Review of One Tree Hill's Series Finale -- It's Like Saying Good-Bye to a Piece of My Past...
Another show from my past has ended this week *sniff*. This is the last WB show era, and it feels so weird to say that. There are many shows that hold a sentimental value to my heart. They might not have been critically acclaimed. They might not have had the high ratings. They might have been on the bubble most of their series life. However, some of those shows are some of the best of the bunch. One Tree Hill is one such show that didn't have high ratings, critical acclaim, or even earth shattering publicity. Yet, it's not the reason why I started watching the show lol.
I didn't start watching OTH live until the fifth season, but even then due to my heavy schedule a lot of times I would catch up by watching the season on dvd. When I first saw the commericals on the WB network I thought it was lame and it was about....well....you seen Gossip Girl commericals lol. I totally bought into the misleading marketing. Until one day when I was picking up a Buffy dvd I saw OTH S1 on sale for only $20 bucks. I thought okay it's on sale, and some of my friends are hooked on it. I'll give it a spin. It's one tv show investment I do not regret. One Tree Hill is a show that felt like it was talking to me on a personal level. I have a few shows that do that whether in a metaphorical Hellmouth sort of way, or an overvocabularized sort of way like Dawson's Creek. One Tree Hill is unique in a sense where it felt like you can seriously meet any one of these characters on the street or in a high school hallway.
One Tree Hill is a show that not only delivered relateable characters, but emphasized the importances of books, sports, music, family, and friends. Granted there is some soap-opera like moments, however; the show is not afraid to show its heart, corny, and even laugh at itself. It what it is. One Tree Hill was promoted as a Cain and Abel story on a basketball court, but the show is bigger than that....it's about life. Even though the show had a 50 minute series finale, with a wicked retrospective 40 minutes with cast and crew before it, I felt the show had an unofficial three part finale starting with "Danny Boy" and ending with "One Tree Hill". P.S. thanks to OTH!Caps and Tumblr for the pictures, and now onto to the review....
Looking Back & Accomplishments - One of my favorite things about the series finale is having Nathan, Haley, and Brooke looking back at their former selves. Seeing what they were when they were 17 years old, and then before you know it a decade has passed. They all accomplished their dreams and more. It was great to see young Nathan playing on the Rivercourt, Brooke cheerleading, and Haley decked out in her glasses making her senior list. Looking back you really couldn't foresee all the events that happened to them, but wow what an amazing ride it was.
One Constant Couple...Always & Forever: Nathan Scott & Haley James - There aren't many shows that can say they had a constant couples. One Tree Hill had various hook-ups, but there is no doubt that several of the couples on the show were meant to be. Alas, I don't use the term "meant to be" lightly either hehe. Nathan and Haley have to one of my favorite couples of all time. The moments in the series finale were filled with callbacks to the Cracker Jack prize braclet to kissing in the rain. It was great to see them enjoy the rain one last time.
James Lucas Scott - Has finally come to realize that his name holds a lot of meaning, and there are certain expectations to it. Something Lucas and Nathan have gone through since they were children. I really loved what Nathan told Jamie at the Rivercourt. In the first season we saw first hand how brutal Dan was to Nathan about sports. In the series finale we see Nathan passing down the legacy that Keith has been thriving for since Nathan and Lucas were children. To be okay with yourself, and you can do whatever you want to do by putting your mind to it. To play a sport not because of your name or your skill, but to play just to play. Which Jamie Scott ended up doing. Jamie figured out what exactly what he wanted. To have a happy family that Naley has provided for him, play basketball, and to beat his old man's scoring record. As we can see Nathan was angry about his son beating his record, but overjoyed and proudful at his son's achievement. I really didn't think they could do a full circle on Jamie's character, but they did and I loved it. I got a bit tearful when I saw teen Jamie in his Ravens jersey.
Home Sweet Home: Brooke Davis & Julian Baker - I gotta admit I gushed when Julian bought Brooke her childhood house. Before that's what it was....a house....a place of shelter. However, having the Baker family and reunited Davis family in there the house with the red door will not become a home as it should have been along. I really loved seeing the sets of hallway and Peyton's room once again. It was a small moment, but I loved seeing Baker Man successfully launch online and hearing Brooke buying the space across the street from Karen's Cafe.
The Evans Family Officially Become a Family: Clay, Quinn, & Logan - The series finale held some of my favorite moments from the Evans family. I have admit I got a bit teary during the Respective Hour before the finale, but I kept it together for the most part. However, I just lost it with the Evans family lol. I loved how Clay asked Logan if he could be his dad again for good, and Logan innocently replies "you're already my dad, Dad" which totally melted my heart. Yet, that's not what did me in. What did me in was hearing Logan call Quinn "Mom" for the first time. I wasn't expecting him to say it, and the way Logan said was so natural, caring, and sweet. I loved Quinn's reaction to Logan calling her mom. Her face was so stunned, and then went to happy. It was great to see the three of them together becoming a family. I don't mind Clay and Quinn getting married in the court house because I can totally see them having a full out wedding just like Naley did in S3. Plus it seemed fitting to have them married before they adopt Logan. I really loved seeing them in the courthouse all happy with smiles. After what happened with Clay and Quinn since S7 their ending was so well worth it!! My fanwishes were fulfilled *fansqueels*.
Mouth Turns a Negative into a Positive - I wasn't expecting to hear Dan gave Mouth a half of million dollars in his will. I was pondering the whole time what he would do with it, and I have to say I really loved what he did with it. It's right up there with Grey's Anatomy's Izzie Stevens donating the check, she received from Denny Duquette's will, to build a clinic to help others. I loved that Mouth made a scholarship fund for athletes, sports agents, and broadcasters (all three things we have seen on the show), and it named it The Edward Scott Scholarship Fund named after Jimmy Edwards and Keith Scott *sniff*. It was all so fitting to see it happen, and to have Mouth deliver this news in his sportscaster chair at the news station. Mouth finally made what he always wanted to do. Saying the things he always wanted to say without yellow journalism. Lastly, giving a chance to finally eclipse the horrific events from that day Jimmy and Keith lost their lives. Jimmy mentioned to the students in the Tutor Center that no matter what happens he will always be seen as the kid shot up Tree Hill High School. So it was nice to see things come full circle in a positive way.
Chase Becomes Bar Owner & Chris Keller Gets His Second Chase - I was waiting for Alex or Mia to pop up for Chase to interact, but I guess the moment Chase deleted things off his cell phone in the previous episodes was an implication his romantic storylines were done. Though in my little bubble I see Mia and Chase hooking up again lol. Chase and Chris' interaction was amusing in this episode especially when they were staking out the Sisters Grimm apartment haha. Tyler Hilton just killed it with his "Loaded Gun"!! It was fun to see him doing a bit of Elvis with the crowd. It was really nice to see Naley thank Chris for all his help the past month or so by giving him his "Haley James" guitar back and giving him a second chance at recording. It's really fitting for Chris Keller to be under the Red Bedroom Records label. When it happened I was like.....DUH!!
Tric Anniversary Concert - It's seriously hard to beat the USO and Friends With Benefits Concerts, but I really loved the music in this episode. I never heard of Blindspot before, but I really loved the opening song. It was great to see Haley sing for one final time. Bethany Joy always kills me with her voice!! I wasn't expecting Gavin DeGraw to show up, but I so loved it hehe. I really loved the music DeGraw played, and I was so hoping he would play the theme song "I Don't Want to Be". So when he played those first two notes I was just so giddy lol. One of my favorite parts was seeing the cast singing and dancing to the theme song. It was so endearing as well watching this big group of friends and family hang out at Karen's Cafe with all of their young babies. There are just subtle moments you just soak in from Quinn playfully taking Logan's pastry to Nathan rough housing with Jamie. I loved seeing Chuck, Logan, and Jamie playing together. You know this means Jamie and Logan are now cousins *fansqueels*. There was so much to love about the music in this episode. I will always love how the music became such a character in this show. So much so my youngest sister and I started to sing "I Don't Want to Be" along with the cast hehe.
Time Jump Flashforward - So I'm thinking we jumped a good 7-8 years 'cause I think Jamie is a junior. I don't see Jamie topping his father record's in the first two years. I really love seeing the flashforward because it did answer some questions. The couples are going strong and doing well. Bevin broke up with Tim, and is now with Skillz (as it should...squeels). Mouth and Millie got married, and now expecting their first child *fansqueels*. The OTH: Next Generation are a bit older ranging from 8-17. They casted the perfect children to play Lydia, Jude, Davis, and Logan. Lydia looked like her namesake Grandma Lydia. Jude had his signature curly hair, and Davis looked all sophicated with his hairstyle. Preteen Logan was perfectly casted because he looked just like a combo of Sarah and Clay. I love the looks the children and their parents give each other at the basketball game. I'm glad they didn't show a teenage Chuck, or show Jamie's face because Jackson and Michael have been Chuck and Jamie since season five. They own those characters. In my mind I see Jamie playing the Ravens with Chuck and Andre. Plus having a triangle of his own, bigger than it was before, with Madison in the middle. In my mind Jamie and Madison are totally endgame!! I love the last shots of the show was having the characters look at their younger selves (loved they showed Nathan's famous not-seeing two pointer shot), a freeze frame shot of Jamie's jersey (Jamie did say he wanted 12 to be his number), and of course the final shot is the whole cast clapping and smiling. All the while having an amazing voiceover monologue said by nearly all of the characters:
"If you had a friend you knew you weren’t gonna see again, what would you say ? If you could do one last thing for someone you love, what would it be ? Say it. Do it. Don’t wait. Nothing lasts forever. Make a wish. Place it in your heart. Anything you want, everything you want. Do you have it ? Good. Now believe it can come true. You never know where the next miracle will come from. The next memory. The next smile. The next wish come true. But if you believe that it’s right around the corner, you open your mind and heart to every possibility of it. You jst might get the thing you wished for. The world is full of magic. You jst have to believe in it. So make your wish. Do you have it ? Good. Now believe in it. With all your heart.”
An amazing series finale!! It was also filled with easter eggs of the past from ravens flying overhead to NOFX band sticker for long time fans (you know me and my love for entertainment easter eggs hehe). "One Tree Hill" felt like a coda to what we always knew about this show. Was the series finale perfect? Hmm....I don't think any series finale is perfect by any means. There is always a woulda, shoulda, and coulda. There is always a what if as well. I have seen many planned series finales over the years. As I said earlier I thought OTH had an unofficial three parter with "Danny Boy", "Anyone Who Had a Heart", and "One Tree Hill". So I thought in comparison to other series finale OTH had one of the the best!! Since the show was on the bubble many years we also had some exceptional full circle finales in S4, S6, and S8. So I really don't have any regrets with this series finale. It came in quiet, and ended in quiet. It is what it is.
I will never forget and always recommend this show.
Always and forever.
Good Night One Tree Hill....