One Tree Hill Final Season Scoop: What Does the Beginning of the End Look Like?

Cast of CW's long-running series spill secrets about the ninth and last season

By Jenna Mullins Jan 06, 2012 7:41 AMTags

By the end of the first few minutes of One Tree Hill's season-nine premiere, our eyes were wide open in shock. By the end of the cast Q&A that followed, our eyes were filled with tears.

And that is pretty much One Tree Hill's final season in a nutshell: shock and tears. Based on the first episode and what creator Mark Schwahn had to say about the end of OTH, fans will be in for quite a rollercoaster ride...

Since this show is mostly about the couples and the drama that comes to their lives, we thought we'd break down what to expect when OTH returns to our TV lives (next Wednesday!) for one last time:

Haley, Nathan and the Kids: There are some truly adorable Naley moments in the season-nine premiere, even though the married couple isn't necessarily in the same room. And based on the episode's ominous voice over, Nathan (James Lafferty) is going to have some demons to battle this season.

Brooke and Julian: These two are still blissfully in love and enjoying being parents to their new twins. And by "enjoying," we mean barely getting any sleep and slowly going insane. But Brooke (Sophia Bush) manages to find quiet time with her boys by driving around Tree Hill in the middle of the night, reminiscing about growing up. Longtime fans will love to see how far B. Davis has come.

Clay and Quinn: Clay (Robert Buckley) starts season nine with a pretty big problem to deal with, but at least his gal Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) is right by his side. And she goes above and beyond normal girlfriend duties to help him deal with his issue. But there's a moment in the end of the episode that hints at a future situation for Clay…and it's no cakewalk.

Chase and Alex: Let's put it this way: these two are doing so well that we get to see Stephen Colletti with very few clothes on. More than once. And trust us, we're not complaining. Homeboy has been doing some pushups. But Alex brings a problem into the bedroom that causes their sex life to stall, and that problem is Chris Keller.

Other OTH final season tidbits:

  • Schwahn says season nine is his favorite ever, and there is a lot of "old-school One Tree Hill" throughout the 13 episodes. But don't worry, there's still plenty of crazy new drama to experience. "It's different and intense," Bush said. "We got to do exciting things and go outside the box." And how. In the first few moments of the season premiere there's a fire, a gun, a couple at the point of breaking up, someone in the back of a cop car and someone taking lots of anger out on inanimate objects.
  • Mouth puts on lots of weight, but the interesting story is the reasoning behind the poundage. But poor Lee Norris had to spend an extra four hours in the makeup chair each day to look the part.
  • Sophia Bush directed the second-to-last episode, and she told the audience that she cried reading the script and shooting the episode. Basically, start stocking up on tissues now.
  • Tyler Hilton is back full force in the first episode, and we didn't realize how much we missed Chris Keller until the season premiere. Yes, he still speaks in third person.
  • Yes, someone will be dying this season, but of course Schwahn and the cast kept their lips zipped on who would be biting the big one. The only clue we get about the death is in the opening moments of the episode.

One Tree Hill's final season starts Wednesday on the CW.

Have you started mourning the end of OTH? Or are you still in denial, like us? Don't be ashamed, it's nice and warm in denial.

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