In light of the NCAA March Madness Tournaments coming to a close, it only feels right to discuss another basketball masterpiece: One Tree Hill. This early 2000s coming-of-age drama features everything that makes a great show: romance, plot twists, a catchy theme song, and Chad Michael Murray. Although it took me a few years to get through all nine twenty-episode seasons (I know a rare sight nowadays), it was totally worth the watch. So, here is a ranking of all the seasons of One Tree Hill, with some spoilers ahead.
9. Season Five
Nathan and Haley are married, but they are far from living happily ever after as Nathan’s basketball career takes an unexpected turn. Why are Nathan and Haley having a bob-off? Their son Jamie easily becomes one of the best characters as he’s in his prime, but that fades faster than Nathan’s dream to become an NBA player. On the topic of Jamie, he gets a taste of the psycho characters when Nanny Carrie enters the picture. She adds the right amount of crazy to the show, which saves the season.
8. Season Two
Major skip. This season is so bad after coming off the season one high. Now, there are a lot of good things about it, like them testing the waters with Peyton as a lesbian (which should have been canon) and Peyton’s relationship with Jake Jagelski. This is also the first season with Chris Keller, and while he is extremely infuriating, he becomes one of the best characters by the end. Naley? Are you kidding me? They would never do that. The only thing stopping this season from being any lower is that there’s one that is somehow slightly worse.
7. Season Eight
This is a good season. I love the plotlines, especially the ones surrounding Quinn and Clay. It is also great because of all the unexpected, yet amazing, friendships that arise, like Brooke and Alex. What I despised, though, is that each week a different person sings the intro song. I know this is because season eight was supposed to be the last season, but I do not care. Just give me Gavin DeGraw.
6. Season Nine
What happened to the original plot of the movie? That’s all I want to know. If you told season-one-viewer-me that this is how the show ended, I would not believe you. The plot strays so far from the original concept of the show, and there are only thirteen episodes, which somehow makes things worse. Not to mention, they bring back random background characters you forgot about. The ref from season three? He’s a dirty cop now. The one thing this season has going for it is Chris Keller and Dan Scott (shocker). Both have such great character development and literally save Nathan’s life. Chris Keller also drops an absolute banger, and the show ends with a Gavin DeGraw concert.
5. Season Seven
Another pretty good season, but there are just ones that are better. Millie begins to get more screen and plot time, which I didn’t really care for. She was a great side character, but now she’s becoming a main character? No, thank you. Once again, there’s another major death in the show, which seemed so unnecessary after all the emotional turmoil they put us through in season six. However, Brooke finally gets the relationship she deserves with Julian. While Dan and Rachel make a comeback, Rachel somehow gets worse, and Dan gets better. I really think the producers forgot about all the character development Rachel went through before this season, so I was disappointed by their choices here. Dan starts to change his ways after seven seasons and slowly becomes a favorite
4. Season One
Absolutely great start to a series. I cannot think of a better way to introduce the concepts, characters, and major plotlines of the show. Everyone starts on Team Lucas (Chad Michael Murray’s character), but Nathan quickly becomes the fan favorite. He has great character development, while Lucas starts his steady decline. While there’s nothing like watching Nathan and Haley fall for one another, there are so many better seasons out there.
3. Season Three
One Tree Hill dropped banger after banger in this season. Haley drops a literal banger, and I cannot think about the show without thinking about this song. The major episode in this season is absolutely heartbreaking and hard to watch, but it’s also one of the best. There are some lows, however, like Jake Jagelski’s departure and Lucas turning into a cheater. The season is saved, however, by Brooke Davis and her iconic “he’s on the door” speech, along with guest star Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy.
2. Season Six
One of the saddest seasons, but also one of the best. Each of the characters went through so much development, and I loved the way the show was heading. What I did not appreciate, however, was the death of one of my favorite characters. While he was only in the show for a short amount of time, he had some of the most iconic lines and scenes. I wish that they’d kept him around longer. At the same time, Brooke is struggling with her own demons, which proves that she is one of the strongest characters in the show. There’s also a completely unexpected relationship that somehow works. This is also the last season with Peyton and Lucas, which makes everything better.
1. Season Four
The best season, and I will die on this hill. There are so many great things about this. Firstly, we have Brooke and Rachel’s friendship, which is one of my favorites in the entire series. Then, there’s the entire basketball state championship game, Haley’s pregnancy, graduation, and the major party to end the season. Psycho Derek, who left me afraid to sleep for days, also makes a return, which creates an intense, adrenaline-filled episode. Lastly, season four is home to the Honey Grove episode, which is easily one of the best in the whole series.
Overall, One Tree Hill is an amazing show filled with drama, romance, tears, friendship, and family. It’s one of those shows that I can watch over again and never be disappointed. At the same time, with each watch I always notice something I missed the first time around. The last thing I want to mention is that while One Tree Hill is a great show, it’s brought me closer to my cousins, and I think that’s my favorite part about it.