit are cheering for Julie as she collects her college degree in the closing montage]]. And this all takes place over the last few episodes ofvthe series.

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* ShipToShipCombat: [[InvokedTrope Occurs in-universe]] in Season 4 - after it becomes apparent that Bullit & Frank [[spoiler:Atwood]] are both in love with Julie, the show gives us Team Bullit (Kaitlin) & Team Frank (Ryan & Taylor). [[spoiler:Julie initially chooses Bullit, but Kaitlin encourages her to go to Frank instead after realising that Julie was only choosing Bullit because of Kaitlin's fondness for him, when she was really in love with Frank. Then the TimeSkip occurs, during which Julie gets pregnant & Frank freaks out, leading to Julie to get together with Bullit, who doesn't care she's pregnant. Frank then makes a anguished declaration of love during Julie & Bullit's wedding. Julie chooses to be single instead of date either man, and it's unclear what her final decision is - the last time that the three are seen, Frank & Bullit are cheering for Julie as she collects her college degree in the closing montage]]. And this all takes place over the last few episodes ofvthe of the series.



* SpiritualSuccessor: Josh Schwartz's subsequent series both served as such - ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' in terms of dialogue, characters, and humor; whilst ''Series/GossipGirl'' is the spiritual successor plot and settingwise.

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* SpiritualSuccessor: Josh Schwartz's subsequent series both served as such - ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' in terms of dialogue, characters, and humor; whilst ''Series/GossipGirl'' is the spiritual successor plot and settingwise.setting-wise.



** Caleb Nichol, father of Kirsten and Hailey, had an affair with [[spoiler:Renee Wheeler while his wife was dying]] and fathered [[spoiler:Lindsay Gardner]]; Kirsten marries Sandy Cohen & they have a son, Seth before adopting Ryan Atwood. Caleb eventually marries Julie Cooper. This subsequently makes Julie stepmother to Caleb's daughters, stepmother-in-law to Sandy and stepgrandmother to Seth and Ryan; and this means that Julie's daughters Marissa & Kaitlin are stepsisters to Caleb's daughters and ''aunts'' to Seth and Ryan, the later of whom dates both Marissa & [[spoiler:Lindsay]] during Julie's marriage to Caleb; on top of that, Jimmy Cooper dated Kirsten in high school, married Julie, and eventually dated Hailey. After [[spoiler:Caleb's death]], Julie becomes engaged to Neil Roberts, who's daughter Summer is Seth's long-time girlfriend [[spoiler:and eventual wife]], and eventually Julie [[spoiler:has a baby with Frank Atwood, Ryan's father]].

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** Caleb Nichol, father of Kirsten and Hailey, had an affair with [[spoiler:Renee Wheeler while his wife was dying]] and fathered [[spoiler:Lindsay Gardner]]; Kirsten marries Sandy Cohen & they have a son, Seth before adopting Ryan Atwood. Caleb eventually marries Julie Cooper. This subsequently makes Julie stepmother to Caleb's daughters, stepmother-in-law to Sandy and stepgrandmother step-grandmother to Seth and Ryan; and this means that Julie's daughters Marissa & Kaitlin are stepsisters to Caleb's daughters and ''aunts'' to Seth and Ryan, the later of whom dates both Marissa & [[spoiler:Lindsay]] during Julie's marriage to Caleb; on top of that, Jimmy Cooper dated Kirsten in high school, married Julie, and eventually dated Hailey. After [[spoiler:Caleb's death]], Julie becomes engaged to Neil Roberts, who's daughter Summer is Seth's long-time girlfriend [[spoiler:and eventual wife]], and eventually Julie [[spoiler:has a baby with Frank Atwood, Ryan's father]].



* ViewersAreGeniuses: During Season Four, when it was clear the show was being cancelled and the writers were done with writing for ratings, "The French Connection" featured long drawn-out conversations among three characters revolving around David Hume, and a variety of french poets and philosophers. Some of this conversation is in unsubtitled French.

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* ViewersAreGeniuses: During Season Four, when it was clear the show was being cancelled and the writers were done with writing for ratings, "The French Connection" featured long drawn-out conversations among three characters revolving around David Hume, and a variety of french French poets and philosophers. Some of this conversation is in unsubtitled French.
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Romantic Two Girl Friendship has been renamed to Pseudo Romantic Friendship. All misuse and ZC Es will be deleted and all other examples will be changed to the correct trope.


* RomanticTwoGirlFriendship: Marissa and Summer, Summer and Anna, Summer and Taylor.
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In 2021 Creator/RachelBilson and Creator/MelindaClarke started the podcast ''Welcome to the OC, Bitches!''.
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** StagingAnIntervention: A by-the-book version for Kirsten in the season two finale.

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** * StagingAnIntervention: A by-the-book version for Kirsten in the season two finale.
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* {{Postmodernism}}: Seth Cohen in particular has become a bit of a postmodern pop culture icon.


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** StagingAnIntervention: A by-the-book version for Kirsten in the season two finale.


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** A bit more than a flirtation, as the show is widely credited with ushering {{Postmodernism}} into the teen drama mainstream.
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved


* NotSoDifferent: Seth & Marissa, much to Seth's horror upon finding out the "Princess" shares his musical tastes.
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* DawsonCasting: The teens are played by actors in their early-to-mid-20s.
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** This is lightly acknowledged in series, she seeks therapeutic help for the way she acts with Ryan, and it's suggested that rather than a "cute quirk" it's a deep-seated issue resulting from her relationship to her parents and lack of peer group leaving her with undeveloped social skills.

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* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Summer, Luke, Taylor.

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* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Summer, JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
** Seth: while he may be self-absorbed and slightly petty at times, he's otherwise a genuinely NiceGuy who loves Summer more than anything, and most of his selfless and sweet moments occur when he's with her, or when the situation involves her. When he wasn't accepted to his preferred university, and she refused to go without him, he broke up with her and told her didn't love her any more just so she would go. And he clearly did still love her. And how can we forget all the times where he looked after her and his mother while they were drunk?
** And then there's Luke. He started out as a complete {{Jerkass}}, and eventually became a pretty good friend to the main cast. He genuinely evolves from a JerkJock to a LovableJock.
** Summer. She started out as a spoiled, slightly rude AlphaBitch, but, like
Luke, Taylor.she evolved into a much more likable, sympathetic character. To be fair that was mostly an act, since despite her vain streak, she still was a good person at heart, but she TookALevelInKindness when she became friends with Ryan and Seth.
** And finally Taylor. Initially she was annoying, conniving, self-serving, manipulative and Summer's ArchEnemy. Eventually she had a HeelFaceTurn and became a good friend to Summer and the other main characters (as well as Ryan's LoveInterest).
** Subverted with Ryan. He's a genuinely NiceGuy and is not a natural jerk, but his past turned him into a rather cynical and brooding boy, with a short temper that gets better through CharacterDevelopment.
** If you think about it, almost everyone in this show could be considered a {{Jerk With A Heart Of Gold}} at one point in the series.



* MrsRobinson: Julie Cooper

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* MrsRobinson: Julie CooperCooper to Luke (and other young men later on, such as 25 year-old tennis teacher Bullit).
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** The main adults: Sandy is the Optimist, Kirsten is the Conflicted, Julie is the Cynic and Jimmy is the Apathetic.

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** The main adults: Sandy is the Optimist, Optimist (but also the Realist, as he's surprisingly the most balanced and grounded in reality despite his idealism), Kirsten is the Conflicted, Julie is the Cynic and Jimmy is the Apathetic.
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** The main adults: Sandy is the Optimist, Kirsten is the Conflicted, Julie is the Cynic and Jimmy is the Apathetic.

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* BitchInSheepsClothing: Its arguable whether Seth started as one or TookALevelInJerkass.

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* BitchInSheepsClothing: Its It's arguable whether Seth started as one or TookALevelInJerkass.TookALevelInJerkass. The trope is {{downplayed}}, though, as he's still a genuinely good person despite being a bit selfish and petty, thigs that get better through CharacterDevelopment.


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** The four main adults: Sandy is sanguine, Kirsten is melancholic, Julie is choleric and Jimmy is phlegmatic.
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* TeensAreShort: Hilariously inverted with the girls. While Summer (5'1") and Anna (5'4") both short, the ones actually played by teens Marissa and Kaitlin are 5'8" and 5'7" respectively.

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* TeensAreShort: Hilariously inverted with the girls. While Summer (5'1") and Anna (5'4") are both pretty short, the ones actually played by teens Marissa and Kaitlin are 5'8" and 5'7" respectively.

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More accurate


* ByronicHero: Ryan.

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* ByronicHero: Ryan.Ryan and Marissa qualify, being troubled individuals with a DarkAndTroubledPast and conflicting emotions. Marissa is an even more straight example, as she's often self-destructive, while Ryan has a healthier lifestyle.



* FourTemperamentEnsemble: The four main teens, Ryan (melancholic, sometimes choleric), Marissa (choleric/melancholic), Summer (pure sanguine), and Seth (phlegmatic/sanguine).

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* FourTemperamentEnsemble: FourTemperamentEnsemble:
**
The four main teens, teens: Ryan (melancholic, sometimes choleric), and Marissa (choleric/melancholic), are melancholic with some choleric tendencies, Summer (pure sanguine), is pure sanguine, and Seth (phlegmatic/sanguine).is either sanguine or phlegmatic.
** Luke, who later befriends them, is choleric.
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** Jimmy & Hailey's relationship, that began in late season one, was swiftly ended early the following season after Amanda Righetti was cast in the series ''North Shore''.

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** Jimmy & Hailey's relationship, that began in late season one, was swiftly ended early the following season after Amanda Righetti Creator/AmandaRighetti was cast in the series ''North Shore''.



** Hailey Nichol took a job in Japan after Amanda Righetti was cast on ''North Shore'' & couldn't reprise the role in the second season.

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** Hailey Nichol took a job in Japan after Amanda Righetti Creator/AmandaRighetti was cast on ''North Shore'' & couldn't reprise the role in the second season.
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* DrowningMySorrows: Go-to coping mechanism for both Kirsten and Marissa, though they go about it very differently.
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* HanukkahEpisode: "The Best Chrismukka Ever" blends both Hanukkah ''and'' Christmas (hence "Chrismukka"), and involves the characters celebrating both holidays.
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* NewYearsKiss: In the season one episode "The Countdown," after Ryan's awkward response to Marissa telling him she loves him, Marissa goes to a New Year's party alone. During the countdown to 2004, Ryan rushes through the crowd to find her, and they share a kiss as soon as the new year begins.
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* PayingItForward: In the last episode, we see Ryan working as a professional architect. He notices a rundown street kid watching him work and asks if the kid needs help, a callback to how lawyer Sandy Cohen offered Ryan help in the first episode of the series.
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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa's suicide attempt, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he so much as tries to go near Marissa again.

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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, Julie, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa's suicide attempt, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he so much as tries to go near Marissa again.
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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa suicide attempt, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he so much as tries to go near Marissa again.

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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa Marissa's suicide attempt, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he so much as tries to go near Marissa again.
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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa near-death experience, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he so much as tries to go near Marissa again.

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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa near-death experience, suicide attempt, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he so much as tries to go near Marissa again.
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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa near-death experience, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he goes near Marissa again.

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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa near-death experience, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he goes so much as tries to go near Marissa again.
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* UngratefulBastard: After Ryan saves Marissa's life, Her mother, instead of thanking him, unfairly blames him for Marissa near-death experience, and threatens to have him sent back to Juvey if he goes near Marissa again.
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Trope is being cut.


* SuddenlySexuality: Marissa's bisexuality in season two. Eventually handwaved as just another attempt to piss off her mother.
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adorkable cleanup, now it's YMMV. removing misuse and ZCE, moving appropriate examples to YMMV, and replacing with Endearingly Dorky for In Universe examples


** Taylor. She started out as a SmugSnake, before developing into an {{Adorkable}} GenkiGirl.

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** Taylor. She started out as a SmugSnake, before developing into an {{Adorkable}} a lovable GenkiGirl.



** Taylor to Ryan, albeit PlayedForLaughs due to Taylor's adorkableness.

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** Taylor to Ryan, albeit PlayedForLaughs due to Taylor's adorkableness.adorableness.

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Six Student Clique is being cut.


* SixStudentClique:
** Ryan, Seth, Marissa, Summer, Luke & Anna in season 1.
** Ryan, Seth, Marissa, Summer, Zach & Lindsay in season two.

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