I decided to start One Tree Hill for a number of reasons: 1. It's winter break... literally what else am I going to do? 2. I got incredibly bored with the fourth season of American Horror Story, Freak Show, and needed another series to binge-watch. 3. The show had been looming on my Instant Queue since I first made my Netflix account and threw a bunch of suggested TV shows on "My List." 4. All of my girlfriends tweet about the show, so I figured it must be worth all of the raving reviews.

I've watched and enjoyed similar dramas, like Gossip Girl. So, I started the pilot episode... and I honestly don't know why I kept going because I firmly believe that even the worst episode of Gossip Girl is better than any episode of One Tree Hill I've seen. (Disclaimer: I have only reached season three of One Tree Hill. I fully acknowledge the potential this show has to improve in the following seasons. I am only speaking on behalf of the seasons I have watched. Also, this is completely my own opinion.) Even though I can't stop watching the show, here are the reasons I still can't take it seriously:

1. Bad acting.

While the casting for this show isn't bad, we must acknowledge the fact that in most cases on One Tree Hill, we see 25 year old actors playing the roles of socially developed high school students, while 30 year old actors play the roles of their parents. Moreover, most of these actors, despite their developed filmographies, don't do well convincing the audience of their struggles. Most of the "acting" I've witnessed thus far has just been a lot of overt pouting, brooding, and clinched angst.

2. Poor plot structure and execution.

This show utilizes a lot of overdone overarching themes without making each theme unique to the series. OTH centers around romantic relationships, friendships, rivalry, betrayal, and basketball. They've already pulled out all of the go-to stops like the good girl who gets peer pressured into trying drugs or the popular girl who shoplifts because her daddy's not rich anymore. What about the popular boy who's oppressed to live out his dad's sports dream? Degrassi already did all of that, guys. Also, the ties from story-line to story-line generally don't connect in a cohesive or satisfying way.

3. Outlandish circumstances.

Spoiler alert, but can we just talk about the time that Dan Scott has a heart attack out of NOWHERE, literally right in the middle of signing his divorce papers? He barely wrote the letter "D" on the line with his pen before gripping his left arm in pain. Or when Haley was feeling conflicted about losing her virginity to Nathan because she'd always wanted to wait until marriage, so as juniors in high school, they just... got married. And each twist is more ghastly than the last. Gossip Girl was able to pull off these kinds of shenanigans because the show took place in Manhattan's Upper East Side, but in a small town like Tree Hill, NC? No way. It's just superfluous and definitely not relatable.

4. Too predictable.

Even though the circumstances and the stories in this show are ridiculous, the actions of the characters are still very predictable based on whether they have been deemed good or evil-natured by the writers. Speaking of writers...

5. "Junior-varsity" style writing.

It's just not smart. There's not a whole lot of wit, and most of the lines are cheesy or unconvincing. Except for some of the opening literary quotes delivered by the main protagonist, Lucas Scott, I haven't seen a ton of depth yet.

Tim Goodman, a critic from San Francisco Chronicle wraps up all of my points in saying that "One Tree Hill is more like "One Ill-Conceived Idea" or "One Note Hill." It just sits there, like desperate mush, a recipe for success that is bland and unsatisfying."

Tim, I seriously couldn't agree more.

HOWEVER, I have to reluctantly admit that something giddy stirs within me every time I see Chad Michael Murray dribbling his basketball across that silhouetted bridge while the Gavin DeGraw theme song plays (gag me). So now, these are the reasons that I have shamefully watched about 30 episodes of One Tree Hill within the time span of a week:

1. The music.

Dashboard Confessional, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Foo Fighters, Keane, The Fire Theft, Jack's Mannequin, All American Rejects... I know I'm name dropping, but these bands and many more are featured to make some memorable and even epic scenes. The show actually used the same Switchfoot song, Dare You To Move, two times within a season to create the mood for two separate emotional scenes, which was hilarious. These artists are also very indicative of the early 2000s, when the show was filmed.

2. The fashion aesthetic.

What's nice about this show being set in the early 2000s is that it warrants some of the implicit cheesiness. But more importantly, the styles and aesthetics of the early 2000s are priceless. Lots of ruffles, spaghetti straps, satin shirts, sequins, headbands, bell bottom jeans, suede zip up jackets, cropped hoodies, etc. I mean, it's all pretty wretched, but the time period is recent enough for it to be familiar and somewhat comfortable. I just wish Lucas would stop wearing those flip flops.

3. Likable characters.

While I do think that a lot of these beautiful characters are somewhat one-dimensional, the show does a very good job of making them likable. They're personable. Some of their internal struggles tend to line up with ours, and somewhere along the line, you find yourself rooting for them (especially the stunning and awe-inspiring Brooke Davis). The show also does a nice job of developing the relationships between the characters so you really get the small-town family feel, which is unique to the show and makes it cozy and pleasant.

4. Mindless entertainment.

What do you watch TV for if not for some sort of entertainment? I think half of the fun is waiting to see what twists the writers are going to pull out. Who's gonna get pregnant or contract a life-threatening illness next? One Tree Hill is a good show to watch if you're looking for something pretty intellectually uninvolved. All in all, the show does what it's intended to do: satisfy teens by delivering unabashed, fun melodrama. Don't get me wrong though, there are definitely real lessons to take away. Some of the single story lines are super important and very well done. I also love that the premise of the show is based around mistakes the kid's parents have made and the way these mistakes manifest themselves in the kid's lives.

5. Chad. Michael. Murray.

Honestly, do I even have to mention anything other than this stunning bone structure and perfect smile? Of course not.