And with these final 16 episodes, the once pop-cultural phenomenon "The OC" finally fades to white. It had been a rocky road for the series and the characters over the 4-years that `The OC' aired on the FOX network, but through it all the series persisted.

The theme of season 4 was essentially `going back to the beginning' and that was exactly what happened in this final season. Since all the main characters either died or graduated high school in the third season finale, the four season premier seemed more like a pilot than a season finale of a show near its end. And for 15 additional episodes the writers brought the humor, wackiness, and pop cultural refrences that made the series so popular to begin with back, leaving the melodrama at a bare minimum.

I'm sad to see `the OC' go, it will always be a part of my history because for better or for worse I watched the show through every-one of its 94 episodes, and I will remember these characters fondly. I also need to mention the series finale, which to my amazement didn't dissapoint in the least, it was lighthearted, fun, zany, and had all the right ingredients, and definitely worth a rental if you just want to see how the series comes to a close.

This DVD set contains all 16-episodes on 5 discs, in additional to deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, 2 Featurettes, as well as a commentary on the final episode, `The end is not Near, it's Here'

I deeply regret both that FOX didn't order a slate of episodes for THE O.C.'s final season and even more strongly regret that they cancelled it when it still had a lot of life left in it. Season Three had been a thudding disappointment that both chased off a lot of previous fans and made FOX consider ending it. The network never really gave it a chance in its final season, putting it in a timeslot in which it couldn't possible maintain strong ratings. Nonetheless, after the dismal third season, it was great to see the series regain the charm that had made it so much fun to watch in its first and most of its second season.

One of the reasons for the success of the show in the fourth season is that they finally seemed to realize that the endless number of hated characters that popped up over the years were simply that: hated. They were not characters we loved to hate, we simply didn't like them. It all started with Oliver and then mushroomed in the next two seasons, exploding in Season Three. But this year they managed to avoid introducing any truly awful characters. I never really warmed up to Ché and Taylor's French ex-husband was not very likable, but neither approached the loathsome characters of the first two season. Instead, we were left mainly with the same characters that were the real reasons we enjoyed the show all along.

I must admit that at first I was leery about the reappearance of Taylor and Kaitlin. The latter in Season Three seemed to be on the verge of being as self-destructive as Marissa had been. With Marissa gone I was certain that Kaitlin was going to go down her path. Instead, the writers took her character in a number of unexpected ways and she ended up being a delightful character. But even more shocking was what they did with Taylor. Even in Season Three they had done a great deal to redeem her character. Taylor had started out as one of the least likable characters on the show, but they gradually made her sympathetic. Still, at the end of Season Three she at most could be described as irritating. This year they managed to make her actually likable. And by the time that we realized that they were actually going to have her and Ryan get together I had actually warmed to her. She was still high strung and obsessive, but she was also shown to be someone with a large heart. And in a way that Marissa never was, she turned out to be good for Ryan.

All in all, the show had a good four-year run. I think it had another year or two in it and would have enjoyed seeing it come back. But given how terrible Season Three was, I must confess that my overwhelming feeling about Season Four was gratitude. The most abused and meaningless phrase in talking about television is "jumped the shark." If any show ever had truly jumped the shark, that was THE O.C. in Season Three. But Season Four was a wonderful return to form. I'm not sure that any other show ever had such a terrible year and then followed it with such a great one. So it ended, but at least it ended well. Not many series can make that claim.

For those who aren't sure if Season 4 would be good after a terrible season 3, I assure you that this is a great rebound. I didn't expect much after Marissa's death, but the show rebuilt itself from the ground up in the 4th Season. The show was dying on its old legs and dynamics, but with the colossal event that changed the series, Marissa's death, new life was breathed into the show.

You'll find much more comedy this season than in Season 3, much like in the show's glory days in Season 1. So if you strayed from this show after a mediocre to decent Season 2 and a terrible Season 3, your faith should be restored with this one.