Young Seth (Adam
Brody on "The O.C.") has come up with the most innovative
holiday celebration on TV since Frank (Jerry Stiller) introduced
the world to Festivus, his Christmas-season holiday "for the
rest of us," on "Seinfeld."
Seth's holiday hybrid is
called "Chrismakkuh" - a melding of Christmas and
Hanukkah that Seth hopes will unite the Jewish and non-Jewish
factions of his family circle - at least for the duration
of the holiday season.
But as tonight's new episode of
"The O.C." demonstrates (8 p.m. on Fox/Ch.5), it will
take more than a made-up holiday to bring the Cohen, Cooper
and Nichol clans together for peace, harmony, egg nog and potato
pancakes.
In fact, instead of inspiring
togetherness, Seth's Chrismakkuh celebration actually contains the
elements for a soap-opera style perfect storm, which is heading
straight for the Cohen kitchen, where it will leave destruction
in its wake.
Sorry to be so vague, but that's
what happens when you're trying to recommend a TV show while trying
not to ruin it in the process.
The most I'll reveal about the
kitchen showdown is to list the Chrismakkuh celebrants who will
be on hand to witness it: Sandy and Kirsten Cohen (Peter Gallagher
and Kelly Rowan), Seth, Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie), Marissa Cooper
(Mischa Barton), Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson), Jimmy Cooper (Tate
Donovan), Julie Cooper-Nichol (Melinda Clarke), Caleb Nichol (Alan
Dale), Lindsay Gardner (Shannon Lucio) and Lindsay's mother, Renee
(Kathleen York).
(Don't
worry - it's a large kitchen.)
Meanwhile,
not everyone who watches "The O.C." tonight will be as enthusiastic
about Chrismakkuh as Seth Cohen is, since the concept makes light
of both holidays.
Moreover,
the merging of Christmas and Hanukkah will seem to some like the producers
of "The O.C." are implying that the two holidays are really
just the same thing - that Hanukkah is really just the Jewish Christmas.
This
angers some Jews and non-Jews alike, but the truth is, Chrismakkuh
is not really an idea to be taken seriously.
For that matter, neither is "The O.C."
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy it.
