15 Best 'One Tree Hill' Episodes, Ranked (original) (raw)
Few shows get to air for nine seasons, especially when they are targeted towards teens. One Tree Hill was able to maintain its quality and ratings for longer than most CW dramas that were on at a similar time frame. The series starts off with Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan (James Lafferty), two boys who share the same father, having to learn to set their differences aside when they join the Tree Hill Ravens.
The series does follow the main characters beyond their time on the river court playing basketball, with Lucas, Nathan, and others enduring losses and having their dreams come true throughout the seasons. With over 187 episodes in total, the following list narrows down to the 15 best episodes of One Tree Hill.
Release Date
2003 - 2012-00-00
Network
The CW
Showrunner
Mark Schwahn
Cast
Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton, Paul Johansson, Sophia Bush, Barry Corbin, Craig Sheffer, Bethany Joy Lenz, Moira Kelly
Seasons
9
15 "One Tree Hill"
Season 9, Episode 13 (2012)
One Tree Hill Finale
Image Via The CW
Season 9 was filled with ups and downs, especially when it came to Nathan's bizarre kidnapping storyline. Yet, the series wraps up in a heart-warming manner, with a few performances at Tric from characters whose music careers were connected to the iconic venue. On top of Chris Keller (Tyler Hilton) and Haley James Scott (Bethany Joy Lenz) singing for the last time on our screens, Clay (Robert Buckley) and Quinn (Shantel VanSaten) get the chance to become a happy family after so many hardships in their relationship.
The episode ending with Gavin DeGraw performing the theme song while the cast sings along felt extra special, considering everything that happened up until the finale. The last scene also shows a fast-forward moment, with the main characters cheering their kids on from the benches as Nathan and Haley's son carries on his father's legacy as the top basketball player at Tree Hill High. Having basketball, a sport that has been at the focal point of the series since the beginning, finishing off the story feels nothing but fitting.
14 "This Is My House, This Is My Home"
Season 8, Episode 22 (2011)
Brooke (Sophia Bush) is holding her baby bump as Julian (Austin Nichols) kneels in front of her to touch it.
Image via The CW
Right above the series finale is Season 8's arguably epic closer. Many fans of the series consider this episode a better farewell to Tree Hill because it satisfyingly ties loose ends for all the characters, but particularly Brooke (Sophia Bush). After all, as Haley and Peyton found their soulmates early on, she was still trying to achieve her dream of having a family. When she gets together with Julian (Austin Nichols), the only thing missing is having children of their own, which finally happens in this episode.
Season 8, Episode 22 also marks Haley's decision to reinstate Karen's Cafe, which is a moving callback to the beginning of the series when she used to work there after classes. The final sequence also makes reference to the pilot, with Jamie (Jackson Brundage) putting on Lucas' signature grey hoodie and dribbling a basketball across the bridge just like the lead did in the series' original opening credits.
13 "When It Isn't Like It Should Be"
Season 3, Episode 18 (2006)
Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Nathan (James Lafferty) holding hands near a lake in 'One Tree Hill' Season 3.
Image via The CW
Some of the best episodes in the show were those that brought everyone together without petty fights getting in the way of their interactions. That is exactly what happens in episode 18 of Season 3 of One Tree Hill, when Rachel (Daneel Ackles) invites her friend group to stay at her cabin for a weekend getaway. The change of scenery becomes the perfect opportunity for Nathan to propose to Haley again, and this time, do a proper wedding celebration.
Throughout the episode, Brooke and Lucas try to help Nathan by getting a hold of Haley's wedding band. As she goes crazy trying to find it, she is caught by surprise when her husband goes down on one knee and asks her to get married to him again. It is all sunshine and rainbows here, which comes as a relief after Keith's death earlier in the season. Having Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy make a stop at the cabin trip to spend a few days with Peyton (Hilarie Burton) is also a remarkable instance for emo fans.
12 "It Gets the Worst at Night"
Season 4, Episode 17 (2007)
'One Tree Hill' cast wearing vintage outfits and posing together in a Season 4 prom episode.
Image via The CW
After Brooke and Peyton had to fight off Psycho Derek during Tree Hill's prom night, the characters finally get the opportunity for a do-over. With Mouth (Lee Norris) reaching out to his friends for help with a cryptic message saying that he is in Honey Grove, Texas, everyone decides to pack their bags and go on a road trip to meet him.
The turning point in this episode that makes it memorable is when their car gets out of gas and Chris Keller suddenly arrives to their rescue. Although the character started off as somewhat of a villain in the series, getting in the way of Nathan and Haley's meant-to-be romance, he soon became a beloved presence whenever he made a guest appearance. It's also safe to say that the main ensemble trashing another prom wearing thrifted outfits is a One Tree Hill highlight.
11 "Every Night Is Another Story"
Season 1, Episode 6 (2003)
Hilarie Burton as Peyton with an angry expression standing next to Sophia Bush as Brooke in 'One Tree Hill'.
Image via The CW
Before Lucas and Nathan set their differences aside and became close later in the show, their relationship was on the rocks at the beginning of Season 1. Their fight on the basketball court in episode 6 even resulted in Coach Whitey (Barry Corbin) expelling them from the school bus in order to teach them a lesson. What is so entertaining about their long walk home is that the two half-siblings make amends out of necessity, since they have to deal with players from the opposing team taunting them.
As Lucas and Nathan try to get along, Peyton, Brooke, and Haley end up going on a car ride together. At the time, Haley was still an outcast, whereas Peyton and Brooke had been friends since they were kids and were both in the cheerleading squad. This episode foreshadows the friendship between the trio later in the teen drama, marking their first proper hang. With Brooke on some strong medication, it is funny to see her saying gibberish in the backseat while Peyton and Haley listen to music and bond.
10 "Danny Boy"
Season 9, Episode 11 (2012)
Barbara Alyn Woods and Paul Johansson as Deb and Dan Scott, as Dan lays dying in a hospital bed on One Tree Hill
Image via The CW
Dan (Paul Johansson) starts off as the villain, but somewhere along the way, he begins to redeem himself by always showing up to save Nathan from danger and establishing a close connection with his grandson, Jamie. Although Season 9 felt a bit off due to Nathan's kidnapping storyline, it did give the show's antihero a proper resolution.
In episode 11, Dan's life hangs by a thread after he gets shot while trying to help Nathan escape. As he lies in a hospital bed, the character has the chance to have an emotional farewell with his son, Haley, his grandchildren, and even his dead brother, Keith (Craig Sheffer). Throughout the seasons, Dan's urge to do good after killing Keith in Season 3 allows him to reconnect with his brother in the afterlife. The scene they share in the high school hall where everything went down between them is an instant tearjerker, and allows the series' villain to be forgiven for all the wrong he did in the past.
9 "Pilot"
Season 1, Episode 1 (2003)
Nothing beats a good introduction to the main characters and the world they live in. The One Tree Hill pilot is easily one of the best episodes of the entire series, and sets the stage for the rift between Lucas and Nathan, half-brothers who despise each other and end up in the same basketball team.
From Lucas and Peyton having their first conversation to the two brothers having an epic face-off on the river court, there are many moments in this episode that stand out and are referenced later in the series. Peyton driving a Comet when the traffic light is red, the show's theme song, and Lucas wearing a gray hoodie while dribbling a ball across the bridge, have all become core symbols of the OTH world because of the pilot.
8 "Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly"
Season 6, Episode 3 (2008)
Closeup of James Lafferty hugging Jackson Brundage in 'One Tree Hill'
Image via The CW
Grief is a prevalent feeling in this CW drama, since various characters have died throughout the course of the show. Yet, one of the most heart-wrenching deaths depicted in the series was Quentin's (Robbie Jones). The character was introduced in Season 5 as a troublesome basketball player with an attitude that mirrored Nathan's rebelliousness in Season 1. As the two begin to train together and become friends, Quentin's life and dream to become an NBA player is cut short when fans least expected.
Not only was he a close friend to Nathan, but he also became a figure that Jamie looked up to. Seeing a child navigate grief is truly devastating, thus why this episode is so touching. Its title, "Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly", is a direct reference to the scene in which Jamie puts a superhero cape over Quentin's coffin and holds Brooke's (Sophia Bush) hand (an emotional moment for any viewer).
7 "The Game That Plays Us"
Season 1, Episode 22 (2004)
Bethany Joy Lenz with her hand up while James Lafferty puts his arm around her.
Image via The CW
Season 1 ended with a bang, and really set the precedent for the other season finales of the show. Not only did Nathan and Haley tell Lucas that they got married after the Ravens lost their game, but Dan ends up having a stroke as he is signing the papers to get divorced from Deb (Barbara Allyn Woods). It really is one chaotic moment after the next, which makes for an engaging watch from start to finish.
This is also a pivotal moment for the brothers at the heart of the series. After all, despite losing their basketball game, Lucas and Nathan are just happy to be on good terms. Although the two draw closer by the end of the season, the opposite is true for Dan and Keith, whose rivalry reaches a new high when the latter sleeps with his brother's wife.
6 "All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone"
Season 4, Episode 21 (2007)
Girls of 'One Tree Hill' do the Spice Girls dance
Image via The CW
OTH is notorious for its season finales and the last episode of Season 4 offered the closure needed before the time jump that happens in Season 5. With the lead characters leaving high school behind, everyone is excited about their future endeavors. The episode is a roller coaster ride, with Haley going into labor and Karen (Moira Kelly) being taken to the hospital for an emergency procedure at the same time. Although everything ends well for both characters, viewers can't help but get tense about Karen dying before giving birth to her and Keith's daughter.
The Season 4 finale also ends in celebration, with the main characters reuniting for a graduation party where everyone makes amends and enjoys their last moments alongside their high school colleagues. The group dances to the Spice Girls and even sign their names on the river court, saying goodbye to their go-to spot. When they play ball for the last time all together, it feels like the perfect way to end their teenage years.