Simple Reviews by Kim

It's official One Tree Hill is back for season 7 on the CW. The little show that could has made it to an amazing 7th season and I couldn't be happier for everyone involved. Now anyone who has watched the show or kept up with any of the blogs you know that two of the original cast members did not return this season and it was a lose that will be felt by all of the long time viewers. But in my humble opinion the lose of these two talented actors will not make or break the show. After viewing the first episode I am again in awe of the ability of Mark Schwan to take something that would have forced other shows off the air and making it into a whole new product for us to experience.

Yes Lucas and Peyton are gone. This is not the first time a major character has left a show that was still on the air. It's not the first time a character has left One Tree Hill. There is still so much else that can be explored and experienced with the remaining cast and I think that this first episode just barely broke the surface on what is to come. They are gone, everyone else is not and if you were truly a fan you would support that and if you have never seen the show it is the perfect time to start watching because it is like a new show with a viewable back story.

Season 7 opens on a Tree Hill 14 months into the future from where we left them. Dan is still alive, Haley is recording in the studio, Nathan is still playing basketball, and Brooke and Julian are still happy in love. As the episode unfolds we are introduced to Clay, Nathan's sports agent and Quinn, Haley's sister. The gang all gathers at the Scott's for Jamie's 7th birthday party. Brooke is sad because Julian is off in New Zealand for an 8 moth movie shoot. Haley is surprised by the arrival of Quinn, who has a very sweet and funny moment with Jamie. Mouth asks Skills to move out of the apartment, Millicent is running Clothes over Bros in New York, and Nathan is trying his hand at acting for a TV commercial. Life has changed in Tree Hill and is about to get even more interesting.

I will admit that I am going into this season a little more aware of certain things and an odd awareness for things I would have never paid attention to before. Not to mention a little bit of prior knowledge of some story lines from spending time extraing. So the opening of this season was met with mixed emotions. I was thoroughly surprised by the episode and generally enjoyed all of it. The opening with Everly's Quicksand was amazing and the story lines have progressed but keeping a classic One Tree Hill feel to them. I really enjoyed the scene with Millicent at the Clothes Over Bros office that was reminiscent of season 5's opening scene with Brooke. The interactions with Mouth and Skills had me laughing out loud, Brooke threw in a "That's what she said" joke, and Jamie was as always cute as could be.

Mark and the crew have yet again pushed ahead into another should be wonderful season of a show that I have loved for 7 years now. It's a move forward that will be met with criticism, skepticism, and some not so nice words. But as an artist, a writer, and a person who has always wanted to share stories like they are sharing I applaud them on taking a show that we know and love and for the second time in it's history pushing forward, reinventing the wheel and daring others to do the same with their shows. No other show has survived going from high school to college so they jumped college all together. No other show has survived a change of networks, time slot changes and had so many things stacked against it only to be one of the biggest social community shows out there today. One Tree Hill will be on the air for at least a 7th season and I plan on tuning in to every episode. Will you?

I'm introducing a new ranking system. Instead of stars I'll be ranking with $. It'll be on a scale of 5, obviously where 5 is excellent and 1 is poor.

$$$$