It’s always interesting to watch a TV show a decade or so later and wonder if it feels the same. In the case of One Tree Hill, which aired for nine seasons between 2003 and 2012, the teen drama is still considered a classic today. Fans will always want to watch Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) learn that he has a brother, Nathan (James Lafferty), and the relationships are always going to keep new and old viewers entertained.
But even though the sweet, sometimes cheesy show is still great, there are many things about it that have fans raising their eyebrows in 2019. Here are five ways that One Tree Hill has aged poorly, along with five things that are timeless.
Aged Poorly: Nanny Carrie
When people think about One Tree Hill, they remember one of the wildest storylines: the one featuring Jamie’s crazy nanny. Carrie (Torrey DeVitto) starts taking care of Jamie (Jackson Brundage) in the fifth season, but while she seems all sweet and innocent at first, she reveals her true self in the episode “Hundred.”
This is the episode that people recall the most since it’s when Carrie decides it’s a good idea to kidnap Jamie. Of all the storylines on this show, this one has definitely aged poorly. It was an out-there idea at the time and still feels that way today. It seems like Haley James (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Nathan would have noticed that their nanny couldn’t be trusted.
Timeless: The Friendships
One thing about One Tree Hill that is timeless is the friendships that all of the characters share. From Lucas and Haley to Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton) and Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush), the gang has some tight connections and it seems that these will never be broken.
It was always fun to watch Lucas and Nathan on the River Court, and to watch Peyton and Brooke talk about dating and life. A teen drama really won’t work without good friendships, so thankfully, this one has a lot.
Aged Poorly: Peyton’s Stalking Storyline
It’s possible that many One Tree Hill fans didn’t really like or get this particular storyline when it aired, and it doesn’t seem like it’s aged very well in the years that have passed.
On a show like this one, it wouldn’t be enough for a character to have a family member that they didn’t know about. Instead of having Peyton’s half-brother Derek show up on her doorstep for a sweet family reunion, a character named Ian Banks (Matt Barr) makes her think that he’s Derek. There are some creepy online messages and lots of bad vibes. This storyline felt like a big mistake because it just made Peyton seem like an even sadder, more alone character. The girl had already had so much pain in her life, why make things even crazier?
Timeless: The Basketball Scenes
Friday Night Lights is known for depicting high school football in a really inspiring and moving way, and OTH should get credit for the way that it shows high school basketball.
Whether Lucas and Nathan are playing a game at the school or Lucas is with his pals at the River Court, it’s always solid. And the series finale features an older Jamie playing basketball, which was enough to make fans tear up.
Aged Poorly: Peyton’s Dating Life
Peyton’s dating life has definitely aged poorly. It’s super unrealistic for her to date the people that she does. First of all, she goes out with Pete Wentz (yes, Pete Wentz from the band Fall Out Boy) in the third season. Second of all, another one of her love interests is Jake Jagielski (Bryan Greenberg).
Jake has a daughter named Jenny, but instead of a complex and fascinating portrayal of what it would be like to date someone with a kid when you’re basically a kid yourself, this is another melodramatic relationship on a teen drama.
Timeless: Lucas And Peyton’s Epic Romance
In the pilot, Peyton says, “First of all, you don’t know me. Second of all, you don’t know me.” This is perhaps her most well-known quote since it sums up everything about this character: she’s tough, she’s not afraid to speak her mind, and she has a wall up against the rest of the world.
Well, except for Lucas. These two characters have an epic romance, and this is one aspect of the show that is timeless. While it didn’t always look like they would get a real goodbye, they get married, have a baby, and ride off together.
Aged Poorly: The Ghosts
Can a teen drama feature ghosts and still be good? It’s a fair question… and since OTH isn’t actually a supernatural series, it does seem kind of weird that it leans on ghosts so heavily.
Because the show can seem so corny at times, even featuring the ghost of Keith, a sweet and beloved character who is shot and killed by his brother (and Lucas and Nathan’s dad) Dan, seemed like overkill. And Clay (Robert Buckley) and Haley’s sister Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) are actually ghosts in one episode at the beginning of season eight.
Timeless: The Characters’ Dreams
OTH has a reputation for being kind of corny sometimes (okay, that might be an understatement). And that’s exactly why people love it so much. It can be nice to just embrace a cheesy, entertaining show sometimes.
Another thing about this show that will always be timeless? That would be the dreams that the main characters have. From Mouth McFadden (Lee Norris) wanting to work in sports broadcasting to Lucas writing his novel to Peyton starting a record label to Brooke and her clothing line and store, it’s heartfelt to watch these young adults reaching for their goals and making them happen.
Aged Poorly: Nathan And Haley’s Marriage And Pregnancy
In real life, it would be a pretty big deal if a couple got married and had a baby in high school. After all, MTV has many reality series about teen pregnancy, such as 16 And Pregnant and Teen Mom, and it doesn’t look very easy at all.
But on OTH, Nathan and Haley do just that: tie the knot and also have a baby before high school is over. This is another part of One Tree Hill that has aged poorly. It’s totally unrealistic and hard to buy, and both Nathan and Haley act like it’s great and won’t be hard at all. No one really seems to think that much about it.
Timeless: The Four-Year Jump
The final aspect of One Tree Hill that is timeless is the four-year jump between the fourth and fifth seasons. There are countless TV shows that have featured this storytelling device, including Pretty Little Liars, but it’s fair to say that OTH did it really well.
Since the characters already seemed so, well, old, when they were in high school, it wasn’t a massive stretch to believe that they were now young adults in their 20s. It was fun to watch where they ended up, and in some ways, the later seasons are more believable since the gang is at least acting their age.
