ere ▁attract ed ▁ 3 . 4 ▁million ▁view ers , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁series ▁low ▁and ▁marked ▁a ▁ 5 5 ▁percent ▁decrease ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 – 4 9 ▁dem ographic , ▁from ▁the ▁third ▁season ▁premi ere . ▁The ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁season ▁aver aged ▁ 4 . 0 6 ▁million ▁view ers , ▁with ▁the ▁season ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁aver aging ▁ 4 . 6 ▁million ▁view ers . ▁This ▁increase ▁was ▁mostly ▁due ▁to ▁ 6 . 7 ▁million ▁view ers , ▁ 7 6 ▁percent ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁season ▁average , ▁tun ing ▁in ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁final ▁ever ▁install ment ▁of ▁The ▁O . C . D ue ▁to ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁low ▁ratings ▁and ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Mar issa ▁in ▁season ▁three , ▁it ▁was ▁rum ored ▁that ▁the ▁show ▁would ▁not ▁return ▁for ▁a ▁fifth ▁season . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Fox ▁confirmed ▁that ▁" the ▁current ▁order ▁for ▁The ▁O . C . ▁is ▁ 1 6 ▁episodes ", ▁but ▁added ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁add ▁more ▁install ments . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Rach el ▁Bil son ▁said ▁that ▁she ▁felt ▁" like ▁the ▁show ▁is ▁over ", ▁and ▁co - star ▁Kelly ▁Row an ▁stated ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁cast ▁realized ▁the ▁show ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁being ▁cancel led . ▁Row an ▁said ▁that ▁" when ▁[ the ▁fourth ▁season ] ▁was ▁picked ▁up ▁for ▁just ▁ 1 6