Come on, Ausiello. It's been ...

Question: Come on, Ausiello. It's been a while since we had some decent O.C. scoop.

Answer: Yes, I feel badly about the lack of O.C. dirt of late so much so that I convinced exec producer Josh Schwartz to let me ply him with Jesus Juice and pump him for info on the second half of Season 3. First, the big news: Samaire Armstrong's return as Anna. "She [comes back] when there's a little bit of emotional upheaval for Seth as he prepares to go away to college," Schwartz explains of the pixie's three-episode arc, which begins in late April. "And there are some complications for Seth-Summer based on all this anxiety and he really needs a stabilizing force. But her timing is inopportune if you're Summer." Schwartz says Seth's increasing neurosis about college will give Adam Brody a shot to show off those dramatic chops of his. "Adam is as skilled a dramatic actor as he is a comedic actor, and we really want to start exploring that." Marissa, meanwhile, will also find her relationship under siege when new kid on the beach Sadie (Thirteen's Nikki Reed) makes a play for Ryan. "She's going to bring out a new side in Ryan," he says, "and challenge his savior complex." Where exactly does that leave Marissa? "Remember Johnny's nemesis, Volchok (Jack & Bobby's Cam Gigandet)?" says Schwartz. "He's coming back and he's going to have his sights set on Marissa."