One Tree Hill was well-known for its romantic relationships, though one of its best couples—Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton) and Jake Jagielski (Bryan Greenberg)—missed out on the chance to be endgame. The coming-of-age show focused on the lives of half-brothers Nathan (James Lafferty) and Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray), who played on the same high school basketball team in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina. One Tree Hill dealt with drama on and off the court, especially with the brothers' love interests, including Peyton, who eventually married and had a baby girl with Lucas. However, Peyton and Lucas being endgame wasn't always the plan.
Hilarie Burton revealed (via the CW show - another Tree Hill High basketball player, as well as a single father. Burton said, "I , season two or season three, I was told that it was going to be Peyton and Jake that ended up together and Brooke and Lucas." Jake and Peyton had a very endearing relationship before they split up in One Tree Hill season 3. Bryan Greenberg departed One Tree Hill to film the movie Prime with Uma Thurman and star in George Clooney's HBO show Unscripted, so the writers altered their original endgame idea. Still, Jake and Peyton should have ended up together.
Jake Was The Better Man
Jake was the better man for Peyton. One Tree Hill's Lucas wasn't a bad person, but he was often very brooding, and he and Peyton fought often. Jake and Peyton's relationship also evolved from an open and trusting friendship, while Lucas and Peyton were based on lies and sneaking around while Lucas was dating Brooke (Sophia Bush). Lucas and Peyton's relationship was wrought with drama, while Jake and Peyton were able to laugh with and be fully ive of each other. Peyton went through a lot over the course of One Tree Hill, and Jake was a reliable and comforting presence in her life during his time on the show.
Hilarie Burton And Bryan Greenberg's Chemistry Was On Fire
Bryan Greenberg and White Collar cast member Hilarie Burton had amazing chemistry together in the CW show as Jake and Peyton. The two of them had very believable physical chemistry, but their emotional bond was also great to watch and truly showed how much the two characters cared about each other. Burton has mentioned on Drama Queens, her OTH recap podcast with Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz, that she had a crush on Greenberg while filming One Tree Hill, and praised him for being "an angel." This detail makes their already sweet on-screen relationship even more endearing. Greenberg and Burton made this relationship, whether they were friends or romantically involved, captivating to watch.
It's understandable that Bryan Greenberg would want to leave the show One Tree Hill to pursue other opportunities, especially a starring TV role. However, Jake and Peyton's relationship not being endgame is still disappointing because of how great Jake was as a character and how perfect Greenberg and Burton's chemistry was. However, the two One Tree Hill actors will be reuniting; along with Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton will be starring in Junction, Bryan Greenberg's directorial debut focusing on the modern opioid crisis. It may not be a Jake and Peyton reunion, but the thought of Burton and Greenberg acting alongside each other again is still exciting.