Ryan Atwood/Taylor Townsend
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Ryan Atwood/Taylor Townsend |
| Alternative name(s): | Townwood, Rylor |
| Gender category: | Het |
| Fandom: | The O.C. |
| Canonical?: | Yes |
| Prevalence: | Common |
| Archives: | Peaches : Ryan & Taylor |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Ryan Atwood/Taylor Townsend is a common canon het pairing from the TV show The O.C.. Ben McKenzie plays Ryan and Autumn Reeser plays Taylor. Taylor Townsend is initially introduced during the third season of the show as an antagonist. After Marissa died at the end of season three and Mischa Barton is written out of the show, Autumn Reeser was promoted to a series regular and Taylor becomes more integrated into the friend group.
Canon
Ryan and Taylor start spending time together when Ryan steps in to help Taylor secure a divorce from her French husband, Henri-Michel. Taylor quickly develops feelings for Ryan, and she sets about trying to seduce him. They eventually begin dating. They amicably break up and decide to maintain a friendship while Ryan goes to school in Berkeley and Taylor goes to school in Paris. The series ends with their relationship status ambiguous. The two share a look and a smile during Seth and Summer's wedding.
Fandom
The Ryan/Taylor pairing was a common ship during the fourth and final season of the show. There were fans that were upset that Marissa was killed and disliked that she was effectively replaced by Taylor. There were also fans that enjoyed the lighthearted tone of the fourth season and appreciated the different side Ryan displayed when with Taylor. The show explicitly stated Taylor saved Ryan from his grief which was a contrast from Ryan's tendency to take on a savior role in other relationships.
"I always thought Taylor was Ryan’s best partner throughout the show. She allowed him to relax and have fun and not always feel like he had to rush in and save someone. [1]
"Season 4 is my favorite because they are such an interesting couple. I never thought Ryan was funny until Taylor came along. But he is hilarious. Maybe it’s just that the actors had such great chemistry but they are fun to watch. I love how they read each other’s minds and you see a whole different side of Ryan when he is with Taylor. I definitely never saw him smile/ laugh as much as he does in S4. I also like that Taylor saves Ryan. S1-3 Ryan has this hero complex and is always trying to save the girl he is with. It was nice to see Him get saved and get the attention and focus. It was nice to see him be appreciated. [2]
"Ryan was happier, more relaxed, and free with Taylor. He smiles, he makes jokes, he’s happy go lucky.This poor man had to deal with Marissa’s drama for years and now he could finally stop taking care of someone who didn’t want it, stop worrying about someone and stop saving someone who didn’t want to be saved.
Ryan and Taylor for the win 🥇[3]
Common Tropes in Fanworks
- Alternate First Meeting: Taylor meets Ryan earlier into his time in Newport, and she is integrated into story lines from Season 1 and/or 2.
- Futurefic: Ryan and Taylor meet up after the both graduate from college. This sometimes include Seth and Summer's wedding featured in the series finale or the implication made in the finale that Ryan takes in a young boy.
Fanworks
Fan Vids
- Ryan & Taylor (The O.C.) | Take Me Out by ariel
- ryan & taylor | reason by False Glimmer
- Ryan & Taylor | The best of (Humor) by AngyReynols
Fanfiction
- Chino by XWaltzforVenusX
- A Place of Learning by cheekymice
- When They Met Again by Samala90
- The New Debut by Obsessed Romantic (2SFlovers)
- Pieces of a Broken Heart by Azrael38
References
- ^ jasonbanicki posted on May 18th 2022 on Reddit (Accessed September 16th 2023.)
- ^ SomeMidnight411 posted on August 23rd 2023 on Reddit (Accessed September 16th 2023.)
- ^ Queen-Lexopedia posted on August 23rd 2023 on Reddit (Accessed September 16th 2023.)