One Tree Hill

It began to dawn on me when I saw Lucas get Lindsey’s message on his cell as he literally stood on Peyton’s message on the river court: Are we gonna get a cliff-hanger ending? Indeed we were – and not just one cliff-hanger, but two. And I’m totally fine with that, because I kind of like the classic setup of a season-ending cliff-hanger, that whole summer-full-of-anticipation feeling. Just as long as the show resolves the cliff-hangers well and comes back strong in the fall.

So cliff-hanger number one: Is Dan dead? If memory serves me correctly, this show has pulled this stunt as a season-ender once...wait, make that at least twice before. With the very same character! This time he wasn’t in a fire nor did he have sudden heart failure, but he got hit (quite violently) by a car. And at that exact moment, he got a page that a heart was suddenly available for him. Talk about bad luck. Or, better yet, talk about karma. I guess what goes around really does come around, Dan. Ironic that it happened just as he was starting to put some good karma out there. First, he didn’t smother the reverend – for Dan, this is quite an accomplishment that shows a lot of growth and restraint. Then he helped an elderly man by picking up his cane for him and telling him to be careful. And then came that car that tossed him into the air.

So, will Dan Scott pull through once again? I certainly hope so. Because as he was explaining to the comatose reverend, he does need time to make amends. And I think it would be beneficial to Jamie, Nathan and Lucas if he could work on his relationships with them. Haley and Nathan kept telling Lucas all night that he had to let the darkness inside of him go, and I think part of that darkness he carries is his deeply fractured relationship with Dan.

But Dan can’t be blamed for all of Lucas’ problems. Lucas needs to look at himself in the mirror and accept responsibility for his recent crazy behavior. (As well as for that scary Mohawk – though it wasn’t that surprising, as Lucas has a pattern of taking his pain out on his hair. Case in point: the close-cropped do he sported as Season 2 began, back when he briefly left Tree Hill with Keith in order to escape or find himself or something like that.) Luke has to realize that it’s his ultimatums, obsessiveness and inability to let go and move on that are what’s hurting him. He can’t blame Dan or Peyton or Lindsey for any of that.

So, whom did Lucas call? We won’t know that for sure until the fall. We do know that Brooke was expecting a phone call about Angie landing safely, Peyton was waiting on a call from Mia regarding some guy who knew Ellie (Peyton’s biological father?), and Lindsey...well, I don’t know if anyone in particular was supposed to call her – maybe her office? We know it wasn’t the new guy she’s seeing, because she made him up. She still loves Lucas, and finally admitted it to him in a voice-mail message. And Peyton bravely declared her love for Lucas in a very artistic, Peyton-esque way, sprawled out all over the river court. How she was able to do that after how Luke treated her last week is beyond me. I’m glad that he apologized last night, but she accepted his apology rather quickly. She should have made him work for it a little more. Their one scene together was rather sweet, albeit brief. I just always feel more of a connection between their characters on-screen than Lucas and Lindsey, so I’m rooting for his "I’ve got two tickets to Las Vegas. Do you wanna get married tonight?" call to be to P Sawyer. But I’m not ruling Linz out as a possibility. As for Brooke, I doubt the call was to her. They have a rekindled friendship, but nothing more I think.

Outside of Dan and Lucas and his many ladies, things were looking up for much of the rest of the Tree Hill gang, who were all facing being brave as an overriding theme of the night. Well, things were difficult for Brooke, as she had to say good-bye to Angie earlier than expected, but ultimately she was able to do it. Mouth was suffering the consequences of disappointing his bosses last week, but then he stepped up and saved the new (idiot) sports guy’s day. And then in a triumphant moment, he quit. Seems like he and Millicent are now headed for Omaha. Deb and Skills seemed happy as they continued to sneak around with one another. Haley (and therefore Bethany) was singing again, and she was a really good friend to both Peyton and Luke last night (loved her "Sometimes people write the things they can’t say" line). She was back to being helpful Haley, as opposed to the self-righteous Haley we saw earlier this season. And she was happier than ever with her family, as she looked lovingly at Nathan and Jamie frolicking in the pool and told her husband, "You still make my heart race."

As for Nathan and Jamie, they both faced their fears and conquered them, with a little help from each other (and in Nathan’s case, Q). Jamie went back into the water for the first time after he nearly drowned (I forgot how many traumas that little kid has been through this season), and Nathan kept persevering on the basketball court, despite wanting to quit at times. Finally, he made a slam dunk just like he did in the old days, proving to himself that he’s still got some game.

All in all, I think it was a good season-ender. There were some special moments, such as Jamie singing the old opening theme song with Gavin DeGraw. And there were triumphs for some characters, mixed with uncertainty for others...things to keep us guessing all summer long, and hopefully enough intrigue to bring us all back come fall.

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Finally, after weeks of static, something actually happened with the Peyton-Lucas-Lindsey triangle. And it wasn’t pretty.

At the beginning of the episode, Lucas’ pals Skills and Brooke were feeding him the same old lines, telling him not to give up on Lindsey. But they really weren’t helping him by giving him this false hope. Then Lindsey called him, out of the blue, during halftime of the big game (great timing, Linz). She told him that she was dating someone else. Next thing you know, Lucas is a madman on the floor, giving his team an angry pep talk and showing a temperamental side of himself that resembles Dan and Nathan. That kid from the other team was really out of line acting on his coach’s orders to hurt Quentin’s one good hand, but Lucas was the adult and had no business grabbing him. So Luke was thrown out of the game and Nathan told him what he finally needed to hear: "You can’t wait around forever. Maybe it’s time to move on." Thank you, Nathan. Finally! Someone had to say it.

As painful as that was for Lucas, it wasn’t as venomous as what he slurred to Peyton after she got her drunk ex home: "Peyton, I hate you. I wish you never came back and ruined my life." Ouch. What a jerk. He writes a second book about his love for her, then blames her for ruining his relationship with Lindsey, taking no personal responsibility for that. (And that scene from last week’s preview of Peyton undressing him was nowhere to be found, though I’m sure it would have taken place right before she out him to bed and gently kissed him on the forehead.) This sad scene wasn’t how I had hoped things would go for Lucas and Peyton, but hey, at least something happened. Seeing him go ballistic on the basketball court was kind of a welcome change – it snapped him out of his constant moping. I guess Lucas is going to have to hit rock bottom now before he redeems himself.

And speaking of the Ravens game, I was proud of Mouth for not using that damaging footage of Lucas. He was in a tough spot, because he let his bosses down, but they would have only exploited the situation. Instead, Mouth chose to be a good friend and destroyed the tape.

Haley thought she destroyed Jamie’s card to Dan last week, but sure enough, the little tyke found it in the trash and was quite hurt. Upset enough to run away. (Where was he going? Looking for Dan?) Thank goodness Haley was the person in that car that pulled alongside little Jamie – the tot was just kidnapped a few weeks ago, they can’t allow that to happen to him again. Haley’s scene on the playground with Jamie where she promised to be more truthful to him was quite sweet (and almost as cute as a caped Jamie on his scooter helping Nathan get back into shape). Also poignant: Jamie’s declaration about Dan: "Everyone should have a friend."

It’s good to see that Deb has found a new friend in cyberspace. That scene with Nathan catching her flashing her new Internet friend was funny, as was their awkward conversation afterwards. I thought for sure that her new mystery pal was going to turn out to be Dan, but to my surprise it was Skills! Sitting there with a rose like he was The Bachelor. And so that kiss between two people you wouldn’t expect? Deb and Skills. And apparently they weren’t stopping at a kiss.

Meanwhile, it looks like Brooke has found a new friend in Dr. Copeland, Angie’s surgeon. The surgery went well, and though the hot doc was reluctant to give her his first name, he eventually broke down that wall and told her his name with Ethan. I really hope the writers allow a relationship to develop between these two, instead of drawing Brooke back into that Lucas and Peyton (and Lindsey) mess as the previews hinted at (hopefully, the previews did that just to mislead).

I’m also hoping that they’re misleading us into thinking that Dan will do anything to jump to the number one position on the heart-donor list – including murder a reverend! Please, do not let Dan kill again. I couldn’t take that. With Keith, Dan did believe that his brother tried to kill him. I’m not excusing his actions, but knowing that helps understand his motivation. If Dan kills this reverend, then he’s just a cold-blooded murderer with no redeeming qualities.

Part of me thought they were going to kill Mia off in an accident last night and have Dan somehow get her heart. Only because she was so happy and everyone kept telling her how great it was that she was so successful. That reminded me of how happy Keith was just before his untimely death. Happiness always seems to come with a price in Tree Hill. Luckily, peppy Mia made it through the night unharmed, and the only dangerous mishap of the night was Dan nearly getting hit on the head with a water balloon dropped by Haley and Peyton (if only their aim had been a little bit better...).

Next week, the season finale!

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"You’re dead to so many of us already, Dan. So really what does it matter?" And with that, Lucas wins the best coldhearted line of the night. (Nathan won it last week, again while speaking to Dan about his "bad heart.") Lucas told Dan that he verified his story about having only six months to live. And he told him that he really doesn’t care.

I can’t help but cheer on the Scott boys whenever they keep reminding Dan that what he did was unforgivable. As Nathan put it a little more delicately this week: "I’m sorry that you’re dying...but I can never forgive you. Not now, not ever....You made that decision the moment you pulled that trigger." And yet, I don’t want Dan off this show, because he brings so much to it. Being a Dan Scott fan is a tough spot to be in.

"James Lucas Scott, age 5," is a fan of Dan’s, and he desperately wants to know his grandfather better. That thank-you note he made Dan was so heartfelt. But Dan’s never going to get a chance to see it since Haley trashed it. I really can’t blame her and Nathan for being afraid to let Jamie get close to Dan – he’s a manipulator and a murderer after all. But he’s also tenacious, so I don’t think that he’s going to give up on the goal of trying to get his family back.

The theme of not giving up permeated most of tonight’s story lines. Quentin was ready to throw in the towel (once again), but Nathan convinced him not too (once again). Last time it was a pride issue with Q. This time, it was an injury mixed with a pride issue. Nate made a great point about how every time you punch somebody, it’s for selfish reasons. Then Nathan wisely opened up Q’s eyes to the idea of reinventing his game and learning to play differently. And Jamie pointed out to Skills the value of shooting only 3s and not 2s. This combined knowledge led to the Ravens getting a new point guard: Quentin. Q finally apologized to Skills, and in a nice reciprocal move, Q made a deal with Nate that he would help him get his game back too. Just don’t call it a "comeback," or you’ll piss Nathan off.

After completely choking on camera, Mouth made a quick comeback thanks to Millicent’s support and belief in him. They then reached the point in their relationship where they were able to say those important three little words to each other (Mouth having them put on the teleprompter was a creative touch). Also, Mouth now has a nice, helpful (male) boss, who’s so different from that bitchy (female) boss who made him sleep with her to get ahead. Nice use of stereotypes.

Speaking of work matters, Brooke had some trouble balancing motherhood with her job, especially when it came time for her to do a presentation. Her solution? Bring the baby with her. At first this came off as really unprofessional, but then she revealed that her latest creation was a line of clothes was designed for infants: Baby Brooke. (If she had planned it a little better, Angie could have been wearing one of the designs – how cute would that have been?!) But the important thing to take from this story was that Brooke did not give up – not even when those executives initially suggested that she reschedule the presentation. And she didn’t give up on trying to get Angie to smile, and she was successful at that too. (Side question: Think there’s any chance Brooke will date Angie’s hot, young heart surgeon? He was really cute.)

Last but not least, we have Lucas and Peyton, who are both acting like a broken record. Lucas is still not giving up on Lindsey, though she clearly has given up on him, having declined his hopeful invitation for a video chat. Then Peyton went all the way up to New York City to tell Lindsey that she believes Lucas still loves her. (Why can’t she and Lucas leave this poor girl alone? She’s hundreds of miles away from them, yet still they bother her.) Lindsey insisted that Peyton read manuscript, and when she finally did, she was in tears. So what does this mean? Is this what finally leads Lucas and Peyton to that scene we got to see in the previews for next week? Is that a real scene or is someone having a dream? I hope it’s real, because they can’t keep dragging this story out and teasing us this way.

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Near the end of last night’s episode, Brooke turned to Lucas and asked him, "Do you ever want to go back?...Would you do it differently?" She was talking about going back to when they were younger and doing things differently, but this could apply to so many of the stories that were referenced in last night’s episode.

For example, would Lucas handle his relationship to Lindsey differently? Maybe not, because his answer to Brooke was that we all need to go through these difficult things in order to get to the places we want to be in life. So then I guess in his mind, his pathetic attempts to get back together with Lindsey are all part of them eventually getting back on the road to wedded bliss? He needs to wake up from this dream. Lindsey leaving behind her key to his house, after he insisted she keep it, was a pretty clear sign. You need to let this go, Luke. Now.

Similarly, Peyton needs to let Lucas go and move on with her life. Haley and Skills were advising her to do this, and it would be a good thing if she listened to them. Because now she’s looking pathetic too, as Skills painted a picture of her reduced to cyber-stalking Lucas and seeing if he updated his online profile from engaged back to single. She’s just waiting around for Lucas to want her again, and she deserves better than that. I’m a Lucas-Peyton fan, but the two of them are just too mopey right now. If they do eventually find their way back to one another, it should be because of something exciting – not because they were both bored and neither of them had anything better to do.

Mouth and Millicent are hardly at a boring stage of their budding relationship, but if given the opportunity, would Mouth rethink his idea of having his roommates clean up their apartment for Millicent? Probably, because the guys were happier with their messy decor. And Millie felt like she was intruding, which was the last thing she wanted to do since she was moving into their turf. Her solution of bringing home beer and pizza and playing with water guns like one of the guys was a good approach to take, and she and Mouth seem to get sweeter each week, without getting nauseating.

Skills was regretting the beer he had before Lucas’ wedding ceremony, and obviously he would love to change how he handled his babysitting duties that day. This was an important incident well worth revisiting. It was good to see that Skills had some feelings of guilt, because how could he not? I think anybody would in his situation. And he didn’t talk to Nathan and Haley, instead he was reading things into their behavior that just weren’t true – this felt very realistic. As it turned out, Nathan and Haley have been so frazzled since the kidnapping incident that they’re afraid to leave Jamie with anybody – not just Skills. But now that they all talked about it, Skills can hang out with Jamie again – and play Wii, because Skills is such a great guy who knew exactly what gift his little buddy wanted (not a boring book like Uncle Lucas gave him).

Speaking of good gifts, anonymous giver Dan (who wasn’t allowed to attend the party) scored big with the birthday boy by giving him Nathan’s first basketball jersey. Dan is probably the poster boy for wanting to go back and change things. (Though he didn’t change a thing about his interaction with Deb – he insulted her and referenced her pill-popping days, and she threw him out...it was just like old times!) I do believe that if Dan could go back in time, he wouldn’t kill Keith. Maybe he would go back even further in time, and not be such a jerk of a father. He was growing quite nostalgic with Nathan at the beach house, referencing the good times the family had there long ago. Of course, his medical-condition death sentence may be prompting some of this regret. Apparently, Dan’s heart condition has progressed, and unless he gets a heart transplant, he has only six months to live. Are they really going to kill him off the show? Because he’s almost been killed off several times, and yet he keeps bouncing back. Maybe he will get a transplant, because I really can’t picture this show without him. (Even when he wasn’t in all of the first twelve episodes this season, his presence was still felt.)

Nevertheless, Dan’s attempts to reach out to Nathan by leaving him the beach house in his will and telling him about the developments of his HCM didn’t seem to be working. Dan’s "I have a bad heart" declaration was met with Nathan’s "You’re just realizing that, Dad?" Ouch, but well said. Nathan turned and walked out on Dan’s shocking news. Yet, he did call him Dad for the first time in awhile – he had been calling him Dan most of this season. So, perhaps that shows the beginning of a thaw in this relationship?

Is Brooke regretting her new maternal relationship with baby Angie? I don’t think so, though it is proving to be much harder than she thought. She had me worried with her comment, "Aren’t I so Angelina?," seeming to equate having a baby as a Hollywood trend she wished to copy. But she handled Angie spitting up on her sketches rather well. And she reached out for help when she needed it. That help involved leaning on Lucas – leaning quite literally in those closing scenes, as Brooke, Lucas and baby Angie all snuggled under a blanket on the couch.

Finally, did Deb regret inviting Bucko the creepy clown to Jamie’s birthday party? I don’t think so – I think she rather enjoyed his company, especially her alone time with him. Deb hasn’t changed one bit, and I guess now we know what she’s been up to these past five years – she’s been clowning around. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) But I bet Haley would have preferred that this circus-themed guest didn’t show up, as her longstanding fear of clowns has only intensified I’m sure.

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Another week, another good opening scene. This one was both funny and insightful, as we got to hear each character’s first thoughts of the day ( I especially loved Brooke’s first thought: "Brooke!"). And Jamie’s little feet between Haley and Nathan created the picture of a happy family, followed by all their fun early morning spelling.

So then it’s time to get back to work. No, I don’t mean stop reading this blog and get back to work, I mean it was time for Lucas to finally get back to work, after a month at sea. He came back to a 4-8 record and a still-injured (but pretending not to be) Quentin. Skills had promised not to tell, but of course he’s going to discuss the star player’s injury with his fellow coach. This led to another cast for Q., as well as some harsh words from him for Skills. His accusations pissed off Skills, but on the plus side, it looks like Skills might finally get a subplot out of this.

When Quentin wasn’t mouthing off to Skills, he was either crying or kicking Nathan’s ass in a little one-on-one action on the basketball court. Nate was rusty as expected, but it was good to see him take some baby steps at a comeback. However, I think getting beat by an injured Q. crushed his confidence. I’m not sure what it will take to get Nathan back out there now. His bitter confrontations with Dan certainly aren’t helping.

Nate’s better half also took some steps toward a comeback of her own regarding her singing career, and with better results. It was nice to see Haley and Peyton not only working together again, but acting like friends again, without talk of Lindsey coming between them.

Peyton and Lucas were actually paling around again too, taking a walk and chatting. These two have such an easy rapport together – why can’t Lucas embrace that? Inevitably, the subject of Lindsey came up, and Lucas told Peyton that he doesn’t blame her for any of it, despite how she can’t help feeling responsible. Then he talked about Lindsey coming back to him. The way a creepy, obsessed person who’s in denial talks. Seriously, I think he’s a few steps shy of going up to New York and becoming a stalker.

At least things were looking up romantically for Mouth and Millicent. He gave up a good broadcasting job in Omaha ("a small market" – like Tree Hill is a big market?) for her. It was a big sacrifice for him, but I think it shows how much he values this new relationship. Naturally, he then got worried when Millicent was hesitant to move in with him. It turned out this wasn’t because she’s not as committed to him as he is to her, but because she’s a virgin. His no-rush "two beds" suggestion worked, and Millie was rolling her luggage into his place in no time.

While Mouth and Millicent will now be spending more time together, Brooke and Owen will be bonding less. Much less, as in they broke up. They’re so distant that Owen didn’t even appear on-screen! First we saw the end of Brooke’s one-sided argument on the phone, then his buddy Chase arrives and lets Brooke know that Owen won’t be showing up. The way they handled this breakup bothered me. I was liking Owen more and more, and this seemed completely out of character for him. He was jealous of Brooke’s new foster baby – before it even arrived? This is a man who went above and beyond when helping Brooke with her junkie friend, but the mere thought of a baby is too much for him to handle? He’s a man who helped convince Brooke to stand up to her mother; he’s a bartender who wouldn’t let her drive drunk; a guy who wouldn’t sleep with her when she practically threw herself at him in the back of his car. His character is the walking definition of responsibility – having him cut and run before giving the situation a trial run didn’t feel right. At the very least, give us a heated breakup scene with Owen saying he doesn’t want kids or yelling at her for not discussing this with him first. This felt way too rushed.

But hey, at least this no-show Owen fiasco allowed us to see Chase again, albeit briefly. He delivered Brooke the bad news about Owen and then said goodbye for himself as well, as he was taking off. But the fact that they made Chase a stand-up guy who says goodbye in person, as well as that lingering look between him and Brooke made me wonder if perhaps this isn’t the last we’ll see of him. I hope not, because Brooke (and her purple monkey) deserve to be happy. And finally she was, in that closing shot with her and the ill baby that she’ll be temporarily caring for. I think this situation will be a good test for her, but her friends are right: It’s gonna be so hard to give up this baby after she recovers from her surgery.

Brooke will surely need some help caring for this infant. And Nathan and Haley finally got some help after interviewing a long list of more too-hot nannies (the one male applicant seemed especially fond of Nathan). Ultimately, they turned to family and are going to have Grandma Deb help them out! Oops – I mean Nanny Deb, as she prefers to be called. Finally, Deb returned! She was only in the episode for a few moments, so we know nothing about what she’s been up to or where she’s been. It looks like she’ll be sticking around for awhile, so perhaps we’ll get filled in on her missing years in the coming weeks – hopefully there’s a juicy story or two in there. If not, I’m sure the inevitable Dan-Deb reunion scene won’t let us down.

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Is it safe to say that One Tree Hill came back with a one-two punch? Followed by three, four, even five punches. How much fun was that opening scene?! Lucas was getting his frustrations out on Dan, who had no trouble defending himself. Nathan rushed to his brother’s aid, but Dan pushed them both off with relative ease. It must have felt like just another day in the prison yard for Dan. Then little Jamie ran out to comfort Grandpa, which was quite sweet. He’s old enough to know to be thankful to Dan for saving him, and he expressed his gratitude. It looked like he was the only one who did, as the rest of the Scotts are all still too mad at Dan to even talk to him, let alone thank him for rescuing Jamie. No one said coming home was going to be easy, Dan.

After that action-packed opening, it turned out to be a very talkative episode, in which each of the main characters were in need of someone to lend them an ear. Nathan and Haley have been going to couples counseling, and happily it seems to be working. Their therapist with a soothing British accent gave them good advice about recapturing who they once were, as well as allowing themselves to be young again. By the end, they were complimenting each other and sharing the same bed once again (and not just for sleeping). They were also contemplating getting back to basketball and music at their therapist's urging, and maybe this will help them be more fulfilled and not so resentful of one another. So it seems like Nathan and Haley are going to be OK, which is really good, because when these two are out of whack it’s like the whole One Tree Hill universe is out of alignment.

Lucas didn’t have a real therapist, but he had his own pseudo-therapist with a lovely accent to give him advice: Andy. Apparently Lucas has been at sea with Karen, Andy and Lily for the past four weeks after the wedding. Well, the non-wedding. Being left at the altar has to be hard to get over, and obviously it will take time. But it doesn’t seem like Lucas wants to move forward exactly. Instead, he wants to go back – back to before all the mess happened, when he was still blissful with Lindsey. So, he wants to get her back. I was afraid this was going to happen. They’re not going to let this triangle die anytime soon, are they? Lucas actually went to see Lindsey, who, not surprisingly, was none too pleased to see him. Then he gave her the ultimatum (what is it with this guy and ultimatums?) "I’ll publish the book if you edit it." That’s cruel to subject her to that – to working with him and working on that book about Peyton’s comet. He’s not respecting Lindsey’s wishes, and his not being able to take no for an answer is getting a little troubling.

Meanwhile, Peyton still wants Lucas of course. But more than that, she wants him to be happy, so she’s still trying to muster the "patience, grace and strength" she needs to let him go. She let him go weeks ago, but it sounds like it’s still a daily struggle for her to not go after him. She told all of this to Max – record-store owner Max, aka creator Mark Schwahn’s on-screen alter ego. It was good seeing him again, as he always gives Peyton such sage advice in a laid-back manner. I'm sure it was good for her to hear that he believes in her music label. But now that he’s selling the record store, I don’t know when we’ll get to see him again.

We didn’t get to see Victoria tonight, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have an impact on things. The info she gave the woman handling Brooke’s adoption evaluation was enough to sabotage her daughter. The woman brought up the fact that Brooke ran her senior class presidency campaign on partying – does stuff you do in high school (stuff that doesn’t cross criminal lines) really haunt you for that long? That seemed a little ridiculous. But I can see Victoria’s comment that her daughter would make a "terrible candidate" as indeed bearing much weight. Yet I think Brooke’s heartfelt plea to the woman as she exited may have helped her case. Brooke does seem to be a bit young to be pursuing adoption, but she also seems to really want this, and she may be ready for it.

Similarly, Dan may be ready to be a grandfather. A loving grandfather, and not a controlling one. His scenes with Jamie are adorable, and he seems to truly enjoy talking to the kid. He has to do it secretly because Nathan and Haley aren’t about to allow him near Jamie, but I don’t think he’s using his grandson. He’s Dan, so I’m sure he has some malicious plans up his sleeve, but none that involve Jamie...or so I hope. And when he’s not talking to Jamie, he’s trying to pay his parole officer to listen to him, as he’s so starved for company.

In the end, it appears that the talking cure worked. After vocalizing what was on their minds, all the characters seemed to be in a place where they’re OK. For now. But this is Tree Hill, where more drama is always just around the corner.

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It was a different church and a different couple, but I was experiencing serious deja vu to Keith’s wedding. Ultimately, the end result was the same: a Scott man was left standing at the altar.

Throughout this season, the writers have been driving home the point of Lucas following in Keith’s footsteps, especially in the active role he plays in being Jamie’s uncle. Tonight’s opening scene didn’t even try to be subtle, with Lucas’ voice-over talking about the local road trips he, Karen and Keith used to take, all while we were seeing scenes of Jamie, Haley and Lucas in the car as a Bruce Springsteen’s "My Hometown" played in the background (this Jersey girl would like to thank the producers for that). Of course, the one major difference is that Lucas isn’t pining for Haley – he’s pining for Peyton, only he still doesn’t quite realize that. Wake up Luke! Haley saw what was going on, and eventually, so did Lindsey: The boy in the manuscript had his life changed by a comet, and he waits for the comet to come back; Peyton drives a Comet. You would think a guy who’s always quoting poetry and analyzing literature would be able to see this. But I guess what they say is true: You never see what’s right in front of your face.

We viewers got to see what was going on in the minds of a lot of the characters courtesy of some daydream scenes. For a minute, I thought the scene in the beginning in which Nathan grabbed Haley and kissed her was real, but I soon realized it was just too good to be true (I did catch on before the indoor rain started). But when Peyton stood up in the church and proclaimed her love for Lucas, I wasn’t sure what was happening. I was praying that this too was a figment of her imagination, as I cringed when she exclaimed, "You fixed my car." Thankfully she did not really do that. I want Lucas and Peyton back together, but that was just painful. As was the look on Peyton’s face all night, which was occasionally masked by a strained brave front. I don’t know how she did it – I get that she wanted to support Lucas as a friend, but I don’t think I could attend the wedding of someone I was still in love with.

Speaking of love, it looks like Karen has found the strength to move on and rekindle her relationship with Andy. I was always fond of him: He’s cute and he has an appealing accent – what’s not to like. Karen also gave Peyton and Brooke some good advice about finding love in places you’d never imagine, such as in work or a new relationship. Of course, this was the point when Brooke chimed in with "children," and we later learned that she wants a kid in order to fill some of the emptiness in her life...but that seems like a plot that’s merely been hinted at and will be fleshed out down the road. Back to Karen’s advice – I couldn’t help but feel bad for Lindsey throughout this episode, because she had no one like Karen to go to. I realize she’s not one of the regular characters, but could they have cast a mom for her for at least this one episode? Perhaps a cousin and a fellow editor coworker too? They didn’t even have to have lines – merely let them stand near her. She just seemed so alone. Her wedding party consisted of one person: her newish friend Haley. When she ran out of the church, no one ran after her. When she went back to Lucas’ to get her things, no one went with her. Half the church was filled with her family and friends, yet no one was there for her after experiencing a devastating non-wedding? Perhaps one of them could have stopped her from saying "I could be your comet" to Lucas (I was hoping that was a daydream too, but no, she really said that).

When Lindsey finally left Lucas’ house, her exit felt pretty final. I hope it is – let this triangle be over. Let the woman leave with some dignity. But there’ll be no such dignity for nanny Carrie, who tonight officially joined the long list of One Tree Hill psycho characters. As many of you predicted, she did indeed kidnap Jamie, and Dan saved the day. Though a bit predictable, I prefer this to the alternative popular theory of Dan and Carrie being in cahoots (that would have really echoed the Keith and Jules/Emily’s non-wedding). Why did Skills let Jamie go to the bathroom alone? Why didn’t Haley and Nathan ever tell Jamie that Carrie was a bad person that should be feared? The kidnapping plotline quickly eclipsed the wedding story, and thank goodness Dan didn’t do as Haley said and stay away (loved their scene together, with Haley intensely yelling at him and Dan being all smarmy and acting like it was a turn-on).

I’m not sure how Dan got a frightened Jamie to let him in that hotel room. After all, the kid had nightmares about his grandfather. But Dan can be a pretty convincing guy. As well as a pretty terrifying guy: When he had his hand around Carrie’s throat, I wasn’t sure whether he would actually kill her. Then he threatened her and told he about how he killed his own brother in cold blood. That was a powerful scene, and I was so mad at Carrie I was kind of cheering him on. By the end, I was worried that no one would believe Dan – they already all thought he was the one who took Jamie. But then Jamie explained, "Grandpa Dan saved me," and they have no reason not to believe the kid. Then Dan entered, looking all smug as usual. Everyone was shocked, but Karen’s face was just priceless. I hope we see more of her this season.

So in the end, one Scott boy reconnected with his wife (though it was a shame it took something as drastic as their son’s kidnapping to bring Nathan and Haley back together), while the other lost his wife-to-be. I was surprised that Lindsey was the one who ultimately said "No" at the altar, but I’m glad one of them did. Although, it might have been more fun if, as Skills suggested, Lucas said the wrong name "just like Ross did on Friends" (who knew Skills was a Friends fan?!). I’m glad they didn’t leave us with a cliffhanger. For the next two weeks, consider One Tree Hill off on its spring break. Then it moves to Mondays (I can’t picture it not on Tuesdays!): April 7th is a repeat of this episode, and April 14th is the start of six brand-new, post-strike episodes. See you then!

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OK, last scene first. Because in a night full of surprises (Chase! Bevin!), Haley’s late-night phone call had my jaw dropping the most. After fulfilling her promise to be Lucas’ pre-editor, Haley picks up the phone to make a call as we hear Lucas’ voice-over about love and broken hearts mending. I thought for sure that something Lucas had written inspired her to melt a bit and call Nathan. Then when Lucas answered his cell I thought perhaps she was going to ask her best friend for some advice. I did not expect her to say, "You can’t marry Lindsey." What?! Is this the same woman who’s been singing Lindsey’s praises all season long? The same woman who was telling Peyton a few episodes ago that Lucas fell in love while waiting for her and that Peyton shouldn’t ruin that? So, did Lucas write another book in which his love for Peyton comes shining through, because clearly something he wrote changed Haley’s mind.

I wish she would have changed her mind regarding Nathan, but sadly we didn’t get much resolution on that front. Thanks to Lucas and Lindsey’s sneaky plan to make their bachelor and bachelorette parties a combo event, Nate and Hales were finally talking – and in a calm tone, not yelling at one another. But it’s not like all is forgiven yet. Instead, Haley’s now putting the blame on herself, saying she should have never tried to change Nathan to begin with, because he is who he is and he’s not capable of change. How the hell can she not see how Nathan is nothing like the obnoxious guy we first met in season 1? Aside from his occasional anger issues, he’s a completely different guy. But he’s also still quiet Nathan, and he said nothing to defend himself when Haley said all of that to him. I guess he was just too floored by it to respond.

As bad as I feel for Nathan and Haley, I feel even worse for little Jamie. So many sad Jamie scenes last night: turning his smiley-faced pancake into a frowny face; trying desperately to get mom and dad to play Rock Band with him; learning that "daddy's on a time out right now" and won’t be home anytime soon. During that scene near the end with Jamie and Nathan sitting together on his bed, a look came across Jamie’s face was just so heart wrenching. That little kid can really act.

Well, at least Jamie has Brooke and Skills, who both were there to comfort him and play with him during the party. I also liked Skills’ chat with Haley about how she and Nathan lost sight of things with Jamie, who was trying so hard to get them to be a family again. Haley needed to hear that. And of course, Skills was there for comic relief during the bunny scene. His former better half, Bevin, also made a surprise appearance. Unfortunately, she and Skills didn’t share any screen time and we learned no further details of their breakup. But we did learn she has a little boy named Nathan – yep, same name as Tim’s kid, and same picture. Bevin and Tim...who would have ever thought? Amusing, but I was always rooting for Bevin and Skills. Based on her "what happened to me" recap, Bevin didn’t stay in touch with any of the gang over the past four years. Odd, since she had become such a good friend. As glad as I was to see her, her appearance was all too brief and a little disappointing. She was always perky, but she was little over-the-top last night. And though she had gotten less flaky as the seasons progressed, she was back to being rather ditzy last night.

The high-school reunion wasn’t limited to just Bevin. Clean teen Chase also resurfaced, as Owen’s good buddy and Peyton’s blind date. I always liked Chase, so it was good to see him again. He got more screen time than Bevin – enough time for things to progress from awkward to fondly nostalgic between him and Brooke. It was cute how he kissed Peyton when he noticed Lucas was looking, and then Peyton returned the favor when Brooke was glancing over.

The reunion continued with Brooke’s new houseguest Rachel. While it was good thinking to keep Rachel away from the party, I have to question Brooke’s judgement in not insisting she go to rehab. I know that Tree Hill has an excellent rehab facility, because I remember Deb climbing out if the window trying to break out of it once. Of course Rachel faced an uphill battle trying to kick her bad habits on her own, but then being dealt a one-two punch by Mouth and Victoria was just too much for her. First, Mouth wouldn’t sleep with her (aww, he really cares for Millicent!). Yet he did leave Rachel with some good advice about how she needs to believe in herself and realize that she matters. Sadly, any confidence she tried to muster was annihilated by Victoria, who called her a junkie and told her deep down they both knew she wouldn’t beat this thing. Exactly what Rachel didn’t need to hear. Sure enough, Rachel was soon gone, and she took a wad a Brooke’s money with her.

This led to a scene that was a long time coming: Brooke finally fired her mom. Victoria was particularly condescending last night, having meetings without Brooke and telling her (in front of Owen, no less) that things were "Way over your head..... Go play – it’s what you do best." Brooke kept taking crap like this from her all season, so it was very satisfying to hear Brooke finally tell her off and explain that a daughter shouldn’t have to earn her mother’s love, that it should be unconditional. This concept was obviously over Victoria’s head.

Speaking of beloved parents, Dan’s out! There was no interaction between him and his sons yet, as Dan was busy shopping for a basketball and understandably hooking up with a random salesgirl after nearly five years in prison. But I’m sure we won’t have to wait long for some Scott family bonding. Next week: Lucas and Lindsey’s wedding, which I’m sure will go smoothly...right? Can’t wait!

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What a quiet, uneventful little episode of One Tree Hill. Well, except for Jamie almost drowning. And Rachel almost dying. And Dan possibly getting paroled. And Haley saying she wants a divorce. Seriously, so much happened my head is still spinning!

Let’s start with that all-important opening scene. I was enjoying the camera lingering on Nathan in the shower, obliviously thinking, "How nice – the producers are providing a little something for the ladies." But then those hands appeared around his chest and jolted me out of my blissful state. Uh-oh. I knew those hands weren’t going to belong to Haley. Seeing a soaking wet Nathan and Carrie just come out of the shower had to be one of the worst possible ways for Haley to wake up to the Nathan-Carrie situation.

On the one hand, I’m glad that Haley now knows something was up. Having Carrie simply give her notice and leave would have been way too anticlimactic a send-off after this plot has been building all season long. Seeing Haley’s verbal smack down with Carrie when she came to get her stuff was satisfying: "It's in the garage, boxes are marked `whore.' " However, things between Nathan and Haley veered way too far off course. I can understand Haley initially throwing Nathan out – the Carrie situation caught her completely off guard, and she needed some time to come to process things. But when she heard about the kiss, she jumped overboard with her reaction. I have two words for Haley: Chris Keller. Remember Haley, he kissed you just as Carrie kissed Nathan – while you were married.

So while Nate and Hales were arguing about the concept of fidelity, adorable little Jamie went after his ball that fell into the giant pool, and he nearly drowned. Thankfully, mom and dad saved him, but a moment later Haley was telling Nathan that he’s destroyed their family and therefore this marriage is over – she wants a divorce. Yes, something very traumatic had just happened. But both of them weren’t watching the kid, not just Nathan. And while Nathan handled the flirting nanny situation very poorly (on many, many occasions), it’s like Haley’s not even giving him a real chance to explain things now.

Nathan’s silence is becoming a real problem for him. It got him into trouble with not only Haley last night, but with Lucas as well. Seems that Nate forgot to tell Luke about his little prison visit with Dan a few weeks back. This took some of the punch out of Lucas’ otherwise very powerful speech at Dan’s parole hearing (I particularly liked the part where he called out Dan’s persuasiveness and alluded to his "dark, ugly heart"). Dan’s teary-eyed plea to the board was also good – he sounded genuinely remorseful. Of course, he also knows what that parole board wanted to hear, and he played right into that. Yet I do think Dan was sincere. I also think he doesn’t deserve to get out of prison yet – his crime was too awful. But at the same time, I want him to be paroled – I love his evil character, so I want him back in Tree Hill, causing havoc.

If Dan does get paroled, Lucas was right in pointing out that he could cause trouble for Jamie. I don’t think Dan would ever intentionally hurt Jamie, but he could play with his mind the way that only Dan can. Yet right now I’m more concerned about Jamie when Carrie’s around him – when she visited him at school, I really thought she was going to kidnap him. Thankfully she didn’t, but I don’t think we can completely rule her out a potential danger just yet. Ironically, Jamie’s safety was at risk not because of Dan or Carrie last night, but because of his neglectful parents.

Meanwhile, Dan’s recent absence as a parent in Nathan’s life seems to be a real void for Nate, as he revealed to Lucas. During the car rides to and from the parole hearing, as well as the hearing itself, it became clear that Nathan will always be more forgiving of Dan than Lucas, and he will always want Dan in his life more. This is entirely understandable – Dan abandoned Lucas as a child, and he took away Keith from him. Lucas’ hatred for Dan continues to intensify. And though Nathan will often tell Dan off, he eventually reverts back to looking like a wounded little boy in Dan’s presence.

Similarly, Brooke looked like an overwhelmed little girl when confronted with the ugly reality of Rachel’s overdose. Brooke was seriously out of her element, so it was a good thing she happened to bring along Owen. The man knows how to handle both junkies and their suppliers – because, as we just learned, he’s a recovering addict himself. He also knows the value of true friendship, and he convinced Brooke to step up and be there for Rachel. Apparently Rachel was that friend that Brooke fired several weeks ago. She also cut Rachel out of her life, simply because Victoria told her to do so. It was surprising to learn what a crappy friend Brooke has been to Rachel lately, in light of what a great friend she’s been to Peyton this season. Though it looks like Brooke’s now trying to make amends with Rachel.

Peyton and Mia showed each other extreme loyalty in their friendship when Peyton’s old boss tried tempting Mia and guilt tripping Peyton. In the end, they stuck by each other and played him, getting what they wanted from him. A happy story at last. I don’t predict that same happy ending for Quentin if he plays without that cast he cut off, but you know he’s going to do just that. Oh, Lindsey wasn’t in the episode at all this week – I just now realized that. I knew Skills and Mouth were missing, but I forgot about Lindsey. Well, I’m sure she’ll be back next week – after all, she has nuptials to plan. So while one Scott brother will be planning a wedding, the other one will be facing the threat of a divorce.

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First rule of The Breakfast Club: Any time characters are trapped together in a library, they must argue, bond and eventually depart with a deeper understanding of one another.

I’ll admit that when I first heard the premise of this week’s episode, I was afraid it was going to come off as a little too...contrived. So I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It was both enjoyable and insightful – a lot of questions we’ve had about Lindsey all season were answered, such as how she and Haley became so close. It turns out that Haley was also initially skeptical towards Lindsey and still rooting for Peyton (or Brooke!), but then Linz explained how concerned she was with getting the school shooting scenes of Lucas’ book just right, in order to honor Peyton, Keith and Jimmy. From then on, she and Haley were fast friends. As for Lindsey and Lucas? We learned that Lucas came along during a particularly difficult time in Lindsey’s life, when she was losing her father to a type of cancer that got him so sick he no longer recognized her. That was a really emotional scene when Lindsey blew up and explained things in detail. It sounded like she and her dad were very close, and I’m sure Lucas was there for her, for support. So, now we know.

Not only did this episode help fill in the gaps regarding history we didn’t know, but it brought up some moments from One Tree Hill’s past that we longtime fans are familiar with. I have to compliment how this show doesn’t rewrite its history and acknowledges some of its odder facts. I’m talking about how while defending her mom, Brooke referenced the fact that she, Peyton and Haley were all pretty much motherless in high school. (Yes, Peyton’s mom was dead, but the reasons the other two mothers weren’t around always stretched believability.) Then there were the sad moments that recalled Keith, Jimmy and that fateful day (one of the series’ all-time standout episodes). And finally, there was a face from the past I never thought we’d see again: Tim! I always wondered why his part got smaller as the years went by – I thought he’d at least show up at the graduation party last season. Like seeing an old friend, it was good catching up with this guy who’s now a pizza-delivery man and a father (to a little boy named Nathan! Hero worship much?). And getting back to The Breakfast Club, Tim totally reminded me of Ally Sheedy’s character when it turned out he knew how to get them out of the library all along: Ally showed up for detention all day because she had nothing better to do; Tim hung out in the library all night because he missed his old friends who had stopped staying in touch with him.

Tim had always provided comic relief on this show, but he wasn’t alone in that department tonight. There were a lot of genuinely funny moments, such as Lindsey trying to throw the chair through the window but falling backwards instead; Mia reading on the Internet about how "she looks like she smells like feet" (those nasty bloggers!); and the cannibalism conversation (who knew talk of cannibalism could provide so much tension relief?). Speaking of tension, there were some pretty intense arguments, mostly between Peyton and Lindsey of course. But their nasty name calling had me cracking up, especially the references to Lindsey’s "man face" and "fat ass"; and "bulimic bitch" Peyton and her "bony butt." Watch the claws, ladies!

Actually, things did go a bit too far when they were playing Mia’s make-up-the-lyrics game, and Peyton talked about Lindsey’s rich daddy, not knowing that he had been ill and passed away. Peyton also used the info Brooke shared with her about the engagement ring being the same one that was intended for her to further hurt Lindsey. I had always wondered if it had been Keith’s ring for Karen, so at least Peyton told Lindsey that in the end, to make her feel better. It’s not like these two kissed and made up (that would have been unrealistic), but at least they got to a place where they’re no longer hating each other. And I guess the only way to do that was to have them somehow trapped together in a place where they could hash everything out. This library lockdown also led to an unusual montage where Mia started playing her guitar and then each character sang a bit – a very different, creative scene which I think worked well.

In the end, I can’t say I’m ready to jump onboard the Lucas-Lindsey marriage train yet, but I don’t hate Lindsey anymore. I feel like I know her character better, as well as Mia’s character (who’s pretty amusing and laid back). As for the boys, they had the night off for the most part. There was an adorable scene where Jamie copied every move Quentin made while taping his arm, and then Jamie got his own mini Ravens jersey. There was a scary slow-motion shot of the team walking to their game. Did they win or lose? Did we even find out – I can’t remember. Well, as Mouth would say, the outcome isn’t what’s most important. What is important is that Carrie gave her two weeks notice, just as Nathan was about to confess things to Haley. He did get to confess his kiss with her to Lucas, and it sounds like he’s still planning on coming clean with Haley. But that’s for next week. That...and Dan’s parole hearing!

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Lucas put a twist on the concept of being accidentally in love: He got accidentally engaged. As many of you suspected, Lucas didn’t go home with the intention of proposing to Lindsey. But the laundry-obsessed woman found the (old) ring in Lucas’ sock drawer, tearfully confronted him about it and then said all the right things (e.g., "I would never regret you...you will always be more than a small-town basketball coach, because you’ll be the man that I love"). Next thing you know, Lucas was impulsively down on one knee, stumbling into something that’s supposed to be a lifelong commitment.

OK, maybe I’m being too dismissive of Lucas’ feelings by referring to this as an accident. After all, he loves Lindsey...right? He says he loves her, yet I have a hard time believing him, because his actions this season seem to say that he still loves Peyton. He’s always worried about Peyton; he doesn’t fight off her advances (he kissed her back last week); and he kept that ring – the ring he proposed to Peyton with – in his sock drawer for three years. He would pull it out and just think of her (via convenient TV flashbacks). Maybe he loves them both. But then why rush to "get married right away"? It’s like he’s trying to convince himself this is the right thing to do, and he thinks that all of his ambivalence will magically go away as soon as he says his vows.

The funniest line of the night was when a genuinely confused Skills asked, "So who’s the lucky girl?," followed by Nathan’s valid point that "It’s a legit question." We also got the full context of the "Lindsey is always going to be number two" line shown in last week’s preview. Haley will always be number one. Ha ha. Of course Peyton will always be number one, but Lucas can’t allow himself to admit that yet. Like Brooke said, "Lucas has a history of throwing himself into the wrong relationship." And Skills reminded Lucas that he always follows his heart – I’m hoping he gets back on track with that, because choosing Lindsey seems like more of a safe, follow-your-head decision for him.

As for the brokenhearted Peyton, she ultimately made her decision about what to do thanks to answers she found at the cemetery (I love the bittersweet scenes whenever Peyton visits her mom there). She decided to emulate Keith and be a self-sacrificing friend to Lucas, the way Keith was to Karen for so many years. It was heartbreaking when she once again declared her love for Lucas, wished him happiness and then let him go. As the saying goes, if you truly love something, you have to set it free and see if it comes back to you.

Not only did Peyton have to deal with losing Lucas, but Haley was being super bitchy towards her. Calling her out for "lying and cheating" and telling her she said "no" to Lucas when she had the chance (as Peyton tearfully pointed out, she said "someday"). Then she accepted being Lindsey’s matron of honor! Ouch – nice job rubbing salt in that wound, Haley. And really, doesn’t Lindsey have any of her own friends or family to fill this esteemed position? I loved the scene where a shocked Brooke and Haley managed to utter a very forced "Congratulations!" to Lindsey. Haley was in full self-righteous mode all night (one of her less appealing qualities). I’m glad she heeded Nathan’s advice and didn’t tell Lindsey about the Lucas-Peyton kiss that she witnessed last week.

This week’s big kiss involved two other people: Nathan and Carrie. So she finally made her big move (after uttering that line to Jamie we heard in a preview several weeks ago: "Sometimes I pretend you’re my kid"). And what did Nathan do after the nanny kissed him? Absolutely nothing. He just stood there, stunned. See, that would have been the perfect time to say something like, "You crossed the line. You’re fired – pack your bags and get out." Or better yet, earlier in the episode, when Carrie asked if her inappropriate actions at the club ruined her nanny career, he should have yes they did and fired her then on the spot. She gave him an easy out, and he didn’t take it. For weeks I’ve been making excuses for Nathan’s behavior, saying that he’s clueless or that he’s trying too hard to play the good-cop role. Well now I’m out of excuses for him. Carrie’s latest actions are neither subtle nor drunken. Does he want something to happen with Carrie? Because he’s not trying hard enough to stop it. I hope he snaps out of this before things escalate, because you just know that Haley’s going to find out.

Meanwhile, Mouth certainly found out a lot about Alice and her extracurricular activities with Rick...and Carlton...and Jerry. I guess we won’t be seeing anymore of his now-fired boss, and I’m glad he redeemed himself with Millicent. That charming ballet stunt was something the old, high-school Mouth would do – I missed seeing that Mouth all season. Similarly, getting naked in a backseat is a stunt typical of the old Brooke, and I love that Owen continues to play hard to get with her. How sweet that he was proud of her for getting out of the car and not going home with him. Their banter is fun, but it’s even more enjoyable when little ice-creamed mouth Jamie repeats it, "What’s underneath all the clothes, Brooke Davis?" Owen got one answer tonight, but I’m sure he’ll get the answer he was looking for in due time.

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So Lucas popped the question. Again. Only this time, he asked a different girl, and he got a different answer. I wish I could offer him my congratulations, but I really don’t know what the hell he’s doing.

Lucas and Peyton had their umpteenth passionate argument of the season. As much as I want to see Lucas and Peyton together, I’m really loving their confrontational scenes. Lucas was all angry and teary-eyed, while Peyton was regretful and honest, admitting that she still loved him and came back for him. Then they sealed their fight with a kiss (she kissed him first, then he kissed her back), and he retreated with a line he’s uttered countless times this season: "I need to go see Lindsey." Puzzling. But what he did next was downright baffling: He proposed to Lindsey. How could he do that?! It’s obvious he still loves Peyton – is this some perverse way of punishing her?

As if the way he’s treating Peyton isn’t bad enough, Lucas is also being unfair to the newly blondish Lindsey. I’m no fan of hers, but she doesn’t deserve this – she’s entitled to be more than someone’s runner-up choice for a wife. Why she said yes I don’t know, because like she said to Lucas at the club, she’s not stupid. Though she may come off as a "crazy bitch" who’s "neurotic, insecure, paranoid, jealous" (her words), her suspicions proved true: Lucas was hanging out with Peyton too much, stopping by her office and such. Oh, and he kissed her. But I guess Lindsey’s so blinded by love, she was willing to forgive all of this and accept Lucas’ proposal. (And of course, I don’t think she knows about the kiss, unless Lucas confessed to it right before asking her to marry him.)

It’s a testament to the writing and acting on this show that no matter how infuriating I find Lucas to be this season, I still don’t hate him. Though I was not too pleased with the way he just stared at a heartbroken Peyton in that final scene of the night.

I’m also unhappy with the way Nathan’s handling the nanny situation. He’s just being too sweet about the whole thing. His overprotective side is admirable, such as when he put a stop to Jason pathetically hitting on Carrie. But then Carrie just went and danced with the scuzzball anyway (while looking at Nathan as if she were putting on a show for him). Why can’t Nathan realize that being overly nice to someone like her only encourages further bad behavior from her? He was able to recognize that Lucas was more concerned about Peyton than Lindsey when the two were having a brotherly chat at the bar. Yet he’s not that observant when it comes to situations involving Carrie’s actions. Instead, he played good cop and shared with Carrie the fact that he didn’t tell Haley he saw her skinny dipping. Dumb move number one: not telling Haley. Dumb move number two: telling Carrie he didn’t tell Haley. Watching Nathan struggle with this scenario is the best part of this nanny story line. I see it as a counterbalance to the Haley and Chris Keller plot of seasons past. Nate and Hales survived Chris Keller, so hopefully they’ll survive nanny Carrie as well and come out stronger in the end. Though I worry because Carrie appears to be much more conniving than Chris...

Say the word "conniving" and Victoria comes to mind. Her plan to embarrass Brooke out of Tree Hill didn’t seem to work, but it was a hoot to watch her in her hoochie-mama getup, dancing freakishly with random young guys. I was starting to like fun, party-girl Victoria – too bad she returned to her old self by the end of the night. Brooke’s fears about dancing like her mother and one day turning into her mother were both amusing and insightful.

Victoria wasn’t the only one causing a scene at Tric last night: When K-Fed wasn’t grinding against Carrie on the dance floor, he was busy heckling Mia. It was a welcomed reappearance, and it spurred Mia to overcome her stage fright and give a terrific performance (loved how Peyton sent Victoria a "Bitter Shrew" and pointed to the fine job Mia was doing). And let’s not forget the scene where Jason grabbed Haley’s ass, setting off Nathan’s temper once again. It’s disheartening to see that Nate still hasn’t learned. He backed off, but only at Haley’s insistence.

Mouth’s behavior was disappointing for awhile too, but he finally wised up and told Alice off. This got him fired, but I’m glad he took the high road – and the napkin with Millicent’s number. He and Millicent were just adorable together, especially when playing "ninja/hunter/bear" (I’ve never heard of that game).

And then there was Skills...oh wait, no there wasn’t. He wasn’t in the episode at all, as someone had to babysit Jamie. It was clever having almost the entire episode set at Tric, but I would have also liked seeing a couple scenes of Skills and Jamie hanging out together. And I realize that Carrie needs a few nights off, but why must she keep hanging out with her employers in her free time? Last week she was invited to their dinner party. This week they all came home together from the club. Haley’s gotta wake up to danger of this too-much togetherness soon. But for now, she seems too preoccupied with controlling Nathan’s temper, as well as worrying about that kiss she witnessed between Lucas and Peyton.

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Thankfully, it was all a dream – Nathan didn’t break any vows last night. But it could be a dream that comes true, if Carrie has it her way.

All season Carrie has had us wondering: Is she really just a kind, highly efficient caregiver, or is she going to become some sort of family-stealing threat to Haley? It now looks like the latter scenario is our answer, based on Carrie’s latest words ("Just because someone has a history with someone doesn’t mean that’s who they should be with") and seductive actions. I must admit, I’m liking this evil nanny cliché more than I thought I would. Of course I don’t want to see any permanent damage to Nathan and Haley’s marriage. But it’s fun watching the real Carrie bust out and go from sly to brazen while coming on to a confused Nathan, yet sill play the role of the perfect nanny in front of Haley. And she’s good – she almost had me fooled with her whole, "Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry...that was poor judgement on my part" act when Haley requested that she stop wearing her bikini in front of Jamie. And, technically, she did listen to Haley: She didn’t wear her bikini next time she went into the pool. She wore nothing, which I don’t think is what Haley had in mind.

Sweet Nathan caught quite an eyeful of Carrie in her birthday suit. I’ve always had a soft spot for Nate, but he’s so clueless sometimes. I have a feeling that’s gonna get him into trouble. I don’t think he’ll act on any of Carrie’s advances, but I can see him getting caught by Haley in a compromising position. For example, I realize he was struggling putting on his pants, but did he really think allowing Carrie (in her very low-cut top) to help was a good idea? And her comment about being turned on by him when he’s shirtless by the pool should have woken him up to her intentions. He should have followed Haley’s lead and told her that comments like that were inappropriate. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that Haley never discussed the bikini chat with him in the first place. Those two definitely need to communicate more.

Well, at least there’s no miscommunication now that everything’s out in the open regarding Peyton’s true feelings toward Lindsey. Really, all that Peyton said (and was accidentally overheard by Lindsey) was that maybe she doesn’t like Lindsey. This may not very nice, but she was just being honest, and she’s entitled to her opinion. She didn’t say anything nasty about Lindsey; she didn’t call her any names. But Lindsey took great offense to this and ran and told Lucas. Next thing you know, Lucas is in Peyton’s face, telling her she needs to apologize because Lindsey’s been nothing but nice to her. Just because someone is nice to you doesn’t mean you’re going to like him or her. But Lucas so badly wants his old girlfriend and his new girlfriend to get along. He also has dreams about proposing to his girlfriend while his underwear-clad ex is on his bed beside him…I’m not sure if Lucas really knows what he wants.

The chat about Lindsey was one of two heated conversations Lucas and Peyton had last night. Their second confrontation was a much more highly charged and emotional scene in which they rehashed the proposal we got to see in a flashback last week. Again, I’m siding with Peyton on this. She was correct in characterizing the proposal as an "ambush" that was "driven by some insecurity that I’ve never really been able to understand."And I also agree with her when she said to Lucas, "By not waiting you gave up on us." I didn’t see much evidence for Lucas’ argument that Peyton didn’t believe in him and didn’t think he was going to succeed as a novelist – when was Peyton ever not supportive of Lucas? Then he made the argument that maybe Peyton’s selfish – and OK, maybe that’s a little bit true. But he should look in the mirror, because his ultimatum of now or never with the proposal was selfish as well. So Peyton is selfish, and has lots of emotional baggage, and is argumentative and volatile (did you see her throwing those books at him?!). But it’s all part of her charm, and Lucas can’t seem to get enough of it, as he keeps coming back for more.

Peyton wasn’t saving all of her fighting words for Lucas. She also had the chance to go another round with Victoria (who already pissed her off by being horrible to Mia), and she attacked her for being so condescending to Brooke. It seemed like Victoria was going to win this bout with her final low blow to Peyton: "It’s quite clear you never had a mother." But then Peyton knocked her out by calling Victoria’s parenting skills into question and saying that Brooke never had a mother either. A well-deserved put-down. Nicely done, Peyton.

Victoria was the central part of Brooke’s dream, the saddest dream of the night. Actually, her dream was rather simple and sweet – all she wanted was for Victoria to tell her that she loved her and was proud of her. It was the reality that was so sad: When Brooke recited the same heartfelt speech to her mother that she did in her dream, the only response she got was, "Whatever. You can lock up." The hurt look on Brooke’s face was painful to watch.

Now onto the scariest dream of the night: Little Jamie imagined Grandpa Dan turning into some sort of devil who wanted Jamie to go and live with him. I would have ran screaming out of my room too if I saw that face. (I liked how Lucas admitted he had nightmares about Dan until he was 19.) Nathan and Haley didn’t think their "Dan is dead" plan all the way through – and they didn’t let anyone in on it, such as Skills. Leave it to Skills to always tell it like it is to the tyke. He was the source of a lot of comic relief last night, including an adorably funny scene in which Jamie cleaned his room so he wouldn’t have to go to priso