Although The O.C. came to an end in 2007, it left a couple of unresolved storylines that some fans are still trying to figure out. Perhaps the biggest question is who’s the father of Theresa’s baby, something that the series hinted at but was never resolved. Created by Josh Schwartz, The O.C. debuted on Fox in 2003 and came to an end in 2007. Though it became one of the most popular teen dramas of the 2003-2004 season and received very positive reviews, ratings declined as the series progressed, leading to its cancellation after four seasons.
The O.C. followed Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), a troubled teenager from an abusive home who was adopted by the wealthy family of the Cohens. Along with his socially awkward foster brother Seth Cohen (Adam Brody), Ryan dealt with life as an outsider in the high-class world of Newport Beach. The O.C. also focused on Ryan’s turbulent relationship with Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) and Seth’s relationship with Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson). The series gave viewers a look at Ryan’s life pre-Newport Beach, in which they met Theresa Diaz (Navi Rawat), Ryan’s childhood friend and off-and-on girlfriend.
Theresa was introduced in season 1, where viewers learned what her relationship with Ryan was about, which came to a halt when Ryan moved in with the Cohens. Later, Theresa began working in Newport and revealed that she and Eddie (Eric Balfour) were engaged. Eddie was very abusive, and when Marissa and Ryan broke up (again), Theresa and Ryan got back together. After a violent confrontation between Eddie and Ryan, Theresa realized she needed to work on those issues, and went back to Chino with Eddie, who continued with his abusive behaviors. Theresa finally left him and sought Sandy Cohen’s legal advice, and during a boys-only trip to Vegas, Marissa learned that Theresa was pregnant, but the identity of the father wasn’t revealed.
Theresa considered an abortion but ultimately decided to have the baby and went back to Chino. As he wanted to give the baby a better childhood than his, Ryan left Newport to help Theresa and the baby, at this point believed to be his. Theresa realized Ryan wasn’t happy and told him she lost the baby so he would go back to his life with the Cohens. Theresa didn’t show up until late in season 2, when Ryan casually bumped into her and walked her home. Once inside, viewers learned that Theresa was living with her mother, who was helping her look after her baby. Theresa’s mother pointed out that the baby looked “more and more like his daddy every day”, and Theresa’s reaction implied that Ryan was the father.
Theresa appeared again in season 3 when Kristen saw her at the airport with her kid and ended up telling Ryan about it. Theresa told him Eddie was the father, but the kid looked more like Ryan. Many fans have since wondered if Theresa was being honest or not, with some choosing to believe she was (just to give closure to this matter), and others taking into account Theresa’s past lies. As mentioned above, she told Ryan she lost the baby because he was unhappy in Chino, and she wanted him to be free and continue his life in Newport. With that in mind, the easy way out could have been telling him Eddie was the father, as Ryan was about to go to college at that point.
Theresa might have not been honest with her mother either, telling her the father was Eddie, hence the comment on him looking more like his father every day. The identity of the father of Theresa’s baby was intentionally left ambiguous by the writers of The O.C., leaving enough information and clues for both candidates to be the one. In the end, every viewer will decide if Ryan was the father or not.
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June 21, 2020 at 07:28AM
