Watching The O.C. way back in high school was sort of the thing to do.

Everybody watched it. Everybody talked about it. And sometimes even the teachers got in on the action. It was sort of our Generation Y’s version of Beverly Hills 90210. You know, melodramatic teen (and not quite so teen) angst. High school kids who look like 25 year old fashion models. 45 year old mothers with 25 year old boobs. Brooding men punching each other. That sort of thing.

It was announced early this year that The O.C. would air it’s final episode on Thursday, February 22, 2007.

And it really shows. The soon-to-end forth season has been really strong, the big difference being that the writers and producers finally have a game plan — knowing that they have to wrap it all up by today.

I’ve really been enjoying this light-hearted season (Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reese) is so hawt), and I’m totally stoked about watching one last final, melancholic episode of The O.C. tonight

P.S. I hope Ryan punches someone.