Episode 1.01 Pilot

Originally aired: Tuesday September 23, 2003 on The CW

Writer: Mark Schwahn
Director: Bryan Gordon
Show Stars: Moira Kelly (Karen Roe), Chad Michael Murray (Lucas Scott), Barry Corbin (Coach Whitey Durham), Paul Johansson (Dan Scott), Craig Sheffer (Keith Scott), James Lafferty (Nathan Scott), Hilarie Burton (Peyton Sawyer), Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley James)
Recurring Role: Shawn Shepard (Principal Turner), Bryan Greenberg (Jake), Cullen Moss (Junk), Brett Claywell (Tim), Antwon Tanner (Skills), Colin Fickes (Edwards), Lee Norris (Mouth), Vaughn Wilson (Fergie)
Guest Stars: John Keenan (Officer Wayman) , Melissa Claire Egan (Melody)
Production Code: 177500

Overview:

Aside from a love for hoops, it would seem that Lucas and Nathan are two young men with little in common, but they are bound by the dark secret that they share the same father. Nathan is the star of the high school basketball team and local town hero, while Lucas is the only child of a single working mom. Now the two boys’ lives collide when a twist of fate puts Lucas on Nathan’s team and the half-brothers compete, not only for control of the court, but also for the heart of Nathan’s beautiful girlfriend, Peyton.

Recap:

An important basketball match is going on at Tree Hill High School. The Ravens team wins, thanks to Nathan Scott’s final basket. Elsewhere – a park down by the river, exactly – another Scott is performing his sporty gift: Lucas Scott, who is playing basketball with three friends. He’s clearly talented. Nathan and Lucas share the same father, Dan Scott, but they live apart: it turns out that Dan abandoned Lucas and his mother, Karen, when Lucas was born. He did prefer to marry Deb, with whom he had another son, bad-boy Nathan.
Nathan is actually Tree Hill golden boy: he is handsome, popular and he is also the star of Ravens. One evening Nathan and his teammates steal a school bus; while they’re drinking and partying, the school bus nearly collides with a train. The day after, most of the team is suspended; but Nathan, who was driving, is excused, thanks to Dan’s help.
Meanwhile, Peyton, Nathan’s girlfriend and Ravens’ cheerleader is driving and listening to hard rock music. Since she is paying only attention to the music, she doesn’t notice there was a person, Lucas, on the road, until it’s almost too late. Luckily, Peyton stops the car just in time and then drives quickly away. Lucas heads for Karen’s cafè. There he has dinner with his mother and his best friend, a witty, talkative girl named Haley James.
The next day, Keith Scott, Dan’s brother, who has always been close to Karen and Lucas, asks Whitey, the Ravens’ coach, to let Lucas be part of the team. Keith is positive that the kid is good and that he totally deserves it. After observing Lucas playing at the river court, he asks him to join his team. Lucas refuses. He doesn’t want to be near Nathan – and considering the way Nathan treats his half-brother, everybody can understand why. When Nathan discovers that Lucas might be joining the team, he is kind of livid. As Nathan is sure that Lucas is plotting to steal his girlfriend and his spot on the team, he challenges him to a basketball match. One on one. If Lucas wins, Nathan will quit the team. But if Nathan wins, Lucas won’t join at all.
Later, Peyton’s car breaks down and Lucas offers a ride, since Nathan is too busy and leaves her kind of stranded. At first Peyton acts in a stuck-up and broody way. Lucas can’t help but point out: “Why are you a cheerleader? No offense or anything, but you’re about the least cheery person I know”. Finally, they start to talk, and Lucas tells her the heartbreaking way in which he found out Dan was his father. Peyton wonders why he said this to her, since they don’t even know each other. "Maybe that’s the point", replies Lucas.
Later, Lucas shows up at Keith’s shop just in time to hear Dan tell Keith that Karen should have just aborted the boy (Lucas). After hearing that, Lucas makes up his mind and accepts Nathan’s challenge. Karen isn’t that thrilled about the challenge, and neither is Dan, but the half brothers are determined to compete.
The Scott brothers’ match starts, and it’s a tough match because they’re good players and they want to win either. In the end, Lucas’ final shot makes him the winner. After te match, Lucas catches up with Peyton and he lets her know that, even though he won, Nathan gets to stay on the team because “it’s the last thing he wants”. Lucas remarks that the whole situation is not only about Nathan. It seems Peyton has got his point but Nathan calls her and she leaves with him.
In the last scene, Lucas enters the Tree High gym, ready to practice, while everyone stares at him. We see a last close-up to the park where Lucas used to play: it’s finally empty. Yep, a new era has officially begun.

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