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One Tree Hill - Season 3
High school dramas tend to blend together as they address certain topics. It’s usually all about relationships with new kids who come to town. Teens mostly go without parental supervision and the actual school isn’t a big part of the experience. One Tree Hill’s third season isn’t as much as a diversion of those stereotypes as it is an improvement on them. The show handles its own timeline and moves at a noticeably slower pace than most of its equivalents. This allows characters to grow carefully as they navigate the wonders of high school. It especially works well in this season as the show deals with its most important, show altering stories yet.
Following the events of the Season 2 finale, the season kicks off with the reveal that Dan (Paul Johansson) didn’t die of the huge fire that burn down his dealership. Instead, he is more spiteful than ever, hell bend on finding the person responsible. Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) welcomes back the two women in his life as his mother Karen (Moira Kelly) returns from New-Zealand and the girl he loves, Brooke (Sophia Bush), returns from California. Meanwhile Peyton (Hilarie Burton) confronts her dad with the fact that a woman is claiming to be her biological mother. Now both Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Nathan (James Lafferty) are back from following their respective music and basketball dreams and they need to work on their marriage.
Contrary to Season 2 where new characters distracted us from the main story, season 3 is all about the core cast. It pushes storylines forward that either have been dragging on for a while or are important to the characters we care about. It also reflects on the first season with similar themes and storylines. Brothers Lucas and Nathan are on the odds again as they disagree on forgiving Haley. Dan has an endless list of suspects for setting the fire that nearly killed him and he turns into even a greater villain. Brooke and Peyton are trying to stay friends even though unwanted feelings for Lucas creep up with both of them. One Tree Hill remembers exactly what happened on its timeline and builds on that, instead of just chewing out new storylines without any afterthought. Though the second season is best to be left alone, previous jokes, people or events are prominently referenced adding to the make belief that these characters are real people. It’s both rewarding and refreshing for the fans as the series is more set on creating its own world for fans to enjoy than it is to pleasing critics or new viewers.
In that world, in its own scope, One Tree Hill is pretty great. Indifferent to the outside world, Season 3 manages to reach new heights. It’s soapy and romantic and pays no attention to logic or reality. Characters don’t cope with money problems if that doesn’t serve the story, the police is not an active force in solving cases if that doesn’t come in handy and school attendance is not something these kids have to worry about. Granting all of its realistic flaws, the show does, however, serve viewers with entertainment and drama. It’s a character driven show and for anyone who wants to tag along, it’s a great one.
What truly makes this season stand out as one of the best in recent television history are two episodes in particular. One segments the show as a drama, carefully respecting every character and story told so far, culminating in a outstanding pay-off to the fans. The other one is so unique, so contemporary and devastatingly honest that it’s in a league of its own, where universally agreed pearls of television couldn’t and wouldn’t dare to go. ‘With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept’ tells the story of Jimmy Edwards who was in the first two episodes of One Tree Hill, but unlike the other kids, didn’t become popular. He didn’t date cheerleaders, didn’t go to parties or got to hang out with the basketball team. Instead, during the entire show’s run he lived in anonymity until he couldn’t stand being ignored any longer. The episode starts off with this kid bringing a gun to school and the hour that follows is one that transports the viewer into the most horrific news stories that are unimaginable for most of us: that of a school shooting. Though out of place for a show that’s usually so optimistic, the episode works brilliantly as the posh and pretty kids that star are faced with the reality of what high school is actually like for some teenagers. The episode changes the season and its characters. It lifts the quality to an unknown level as the following episodes are bound together perfectly with writer and creator Mark Schwahn taking over the writing for seven full episodes. A major character is killed off as others have to face reality and reflect on their mistakes and their entire lives. It all results in the finale, ‘The Show Must Go On’ in which two people get married. In what is a joyous occasion, all of the feelings that are three years in the making come to light as stories are blown wide open into an ending that is powerful, dramatic and unprecedented for teen TV.
This time around, as stories get heavier and characters deal with trust issues, medical conditions that take hold of their life and friendships are destroyed, the acting improves significantly over the show’s course. Surely, Murray won’t ever be a great actor but even he occasionally levels with the captivating performances of Kelly, Norris, Bush and Burton. Special mention goes out to guest star Colin Fickes who throws in an gutting performance as Jimmy Edwards. The music is also at an all time high with even more montages and performances. Michelle Featherstone’s “God Bless The Child” and The Weepies’ “World Spins Madly On” can’t ever be heard without bursting into tears. A recap of previous episodes under the sounds of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down” is a exciting homage to fan video’s. Tyler Hilton returns as the scheming Chris Keller, Pete from Fall Out Boy is a returning guest star and in a rare moment of mini-TV history, Led Zeppelin allowed the show to end its season with ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’.
An unforgettable season with stories that play close to the chest as these characters are faced with tragedy. One Tree Hill once again manages to bring laughter, tears, shock and awe in a season full of soap, music, basketball and dysfunctional relationships that would never occur in real life. That’s exactly why it’s so much fun to return to Tree Hill again, with a season that may just be the series’ best.
Follow One Tree HillFollowing the events of the Season 2 finale, the season kicks off with the reveal that Dan (Paul Johansson) didn’t die of the huge fire that burn down his dealership. Instead, he is more spiteful than ever, hell bend on finding the person responsible. Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) welcomes back the two women in his life as his mother Karen (Moira Kelly) returns from New-Zealand and the girl he loves, Brooke (Sophia Bush), returns from California. Meanwhile Peyton (Hilarie Burton) confronts her dad with the fact that a woman is claiming to be her biological mother. Now both Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Nathan (James Lafferty) are back from following their respective music and basketball dreams and they need to work on their marriage.
Contrary to Season 2 where new characters distracted us from the main story, season 3 is all about the core cast. It pushes storylines forward that either have been dragging on for a while or are important to the characters we care about. It also reflects on the first season with similar themes and storylines. Brothers Lucas and Nathan are on the odds again as they disagree on forgiving Haley. Dan has an endless list of suspects for setting the fire that nearly killed him and he turns into even a greater villain. Brooke and Peyton are trying to stay friends even though unwanted feelings for Lucas creep up with both of them. One Tree Hill remembers exactly what happened on its timeline and builds on that, instead of just chewing out new storylines without any afterthought. Though the second season is best to be left alone, previous jokes, people or events are prominently referenced adding to the make belief that these characters are real people. It’s both rewarding and refreshing for the fans as the series is more set on creating its own world for fans to enjoy than it is to pleasing critics or new viewers.
In that world, in its own scope, One Tree Hill is pretty great. Indifferent to the outside world, Season 3 manages to reach new heights. It’s soapy and romantic and pays no attention to logic or reality. Characters don’t cope with money problems if that doesn’t serve the story, the police is not an active force in solving cases if that doesn’t come in handy and school attendance is not something these kids have to worry about. Granting all of its realistic flaws, the show does, however, serve viewers with entertainment and drama. It’s a character driven show and for anyone who wants to tag along, it’s a great one.
What truly makes this season stand out as one of the best in recent television history are two episodes in particular. One segments the show as a drama, carefully respecting every character and story told so far, culminating in a outstanding pay-off to the fans. The other one is so unique, so contemporary and devastatingly honest that it’s in a league of its own, where universally agreed pearls of television couldn’t and wouldn’t dare to go. ‘With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept’ tells the story of Jimmy Edwards who was in the first two episodes of One Tree Hill, but unlike the other kids, didn’t become popular. He didn’t date cheerleaders, didn’t go to parties or got to hang out with the basketball team. Instead, during the entire show’s run he lived in anonymity until he couldn’t stand being ignored any longer. The episode starts off with this kid bringing a gun to school and the hour that follows is one that transports the viewer into the most horrific news stories that are unimaginable for most of us: that of a school shooting. Though out of place for a show that’s usually so optimistic, the episode works brilliantly as the posh and pretty kids that star are faced with the reality of what high school is actually like for some teenagers. The episode changes the season and its characters. It lifts the quality to an unknown level as the following episodes are bound together perfectly with writer and creator Mark Schwahn taking over the writing for seven full episodes. A major character is killed off as others have to face reality and reflect on their mistakes and their entire lives. It all results in the finale, ‘The Show Must Go On’ in which two people get married. In what is a joyous occasion, all of the feelings that are three years in the making come to light as stories are blown wide open into an ending that is powerful, dramatic and unprecedented for teen TV.
This time around, as stories get heavier and characters deal with trust issues, medical conditions that take hold of their life and friendships are destroyed, the acting improves significantly over the show’s course. Surely, Murray won’t ever be a great actor but even he occasionally levels with the captivating performances of Kelly, Norris, Bush and Burton. Special mention goes out to guest star Colin Fickes who throws in an gutting performance as Jimmy Edwards. The music is also at an all time high with even more montages and performances. Michelle Featherstone’s “God Bless The Child” and The Weepies’ “World Spins Madly On” can’t ever be heard without bursting into tears. A recap of previous episodes under the sounds of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down” is a exciting homage to fan video’s. Tyler Hilton returns as the scheming Chris Keller, Pete from Fall Out Boy is a returning guest star and in a rare moment of mini-TV history, Led Zeppelin allowed the show to end its season with ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’.
An unforgettable season with stories that play close to the chest as these characters are faced with tragedy. One Tree Hill once again manages to bring laughter, tears, shock and awe in a season full of soap, music, basketball and dysfunctional relationships that would never occur in real life. That’s exactly why it’s so much fun to return to Tree Hill again, with a season that may just be the series’ best.
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