Marissa Cooper’s long-awaited graduation finally arrived in The O.C.’s third season finale last Thursday, and like The O.C.’s initially creative plotline, she, too, died.

The O.C. princess, played by Mischa Barton, was killed off in a feeble attempt to boost ratings for next season, but you already knew that because Barton leaked the surprise ending to Access Hollywood last Wednesday. Note to executive producer Josh Schwartz: Death may have worked for the Grey’s Anatomy finale, but not for this show.

In the finale, Seth (Adam Brody) suffers the consequences of starting a massive office fire in the previous week, while Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) has a run-in with Volchok (Cam Gigandet), Marissa’s ex-fling, who blackmails Ryan for money to skip town.

Marissa, meanwhile, has news for B.F.F. Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson): She has agreed to help her father out by doing maintenance work (think scrubbing decks and peeling potatoes) on his sailboat for a year. This hardly seems Marissa’s style, so why does she consent? She needs a break from Orange County.

And, frankly, The O.C. needs a break from her. All of her friends are going to college and don’t need a bad influence getting in their way. Granted, Marissa may have cleaned up her drug and alcohol problems, but she still has the uncanny ability to attract unnecessary drama (see Volchok).

While attempting to talk to Marissa one last time, Volchok runs Ryan’s car off the road in a fit of rage. Ryan rescues Marissa from the rubble, but she dies in his arms. Tragic.

Whatever’s in store for season four, the drama just won’t be the same with the “Fab Four” scattered across the country. Let’s just hope Schwartz doesn’t concoct an outrageous plot twist in which Marissa mysteriously comes back from the dead and then her friends all decide not to go to college. That would be totes ridonkulous.