When it was first announced that One Tree Hill would head four years into the future for season 5, there was a bit of an uproar in the fan community. Nobody knew what to expect from the revamped show, and not many people were fond of the idea of missing key moments in the lives of their favorite characters. Would it still feel like the same show the fans fell in love with, or would making the characters older take away some of the fun? Now that we’ve had three episodes to adjust to the big changes, it’s time to weigh in on what we love and what we hate about the brand new version of One Tree Hill.
What We Love:
— Jamie Scott. Little kids can sometimes be a nuisance on television shows, but Jackson Brundage is just adorable as Nathan and Haley’s four-year-old son. Seeing how the rest of the gang has adopted him as one of their own has made for many of the best moments this season.
— New jobs. Every member of the Tree Hill gang, aside from Nathan (James Lafferty), has landed a job that suits them perfectly. Lucas coaching the Ravens and Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) landing a teaching gig seem especially fitting, reminding us where these characters came from and what their dreams were when we first met them.
— Daphne Zuniga as Brooke’s (Sophia Bush) mom, Victoria. The reveal that Victoria, the CEO of Clothes Over Bro’s, was Brooke’s mother was perfect and explained so much about their relationship. Seeing the former Melrose Place star unleash her inner witch has been a lot of fun.
What We Hate:
— The missing adults. One thing that made past seasons of One Tree Hill interesting to watch were the storylines for the adult characters. Now they’ve all disappeared, with the exception of a quick appearance by Dan (Paul Johansson) in the most recent episode. Just because the gang is older doesn’t mean that all the grown-ups need to scatter to the winds. Bring them back!
— The other new characters. Aside from Victoria and Jamie, none of the other new characters are making a lasting impression. Lindsey and Carrie seem rather boring, and are likely only there to cause relationship problems for Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan. Haley’s cocky student Quentin is a disrespectful jerk, and Mouth’s (Lee Norris) new boss is supposed to be sexy and catty, but is really just cruel and obnoxious. These new people seem unnecessary and unlikable, which doesn’t leave us with a desire to see more of them.
— Nathan. So far this season he’s been a greasy, scrappy, wheelchair bound loser who is constantly whining about his lack of a basketball career. Thankfully it seems like he’s moving in the right direction and starting to go forward, but he’s not off the hook until he gets that mullet under control.
It was a brave move for the writers to throw One Tree Hill into the future, and for the most part it’s paid off with interesting new storylines and a revitalized energy. However, some kinks still need to be worked out to get the show soaring again. I think cutting Nathan’s hair would be a great start on the road to perfection.
– Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
