Biggest Teen Drama Mysteries
I spy with my little eye... some teen drama mysteries!
Now, I’m no detective, but our did teen dramas did keep us guessing sometimes with twisty storylines filled with misdirects and red herrings. While they typically weren’t weekly episodic mysteries or season-long arcs a la “Veronica Mars,” they still kept us glued to the tube week after week, wondering when all the clues would add up to jaw-dropping revelation. Heck, “Gossip Girl” was premised on a mystery — who the hell was Gossip Girl?!
Grab your magnifying glass and put on your thinking cap as we look back at some of the teen dramas’ biggest mysteries.
Beverly Hills, 90210
Who’s Stalking Donna? (Season 7)
In season 5, “Beverly Hills, 90210” had a bit of a mystery going on as it introduced an unidentified campus rapist. The perpetrator’s identity, Garrett Slan, was eventually revealed as he attempted to rape Donna before David (err… “Dave”) came to her rescue. So it’s understandable that a few seasons later, upon learning Garrett has been released from jail, Donna assumes he’s the one leaving her creepy messages and putting dead rodents in her bed. Garrett, however, is adamant that he isn’t stalking her — and he wasn’t. Donna’s actual stalker is revealed to be Evan Potter, with whom she was working at the campus television station.
Is Dylan’s Dad Actually Alive? (Season 10)
In season 3, Dylan watched his dad blow up in a car bombing — or so he (and all of us) thought. In season 6, he even sought revenge on the man believed to be behind the murder plot. But watching footage of LAX on the news in season 10, Dylan and Steve spot a passenger who looks just like the late Jack. Dylan sets off on what seems to be a wild goose chase as he looks for confirmation that his dad is, in fact, alive. After several dead ends (no pun intended), Dylan discovers Jack has been in the Witness Protection Program all this time, living under the alias Eddie Waitkus.
Dawson’s Creek
Who Had Sex? (Season 2)
In the “Dawson’s Creek” episode titled “Sex, She Wrote,” a clear homage (in name at least) to the long-running series “Murder, She Wrote,” Abby takes it upon herself to try to uncover the author of a very private letter that’s ended up in her possession. As the missive discusses, uh, doing the deed, she sets her sights on three pairings: Dawson and Jen, Jack and Joey, and Pacey and Andie. The prior installment, which ended with a “To Be Continued” screen, left off with the first two of those couplings in full makeout mode. That’s why it’s such a surprise when it’s ultimately revealed that Pacey wrote the letter to Andie after — unbeknownst to the audience — they had sex for the first time.
Who Stole the PSAT? (Season 3)
Dawson ends up with a copy of the answers to the upcoming PSAT, courtesy of Eve. He and the gang hem and haw over whether to take a peek at the material, but before any decision can be made, a fire drill forces them to exit the building and leave the test behind. When they return, it’s gone. Just as viewers wondered who wrote the letter last season, now we’re left wondering who stole the test. In the episode’s final moments, the culprit is surprisingly revealed to be Andie, who is arguably the most studious and obedient of the bunch. She ends up confessing to the principal later in the season.
One Tree Hill
Who Tried to Kill Dan in the Dealership Fire? (Season 3)
The “One Tree Hill” season 2 finale ended with Dan drinking a seemingly poisoned bottle of liquor as a fire erupted around him at his car dealership. In the season 3 premiere, it’s revealed Dan miraculously survived. He subsequently becomes determined to find out who tried to kill him so he can get his revenge. There’s no shortage of suspects at the start, with Dan initially accusing Lucas, who actually was the one who rescued him, and then concluding Keith was the would-be murderer. But it’s Luke who truly solves the mystery: It was Deb.
Who is Taunting Dan Over Keith’s Murder? (Seasons 3 & 4)
Long before the Tree Hill community at large finds out it was Dan, not Jimmy, who murdered Keith during season 3’s school shooting episode, one person — one mysterious person — seems to know the truth. And that person, while not revealing their identity, repeatedly makes clear to Dan that they know what he did. First, they paint “MURDERER” in red on the wall of his home in the season 3 finale. Then in season 4, more menacing messages follow, but their source remains unknown. That is, until Lucas and Dan, separately but around the same time, both determine that the person tormenting Dan is Tree Hill High student Abby, who was in the Tutor Center the day of the shooting. It’s revealed that after Jimmy let her go, Abby ended up hiding in the school instead of leaving, and witnessed Dan killing Keith. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend reading my interview with Abby’s portrayer, Allison Scagliotti.
Gossip Girl
Who is Gossip Girl? (All Seasons)
Again and again, “Gossip Girl” teased its audience, with the characters seemingly getting close to solving the mystery of who the titular blogger was, only for the big reveal to be hampered by this or that. But in the series finale, the truth finally comes out: Dan confesses he was Gossip Girl all along. This, of course, made no sense. There are dozens of reasons why Dan could not have been Gossip Girl (and there are plenty of threads out there dissecting those reasons, so I won’t get into them here). So let’s consider opening this case back up: If it wasn’t Dan, who do YOU think it was? Who would’ve made the most sense to you?
The above list is by no means exhaustive — just examples of some of the biggest mysteries to take center stage on our teen dramas. There’s also, for instance, the mystery surrounding Eve’s identity on “Dawson’s Creek,” the “who is pregnant?” season 3/season 4 cliffhanger and “who attacked Brooke?” arc on “One Tree Hill,” and the confusion over Chuck’s mother (dead? alive? Elizabeth? Diana?) on “Gossip Girl.” And though “The O.C.” creator Josh Schwartz has said Eddie is indeed the father of Theresa’s baby, many fans still consider it a mystery as to whether Ryan is actually the biological dad.
These mystery plots are hardly the reason we tuned into the teen dramas, but I bet many fans would say some of these are amongst their favorite storylines. These shows did many things well, including serialization with propulsive stories that prompted fans to keep watching to see what would happen next — and how it would relate to all that came before. Simply put, the interwoven threads kept us hooked. And while not every twist and turn paid off, it was all worth the ride.
Want to take a look at the essential teen drama love triangles, biggest season-ending cliffhangers, saddest moments, and much, much more? Check out all of the TDW Originals.