Chrismukkah Episodes of ‘The OC,’ Ranked Worst to Best

The idea of ​​this episode is very funny: Seth wants to give Ryan a Bar Mitzvah for Chrismukkah, and he even has a new name for it: the “Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah”. Even though Ryan is not Jewish, they decide to hold the event to raise money to help Marissa’s (Mischa Barton) friend Johnny (Ryan Donowho) afford surgery. Throughout the episode, Seth’s passion and enthusiasm to teach Ryan more about Judaism – and bring him closer to the Cohens – make for some of the most endearing moments of the series. (It even earned a spot on our list of the best Seth Cohen moments.)

However, the storyline ends up revolving around Johnny again, and Marissa putting him first instead of Ryan was a frustrating season three goal that is largely accepted by fans. It’s also worth noting that after Johnny plans to rob a gas station but is stopped by Ryan (another Chrismukkah miracle), the plot is completely abandoned. Ultimately, Seth’s heartwarming efforts aren’t enough to make up for the exhaustion of Johnny’s ongoing story.

The most unique Chrismukkah episode is “The Chrismukk-huh?” “, which takes place in an alternate universe where even the theme song is different (the only time it changes). After Ryan and Taylor (Autumn Reeser) fall off a ladder and hit their heads, they wake up to a reality that shows what would have happened if Ryan had never come to Newport: Kirsten and Sandy are divorced; Kirsten married Jimmy (Tate Donovan); Sandy is mayor and is with Julie (Melinda Clarke), who cheats on him with Ché (Chris Pratt); and Seth and Summer (Rachel Bilson) never dated and are exaggerated versions of themselves at the start of the season.

The most emotional moment comes when Ryan meets Kaitlin (Willa Holland), who reveals that Marissa died three years earlier in a Tijuana alley of an overdose — the fate she would have met in the first season of “The Escape” if Ryan hadn’t saved her. It’s a breathtaking twist, made even more heartbreaking when Ryan discovers that Marissa had written him a letter before she died, telling him that she loved him but needed to leave Newport so they could both leave – only for the letter to get lost in the mail. This episode almost ranked higher on the list: it’s creatively written, highlights how crucial Ryan is to everyone’s lives, gives him the closure he needs to let go, and wraps up Marissa’s story as well as the show could do at this point. But it’s not as festive as Seth’s ideal Chrismukkah.

The second season’s festive episode follows on from the first season, with Seth just as excited to celebrate Chrismukkah and inviting Summer and Marissa to join the Cohens, while Ryan brings his girlfriend Lindsay (Shannon Lucio). The episode’s major twist — revealing that Lindsay is actually Caleb’s (Alan Dale) love child and Kirsten’s half-sister — creates one of the series’ most dramatic Chrismukkah moments.

What sets the episode apart, however, is how the characters react: Seth defends his mother and kicks Caleb out, and when the holiday looks like it’s about to fall apart, Summer steps in and brings Chrismukkah to a devastated Lindsay by decorating her house to save the day – must be another Chrismukkah miracle. Her gesture is even more significant because she and Seth are not dating at this point in their on-again, off-again relationship, proving their eventual endgame. And while Lindsay remains a minor figure in the series overall, her storyline as Caleb’s daughter is far more entertaining than Johnny’s arc in season three. Oh, and she gave us Yamaclauses!

Season one’s “Best Chrismukkah Ever” easily takes the top spot, introducing Cohen’s “invented” holiday with Seth assuring Ryan that he doesn’t have to choose between Christmas and Hanukkah in the Cohen household because they’re celebrating “Chrismukkah,” which will soon “sweep the nation.” In addition to Seth’s over-the-top partying, the episode is chock-full of moments—Summer’s Wonder Woman costume gift, Marissa’s Chanel dress that Mischa Barton still has today, and the Seth-Anna (Samaire Armstrong)-Summer love triangle reaching its breaking point—all while providing plenty of drama.

After Marissa is caught shoplifting and then gets drunk at Caleb’s party, she nearly gets Ryan in trouble when she returns home with an open container in her car, a close call that causes her to realize she needs help. Ryan escaping unscathed becomes the show’s first real Chrismukkah miracle – or, as Cohen might say, maybe he just made Jesus and Moses work for him.