Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson cry over Marissa’s death scene on The Lonely Hearts

California, here we are. Former OS colleagues Rachel Bilson, Melinda Clark and Mischa Barton had an emotional reunion for the show’s 20th anniversary and revisited one of the most heartbreaking scenes in teen soap history.

hills The 36-year-old graduate appeared on Tuesday, January 10, in the issue of “Welcome to the OS bitchesto look back at memories of her time on the show. In the teen drama Juggernaut, which ran from 2003 to 2007, Barton played Marissa Cooper and Bilson, 41, played her best friend Summer Roberts. Adam Brody and Ben McKenzie, for their part, portrayed the love interests of Seth Cohen and Ryan Atwood, respectively. (Clark, 53, played Marissa’s mother, Julie Cooper.)

While the Fox hit ran for four seasons, fans said goodbye to the Barton character in the season three finale, which aired in May 2006. In the iconic scene, Ryan carries Marissa away from an exploding car before she dies in his arms.

“This was supposed to be something after everything she’s been through, but if it’s here, I’ll watch it with you,” Barton told Bilson and Clarke during an episode of the podcast on Tuesday, agreeing to revisit the moment she left the series. Hart Dixie the alums replied: “I couldn’t, Misha, I couldn’t. But I’ll do it if you’re going to do it.”

When the trio experienced the horrifying scene together for the first time, Barton spoke of the empathy she felt for her character’s journey. “Poor Marissa. She’s really, really going through it,” she said. As Bilson began to cry, Barton added, “Oh no, I’m getting really sad too. You can’t cry, Rachel!

While the women tried to pause the episode while wiping away tears, they caught a glimpse of a throwback montage that played out Ryan and Marissa’s love story.

“What’s the next beat?” Burton asked. “It goes back to when you guys meet each other,” Bilson explained, wiping away her tears. I can’t guys.

Bilson and Clark launched their podcast in March 2021 and hosted various OS favorites, including 43-year-old Brody, Bilson’s former ex in real life, and Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowanwho played Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, respectively.

However, Tuesday marked Barton’s first appearance on the podcast after she had previously revealed that she had originally left. OS after people were “very angry” at her.

“It wasn’t the most ideal environment for a young, sensitive girl who was also pushed into fame to endure,” she said. E! News in May 2021. “But, you know, I also liked the show and I had to build my own walls and ways around that and the fame that was foisted specifically on me.”

She continued, “Just dealing with so many invasions of my privacy, I just felt very insecure, I think that’s the best way to put it.”

Sixth Sense The actress noted that her grueling work schedule and the dissonance she felt with her character made the show difficult for her.

“I worked so hard, probably the longest hours of any character. It wasn’t easy for me to play that character because it wasn’t me, so I think people liked him or found Marissa funny and attached to her. They thought it was funny, because she is everywhere, and who is this girl? It’s like I’m a New York girl trying to play this crazy rich kid from LA, you know?

The following month, Bilson and Clark addressed Barton’s words on a podcast.

“You know, Melinda and I talked right after [the interview] came out. And we’re like, “Wait what?” Jumper the star acknowledged before shutting down Barton’s claims that Bilson was added as a series regular “at the last minute”.

“[That] in fact, it’s completely untrue, and not what happened, ”she said. “So, from the very beginning, I was like, ‘Well, this is disinformation. Where are we going with this? And what is she trying to say? What I would really like to talk to her about and find out what her experience was like from her point of view, because I saw things a little differently.

Clarke, however, said she couldn’t speak to anyone else’s experience and could understand why Barton made the controversial remarks.

“Someone who is 16, 17, 18 – so many hours of work, pressure, at such a young age – you are exhausted at best,” she explained. “And at worst, it’s overwhelming and chaotic, so it breaks my heart a little to know [that]. We knew there was a lot of pressure on her, but if it was really such a bad experience, it’s not right for any young person. But some of the comments puzzled me a lot. So I don’t know what the truth is. I know that yes, it was a huge pressure for her. And for everyone.”