OTH: Is this a joke?

Dear Mark Schwann,

In regards to tonight's ep...why?! Why must you make our Brooke Davis a clingy, needy insecure mess? Why is Alex Dupre still in Tree Hill? Why do we care about Clay and Quinn? Why is Millie becoming a crackwhore? Why are Nathan and Haley not up front an center more? Why are you making this season such a joke? Two eps ago, you had me falling in love all over again, and now...now I can't even look at it. There are no words to describe how disappointed I was with tonight's ep.

These characters are shells of themselves and these storylines are just weak. One of the best characters on the show is Brooke Davis and you've managed to ruin her. She just isn't the same without P. Sawyer. And your attempts to make it better with the Haley/Brooke relationship just aren't working. They're missing the chemistry they had in Season 3--you need to help them find it again.

I can't even classify this show as a guilty pleasure anymore, because it doesn't really bring me any joy. The drama and scandals are so not engaging. Even the relationships are boring. I hate to say this, but Dan and Rachel are the only characters bringing anything interesting to the show and that's not saying much.

I beg of you, please turn things around for what I can only hope is the final season of this show. It deserves to end on a good note. It deserves a send-off worthy of a show that's defied all the odds. Let's turn it around, big guy. I know you can do it one last time.

Sincerely,
A Once Devoted, Now Disappointed Fan

OTH: All About Love

Just when I'm ready to declare this show completely craptastic, it does something that makes me connect with it, and dare I say, love it again.

My love affair with One Tree Hill has been going on for so long. I didn't want to love it, never had any intention to, but something happened and I fell...hard. Sometimes it's my dirty little secret--the one I want to hide in a closet with until everyone leaves and we can sneak out. Then there have been times when I've held on to it tightly and shouted from the rooftops, letting the world know how in love with it I am--faults and all.

But then things started to get bad, really bad. This season I was getting ready to break it off. I wasn't connecting with the characters, the amount of cheese was excessive, and sometimes it was just too painful to sit in the room with it. I understood that the show was growing and changing, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to grow and change with it. I missed how it used to be. I wanted things to be the way they were--when I was happy and looked forward to actually seeing it. It didn't feel like the magic was there anymore.

Then, tonight happened. I and Love and You came back in full force and I was smitten again. Yes, there was still a good amount of cheese still involved and some predictability, but I didn't mind that much because those are two qualities that have always been present on this show. Those were the faults I learned to accept.

Nathan and Haley, on the other hand, are two of the greatest things about this show. They are always golden. No matter what, this relationship keeps everything together. It's the glue. It's what made me stay in love with this show for so long. No matter how frustrated I get with this show, it's a given that a Naley scene will bring me right back. There's no denying the chemistry between these two actors. They make me believe that love, although imperfect at times, can be enough.

But tonight it wasn't their relationship that pulled at my heartstrings, although I guess you could say it played a small part. What really got me was the Clay/Sara back story. For a while I'd been going back and forth with Clay's character. I liked that he and Nathan were good friends and that he seemed like a good guy, but I really wanted to know his story. I wanted to know what made him tick. The only problem was that the show was making me wait--for too long in my opinion. So tonight his story was put out there and now I think I officially love Clay. I understand why he does what he does and why he's the way he is. He is Nathan, or should I say, was Nathan. He and Sara were Nathan and Haley. This is why the Naley family unit means so much to him. That's what he would've had if Sara were still alive.

Even though Sara only played a small part in two episodes, this character made a huge impact on the show. Each scene they showed with Clay and Sara gave you a good idea of how much these two loved each other. So when that final scene where she fell to the floor and died made an appearance, you could feel exactly what Clay was going through--know why he'd become the person he is now. Then to see him not be able to say goodbye...well, that was just as heartbreaking. As a Naley fan, I couldn't help thinking, what if that had been Nathan and Haley? I suspect Nathan probably would have followed the same path as Clay, which again, just made the whole thing that much more emotional when you put it in the context of our golden couple.

Mark Schwann is kind of like the Barbara Walters of teen dramas--when he writes an episode he knows just where to poke and prod to get the waterworks started. I admit, it worked on me. I was bawling like a baby when Sara died. It's hard not to when he does such a good job of getting you emotionally invested in these relationships.

Well OTH, you've pulled me in again and made me love you when I didn't want to, but then again isn't this how it all started?

OTH: Scandal, Redemption & Cheese

Oh...what has happened to my favorite show? Last week I thought this show might have found new life, but this week only proved me wrong.

Again, I'm glad Brulian is all sunshine and smiles, but did we really need to have Brooke confront Julian's father like he confronted her mom? And did daddy dearest have to do a complete 180 so quickly? Too cheesy and schmaltzy for me, which is saying a whole lot.

Speaking of cheese, Dan preaching about redemption and helping a homeless dude? Huh? Even more disturbing is Rachel being his wife/publicist. WTH is going on here? We've seriously entered the Twilight Zone. That's the only explanation. I'll be interested to see how this all happened.

BTW...the new girl sucks and is so annoying. But she's the only one who's going to be able to bring out bitchy Brooke, which is always entertaining. Although, I'm kind of disappointed that Brooke fell for her woe-is-me act. Really, Brooke? How could you not see through that? You've seriously lost your edge.

I like Quinn, but I still need to know more about why she's there and how things with her husband have gone sour. I wonder if he'll make an appearance. Maybe around the same time she gets closer to Clay?

As for the Scott clan...well, I actually liked their storylines today. They really are the only ray of sunshine for me when it comes to this show. Nathan's dilemma makes sense and is completely believable. I mean what pro athletes aren't being blackmailed nowadays? Usually the scandal ends up being true, which is what makes Nathan's situation a little different. But, they're trying to be as realistic as possible, so I give them credit for that effort. Plus, I love Clay and Nathan as friends. It's cute. I mean really, more scenes like the one above can only improve the ratings. Shirtless Nathan and Clay? Yeah, I'll take more of that, please.

Haley cracked me up with her Peyton and Lucas imitations. She's pretty good at it. Using Mia to save Red Bedroom Records was smart, but she really needs a partner if she's going to run a label and finish a record. BTW...big music companies have no heart and they would have been shut down immediately.

So yes, disappointing, but I'm still holding on to hope.

I watched the Season Four finale this weekend and was reminded of how good this show could be. The series really should have ended with that ep. It was a great ending. Sigh...

OTH: New Beginnings...Again

I'll be honest--I wasn't all that excited about a seventh season. Even though Lucas and Peyton were not my favorite characters on the show, they were an integral part of the show and I was sad to see them leave. So, as the show started, I sat on my couch with no expectations and lacking my usual excitement for this show.

The first five minutes were a little cheesy--Haley recording her song while images of Brulian on the beach having a From Here to Eternity moment flashed along with other scenes was a little corny even for me.

But as the show progressed, I found myself thinking that I could get on board with this new version of OTH. But there are a few things that need to be done before this happens:

1) No more fake acting for Nathan. Although I laughed hard for a good 10 minutes (even called my sister and just laughed while she told me to calm down), I don't know if I can stomach any more of it. I was both amused and horribly embarassed for Nathan--the same feeling when I get when I watch American Idol rejects. But damn, he's hot:


2) Limit the number of schmatzy Brulian scenes. I'm so very happy that Brooke has finally found love (even if he is one of Peyton's leftovers), but last night's ep just made her seem like a whiny, needy girlfriend rather than the strong, confident Brooke we all know and love. I'm hoping last night was just a one-time thing and not a constant throughout the whole season. I love fun, biting Brooke--and without Peyton around, I'm afraid we won't see her again.

3) Add some tension to the perfect Scott family. Yes, I'm the first one to beat up anyone who even threatens the happy existence of my favorite couple, but I've realized that tension makes things way more intersting. The last thing this show needs is a Stepford family. Jaime needs to get into a little more mischief, Haley needs to lose her cool once in a while and Nathan needs to find his inner a-hole once in a while. Although the cliffhanger at the end made me rage on the inside, I knew it was needed if Naley was going to stay interesting for an entire season. I mean really, no marriage is ever perfect. I don't care if you're on television.


4) Give the minor characters some meaningful scenes the main characters. If they're all going to be friends, we need to see them interact and form some connections. Mouth and Skills have always been Lucas' friends in my eyes. Although they have a bond with Haley and have become friends with Nathan, I still don't feel that deep of a connection. Maybe they need to have more heart-to-hearts that they normally would have had with Lucas.

5) Seriously...no more commercials for Nathan. That was too painful to watch.

I do like the addition of Quinn, even though she seems younger than Haley, and Clay. I always wanted to see more of Haley's family and it's nice for Nathan to have a friend who wasn't Lucas' first. I always wished they'd saved one of his friends (Dim) as a reminder of Nathan's old life to show how he's grown.

Anyway, this first ep was intriguing...let's hope it only gets better.

OTH: Will the Real Ravens Please Stand Up?

Naked fake Nathan…lol! Why is your shirt off? Cuz you’re hott!

Dawson is creepy.

Aww, why are they so cute? I love me some Naley!

Why isn’t Peyton letting Lucas do the crib thing?

Jaime has a crush…so cute.

Smile and something nice…only works for Jaime Scott every time.

Julian a high school geek boy? No way. So glad those two are hooking up.

LOL…have a seat with the other Peyton Sawyers.

LOL! Why do people always leave? LMAO!

Peyton as Deb? LOL! She’s the real Peyton.

Dawson, you can shut your mouth now.

Dan giving Jaime girl advice is too cute. I hate the bastard, but he's got good chemistry with the kid.

Wow, that’s a lot of Peytons.

Mia and the crib…you’re Italian, right?

Brooke checking out the Nathans…interesting.

Brooke, meet Brooke. Great casting.

Finally…Nathan!

We believe in what you’re selling, too, Nate.

That crib is going to kill your baby, Peyton.

I don’t remember Brooke wearing anything like that.

He looks like Lucas…LOL!

Teacher’s phone is ringing and it’s her hot husband.

LOL…Jaime’s crush is his teacher? Cute boy and little old man…hahaha.

Aww, Jaime is too cute. He looks like a mini Dan.

New principal looks scary. Oh, she’s a bitch. Haley’s in trouble now.

Back off Dan, that’s her girl. Love it!

Skills is a babyproofer? LOL…what the hell? That’s what he does for a living. I can’t stop laughing.

I’d laugh too Peyton. This is too strange.

He’s a handyman, too? He really does have skills.

Haley’s gonna get fired and become a rock star and go on tour. That’s what’s going to happen.

Well, he’s got a family too. Nathan’s felling a little guilty right about now.

Brooke’s a maid of honor again? I guess that’s feeting.

OK, fake Brooke is getting really annoying.

Uh-oh, someone’s in trouble. Awww…You’re making fun of me? He was in prison! I think everyone in town should know that by now.

Oh, Fergie’s not in the movie? Damn, that’s cold.

Someone’s on edge. Dawson, shut up!

Why is Peyton acting all weird about Brooke sleeping with Julian? She doesn’t seem fine.

Ummm…Nathan, Brooke! The first one you both shared.

Oh, so now you’re all sensitive about being a slut in high school. Get over it Brooke. You were!

Go with your heart, Luke. I love them as BFFs.

LOL…that’s too funny, Jaime. Yeah, you got that right. He’s mean, Jaime, that’s why they don’t like him.

You were making fun of him, Dan. Liar! Always a liar! LOL!

Won’t hurt your best friend, but you would kill your own brother. Nice, Dan.

Uh-oh…Brooke’s going to kick someone’s ass.

Nathan, you gotta stop being so nice. It’s a business.

Someone’s a little pissed and someone, Julian, is in the doghouse.

Jaime took naps in the dryer? Uhhh, strange.

Why is Peyton’s hair orange?

Brooke making a roast? Can’t see that.

That’s a proud Mama look. Awww…Sam and Brooke. I knew it, putting it on the fridge.

Is it wise for a teacher to indulge her student’s crush? Have we not learned anything from Gossip Girl tonight?

Yeah, Jaime, someone your own age is probably best.

Awww, Peyton, you should have went with the first message.

LOL…she was Peyton last night and I was Lucas.

That’s who they cast as Nathan? He’s not even close to matching his hotness.

I don’t like the Haley either…not even close.

Awww, just forgive him, Brooke.

Good job, Luke. Way to remember!

Yes, Let’s make a movie everyone! (But with a whole new cast. Not sure I’m feeling that one.)

This episode marked Bethany Joy Galeotti’s directorial debut. The verdict? Good job! I knew the casting ep would be awesome. She really got some good performances from the regulars. Lucas wasn’t as squinty and broody, but he was all sorts of pissy. Peyton was a great emotional mess. Brooke was refreshing and complicated. Dan and Jaime were right on. My one gripe: not nearly enough Nathan or Naley. Boo. Overall, an enjoyable ep. Let’s hope this movie actually gets made. So far, all spoilers point to no. Eeeek.

Fave moment: Skills walking into the Scott house as the babyproofer. Awesome!

Karma or Justice? What Do You Believe In?

Naley love is great.

This episode just broke my heart. From Brooke to Q. Of course the silver lining was the Scott family. They’re the best part of this show. I definitely liked this episode much better than the premiere. Nanny Carrie is one scary bitch. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m glad dickhead Dan is coming back. I can’t wait until the Deb/Skills relationship comes out. That is going to be pure comedy. Although, their little heart-to-heart felt kind of forced. I hope Deb can be the mother figure Brooke needs right now. Although, I don’t think teaching her to shoot a gun is such a good idea. Anyway, enough random rambling…here’s some stream of consciousness rambling:

Nanny Carrie is just gross. Who the hell feeds someone roaches? I couldn’t even watch this scene. Well, all I have to say is, karma’s a bitch, Dan.

LOL…Jaime asking Deb about Skills. Busted! Grandpa Skills! LMAO!

YAY! Nate is on the skins team! Yow! Thank you, Mark Schwann!

Naley is too cute! Hey, 23, call me, too!

Why do Peyton and Lucas kind of bore me now? Actually, their back and forth already had me bored. It strange, it’s odd seeing them so happy. It’s like something’s off balance.

All I can say is poor Brooke. The walls are up and no one’s getting in.

Kid steals the show every time. Q’s turning him into a mini Eminem. Ummm…where’d Jaime put the box? Did it magically turn in to a basketball?

Looking at Brooke gives me shivers. I know everyone probably thinks Brooke’s mom is behind this, but it’s just hard to believe a Mom would do this to her daughter.

Big ears…don’t give the kid a complex, Nate.

Deb in a cheerleading outfit? Oh man. That just shouldn’t happen.

Why lie, Brooke? Why so gullible, Peyton?

So Nathan’s a pill popper now? Haley, you probably should have talked to your husband first before orchestrating the intervention. Deb, you probably should have tied that robe shut.

Deb’s sex life is comical. I love how they’re always using it to make Nathan uncomfortable.

Damn, Dan really is the devil. A parrot devil.

I love how Jaime’s always asking the hard questions. Did you love momma? Did you love aunt Brooke? Nice, kid, nice.

What? No Naley kiss? No action on the Rivercourt? You suck, Mark Schwann.

Man, Brooke really got a beating all over.

Yes, your plan sucks psycho nanny Carrie.

Should I pour you a drink now or wait until you ask Brooke to marry you? Skills, you always have jokes, don’t you? That’s why I love you!

I knew it was coming, but wow, it was still a sucker punch. RIP Q.

Welcome Back, Old Friend

The devotion I have to this show cannot be explained. As hard as I tried not to fall in love with it, I did...head over heels. Sometimes it pisses me off and other times it makes my heart flutter. I laugh, I cry, I ask, WTF? But no matter what, I'm always glad it's there and will be awfully sad the day it leaves. Of all the shows I watch, this is the season premiere I was looking forward to the most, which will explain my incoherent rambling below. I swear, I'm not always this random. I wish I had more photos, but I didn't have time to do screencaps. :( Hopefully I'll figure out a good system as the season rolls on. Without further ado, Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Part 1...

Brooke and Lucas married…hmmmm…not feeling it. Peyton and Lucas married…cute. I like the banter. Lindsay and Lucas married…not buying it. Too easy.

This show needs a better budget. The fake NYC and Cape Cod are pretty obvious. They should have stuck with all interior shots.

Just follow the heart…OK, we get it. Sometimes this show is a little too in your face with the messages.

Did we really need to see Dan get hit again? Yeah, yeah we did.

Thank goodness we didn’t have to wait an entire episode to find out who Lucas picked. Did we have any doubt that it’d be Peyton?

Victoria and Dan should hook up. I guess they need Victoria if Dan is going to be all good now.

This is real, isn’t it? I hope so, Peyton. It better not be some stupid dream sequence or heads are going to roll!

Why is Nanny Carrie back? Seriously Mark? Can’t we just let her go? And why did that whole Dan waking up in a “hospital” bed scene remind me of Saw? And Misery.

Why he gotta be a freak? LOL! Dude, did you just ask me if my mom was satisfied?! LOL! Run and hide Skills!

Really milking the Jackson cuteness. I would, too.

Nurse Carrie? More like scary nurse Carrie.

Proposal by text…nice, Lucas.

Speaking of psycho stalkers…

Skills=Mr. Porno?

Nathan always seeing his mom’s boobies. Pure comedy.

The transitions from one scene to another and the repetition are annoying me. Yes, we get that Victoria is the Ice Queen.

I’m sorry honey, you may be evil, but evil like Dan just doesn’t roll over and die.

Oh, hey baby…so cute! Any time Naley uses pet names with each other always makes me melt.

What is up with you and naked nannies in the pool…lol! That is like the pool of sin.

Dream wedding? Yeah, if your dream is to get married in a circus a la Baz Luhrman.

Millicent Huxtable? LOL! Didn’t think that would be her last name. Wonder if someone was watching the Cosby Show when they named her. Brooke doesn’t need to be so dramatic. Millie can stay for a little while.

LOL! Son and mom dancing…too cute. Hmmmm…Nathans’s back is going to be a problem.

Does scary Carrie’s nurse uniform have to be that short? What happened to the scrubs?

I guess we now know why Brooke’s in a dark place this season. I really hope Brooke doesn’t have to go through all this alone.

Although enjoyable, not the best OTH premiere. Or maybe I just wanted a bit more Naley. :) Either way, it’s good to have OTH back. It’s like seeing an old friend who’s been gone for a while.

Photos courtesy of the CW.