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'One Tree Hill's' Robert Buckley on the finale's shocking ending and returning for Season 8
"One Tree Hill" fans were shocked when the Season 7 finale ended with Clay (Robert Buckley) and Quinn (Shantal VanSanten) both being shot by their crazy stalker, Katie (Amanda Schull). We came so close to a happy ending, too! Zap2it talked to Buckley at The CW Upfront Presentation in New York City on May 20 to see if we could squeeze some spoilers out of him. He was still celebrating "One Tree Hill's" 13-episode order for Season 8, especially since the show was on the bubble. In fact, the future of the Tree Hill gang was so uncertain that the cast shot two season finale endings, one to air as a season finale, and the other as a series finale if the drama wasn't renewed.
Of course, the episode that aired was the season finale, even though the official renewal announcement hadn't yet come down from the network. "It was kind of an educated guess," Buckley told us. "A bit of a gamble, actually." As for the other ending, "You're going to have to watch the DVDs for that. Bonus footage!" [Note: Creator Mark Schwahn gives Zap2it's Korbi the scoop on the alternate ending here!]
We couldn't help but wonder what Buckley's reaction was when he read that his character would be shot in the chest in the last moments of the season-ender. "You know what my reaction was?" he says. "'Did I do something wrong? Is this your way of telling me that I'm not - are we getting rid of me?"
We're assuming that Buckley's presence at the Upfronts - where he and "Life Unexpected" star Kristoffer Polaha did a bit on stage to announce the new "One Tree Hill"/"Life Unexpected" Tuesday night line up - means that he'll be back on the show.
"That's what I'm assuming as well. I'm just not going to question it," he says. "But I'm thinking, unless it's a really cruel joke, that I'm gonna be around."
Buckley did ask Mark Schwahn, the series creator, if his character was being written out. "They said no," Buckley tells us, "and then I immediately followed up with 'Can we shoot him in the face, because an eye patch would be a really cool gimmick.' But they didn't quite go for that one. They weren't as sold on the eye patch as I was."
When the series returns, Clay and Quinn will be hanging onto their lives by a thread. "I'm hoping he's not a vegetable," Buckley says. More seriously, he tells us, "It would be nice to see Clay not get embroiled in quite as much drama. Between being shot, drowned, haunted an ex-wife, he's really had a rough go of it. I really would like to see Clay get his feet underneath him and have some quiet time with Quinn."
We're pretty sure that if Buckley is looking for some quiet time, he should go join another show. At this point, we're inclined to believe that being an assassin on "Nikita" or battling the apocalypse on "Supernatural" would be significantly less dramatic than living in the fictitious town of Tree Hill.
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Sorry Robert, there was NO alternate ending. That was how it was gonna end. No need to do damage control for Schwahn. You got a Season 8.
That really irritates me, because they were probably told to say that there was only one ending shot. I had heard a while ago that they were filming two endings in case the show was canceled. But whenever I said this someone would bite my head off and say, “No they only filmed one ending it’s going to end on a cliffhanger!”. Now I’m really positive that a lot of them were told to lie, which is really disappointing.
Thanks for the comments, guys! James Lafferty, Michael Grubbs, and Robert Buckley have all confirmed to Zap2it that two separate endings were shot.
My guess is that if they'd been canceled, they'd have pulled the scene with Quinn and Clay from the end entirely - and instead wrapped it up with Haley's baby announcement and a retrospective music montage.
Sorry, Carina, you know I'm a fan of yours but I think they're right. Back in March, there was speculation that 2 endings were being filmed but sources confirmed that only one ending was filmed and it was a shooting with Katie. (Yes, we've known about the shooting since March.) Long before any actor went "on record" saying there were two endings, the show's executive producer went on the show's official podcast and made it quite clear they made a season finale, and not a series finale, with one ending. Many fans FREAKED out after that, worrying they'd be stuck with a cliffhanger if the show was canceled. AND THEN the actors started saying there were 2 endings and fans needn't be so concerned. Spin job.
This was by far the worst episode of the series. It just keeps getting worse and worse. I really wish the show would have ended last year, now it's just full of shallow uninteresting characters and it seems like all the writers do is kill someone off or do something just as overly dramatic when they can't think of anything to write. The show died when Lucas and Peyton left.
PLEASE KEEP GOING ON WITH ONE TREE HILL ITS THE BEST SOAP OPERA DRAMA I WATCHED EVERYDAY.I LOVE THE SHOW SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE THE SHOW OUT THERE.....PLEASE KEEP GOING ON WITH THE SHOW.PLEASEEEEE..
can u please bring back peyton&lucas on OTH season8,please...tnx :)
i think that they sould have Season 8 to see khow every thing work out. they have more to talk about. they can have the other one come back and have more season. they can end it like what haping at the end of the Season 7 they have to make them all happy. they can get back all of the old pepple they have in the other season!!!!!!! the show is good and it get butter the ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i have not missed an show yet and I do not plan it. i was so happy to hear it will be coming back for season 8, but seriously bring back lucas and payton for a few shows.