One Tree Hill had many shocking twists and turns during its nine seasons, but Chad Michael Murray (Lucas Scott) and James Lafferty (Nathan Scott) chose the one that they thought was the most ridiculous. Murray and Lafferty played half brothers Lucas and Nathan, sons of villain Dan Scott (Paul Johansson), who went from being enemies to close friends throughout the series’ run.
One Tree Hill eventually revealed that both Dan and Lucas had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which eventually required Dan to have a heart transplant. Lafferty and Murray chose this plot twist as the most shocking because of an absurd turn in the storyline that was completely bonkers.
One Tree Hill’s Dan Scott Lost His Donor Heart When A Dog Ate It
In an interview with People shared via Instagram, Murray and Lafferty reflected on the wild One Tree Hill season 6 storyline in which Dan lost his donor heart when a dog ate it. Murray explained that Dan was waiting in the emergency room for his heart to arrive when a man came in for help with his dog, who’d consumed brownies laced with marijuana.
As the organ courier entered the ER, he tripped over the dog’s leash, which caused him to fall. The case containing the heart opened, and the heart fell to the ER floor. The dog then ate the heart, while Lucas and Dan looked on in horror.
Chad Michael Murray Didn’t Want To Be In The Scene
One Tree Hill’s Chad Michael Murray (Lucas) Looking AngryImage via The CW
In the People interview, Murray hilariously described the over-the-top scene, and he revealed that he didn’t want to have any part of it. He said, “I remember I begged and pleaded, begged and pleaded, ‘Please, I don’t need to be there. There is no need for Lucas Scott to be there.'”
Murray continued that he thought, “‘If you really wanna do it … fine. Go ahead and write the scene, but it’s terrible.'” Murray added that as he got older, he wanted to be more involved with choices on One Tree Hill. He said, “And I remember, I started to care a lot more. And I started to really get more involved and just wanted to like … I don’t know. I just was older and starting to try to take ownership of my own things, right? Instead of 20 or 21, I was probably 25.”
Murray explained that he was bothered by the plot twist because he knew that the writers were only doing it to pull off a publicity stunt. He shared, “And I saw it. I read the script, and I knew exactly what they were doing. They want this to make The Soup. Remember that show The Soup? And I was like, ‘This is a total promotional scene.'” Murray then comedically went on to describe each aspect of the scene, highlighting how farfetched it all really was.
The Heart Transplant Twist Was Completely Ridiculous
One Tree Hill’s Dan Scott (Paul Johansson) Looking ShockedImage via The CW
Murray and Lafferty are right that the heart transplant twist was absolutely ridiculous. Not only was it preposterous, but it didn’t serve much of a purpose in the broader scheme of the show. Instead, Murray made a great point that it seemed to be done for the sole purpose of bringing attention to One Tree Hill by airing something so outrageous that it would generate buzz.
It’s no wonder that Murray didn’t want to be in the scene. Not only was it disgusting to watch the dog eat the heart, but it was laughable, and it made the show campy. Murray and Lafferty are right that, while there were many unbelievable twists during One Tree Hill’s nine-season run, the dog eating Dan’s donor heart takes the number one spot.
Source: People/Instagram
Release Date
2003 – 2012-00-00
Showrunner
Mark Schwahn
