Fred Norris/The CWOne Tree Hill has morphed from a show about the drama revolving around a high school basketball team into a complete spectacle of crazy plotlines and psycho characters.
And we've loved every minute of it.
One constant on OTH has been James Lafferty, who plays one half of fan-favorite couple Nathan and Haley Scott (Bethany Joy Galeotti). Or "Naley," if you will. The fate of the show is still up in the air, but James did give us a little insight for the rest of the season, plus scoop on what he'll be doing next...
"I'm actually shooting my last day of the season [this week], so I already know what is happening for Nathan here at the end," James tells us. "I can tell you that the fans won't be disappointed."
That bit of info is cryptic to the untrained One Tree Hill fan, but we have a Ph.D. in OTHology, so let's break this down. Fans want to see Nathan and Haley living happily ever after above anything else, since life has been a hard-core roller coaster ever since that fateful first date over Cracker Jack. Sounds like Nathan and his family will be getting the glowing sunset sendoff they deserve, should this be the final season of One Tree Hill.
"In the past, we've always had to wait to find out whether or not we would be coming back for another season," James says. "We've gotten used to finishing up seasons with an eye on the possibility that it may be our last. I don't think this season is any different."
You know what that means, OTH experts. Storylines are being wrapped up. Characters possibly being brought back for a goodbye. Most importantly, OTH wants to treat their fans right during the final episodes.
"I don't see how I could thank the fans enough. They have always kept us on the air," James insists. "Without them, One Tree Hill doesn't last one episode—let alone eight seasons. I will always be grateful and look back on my experience with the show as a defining period in my life."
James already has a passion project lined up for himself, and it involves his costar Stephen Colletti, plus his brother Stuart Lafferty. Wild Life: A New Generation of Wild is an unscripted series exploring the wildest places in America. Award-winning nature photographer and author Ian Shive teamed up with the OTH boys in an effort to bring exploration and travel to a new generation. "They are very much into the outdoors and always have been, which is really important," Ian tells us about James & Co. "If they didn't like it, then it wouldn't work."
"All of us have known Ian and been big fans of his work for a few years now," James says about the new project. "We've been interested in the idea of tagging along on one of his many photography trips, and when this idea was proposed we jumped at the chance. It's a fantastic opportunity and I have no doubt it will be an overwhelming learning experience. On top of that, we get to raise awareness for our National Parks system, which gets its support from the people who utilize it."
A five-minute preview will be unveiled April 18 on GenerationWild.tv. But if you can't wait until then, behind-the-scenes photos and a 30-second sneak peek at the show will be available on the site April 1.
So, what say you, OTHers? How do you think Nathan's story will get wrapped up? What about the rest of the characters? Excited about James' new project? Head downstairs to the comments and let's speculate together as an OTH family.