The show One Tree Hill always aimed to kick each season off with a bang, even in its initial pilot episode. Season premieres usually set the tone for the whole season to come and this holds especially true for this show. Over One Tree Hill's 9 seasons, the show had some premieres that met expectations, wrapping up cliffhangers from the previous season and some that fell short.
One thing that most fans would agree on, is that the series never failed to deliver on increasing its stakes with each season opener, setting the tone for the whole season to come. Here's how One Tree Hill's 9 season openings compare, according to the user ratings on IMDb.
Season 7: 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Traveling Abroad) (7.8)
Fourteen months after Season 6, Lucas and Peyton have left Tree Hill and it’s obvious their departure has left a void. Haley’s sister Quinn and Nathan’s agent Clay are brought in to replace the duo. Nathan has just finished his first season in the NBA and Haley’s record career is taking off again.
Dan returns as a TV show host, having seemingly survived needing a heart transplant, and is now married to Rachel Gatina. Brooke and Julian’s relationship has been flourishing with the two deciding to remain in Tree Hill.
Season 8: Asleep at Heavens Gate (8.5)
The episode opens with Haley writing a letter to Lucas, telling him how much she misses him. Meanwhile, Clay and Quinn wake up, continuing as normal until they realize at the end of the episode that they were shot by Katie.
Other notable storylines include Brooke getting arrested as Victoria lied to investors about their new men’s line. Elsewhere, Nathan prepares to leave for his NBA training camp whilst celebrating the news of Haley’s pregnancy.
Season 2: The Desperate Kingdom of Love (8.5)
Brooke and Peyton rekindle their friendship and decide to make a day of hanging out with each other. On the road to their new life, Lucas and Keith find out about Dan’s heart attack which ultimately prompts them to return to Tree Hill.
This episode also features flashbacks to the events that led to Haley and Nathan getting married, including the ceremony itself. They continue to deal with the aftermath of their decision. Dan remains critical in the hospital, and Karen goes to see him. At the end of the episode, Lucas walks up to a surprised Brooke and Peyton, playing around on the beach.
Season 1: Pilot (8.6)
Where it all started, this episode is an introduction to estranged half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott. Most of the series mainstays appear in the pilot, except Brooke Davis. The episode focuses on Lucas joining the varsity basketball team, his attraction for Peyton Sawyer, and the difficulty of living in a town with a father who ignores his existence.
The pilot culminates in Lucas and Nathan competing in a one-on-one basketball game on the river court, over Lucas's joining the basketball team. The game turns into a true battle with Lucas making the winning shot.
Season 3: Like you An Arsonist (8.7)
At the Scott household, Haley returns at the same time Deb gets a call about the dealership fire. It is revealed that Dan has survived the fire and the episode jumps to three months later. In that time, Nathan has been at basketball camp, Lucas and Peyton spent the summer together and Dan was in recovery after the fire.
Brooke and Karen return to Tree Hill, with Brooke telling Lucas she wants to date him nonexclusively. Haley tries to patch things up with Nathan, who refuses as he is still hurt by her actions, which forces her to move in with Brooke. Meanwhile, Peyton learns that her real mother is alive, previously unaware that she was adopted.
Season 9: Know This, We’ve Noticed (8.7)
The final season of the series kicks off with Dan returning as a regular character, having lost his diner in a fire. He asks Haley, now running Karen’s Café full time with Brooke, if he can stay at the Scott household. Nathan has no say in the matter, being on the road for work.
Chris Kellar also makes a return, taking over management for Red Bedroom Records, not having been seen since season four. Meanwhile, Brooke and Julian navigate the trials and tribulations of having infant twins. The episode also introduces Brooke’s father, having never been seen in the show before.
Season 4: The Same Deep Water as You (8.8)
The previous season ended with Rachel and Cooper crashing off a bridge into the water, Nathan jumping in to save them. This episode begins with Lucas and Karen arriving, followed by Lucas jumping into the water to help, finding Nathan and Rachel on the riverbank. Meanwhile, Peyton deal with the fallout of admitting her feelings for Lucas to Brooke, seemingly ruining their friendship.
Brooke begins to form a friendship with her former rival, Rachel after visiting her in the hospital. Elsewhere, in an empty room, Dan strangles and threatens Deb after she revealed she was in fact the person who tried to kill him in the dealership fire.
Season 5: 4 Years, 6 Months, 3 Days (9.0)
The series made the risky but smart choice of having a massive time jump from the end of season four, skipping over the characters' college years. Lucas found success as an author but struggles to write a second book with mounting pressure from his editor girlfriend Lindsay. Brooke became a successful fashion designer, now living in New York whilst Peyton continues to grind in L.A as an assistant to the assistant.
Back in Tree Hill, fans learn that whilst Haley became a teacher, Nathan suffered a bad accident confining him to a wheelchair and is suffering. The episode ends with Peyton and Brooke returning to Tree Hill.
Season 6: Touch Me I’m Going to Scream: Part I (9.0)
Who did Lucas choose? That was the question on everyone’s mind when the season five finale aired. Through a series of what-if scenarios, it’s finally revealed that it was Peyton that Lucas called. The two then set of to Las Vegas to get married.
In Tree Hill, Dan wakes up after being hit by a car in the finale, only to realize he is in a makeshift hospital room. It’s revealed that the person that hit him was Nanny Carrie, looking to get revenge. Nathan continues to rebuild his basketball skills and tries to figure out who Deb has been seeing.