The Cliffhanger

Season 3, Episode 14, Aired
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Episode Summary

Sandy and Matt's hospital project hits a roadblock. Kirsten and Julie run into troubles of their own with their matchmaking business. Marissa confesses her feelings to Johnny. Summer finds out about what Seth has been doing behind her back.
9.6
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
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Fan Episode Reviews (33)

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  • Johnny DIES!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By ous3606, Jun 05, 2010 Report Abuse
    Abosulty amazing i was so surprised that they killed johnny but also very happy because i didnt like him much. They way they did it with kaitlan and him drinking at the beach then him climbing up the rocks to the top then slipping was very original and cleaver this is one of my favourite episodes because it builds a lot of emoition and makes u feel sorry for Marissa. This episode a lot of people dismiss but i really loved it one of the most exciting and emotional episodes of the oc. i hope u like it to .moreless

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    1 1

  • Alcohol, the easiest way to create conflict and drama in Orange County.

    7.5
    "Good"
    By ZaleIsBackAgain, Jan 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    Once again alcohol is portrayed as the scapegoat to manifesting a problem in The O.C. Johnny butthurt that Marissa rejected him, as if no one saw that coming, decides to act a fool, drink to his heartache's content, and then fall off a cliff. Unlike the whole Trey shooting, this one was a trainwreck; you saw it coming waaaaay before it actually happened which really ruined the excitement. And really this whole Johnny situation has worn itself out thin. Thankfully it's at least better than the previous terrible episode; it's actually kind of funny, but Seth's storyline sucks and Sandy's is meh, so so.moreless

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    0 0

  • Johnny is gone!

    8.0
    "Great"
    By sellie12, Jul 12, 2008 Report Abuse
    It's about time they got rid of that wet-rag Johnny! He was like the worst thing this series ever brought to the table! This was the final time we would have to hear him cry over Marissa and Ryan's relationship, the last time he would do something extremely stupid over Marissa and the last time we saw him! It was an excellent way to send out such a home-wrecker-esque charecter! Although the aftermath of his death was just hell. Because we have to deal with a delirious Marissa, a happy-moody Ryan, a pity-party Kaitlin and Sadie. So although it was good saying adios to him it didn't help the series in anyway.moreless

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    0 0

  • A true tragedy.

    6.2
    "Fair"
    By Kadodian, Nov 08, 2007 Report Abuse
    well this episode was good.
    Not the best but not bad.
    Ok the acting of this episode was great.
    The music effects were great.
    But the writing was not.
    I mean it's like the writers meant for everyone to feel really bad.
    The character Jhonny has been a character that I am sure everyoe felt sorry for.
    Jhonny's love to Marrissa although she dosen't love him back was sad and the fact he had an accident and almost couldn't walk was sadder but to end him in death and in not a cleverly-plotted one, I mean what are the odds of him getting drunk, wanting to climb the cliff and falls of.
    To top it all of Katilin blamed herself but her balming herself wasn't the most dramatic scene.

    So it wasn't written that well but the funeral was very touching.

    The surf board funeral was a very great idea.

    This episode gets C

    I am sorry.moreless

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  • The O.C. 'The Cliffhanger'

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Jordan_Alexa, Jul 19, 2007 Report Abuse
    I really liked this episode a lot. It was so fantastic and well writen, and it kept you guessing right up until the very end. The reason i put 'painful to watch' as my classification wasn't because it wasn't a good episode, because trust me, i loved it. It was the fact that Johnny was just letting himself go after marissa told him she was going to stay with Ryan. after she confessed to him in the letter he just moped around and i hated that because johnny was one of my favorite characters. I felt so bad for him and I knew something horrible was going to happen when he started drinking like crazy when he was with Caitlin on the beach. Everything from the point that he started climbing the rock to the very end was so stressful for me, i could hardly breath. His last lines were so sad too, because he was telling Ryan how he didn't want to be saved by him because then Marissa would just love Ryan more, and then he fell off. I tryed so hard not to cry, but that was just a horrible part.
    I think this episode has to be one of my favorites! It was so good.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Goof: When Johny was confessing to Marissa, her hair was in front of her left shoulder in one scene and behind her shoulder in another. This goes back and forth a few times. Edit
    • Goof: When Marissa is talking to Ryan at the diner, a piece of her bangs falls onto her forehead. When the camera goes to Ryan and changes back to her, they are tucked back, and then when it comes back to her a third time, it is falling out again. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Music: "Love Knows How To Fight" by M. Craft "Hide Away" by Rock Kills Kid "Fall At Your Feet" by James Blunt "Cava Del Rio" by Senza "Wasted" by Black Flag Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • (Summer is talking to a college adviser and finds out that Seth missed his meeting with a Brown representative) Adviser: Seth Cohen? Summer: Yea, you know, gangly, mop-head, barely has an ass. Adviser: Right, unfortunately Seth missed his interview. Summer: What? Adviser: He was a no-show. He was just in here explaining the situation... something about a trailer-tractor accident? Summer: Oh my God, that little bitch. Edit
    • Seth: This is pretty amazing, too. Summer: It's just a blue screen, Cohen. Seth: I know, but it's so blue. I never realized how blue it was before. I kind of, like, want to go swimming in it or something. Edit
    • Julie: Go away Gus. I told you, I don't want to play strip pinochle. Neil: You play strip pinochle? Julie: Long story. Edit

  • Allusions

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