“One Tree Hill”: The Slippery Slope NEVER ENDS 9

Posted by: haro1d

I’m starting to get really impressed with OTH’s ability to present week after week of filler episodes. I think what’s going on is that there simply are getting to be too many characters and plotlines, and they’re all having to be serviced, so the overall effect is that it feels like not much happens from episode to episode, even if that might not be the case. If you look through the last few synoptic blog entries I’ve written for OTH, you’ll notice that they’re getting longer and more fragmented as things get increasingly complicated and the volume of characters gets a little overly robust.

Let’s take a look at last night’s mess:

The show starts out with Haley onstage at the USO show, forgetting the words to her song. Of course it’s only a dream, as is half of OTH, but it underscores Haley’s jitters about performing in front of a huge crowd for the first time in a while. (She ends up borderline freaking out until show time.)

Sam makes breakfast for Brooke — which of course makes Brooke think that she’s up to some crap. The phone rings, and it’s the adoption agency, wanting to place another newborn with Brooke. Sam is having to work for Peyton at the USO show to help work off her debt after the party stunt at which Peyton’s wedding dress was ruined … but she has obvious anxieties about being replaced by the baby. (Peyton eventually urges Brooke to reassure Sam, which she does — but near episode’s end, another call from the adoption agency comes in for Brooke, and the agency tells her that fostering a teenager changes her availability status for accepting a newborn into her home, which Sam naturally overhears …)

Mouth still has trouble grasping the concept that he needs to strong-arm Gigi and fire her, or at least threaten to: When Millie comes into their apartment, she finds Gigi sleeping half-naked in their bed, and Mouth on the couch. She’s furious. Even though Mouth only brought her home because she was drunk and puking all over herself, Millie isn’t happy with him, obviously. She leaves and wakes up Mouth with a phone call, telling him she’s going to be home soon and to “Get that slut out of our bed.” He tries to hustle Gigi out of the apartment, but she’s wearing his T-shirt. (Hers was covered with puke.) So she removes it in front of him. Later in the episode, Millie goes to see Gigi and tells her she doesn’t like the way she’s throwing herself at Marvin. She also tells Mouth that he’s being too considerate to the wrong girl … and to burn the sheets. In a rather spectacular aside, she confides in Brooke that she’s a virgin, despite sharing an apartment and a bed with Mouth. Brooke guffaws at her, but encourages her to stay true to whom she is. At episode’s end, Mouth chides Gigi for her behavior and tells her to be more professional — but she’s up to no good, asking him to accompany out to her car “for safety.” He obliges, playing the role of the gentleman once more, but when she hugs him goodnight, Millie sees them in the rear view mirror of her car. Trouble is on the way …

In Lucasland, Lucas isn’t really mad at Peyton for her involvement with Julian. She’s upset because she wants him to be jealous and turn up the OTH drama. Instead, he just tells her, “OK” … and goes over to Julian’s to punch him in the face.

The more brooding person of the evening was Nathan, who stayed home on doctor’s orders instead of attending Haley’s comeback performance. (Which I seriously doubt would have happened, but … it’s OTH.) While sitting at home, watching the slamball championships, Nathan gets a Christmas Carol-style visitor in Quentin, who appears to Nathan to goad him about not following up on his dreams, even though he had a second chance. Nathan explains to Quentin that for him, his family IS his second chance. (And everybody gushes in the warm, fuzzy, family-friendly moment.)

Meanwhile, at the USO show, everyone gets to sit through a Bethany Joy Galeotti song (Haley’s real-life identity, for those kids who don’t know), a Kate Voegele song (Mia, again, for those of you who might not remember) and an appearance by Angels and Airwaves. As the show goes on, Peyton talks to Derek about letting go of the family that he doesn’t have and appreciating the family that he does, and how much better he feels about it.

Sam asks for Mia’s autograph, but Mia offers Sam her phone number and tells her to call sometime to hang out, saying that Haley and Peyton are cool, but boring. (High jinks to follow?)

Finally, Lucas tells Julian he’s OK with Julian’s making the film by himself — and tells Peyton the same, just to have Julian out of their lives. But Julian convinces Peyton to talk to Lucas about it, and she encourages Lucas to consider following through on the movie.

And then we get the promo for next week’s show, written by Chad Michael Murray, which apparently is going to present the movie in some fashion, set in the swing era, with big-band numbers and all. I’m looking forward to it — particularly since the swing revival that took place in the ’90s has been over for some time, and was in poor taste from the beginning. It’s gonna be a lulu, folks — don’t miss out.