Is this the real O.C.?

Suzie Harrison

All the drama, excitement and controversy is back for another round

with Monday’s 10 p.m. premiere of MTV’s “Laguna Beach: The Real

Orange County.”

Season two picks up where it left off with some twists added,

including new cast members, all seniors before 2005 graduation.

The show takes the viewer on a journey through the lives of eight

gorgeous Laguna Beach teenagers and all they experience. From parties

to dates, around town or at the beach, vacations to graduation and

even venturing off to college the cameras are there.

It’s first names only on the show, on their website and also in

interviews, since the cast wants to keep some of their privacy.

Kristin, who was a junior and a main cast member, is now a senior

and the narrator, taking the role from her nemesis and arch rival,

2004 Laguna Beach High School graduate “LC” or Lauren.

Throughout the first season, LC made her amorous feelings for

Kristin’s boyfriend clear, returning cast member Stephen, who also

graduated in 2004.

Also back in the game is Talan, star quarterback, who gets more

play this year as a senior.

New main cast members are Jessica, Jason, Taylor and Alex M.

At the end of the first season, Stephen and LC leave Laguna to

attend San Francisco State University.

The question: Is Stephen still Kristin’s boyfriend?

MTV wants its viewers to tune in and find out.

Since the first season ranked No. 1 in its time period, reaching

more than 65 million viewers, it should be a good indicator.

“The base [viewer] grew with the show; it started doing well and

peaked with the last episode,” Executive Producer Tony DiSanto said.

“It shows a loyal fan base.”

He said the season premiere will be an hour long and will launch a

few months earlier than the previous season.

“A lot of fans are dying to see the story continue; we couldn’t

keep them waiting for a full year,” DiSanto said.

DiSanto said challenges this year are different from launching a

new show and concept.

“More challenging this season is mixing in stories of old cast

members that fans grew to love, and at the same time introducing new

characters and the drama in their lives,” DiSanto said. “It’s a

balancing act, parallel stories, introducing new, mixing it with the

old -- in that sense it’s a challenge.”

He said Kristin and LC “are so different,” having Kristin narrate

will be fun for the viewers; it gives a different perspective on the

same story.

“It shows a different point of view -- the way Kristin approaches

high school, drama and boys,” DiSanto said. “Kristin’s perspective

gives the season a new twist beyond the new stories and cast; it

changes the outlook on events unfolding.”

“Being the narrator is really exciting because it’s told from my

point of view,” Kristin said. “The second season, I wanted to have

fun; it’s not all about drama like last year. Last year talking about

Stephen and Lauren [LC] wasn’t fun. This year I try not to be in the

middle of all the drama.”

Kristin’s relationship with LC was not just for show.

“It was difficult, a lot times we had to do stuff as a cast; I

literally couldn’t be in the same room,” LC said. “It was so horrible

doing a scene or filming with her [Kristin] there.”

Despite their rivalry, LC said it makes sense to have Kristin

narrate this year since it focuses more on her group of friends this

season.

LC is back in Laguna; she left San Francisco after her first

semester and transferred to the Fashion Institute of Design and

Merchandising.

LC’s move left Stephen alone to make new friends, which probably

wasn’t difficult for the show’s “resident hottie.”

“College life is good fun; I enjoyed it a lot,” Stephen said. “I

wanted to go somewhere I didn’t know anyone, a complete change. I got

that in San Francisco; it’s a rad city.”

The three have become well-known celebrities recognized, for the

most part, wherever they go.

“It’s really different in San Francisco; I’d get recognized every

once in a while, not as much as Orange County or L.A.,” LC said.

“When I would fly home on weekends it was crazy, going from one to

the other every week.”

LC says it can be strange talking to people who watch the show.

“They feel like they know you; they saw the last year of your

life, really personal things,” LC said. “It’s a weird feeling they

know even if I haven’t met them before.”

Kristin has been approached by a lot of fans and gets asked for

her autograph.

“It’s really flattering usually,” Kristin said. “At first, I was

really nervous, I’d blush and was really flattered, especially with

younger girls looking up to you -- that’s cool.”

“It’s definitely a trip in San Francisco; everyone was really cool

about it, welcoming, not too bad,” Stephen said. “I kept a low ‘pro’

and never let it get to me.”

New main cast member Jessica will have to see what her popularity

factor is. Last year she was on the show from time to time, as

Kristin’s friend and secondary cast member Dieter’s girlfriend.

This season, Jessica’s in the limelight -- she’s dating resident

hunk and newcomer, Jason.

“After a while, you don’t realize the cameras are there, you do

everything normally,” Jessica said. “I haven’t seen a preview yet,

just a one-minute snippet on the Internet. I think it’s going to be a

really good show.”

Filming is still being done. Kristin said she is looking forward

to an upcoming camping excursion shoot in Santa Barbara.

Cast members are grateful they have video keepsakes of their

lives, captured forever.

“This year we took a trip to Mammoth and went snowboarding,”

Kristin said. “It was the best trip of my entire life.”

Kristin said the show portrays Laguna Beach well.

“It makes it a little more glamorous than it really is,” she said.

“But teenage drama is the same for kids everywhere; we’re going

through the same stuff.”

She said living in a gorgeous place makes it seem easier, “like we

don’t have family issues or anything like that.”

“If people don’t like the show, it’s fine with me; I don’t really

care,” Kristin said. “I don’t watch ‘The OC’ and a lot of people do;

it’s the same thing.”