One Tree Hill is back for the ninth and final season and brought more than a handful of jaw dropping surprises. Right away we were shown some very familiar faces that we haven’t seen in quite awhile and surely this is just the beginning of these moments since Hilarie Burton and Chad Michael Murray among others will also be returning for guest appearances before the series finale. If you aren’t one to read spoilers, the opening sequence brought you up to speed on what we can expect this season. Every moment in the opening was mesmerizing and has set up for what is sure to be one of the most explosive seasons of the series. The much anticipated season nine premiere satisfied very much in setting that up. In fact, One Tree Hill not only came back strong but stronger than ever and definitely gave us some good “TV to Talk About.”
“Hey…should I put my pants back on?” – Chase
As for one of the familiar faces…Chris Keller (Tyler Hilton) is back and Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) was not at all pleased to see him… and for good reason. No one is doubting Chris Keller’s ability to successfully run a label but coming back to town to run Haley’s label of all labels is much too close to home given everyone’s history with Keller. While it is fun in a nostalgic kind of way to see Chris Keller back in town, rubbing everyone the wrong way as he playfully does, we know that there is more to his return than what he is putting out there. Why he rode shotgun next to Dan (Paul Johansson) leaving a burning diner with a gun is beyond anything we could have ever anticipated. And then Dan said, “If you can, leave the killing to me. I’m already on the list.” What exactly is going on here? Fantastic use of the mystery aspect here.
When it comes to Haley at home… it is just so good to see Nathan (James Lafferty) and Haley again. It has been far too long since our favorite TV couple has been on the small screen. No matter how many miles apart they are when Nathan is away on business, these two manage to give me butterflies like they did when they were in high school. Just looking at them will make you smile, thinking of how far they have come. Images from past seasons flash through the mind, good and bad but all part of Naley’s history and what a wonderful piece of history it is. Season nine is sure to put a spotlight on the one relationship that really holds Tree Hill up. It is a shame though that Nathan was not home before what came next.
Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) and Julian (Austin Nichols) are new parents to two beautiful baby boys who got christened with the help of Haley, Victoria (Daphne Zuniga), and Brooke’s father! We finally get to meet Brooke’s father (Richard Burgi)! What better a moment to see him then at the christening for Brooke’s twins? Burgi is sticking around for awhile this season so we have a lot of laughs and tears to look forward to. But after the christening, who shows up when Nathan is not around but Dan. A fire at Dan’s diner brings him back to Tree Hill, begging Haley for a place to rest his head while he gets back on his feet. The only problem is, the fire from the opening sequence seemed a little shady, what with the gun involved and Chris Keller in the passenger seat during the opening. Again, what is really going on here?
“Chris Keller likes jamming with Chris Keller. That way he works with the best.” – Chris
Meanwhile, Alex (Jana Kramer) and Chase (Stephen Colletti) seem to be having the time of their lives together… that is until Keller distracts Alex from her sex life. Chase’s outburst toward Keller was quite hysterical. By the way, Jana Kramer’s song, “What I Love About Your Love” is available on iTunes now. Then there’s Clay (Robert Buckley) and Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) who are struggling with Clay’s recuperation post shooting. Other than sleepwalking, everything seems to be going well. It is up for debate to say that this couple has had the least amount of conflict of them all so it will be interesting to see what obstacles lay ahead for them as the series comes to a close. Based on the opening, we know that Clay kicks Quinn out at some point but it is difficult to say when all that took place in the opening comes into play this season. In case you forgot, the opening also included Brooke destroying Karen’s cafe, Haley looking over a body in the morgue, Austin getting beat up, and Chase sitting in the back of a cop car quite bloody. Well, we sure do have plenty to look forward to this season! Season nine opened wonderfully and is sure to deliver the goods week after week until the very end. Mark Schwahn knows what we want and is off to a magnificent start bringing us the conclusion to one of the best dramas The CW has ever seen. Stay tuned for more.
Notes:
*There was no theme music this week but it worked. And Brooke’s narration was beautiful. Who else loves the narration within the episode as opposed to just at the beginning and the end?
*Haley’s fashion sense is so captivating. Who else wants to dress like her? Speaking of fashion, Brooke wanting to start a baby line for boys is something to look forward to this season!
*Karen’s Cafe looks better than ever!
Watch One Tree Hill Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
