One Tree Hill aired a fantastic series finale last night, only it wasn't actually a series finale.  The CW renewed One Tree Hill for a seventh season, and after seeing the season 6 finale, I'm pretty sure creator Mark Schwahn didn't want the network to dot hat.

The finale achieved everything a great series finale should do, specifically wrapping up everyone's stories and giving them a proper goodbye.  Lucas and Peyton were a happy family with their cute but poorly named baby Sawyer Brooke Scott, driving off into the sunset.  Victoria Davis atoned for her bad parenting and helped Brooke heal her emotional wounds, allowing B. Davis to fly to L.A. to tell Julian that she loved him.
Nathan made it to the NBA.  Mouth and Millie moved in together again.  Mia is a successful artist touring with her cute boyfriend.  The only person without a proper conclusion was Dan Scott, still a ghost wandering around Tree Hill, his own personal Hell where no matter how hard he tries, he will never be forgiven.  In a way, even that is a fitting end for the character.

Now all of the characters are living happily ever after and all is right with One Tree Hill.

Except that's not the end.

One Tree Hill will return for season 7, so as much as we'd all like to just pretend it's not and think that last night's episode was the series finale, we need to look forward.  How does One Tree Hill move on to the next stage in its life?

As I see it, there are two primary options.  The first is to start from scratch and introduce a crop of new, fresh-faced kids ready to take over the River Court and start One Tree Hill: The New Class.  However, I think everyone would agree that idea sounds kind of lame.

The other choice is to graduate and evolve One Tree Hill from a soap for young adults into a real mature series.  Nathan Scott is in the NBA and Brooke Davis in love with a big-time movie producer.  It's time to leave Tree Hill once and for good.

Yes, in spite of the show's title, the only way for One Tree Hill to survive without becoming a pale imitation of itself is to morph into an entirely new series, one that follows the highly scrutinized lives of professional athletes and movie stars.

For a long time, keeping the show based in Tree Hill has made little sense.  Is Nathan supposed to only see his family a few times a year when he's not on the road and has time to drive back to his hometown?  Can Julian really do his job in North Carolina?

This isn't just a show about two high school half-brother basketball rivals anymore, it's about pro athletes, movie producers, international fashion designers and chart-topping musicians.  Tree Hill is way too small a place for those kinds of people/

Fans might wonder how Peyton and Lucas won't be around next season when they're still living in Tree Hill.  The trick isn't to get Lucas and Peyton out of Tree Hill, it's to get everyone else and the series out of that town.

Check out more One Tree Hill coverage:
Season 6 Finale Recap
More Season 6 Finale Photos
Burton and Murray Leaving, Three New Characters for Season 7
The Life and Career of Chad Michael Murray
A Complete Guide to One Tree Hill Hook-Ups
Lucas and Peyton's Wedding Photos
Which One Tree Hill Character Are You?


-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)