Posted by: haro1d
Like last week’s episode, last night’s OTH was essentially a filler, with a little bit of drama in the closing moments. Here’s the play-by-play, for those of you who need it:
Slamball is on, and Nate is barely hanging in. He gets crunched and crushed all over the place, and Haley is getting worried. Jamie is thrilled and nervous, but not too worried that he can’t comment about his future sex life. “Mommy says I’m too young to date, but Daddy says it’s time,” he says. Peyton introduces herself to Sam at the game, and Sam remarks about Nathan, “Wasn’t he, like, just in a wheelchair or something?” provoking thoughtful reaction from Haley. Nathan ends up being rather battered and bruised after the game, which adds to Haley’s worry, but he’s OK … for now.
The Millie-Vs.-Gigi cauldron is starting to bubble. Mouth has to (legitimately) work late with Gigi on footage of that night’s game, but Millie’s not a happy camper. She kisses Mouth pretty majorly on the mouth, marking her territory and tells him to be home early. Gigi teases Mouth about being on a short leash.
As the game is still going on, Lucas gets a call regarding the sale of options to turn his first book into a movie — followed by Nathan getting crushed into the boards. (Ooh! Foreshadowing! Can you smell a major mistake on the horizon?)
Brooke isn’t feeling terrifically inspired or motivated to start her new line or pick up her life as a designer. As Jamie drags Sam around the store on a skateboard, Brooke jokes that Sam should not skate on her floors, but in traffic. Haley and Millicent taunt Brooke about Owen, and how hot he looked at slamball the previous night.
Julian Baker shows up at Lucas’ to discuss optioning his book. (He seems slimy from the outset, doesn’t he?) He seems way too into it for it to be genuine.
Peyton’s brother is decorated at graduation, and Peyton, who received an invite out of the blue, goes to see him and talks to him about the upcoming wedding and what she knows about Mick. They compare notes about their father, and he says he’s still waiting for a call from Mick about helping him to put on a USO benefit. Peyton subsequently offers to help her brother make it happen.
Lucas has doubts about the movie. Nathan has a list of people to play him, including Shia LaBeouf. “I suppose you’ll be getting some snot from The CW,” Brooke says. Brooke has ideas in that department of her own. (Natalie Portman.) Lucas has seen Peyton’s wedding dress — does that mean he’s going to screw up his wedding?
Gigi continues to sexually harass Mouth, even as he tries to rise to the occasion and be professional. Mouth finally gets some advice from Nathan: “Millie’s a rock star. Don’t screw it up.” (It seems unlikely that Mouth will fall for Gigi’s endless advances, but stupider things have happened on OTH.)
Owen tries to make up with Brooke, but it’s unclear how it’s really going between them. It’s almost a moot point when they realize that Jamie and Sam are gone — out the window and to a big ol’ bash that Sam helps throw at Brooke’s near-vacant store. (This is, of course, the third time Jamie’s been kidnapped. That’s a lot for only being what — 5?)
Sam’s party was out of control and the kids destroyed the place … AND Peyton’s wedding dress, which now torn and replete with spray paint. (Somehow, I think Peyton will think it’s fantastic and punk rock. Especially since Jamie liked it. And Brooke probably will find her new design direction based on it.) When Sam is brought to account by Brooke, she doesn’t get kicked out, but grounded, much to her surprise. Brooke sends Sam upstairs to Brooke’s room so she can’t run away. Brooke is angry, but in a very parental way.
All of Lucas’ close friends provide (unsolicited) casting suggestions for themselves in the movie of Lucas’ book: Nathan has a whole list, including Shia Labeouf; Brooke suggests Natalie Portman (or “someone from The CW”); Haley says Ellen Page. (Yes, they are that ridiculous.)
Near episode’s end, Julian presses a rather drunk Lucas into signing the options contract — without talking to Peyton about it, telling him, “I promise you, this will go down in your life as an epic day in your life.” Which it will, since, when Peyton finally gets a look at him, she realizes she knows him, and he’s up to no good at all. From the previews of next week’s episode, it looks like Julian’s arrival may have been facilitated by Dan Scott. But as anyone knows, the next-week OTH trailers are notoriously deceptive.
So, once again, not a lot really happened, but a lot of stage-setting is going on, readying everything for the next major drama.
In the meantime, I just have to observe how really amazing it is that on OTH, everyone is so intertwined in everyone else’s lives. Everyone is forever walking into each other’s houses, looking after Jamie in true “It takes a village” fashion, and always aware of each other’s crises.
And have you noticed how parents just end up GIVING their houses to their children on OTH? That really is amazing. But I’ll save my surprise and shock for the next schlocky tragedy that seems to be coming right around the corner.
