MovieChat Forums > One Tree Hill (2003) Discussion > Dan Scott

Dan Scott

posted 9 years ago by greeneyelove2003
21 replies | jump to latest

First of all, I don't know why Paul Johansson never won an award for playing Dan Scott.

Secondly, after watching the series again, I think Dan is one of the most complex characters ever; we go from hating him, to feeling sorry for him, to hating him while feeling sorry for him. He did horrible things. Killing Keith being # one on that list, but let's admit, his list of sins is a mile long. But in the end, we see he loves his grandson, Jamie, maybe more than he has ever loved anyone in his life. He turns from this arrogant bastard you want to see suffer, to a broken man, who realizes he had so much in life, and he threw it all away. He hurt his sons. Both women he claimed to love. But at the end, he was sincerely sorry.

The final scene, with him and Keith, after Dan dies, still makes me cry. When he says he's 'sorry for that day and every day that came before' and Keith says he forgives him, and you know they have both found peace. One of the best television moments ever.

[–] kem7696 9 years ago

I completely agree with you on Dan. I ended up loving Dan. Sure the 1st 3 seasons I didn't like him but starting in season 4 when he realized it wasn't Keith that tried to kill him I saw him slowly try to change. Was he perfect no, but I still feel he grew and tried to change. I know I've seen some people say but "he killed Keith thats unforgivable" but its a TV show and not real life so I try to look at things differently when it comes to shows, in RL i'd probably never forgive him but thats what's great about him, you go from hating him to liking him.

[–] greeneyelove2003 9 years ago

I remember the scene, when Deb is throwing him out for the first time, and she's boiling water, she says to throw on him. He ask why she's adding syrup and she says so it will stick to him. I was think, yep, he deserves that. But in the end, Deb was by his side, and Hailey, who had so many reasons to hate him, truly cared about him in the end. And there's no doubt Jamie played a part in his change. I was so glad it ended, with Keith coming for him. Seeing them walk off together just felt right. And the money he left Mouth, to do something good with. He wanted to make as much right as possible.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

we see he loves his grandson, Jamie, maybe more than he has ever loved anyone in his life.

He's never loved anybody in his life? Was he incapable of expressing love or joy?

How could ghost Keith forgive him?

[–] greeneyelove2003 8 years ago

Did you see the last episode and the one before it? When Dan dies, Keith is there, waiting for him. As they turn away from the hospital room, where Nathan and Hailey and Jamie are with Dan's body, they are suddenly back in the school, where Dan shot Keith. Dan said it all comes back to that day. And he tells Keith he is sorry, for that day and every day before. Keith tells him he knows and he has forgiven him. As they walk into the light, Dan says something like, "I know where you're going, but what about me?" Keith tells him it's okay, Dan is his plus one.

[–] cheerio_xo 8 years ago

I agree with you.. Paul Johansson is soooo talented in his portrayal of Dan. They could not have cast anyone better.

[–] rorygunn 8 years ago

it's a shame Schwahn never did an early years for Dan and Keith..I would've been curious to see what started all the animosity between the two of them...

[–] greeneyelove2003 8 years ago

During the one time Keith and Dan's parents were in town, the father was upset with Dan for some reason; while they were all eating together, the father commented on Keith owning his own business and he said he was proud of him. Keith replied with something like, "Thanks, Dad. The first time you ever praise me and you're only doing it to stick it to Dan." From that, I get the feeling their father pitted them against one another, when they were younger. Their relationship was like a foreshadowing of what Nathan and Lucas could become, if they didn't learn how to be brothers.

For all his success, I think Dan was jealous of Keith, because Keith decided to live life on his own terms and he wasn't out to please anyone. Dan couldn't stop being competitive. He always had to win. And that can make a person miserable as hell.

Dan did some many horrible things, but in the end, he wanted to be a better man, and when Keith came to him after Dan died...just thinking about that scene makes me cry.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Think Dan never had any love or friends to begin with?

Did he suffer from borderline or narcissism? He seemed impossible to please or reason, incapable of positive thought or forming long lasting relationships with anyone.

[–] dcornelius-2 8 years ago

I have to respond because I never thought Keith was that great of a person either. Yet he seems to always get credit for being a great person.

Keith is basically a guy that seemed to sponge off Dan's life in every capacity possible. I mean Dan is awful, no doubt about it. But Keith is just as jealous as Dan is...he is just nicer and more calculating about it.

He immediately swoops in as soon as Dan doesn't go to Karen with Lucas is born. A good brother would have just gone to his brother and been like...I don't think you are making the right decision, etc. But he doesn't do that, he just swoops in and assumes Dan's role.

Then as soon as Dan and Deb start having problems, he sleeps with Deb.

Dan is the only person on this show who truly sees Keith...he dupes all of the other people on it.

I always thought he was the worst. Because at least Dan is a straight up creep. Keith is creep in wolf's clothing.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Nobody supported Dan when Keith and Deb slept together.

If they didn't give Keith too much credit for being a good guy or give Dan too much credit for being a bad guy perhaps the issue would've have lead to Keith's murder.

[–] dcornelius-2 8 years ago

Plus neither Karen or Deb was like weird he keeps sleeping with Dan's exes. Yeah never liked Keith.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Think nobody loved Dan enough to support him or find it weird Keith goes with his exes.

[–] rainbow26 8 years ago

I completely agree. I hated the whole "Saint Keith" thing this show had going on . . . in the end, Keith was a just a lonely guy desperately trying to have everything his brother had.

[–] dcornelius-2 8 years ago

Right. I mean Keith is creep. Dan is just more in your face with it. I never understood how Karen wasn't creeped out by him.

Also Dan basically was not the huge jerk in the Karen situation either. I mean who is glad about having a kid at 18. Then she lies to Lucas and doesn't tell him about the fact that he wanted visitation and child support. Then she tells Lucas I didn't take his money because I know what he's like but you wanted to marry him??? Nice try Karen. And as soon as he starts being nice to her in season 4 she's into him again. Okay.

[–] skk-cissp 8 years ago

Since this thread is about Dan Scott, I wanted to add something here. I have watched the episode "Danny Boy" multiple times and have always come back to the scene where he and Nathan are talking at the River Court and he explains how he has always been jealous of Keith and explained why he was killed him. At the point where Dan and Nathan were playing one-on-one was Dan reliving / living that in his mind while Nathan was sitting with him or do you think he was really talking to Nathan? The way the scene is played, it could have gone either way. I just remember when my grandmother passed, she was making "amends" / living her life in her brain and she was not cognizant of what was going on around her. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[–] greeneyelove2003 8 years ago

I think he was dreaming about what their last moment could have been.

[–] skk-cissp 8 years ago

I tend to lean toward that Dan was dreaming as well - I just want to know if Dan really did get the redemption he was seeking. Yes, we see Keith forgive him but do you think Nathan forgives him and receives closure?

[–] greeneyelove2003 8 years ago

I think he proved to Nathan that he loved him. And the fact he loved Nathan's family was the key, for Nathan being able to forgive him.

[–] Jones_RA 8 years ago

I think so. The entire Dan/Deb Scott family was there at his death bed, grieving and showing their love. The fact that both Nathan and Deb were there for him said a lot, and Haley told him that when Lydia asked about her grandpa, they would tell her how much he loved his grandchildren. I would definitely say he had forgiveness from his family at that point.

[–] greeneyelove2003 8 years ago

Dan was a tragic character. I mean, he did some horrible things, he sank as low as a person can, but he did everything he could to pull himself from the messes he had made. Wasn't a good man. But he wasn't all bad. And those are the characters we remember.

[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Dan didn't have any love in the world to begin with?