'One Tree Hill': Secrets and lies

One Tree Hill pulls out the flashbacks tonight to remind us that they did indeed jump five years in the future last season. This might be confusing to some, considering they've been acting like adults since their junior year in high school.

The flashbacks are all about Peyton this week so let's dive right in, shall we? Peyton is still keeping her past relationship with Julian a secret from Lucas, and this secret is about...oh...55 minutes from blowing up in her face. Her flashbacks reveal that both times she met Julian before they started dating she was crying over some heartbreak caused by Lucas, so their relationship started out on a totally healthy note! The first time was immediately following Luke's first proposal in L.A that she refused. I would like to note that this flashback is set to a new Joshua Radin tune, so they obviously aren't going with the "choose a song from the year of the flashback" device. Actually, they probably aren't going with that device because then they'd have to actually figure out the timeline of the show, which would involve some sort of advanced calculus at this point. Anywho, when Peyton was crying at work over Luke, Julian randomly shows up and offers some sage words of advice, because strangers always offer unsolicited, clichéd advice. Back in the present, Peyton tries to tell Lucas about Julian and her history with him but he's so excited about writing the screenplay she just can't bring herself to do it. Brooke smartly advises Peyton to tell Lucas about her past with Julian immediately, and I agree. This leads us into another flashback of her second meeting with Julian, which was at Luke's book signing when she saw him with Lindsey. This time Julian asks Peyton out, and now you know he's got mental issues because he just asked out a girl who both time he's seen has been crying. Peyton's third Julian flashback takes place when they LIVED TOGETHER, and good gracious Peyton needs to tell Lucas their history right now if things went as far as "I love yous" and living together. In yet another flashback, Julian finds An Unkindness of Ravens in Peyton's suitcase and asks her why she buys a copy of the book every time she sees it and carries one with her everywhere. He tells her he wants to stop sharing her with Lucas Scott and breaks up with her for good. Back in the present, Peyton confronts Julian and asks him if he's making this movie to get her back in his life, but he insists he isn't letting a multimillion dollar movie rest on his fickle romantic life. He does make sure to tell her that if she isn't telling Luke about them for some specific reason, like she's still hotly madly in love with him, he might be open to that.

Lucas, oblivious to Peyton's internal dilemma, diligently hammers out a screenplay in three weeks, a screenplay Julian calls "good but not great." The way to make it great? Includes Keith's murder scene in the movie. Luke argues that it might be more effective if it happens off camera but in reality, he just doesn't want to write the scene. Julian tells him he has to, or he'll find another writer. So much for creative control, huh Luke? He goes to Nathan for help, and Nathan tells him Dan used to have a soul but Luke should write him the way he is now, evil, because that's what he deserves. Luke's journey continues in the Tree Hill High hallway, with Haley finding him standing right where the shooting happened. When she advises him the audience might find something meaningful in the murder scene Luke snaps, telling her Dan Scott doesn't deserve to be understood or forgiven and that he shouldn't even be in Jamie's life at all. Harsh, Lucas. He decides he isn't going to write the scene because he doesn't know what Keith's final moments were like and he doesn't want to make them up. Wait - so the actual murder scene isn't in the book, but they want it in the movie? I'm confused. Peyton convinces Lucas to write the scene by saying that Keith would rather he write the scene than anyone else, which is probably true. Luke's tour of pain continues at Keith's grave site, where he snaps again and totally beats the crap out of Dan's adjacent humongous headstone. Seriously. I've asked this before, but what is the deal with that headstone? Why is it even up? I can't remember. Dan confronts Lucas about the defacing, and Lucas takes the opportunity to ask Dan what happened in the hallway. Surprisingly, Dan tells the truth and nothing but the truth. When asked why he did it, however, Dan just says "every good story needs a villain" and that he's Luke's villain. I'm pretty sure they didn't have Dan say why he did it because the reasons were so flimsy in the first place, if he said them out loud it would just sound silly. Luke writes the scene and turns in the script and Julian loves it, but when basking in the glow of his success at Julian's place he comes across a picture of Julian and Peyton together. Whoops. He arrives home and acts casual, but right when Peyton is about to tell Lucas the truth, he whips out the picture and she admits they were "in love." Ruh roh!

Brooke is busy this week juggling Sam's continued bad behavior and Owen's advances. She starts out redoing Peyton's wedding dress, perhaps inspired by it to create her new line. Sam acts smug that she was the cause of this inspiration, because Sam is annoying. Brooke grounds Sam for three weeks, which is totally baby stuff considering what she did. Despite her lax punishment, Sam still has the nerve to sass her. Have I mentioned I don't like Sam? Because I don't. Owen, on the other hand, bothers Brooke by showing up at her door with flowers and the plan to give her a gift every day until she decides to give him another chance. She happily accepts all his gifts but draws the line when he pulls the classic Brooke Davis move of showing up in the backseat of her car naked. Disgusted, she kicks him out without his clothes and leaves him naked on the street. Hee. After this incident Owen decides he doesn't want to be humiliated any further and he's giving up. Brooke isn't quite ready to let him go, though, and apologizes for letting him bring her presents and lets him know that she isn't ready to date him right now because she needs to devote all of her energies to helping Sam get on the right track, but if she's ready in the future she'll pursue him. And with that, I think Owen is out of the show. What was the point of his return? He's cute, but it would be nice for Brooke to have a real, solid love interest (who isn't Lucas) for once.

Nathan is busy with his very successful SlamBall career. He's so successful that he totally gets called out by an opposing player, who calls him "more hype than skill." The hype is paying off, though, as a scout is stopping by his game to check him out. Mouth warns him that his opposing player is "looking to put him back in his wheelchair" because of an old college grudge. At the game, things get increasingly more tense and physical, and Nathan is bummed because the scout is nowhere to be seen but still plays his heart out. Nathan and his old nemesis have words during the game, and when Nathan makes the game winning shot the nemesis can't take it and body checks Nathan right through one of the glass walls around the court. Whoa, Nathan likes to get slammed through plate glass windows, huh? Ouchie. Jamie is worried but Nathan is fine, and promises he'll never be "like before" again.

Jamie gets his own little storyline this week about being "broke" and sad about it. I don't think I knew what broke was when I was five, but OK. Haley asks Sam to watch Jamie for a few minutes during school one day, which I am calling total b.s. on considering Sam took Jamie to a raging party the week before without anyone's permission. Mama Haley so would not do that. Anyway, Sam uses her time to teach little Jamie how to scam fellow classmates out of money by selling them marked-up snack food items. Sigh. Jamie tells Dan about his new money making scheme and Dan goes along with it, because Dan is the most inappropriate grandfather ever. Jamie brings his racket to the playground and when Haley finds out she puts a stop to it but isn't quite as stern as I thought she would be. Sam ultimately apologizes for teaching him the scam and Haley lets her know that she has a great opportunity to really teach Jamie something good because Jamie looks up to her. Why Haley would still allow Sam to have any influence on Jamie, I do not know.

Blessedly, Mouth has only one real scene tonight, consisting of Gigi throwing herself at him and offering him a night of wild sex, no strings attached. I wouldn't even mention it but I have a feeling it's going to come up next week, don't you?

What did you guys think? How dumb was Peyton not to tell Lucas about Julian? Are Julian's motives for making this movie good, or is he just trying to win Peyton back? Is Owen gone for good? And will Brooke ever get a real love interest?

E-mail

• Digg
• Facebook
• Fark
• Yahoo Buzz
• Stumbleupon