DVD Review: One Tree Hill - The Complete Third Season

By Ben Rhudy Sep 29, 2006, 21:24 GMT

Senior year. A time to grow up, to forget, to forgive, to dream, to learn to love all over again. People come together -- except Dan, consumed by anger as he tracks down whoever started the fire that almost took his life. Tree Hill is rocked by powerful new events -- the good, the bad and the catastrophic. The good: Haley fights to save her marriage, Peyton comes to terms ...more

One Tree Hill, as continued in the third season, is a teenage drama about the lives of a handful of good looking, intelligent high school kids with big, scary grown-up problems. Yes, there are adults in the show, and yes, they do say many important things with concerned looks on their faces.

However, the primary draw of the show is the fresh young cast. Another thing to keep in mind is that this group of high school students (unlike real ones) are mature and calculated (all I can remember from that period in my life is textbook fires and spitwads, but I digress).

The third season of the CW (formerly WB) teen drama One Tree Hill, which finds the youths returning to Tree Hill for their senior year of high school, has been released on DVD in a 6 disc set. The collection of episodes is supplemented by several extra features.
 
As a reviewer, I am bound to my opinion as well as to honesty, so I must let you know that I have only watched a few episodes of the first and second seasons of One Tree Hill. Therefore, this review will only cover the third season in the series and I will not make many comments or critiques about quality of the first two.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to brass tacks:

Besides a love for hoops, it would seem that Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan (James Lafferty) are two young men with little in common - except for the dark secret that they share the same father. Arrogant and assured, Nathan is the star of the high school basketball team and hails from the wealthiest family in town. Quiet, brooding and driven, Lucas is a loner, the only child of a single working mom. He's always kept his distance from Nathan. But their lives collide when a twist of fate puts Lucas on Nathan's team.

The rumor that has haunted the boys since childhood now becomes more than just whispers as the half-brothers compete not only for control of the court, but also for the heart of Nathan's girlfriend. So unfolds a deep and bitter conflict that's been years in the making; one that will play itself out in their homes, their hearts and at school as they struggle to come to terms with who they really are - and the fact that they may have more in common than they ever imagined.

*The following is a brief description of the season’s episodes and does contain spoilers. Readers may want to skip this part of the review.*

Disc One episode 1: “Like You Like an Arsonist” - How I spent my summer vacation. Haley gives up on the concert tour and comes home. Nathan gives up on Haley and attends High Flyers camp. And Brooke agrees to be Lucas' girlfriend - with one small caveat. Episode 2: “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea” - Hit the beach. Brooke throws a wild surf-and-sand beach party to celebrate the start of senior year. Meanwhile, Peyton's relationship with her biological mother grows more troubled. Episode 3: “First Day on a Brand New Planet” - Looking forward: Dan tries to get Coach Durham fired before the basketball season begins. Looking back: Dan starts putting the pieces together concerning what happened the night of the fire. Episode 4: “An Attempt to Tip the Scales” - Mayor Dan Scott? Dan finds a sudden dedication to public service, and Deb takes advantage of the situation. At Tric, a masquerade party featuring the band Fall Out Boy may reunite Haley and Nathan.

Disc Two episode 5: “A Multitude of Casualties” - Red is hot. A redhead named Rachel joins the cheerleaders. She has all the moves - and she puts them on Lucas. Call it basketbrawl: Fighting breaks out during the season kickoff gala. Episode 6: “Locked Hearts and Hand Grenades” - Pick a guy, and he's yours. Brooke's Fantasy Boy Draft sparks trading and scheming for the "right" to date Nathan, Lucas, Skills...even Mouth. Dan must deal (unfairly, of course) with a surprise mayoral opponent. Episode 7: “Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends” - First came the draft, now comes the date night, and the happiest pairing is(surprise!) Peyton and Mouth. Things aren't happy for Deb and Karen: They spend the evening stranded on a billboard. Episode 8: “The Worst Day Since Yesterday” - Lucas worries that his meds are making him a drag on the team. Brooke worries that her tryst with Chris ruined her chances with Lucas. Karen worries that she'll lose the mayor's race...until Mouth shows up with a surprise.

Disc Three episode 9: “How a Resurrection Really Feels” - Taking a chance: Dan and Karen face the voters, Nathan and Chris hold 'em and fold 'em in a high-stakes poker game, and Brooke launches her clothing line, Clothes Over Bro's. Episode 10: “Brave New World” - Lucas hits the road with Peyton, who's searching for Ellie. Nathan learns what really happened the night of the fire. And Brooke's clothing website debuts. In no time, she has 43 orders...and only four dresses. Episode 11: “Return of the Future” - Keith returns, receiving a warm welcome from Lucas and Karen - and an attempted murder accusation from Dan. In fact, Dan keeps poisoning every well of happiness he finds, particularly Nathan and Haley's. Episode 12: “I've Got Dreams to Remember” - When the Tree Hill High School guidance counselor asks everyone where they're going to college, the answers range from "Stanford" to "fashion school" to "what's the point?"

Disc Four episode 13: “The Wind That Blew My Heart Away” - The electric power is out - the emotional power is on. A violent storm finds Nathan with Haley, Lucas and Brooke, Mouth with Rachel, Peyton with Ellie, Karen with Keith and Dan with an evil plan. Episode 14: “All Tomorrow's Parties” - Everyone has a great time at the Charlotte cheerleading tournament, meeting old friends and making new ones. Meanwhile, Brooke is 600 miserable miles away, partying with a Manhattan model with a heroin habit. Episode 15: “Just Watch the Fireworks” - Remember the time-capsule videos, how private they were, and how they wouldn't be be opened for 50 years? Sorry, guys, make that one year. Who revealed them? And why? The suspicions, recriminations and hurt feelings begin.

Disc Five episode 16: “With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept” - The fallout from the time capsule release takes a deadly turn: A student humiliated by the revelations comes to campus - with a gun. Lucas and Nathan risk their lives to save their friends. Episode 17: “Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them” - Two deaths, many lives shattered. Students and parents grapple with the tragedy that has stunned Tree Hill. Inconsolable Karen blames Lucas. And Dan is haunted by specters of himself and Keith as children. Episode 18: “When It Isn't Like It Should Be” - A weekend in the country - a perfect place and a perfect time for healing. Rachel hosts her classmates at her parent's elegant woodland retreat. Back in Tree Hill, Karen turns her grief and fury on Dan.

Disc Six episode 19: “I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me”  Truth will out: Lucas finally reveals his heart condition, and Brooke discloses a big fat secret from Rachel's past. Also, Peyton plans to meet up with Pete from Fall Out Boy, Instead, unexpectedly, she sees... Episode 20: “Everyday Is a Sunday Evening” - With Lucas off the team, the success or failure of the Ravens falls on Nathan's shoulders. Peyton's reunion with Jake is bittersweet. And Mouth and Brooke plot payback against Rachel. Episode 21: “Over the Hills and Far Away” - Haley discovers that asking Brooke to design a simple, elegant wedding dress is like asking a Tazmanian Devil to chill. Peyton and Lucas return to Tree Hill wondering about their futures. Episode 22: “The Show Must Go On” - Nathan and Haley's wedding is a time of great joy. And great sadness. Peyton and Brooke fall out, Dan learns the truth about the fire, and Rachel gets publicly drunk...and publicly bitter.

One Tree Hill features acting that is so-so. Murray and Lafferty seem to float through scenes without an ounce of bravado, which seems slightly odd, as they are the show’s lead protagonists. It’s like they’re just sitting around, waiting for a blockbuster movie contract to fall into their laps so they can finally escape the small, complicated town of Tree Hill. I suppose I cannot blame them.

The female cast really makes the show better than it should be. Peyton (former TRL host Hilarie Burton) is the most quirky of the bunch as an artist and hard music fan with a troubled home life. Brooke (Sophia Bush) plays the resident good girl/bad girl with as much grit as the tepid script will allow. The third prong in the group, Hilary (Bethany Joy Galeotti) gives a sort of “fallen angel” aspect as the girl next door who just can’t seem to dodge heartbreak.

There isn’t much to say about the writing except that it’s lightweight, despite the dire situations the characters find themselves in. Part of the problem seems to be the plot pacing inside each episode: there usually isn’t a “payoff moment” where you feel rewarded for watching. You actually have to wait until the end of the season to get answers to the big questions.

Video is slightly better than television quality, which is a bit disappointing, but I noticed no major flaws. Audio is mostly dialogue driven and is very clear and free of distortion. Surround channels aren’t frequently used, but in heavy-action scenes they make a bit of a difference.

Extras fit the bill…mostly. Only two creator commentaries are included, and while insightful, they gave me the feeling that Schwan and company just don’t have much to say about such a mediocre show. There are 30 minutes of unaired scenes, which are meaty and show some of the better performances from the cast. The scenes feature post-production sound and video, which adds to their value. The behind-the-scenes look at “With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept” is interesting, even though the Columbine-like plot is a bit stale and clichéd these days. The gag reel is pretty standard, but adds a much-needed bit of humor to a very serious show.

As I am not 14, and do not have a man-crush on Chad Michael Murray, it was difficult to follow or care about characters who go from bad situation to worse muttering, whining and calling people “dicks”. Where is the heart? Where is the humor of teenage antics? How is this entertainment?

One Tree Hill - The Complete Third Season is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.