Entertainment
The 11 Best 'O.C.' Kisses Ranked, From Simply Swoonworthy To Spiderman-Level Iconic
If you were a teenager in the early '00s, then chances are you watched The O.C. Even if you didn't watch (and you should know, you're seriously missing out) you heard about the dramatic make ups and break ups of Ryan and Marissa, Seth and Summer, etc. But, did you hear about the smooches? A teen show is not a teen show without some iconic pecks, and the best kisses on The O.C. truly rival all that came before.
The O.C. launched many ships over the course of its four seasons, but two really stand out: Marissa and Ryan, the rich girl and bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and Seth and Summer, the popular girl and the nerd. As two of the most popular ships in early '00s television, Seth and Summer, and Marissa and Ryan had more than their fair share of on screen make outs, and while all were enough to send teenage viewers swooning, there's no denying that some were better than others. The most iconic kisses in The O.C. tended to appear in exceptionally dramatic moments, often paired with the perfect indie rock soundtrack the show was known for, creating the most romantic moment a teenager could possibly want. And these 11 kisses on The O.C. were the stuff dreams are made of.
1Malex Kiss
Marissa and Alex's relationship was the closest thing The O.C. got to LGBTQ representation, and while it wasn't perfect, there's no denying that Alex and Marissa had some pretty great chemistry. It was so great, in fact, that their kiss earned them a spot on this list.
2Ryan & Taylor Get Back Together
The Taylor-Ryan finale kiss deserves to be here because it is the only kiss in O.C. history that ended in somebody getting the buttons ripped off their shirt.
3The "What We Haven't Done In A While" Kiss
When Ryan and Marissa got back together after their third or fourth breakup at the end of Season 1, he initiated it with perhaps the most romantic thing a girl could hear: "You know what we haven't done in a while?"
4Best First Date Ever Kiss
Early Ryan and Marissa were so innocent. This kiss is probably the only time in their relationship that they weren't being assaulted on all sides, be it by family members or love triangles. Alas, pretty much right after this, they kissed their drama-free coupledom goodbye.
5Ryan And Taylor's First Kiss
Ryan and Taylor didn't really get a fair shot when they finally got together in Season 4. Fans were still reeling from Marissa's shocking death, and they weren't quite ready to see Ryan move on with someone else, but looking back, boy were Taylor and Ryan a good couple, and their first kiss really demonstrates why.
6Ryan And Taylor's Second Kiss
After their first kiss, Ryan wasn't convinced there was any chemistry there, but Taylor was adamant and demanded a second shot, only to leave him completely dumbstruck and speechless. This kiss was particularly great because it showed a more fun, lighthearted romance side of the eternally brooding Ryan, for which all fans could be grateful.
7The Coffee Carts Kiss
The coffee cart kiss (aka the kissing booth kiss) took Seth and Summer's relationship public in a big way. It was also the first of a series of big, romantic gestures in their relationship. This is the stuff teenage dreams are made of.
8The New Year's Kiss
Ryan ran up an ungodly number of stairs to make it to evil Oliver's New Year's Eve party in time to kiss Marissa at midnight. The kiss was peak TV, slow-motion running and all.
9The "I Wish I Was A Mermaid" Kiss
Seth and Summer's very first kiss happened early in Season 1 after Seth recited a poem Summer wrote for their sixth grade class from memory. "I Wish I Was A Mermaid" became a staple in The O.C. fandom, and this moment changed Summer from a superficial rich girl into a character viewers at home could actually care about.
10The Ferris Wheel Kiss
Obviously, in terms of first kisses, Ryan and Marissa weren't too far behind. Their epic first official kiss as a couple occurred on the top of a Ferris wheel at the school carnival and it was perfect. Looking back, it's fitting Marissa and Ryan had their first kiss on a Ferris wheel, their relationship was nothing if not up and down.
11The Spider-Man Kiss
The Spider-Man kiss in Season 2 is without question the best kiss on The O.C. — period. Seth and Summer recreated the famous upside down kiss from Spider-Man (2002) on a rare rainy night in Southern California with Seth dangling precariously from the roof of his home. The kiss marked the reunion of Seth and Summer, after which they never parted.
Seth and Summer forever.
