One Tree Hill “We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me)” 6.11

This week’s episdoe of One Tree Hill was not only a few steps away from the season’s plot, but a few steps away from present day. The episode, which was written by Lucas’s real life counterpart Chad Michael Murrary, brought us back to the 1940s, when swing music was in.

How does OTH go off on this kind of tangent without being absolutely ridiculous? The episode opens with Lucas sitting at home while a storm is going on. He and Peyton are on the phone and she informs him that she has to stay late at Tric. So while she’s gone, Lucas falls asleep and dreams of he and his friends 1940s style.

Now what setting would Lucas put his 1940s dream in? A “Casablanca like” place, instead of it being named “Rick’s Cafe”, it’s Karen’s Cafe. The corniness begins. Lucas is the Bogart character who started up the cafe to bring in people and money. Skills, who hasn’t been in an episode in a long time, finally appears as Lucas’ “Sam” playing on the piano. Who would he play for but the talented Haley James who takes to the Tric stage every night. She pulls out a swing number, actually about the cafe, and looks the part while she’s doing it. Brooke has never looked better as a classic ’40s bombshell who seems to be wooing Lucas without any luck. However Lucas doesn’t seem to dislike her nor ignore her which is an absolute step for the people who are pissed Mark has basically ignored that the two were ever in love. Nathan plays a bartender, who only has eyes for Haley (of course) but is too shy to make his move. Peyton, Dan, and Julian make up an entourage that becomes the foil of the episode’s storyline.

The basic plot of the episode has Lucas meeting Peyton at the club. Assuming she’s Dan’s girl, he doesn’t really make a move, although it doesn’t stop both of them from making eyes at each other as she walks out the door. Peyton plays more of a victim than ever as a girl who is being watched carefully by Dan. She wants to know what its like to be free, to fall in love, to live for herself. She reveals this all to Lucas when she comes to the bar later that same night and the two go for a walk. “Do you think I’m pretty?” she asks Lucas during their walk. Honestly, what do you expect him to say, that you’re ugly? Her lines are the worst of the episode since she’s barely given her own legs to stand on. Lucas however does think she’s pretty and the two continue to see each other.

Meanwhile, we learn that Dan is a mobster of sorts who has lent money to Brooke so she can start her own garments line. She has problems getting the money, but once she sees Lucas and Peyton together, she wastes no time in ratting them out to Dan. Nathan finally gets up the courage to talk to Haley and he asks her in the respectable way (that all men should!) if she’ll “step out with him”. She seems to like the idea and Nathan is even more insistant when he recieves a letter calling him into the army the following day. The two spend the night at Karen’s Cafe dancing and talking and of course falling in love. It’s usual Naley no matter what the decade .They get serious very quickly and decide to get married. While laying in bed, the two even bounce around the idea of naming their child James! Of course! In a classic airport scene, Haley swears to wait for him no matter what the cost. Theirs is probably the most touching part of the episode.

Dan decides to confront Peyton and Lucas . He corners them with his car and calls them out on their relationship. Brooke steps out of the car and in order to erase her debt, she must shoot Lucas. She doesn’t though and turns her gun to Dan. Come to find out the gun isn’t loaded and Dan pulls out his own gun and fires. He is intercepted by Skills but as he falls to the ground, a shot is fired. He doesn’t get Lucas…he gets Peyton. Lucas is heartbroken and there’s looks of shock on both Brooke and Dan’s face. Peyton is dead and of course the rain begins to fall.

The episode does include other familar faces such as Julian, Owen, and Mouth. Mouth’s character is particularly amusing as he plays a washed up journalist turned alcoholic. He sees all of Dan’s scheming and unfortunately does not live to warn anyone as he is thrown off a bridge by Dan. Owen gets beaten up by Dan pretty badly and Julian gets shot by Lucas. Chad Michael Murry pretty much makes sure no one gets a happy ending in this one.

Lucas eventually wakes up from his dream to another call from Peyton who informs him she’s on her way home. However, when she hangs up the phone, she falls to the ground in pain. What does this mean? Maybe if we hadn’t spent the whole episode inside Lucas’ mind (because frankly…who cares) we’d know.

Chad’s episode is mediocure at best – at least most of the characters made do with the lackluster script. Here’s hoping next week will bring some more (interesting) plot developments!

One Tree Hill – “Even fairytale characters would be jealous” 6.10

As a One Tree Hill fan, I’ve always enjoyed their concert episodes. On this week’s episode, guest star Angel and Airwaves did not disappoint!

The episode opens at a USO concert sponsored by Peyton’s label (honestly though who knew she had enough money to put something on like this!) and Haley is about to get up on stage. She can’t seem to get the words out to her song…come to find out she’s only having a dream. She’s terrified she won’t remember the words to her song and she’ll be terrible.

Brooke wakes up to find breakfast made by Sam. It looks like she’s finally coming around to living with Brooke and doing the domestic things, although a call from an adoption agency telling Brooke know they have an infant for her to take care of seems to get Sam a little worried.

Millie makes a surprise visit to Mouth’s apartment only to find Gigi lying on their bed in Mouth’s shirt. She finds Mouth sleeping on the couch but of course assumes the worst. A few minutes later, Mouth wakes up to a phone call from Millie, sweetly asking him if it’s ok if she stops by. Mouth of course is ok with this but is nervous due to Gigi’s presence. Millie, knowing this, ends the conversation though simply by saying “get that slut out of my bed!”

Peyton is upset that Lucas has no real reaction to her relationship with Julian, other than to say “ok”.  Little does she know, Lucas does have a reaction when he proceeds to go to Julian’s apartment and punches him in the face. He’s decided that he does not want to be involved with the making of the movie.

Nathan plays a prank on Haley by coming into the room in a wheel chair. He tells her he’s fine and wants to watch her perform but she won’t allow it. When she leaves, he ends up getting a visit from Q’s ghost. The visit isn’t all smiles though – Q is upset that Nathan seems to be giving up his dream of basketball. Nathan is annoyed by the visit because he doesn’t see it that way. He doesn’t want to end up the wheel chair again and Q only sees that as an excuse.

Millie comes to Brooke freaking out about Mouth’s possible infidelity. She admits to Brooke she’s still a virgin (to Brooke’s surprise and amazement) and hopes Mouth isn’t trying to find sex with anyone else. Brooke assures her that Mouth wouldn’t do something like that. We find out that Gigi got drunk at work and Mouth didn’t think she could make it home so he allowed her to stay over while he slept on the couch.

The USO concert begins and Haley is the first performer. She’s still nervous, but when she goes on stage, her nervousness floats away and she sings her heart out. The guys seem to enjoy it and she comes off the stage with a smile on her face. While she’s singing, Lucas approaches Brooke and askes her what she knows about Peyton and Julian’s relationship. Brooke tells him that he needs to get over it because rebounds don’t count.  Julian also bothers Brooke but she simply tells him he has no chance in a Lucas/Peyton triangle and if he doesn’t anything to compromise their relationship, she’ll hurt him.  Julian approaches Lucas and asks him to reconsider participating in the movie.

Sam and Kate Vogel connect and Sam asks her questions about life on the road, probably trying to see if it works for her since she’s afraid she’ll be leaving Brooke’s house soon.  Brooke gets wind of this and tells Sam there’s no way she’s going to have to leave and she can stay as long as she wants. Sam seems genuinely happy about this.

After a lackluster performance by Kate Vogel, (“I’m single!” who cares!) Angels and Airwaves comes on and sings “secret crowds”! It is during this song that Nathan watches the end of the Slamball game and tells Q his family is enough of a prize. Q tells Nathan to never let anything come between his dreams, but he seems to understand Nathan’s point of view. Mille tells Gigi to back off, and all she really gets out of Gigi is a smirky smile. Julian approaches Peyton and asks her to try to get Lucas to get onboard with the movie and she agrees to help.

As the episode winds down, Peyton and Derek share a family moment and Derek promises to keep in touch with her. Millie watches Gigi and Mouth hug outside her car. Gigi was only saying she didn’t want to mess with Mouth and Mille’s relationship, but the scene looks suspecious to Millie. Brooke calls back the adoption agency about the baby and learns that since she’s participating in foster care, she’s cannot watch an infant. There’s nothing but sadness in Sam’s face. Nathan prepares a romantic night for Haley after the success of her show. Lucas and Peyton talk and she convinces him to take part in the movie. She also admits she’s happy about Lucas getting jealous, since Julian informed her of the punch he recieved. But will the movie create more drama for these two? Until next week!

One Tree Hill Season 6 Episode 9 “Sympathy for the Devil”

This week’s One Tree Hill had us in the present, but gave us flashbacks into the past. Lucas is excited for his movie and begins working on his screenplay. He asks Peyton what she thought of Julian and we’re given the first of a few flashbacks that explain Julian’s role in Peyton’s former LA life. It seems that Julian was the first person to make Peyton smile when her relationship with Lucas fell apart.

 

As for other relationships on the show, Owen decides to bring a gift to Brooke every day as a way of making her see he’s a nice guy and in hopes she’ll take him back. Brooke grows to love the presents, but notices that there’s a fine line between taking the presents as a girl interested or just a girl who’s leading a guy on.

 

Nathan is still a Slamball player and manages to come out of the games without serious injury. However while watching TV with Jamie, Mouth interviews a player who says he’s out to get Nathan back into a wheelchair. Jamie wants know if his dad will win a trophy, which Nathan says isn’t possible. Jamie is disappointed by this and after Sam shows him how “economics” works, namely by selling candy out of a vending machine for more than he originally paid for it, he decides to go into this venue himself to raise money for his dad’s trophy.

 

Brooke still hasn’t decided what she’s going to put in the former Clothes over Bros location and while debating Peyton surprises her with a visit. Brooke wants to know when Peyton is going to tell Lucas who Julian is and another flashback begins where Peyton runs into Julian after seeing Lucas and Lindsey kiss at a book signing. Julian invites her to be his date to a party and we see where the relationship began.

 

Meanwhile, Lucas finishes the screenplay in three weeks and Julian is excited for him. He does however tell Lucas that he wants Keith’s death to be shown in the movie, telling him that he’ll have someone else write it if Lucas can’t. Lucas can’t seem to decide if its something he can write or not. Peyton tells him that he doesn’t have to protect Keith and that Keith would want Lucas to be the one to write the scene. Haley also gives Lucas some advice in a Tree Hill high hallway, telling him to make more of the scene. Lucas is still conflicted, not wanting to make Dan more than just what he sees him as: a bad guy.

 

Probably one of the most important flashbacks into the Peyton/Julian romance shows the two having a special moment in their apartment where they BOTH utter those three little words: I love you. However a later flashback has the two finishing up packing for the Sundance Film Festival and Julian comes upon Lucas’s book. He decides that the relationship is over because he can no longer compete with a book by Peyton’s ex.

 

Brooke goes to her car and finds Owen naked in the back seat, reminiscent of her naked backseat scene with him back in season 5. She however does not find it attractive and kicks him out of the car without any clothes. He comes by to her house later, with clothing on, and tells her that he won’t be coming around anymore because he cannot be led on. Brooke finally realizes she needs to make a choice.

 

Peyton spies Julian at an outside lunch table and approaches him to ask if working on Lucas’s book is a way for him to get closer to her, telling him that there’s no way she’ll get back with him. Julian informs her that he has no intention of getting her back, reminding her he was the one who dumped her, and is merely interested in making Lucas’s book into a movie. He does however ask Peyton the question we are all thinking: why haven’t you informed Lucas of our past relationship?

 

Lucas is still having problems figuring out how to write Keith’s death scene and so he goes to Keith’s grave. While sitting there, he decides to go to Dan’s grave and smashes a shovel against it. Still not satisfied, he goes to the basketball courts. Dan comes out of nowhere and inquires about the damage to his grave. Lucas asks Dan what happened the day he killed Keith and Dan merely says that Keith was shot in cold blood and that Dan will always be the villain in Lucas’s story. This finally gives Lucas the push to finish the screenplay and give the scene what it deserves.

 

Nathan plays another Slamball game and gets the final winning basket in the last seconds of the game. He’s managed to stay away from his aggressor on the other team, but as he’s walking along the edge of the court, the opposing player pushes him into the glass wall and Nathan falls off the court. Jamie and Haley run to him and Jamie asks his father not to play Slamball anymore. Nathan agrees, telling the two “if these are the two last trophies I ever get (Haley and Jamie) then I’ll be happy”. For the moment, it looks like Nathan’s basketball career is again on hold.

 

After the game, Owen finds Brooke in the backseat of his car, clothed, and the two talk about their relationship. Brooke say she cannot get involved because she has an obligation to Sam. However, she does say that she’d like to keep in contact and hopefully down the road get him back. Owen seems to understand and so the relationship is at a stalemate.

 

Lucas personally drops off the finished script at Julian’s house. Prior to Lucas walking in, Julian was looking at a picture of Peyton and him. When he opens the door, he gets a phone call which he takes in the next room. While waiting for Julian, Lucas looks at the picture and finally discovers what Peyton has not been able to tell him. He comes back to the house and confronts Peyton. Lucas says “so you two were together” and Peyton clarifies, “we were in love”. Is the Leyton romance in trouble? Until next week!