A staple of the mid-2000s, The O.C. is a fun, frothy teen drama that only aired for four seasons but is definitely remembered all these years later. Like many shows of that genre, the four main actors became famous as a result of starring on it, and the episodes featured hilarious situations, love stories, and more serious subjects.
One of the most popular romances on the show is that of Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson) and Seth Cohen (Adam Brody). But what if Summer had fallen for some of the other characters? Read on to find out 10 people Summer should have been with (other than Seth) on The O.C..
Ryan Atwood
Ben McKenzie's The O.C. character, Ryan Atwood, has eyes for Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) pretty much as soon as he arrives in Orange County. But since they have such a dramatic relationship that is super unhealthy, it seems like he would have a healthier love story with Summer.
Summer thinks Ryan is cute, after all, so they could start flirting and see if they like each other. They're both pretty lost at the beginning of the series, and maybe they could help each other find themselves.
Che Cook
Summer meets Chris Pratt's O.C. character, Che Cook, when she attends Brown in the fourth season. He's an activist who inspires Summer to change her life and care about things other than clothes.
Since Summer experiences so much personal growth during her time at college, it's not too far-fetched to imagine her and Che ending up together. Maybe this is just the way that Summer is going to be from now on, and being with Che is part of her destiny.
Zach Stevens
Zach (Michael Cassidy) and Summer do date on the show, so it seems like they could try dating again and see if their relationship would be more successful the second time around.
When fans think about it, Zach and Seth share a lot of qualities that Summer seems to like. They're kind, caring, and a bit nerdier than people would think. (Okay, in Seth's case, everyone pretty much knows that he's on the dorky side — but that's what people loves about him).
Dennis/Chili Childress
If Summer and Seth weren't together, what if she dated Dennis (Johnny Lewis), whom Ryan calls "Bizarro Seth?" Marissa meets Dennis when she changes schools and starts attending Newport Union, and he says that he goes by "Chili."
Summer and Chili would be a good couple as they're both sweet, loyal people who want to be there for their friends. Chili and Johnny Harper (Ryan Donowho) are best pals, and this lets fans see the softer side of the former. Both Chili and Summer seem to play the same kind of role in their friend group (the helper) so they have this in common.
Johnny Harper
Johnny is a tragic character on The O.C. who comes from a tough family background. He passes away in the third season, but not before fans learned that he was trying to be a good person and that he had a passion for surfing.
If Johnny had met Summer before he went down a really dark path, who knows what would have happened? Perhaps they would have fallen in love and Johnny would have been okay. This relationship could have changed his whole life.
Oliver Trask
Okay, this one involves some suspension of disbelief, but Summer doesn't meet a ton of people over the course of the show. Oliver (Taylor Handley) isn't exactly a popular character because he seems nuts, and he totally manipulates Marissa and tries to ruin her life.
But what if he didn't do any of that? What if he was just a lost soul who needed to be loved and cared for? It's possible that a relationship with Summer would alter the course of his future, and show him that people really could love him.
D.J.
D.J. (Nicholas Gonzalez) appears in the second season of the show when Marissa's mom Julie Cooper (Melinda) hires him. He and Marissa have a bit of a fling, but it's just as easy to see him having a relationship with Summer as well.
When she's in high school, Summer is attracted to rich people who come from the same world as her, but she takes a pretty stubborn approach to her dating life. If she dated D.J., she would realize that there's more to life than shopping.
Anna Stern
Every fan of The O.C. is super aware of the love triangle between Anna Stern (Samaire Armstrong), Seth, and Summer. So, what if Anna and Summer had been meant to be all along?
Anna is a cool, creative, caring person, and maybe she could motivate and inspire Summer to find her own passions in life. While Summer is a total sweetheart, she doesn't have a lot of things that she cares about in high school besides going to the mall, so this could be good for her.
Alex Kelly
Olivia Wilde played Alex Kelly on The O.C., a love interest of Marissa's. Alex and Summer seem like they're right for each other as they're both strong, stubborn people who follow their hearts.
Alex is a bit of a rebel, which is something that might appeal to Summer, who has always led a sheltered, wealthy life in Newport Beach.
Kevin Volchok
Thinking about Summer and Kevin Volchok (Cam Gigandet) as a couple involves some creative thinking, but it's definitely a fun exercise.
It could be argued that Volchok's involvement with Marissa and Ryan is what leads to his downfall, and it's a toxic situation for everyone. If he never dated Marissa (and never cheated on her or lead her to her tragic death), he could have been on a totally different path. Maybe he would have been interested in Summer, and she could have helped him want to be a good person and stop all of this destruction from happening. Yeah, it's dramatic, but this is The O.C. after all.