What If Taylor Was The Lead In 'The O.C.'?

Despite there only being four seasons of The O.C., it remains one of my all-time favorite shows. Thank goodness it's now available to stream at a moment's notice. When Mischa Barton left the series at the end of Season 3, the tone of the show changed dramatically. This was undoubtedly due, in part, to Taylor Townsend becoming a more central character, as well as a potential love interest for Ryan Atwood. Taylor's sunny disposition, and often inappropriate behavior, made The O.C. an even cuter place to be. As The O.C.'s underdog, I rooted for Autumn Reeser's character to succeed in love and life. But what would The O.C. be like if Taylor Townsend was the main character?

In contrast to Marissa Cooper, Taylor Townsend was pretty eccentric. She had stalker-ish tendencies, and often found it difficult to navigate the boundaries of friendship and relationships. It was Taylor's awkwardness that made her so endearing, as well as the fact that no one really believed that Ryan would be interested in her. Ryan and Taylor made such a super cute couple, it makes me wonder how that Newport world might have looked if we were on Team Taylor the whole time.

1. There Would Be More Comedy

Sure, there are lots of characters on The O.C. who provide comic relief, but Marissa Cooper was rarely one of them. Serious, and prone to bad behavior, Marissa was often a source of worry for the group. If Taylor had been the lead instead of Marissa, there would've been a lot more fun, and comedic moments, as Taylor was self-deprecating to a fault.

2. Taylor Would Help Fan Embrace Their Own Quirks

Marissa was a cool kid, but Taylor was a nerd, with a penchant for strange behavior. If she'd been in The O.C. from the start, the audience would've been taken on Taylor's journey with her, as she embraced her differences, and eccentricities, and realized that people loved her for who she was.

3. There'd Be More Honesty In Relationships

Nothing says honesty like a person admitting that they can be a little bit of a stalker when they like someone. We've all been there.

4. #FriendshipGoals Would Take On A Whole New Meaning

Marissa and Summer may have been childhood besties, but nothing says BFF quite like stroking someone's hair and getting uncomfortably close to them, right?

5. The Internet Would Be Far More Integral To The Plot

Taylor understands the importance of having a blog as much as we all do now.

6. The Show Would Be Even More Sex Positive

The O.C. is already a sex positive show, but, with Taylor Townsend's own brand of sex positive feminism at the helm, the audience could expect even more fun to take place.

7. The Seductive Glance Ratio Would Be Way Up

Why use words when you can shoot over a seductive glance like Taylor's?

8. We'd See More Of Ryan Being Awkward

At the start of The O.C., Ryan Atwood was the strong and silent type. But, with Taylor around, Ryan turned into a bit of a dork, and an awkward one at that. Taylor's influence on Ryan would change the tone of the entire show if she was the main character.

9. There'd Be More Crazy Dream Sequences

Taylor has a pretty strange effect on Ryan, and I'd love to see what other ridiculous visions these two could dream up.

10. Ryan Would Be More Of A Joker

Ryan would also embrace his funny side. Taylor's positive influence on Ryan makes him funny and more chill than ever before.

11. The Drinking Would Be Less Depressing

Taylor's hangovers are something we can all relate to, and regret right along with her.

12. The Characters Would Be Less Self-Centered

Taylor cares about the people in her life, and wants them to be happy. This trait would influence everybody if she was the main character, and friendships would be stronger than ever.

13. #RelationshipGoals Would Be More Relatable

Forget recreating the famous Spider-Man upside-down kiss with bae, or pursuing a forbidden love with the rich girl next door. Taylor's realism about relationships and why they fail is refreshing and hilarious. More of this, please.

14. Feminism Would Reign Supreme

When Taylor stands up for herself, she's completely fierce. She turns into an awesome feminist role model who isn't afraid to be who she is, and that's exciting.

Hopefully all of these factors will convince the powers that be to consider making Season 5 of The O.C. , pretty please?

Images: Warner Bros. Television; Giphy; atwoods, taylortownsend, the-tvblog, andyssambergs, isobelstevenz, fuckyeahtaylortownsend/Tumblr