One Tree Hill – The Finale

(this is a re-post in honor of the 5th anniversary of the One Tree Hill Series Finale)

This is it friends. Our very last HAPPY OTH WEDNESDAY!!

I usually start my recaps off with a review of what happened last week and what I think might be coming this week but since this is the very final One Tree Hill recap I will ever write, I wanted to say a little something. I have so many tears in my eyes I can hardly see to type this but here goes:
To my OTH family: Thank you. Thank you for reading these recaps and all of my other articles. Thank you for sharing them with your friends. For leaving the most amazing comments. Thank you for talking to me on Twitter. For answering my questions. For laughing with me and crying with me. I am very new to this family but each and every one of you has welcomed me with open arms. I could not be more grateful. The One Tree Hill family has given me one of the most amazing fandom experiences I have ever had. I will always look back on this time with love in my heart and a smile on my face and it is all because of YOU. You have shared with me the love of these characters, the love of these stories and the love for one another. This ride with y’all has been so much fun! I would not trade this experience for anything and I am going to miss this part of my week more than I can express. And while I was late in joining the OTH party, I will be forever thankful that I was able to watch this last season live with all of you. It has honestly been life changing in the very best way. I have been overwhelmed by the love you have shown me. From the bottom of my ever grateful heart, thank you. A million times, thank you.
Now then. Here we go!!! My final OTH recap!!! The wine IV has been set up. Hope you all are mentally holding my hand right now!

***Hour One***

· I know I am not the only one already losing it completely. This first hour is going to be brutal. Absolute murder.
· And the husband’s eyes are already rolling. Also, he’s reminding me that the man doing the voice over is the same guy who narrates Gangland on Spike TV.
· All of these past scenes they are showing are making this so beautiful but SO much harder to watch. Is it possible to love something this much while hating it at the same time?
· RIVER COURT!!!! *sob* I just want to live there!! I would even sleep outside! And I do NOT camp.
· “It’s nice to hear that it’s going to be ok.” SO MUCH WORD MARK!!!
· Is that “Always & Forever” on the title card really necessary? So many feels!!!
· Kate Voegele’s voice is so magical that it makes my heart swell. I have chills.
· Loving all of these stories and all of this fan appreciation.
· And of course they have to talk the most about the episodes that made me cry the very hardest. So many powerful moments.
· KEITH! Holy lord the tears. The way that OTH has handled loss has been such a beautiful thing to me. One of the things I love most about it. And I am so grateful that they did exactly what they did.
· The way that these actors talk about their characters shows so much love and respect. I am in awe.
· This season 9 overview is perfect. I am so thankful for it. I have loved every minute.
· I can’t handle the cast choking up. All of their emotion. THE HUGS. The ache in my chest!
· All of these MOMENTS! GAH! It reminds me that sometimes watching this show is like getting a hug when you really need one.
· BTW, I REALLY need one right now. BAWLING MY EYES OUT!

***Hour Two***

· NATHAN!! Oh my. “Someday is today.”
· And BROOKE!! “Say it. Do it.”
· HALEY!!! GEEZ LOUISE!!!
· NALEY!!!! GAH!! And the predictions!!
· (also, hello arm porn)
· Um, you guys. This just keeps getting harder as it goes on. I am a huge MESS of emotions right now. So, yeah. Sorry for all of the outbursts and exclamation points.
· Laughing my butt off!!! Chris Keller is the best! Poor Chase. I probably would have peed the bed after that little surprise.
· Mouth & Millie. Way too cute.
· I want to rip Nathan’s jersey off the wall just so I can hug it and never let it go. But since I cannot do that, may it hang forever.
· I LOVE Blind Pilot. So great.
· Haley is totally talking to us, isn’t she? I think she is.
· Thank GOD for Chris Keller. I really needed these laughs. Tyler Hilton is so brilliant.
· HEY! What I do matters too!! Right? Can I have $500,000.00?? Mouth totally earned that though.
· HJS singing on stage. It does not get much better than this. Joy’s voice is heaven.
· UGH! Felix! Hate that guy! Love you Mouth. “Doesn’t matter.”
· I am so relieved that Chase’s drinks are still gross. And excuse me while I DIE from laughing at that slap. “Devil’s ass.”
· And then Clay too!! My stomach aches from cracking up so hard.
· Logan. SO CUTE IT HURTS. Also, love Clay quoting himself from season 8 when Nathan called him weird.
· “Dad.” I die.
· Is there anything more beautiful than Nathan’s face as he watches Haley sing? I think not friends. Except maybe the way she sounds.
· Oh my God!!! His guitar! From 3×09!!! Awwww!! Nathan really is the very best there is! As are these Chris Keller/Nathan moments. So sweet and funny and darling!
· LOVE this jam! SO SEXY! I am dancing in my chair. No, really. I’m quite good.
· The web site sales!!! Just like the very first Clothes over Bros!! Where’s the child labor though?
· The father/son moments on this show are some of my favorites. And Nathan is just SO great at this. SO GREAT!!!!! I’m gonna start crying again.
· BEVIN!!!!! SO MUCH CLAPPING!!!! I guess Tim didn’t work out? LOL
· Clay is Ah-Ma-Zing. And extremely hilarious. The crack head show does sound like fun.
· “Mom.” I die. Again.
· This bromance between Chase and Chris: I never saw it coming. And yet it is one of my favorite things. If they ended up with those twins it would be the best thing ever.
· THE NOTEBOOK!!! YES!!!!!!
· “Chris Keller’s work here is done!” Something I will now say every single time I finish something. Even if I’m saying it only to myself.
· The book. From the Pilot. *sob*
· This trip down memory lane that Brooke & Haley are taking together is so heartfelt and comforting and SO much what their friendship is: Beautiful.
· Chris Keller & Haley James Scott are making me want to hug the whole world wearing a rainbow sweater.

· GAVIN!!
· Okay. Here we go. Naley time. I may be a tad hysterical for this bit.
· MAC AND CHEESE AND CRACKER JACKS! AND A NEW BRACELET AND I AM CRYING SO HARD!!!
· Those James girls are just the most beautiful criers. This is so amazing!! It’s perfect for them. For all 3 of them. And there’s confetti. Of course there is.
· Mouth’s speech is hitting me really hard. And his scholarship? Edwards Scott. WOW.
· Aaaaaaaaand here we go. Be still my heart. It’s racing. And not from drugs. OMG. I can’t breathe from the Naley. I can’t breathe from the goodness. From the perfection. Lord thunderin Jesus.
· Brooke. And her house. And she gets to be The Girl Behind the Red Door. Because Julian is amazing. I am crying so hard that there are no longer sounds coming out.
· And the hits just keep coming. Thank you Evans Family.
· The passing of the prediction torch. The next generation.
· OH MY GOD HALEY! “There’s only one Tree Hill. And it is your home.”
· Oh B. Davis. Please don’t cry. I can’t handle it.
· “I DON’T WANNA BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN ME!”
· The whole family!!! They are all together. And every single tiny bit of it is perfect. The singing and the playing and the kids and the sharing. And all at Karen’s. I couldn’t smile harder or cry harder if my life depended on it.
· The future. The song. The flashbacks. The voice over. The old quote. The love. The Ravens. “Believe in it. With all your heart.”

Perfect. Brilliant. Beautiful. Amazing.
Somehow all of these words seem totally inadequate and yet they are all I have left. It was everything and then some. Thank you show.
Good night friends. Good night OTH Family. Good night Tree Hill.

Weeks Go By Like Days

One week.

One week since we all said goodbye to something that changed our lives, that filled our hearts, that moved us more than we ever thought it would.

And now that the last DVD has been released, we are at the end of the end.

No new promos or video clips or commentaries. No new episodes. No new Naley.

Just saying that out loud hurts my heart.

“I guess I just miss all of it. Does any of that make any sense?”

“Yeah, it makes all the sense in the world.”

In the finale we were gifted with new memories, fresh starts and a brand new kiss in the rain. So playful and stunning and real. It was everything.

This last week has been difficult, to say the least. And I know that I am not the only one who feels that way. I have had the privilege of talking with so many fans and friends over the last 7 days. On Twitter, Tumblr, Skype and email.  There are so many of us in the same boat. In mourning. In denial. We are all hurting. Reflective, empty, melancholy.

The thought that we have heard the very last word, sang the very last song and seen the very last kiss, as epic as it was, makes me bury my face in my hands as I feel that heart crushing sorrow.

So many of us have spent this last week with Blind Pilot, Gavin DeGraw and U2 on repeat. We have watched and shared more fan vids than I ever thought possible. We have started the series over from the start. Or have picked our favorite episodes to watch again with new eyes. We’ve found our favorite screen caps and GIFs on tumblr to reblog. And reblog. And reblog.

Most importantly, we have shared it with each other. We have shared every tear, every heart break, every soul burst. I have seen so many virtual hugs this week; we may have set a record. Too bad we were all too busy crying to keep count.

Today, our first Wednesday in months without our show, has been miserable for me to even think about. There was no “Happy OTH Wednesday” tweet. There is no new episode tonight to watch and recap. I will have no comments to read as I while away my sleepless night.

I feel burdened with the weight of this farewell. But I feel better knowing that there are so many carrying it with me. I think that it’s important that we take this experience with us moving forward. This sharing of the burden. Not just of THIS sadness, but of all of the sadness and difficulty life has yet to hand out. I think that’s the least we could take away from our show.

It has been said: time heals all wounds. And time will fix this one as well. We have to continue to support each other and comfort each other. No matter how long it takes. And in the future, we can remember this time, and lean on one another again.

Surely it will be a while before any of us can watch basketball or see purple flowers without feeling that pang. But that day will come.

“The hardest part of saying good-bye is having to do it again every single day.”

Much love to my OTH Family. Miss you already.