Nathan Scott. Haley James. Brooke Davis. Peyton Sawyer. Lucas Scott.
To some, these may look like average, middle class American, simple names. But, to those who are avid fans of a little TV show known as ‘One Tree Hill’, these names carry the emotions of love, forgiveness, rivalry, and most of all, friendship. At the age of 14, I sat down the first day of winter break with my then 10-year old sister and began to binge watch the show my mom told me was a must see. I simply did not think that to this day, at 20-years-old, this show would provide me with dear friends, a great recruitment topic, and most of all, an appreciation for a show that was never meant to last.
For those who live under a rock, One Tree Hill was a television series that was broadcast on WB, and then the CW, for 9 seasons. It first focused on the rivalry between half-brothers Nathan and Lucas, their love for basketball, their terrible father Dan, and their close circle of friends turned family. This show showed triumph, loss, love, heartbreak, and almost every emotion that exists.
Shockingly, at the end of each season, there was no guarantee that it would return for another. I gained such personal connections to each character as I watched them progress from misunderstood high schoolers to successful adults. Without the complete 9 seasons, the show would have lost the ability to really tell its story and thank goodness it did. Obviously, if you have not watched the show, I don’t want to give away too much because that would refute the point I am trying to get across.
Watch One Tree Hill if you want your life to change.
Once I finished OTH for the first time, there was a post-show depression that I slowly slipped into. I couldn’t find anything that compared to the pure genius that was One Tree Hill. I couldn’t think of anything other than ‘This isn’t as good’ or ‘It’s just not the same’. Yes, Gossip Girl and 90210 are fantastic shows that share a similar teenage vibe, but for me, they never seemed to fill the void. I always wanted to sit down and re-watch the pure greatness that graced television for the first time in 2003. But I never got around to really committing to the emotional rollercoaster again. Until I did.
Then, Netflix did the worst thing imaginable.
Netflix took One Tree Hill off of its streaming site, and the world went into a panic. It has to be one of the most watched shows on Netflix, in my opinion, and Netflix was denying those who had not watched the ability to bask in its glory. I had to take in all I could before it disappeared for good.
But then, Hulu did the best thing imaginable.
February 1st. One Tree Hill was back… and so was my addiction. I began the show once again and I think the second time around I appreciate it even more. It has taught me so many life lessons and I feel more attached to the characters, the stories, and the overall feeling that is One Tree Hill. This show made me feel so much by simply just being there.
There is only one Tree Hill. And it is our home.
