The O.C. was packed with drama and some shocking moments, but after rewatching the show two decades after it first aired, it’s impossible to feel sorry for one character who was actually terrible. One of the most popular teen dramas during the peak of this genre in the 2000s was The O.C. Created by Josh Schwartz, The O.C. was set in Orange County, California, and it kicked off when troubled teenager Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) met public defender Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher), who took him in.

Ryan had to adjust to a sudden lifestyle change and new environment, going from a world of abuse and poverty to high-class society. Accompanying Ryan were Sandy’s teenage son, Seth (Adam Brody), their neighbor and family friend Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton), and Marissa’s best friend, Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson). Throughout four seasons, Ryan and the audience met a variety of characters, both allies and enemies, and some of them were actually horrible people that the show tried to paint as victims – and there’s one, in particular, that's hard to feel sorry for.

The O.C. Tries To Make Us Feel For Jimmy Cooper, But He's A Horrible Person

Jimmy Cooper Was Played By Tate Donovan

One of the hardest characters to in The O.C. is Marissa’s father, Jimmy Cooper (Tate Donovan). Jimmy was very close to the Cohens, particularly Sandy’s wife, Kirsten (Kelly Rowan), with whom he had a relationship when they were younger. Jimmy was a stockbroker, and he managed the stock portfolios of many of Newport Beach’s wealthy residents. Due to stock market turmoil, Jimmy sold his clients’ stock portfolios and siphoned off the proceeds as he found himself in financial trouble.

Jimmy was under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Sandy defended him in court, thanks to which Jimmy avoided jail – however, he had to pay his clients, which led him to go bankrupt. This also led to his divorce from Julie (Melinda Clarke), which negatively impacted Marissa. Jimmy moved to an apartment and later entered the restaurant business with Sandy, but was forced to sell off his shares. After that, he regained his wealth and bought a mansion in Newport Beach.

In The O.C. season 2, Jimmy got involved with Kirsten’s sister, but this and other messes led him to leave Newport Beach, though he later returned to attend Caleb’s funeral. Jimmy and Julie decided to be a family again, but by the time season 3 began, Jimmy was once again involved in shady businesses, and when he failed to pay a man who got him beaten up, he left Newport one more time, leaving a heartbroken Marissa. The O.C. spent a lot of time painting Jimmy Cooper as a victim and thus as a character the audience should pity and even root for.

Not only did he continue to take advantage of his clients, betray their trust, and take their money, but he also used the Cohens.

It’s through Jimmy’s relationship with Marissa and Kaitlin (Willa Holland) that The O.C. tries to sell Jimmy as a character that deserves the audience’s empathy and , but he’s actually a horrible person. Not only did he continue to take advantage of his clients, betray their trust, and take their money, but he also used the Cohens, Caleb, and Julie to try to solve his problems, all while causing a lot of pain to Marissa.

Jimmy Cooper's Fate Makes It Even Harder To Care About His Problems In Hindsight

Jimmy Cooper Didn’t Pay For Everything He Did

What makes Jimmy Cooper even worse and a character very hard to root for is his fate. Jimmy constantly abandoned his family, which affected Marissa the most, and he never really paid for his crimes. First, he was lucky to have Sandy on his side, as he saved him from going to jail, but not even that was enough for Jimmy to change his ways. Later, when he continued to scam people in season 3, although he got badly beaten by the people of the man he had recently stolen from, his solution was, once more, to leave.

What Jimmy did lose was his family, with Marissa even telling him not to return, as constantly saying goodbye was too painful, but after everything he did, it’s very hard to feel bad for him for this.

Jimmy avoided jail (otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to attend Marissa’s funeral), and he might have continued with his shady actions somewhere else, constantly running from the law. What Jimmy did lose was his family, with Marissa even telling him not to return, as constantly saying goodbye was too painful, but after everything he did, it’s very hard to feel bad for him for this, as it’s clearly what was best for Marissa, Kaitlin, and Julie.

This O.C. Storyline Would Never Have Worked For A Modern Audience

Some Things About The O.C. Haven’t Aged Well

The O.C. aired from 2003 to 2007, and despite its success, there are many things that wouldn’t work for a modern audience. Jimmy’s crimes began (at least in the show, as he couldn’t have done a lot more before the events of the show) with the stock market turmoil, which became real in 2008 with the global financial crisis. After going through it and seeing it develop in real time all over the world, seeing someone like Jimmy Cooper do what he did without major consequences wouldn’t have been well-received.

Jimmy’s betrayals, crimes, and his constant abandonment of his family wouldn’t work for modern audiences, and he would be one of the most hated characters, so much so that he probably wouldn’t last long. Jimmy Cooper brought even more trauma and stress to Marissa’s life, but The O.C. tried too hard to make the audience feel sorry for him when, in fact, he was a horrible person.