When I started watching the WB’s hit show Gilmore Girls, I feel in love. I found it a charming and amusing show about a mother and daughter in small town Connecticut. However, throughout my viewing of the sixth season, I have become increasingly frustrated with not only the characters, but the storylines.

In the finale of season five, Rory announces that she is dropping out of Yale. This happens after an internship with her boyfriend Logan’s father, who gives her a lot of criticism and questions her ability in journalism. Is he an asshole? Yes. However, many people have similar experiences and the consensus is that you can’t let one person stop you. Rory seems to have had a lot of yes-men around her not giving her much criticism at all. Then the second one does, she completely freaks out. This is a critical character flaw that causes me to be very frustrated with her character. With this, she also creates a barrier between her and Lorelei, who wants her to keep going to school. This storyline made me angry because the heart of the show is their relationship. So, if they’re mad at each other for an entire half of a season, the season doesn’t turn out so good. However I am glad that Rory went back to school and that she and Lorelei made up.

As for the April storyline, I thought it was a terrible plot tool. It was used so that Lorelei and Luke would break up, which is something no one wanted. This storyline felt like something from a soap opera which does not really fit in with the vibe of the show. Also, throughout the storyline, they were trying to show Luke’s soft side around April, which they failed at in this particular situation. Besides, we’ve already seen his soft side when he’s around Lorelei. All in all, it feels like the writers didn’t know what to do with Luke this season, so they made him have a kid.

There are also just a lot of little things that I have problems with. One is how Lane ended up with Zack. This, again, felt very forced and cliche. Of course she’d marry her band mate. I love the O.C. too much to wish that Adam Brody stayed, but I do kind of think he could have been a guest for a couple episodes where they get back together. Or, an entirely new character could have been introduced. I just don’t feel that Lane and Zack are right for each other. But maybe that’s just me.

Logan also became incredibly unlikeable for me this season. Honestly, it’s probably because he was so mean to Jess, who is my favorite character. But the fact that he begged Rory to go out with him immediately after sleeping with all his sister’s friends is just such a fuckboy move for me. But at this point, I don’t really like Rory all that much either, so maybe it’s meant to be.

In the finale, we see that Lorelei slept with Christopher. A terrible decision to top off a terrible season. I was really disappointed in season six of Gilmore Girls, and I am hoping season seven redeems it. Though I have a feeling it won’t.

1. The Pregnancies

I really do think that there was some error involved with the bags. There is no way that every female character on this show, besides Peyton and Deb, is pregnant. I don’t think Rachel is pregnant because that would be just a little too awful. There is a high possibility that Karen is pregnant, though it seems like it’s been a minute since the baby would have been conceived. I think it’s very likely that Haley is pregnant because of the amount of times it was teased throughout the season. Although, she and Nathan put off having sex for the past several episodes. Then there’s Brooke. I would be very mad if she was pregnant because I really want her to dump Lucas. So, my conclusion is that Haley and maybe Karen are pregnant.

2. Brooke and Peyton

I feel that this is the end of their friendship. I mean, is there really any coming back from this? I think that they’re going to be shady to each other for at least half a season. Then maybe there will just be tension for at least the rest of the season. If they stay a few seasons, then maybe in a couple they will reconcile.

3.

The biggest cliffhanger of all was the limo crash. I don’t think Nathan is going to die. There’s just no way they could kill him off, he’s too important of a character (although they did kill Marissa off in the O.C., but that’s a whole different thing). Haley can’t die either. So that leaves Rachel and Cooper. I think that probably only one of them is going to die. I do think that killing off Rachel would be very tragic because she is so young, but that has not stopped anyone before. Also, Rachel is too unlikeable to die. Whereas, Cooper has done some gross stuff involving Rachel, but he is very beloved to the other characters and is just the type that show runners love to kill off. So, if anyone dies, it will be him. Of course, it could just be the case that no one dies. But what’s the fun in that?

So, those are my three predictions for season 4 of One Tree Hill. We shall see if any of them are correct.

10. Derek Shepherd

We are starting strong with Derek Shepherd, who is my least favorite character in Greys Anatomy as of now. He has next to no redeeming qualities. First of all, throughout the first season while he’s dating Meredith, he never tells her that he’s married. But this is minor compared to his other crimes. Later, in season 2, he chooses to stay married to Addison. Now, I would be okay if Derek got a divorce and was devoted to Meredith. I would also be okay if he stayed with Addison and was devoted to her. But no. Instead he stays with Addison but doesn’t show her any affection and continues bothering Meredith and eventually having sex with her. And all of this is why Derek Shepherd is the worst.

9. Izzie Stevens

At the end of season one, Izzie Stevens was one of my favorite characters, so now it feels very strange to be putting her at number nine. And to be honest, it’s almost entirely because of the finale episodes. Now, throughout the first two seasons, Izzie continues to become attached to most of her patients. And while this is frustrating, I do understand it a bit. But what she does in the finale is just absolutely outrageous. She purposely makes a patient whom she has fallen in love with(which she shouldn’t be doing) worse in order to get a new heart, inevitably causing his death. This is not only stupid and selfish, but illegal. Illegal! She committed a crime! Therefore, she is down to number nine.

8. Meredith Grey

Now, this is, again, mostly because of the last episode. However, throughout the season, she repeatedly makes mistakes. The biggest one before the finale was sleeping with George. She was drunk, yes. And he was definitely anxious to do it. But still, she slept with one of her close friends, which is something you should never do, then cried in the middle of it. Good job, Meredith. Then she has sex with Derek in the finale while she is in a relationship with McVet. Overall though, I just find Meredith an unlikeable character who I also don’t find to be as interesting as a lot of the others.

7. George O’Malley

Now, I feel like I have come around to George a little bit. But I did find it annoying how he was so unable to get over Meredith, then slept with her knowing she was drunk. Bad move. Overall, I just find him annoying and I don’t have a lot of strong feelings about him.

6. Alex Karev

This is a character I have also come around to, though more so than George. I hated this character in the first season, not going to lie. And he can still sometimes be an asshole and obviously it was horrible when he cheated on Izzie. But, I feel that in the second half of the season, we have found a piece of Alex Karev’s heart and I’m really looking forward to what we see of him in the future.

5. Richard Webber

I truly do not have strong feelings about this character. I think it’s pretty terrible that he cheated on his wife, but most people in this series tend to cheat. I do just think that all in all, he’s a guy trying to run a hospital and save lives. And I respect that.

4. Preston Burke

I think that Preston Burke is a very kind guy. He’s very genuine, down to earth, and caring. He could have a more interesting storyline though, and he could be kinder to his girlfriend. But overall, I think that he’s a great guy and beyond that, I don’t have a strong opinion.

3. Christina Yang

I think that Christina is one of the most interesting characters on the show. She’s a workaholic and loves her job. Therefore I love her because I think that people should do what they love and not what makes them money. I love how we get to see beyond her hard exterior this season, mostly shown when she is with Burke. I also just love her sassiness and her one-liners.

2. Addison Montgomery-Shepherd

I would not have expected Addison to be this high up at the beginning of the season. Now, did Addison cheat on Derek? Yes, she did. But then she decided to give him an ultimatum, and he chose her. So, she worked on their marriage. And by that I mean that she did all the work. And she’s still with him a season later, which I have to give her props for because, as I said earlier, Derek is the worst. I love how Addison is a teacher to the interns and also teaches them a lesson when their complaining or not doing their jobs. And all in all, Addison is a queen.

1. Miranda Bailey

Now, for the ultimate queen. Miranda Bailey has to put up with so much shit with all of the interns. And she never let it phase her. She lets them know what they need to know, is straight to the point, and doesn’t put up with any bullshit. We get to see her heart, though, when she’s with her husband and her child. Miranda Bailey is the ultimate queen and hasn’t done much wrong this entire season. And that’s why she’s the best character as of season two.

When you apply for colleges, they will look at your G.P.A, which is your grade point average from all four years of high school up to the point of your application. This means, you can’t slack off your freshman year or any year because those grades are still going to count. Also, if you fail any class, you have to retake it. So, you will most likely have to do summer school. Additionally, in some classes, a lot of your grade depends on coming to class every day.

2. Get Involved

Now, I’m not saying that you need to go to every school function. I mean, I notably don’t go to school functions unless I’m a part of them. But, starting freshman year, you should be involved in a club or sport. It will not only help you get into college, but will also allow you to meet new friends and perhaps have a better high school experience. And if you don’t like it, you can quit and choose something else. My freshman year I joined the drama club, if you couldn’t tell from my username. I’ve been in six productions, and it has made me feel so much happier than I would’ve otherwise been.

3. Beware of the bathrooms

My freshman year, I got a whole speech from a senior about the bathrooms. As he put it, “in the bathroom, people are either dealing drugs, doing drugs, or it’s full out orgies.” If you’re not interested in any of these things, don’t go to the bathroom during busy times of the day. These days, I usually try to go the whole day without going to the bathroom. But, in the past I would go during certain parts of the day to bathrooms that would be near empty. Or you could always find the teacher that lets you go during class.

4. Do all the extra credit

If there is an extra credit opportunity, I highly recommend you to take it. You should do this, even if you have a good grade at the time because I guarantee you, your grade will probably go down and you will have wished you’d done it. Extra credit can really save your ass.

5. Know that your not the only one

Something I have done a lot is think that I’m the only one experiencing what I’m experiencing. But while no one is having the same exact experience as you, you’re not the only one. You’re not the only one without a significant other or the only one spending their Saturday night alone. And you’re definitely not the only one failing Algebra II.

It’s the season 3 finale of The OC. Ryan and Marissa have just been knocked off the road. Marissa is in Ryan’s arms as Imogen Heap’s cover of “Hallelujah” is playing. I am bawling my eyes out.

Marissa Cooper is dead. I am devastated. She is one of my favorite characters on this show I am absolutely obsessed with. The character obviously did not deserve this, but it kind of works for her evolution.

When the series begins, Marissa Cooper was your average popular high school girl. She’s rich, goes to parties every weekend, and is with an asshole who she’s been dating since the fifth grade(so, for five years). As of the pilot episode, she seems to be leading the perfect life with the exception of her very apparent drinking problem.

We learn very quickly that Marissa Cooper has a lot of mommy issues. Her mother, Julie, grew up in a not-so-glamorous neighborhood in Riverside. Then she met Jimmy Cooper, got pregnant with Marissa when she was, like, nineteen and got married. And throughout all three seasons, we can see Julie trying to hold on to this wealthy lifestyle. She puts a lot of pressure on Marissa to be the Newport debutante, which is not in Marissa’s plans, especially as she gets closer to Ryan.

A few episodes in, Marissa develops daddy issues as well when she finds out that Jimmy lost all of their money and now they are broke. So, Julie files for divorce, which devastates Marissa. The same day, she sees her boyfriend of five years cheating on her. So then, she ODs in Tijuana. All of this is the foundation for the downward spiral of Marissa Cooper.

Immediately after all of this, Julie tries to send Marissa to an all girls school in San Diego, which puts even more of a barrier between the two. So, Marissa starts living with her dad, who she was always close with. After that, she has it pretty good for a few episodes where she starts dating Ryan. Although, when Julie starts dating Caleb Nichol, she is, of course, very upset.

Another crack occurs when she meets Oliver Trask. During the Chrismukkah of season one, Marissa shoplifts and has a lot to drink. After this, Julie decides to put her in therapy where she meets Oliver in the waiting room. In the following episode she becomes close with Oliver, who we know doesn’t have good intentions. He becomes obsessed with her and manipulates her. She eventually breaks up with Ryan, who knows he’s bad news and ends up with Oliver pointing a gun at her in his penthouse because she learns of his lies.

For most of the rest of the first season, Marissa remains broken up with Ryan because of all this. She also finds out that her mom’s been sleeping with her ex-boyfriend Luke, creating another barrier between her and Julie. Ryan ends up leaving Newport at the end of the first season after they briefly get back together when Theresa gets pregnant.

Season two was the most interesting season for me because none of the Core Four are in romantic relationships with each other. Instead, we are given four new romantic interests: Alex, Zach, Lindsay, and DJ. DJ is Marissa’s romantic interest. He is the pool boy for her new house where she lives with Julie and Caleb, who is now her stepfather. He is definitely a rebound off of Ryan after he left her. It is once again someone her mother doesn’t approve of, which seems to be a common theme of rebellion.

Seven episodes into the season, Jimmy leaves Newport after hooking up with Julie multiple times. Marissa is deeply affected by the abandonment of her father, who was a very important part of her life.

Three episodes later, one of my favorite storylines starts. I think I audibly gasped when Marissa and Alex got together. It was short lived, but I feel like it really shows Marissa’s inner growth and discovery especially when they move in together and Marissa has a big reality check when it comes to not having the financial support of her rich family.

After breaking up with Alex, she gets back together with Ryan. Then Ryan’s brother Trey gets released from prison and comes to live with the Cohens. One night when Ryan is out of town, Trey and Marissa are spending the evening together when Trey sexually assaults her. This is when it all really starts going downhill for Marissa. In the season two finale, Ryan finds out about this encounter and physically fights with Trey. They are both out for the kill when Marissa comes in and shoots Trey. Throughout the first half of season three, Marissa and Ryan stay together, but Ryan struggles with discussing Trey with Marissa who really needs to talk about it.

Through all of this, Caleb has died and Jimmy comes back and gets engaged to Julie again. But, when it turns out Caleb gets bankrupt, Jimmy leaves because he is once again in financial trouble. This abandonment of Marissa’s father, I think, plays the biggest part in her fall from grace in the second half of season 3.

The second factor, of course, is the Johnny storyline, who Marissa befriends at Newport Union. From the start, he has had a crush on Marissa. And he eventually tries to stay away from her because she is with Ryan. But, when Kaitlin comes back from boarding school, she toys with both of their emotions. So, after he gets rejected a second time, he gets drunk and falls off of a cliff. This obviously is a central cause of Marissa’s downfall, but I would ultimately blame Kaitlin.

Back to Ryan, he gets frustrated with Marissa when she continues to stay friends with Johnny after she knows he likes her. She does it because she feels guilty about him getting hit with a car and not being able to surf anymore and thinks that it is her fault. A part of him thinks that Marissa must like Johnny. I don’t think that Marissa liked Johnny, I just think that she felt a really strong platonic connection with him and cared about him. But anyway, Ryan breaks up with Marissa over the phone right after Johnny dies while she was grieving him. I think that this is a terrible move on Ryan’s part because she was feeling very vulnerable. He could have at least broken up with her in person.

And finally, there is Volchok. After Johnny dies, Volchok kind of stalks Marissa. I don’t know his motives for this, but I don’t think they were good. She ultimately gives in because of their connection to Johnny and because she is feeling vulnerable. She seeks comfort from a man after she is sexually assaulted by Trey, abandoned by her father, and dumped by Ryan. I do think that at some point Volchok really did care for Marissa, but he is still a butt human being. While they are dating, Marissa turns into what Summer calls “Newport’s Courteney Love.” No one likes Volchok for good reason, and so they don’t want her to be with him. This, of course, pisses off Marissa, causing her to turn her back on her family and friends.

Eventually, Marissa finds Volchok kissing another girl and breaks up with him. After this, he can’t seem to leave Marissa and Ryan alone, always asking for more from them. This ultimately leads to the car crash and her death.

I don’t like that Marissa died, but I think it totally makes sense when it comes to the plot. All the events in Marissa’s life cause a ripple effect like dominoes and it ends with a giant explosion in the end and her dead under a car. So, now I would like to take a moment to say goodbye to Marissa Cooper. The O.C. will not be the same without her.

The other day, while my older classmates were at Prom, I sat down with a jar of peanut butter and watched the episode of The Office entitled “Casino Night,” finishing my journey with season 2 of this prestigious series. And it was in this episode that audiences across the globe had finally got what they were waiting for.

We had all been introduced to the Jim/Pam emotional affair in season one, though being a midseason replacement, we had only gotten six episodes. But from the very first episode, we can see a flirtation and a connection between them.

Personally, emotional affairs piss me off. Is this a surprise? Cheating, even if it’s emotional cheating, is not healthy for either partner. And yet, we still support Pam and Jim and don’t feel bad for Roy in the slightest even though he isn’t a bad person. Why is this?

I’ve never been in a romantic relationship, but I’ve found that even in friendships, it’s always about the little things. Roy leaves Pam at Chile’s during the Dundies, he was gonna give Pam and iPod for Christmas because he couldn’t think up anything else to get her, he drunkenly sets a date for the wedding years after proposing to her, he doesn’t give her a gift for Valentine’s Day, and he doesn’t really do much to help plan the wedding. When all these little things add up, we all really hate him. Especially compared to Jim who is always very thoughtful when it comes to Pam.

So why does Pam stay with Roy? “Well, it’s complicated,” is what the person in Pam’s situation usually says. Pam has been with Roy for years at this point and has been a constant in her life for a long time. After that much time and commitment to a relationship where you’ve built a deep relationship, it’s really hard to just call it quits. She probably doesn’t want to have to start all over. I’m assuming that Roy and Pam live together. So, if they break up, she either has to move out or keep the apartment, but have to start a life on her own there. Her whole life would change, which is something she, along with many people including myself, is probably scared of.

So what do I think is going to happen? Well, obviously Pam and Roy are probably not going to go through with the wedding after she kissed Jim. She and Jim are obviously going to get together at some point during the show, though they might draw it out more to keep us on the edge of our seats. Of course this show might just pull a Gilmore Girls where Rory and Jess kiss in the season 2 finale, but Rory stays with Dean for several episodes in season 3 despite having feelings for Jess until they finale break up and we get the Rory/Jess relationship. To be honest, there’s a lot of parallels, so this might just happen with Pam, Roy, and Jim. Though, I really am hoping this doesn’t happen.

This is all just speculation, though. I’ve never watched The Office past “Casino Night,” and I’m excited to see what happens and if my predictions are correct.

I am a teenage girl. I listen to my peers chant words of protest. I watch as two girls get into a fight in the cafeteria. I sit in a dark classroom as shots have been fired just outside. I spend my days exhausted all the time.

I am a teenage girl. I listen to this divided country yell back and forth at each other. I watch the world around me melt. I try to prepare myself for an unknown life ahead.

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