Put These ‘O.C.’ Episodes On Your Emergency Snow Day Marathon List

There are 92 episodes of The O.C., and unless you're doing a full re-watch (or first-time watch!), you might need some help narrowing down which episodes to watch when. With winter upon us, there are some episodes of The O.C. that are perfect to watch on a snow day. Whether it's a blizzard that means you get to stay home from work or a dusting where you just don't want to go outside because ugh, cozying up with a blanket and an O.C. marathon is an excellent choice.

When it comes to what you should view during your snow day, there are a few factors that make an episode a good fit. You can lean into the cold, snowy weather with a more wintery episode (well, as wintery as it gets in Orange County), or you can watch something summery to live vicariously through the characters. There are also some episodes that just feel cozy, even if they're really just about moving back to Pittsburgh. And, lastly, some episodes are just plain enthralling and will keep you occupied until it's time to brave the cold again. One minute you're bored and feel trapped inside your home and the next thing you know it's 10 p.m. and, omg, Marissa just shot Trey!

Maintaining interest through some good old distraction is key for a TV marathon like this, so here are 12 episodes that should achieve just that.

1. "Premiere" (Season 1, Episode 1)

The series premiere is just really, really good. Reliving this magic while snow floats down outside your window? Perfection.

2. "The Escape" (Season 1, Episode 7)

"The Escape" is the episode where the gang goes to Tijuana. The weather is hot and there are some fun flirtatious moments between Seth and Summer, but this one is also incredibly dramatic: Marissa ends up passed out in an alley.

3. "The Best Chrismukkah Ever" (Season 1, Episode 13)

The first — and best — Chrismukkah episode is about as classically winter as things get in the O.C.

4. "The Heartbreak" (Season 1, Episode 19)

Seth and Summer lose their virginity, Luke and Julie hook up, Theresa comes to town, and Kirsten is very excited about Valentine's Day, which gives this one an It's Mid-February And Freakin' Freezing, Will Winter Ever End?! vibe.

5. "The Goodbye Girl" (Season 1, Episode 21)

This is the episode in which Anna leaves to go back to Pittsburgh, and there is something really cozy about her describing, well, how cozy she finds Pittsburgh. The seasons! The Jimmy Stewart Museum! Peanut butter cup pie! Her "little dog Swifty!"

6. "The Distance" (Season 2, Episode 1)

The Season 2 premiere is listed here because it's so warm and summery. It starts with Summer and Marissa drinking "Newport Beach iced tea" while tanning in lawn chairs, which is what you'll wish you could also be doing... hopefully, with a better outlook on life than Marissa and probably less vodka.

7. "The SnO.C." (Season 2, Episode 5)

Hey! It's an O.C. episode with "snow" in the title! Lest you forgot, the big event in this one is a winter-themed school dance.

8. "The Rainy Day Women" (Season 2, Episode 14)

There might not be snow in Orange County, but there was a rain storm that surprised everyone in this classic episode that left Seth and Ryan feeling trapped inside too.

9. "The Dearly Beloved" (Season 2, Episode 24)

There is a lot going on in the Season 2 finale. It might be known as the one where Marissa shoots Trey and gives Imogen Heap a huge boost in popularity, but it's also the one with Caleb's funeral and Kirsten going to rehab. This is a good episode for forgetting about your troubles and focusing on everyone else's.

10. "The Day After Tomorrow" (Season 3, Episode 20)

Season 3 is pretty meh, but this episode makes the snow day cut for featuring a cozy beach bonfire, the theme of which is "sweatshirts."

11. "The Chrismukk-huh?" (Season 4, Episode 7)

This episode is worth watching if you're bored just so you can relive how weird and different it is from everything else in the series. Ryan and Taylor pass out after falling off of a ladder and experience a joint dream alternate reality in which Ryan never moved to Newport. Summer is a Newpsie in training, Julie and Sandy are married, and Marissa has died of a drug overdose, among other developments.

12. "The End's Not Near, It's Here" (Season 4, Episode 16)

The series finale is fun to revisit so you can remember how it all ended. (And perhaps shed a few silent snow day tears.)

Whatever episodes you end up choosing, enjoy your O.C. journey and be sure to have your hot beverage of choice on hand.