One Tree Hill Scoop!

WB's One Tree Hill ended its first season with one soapy twist after another: Nathan and Haley got married, Lucas left town, Deb had an affair and Dan had a heart attack. Here, executive producer Mark Schwann gives TV Guide Online the scoop on what we can expect in Season 2. And we're not just talking about Chad Michael Murray's cute new buzz cut!
TV Guide Online: Nathan and Haley getting married was quite a shock. Where do you go from there?
Mark Schwann: I think the audience wants to know how Nathan and Haley's marriage is possible and what the decision-making [process] was. We'll meet her family in the first episode. Her father will be played by Huey Lewis. I think the audience loves Nathan and Haley, and wants to make sure [their marriage] is not being used as an excuse to cause friction in their relationship or break them up.

TVGO: Well, is it?
Schwann: I've said all along, I'm a fan of the relationship. I think they're really good together.

TVGO: Will Lucas return home?
Schwann: He will. Lucas wanted to rebuild himself, which is why he left town, but he'll continue that pursuit around the people he's disappointed and the people that love him. He'll be more likable and stronger [this season]. We've had Chad brood and be severe, but there's more fun [in store] for Lucas. And probably more fun for Nathan, vicariously, because we'll tie them at the hip a lot.

TVGO: What else can we expect to see this year?
Schwann: Last season, Peyton, Brooke and Haley were kind of appendages to the guys' lives. We never meant for that to take place, but because the show was built on the shoulders of two guys that were brothers that played basketball, it sort of played that way. This season, we want the girls to have their own journeys. Haley is clearly a very talented musician. If she chooses to expose that talent to the world — and she will — what are the ramifications? Same with Peyton. She doesn't want to be framed by what a guy thinks of her. Her quest will be to find her own way, on her own terms. She's on a quest of self-fulfillment.

TVGO: What about Brooke?
Schwann: We know very little about her. We don't really know what's in her heart. It'll be nice to pull the curtain back a little. But I don't think it's in her nature to carry around much of the drama. She'll always be a breath of fresh air. She'll continue to be the straw that stirs the drink.

TVGO: What's going on with the adults?
Schwann: We want them to have their own journeys [too]. I don't wanna see them existing just as counsel to the kids. Karen is gonna meet someone and have a romance. Deb is wrestling [with the question] "Did Dan sign the divorce papers?" And does she in fact want out? [She will] become a business partner to Karen.

TVGO: Any new characters?
Schwann: A girl named Anna, who will be of interest to Lucas. She's someone who will see the world through similar eyes. We've cast a girl named Daniella Alonzo, and she's fantastic. And a young guy comes to town, too. The actor's name is Michael Capone — the character's name is Felix, though the character's name may change. We like to call him "Brooke in Pants." He's all about having fun. And, of course, he'll be drastically handsome and probably cross-pollinate with every girl on the show at some point.