At the center of season 1 is the love triangle between good-girl narrator LC, her childhood friend Stephen, and his beautiful but cold girlfriend Kristin, who likes to mention at any chance possible how much she "hates" LC. Other highlights for the seniors include spring break in Cabo, birthday bashes, one character's embarrassing audition for a Broadway show, and the repetitive mantra of "Can you believe this is the last time we'll be together like this?"

One's envy of young rich kids who are just like you--but not--is certainly what Laguna Beach likes to tap into (you find out they even have weekly O.C. viewing parties!). Unfortunately, it's also what makes it so vanilla. Since there aren't producers auditioning the most colorful personalities to home-grow drama, you're left with pals so alike you get them confused. Not only that, their "conflicts"--limited to gossip and drunk confrontations--don't really make for great television, at least by the reality-TV standards we're used to. But kids who thrive on the gossip of their own friends will likely continue chatting about this show like it's their own high school."