I’ve been very vocal about my inability to accept One Tree Hill without Lucas and Peyton.
(Though, to be fair, I have gripes with the show’s seventh season that have nothing to do their absence.)
There is now an unconfirmed (and let me stress unconfirmed) report that Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley) could possibly leave the show if the season 8 episode order is extended beyond 12 episodes.
That begs the question…
Can you accept One Tree Hill without Haley?
TeenDramaWhore 
Absolutely not!! One Tree Hill was able to survive and still be a pretty decent show without Lucas and Peyton. (Although I complained the whole season every time a moment happened I thought they should be there for).
But no Haley!! That’s crazy! Season two is my least favorite season and it had almost no Haley. Whenever I re watch the series like I am doing right now before September 14th, I often skip over most of season two because I hated it.
Missing two main characters sucked enough. We can’t lose Haley, too!
So if they are going to do that, they should just give Brooke a spinoff. I would probably watch that, but don’t want to have to deal with Quinn without Haley.
Hmm I’m not sure cause I think it would spin the show in a new direction.. Alot of shows go on for years by adding new characters and re arranging the plot a little bit to give a new feal. Greys Anatomy, ER did it a lot, 7th Heaven did it. I mean it would be a tad weird, but if Haley goes they better kill her off, none of this she’s on a long vacation in europe stuff… Who really does that.. Really???
I also thought that OTH did get the green light for 22 Episodes… What happened to that? Why is everyone saying they arn’t.
It has been a struggle for me to watch OTH since Lucas and Peyton left. If Haley leaves, then the show would be even worse off. She should stick it out and do whatever number is ordered for this season and end the show. OTH already beat the odds by being on for 7+ years with the ratings it gets.
Absolutey NOT. If Joy goes, I go.
No! That would be soooooo sad 😦
Nooooooooo
No Haley no show plain and simple
Thanks for weighing in guys! I would like to note two things:
1. In response to Stepanie: The CW did confirm a 22-episode order to me and at least two other outlets. They then retracted it a few days later, calling it a mistake. I apologize for any confusion.
2. In general: Stephanie makes an interesting point about shows adding cast members (and losing them as well). I know many would disagree, but I believe it’s something that Beverly Hills 90210 did successfully (every reason from 5 on, mind you). I never felt it was a retooling or a change in direction. It still always felt like the same BH90210 to me. I can’t say the same about OTH this past season, which makes me wary of more character changes, regardless of the reason.
At first when I found out Lucas & Peyton were no longer going to be apart of the show I knew it would never be the same. It was Really hard for me to adjust to the new cast members because they have always been a huge part of the show and we all know that NO ONE can ever replace them. However I did enjoy Season7 I truly think Mark Schwahn did an amazing job because it still made me want to watch. This show has been a HUGE part of my life since day one and God only knows I never want it to end, but honestly without her I would hope the show couldn’t go on without all of it’s main people. They all started together and I would love more than anything to see them end together. But no matter what I will stick by the show until it’s over, no matter what.
It wouldn’t be right without Haley. If Haley leaves surely Nathan would have to as well. They’re Nathan and Haley, they have been the basis of the show since the start (well for me they have). And they couldn’t keep Nathan there unless Haley died. And killing off main characters never works well for shows; take The OC and Greys Anatomy for example.
I personally think they should do a twelve episode season and have it as the final season and bring Peyton and Lucas back for an episode or two, to end it they way it should (or in a perfect world they would bring them back for the whole season, but that will never happen).
Congrats to Joy! From someone who truly believes in motherhood and family, I am very happy for her and her husband and wish them all the best. In regards to all the talk about her possibly not coming back after the 12 episode order, I thought it was 13 btw but whatever lol, it was my understanding that she was under contract through this season. Of course IDK all of the logistics, but I would assume that would mean whether the season goes 12, 13, or 22 episodes. Of course she is entitled to a maternity leave, up to 12 weeks via the FMLA I believe, and I’m sure the show could accommodate that and work around her schedule to keep her on the show and finish the season. Again though, IDK all of what is in her contract in regards to exclusions, etc.
But regardless, in answer to your question; no, I would not be able to accept OTH without Haley. Trying to get through S7 without Leyton was hard enough for me. As much as I love the show, IMO, they did not do a good job of introducing new characters while still keeping it the same show that I fell in love with. And for those who will argue that it’s not supposed to be the same show, that is all well and good, but not good enough for me. I am all for moving on in a different direction as the characters age, but the show still has to have the same feel for me, and without Haley, it will not. I was able to somewhat make do in S7 due to the stability of Naley and Brooke but IMO, Brooke and company cannot carry the load and the show still have the same feel. If I want to watch a “new” show, I will tune in to something new different. So, with all of that being said, if the show continues beyond S8 without Haley, or Naley, I will say goodbye and wish it well. Of course I will miss it terribly 😦
Now, that doesn’t mean that I won’t tune in from time to time just to see what they have done with it, lol, but as far as it being a priority show for me, it no longer will be.
Good topic!! 🙂
I think it’d be tough to carry on without Haley, and it’s not like they could realistically send her on tour just weeks after giving birth. I feel this may be the nail in the coffin for One Tree Hill 😦
No. How can you have Naley+Jamie without Haley? Brooke and Nathan are not enough to carry on the show. If Joy isn’t willing to stay longer than 12 episodes, then the show should end there. Enough is enough.
PS- I miss Lucas & Peyton! 😥
I believe this will be the last season of One Tree Hill, regardless. And, hey, at eight seasons it was a very good run!
I agree with most above. One Tree Hill without Haley would not really be OTH. Better to order a back nine of Life Unexpected and say goodbye to OTH in style with Peyton and Lucas back for a final episode. 🙂
As much as I’m excited for Joy if she moves on, I don’t think I could handle losing another main cast member. Plus, without Joy, I highly doubt James would stay on the show. Which would leave Brooke.
Honestly, I felt like this season was a disaster. The only times I actually enjoyed the show was when old cast members (like Skills) showed up. Without Lucas and Peyton, it didn’t feel right, just like it wouldn’t feel right without Joy, James, or Sophia. From episode 1, it was the five of them, and I loved it that way.
Also, I could never actually enjoy the new characters. Quinn was just so…boring. She was like…a mixture of Brooke and Haley to me. Nothing made her stand out. And as hot as Clay was, his storylines were not all that great. It reminded me of Nathan. Guy finds a James girl, falls in love, has another girl try to ruin it (i.e. Rachel, Nanny Carrie). It was like a repeat.
Hopefully they can all go on and do other things. Sophia won’t have a problem finding roles, she’s a great actress. Hilarie is already appearing on White Collar. James is a great actor too (I loved. S. Darko!). Joy has her music, and Chad…well, who knows where he’s been. haha.
But if One Tree Hill lost another main cast member, then it’s not really One Tree Hill anymore.
Congrats to Joy! Seems like she’s got alot going on, with the baby and the band, so I can understand why she’d want to give up the show.
Unlike many OTH fans, Haley has always been one of my least favorite characters. She’s had the least character growth IMO, from day one portrayed as this wise person who is maturity, sensibility, and strength personified. The one time she screwed up with Chris, it seemed like the onus was on Nathan to forgive her, not for Haley to atone. Her best friendship with Lucas and her budding female friendships were interesting during the high school years, but they always took a backseat to romance, and the Lucas/Nathan and Brooke/Peyton relationships. As an adult, she always seems holier than thou, lording her status as mature, together matron over her sisters. She seems to almost DEvolve over the seasons, only having real emotions or showing weakness because of her mom’s illness and death. She also seems much less secure with her womanhood than she did as a teen. There’s many more remarks made about her looks and weight, she’s lost her signature mode of dress, and she’s either insecure or combative in her relationships with other women. Haley only seems “close” with Brooke in theory, and Quinn, too. There are these set-ups where other people go to Haley for her advice or an ear, which is to me a platform for the pseudo-empowering, pseudo-sage Ms. James to go on a rant. I think Naley was great, showing that love can work between people with different styles or outlooks, but in the present, all it showcases is Nathan is a great guy- faithful husband, loving dad, and very, very patient.
Some of the new characters seem to be place fillers. Without the snorefest known as Quinn, OTH could have been reduced to a half hour show last year. And the Skills/Mouth/whatever the blonde’s name is triangle? Snore. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Clay’s backstory, and the dead wife/psycho stalker was great over the top, old school OTH to me. I also loved watching Millicent’s journey in the past few seasons, she could easily become a core cast member if given a bit more to do, and poor Mouth could be more than a footnote, too. Actually, if Dan and Rachel time had replaced Quinn/James family time, I probably would have loved last season. There was good bitchery from Brooke’s mom and Alex, lots of Jamie and Nathan cuteness, and great drama all around for Brooke between Julian, her mom, and her flourishing company and the movie.
Absolutely, I would remain a fan if Haley was killed off or left for some other reason- just give a reason, though, please! Aside from missing Peyton herself and seeing her come into her own as a mom and getting her Luke trophy, the thing that really stuck in my craw about Leyton’s disappearance was the lack of explication. Aside from the scant few mentions, it’s like their little family just got erased from existence. If Haley gets a decent send off, and the writing for the other characters steps up, then OTH could get the new juice that it needs for its last season(s).