“One Tree Hill”: The Slippery Slope NEVER ENDS 14

Posted by: haro1d

The gooey stuff got gooier last night, and the problems with Lucas’ movie got stickier. And, as I predicted last week, we got the return of Dan Scott, though he wasn’t necessarily up to his usual trickery and shiggity. Overall, a slow night on OTH, but I expected as much. Here’s the rundown:

As the episode opened on the end of a Chiefs’ game, Nathan gets benched by the coach. Devon keeps the ball instead of passing it, goes for the game-winning basket and misses by a mile. Chiefs lose! Devon goads Nathan in the locker room after the game, saying that he put down more points than Nathan did. Nathan reminds him that the team lost, and Devon points out that his own stats were the victory of the night, getting up in Nathan’s face while he does so. Although Nathan visibly WANTS to punch Devon in the face very badly, he restrains himself. After the game, on the court, Jamie is disappointed at the loss, and that his dad didn’t get to play. He calls all of the other players on his dad’s team losers, but Nathan reminds him with gingerly fatherly wisdom, “We win as a team, we lose as a team.” A true Hallmark OTH moment.

Over at Brooke’s house, Brooke and Julian are getting fairly comfortable on the couch and with each other, but Brooke doesn’t want things to get any heavier because Sam might come home, and Brooke wants the no-boys-in-the-rooms rule to be consistent. Of course, as this is going on, Sam comes in and catches them. Sam gets all embarrassed and says she’ll put her headphones on in her room, just in case.

The next day, Lucas and Julian are out scouting directors. The latest is a completely hilarious British thespian of a director whose vision is to set the movie in a junkyard. Later, they meet with Paul (Julian’s dad, remember?) He forces their hand by telling them that they have to pick one of the six directors he’s suggested, or he’s going to pick one at random for them.

Then we get Dan Scott — back in the doctor’s office, being issued a new beeper, and the advice that when it beeps, he should call. Dan tells the doctor that he’ll try to avoid being kidnapped by psycho @#$%es in the future.

Nathan goes to talk to his coach about the teamwork factor, and to inquire when he’s going to play again. In response, the coach tells Nathan that he’s talking like a coach would — and that that was the job that Nathan turned down. Perhaps if it’s offered to him again, he’ll take it … particularly after Dan later meets Nathan at the basketball court to talk — and dispense more advice that’s only good if you see the world the way Dan Scott sees it, which no one does. But Dan encourages Nathan to take the second chance if he’s offered it, just as he’s been given a second chance for a transplant.

As it turns out, Nathan isn’t playing for the next few games, and thinks that his family shouldn’t come and watch him sit on the bench, but Haley convinces him that it’s good for them to be there and support him if he’s playing or not, so the romanticized OTH version of perfect parenting continues, rather than Haley being relieved that she doesn’t have to go out, for once. Later on, Nathan tries to help Jamie understand why he’s not playing, but Jamie has his own ideas … he calls the coach and tells him that the game isn’t about Xs and Os, it’s about heart — and the coach beams and seems to consider Jamie’s advice, which is beyond the precious.

While she’s making costumes for Lucas’ movie, Brooke makes Julian a letterman jacket and gives it to him. They get all googly for a bit, and Julian takes off. Then Peyton comes in and warns Brooke that Julian is in all probability ephemeral … he’s liable to disappear when the movie is over and be on to his next conquest, like he did when he ditched Peyton and she read about it in the papers following their breakup. Later on, Brooke confronts him about what they’re doing, where they’re going with this relationship — if it’s just fun or something more. He tells her they’re having fun together, but she’s more concerned about Sam than her libido, for now. Julian leaves, somewhat smarting from the exchange.

Jamie’s gets ice cream with Grampa Dan the murderer, and it seems like Dan, while still screwy, is either starting to come to terms or is either starting another scam. Time will tell.

Lucas checks with Haley to see if the engagement ring he bought for Peyton will pass muster. Lucas brings Peyton to the spot where he towed Peyton’s car in Season 1, and offers her a ring. She nearly flips out and cries … but later recants about the ring itself, saying that she would prefer to wear Keith’s ring. (I don’t know, girls — is that a bit creepy?)

Then we have an unexpected scene in which Paul goes to see Peyton … and tells her that his son screwed up royally when he let her get away. She tells him that she didn’t think Julian was all that broken up about their breakup, given what she read in the papers in the days after their split. Paul admits that he planted the story after Julian missed his own movie’s premiere, as he was actually heartbroken when she and Julian broke up … which Peyton realizes casts a shadow on the advice that she gave to Brooke about Julian’s character, so she goes to try and remedy the situation … So later, when he shows up at Brooke’s with the letterman jacket and presents it to her, asking her to “go steady,” she invites him inside for bow-chicka-bow or whatever.

Julian and Nathan sit down to decide on their director for the film. As they’re talking, Reese Dixon (James Van Der Beek’s character) shows up to press Lucas one more time. As he does, Lucas explains why he won’t be the director of the film. Lucas tells him, “”I want a director who can make the little things the big things, and you are just not the guy to do that.” Afterward, Lucas goes to see Brooke, who urges him not to compromise for this film. Lucas meets with Paul and disappoints him with his lack of a decision.

Throughout the episode, there’s a lot of smooching between Mia and Chase. She’s written him a song, he’s made her a Long Island iced tea (at risk of his job and arrest, since she’s only 18). They’re edging ever closer to the point where Chase is going to have to disclose his chastity, which will be fun for Mia to hear, I’m guessing, though I suspect she’s not as worldly as her character seems.

Meanwhile, at that night’s Chiefs’ game, Nathan tries to give Devon a bit of info and edge to help the team, and Devon rejects his advice out of hand. Coach notices the slight, and when Devon gets cocky about his starring role in what could be the winning last play, Coach benches him. He puts Nathan in as point guard, and Nathan passes the ball for the winning assist.

On the sly, Reese meets with Paul to try to usurp the director position for the movie, over several glasses of scotch. When Paul asks, barely interested, about why Reese should direct the film, Reese uses Lucas’ “making little things the big things” speech to clinch the film contract, and he goes back to see Lucas to tell him the good news. Swigging champagne and slapping Lucas on the back, Reese is pleased with himself beyond measure, and Lucas knows he can’t say a thing about it, because he failed to make the decision himself.

No episode next week, but in TWO WEEKS comes the casting call episode, where the kids are going to meet the people who are playing them in the film.

And that’s it for last night.

Just a hunch, but why do I get the feeling that when the movie is made, its premiere is going to take place in Tree Hill, and that same night, Peyton’s water is going to break? Wouldn’t that be slick?

Still no word on whether this will be the last season for OTH, or if the OTH curse will continue. But we’ll stay tuned and keep you informed, and further subject you to our OTH complaints …