With a television drama like One Tree Hill, the last episode of every season is a pretty big deal. Will the characters find love or break up? Will the love triangle that exists between Peyton, Brooke, and Lucas heat up? And what about all of the various tragedies that always seem to befall Dan in particular?
Let's take a look at all of the One Tree Hill season finales, ranked from the worst one to the ones that fans still recall even several years later.
Series Finale
The series finale of One Tree Hill (also called "One Tree Hill") isn't totally terrible, but since the show had been on the air for nine seasons at that point, it's fair to admit that it had gotten a bit tired. The problem with the series finale is that it honestly felt like another episode of the show. It didn't have any big swings or epic moments.
Yes, it had a happy ending and the characters were all happy and doing well, which is what fans are looking for. But by the time the gang had gathered to watch Nathan and Haley's son Jamie play basketball, it just felt like it was time to say goodbye to these characters and it was okay that the show was ending.
Season 8
The season 8 finale "This Is My House, This Is My Home" isn't all that easy to remember. The thing that fans will take away the most is that Brooke has twins. Since she had struggled so much with starting a family, this was definitely a sweet and emotional moment, but besides that, it's not one of the greatest finales that the show has done.
Clay and Nathan also have their own plotline (hiring for their sports agency) but no matter how adorable Clay is, many fans would probably agree that the later seasons of the show aren't the highest of quality, and the scenes between these two characters are a bit dull.
Season 5
In "What Comes After the Blues", the fifth season finale of One Tree Hill, is honestly pretty depressing. A teen drama has to be in the middle of that fine line between having the characters suffer so much that it's painful to watch and providing some hope for anyone who is watching.
The saddest part of this finale is that Brooke has been looking after a baby named Angie and is forced to give her back to her mom and dad. Since Brooke dreams of becoming a mother (and righting the wrongs of her horrible upbringing), it's difficult to watch her go through this. This finale didn't leave fans super excited for the following season, either, which is the point of the last episode of each season.
Season 7
In the seventh season finale, "Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You" (which is definitely a mouthful of a title), everyone goes to Utah because Julian's movie is finally premiering.
It can be hit or miss when a group of TV characters travel somewhere for an episode. Sometimes it doesn't work at all and is cluttered or boring, but other times, like this particular episode, it can feel like a breath of fresh air since viewers get to see characters in a new environment. It's just plain fun to watch this episode.
Season 4
The season four finale, called "All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone", might be a fairly typical episode when a friend group has their high school graduation ceremony and then preps for college or whatever they will be doing next.
Since Haley realizes that she's about to have her baby when she's giving her speech, well, that makes this a much more compelling and dramatic season finale. It's exciting to see Haley and Nathan finally become parents since the fact that she was pregnant was such a big part of the show up until that point. It's hard to imagine that Jamie (and his hilarious quips) wasn't always a part of the show. Some teen dramas play up the drama of one of the characters getting unexpectedly pregnant, but for some reason, it works really well on One Tree Hill. Haley seems born to be a mom and she's very mature about it.
Season 2
One of the better season finales, the second season finale of this teen drama actually had two-parts: "The Tide That Left and Never Came Back" and "The Leavers Dance." Thankfully, the two-parter is as epic and well done as fans would hope.
Brooke and Lucas talk about how much they care about each other, and since the Peyton/Lucas/Brooke love triangle is one of the most memorable aspects of this show, that alone would make this a finale that is worth watching. Other characters make some massive decisions: Haley comes back to Tree Hill and Karen is heading to New Zealand. Oh, and can't forget the craziest part of all: fans wonder if Dan is alive or dead after he's the victim of a fire at the car dealership. Talk about a fiery finale (literally).
Season 3
The first three seasons feel like the most "teen drama" of One Tree Hill since that's when the main characters are attending high school, dating, and figuring out everything that young people have to deal with. The third season finale, "The Show Must Go On", is one of the best for that reason.
There are two great things about this finale: Brooke and Peyton start their love triangle all over again because Peyton is jealous and admits that she's got feelings for Lucas. And Nathan and Haley will have a vow renewal. These are the most beloved characters on the show, and watching them struggle (while still caring about each other) is what this show is all about.
Season 6
The season six finale "Remember Me as a Time of Day" is one of the better ones because it features One Tree Hill staples: a family showdown, drama surrounding Peyton, and everything working out just fine. It's also corny and moving at the same time which feels like the show's vibe.
The showdown in question is between Brooke and her mom Victoria, who has taken over Clothes over Bros, Brooke's clothing line and store. Brooke owns everything once again, which is very satisfying to watch. Peyton is about to have her baby and she actually ends up passing out and going to the hospital, but she has a beautiful baby girl who she names Sawyer. Lucas and Peyton also say goodbye to the town of Tree Hill, and we say goodbye to them, too, as the actors are off the show after this season.
Season 1
A lot of the time, the first season of a TV show has the highest quality batch of episodes. This is true of One Tree Hill since the first season delivers on what fans truly love about the series, from Lucas and Nathan becoming a part of each other's worlds and all of the romance that the show is known for.
It's only logical that the season one finale of One Tree Hill is its best one, too. "The Games That Play Us" sees Nathan and Haley getting back together and Dan being his typical jerk self as he wants Lucas and Nathan to be the best basketball players ever. Later on in the series, it becomes clear that no one is going to be able to get along with or have a relationship with Dan, and this really sets that up.