A new life for Ryan Atwood, the Cohens and the Cooper families, and basically everyone else in the wealthy, picturesque, secretive, turbulent community of Orange County.

Be prepared to meet spoiled rich kids and watch Ryan struggle to fit in with his new crowd...

It's time for the annual Cotillion ball. Cherished by many, hated by most, it's the time when Newport's finest young ladies enter society. More information about Jimmy's business trouble comes to light, and Kirsten's loan to Jimmy is not happy news for Sandy.

Ryan takes a job at the Crab Shack diner. A co-worker at the diner might mean bad news for the Newport kids. Ryan asks Marissa out on a date. Sandy attempts to help Jimmy sort out his life, and gives him some bad news. Julie reveals a long-held secret to Kirsten. Disaster strikes at another one of Holly's parties.

The Newport kids plan an end-of-summer trip down to Tijuana, Mexico (aka "T.J."). Jimmy has plans of his own, which don't sit well with Marissa. Sandy gets a new job, which Kirsten can't understand. Summer, Seth, Ryan and Marissa find themselves in a strange place together. Jimmy takes it too far. Disaster strikes one of the O.C. kids.

Back to school for the O.C. kids. No one really wants to be there, except for the gossips. Ryan doesn't feel like he fits in at his new school, and Luke doesn't make the situation any better. Sandy accepts a case at his new job, a case that will test his relationship with Kirsten and her father. Anna and Seth hatch a plan. Marissa chooses her man.

Chrismukkah once again returns to the Cohens. Ryan and Taylor have an accident while putting up the holiday lights and they end up in a sort of parallel universe, where all is not like it is meant to be, since Ryan does not exist. While - in the real world - everybody is worrying about them, except Taylor's mom, they eventually manage to fix things, also thanks to a letter from the past.

Taylor's ex-husband comes to Newport and causes a rift in her relationship with Ryan. Seth goes to Seattle to obtain Dr. Roberts blessing, while Summer "travels to the past" for 48 hours. Kaitlin finds love, while Julie finds problems with Kirsten.

It's Taylor's birthday and she hopes Ryan will tell her he loves her. She's unsure whether she should tell him she got into Berkeley as well. Summer feels that Seth should find something in his life that he really cares about whereas Kirsten is having second thoughts about raising another child in Newport. Then the unexpected happens even though it's been predicted.