Teen dramas are all the rage again, especially in the age of reboot culture. HBO Max recently debuted their new Gossip Girl series, which follows a similar formula to the original show that aired in 2007. Season 2 of the reboot is set to be released sometime next year, with some familiar faces from the OG series set to return to the Upper Eastside.
Just as the original Gossip Girl began, The OC ended, and both were television shows created by Josh Schwartz. While Gossip Girl is far glitzier and full of more glamour than The OC, both shows tackle similar themes of troubled wealthy high schoolers put in adult situations. Tropes like the classic teen drama love triangle were present in both series, and there are actually a lot of common threads between the characters in both shows.
Jenny Humphrey & Kaitlin Cooper
Little sisters are always up to no good, which is precisely why Jenny Humphrey and Kaitlin Cooper are such similar characters. They lived in the shadows of their older siblings and had to deal with whatever drama was being caused in town because of them.
As Gossip Girl went on, Jenny became like the popular girls she envied when she was younger. She was the leader of the pack and let everyone know she was in charge. After Marissa passed away, Kaitlin became Harbor School's resident troublemaker, coping with the loss of her sister and wanting to both destroy and live up to her legacy.
Bart Bass & Caleb Nichol
Bart Bass and Caleb Nichol both had a lot of money and weren't afraid to flaunt it. They were cold father figures, preferring to show love to their children in the way of financial success rather than actual kindness and affection.
Bart and Caleb ended up marrying similar types of women throughout the series. For Bart, it was Serena's mother Lily van der Woodsen, and Caleb quickly got hitched to Julie Cooper following her divorce from Jimmy. Neither marriage worked out, and both characters ended up getting killed off their shows.
Lily van der Woodsen & Julie Cooper
Lily van der Woodsen was the complicated and troubled mother of Serena and Eric. She went through many relationships and marriages throughout the series, often wreaking havoc on her children's lives by mixing her personal life with theirs.
Julie Cooper, though she got better and better as the series went on, was similar to Lily, as she was often more concerned with status and appearances than taking care of her kids. Julie tried to find a man that would fulfill her financial needs and provide security for her family, but it often led to putting her girls in a worse environment than before.
Rufus Humphrey & Sandy Cohen
Rufus Humphrey and Sandy Cohen were the kindhearted, hipster-esque parents of the main character children. Rufus was the father of Jenny and Dan, while Sandy was responsible for Seth and Ryan and later a daughter, Sophie.
Both Rufus and Sandy put their children first and do whatever it takes to protect them. Sometimes they are blinded by their own moral compasses, leading to problems in their marriages. However, their love for their kids makes them great examples in an otherwise toxic environment of the ultra-wealthy on the east and west coasts.
Georgina Sparks & Taylor Townsend
Characters Georgina Sparks and Taylor Townsend may have only been supporting members of their respective casts, but that didn't stop these side characters from stealing the show from time to time.
Initially, Georgina and Taylor are both presented as mean girls, vowing to take down the leading ladies Serena and Marissa. Over time, their own internal struggles are revealed that explain their villainous behavior, leaving room for redemption arcs. While Georgina continued her mean streak, Taylor turned it around and became an integral part of The OC's friend group.
Nate Archibald & Zach Stevens
The 'nice guys who didn't get the girl but are central to love triangle storylines' came in the form of Gossip Girl's Nate Archibald and The OC's Zach Stevens.
There was a point in time where Nate was being pulled between Blair and Serena, though his feelings for Serena were stronger than for her best friend. Eventually, he lost out to Dan and was the only single main character. Zach was introduced in the second season as Summer's kind, water polo-playing boyfriend, but he never stood a chance against Seth Cohen.
Chuck Bass & Oliver Trask
Despite the giant bag of red flags that Chuck Bass and Oliver Trask both give off, one fanbase loves its iconic bad boy while the other can't stand the season 1 villain.
Chuck and Oliver were both examples of toxic relationships that women should avoid, yet Blair got her happily ever after with Chuck. Both men dropped 'I love yous' to attempt to fix problems and clung tight to Blair and Marissa as a way to manipulate them. However, Chuck was given inklings of redemption while Oliver got written off after massive fan backlash over his character.
Dan Humphrey & Ryan Atwood
If The OC had a resident gossip girl, it would absolutely be Ryan Atwood. The bad boy from Chino got an up close and personal look at the people from Orange County and all of their shenanigans, just as Dan saw the rich kids at his high school while he existed on the outside.
Ryan and Dan didn't choose to be outsiders; they just were. Yet eventually, they both took it in stride. Ryan became Marissa's knight and shining armor, even if he couldn't save her in the end. Dan was Serena's one true love, and she chose to stand by his side even after his identity as gossip girl was revealed.
Blair Waldorf & Summer Roberts
Blair Waldorf and Summer Roberts both started their series standing in the shadow of their blonde best friend, but eventually became even more iconic and beloved.
Blair and Summer were the nice rich girls, though both weren't immune from having brief reputations as meanies. They were in will-they-won't-they on/off relationships with main characters Chuck Bass and Seth Cohen, and those romantic arcs became the main love stories on both shows. Coincidentally, their real-life actors both had relationships with actor Adam Brody (who played Seth on The OC).
Serena van der Woodsen & Marissa Cooper
Serena van der Woodsen was the troubled girl with a heart a gold, similar to The OC's Marissa Cooper. Both characters went through tumultuous situations that no teenager should have to endure, but it seemed like bad luck always seemed to find them.
After returning from boarding school, Serena struggled to find her place in her old life. Similarly, after Marissa shot Trey and got expelled from Harbor, she was an outcast in the world she grew up in. Luckily for Serena, things got better in her adult life, while Marissa unfortunately suffered from a horrific death.