"Pilot" is the first episode of One Tree Hill's first season. It first aired on The WB television network in the United States on September 23, 2003. It was written by Mark Schwahn and directed by Bryan Gordon. It saw John Keenan and Melissa Claire Egan guest star as Officer Wayman and Melody, respectively. It introduces the character of Lucas Scott — a high school student — and his friends and relatives in the fictional Tree Hill, North Carolina.

Lucas blows his first Varsity game and decides to quit the team. The wedge between Nathan and Peyton continues to grow after Peyton tires of Nathan's jabs at Lucas. Meanwhile, Keith forces Karen to deal with her feelings for Dan after she refuses to step foot in the high school gym to support her son.

Frustrated by Lucas' growing popularity at school, Nathan searches for Lucas' weak spot, and finds it in Haley. Meanwhile, Peyton is furious with Lucas for submitting her drawings to the local newspaper without her knowledge.

Haley convinces Lucas to go with the team to an after-party at Nathan's beach house in the hopes that the guys will become closer. When Lucas sees the wealth that was denied him, he finally confronts his mother about why she let Dan ignore them. Meanwhile, when Nathan's mom returns home to find a very angry son, she turns to Karen for advice.

Lucas asks Keith to play with him in the annual "Father and Son" basketball game, and realizes he got the better father figure after Dan publicly humiliates Nathan on the court. Also, Peyton has a hard time dealing with the anniversary of her mother's death and finds a comforting ally in Whitey.

When Whitey throws Lucas and Nathan off the bus due to their misconduct on the basketball court, not only does it leave the two brothers stranded 30 miles from home, but they encounter a carload of punks who threaten them with a gun. Injured during the game, Brooke needs Peyton to drive her home and in, an unlikely turn of events, Peyton asks Haley for help. Meanwhile, Karen and Keith attend a business function and tempers flare when Dan and Deb are seated at their table.

On the night of Dan and Deb's annual basketball appreciation party stirs up old wounds and new feelings as Karen makes a new friend, Keith faces off with his younger brother once again and Lucas finally makes his move on Peyton. Also, Haley and Nathan grow closer until Brooke spreads a vicious rumor that leaves Haley devastated.

Looking for some fun, Brooke and Peyton crash a college party, but things turn ugly when one of the guys in the dorm, Gabe drugs Peyton. After Brooke calls Lucas for help, the two bond over caring for a sleeping Peyton, prompting Lucas to look at Brooke in a new light. Meanwhile, Haley gives Nathan another chance and the two go on their first date.

After fighting with his father and Haley, Nathan succumbs to the pressure he is feeling and takes amphetamines to help his game. However, he isn't prepared for the destruction the drugs do to both his body and his family. Meanwhile, Peyton goes to Lucas to rekindle their relationship, but when she arrives at his house, she catches him with Brooke.

After Whitey cancels basketball practice, Brooke convinces Lucas to let loose and takes him out for a wild night out on the town. Meanwhile, Deb instructs Dan to take Nathan away for a father-son weekend to try and rebuild their relationship, but things don't go exactly as she had hoped.

Unable to handle the pressure from Dan, Nathan decides to quit the basketball team and looks to Haley to help him fill his free time. Meanwhile, Brooke becomes increasingly jealous of Lucas and Peyton's growing friendship.

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.

While holding a vigil at Lucas' bedside as he lays in a coma, Karen meets her son's new girlfriend and learns from Deb that she is divorcing Dan. Most shocking of all, Karen is horrified to discover that Keith was drinking while driving at the time of the accident. Meanwhile, Nathan tries to win Haley back after she dumps him.

Nathan must decide which parent to live with after the divorce, but Dan decides to force his hand by threatening to reveal Deb's darkest secrets in court unless Nathan chooses him. Meanwhile, Lucas meets a beautiful stranger who starts his head spinning.

The gang hits the road to Charlotte where Brooke is determined to win first place at the annual cheerleading competition, but when one of her squad falls ill, Peyton begs Haley to step into the cheerleader's shoes for a day. Meanwhile, after Whitey assigns Lucas and Nathan to the same room, tempers flare and Haley is caught in the middle.

Lucas, Nathan and Jake are auctioned off to the highest bidder in the annual "Boy Toy" charity auction and the night leads to surprising developments with old flames. Meanwhile, having missed out on the auction, Brooke ends up with Mouth and gives him the night of his life.

Lucas must make a difficult decision regarding Brooke. Haley considers having sex with Nathan.

While Nathan looks for an after-school job to pay his rent, Haley decides to throw a party at his apartment but panics when things get out of control. After a jilted Brooke realizes she was not invited to the festivities, she decides to crash the party with her new friend Nicki.

Lucas is shocked to learn that Dan once asked Karen for joint custody of Lucas when he was a baby. Meanwhile, Peyton panics after Nicki kidnaps Jake’s baby while she is babysitting.

Lucas and Nathan bear the brunt of Dan's abuse as he coaches them into the playoffs, pushing both of them to their breaking points. Haley is stunned after Dan threatens her, causing her to reconsider her relationship with Nathan. Meanwhile, Whitey learns that his medical condition may be more serious than he first expected, and Dan learns a shocking secret from Deb.

With the assistance of Peyton and Brooke, Lucas throws Nathan and Haley a wedding reception. Although Haley's parents support the marriage, Deb has a difficult time accepting it. Meanwhile, Dan's recent heart attack causes him to try and mend his relationships with Deb and Lucas.

Although Nathan and Haley are already married, Tim insists on throwing Nathan a post-wedding bachelor party, while Brooke throws Haley a bachelorette party. Meanwhile, Lucas tries to decide whether he should visit Dan in the hospital. Karen decides to go back to school. Nathan gets a job working for Keith at Dan's dealership.

Felix organizes a "dare night" to test the limits of his new classmates. While out playing the game, Lucas meets a mysterious new girl, Anna, and the two of them seem to hit it off. Peyton tearfully confesses to the church that she recently tried cocaine and Keith is caught off guard when a beautiful woman comes to the shop and begins flirting with him. Meanwhile, Karen goes on a date with Andy, her younger professor.

Lucas takes Anna to the formal night but by the end of the night ends up with Brooke. After spending time with Chris, Haley arrives late to the formal which angers Nathan. Meanwhile, Peyton struggles with pressure to do drugs.

When Tree Hill High does a time capsule project, the gang confesses their most intimate secrets to an anonymous video camera. Nathan's anger over Haley's absence continues to grow, landing both Lucas and Nathan in jail. Peyton and Jake's feelings for each other heat up, while Felix throws Brooke a party to celebrate her new gig as student body president. Meanwhile, when brought to court, Lucas opts to live with Dan and Deb rather than Karen.

Lying in a coma after his race car accident, Nathan dreams of what life would have been like if Dan had stayed with Karen and Lucas instead of marrying Deb. In this imaginary world, Lucas would have had the wealth and stature and Nathan would have been the one growing up on the wrong side of the tracks. After waking up, Nathan phones Haley and tells her he doesn't want her to come home.

Nathan is released from the hospital and returns home to a pile of unpaid bills and an eviction notice. Lucas, Peyton and Brooke throw a fundraiser Tric to raise money, but Dan is the one that comes to Nathan's rescue. However, his gift comes with strings - he wants Nathan to ask Haley for an annulment.

Brooke has an end of the summer party on the beach. As Nathan comes home from basketball camp, Haley tries to tell him how she feels.

Elsewhere Lucas deals with Brooke's rules for dating and Peyton deals with family issues.

The Ravens begin basketball practice. New team captain Nathan clashes with Lucas over Haley, and a new cheerleader sets her sights on Lucas. Elsewhere, Dan's mayoral bid takes a surprising turn when an unlikely opponent emerges, Karen.

The fantasy draft dates begin, Lucas finds himself with Rachel and a very familiar setting. Brooke is on a double date with an unusual couple. Mouth and Peyton hang out again. And Peyton regrets the things she says to Ellie. Karen and Deb take the campaigning for mayor, to a new level, to bring down Dan. Nathan gets mad when Chris gets close to Haley.

As the town readies for the Ravens' first basketball game, Lucas worries that his head and heart aren't in it. Nathan accuses Lucas of being the Ravens' weak link. Peyton and Haley mend fences to support Brooke in a time of need. When the mayoral race tightens, Dan resorts to a smear campaign.

As the students meet with the school counselor to plan for the future, Nathan and Haley realize they want to attend different colleges across the country from one another and Brooke discovers Rachel's reasons for submitting her designs to Rogue Vogue. Meanwhile, Ellie and Peyton bond as they finish the benefit album.

Haley, Brooke, Peyton, Lindsey and Mia get locked in the Tree Hill High library on the night of the Ravens' first game. Also Brooke tries to stand up for her mother, while Lucas and Nathan discuss whether to tell their loved ones about their indiscretions.