The O.C./Kaitlin Cooper

Kaitlin Cooper
The O.C.
Actors	Shailene Woodley (Season 1) Willa Holland (Seasons 3–4)
First Appearance	1x01 - Pilot
Last Appearance	4x16 - The End's Not Near, It's Here
Series Billing	Season 1: Recurring Season 3: Recurring Season 4: Billed
Episode Count	28
Notable Episodes	3x12 - The Sister Act

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Character History

Parents: Jimmy and Julie Cooper
Husband/Partners: Justin, Will Tutt
Siblings: Marissa Cooper, un-named brother
Other Family: Cindy, Caleb Nichol, Hailey Nichol, Kirsten Cohen, Sandy Cohen, Seth Cohen, Ryan Atwood, Lindsay Gardner, un-named uncle in Phoenix

Kaitlin grew up in Newport Beach, in the house next door to the Cohens, spending her time riding her favorite pony named China. During the first season Kaitlin was mostly seen going to events with her family, or coming or going to ride her pony, but she was not a major character. Her life was then disrupted by her father's embezzlement scandal and she continued to live with her mother in her childhood home. Then when her mother married Caleb Nichol, it is assumed she moved into the home Caleb had built for her mother.

In the second season Kaitlin is only mentioned a few times - once during a conversation between Caleb and Julie, another in a conversation between Marissa and Jimmy, and another between Julie and Jimmy. During a particular conversation it is revealed that Julie has sent Kaitlin away to a boarding school, to get her away from all the craziness that is going on with Marissa. Kaitlin is not really seen or mentioned again until the third season when she shows up on the Cohens' front step looking for her mother. When Ryan and Seth first open the door they do not recognize the girl as Kaitlin, but they soon realize who she is and are surprised by how much Kaitlin has matured in the time she has been absent. Seth puts it best when he says "mini-coop not so mini".

Not too long after her arrival Kaitlin begins to stir up trouble for her older sister and starts to flirt with Johnny Harper, a surfer who has feelings for Marissa. She also causes trouble when some boys show up looking for her, and money she stole supposedly to help with a friend's abortion. As much trouble as she causes, Kaitlin does help in forcing Marissa to deal with her feelings towards Johnny even after his death. Kaitlin then returns to school but is seen again shortly when she calls Marissa for help with some trouble she has gotten into at school. Kaitlin comes home again for good in the third season finale, under the pretense that she has come for her sister's graduation, but she then reveals that she has come home so that she can rule Marissa's former high school, Harbor.

In the fourth season Kaitlin has become a title character, living with her mother in Summer's house with Summer and her father, Dr. Neil Roberts. Kaitlin is the only character who seems mostly unaffected by Marissa's death (most likely due to the fact that she and Marissa did not have a very strong relationship), but she has begun a very wild and unpredictable stage, including smoking pot, stealing clothes from a charity, black mailing Dr. Roberts, stealing her mother's car, throwing parties without permission, flirting with older men and other forms of typical teenage rebelling. Soon Kaitlin is attracted to band geek Will, (played by singer Chris Brown) but after being accused of making fun of Will's personality by a rival band member, she breaks it off.

Kaitlin grows attached to Gordon Bullit, a man who is trying to date her mother, Julie. She convinces Bullit that Julie likes him. While he is away, Kaitlin emails Bullit pretending to be her mother. When he comes back Kaitlin finds out that Bullit is going to propose to her mother. She tries to tell them about the emails but it is too late, Bullit proposes. Julie says no, but she will date him as she can see how attached Bullit and Kaitlin are. Later it becomes clear that Julie is seeing Ryan's father Frank Atwood. When Kaitlin finds out she tries to stop the relationship.

Trivia

• Kaitin's age is a subject of dispute between fans, as in Season 1, Seth Cohen states she is in Grade 5, which, by the time of Season 3, would make her 13. However it is stated in Season 3 that she is 14 turning 15, and that she was 11 the last time we saw her in Season 1, Which means she was entering the 7th grade in the beginning of the first season and in season 3 is in the 9th. She has last stated in the fourth season that she is fifteen, although she should have been sixteen as she celebrated her 15th birthday in January 2006, according to the episode, The Pot Stirrer.

Quotes

• "Oh honey, you're always horny."

• "You shut up!"

• "So, I show up at my house to surprise my mom and this Persian dude answers the door."

• "I figured he was the new butler. But, then I saw his shoes – Prada. I thought, maybe he’s my new stepdad? And I was about to like, hug him, and then his wife shows up. And no matter how rich the guy is, my mother would never join a harem."

• "Uncomplicate it. Do something"

• "Accidents don’t just happen, people let them happen."

• "I’m pretty sure it’s in his room but there’s no way that he or his army of probably-gay-and-totally-in-love-with-him homeboys would let me in there."

• "Well, since my grades went from 'B's to 'A's, I was actually wondering (points to her chest) if you could change my 'A's to 'B's."

• "Ask anybody. Gay dad always trumps slutty mom."

• "Wow, that's a really uplifting message for your daughter."

• "What's a donkey show"

• "To the Cohens! They don't hate the whole family, just you!"

• "Don’t worry, we’ll find you another old dude to pay for all your stuff and cheat on you"

• "You could walk in front of him - I mean, if he's a butt guy."

• "Sweetheart, you are so gay"

• "Well...now that you and my mom are over, maybe you can help me with my stroke."

• "We're having a very Britney Christmas, mother."

• "We're supposed to talk about the book like Buck would, and well Buck is a dog. So I think that Buck would say: ruff ruff ruff, ruff ruff, ruff ruff ruff, ruff ruff."

• "Talk is cheap Ryan, if you're ging toe-to-toe with this frenchie, you need to step your game up."

• "Wow, is it the most expensive one?"

• "(to Taylor) It's war, bitch!"

• "Well, what do you want me to say? I mean is it true in prison on your first day you learn how to make someone your bitch?"

• "You know, I thought Atwoods were good at fighting"

• "With a super long note how I need to broaden my breakfast horizons. She's 6000 miles away and still annoying."