In an effort to avoid that fate, the CW’s One Tree Hill made and an unlikely (and likely wise) decision going into the series’ fifth season. As the fifth season opens, four-and-and-a-half-years have passed since the high school graduation depicted in season four; thus avoiding the awkward question of how to keep the group of friends together at a time when they would likely scatter far and wide and opening the show up to a more mature set of storylines.
The season opener, “4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days,” sets the tone for the new direction of the series. Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) is standing alone at the River Court. He has written a best-selling novel, An Unkindness of Ravens. The problem is, his editor and girlfriend Lindsey Strauss (Michaela McManus) needs a new book from him and he’s suffering from a major case of writers block. He also has an engagement ring in his drawer. Lucas is also the head coach of the Ravens, with Skills (Antwon Tanner) Lucas’ brother Nathan (James Lafferty) is the picture of a broken man. After a terrible accident six months earlier, left his dreams of a career in the NBA in shambles, Nathan has gotten enormously depressed, started drinking and ignoring the needs of his wife Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) and his now four-and-a-half-year-old son, James Lucas Scott (Jackson Brundage).
In the midst of all this, Haley is twenty-two, struggling with a disabled husband who is drinking too much and trying to be a good mother. Despite all her difficulties, she has become a teacher at Tree Hill High. Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) is now a successful fashion designer. Her line ‘Cloths over Bros’ is now a multi-million dollar company and Brooke is living in New York a very wealthy, famous young woman. Her mother, Victoria (Daphne Zuniga) forever the business woman, has stepped in as C.E.O. to make the company even bigger. Peyton Sawyer (Hillarie Burton) is living in Los Angeles working as the “assistant to the assistant” at a record company. Miserable, Peyton’s boss tells her, “It’s all about the money.” Peyton thinks otherwise and says that music can change the world. After talking with Brooke on the phone, Peyton decides to quit her job so they both can return to Tree Hill.
Marvin “Mouth” McFadden (Lee Norris) is struggling to find a job as a sportscaster, bur refuses to give up on the dream.
Everything that happens during One Tree Hill’s Fifth Season derives in one way or another from that season premiere. Mark Schwahn and the other producers and writers changed the entire feel of the series in one episode. The tone was much more, “What am I going to do with my life, than last season’s “I can’t believe you kissed him,” feel. While the change was a bit surprising, I found much of the ensuing episodes were more engaging than anything in previous seasons.
While each character had their moments during the fifth year, the growth of Brooke Davis was the most poignant. Rich and successful, she still longed for the love of a mother who seems incapable of giving it to her. Realizing that what she really wants is to be a mother, Brooke tries to adopt a baby. Though her application for adoption is turned down, she is given temporary custody of Angie, a little girl from a foreign country who is in the United States for special surgery.
Lucas had the most annoying storyline during the fifth season. His indecision over which woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with–Lindsey, Peyton or Brooke–got old fast; so much so, I paid more attention to the other characters and stopped caring about him. However, in the season finale, sitting at the airport, Lucas makes a phone call. Brooke, Peyton and Lindsey simultaneously answer their phones and Lucas tells the girl on the receiving end that he has two tickets to Las Vegas and invites her, to come with him tonight and get married. So it looks like that issue might be resolved during the sixth season premiere on September 1, 2008. I hope he picks Peyton, Once and for all!
The five DVD set is presented in widescreen format. The audio is in Dolby Digital Surround Sound and subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish for the hearing impaired.
One Tree Hill – The Complete Fifth Season contains quite a few special features.
• Unaired Scenes – The unaired scenes are conveniently located with the episode they were filmed for, so you don’t have to remember their context.
• One Tree Hill Fast Forward – The cast and crew discuss the unusual decision to set season five 4 ½ years after season four.
• One Tree Hill at 100 – The cast and crew celebrate the 100th episode of the long running series with interviews and a retrospective.
• Audio Commentaries – Creator/Executive Producer Mark Schwahn, James Lafferty and Music Supervisor Lindsay Wolfington, provide commentary on “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and Creator/Executive Producer Mark Schwahn, Michaela McManus, Kate Voegele and Director/Executive Producer Joe Devoia provide commentary on “For Tonight You’re Only Here to Know.”
• One Tree Hill Musical Stars – Looks at guest stars Kevin Federline and Kate Voegele behind-the-scenes and making music
• Music Video – Kate Voegele “Only Fooling Myself,” directed by Mark Schwahn.
• Gag Reel – Bloopers, flubs, jokes, miscues.
• Digital Copy – As a bonus, if you buy the One Tree Hill – The Complete Fifth Season DVD set, you’ll get a special code to download a digital copy of the season (without the bonus features) to Itunes or Windows Media.
Visit the official website of One Tree Hill.
