I recently underwent the daunting task of starting to watch One Tree Hill — in its entirety — for the very first time. In the first installment of my Virgin Diary, I noted my utter distaste for two out of four members of the Scott family: Dan and Nathan. While Dan’s “redemption” is debatable (and is perhaps fodder for an entirely different post), Nathan becomes an entirely different character in the time that spans between the series’ pilot episode and its finale.

After watching One Tree Hill’s pilot episode, I jotted down my initial reactions to each character. I had described Nathan as “vile, disgusting, self-centered, arrogant, [and] cruel.” I don’t think any OTH fan would say that those words are appropriate for the mature family man of the later seasons, particularly the last two. Nathan made some mistakes in his life, such as throwing a basketball game for the guy who loaned him money, or getting into a bar fight or two when his buttons were pushed. But none of those things seemed to matter at the end of the series, when Nathan is seen as the hero of the show. (And this isn’t only because he was kidnapped and nearly killed.)

Some may argue that Nathan’s transformation happened early on, when he started dating (and later married) Haley James. It definitely didn’t hurt his character to be with Haley, that’s for sure. But he was still easily angered, holding a grudge at Lucas for living with their father (and, later, for not dropping the investigation on their father). He was also immature, not understanding that the proper reaction to “I’m pregnant” is “WOW! THAT’S TERRIFIC! I’M GONNA BE A DAAAAD!” instead of how he reacted initially, which was by giving practically no reaction whatsoever. (He later redeemed himself with the press conference, when he announced that he and Haley would decide together where he would play.)

No, Nathan’s character still had a ways to go to become fully awesome. When season 5 opens, we are face-to-face with a scary, depressed, wheelchair-confined Nathan who blatantly ignored his son. Poor Jamie was trying to play basketball with his dad, and was met instead with a blank stare. Thankfully, he got over this soon enough and started being a more suitable father. However, the whole Nanny Carrie incident made us think twice about his integrity, as did the allegations in Season 8 that he fathered a random fan’s baby.

So what happens, then, to change him? Is it one thing or everything? Or is it just time? As I recount all the various ways in which Nathan screwed up, it’s hard to pinpoint what, exactly, turned him around. I actually think that there was no one incident that did this, but rather, a series of tough breaks that eventually weathered him just enough to be a likable and sympathetic character.

Nathan is driven. His dream was to be in the NBA, and he got there despite various setbacks along the way. But later, he realizes that playing isn’t as important as his family. His injury was too much of a risk. The old Nathan would have taken some pills like he did in an early episode, but this new Nathan understands that being a professional basketball player just isn’t the most important thing in the world. (However, I was very happy to see Jamie’s #12 jersey in the finale surpassing his father’s as top scorer, and the whole gang gathering together to watch the game. This shows that the love of the game, and the Tree Hill community, is still in tact.)

Maybe it’s the void that Lucas left that makes us want to place Nathan into the “sweet spot” in the heart of viewers. Lucas was cerebral, always quoting famous authors and going off for pensive walks. Nathan was the opposite of his brother: he expressed his emotions physically and rather impulsively. When Lucas left the show, Nathan’s character had to grow in order to fill the need for a sensitive, reflective guy who everyone roots for. Whatever the case, I know that I was rooting for Nathan in a way I never expected.

Each of the other characters developed in their own way: Brooke settled down and became more responsible and self-sufficient; Mouth allowed his love of broadcast journalism and philanthropy to converge in his career; even Dan did everything in his power to make up for killing his brother. But Nathan’s initial persona — the smug, self-absorbed jock who got everything handed to him — has completely disappeared. In his place is a mature husband, father, friend, and sports agent who appreciates what life has to offer, because his experience has made him realize that it might not be there tomorrow. As Nathan himself said in the finale:

“It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re 17 and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.”

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