One Tree Hill Season Four is Off to a Dramatic Start

After last season ended with the possibility of not one, not two, but three deaths, fans of One Tree Hill have been on pins and needles wondering what happened. Would Nathan die, leaving Haley a widow at 17? Would Cooper and Rachel die as a result of her obsessive feelings for the older man? Would anyone live or were the writers trying to change up the show in a dramatic way?

The start to season four overlaps a few brief moments with the finale of season three. You relive the traumatic experience of the limo driving over the side of the bridge and Nathan diving in the river to save Rachel and Cooper. Haley is on the bridge, screaming in her wedding dress. Luckily Lucas and Karen aren't far behind.

Peyton is unaware of these events because she is reliving, in her head, all the problems that have happened the last few years making Brooke no longer want to be friends with her. As if discovering she was adopted, meeting her birth mother months before she dies, and having her heart broken isn't enough, Peyton apparently needs more drama in her life. I used to really enjoy Peyton until things became too soap opera-ish.

She was the cool girl everyone liked but was still an individualist. She loved music and art and had a certain coolness to her. Now it is all "oh woe is Peyton" to the degree I no longer care what new devastating thing comes her way. It also leaves me neutral to the discovery that she has a brother from her biological father.

Someone has discovered Dan's secret about killing Keith. He came home to find "MURDERER" painted in huge red letters on his wall. Keith's ghost taunts Dan with idea that someone knows about this skeleton in his closet. The police show up, but much to Dan's relief it is merely to inform him about Nathan's accident.

I never know what to think about Dan though. He fluctuates between being the guy you love to hate and the villain you hate so much you cannot wait until he leaves the show. But since he killed his brother Keith, he has been meandering further down the spectrum of hoping something horrible happens to him, something so hideous you wouldn't wish it on anyone but the worst of the worst and it is only ok to wish it on Dan because you know it isn't real.

As is typical in dramatic shows, everyone shows up at the hospital to wait out fate for our three friends. Nathan is ok, but obviously doesn't remember what happened. Rachel is ok and admits to Brooke that she lied to Cooper about being pregnant. But we also learn that Brooke isn't pregnant, or at least that is what she wants Lucas to think. With the show being only an hour long, they had to answer a lot of questions in a short amount of time. It makes things a little less realistic, but that's the nature of the beast.

Can I just stop to comment on what a bitch Haley can be when she wants? She has the tongue of a thousand lashes when she tells Rachel to leave everyone alone because their lives are worse off because of her. I guess she took it to heart because Rachel plans on making a getaway. Cue entrance for the far too loveable dork, Mouth, with advice to not run from mistakes and the wisdom that people don't change because it is easier not to. I guess the theme this year is change.

All the drama of the past season was too much for Brooke as well, so she calls it quits with Lucas. This was coming for a while. At first I thought she was crazy because Lucas really loved her and seemed like a good boyfriend. Then she explained how she never felt missed to the point it made her stop missing Lucas too. I'm proud of her for sticking to her guns about what she deserves and not settling. It's a good lesson for girls to take to heart, girls of all ages.

Which is kind of the heart of One Tree Hill if you think about it. Sure, it is a cheesy teen drama that is leaning heavier on the drama than it used to. But with this new rush of drama comes many lessons that are quite valuable, especially for the target demographics of the show. The show may take things to the extreme in their lessons, but they still present them in a manner that isn't bashing the audience over the head with them. The audience can watch the show and know what the helpful advice is without it seeming too much like a Public Service Announcement.

One Tree Hill's season four premiere, "The Same Deep Water As You", featured music from Trespassers William, Dashboard Confessional, and Ray LaMontagne.

The questions to ponder until next week: Does Nathan remember what happened under the water and will Rachel's obsession transfer to her false hero? Oh, and who exactly was the hero in the river anyway?