I want to start off by saying that I think Austin Nichols is doing a great job with the story of losing the baby and confronting the Kellermans. The first scene of Julian at the laptop and taking a drink (ginger ale) involved him not saying a word, but I thought he did a great job showing Julian’s pain, anger, and frustration. I also enjoy Julian’s ineptitude at being one of the guys in regards to coaching. Nathan and Clay have done a nice job of accepting that Julian is just not a jock, but still treating him like he’s one of theirs. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Julian and Brooke are getting their miracle baby. I’m happy for them and I thought that the scene on the baseball field was nicely done. It felt hopeful.

I honestly don’t care about Chase and Alex. But, as it turns out, their story this week was basically just a catalyst for Brooke and Julian. If Chase joins the Air Force, so be it. I like Alex. I think that last season she was easily the best of the three new characters. I don’t particularly see a need for her to continue. I don’t know what there is left for her in Tree Hill. But, since I didn’t feel like they were taking over this week, I wasn’t as annoyed with them as I have been.

What does annoy me is the treatment of poor Chuck Scolnik. Is the kid a brat? Yes. Does he deserve to be a punching bag? Absolutely not. Even astute, Yoda-like Jamie took a shot at Chuck this week, making fun of him for his mom not being there. Jamie’s supposed to be the nice kid. That was a low blow. Chuck’s been at the butt of some jokes for a while now. Clearly, these jokes hurt Chuck’s feelings. I think it’s time to stop. Also, when it comes to Jamie’s friends, I prefer Andre. Andre was an extension of Q and I loved Jamie and Q’s friendship.

As compared to last week, there was a scene between Nathan and Haley this week! Add to that, Lydia was there! Actually, it’s been proposed that Lydia may have been a hologram or that green screen may have been involved. I’ll take it. I liked the scene. I liked that Haley had her legs over Nathan’s. I’ve always liked when they sat like that. What I loved most was that Nathan was confiding in his wife. This is something that he should have been doing in earlier episodes. I even liked that little half scene of theirs at the end. Since at this point, Bethany Joy Galeotti was a new mom, I can totally excuse there being only that one and a half scenes. Especially since that made up the majority of Haley’s scenes.

So, is this the resolution to the Kellerman story? I actually wish they would have turned Ian in. I like the unit of Nathan, Julian, and Clay. When this whole thing began, I never really thought that it would be August Kellerman. It never crossed my mind that it would be him. From the beginning, I thought it would be Ian. So, it wasn’t a surprise when that was revealed that week. This week, I think Ian proved that he really had no redeeming qualities. He’s a selfish jerk. Although, I find it a little weird that Clay was the one who got angry enough to push Ian off of the bridge. Nathan and Julian were the ones who nearly lost loved ones. I suppose since Clay knows what it’s like to lose a loved one? I do like seeing Julian lose control. There are things about this story I would have done differently. I think as far as paralleling the relationships between Dan and Nathan and August and Ian, it was okay. I very much welcome the return of Dan Scott, so if it brings that, then right on. I approve.

So, a few final points:
• The way Haley was looking at the sign, do you think maybe she might be thinking of reopning the cafe? I’d like that.
• I like Clay and Quinn best when they’re being funny.
• If the show gets a ninth season, I pray that they stick with Gavin’s theme and only Gavin’s theme.

This episode was very disappointing, especially after the long hiatus! The bizarre trend of incredibly limited (non-flashback) Nathan and Haley scenes continues despite this being an episode about the birth of their child.

A few minutes into this episode, Brooke tells Julian that she doesn’t want to steal Haley’s thunder. Do you think Mark Schwahn realized the irony when he wrote that line? To be fair, Brooke the character didn’t steal Haley’s thunder at all. She was a great friend to not overshadow Haley’s day with her own excitement, and then sadness. The writing, on the other hand, put the focus on Brooke. I think the episode meant to contrast the two baby stories, but it failed. Nothing illustrates that more than the final scene of Brooke’s bittersweet introduction to Lydia. I’m not saying it was a bad scene — it was a good dramatic moment for Brooke. But by choosing that ending instead of showing Haley, Nathan, Jamie, and Lydia together, Lydia’s birth felt like part of Brooke’s story instead of a moment for the Scott family.

I would also say the flashbacks failed at lending any real emotion to the episode. One Tree Hill has a long history of using flashbacks as part of the narrative, but these scenes were too long and felt like filler rather than the characters’ memories. There were also some odd choices, like Dan and Nathan in the hospital and the montage of Haley being violent (I choose to believe that was inspired by this). Worst of all, the clips reminded me of when the show was better and made this episode seem worse in comparison.

I hate to be entirely negative. I liked the Brooke and Julian story, although it was predictable. I always like seeing Nathan with Jamie. I laughed at Clay spitting crackers. Jamie’s narration reminded me a little of Peyton. He seemed weirdly anxious about Haley and the baby being healthy! Maybe he remembers Aunt Peyton’s baby coma.

Julian and Brooke continue to be adorable as they look for paint colors for their baby’s room. I’m with Nathan, I would see a band called Soft Duckling. I’m happy that they’re getting a baby, but it all seems to be happening so quickly that I feel like something has to be happening here. How did she not have her definitive due date? That seems weird, but I’ve never been pregnant. Also, like Meaghan, I watched Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and am having a little bit of actor transference with Leven Rambin. But, I also watched her on All My Children, so my concerns are probably not as bad as Meaghan’s. That being said, I would have not been surprised if it had turned out she had been the one to hit the car Jamie and Brooke were in. Then, she said she drove a Prius. I still think something is up there.

Other than Chase, who I still find pointless being a regular, I enjoyed the diner scene at the beginning of the episode between the guys. It’s nice that Julian is getting along with the guys. He’s awkward with them and I liked that he felt the need to point out to Clay that it wasn’t Jamie on the phone. Also, I relate to Julian correcting people when they misquote movies. I’ve been known to do that.

Chase. His need to point out that he is bar manager was never funny and now it’s old and pathetic. I also wish they’d give up on this story between he and Chuck. First of all, it’s mean to out Alex and her glasses. Is it a big deal? No. But it’s still mean. Second of all, it’s mean to laugh at Chuck when he’s clearly having trouble dealing with possibly needing glasses. Chuck came to Chase because he trusted him and then Chase laughs. Does Chase turn it around in the end? Yes. But the point is that I just find this pointless.

Speaking of pointless, Millie now has a job as a TV journalist while Mouth helps her. I don’t find it that difficult to believe that a television station would hire a beautiful girl with no experience. I mean, have you seen some of the traffic and weather reporters? I have a hard time believing that some of these women are certified meteorologists. I do take issue with the fact that they’re filling up space. Her story was basically from Mouth’s mouth. She didn’t even form her own story and I think that Millicent would. She did the research, sure. But she did Mouth’s story. She took it from his angle.

Haley’s little test for everyone was cute. Sometimes, it’s really hard to swallow that Quinn is supposed to be the older one, based on behavior. But, Haley was doing grown up things, like getting married, at a very early age. Stuffing Haley into a Stringray was pretty funny. I most enjoyed Brooke’s test, though. Brooke and Haley’s friendship is one of the things I’ve really enjoyed most this season. But, all this testing just made it so clear that once again, Nathan wasn’t around his wife while she’s pregnant.

He did tell Ian that he had to go home because his wife was pregnant. We don’t see a lot of that this season. It’s nice that Nathan is doing well in school. I would have preferred to see more of that than going after Ian, but we now know that that has a purpose. A lot of the bad things that happen in Nathan’s life have to do with bad decisions he has made. This is another of those bad decisions. He really went to bat for Ian (pun intended) and now he’s found out that Ian is the one who nearly killed his son.

On the one hand, I’m glad that it’s Nathan that discovered it and not Brooke and Julian. I love them, but so much focus has been put on them. This should make for some interesting story in the coming episodes and a part of me is enthusiastic about it and about Nathan having something really interesting to do. A part of me worries that this will take him more away from his wife and son. I’ve had enough of that.

I am wondering if Professor Kellerman knows. He’s so insistent that Nathan not represent Ian. There has to be a reason for it, so perhaps it’s some misguided attempt to protect his son. Even though his son nearly killed Nathan’s son.

A few random things:
- I liked Quinton Aaron in The Blind Side, but I don’t see the point of him here.
- So not feeling this week’s theme song.
- Did a toaster pastry company sponsor this week’s episode?
- What a difference in blue books for Nathan! An “F-is-for-fine” in season one to an A- now! Well done!
- Mark Schwahn wrote the last five episodes of the season. Here’s hoping there’s an improvement.

Flippy Floppies! Julian quoted my favourite line from “I’m on a Boat.” That was awesome.

Baby Mama Drama? I watched Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, on which Leven Rambin played Riley, who turned out not to be exactly what she seemed. I now have actor transference, which is making me feel like I should caution Brooke and Julian that pregnant girl Chloe may not be all that trustworthy. Also, this is Tree Hill, so chances are pretty good she’s some kind of psycho. But aside from all that, congrats to Brulian on getting to adopt! I’m sure it will turn out fine. Yes.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame. It’s cute that Jamie has found a sport for which he isn’t too short, and nice that Fortitude is sponsoring a Little League team. But honestly, seeing Son of Kellerman show his softer side with the kids was very Q-in-season-5: been there, done that, liked it the first time, don’t need to see it again, and if I want a Q flashback I will just watch Robbie Jones on Hellcats, which is conveniently on right after OTH. I don’t even have to change the channel.

Population Control. Also, I don’t care about Kellerman’s son’s backstory. Do you know why I don’t care? Because I do care about Haley, Nathan, Brooke, Julian, and Millie, and okay, maybe even Clay, Quinn, and Alex a bit, and I don’t need yet more useless characters taking up their ever-diminishing screentime. This episode was somewhat refreshing in that Nathan and Haley were actually seen together three whole times! But it’d still be nice to see more meaningful interaction between the couple that is and always has been the heart of the show. With so much time being spent on scenes featuring utterly unimportant characters like Chase and Chuck, baseball guy (seriously, I don’t even remember his name) and his troubled relationship with his douchey father (who, it goes without saying, doesn’t hold a candle to Dan Scott anyway), and now Chloe (worst case scenario: skanky baseball dude turns out to be the father of her baby, leading to even more unnecessary focus on people I don’t care about), I fear for the future of our core characters. Are Nathan and Haley really so boring that the writers can’t even think of  interesting material for them despite Haley being pregnant (kind of a big deal) and Nathan retiring from basketball and going back to school (also kind of a big deal)? I just don’t buy that. What’s the deal here?

Ladies’ Night. I’d have to say the scenes at Haley’s shower were my favourites in the episode. It’s great to see all the girls get together, and having Victoria show up yelling about being in prison was pretty hilarious. Haley’s toast to Brooke was a lovely moment.

Then there’s Nathan trying to find his place in the world without basketball. This affects not just Nathan, but Haley and Jamie as well. Instead, Nathan’s return to school has been a dud. Instead of seeing him overcome and work hard, we just seem him griping about his professor. Is Kellerman an ass? Absolutely. Should Nathan, a mature adult, be handling this better? Yes. He should be studying and working hard. The story had a lot of promise, but that’s fizzled.

The main problem that I had with this episode was that every other couple, including Jamie and Madison, had a better story for the episode than Nathan and Haley. Nathan and Haley are the couple of this show. They’ve been a constant for 164 episodes now. That’s longevity that not a lot of television couples can claim and the show is really doing a disservice to their history. The few scenes they had together I did enjoy. Haley’s hormones are always good for a laugh. Their scene in the bathroom was a nice illustration of how well they just work together doing something as mundane as brushing teeth. Well, onto other things. I do actually know the show isn’t all about Nathan and Haley. Though, it should be more about Nathan and Haley.

Brooke and Julian were light and fun. By the time they got to the pizza delivery fantasy, it was getting a little old. Their amateur porn movie routine, though, gave no indication that they would be making a monumental life decision in this episode. Their decision to adopt, which is not a surprise, is going to change their lives. It feels like it was just tacked on at the end to propel their story in future episodes. Of course, the way the season has been going, I now fear that with this decision, the remainder of Haley’s pregnancy will become about Brooke’s desire to be a mom.

I wish they weren’t devoting so much time to Chuck and Chase. Chuck’s song was cute. It’s cuter knowing that Michael May, who plays Chuck, wrote the song. Let’s talk about crappy advice, shall we? What kind of mentor figure tells a kid to hide who they are? Nice going, Chase. He’s forgetting that Chuck’s best friend is Jamie Scott. Jamie Scott would never mock his friend for loving show tunes. That’s horrible, horrible advice to give a kid. Also, I enjoyed it more when Dan Scott told off Mrs. Scolnick then when Chase did it.

The other couples had their chance to be cute. Mouth and Millie, as well as Clay and Quinn, seem destined for bliss. Everyone is in a really good place in their lives. The muffin was a nice callback to earlier Mouth and Millie days. On the subject of Clay and Quinn, I don’t buy that he has the kind of clout to get City & Colour to do a private performance. Nonetheless, it was sweet.

Given the past couple of episodes, I’m starting to think I liked season seven more, and I consider season seven to be the weakest. I’ll reserve final judgment until the season actually ends. They have seven episodes to turn it around. And please, for the love of all that is good and holy, let Nathan and Haley be Nathan and Haley for those final episodes. Please.

B. Dazzle, Baby Mama aka Mastermind, and Shutterbug
This would be the o_O portion of the episode. I don’t know what to think about this. The costumes were fun and hilarious (“Brooke Davis makes top-of-the-line superhero apparel”), but the girls’ motivation was really questionable. I certainly appreciate and admire their desire to help, but it seemed very wrong for them to attack the bullies with more bullying. It felt like high school Brooke lashing out at Rachel — which was awesome back then, don’t get me wrong — but it didn’t feel right for this situation. These girls are much younger than she is. I also think the actual result of intercepting bullies while wearing superhero outfits would be to seriously embarrass their victim and set her up for even more bullying. So ultimately, I think the girls as superheroes plot failed, despite the fun visuals. If they had dressed up for a charity event, or an event at Jamie’s school, or even just for their own kicks, maybe it could have been more successful. I did like Nathan and Clay spotting the girls walking in front of the car and Brooke’s Clark Kent moment at the end. (I am concerned that Haley keeps violating the privacy of the crisis center callers — that doesn’t seem in character for her!)

Mia and Alex
This again? I’m bored with the fighting between Mia and Alex. This seemed like a good resolution to the drama, but so did the pie scene in the Thanksgiving episode yet here we are again. And we REALLY don’t need Alex to be Mia 3.0. I hope Mia goes on tour and disappears for a while.

Nathan and Clay
What the hell was this? Professor Kellerman is definitely an asshat, but Clay’s speech was ridiculous. Yes, he had a point, but his version of business is also pretty unrealistic. Nathan needs to stop making himself look like a dog-napping weirdo and beat Professor Kellerman by studying hard and acing his course!

Chase and Chuck
Is this really necessary? These two got like, ten times the screentime of Nathan and Haley. For what it was these scenes were okay, but I am just not interested (although I did laugh at Chase getting Chucked).

Julian and Mouth (and Millie)
This felt like filler even more than Chase and Chuck, although I kind of like Julian and Mouth as friends. It was completely obvious Mouth was going to be in the commercial (haha at Tree Hill College being THC). I like Millie so I’m glad to see her happy again, even if it is with Mouth the creeper.

My biggest gripe is my complete and utter lack of surprise at Nathan and Haley’s only scene together being a one minute (exactly, I clocked it) “end of the day” scene. When the show came back from the final commercial break with another Chase and Chuck scene, and then Alex and Mia, and then Mouth and Millie, and they still hadn’t had a scene together, I was starting to get angry. I’m really missing them lately. This couple is the heart of the show and I’m not tuning in to season eight to see minor characters. I don’t need every episode to be all about Nathan and Haley but they are certainly more important than this. We have seen almost no story regarding the new baby and Haley hasn’t been involved in Nathan’s return to school, which seems like a sadly missed opportunity to bring back tutor girl. I understand Bethany Joy Galeotti may be working less due to her pregnancy, but I haven’t really noticed her having reduced screen time. I hope we’ll get a lot more Nathan and Haley goodness coming up with the birth of their baby.

Let’s begin with the people who aren’t Brooke and Julian. They aren’t that important in this episode, anyway. It’s all about Brooke and Julian. Mostly Brooke, though.

This is the kind of episode where I think shows take advantage of the fact that they can have everyone present. Even people who maybe don’t belong there? I specifically mean Mia and Chase. They just kind of filled time. Also, how rude is it that they got busy in the back of that limo? Very rude. They couldn’t find anywhere else?

Clay is back and Quinn’s confession to him seemed a little rushed. I don’t really want them to dwell on this any longer, but it still felt rushed and also out of place in this episode. I am enjoying Quinn’s friendship with Alex. I didn’t expect it, but it’s nice. I think they both needed a good, no drama friend. Especially Alex.

Given their past problems with addiction, should Millie or Alex really be drinking so much? This is two episodes in a row where they’ve been drinking. I know their problems were specifically with drugs, but I would think that avoiding alcohol would also be helpful for them.

Nice little nods to the past were present. Skills takes his wedding responsibilities seriously, which is good for a laugh. I enjoyed the mentions to past Tree Hill wedding disasters. I also think his attraction to Sylvia is hysterical.

I missed Peyton, but I don’t really feel like she was missing. If that makes any sense. I also liked that Brooke mentioned Sam. I also would have liked to have seen her there. She was such a champion for Brooke and Julian. Oh, well.

Where was Nathan in this episode? I realize he wasn’t part of the wedding party, but for two weeks now it just seems like Nathan has really taken a back seat. I miss him. He absolutely should have been there when Haley told Jamie that they were having a girl. Why wasn’t he? Where else would he have been? He was almost an afterthought through the entire episode.

How adorable was Jamie in this episode? Okay, he almost always is. I love that he quoted J.K. Rowling. Mostly, I love the friendship he’s formed with Julian. I’d like an animated gif of Jamie and Julian high fiving. I love that they brought that back. Jamie’s speech was precious. He was a great choice of best man.

One of my favorite things about the episode was the stuff between Haley and Brooke. I’ve always loved their friendship and one of my biggest gripes about season seven was that they weren’t in enough scenes together. This season has more than made up for that. Their scenes together were really nice in this episode, as was Haley’s toast. Although, as I recall, that one night during season one, Brooke was a bitch and high. So, I’m not sure Haley would come away from that wanting to be Brooke’s friend. Either way, it was a nice little nod to season one and the long history the characters share.

I loved everything about Brooke in this episode. The little nod to the red front door was great and a nice reminder for how far she’s come. I also loved seeing her dance to “Don’t You Forget About Me.” That was such a great Brooke moment in season six, so it was nice to see it again. The point is that we’ve watched Brooke go from being selfish and promiscuous to this great, selfless woman. She’s grown so much and not only has she yearned for this, but I think we as viewers have as well. It was time for Brooke to get the boy and to have nothing go wrong on her big day.

Everyone got along on her wedding day. Everyone set aside their differences. Paul and Sylvia took the time to set aside their differences. Although, it was funny when they were bickering. There was even some nice stuff between Brooke and Victoria. Occasionally, we see that Victoria does have a heart. It was so sweet that she walked Brooke down the aisle when her father didn’t show up. Did we really expect to see Brooke’s dad, though? I don’t think so. We haven’t seen him yet, so why now?

Julian’s entire purpose has basically been to be for Brooke. I like how he’s fit into life in Tree Hill, and even the ways he hasn’t fit in. He’s exactly the man that Brooke has always deserved. He’s the one who’s never tried to change her and who has stood by her through everything. I love them together and this was really a great episode for them. When we did 30 Days of One Tree Hill, I said that Brooke needed to be with a man who didn’t mind being known as Mr. Brooke Davis. So, I was amused when Brooke called him Mr. Davis as they drove off together. He’s completely comfortable with that role.

All in all, a great episode for Brooke. This has, thus far, been the season of Brooke Davis. I just hope that now we get to focus on other characters. Like Nathan and Haley as a couple.

Watching the girls wake up was fun. Even better was the tattoo search (the “x-rated version of Where’s Waldo”) and the discovery of Millie’s hoe tag/tramp stamp. I liked Haley’s line “I have one!” and Millie spinning around trying to look at her back was funny. The tattoo was pretty horrible. I don’t know much about tattoos so I don’t know if that’s really what a fresh tattoo would look like the morning after, but hey, it’s TV. I’m less convinced Quinn would be fine after simply removing a new tongue piercing. But yes, it’s TV. I did like her super smeared lipstick.

The various flashbacks were all pretty fun, particularly the mechanical bull, Millie drinking out of the boot (eww, but lol!), and Sylvia’s keg stand. I figured the guy Brooke made out with would be Julian as soon as it was mentioned (it was a cute ending anyway). The investigative team of Brooke, Haley, and Sylvia was, unsurprisingly, awesome. I was surprised that Quinn was much more fun with Millie and Alex than she has possibly ever been with anyone else. I could have done without the Dave Navarro stuff, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Not that he did a terrible job, but I’m always embarrassed when shows integrate celebrities into the plot line and I was worried it would be 95% of the episode. I was glad he was only a small part of the crazy plot.

I loved the Brooke and Sylvia scene on the roof. Some of it was pretty mean, but for them to really get along I think they needed to get it out there. I like how their relationship has progressed and I think Sharon Lawrence is great on the show.

What the heck was this Dogust (Daugust?) and Nathan plot? I think it was a terrible idea for him to make himself look guilty of dognapping! I know they needed something for him to do but that was lame. I would have loved to see him help Haley work on the wedding. That would have been awesome.

I wish Peyton (and Lucas and Sawyer) could be at the wedding, and I do appreciate the show addressing her absence. The scene felt a little harsh to Peyton, but I don’t really think it was. The truth is she hasn’t been around. We as viewers know why she is gone, but I think it’s better for the show to address the reality of what Peyton’s absence means to Brooke rather than to pretend like nothing has changed. That said, I really think this situation would seem less harsh if the show had bothered to explain Lucas and Peyton’s absence in the first place. If they are in New Zealand with Karen and Andy (a reasonable guess, I suppose), then a flight to North Carolina would not be an easy journey.

On a final note, the theme cover by Tegan and Sara was one of the better covers… but that isn’t saying much. Almost all of the covers are so light. I’d like to hear a version with the energy of the original! Or preferably, just the original.

Best Episode

Julie:
8.10 – Lists, Plans
This episode was fun and full of great things including the hilarious redneck wedding opening and the return of the Dantichrist! I loved seeing Julian help Brooke complete her to-do list and I enjoyed watching Nathan go back to school and study with Jamie. This may not be as “big” of an episode as “Darkness on the Edge of Town” (my second choice!), but overall I enjoyed it more and it was definitely less traumatic to watch.

Meaghan:
8.11 – Darkness on the Edge of Town
One Tree Hill does crazy drama better than just about any other show on TV and this was a great episode for that. The Quinn and Katie stuff was perfect OTH-slasher movie fun in the tradition of Psycho Derek Prom and Nanny Carrie in the cornfield. Fantastic. I loved the scenes with Brooke on the bridge being superheroic and saving everyone, and then Julian doing the same. One of my favourite moments was how happy Brooke and Jamie were when Julian showed up on the bridge. Julian has been pretty insecure this season so it was nice to see him greeted as a hero; it must have been a boost for his self-esteem. All that excitement, plus some actual scenes of Nathan and Haley spending time alone together. We haven’t had enough of that for the last two seasons.

Morgan:
8.11 – Darkness on the Edge of Town
This episode, I think, became an instant classic for the series. I could have done with less Quinn and Katie, but it was okay because the rest of it was executed so perfectly. This episode was, as Julie said in her review, intense. At one point, my mouth literally dropped open and I gasped.

Weakest Episode

Julie:
8.02 – I Can’t See You, But I Know You’re There
In my review I called this one of the most pointless episodes in One Tree Hill history. The discovery of the shooting was well done, and I liked the Jamie and Julian scenes, but this episode was melodramatic Clay and Quinn overload!

Meaghan:
8.03 – The Space in Between
Yeah, I could have gone with any of the coma-centric episodes, but this one sticks out for some reason. Maybe because there was a scene where Quinn talked to Clay at his bedside. While I did ultimately enjoy the “Clay gets a kidney from that guy in his dream” thing, I also felt the whole “Clay meets a guy we’ve never seen before in his dream” thing a little pointless. The last thing this show needed was more characters. He couldn’t have talked to Sarah? Did we really need to know the source of his kidney? Meh.

Morgan:
8.02 – I Can’t See You, But I Know You’re There
This is the second year in a row where the second episode of the season has been a low point. I just didn’t care to see Clay and Quinn in their out of body experience. Also, I thought their “Till Kingdom Come” catchphrase was kind of lame, because it came out of nowhere. I’m glad it hasn’t stuck.

Most Entertaining Plot Line

Julie:
I have really enjoyed Brooke and Julian this season, from the sweet scenes of Julian supporting Brooke when she lost her company to the cutesy fun dates to the seriously upsetting car accident drama. They even fought zombies and had a redneck wedding! Ok, those were dreams. Still.

Meaghan:
Although I’m not a huge fan of Quinn, I have to say that I found her meeting with Dan to be the most entertaining thing we’ve seen this season. It was very Dexter.

Morgan:
Everything Brooke and Julian. It’s been their season. Brooke Davis has worked long and hard to have a happy personal life, and she’s got it with Julian. Sadly, her professional life has fallen apart. That being said, she’s had Julian at her side every step of the way.

Best Theme Cover

Julie:
Aimee Mann’s cover, hands down. I like Aimee Mann, so I was expecting to like her cover, but she surprised me and made me like it even more by using a different verse than normal theme. (I also appreciated the Matthew Ryan one for this reason.)

Meaghan:
Nothing stands out. I was happy to hear the original on “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”

Morgan:
I was torn. I was most looking forward to the covers by Aimee Mann and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. Neither disappointed. I’m going to have to go with Aimee Mann, though, in “Lists, Plans.” The beginning notes sounded exactly like an Aimee Mann song, but she still kept the spirit of Gavin DeGraw’s original. I also like that she didn’t start from the traditional beginning.

Worst Theme Cover

Julie:
I thought most of them were pretty bad, at least in the context of the opening credits. The Susie Suh cover was my least favorite but the Kate Voegele version is a close second.

Meaghan:
I thought the Patrick Stump version on “The Space in Between” was terrible.

Morgan:
Oh, Patrick Stump. That was an experiment gone wrong.

Best Episode Title

Julie:
“Darkness on the Edge of Town” sounds very creepy and foreboding — perfect for the episode!

Meaghan:
I agree with Julie: “Darkness on the Edge of Town” was perfect.

Morgan:
“Nobody Taught Us to Quit,” the fifth episode of the season. I liked it because it was a nice comment on Nathan and Brooke’s stories this year.

Cutest Moment

Julie:
All the scenes of Nathan studying with Jamie in “Lists, Plans” were really too cute. I love watching Nathan be a dad.

Meaghan:
Screwup superpowers activate!

Morgan:
Basically, everything Brooke and Julian did in “Lists, Plans” was super adorable. Like I said earlier, he’s really perfect for her. I loved that they brought back her list Millie made for her and that she and Julian did it together.

Most Expendable Character

Julie:
Mia 2.0, aka Erin. Snore.

Meaghan:
Chase. Let’s see … he was the only character who didn’t attend Thanksgiving at Nathan and Haley’s house. And Jamie, despite having met him several times, doesn’t even know who he is. That’s probably the definition of expendable right there.

Morgan:
Erin. When putting this together, I sort of forgot she existed. So, I suppose that makes her the most expendable.

Funniest Moment

Julie:
Julian’s ridiculous high five was hilarious, and made even more so because he was wearing a puppy costume.

Meaghan:
Julian’s high five would probably have been my choice too … if I hadn’t laughed so hard I cried when Alex clotheslined Mia during the Thanksgiving football game.

Morgan:
Brooke’s redneck wedding nightmare. Haley with a shotgun (reminiscent of a season one episode of Mad Men), Nathan in a trapper hat, salami, Jamie emerging from a port-a-potty with beer.

Predictions for the Rest of the Season

Julie:
Surviving the accident will give Brooke back her drive and determination. Maybe she’ll be inspired to find her career again, or pursue having a child. Whatever she does, I think we’ll be seeing more of the old, confident Brooke.

Meaghan:
Haley will have the baby in dramatic fashion. Jamie’s birth was pretty easy, all things considered. Maybe this time around Nathan will have to deliver the newest member of the James Scott clan in the back of a car or something. Or maybe Jamie will deliver his new sibling himself! Okay, that would be weird.

Morgan:
Dan Scott will return and actually, you know, interact with his family! I also see happy times ahead for Brooke and Julian.

Lingering Questions

Julie:
Who was the hit-and-run driver?

Meaghan:
Who was driving that car?! Was it someone we know? Was it totally random? I must know the truth!

Morgan:
Why is Chase still in Tree Hill? Oh, right. And who was driving that car that sent Brooke and Jamie plummeting into the river as Julian watched on?

Wishes For the Rest of the Season

Julie:
The Dantichrist, please! I don’t know if I ever want him to really reconcile with Nathan but I definitely want to see them interact again. And of course Dan loves to hold innocent little babies who don’t know what bad things he has done. It’s also not too late for him to become Victoria’s lover. (It’s never too late.) I would also like to see more Nathan and Haley scenes because I love them and come on, more shirtless Nathan. There has been almost no shirtless Nathan this season. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

Meaghan:
I just want more scenes of Nathan and Haley interacting. For the love of all that’s holy, is that too much to ask? I also wouldn’t mind Dan coming back (and having a passionate affair with Victoria) nor would I say no to more shirtless Nathan. I would never say no to that.

Morgan:
The first half of the season heavily featured Brooke and Julian. I would love the second half to feature Nathan and Haley and their growing family. While Nathan and Haley have been a strong presence, they haven’t had much to do as a family this season so far. I want that.

*This entry is named after a song by Neko Case.