One Tree Hill: Every Season, Ranked By IMDb Average

During One Tree Hill’s nine-season run, the series went through plenty of changes. New cast members joined while others left, the characters finished high school, and death started to feature more prominently in the show than basketball. But throughout it all, the show remained a fantastic young adult drama. That’s not to say that the series didn’t have its dips, though, as there are certainly some seasons that fans loved more than others.

The purpose of this list is to see how all the seasons compare to each other. To do this, we have worked out the average IMDb score of each season and ranked them accordingly.

9 Season 7 – 8.3

The first season without Lucas and Peyton was always going to be tricky, so it’s no surprise to see it land at the bottom of this list. But season 7 wasn’t all bad as newcomers Clay, Quinn, and Alex fit into the group rather well. And Dan Scott’s return to a prominent role was welcome, even if it was strange that he had his own talk show and was married to Rachel Gatina.

Along with the introduction of new characters, the season was dominated by Nathan’s alleged love-child storyline and Haley’s mom’s illness. Elsewhere there was a stalker, major love triangle, and a shocking cliffhanger ending. In other words, it was still One Tree Hill.

8 Season 8 – 8.3

Season 8 wasn’t too different from its predecessor in terms of fan support as many still couldn’t completely come to terms with the absence of Lucas and Peyton.

However, the season still included some big moments such as Brooke and Julian’s wedding, Nathan retiring from basketball, and Haley giving birth to her second child. And who can forget the incredible “Darkness on the Edge of Town” episode, where Tree Hill was struck by a storm?Unfortunately, the season also included plenty of filler episodes.

7 Season 2 – 8.5

One Tree Hill‘s second season was solid, yet it didn’t have as many monumental moments as others. This was due to a lot of the main characters being paired up with new faces who didn’t stick around. For instance, Lucas spent significant time with Anna, and Brooke was with Felix for much of the season. Anna did have a great storyline about coming to terms with her sexuality, but as she left Tree Hill right afterward, it didn’t have a lasting impact on the show.

The biggest moments of the season were Haley going on tour with Chris Keller and when Dan’s car dealership was set on fire in the finale. Even though it lacked an abundance of significant moments, it was still a fun season.

6 Season 1 – 8.5

It all started with the core group’s junior year of high school, with season 1’s main story centered on Lucas and Haley getting involved with the Tree Hill High elite. Lucas joined the basketball team, whereas Haley began her iconic romance with Lucas’ younger half-brother, Nathan.

The older Scott sibling had romantic entanglements of his own as he got wrapped up in a love triangle with Peyton and Brooke. Overall, the first season did a good job of establishing the world of Tree Hill and the relationships of the people within it.

5 Season 6 – 8.6

There was a sense of finality throughout the sixth season because it was the last one to feature Lucas and Peyton, and many storylines reached their conclusion.

The focal point of the season was the departing characters’ relationship as the two finally got married and had a kid. Also, during the season, Brooke looked after a teenage girl while recovering from being attacked in her store. Nathan, on the other hand, tried to make his NBA dream come true. It was a great season that was filled with memorable and emotional moments.

4 Season 5 – 8.6

Going into the fifth season it was interesting to see if the series would still work without the main characters being in high school. Luckily, One Tree Hill successfully made the jump to the adult world.

The characters struggled with adulthood, though. At the start of the season, Peyton was frustrated with her small job at a major record label, Lucas was finding it difficult to write a second book, and worst of all, Nathan was in a wheelchair due to a spinal injury. The season was all about them getting back on track, with the added excitement of a crazy nanny causing trouble.

3 Season 9 – 8.7

The last season was the darkest in the show’s history. Nathan was kidnapped, and much of the season 9 was about finding and getting him back. Although, that wasn’t the only dark aspect of the show, as Brooke’s attacker, Xavier, returned to terrorize her. Plus, Clay was entering a fugue state and wandering around Tree Hill.

It was an explosive final season that included virtually no filler. And in just 13 episodes, the show managed to give fitting send-offs to most of the characters, both main and supporting.

2 Season 3 – 8.7

“With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept” was one of the greatest and most emotional One Tree Hill episodes ever, as a scared Jimmy Edwards brought a gun to school. Beyond that, the rest of season 3 was fantastic, too.

Peyton spent much of it connecting with her birth mother and grieving her when she passed. Haley returned from her tour and tried to patch things up with Nathan. Lucas and Brooke got together, although their relationship struggled to overcome the obstacles of new girl Rachel and then Peyton. The show really found its stride this season.

1 Season 4 – 8.8

The last season of the high school years was the show’s best, according to IMDb. It’s easy to see why as it was filled with amazing moments and fantastic episodes. From the State Championship win to Brooke and Peyton overcoming the creepy Derek to the birth of Jaime, season 4 was stacked.

Plus, a lot of the show’s long-running storylines came to satisfying conclusions. For instance, Tree Hill found out who was really responsible for Keith’s death, and Lucas and Peyton finally confessed their feelings for each other. This season was truly One Tree Hill at its best.

About The Author

Ben Jessey
(88 Articles Published)

Ben Jessey spends all his time playing video games, watching TV, watching movies, watching football aka soccer (which I guess counts as watching TV) or writing about those things. He has a degree in Film and Television studies and is now a freelance writer.

More From Ben Jessey