Specific figures are so endearing, they show up on television again and once again. They have various names, work opportunities, and hobbies, but their main attributes remain the same. Assume: the badassery of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars, the optimism of Leslie Knope and Janine Teagues, and the appeal of Seth Cohen and… virtually each lovable, uncomfortable brunette dude.

On The O.C., Seth (played by Adam Brody) was not the most predicted preference to established everyone’s hearts racing. (Lest we forget Ryan Atwood was the household negative boy.) But as Seth gained about a person of his harshest critics, Summer Roberts, he also captivated the show’s biggest fans. Though he may not be the blueprint for very hot dorks, taking into consideration all these that came prior to him — ahem, Gilmore Girls’ Dave Rygalski (also played by Brody) and Friends’ Chandler Bing — he perfected the artwork of geek charming. Plus, he led the way for figures like New Female’s Nick Miller, Brooklyn 99’s Jake Peralta, and Teen Wolf’s Stiles Stilinski.

In the course of the show’s four seasons, Seth went from the show’s teenager outcast to the audience’s teenager heartthrob, all without at any time abandoning his like of comedian books. Sarcastic, self-deprecating, and unapologetically himself, Seth is ideal-identified for his quippy one-liners, like “I assume closure’s overrated. I’m more of a lover of open up-finished, unrequited adore,” and his Spiderman-themed kiss with Summer months. He’s an straightforward character to root for — and an even much easier character to crush on.

It’s not just that Seth is a great character on The O.C. — it’s also the reality that he’s somewhat of a mascot for men who make dry humor their individuality. Awkwardness and approachability apart, every single of these figures adopted the exact same define. Seth experienced his comedian textbooks and video clip online games. Chandler had his boring task, Nick experienced his lack of ability to lie (and enjoy for “Cotton-Eyed Joe”), Jake had his Die Tough obsession and Taylor Swift playlists, and Stiles had his humanity in a earth of supernaturals. They all pined immediately after their crushes, far too — in a sweet way that was a lot more endearing than cringe. Seth loved Summer season, Chandler beloved Monica Gellar, Nick loved Jess Day, Jake beloved Amy Santiago, and Stiles beloved Lydia Martin.

These charming, dorky guys are not just strikingly similar they also are likely to elicit the same reaction in followers. There is undeniable thirst for the Seth Cohens of the earth. Lover fiction website Archive of Our Possess, in which lovers publish and read steamy scenes about their beloved characters, has 456 Seth Cohen stories, 710 Nick Miller stories, and 4,608 Jake Peralta stories — with names like “Summer Lovin,” “He’ll Never Like You Like I Can,” and “Taking Command.”

With the resurgence in early 2000s nostalgia, furthermore streaming expert services frequently selling these common shows, these awkward brunettes have also received traction on apps like TikTok, where by video clip montages of their appeal abound. As of publication, the #SethCohen hashtag has 224.6 million views, #ChandlerBing has 3.8 billion, and #StilesStilinski has 11.3 billion, all stuffed with fan edits of the characters’ most lovable moments.

So what, just, will make this class of Television boyfriend so crush-worthy? For a single, their manufacturer of adorable isn’t movie-star stage but a thing more attainable and reasonable. Consider Seth, for example. In accordance to certified therapist Nicole Richardson, “He’s good-seeking, but not so great-on the lookout that the average human being would believe that he would never ever give them a second appear.”

Seth’s appreciate tale, especially his romantic relationship with Summertime, also contributes to his crush status. “His character pines for (and inevitably wins around) the particular person that he thinks is just out of reach, which is how so a lot of men and women feel about appreciate,” certified psychological health counselor Gabrielle Morse tells Elite Every day. His attractiveness could possibly appear from that: the truth that men and women are equipped to see by themselves in him. “People are so drawn to particular shows and figures mainly because of how they bring comfort and ease and familiarity,” Morse claims.

Casting definitely will make a big difference, much too. Conventionally interesting Brody designed Seth perform, and O.C. creator Josh Schwartz explained as significantly to The Everyday Beast in 2013. “Very early on it was constantly, ‘If Ryan is our Luke Perry, who’s our Jason Priestley? It couldn’t maybe be the comedian e-book-loving nerd?’ After we cast Adam [Brody], they felt like he was adorable for the ladies, and we could make it get the job done.” At the stop of the day, the dorky brunette continue to demands a quite confront to carry him, even if it is in the end his attraction that draws folks in.

But there’s also an aspirational element to Seth’s character — and the other uncomfortable brunettes created in the very same font. “In so quite a few methods, Seth is who we wish we were,” Richardson claims. He’s rich with no getting spoiled, amusing without the need of staying signify, and sensitive though still becoming outspoken. He isn’t the conventional golden retriever boyfriend, but he’s very close — and just as lovable.

Now, 20 yrs immediately after the display 1st premiered, a Seth Cohen-coded character is as substantially of Hollywood’s DNA as the a few-act composition. Steven Conklin in The Summertime I Turned Rather, Steve Harrington in Stranger Items, and Junior Johnson in Developed-ish are all iterations of the exact same sarcastic brunette — and the thirst is continue to as powerful as ever.