One Tree Hill – Season 1 Review
Yes. I started another show, because, clearly, I didn’t already have enough of them on my plate. That being said, I’m glad that I started this one, as it has proven to be a pretty engaging show. I would love to eventually review individual episodes, but nine seasons is a lot to take on at the moment, especially considering the fact that I’m behind on my other shows. For now, I’ll just do season reviews, with the promise that eventually, when I’m more caught up on my other reviews, I will come back and review individual episodes. Thus far, I believe that the show will be worth making that promise.
Now, on to my thoughts. Going in to the show, I had some idea of the premise and the characters, mostly from the internet, and also some friends who had really enjoyed watching. Plus, I’m one of those people who watch those multifandom videos set to music on YouTube. Yes, I know. I’m one of “those” people. I can’t help it, it’s a guilty pleasure, and I’ve found some really awesome music from doing so, so no apologies. Anyway, anyone who watches those videos knows that pretty much every one of them includes clips from One Tree Hill, and particularly clips of Nathan and Haley, or Lucas and Peyton/Brooke. So, none of the couplings were really of any surprise to me. I guess my point to all of that is to say that, I knew enough about the show to know that it was well loved by its fans, and I had positive expectations going into my first viewing. I have to say, based on the first season alone, it has lived up to those expectations. By about episode three, I was thinking “okay, I get the appeal,” and by midseason I was hooked.
I once heard someone say that the reason they loved One Tree Hill was because it was a show that was all about relationships. I could not agree more. Best friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, parent/child, siblings, I mean, you name the relationship, this show explores it, and its various versions. What makes the exploration interesting is that none of the relationships is presented as perfect. When it comes to conflict, no side of any relationship is ever completely right or completely wrong. There is always gray area, and you can usually understand both sides. Trying to write in depth about all of the shows relationships would make this review ten pages long, so for now I’ll just mention the ones I think were most important to the first season.
The central relationships established are that of brothers Lucas and Nathan, and their relationships to their father, Dan, and their respective mothers, Karen and Deb. Both brothers, to some degree, wish they had the life of the other. Lucas would have grown up knowing his father, and Nathan wouldn’t be under constant pressure to succeed on the court. Of course the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Dan’s parenting often leaves something to be desired, and Lucas has spent much of his life as a source of town gossip, being the son that Dan never wanted (though be season end we learn that may not necessarily have been the case). I feel like the two brothers offer up a look at the old nature vs nurture debate in regards to Dan. Both possess their father’s basketball talent, but their personalities, at least initially, couldn’t be more different. Lucas, being raised under the caring eyes of Karen and Keith, is a good kid who chooses to do the right thing more often than not. Nathan, while we see he has the potential to be good, living under Dan’s “take what you want” approach to life, often bends to negative pressure. Of course, once the two boys are thrust into one another’s worlds, we see that they really aren’t that different. Lucas makes his fair share of mistakes when it comes to his new relationships, and Nathan suddenly taps into his softer, and arguably better, side once he falls in love with Hayley. It was really interesting to watch both characters evolve over the course of the season, and to do so in a way that felt very natural.
Aside from sibling and family relationships, friendship is also an important theme in this show. Possibly my favorite friendship is that of Lucas and Haley. It’s very rare on television to have a completely platonic friendship between male and female characters, so just from that perspective I find their relationship refreshing. I love that they often make reference as to how weird it would be for there to be any sort of romantic relationship between them. They love one another, but purely in the friend sense. As friends, Lucas and Hayley are fiercely protective of one another, and neither likes to see the other hurt. Haley initially agrees to tutor Nathan purely to prevent him from bullying Lucas, and Lucas is always the first to step in and put Nathan in his place if he believes Nathan is in any way doing wrong by Hayley. In a certain respect, Lucas and Hayley have this almost sibling like relationship. I mean, Karen is essentially like a second mother to Hayley, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about the way they aren’t afraid to call out one another’s mistakes, and they do have the occasional argument from time to time. At the end of the day though, they are still best friends, and would do almost anything for one another. While their relationship does evolve in certain respects over the course of the season, it honestly is probably the most solid of any of the relationships on the show thus far.
The other big friendship established is that between Brooke and Peyton, who have been best friends since Peyton’s mom died. Their relationship starts out fairly strong, though, given how opposite they are in personality, I sometimes wonder how they have remained friends for so long. I’m not trying to diminish their relationship in any way, but to a certain degree, I feel like Peyton feels this sense of duty to Brooke because of Brooke supporting her through her mother’s death. I still think she values Brooke’s friendship immensely, as evidenced by the emotional turmoil she goes through in trying to tell Brooke she has feelings for Lucas. I love Brooke and Peyton’s friendship, I really do. These are just some thoughts that came to mind regarding their relationship. I actually think they balance one another out quite well. Brooke helps Peyton tap into her more outgoing, adventurous side, and Peyton often keeps Brooke from going too far on to the wild side.
I guess the last piece of relationship stuff to talk about is the two (or three depending on how you count them) big romantic relationships. I’m not really even sure that one is more notable than the other, so I guess I’ll start with Nathan and Hayley. I’m gonna be honest and say that there is no time in the show where I like Nathan’s character more than when he is with Hayley. They say the right person can bring out the best in you, and she so does that with him. I’m still not a hundred percent sure how I feel about his influence on her, but regardless, I can’t help but love them as a couple. That being said, I’m not sure how I feel about the whole marriage thing. I guess I’m taking the Lucas approach of being on the fence, aka, happy for them, but still finding it weird. Speaking of Lucas, he is the source of the other big relationship….or rather relationships. Here enter the love triangle that is Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke. This may gain me some haters, as I know the fan population is pretty divisive on this particular issue, but I am team Lucas and Peyton. Those two just get each other. They have so much in common, and there is just this undeniable connection between them. I love Brooke, and I believe that she genuinely loves Lucas, but I just don’t see any spark between them beyond being physically attracted to one another. It’s great that he makes her care, and that he seems to bring out something better in her, but I don’t see the reciprocation. He does not seem to connect with her in the same way. Now, I don’t like the whole sneaking around thing that Lucas and Peyton do, and cheating is never okay. At the end of the day though, you can’t help what the heart wants, and I think Lucas and Peyton ultimately want each other.
Okay, now that I’ve discussed relationships, lets move on to one more thing. With these season reviews, I want to also discuss briefly my favorite episode, and why I found it to be so. For season one, that honor most definitely goes to episode 14, I Shall Believe. Now, I will say that often my favorite episodes of any show are the ones which I feel bring about the most emotional impact, and this episode certainly fits the bill. That being said, I think this episode is also a turning point for several of the relationships. Karen and Keith’s potential romantic relationship is derailed in light of his drinking and driving, though he still proves his love and loyalty by paying the hospital bills. Dan suddenly isn’t just the monster who abandoned his son, as he essentially saves Lucas’ life, much to the thankfulness of Karen. Karen’s perspective on the two eldest Scott brothers definitely goes through a shift in light of these two events. I feel like this episode is kind of the first real display of Peyton and Haley’s friendship as well. They had been friendly enough to one another prior to this, but this is the first instance where Peyton really gets to step in and be there for Hayley when she is beating herself up over the fight with Lucas. Nathan and Haley’s relationship also changes to a certain degree when he displays his love for her by going to see Lucas in her place. Heck, even Nathan and Peyton’s relationship gets a fresh start when she goes to talk to him about his problems with Hayley. Of course, some relationships are just proven to be as strong as they ever were. In the case of Lucas and Haley, there is simply a reaffirmation of their bond as friends, and their importance to one another. Like I said, this episode has so much good relationship stuff, and all of it effected the remainder of the season in some form or another. I can’t sing high enough praises.
If I had to recommend this show based on the first season alone, I would not hesitate to do so. Like I mentioned, the show is definitely focused on and driven by the relationships between all these great characters, which is why the majority of this review was about those relationships and very little else. At the end of the day, that’s what makes the show worth watching anyway. In conclusion, I am definitely a fan of this first season, and I look forward to watching what comes next.
Yes. I started another show, because, clearly, I didn’t already have enough of them on my plate. That being said, I’m glad that I started this one, as it has proven to be a pretty engaging show. I would love to eventually review individual episodes, but nine seasons is a lot to take on at the moment, especially considering the fact that I’m behind on my other shows. For now, I’ll just do season reviews, with the promise that eventually, when I’m more caught up on my other reviews, I will come back and review individual episodes. Thus far, I believe that the show will be worth making that promise.
Now, on to my thoughts. Going in to the show, I had some idea of the premise and the characters, mostly from the internet, and also some friends who had really enjoyed watching. Plus, I’m one of those people who watch those multifandom videos set to music on YouTube. Yes, I know. I’m one of “those” people. I can’t help it, it’s a guilty pleasure, and I’ve found some really awesome music from doing so, so no apologies. Anyway, anyone who watches those videos knows that pretty much every one of them includes clips from One Tree Hill, and particularly clips of Nathan and Haley, or Lucas and Peyton/Brooke. So, none of the couplings were really of any surprise to me. I guess my point to all of that is to say that, I knew enough about the show to know that it was well loved by its fans, and I had positive expectations going into my first viewing. I have to say, based on the first season alone, it has lived up to those expectations. By about episode three, I was thinking “okay, I get the appeal,” and by midseason I was hooked.
I once heard someone say that the reason they loved One Tree Hill was because it was a show that was all about relationships. I could not agree more. Best friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, parent/child, siblings, I mean, you name the relationship, this show explores it, and its various versions. What makes the exploration interesting is that none of the relationships is presented as perfect. When it comes to conflict, no side of any relationship is ever completely right or completely wrong. There is always gray area, and you can usually understand both sides. Trying to write in depth about all of the shows relationships would make this review ten pages long, so for now I’ll just mention the ones I think were most important to the first season.
The central relationships established are that of brothers Lucas and Nathan, and their relationships to their father, Dan, and their respective mothers, Karen and Deb. Both brothers, to some degree, wish they had the life of the other. Lucas would have grown up knowing his father, and Nathan wouldn’t be under constant pressure to succeed on the court. Of course the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Dan’s parenting often leaves something to be desired, and Lucas has spent much of his life as a source of town gossip, being the son that Dan never wanted (though be season end we learn that may not necessarily have been the case). I feel like the two brothers offer up a look at the old nature vs nurture debate in regards to Dan. Both possess their father’s basketball talent, but their personalities, at least initially, couldn’t be more different. Lucas, being raised under the caring eyes of Karen and Keith, is a good kid who chooses to do the right thing more often than not. Nathan, while we see he has the potential to be good, living under Dan’s “take what you want” approach to life, often bends to negative pressure. Of course, once the two boys are thrust into one another’s worlds, we see that they really aren’t that different. Lucas makes his fair share of mistakes when it comes to his new relationships, and Nathan suddenly taps into his softer, and arguably better, side once he falls in love with Hayley. It was really interesting to watch both characters evolve over the course of the season, and to do so in a way that felt very natural.
Aside from sibling and family relationships, friendship is also an important theme in this show. Possibly my favorite friendship is that of Lucas and Haley. It’s very rare on television to have a completely platonic friendship between male and female characters, so just from that perspective I find their relationship refreshing. I love that they often make reference as to how weird it would be for there to be any sort of romantic relationship between them. They love one another, but purely in the friend sense. As friends, Lucas and Hayley are fiercely protective of one another, and neither likes to see the other hurt. Haley initially agrees to tutor Nathan purely to prevent him from bullying Lucas, and Lucas is always the first to step in and put Nathan in his place if he believes Nathan is in any way doing wrong by Hayley. In a certain respect, Lucas and Hayley have this almost sibling like relationship. I mean, Karen is essentially like a second mother to Hayley, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about the way they aren’t afraid to call out one another’s mistakes, and they do have the occasional argument from time to time. At the end of the day though, they are still best friends, and would do almost anything for one another. While their relationship does evolve in certain respects over the course of the season, it honestly is probably the most solid of any of the relationships on the show thus far.
The other big friendship established is that between Brooke and Peyton, who have been best friends since Peyton’s mom died. Their relationship starts out fairly strong, though, given how opposite they are in personality, I sometimes wonder how they have remained friends for so long. I’m not trying to diminish their relationship in any way, but to a certain degree, I feel like Peyton feels this sense of duty to Brooke because of Brooke supporting her through her mother’s death. I still think she values Brooke’s friendship immensely, as evidenced by the emotional turmoil she goes through in trying to tell Brooke she has feelings for Lucas. I love Brooke and Peyton’s friendship, I really do. These are just some thoughts that came to mind regarding their relationship. I actually think they balance one another out quite well. Brooke helps Peyton tap into her more outgoing, adventurous side, and Peyton often keeps Brooke from going too far on to the wild side.
I guess the last piece of relationship stuff to talk about is the two (or three depending on how you count them) big romantic relationships. I’m not really even sure that one is more notable than the other, so I guess I’ll start with Nathan and Hayley. I’m gonna be honest and say that there is no time in the show where I like Nathan’s character more than when he is with Hayley. They say the right person can bring out the best in you, and she so does that with him. I’m still not a hundred percent sure how I feel about his influence on her, but regardless, I can’t help but love them as a couple. That being said, I’m not sure how I feel about the whole marriage thing. I guess I’m taking the Lucas approach of being on the fence, aka, happy for them, but still finding it weird. Speaking of Lucas, he is the source of the other big relationship….or rather relationships. Here enter the love triangle that is Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke. This may gain me some haters, as I know the fan population is pretty divisive on this particular issue, but I am team Lucas and Peyton. Those two just get each other. They have so much in common, and there is just this undeniable connection between them. I love Brooke, and I believe that she genuinely loves Lucas, but I just don’t see any spark between them beyond being physically attracted to one another. It’s great that he makes her care, and that he seems to bring out something better in her, but I don’t see the reciprocation. He does not seem to connect with her in the same way. Now, I don’t like the whole sneaking around thing that Lucas and Peyton do, and cheating is never okay. At the end of the day though, you can’t help what the heart wants, and I think Lucas and Peyton ultimately want each other.
Okay, now that I’ve discussed relationships, lets move on to one more thing. With these season reviews, I want to also discuss briefly my favorite episode, and why I found it to be so. For season one, that honor most definitely goes to episode 14, I Shall Believe. Now, I will say that often my favorite episodes of any show are the ones which I feel bring about the most emotional impact, and this episode certainly fits the bill. That being said, I think this episode is also a turning point for several of the relationships. Karen and Keith’s potential romantic relationship is derailed in light of his drinking and driving, though he still proves his love and loyalty by paying the hospital bills. Dan suddenly isn’t just the monster who abandoned his son, as he essentially saves Lucas’ life, much to the thankfulness of Karen. Karen’s perspective on the two eldest Scott brothers definitely goes through a shift in light of these two events. I feel like this episode is kind of the first real display of Peyton and Haley’s friendship as well. They had been friendly enough to one another prior to this, but this is the first instance where Peyton really gets to step in and be there for Hayley when she is beating herself up over the fight with Lucas. Nathan and Haley’s relationship also changes to a certain degree when he displays his love for her by going to see Lucas in her place. Heck, even Nathan and Peyton’s relationship gets a fresh start when she goes to talk to him about his problems with Hayley. Of course, some relationships are just proven to be as strong as they ever were. In the case of Lucas and Haley, there is simply a reaffirmation of their bond as friends, and their importance to one another. Like I said, this episode has so much good relationship stuff, and all of it effected the remainder of the season in some form or another. I can’t sing high enough praises.
If I had to recommend this show based on the first season alone, I would not hesitate to do so. Like I mentioned, the show is definitely focused on and driven by the relationships between all these great characters, which is why the majority of this review was about those relationships and very little else. At the end of the day, that’s what makes the show worth watching anyway. In conclusion, I am definitely a fan of this first season, and I look forward to watching what comes next.