Growing up on the proverbial "opposite sides of the tracks" does not prevent wealthy high-school basketball star Nathan (James Lafferty) and less-than-wealthy but equally athletic Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) from becoming teammates, competitors, and occasional kindred spirits as One Tree Hill begins its first season. No sooner has the locale of Tree Hill, NC, been established than we discover that the egotistical Nathan and the introspective Lucas are half-brothers, both sharing the same father (but compelled to keep this information secret, mainly because many in town still believe it to be merely a rumor). Lucas' entrée into Nathan’s privileged world has its perks, namely gorgeous teenager Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), though Nathan's girlfriend is somehow drawn to the humble Lucas. As for Nathan, he forges a curious friendship with Lucas' best friend, Haley (Bethany Joie Lenz), an enigmatic young lady for whom the phrase "still waters run deep" might have been coined. Meanwhile, the adults in the boys' lives try to come to grips with the choices (good or bad) that they've made in the past, simply because the relationship between Nathan and Lucas has suddenly forced the issue. As as the season draws to a close, one wonders if the boys are destined to become close chums or bitter enemies — while a number of deep dark secrets involving the rest of Tree Hill begin bubbling to the surface. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi