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!
