“Every song ends, is that any reason not to enjoy the music?”
I still remember when I first saw the promo back in September 2003. It introduced us to small town basketball, and two brothers who barely acknowledged each other’s existence. Fast-forward 9 years, and here we are…saying goodbye to a show that in one way or another, has taught us all a little something.
187 episodes later, we are still captivated by the lives and escapades of all the residents of Tree Hill. To pay homage to the world Mark Schwann brought us into, I wanted to write a little something special. In the following post, you will see all the ways I have been affected by One Tree Hill. In true Schwann-fashion, I begin each point with a correlating song, which also was once listed as an episode title.
So with great sadness, tomorrow night we say Goodnight Rivercourt, Goodnight Karen’s Café, Goodnight Tree Hill.
Family Affair - Giving us new faces. Well, maybe not all the faces were new. We all saw: Paul on the original 90210 when he seduced Kelly Taylor; Moira skating her way to fame in The Cutting Edge (toe-pick); Chad in Dawson’s Creek (don’t lie, you know you watched it); Joy, who I remember seeing on Guidng Light (thanks mom); James was just a kid when he played a jerk in Once and Again (still adorable though); Hilarie laughed with us every day on TRL; and who can forget Lee, as nerdy Minkus on Boy Meets World. But you introduced us to so many others. Sophia Bush, Stephen Colletti (as a real actor, not a “tool on Laguna Beach”), Jackson Brundage, Lisa Goldstein, Joe Manganiello, and everyone else who we loved for a season or more. You weren’t afraid to pick those actors who weren’t as well known. You introduced many people into our lives and now we get to follow them through their careers (and on twitter).
The First Cut is the Deepest - Love stories. You made us all believe in true love. Whether it was found in unexpected places (Naley forever) or was brought on by days and years of pining (Leyton, Karen and Keith) it was true and it was real. We all finished those episodes with smiles on our faces and love in our hearts. It may only be on tv, but you give us hope, and for that every girl across the world is grateful.
We Might as Well be Strangers – You gave us all a reason to connect. The constant texting during the hour, the long conversations after an episode, the extended lunches going over every little detail. OTH was a common ground we could all meet on. We loved talking about the storylines and gossiping over what we thought would be coming next. OTH never failed to bring the excitement, with every story and every new development.
Truth, Bitter Truth - It’s ok to be different. Whether it’s a tutor in high school, or a “clean teen” looking for a place to fit in, everyone is unique. OTH wasn’t afraid to show us the differences between us all. They put them out there for all to see, and showed the acceptance of just being yourself.
Good News for People who Love Bad News - A million and 1 reasons why my HS years were not nearly as bad as I thought (comparatively speaking-no stalker, no wedding/baby, no crowbar wielding psycho bookies). We all think we have it bad, but I’m not sure anyone can compare to what these characters went through. OTH made it all seem like a walk in the park (well, mostly).
Songs to Love and Die By - The introduction to some of the best music I've ever put my hands on. Gavin DeGraw, Bethany Joy Lenz, Tyler Hilton, Angels and Airwaves, Lupe Fiasco, City and Colour…this list could literally take up pages and pages. You brought us music you felt best described each scene, each moment. I bet we can all remember what song was playing when Nathan first kissed Haley; when the Ravens won the State Championship; when Lucas and Peyton finally got married, and then had a baby. Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing (yes, that’s ABBA, but I couldn’t resist). You made my iPod playlist that much better, and for that alone, you deserve a standing ovation.
Life is Short - Taking risks. You weren’t afraid to show us what it was like to lose someone. You weren’t afraid to show us the horrors of real life. The episode in season 3, where Jimmy Edwards brings a gun to school, might be one of the most powerful hours of television I have ever seen. It didn’t hold back, it didn’t sugarcoat a messy situation. It brought us all into a scary world that we wanted to come out of alive. Tree Hill never shied away from real life issues; whether it was a risky pregnancy or a glimpse at fraudulent business practices. We learned lessons every week, lessons that will stay with us always.
I and Love and You – We have all shared in the joys and triumphs and basked in the glow of the wonderful things that happened on One Tree Hill. The stories and lives we watched unfold were a joy to us all. Haley, Nathan and Brooke were a constant we all loved having in our lives. A constant we could count on every week to take us out of our lives, and transport us to a place “where everything’s better and everything’s safe”. A place not on our map, but a place we would gladly affix our names to on any map.
Mark, to you I say thank you. Thank you for your creativity, thank you for your passion. Thank you for believing that the script was bigger than just a 90-minute movie. Thank you for making us all see the wonder in the world.
“… So don't be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble and fall, cause most of the time, the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination.”
Mark, thank you for letting us all take this journey with you. It’s been truly magical. There is, and will only ever be, One Tree Hill.
But hey, that’s just this girl’s opinion
(The title of this post is a song by Audioslave. Fitting title, don’t you think?)
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