By Jessica Lawlor and Samantha Koontz
Remember last season when the drama on One Tree Hill sort of resembled real life? This season, that’s all about to change. It seems the One Tree Hill writers have run out of fresh ideas and are resorting to all types of farfetched plot lines to keep viewers happy.
Last season’s cliffhanger finale certainly left viewers on the edge of their seats and anxiously awaiting the September 27 premiere. Brooke and Peyton once again, ended their friendship over Lucas. A mix-up of purses left viewers wondering which of the One Tree Hill women was pregnant. Nathan and Haley enjoyed their wedding only to witness Rachel and Cooper drive off the side of a bridge and into a river in their stolen limo. Nathan, always the hero, jumps in after them and leaves Haley screaming for help.
Fast-forward to this season as Nathan somehow manages to become trapped in the car along with Rachel and Cooper while Lucas, who also drives by the scene jumps into the river after Nathan and is able to rescue Cooper. Nathan and Rachel appear washed up on shore as Haley sobs at the edge of the river, never thinking to call 911. According to Lucas, it takes 14 minutes to get from the bridge to the hospital and yet, all three manage to live. It’s hard to believe that ALL three characters would live through such an ordeal- it would be a bit more realistic if at least one character had died.
Nathan spends the rest of the episode brooding and claiming emotional distress. A sudden and unsuccessful change in Lucas’s character occurs in this episode. All of a sudden, he is Mr. Insightful but instead of coming off as meaningful, Lucas makes many unintentionally hilarious comments.
After the dramatic river scene, while sitting in the waiting room, Lucas’s narration presents a groundbreaking revelation: “For the rest of us there was nothing to do but wait. I guess that’s why they call it the waiting room.” Another brilliant, if entirely pointless, observation is made when he is discussing the amount of time it takes to get to the hospital from the bridge. The audience is informed that, “It takes the same amount of time to boil an ostrich egg.” These comments, made continuously throughout the episode, however meaningful they were meant to be, come off as laughably stupid.
Apparently, the writers of the show were a bit obsessed with pregnancy as three of the characters are pregnant (or potentially pregnant). Rachel pretends she is pregnant to win Cooper over. Brooke pretends not to be pregnant in order to make it easier to break things off with Lucas and Karen is pregnant with Keith’s baby (who died last season). With so many characters storylines revolving around pregnancy, how can viewers be expected to keep the facts straight?
As always, the Peyton-Brooke-Lucas triangle has reappeared. Brooke and Peyton, constantly vying for Lucas’s attention, have once again come head to head and Brooke breaks up with Lucas after she finds out that Peyton kissed Lucas last season.
Dan, guilt-ridden over murdering his brother, spent the entire episode painting his wall red to cover the message “Murderer” written by someone who knows what Dan did. In the hospital, Dan takes out his frustration by attempting to strangle Deb (who, by the way, has started popping pills again).
Although the episode was overly dramatic and unrealistic, One Tree Hill is still a must see TV for Wednesday nights. It will always be the show we love to hate, and no matter how ridiculous it gets, it is a show that has found its way into our hearts and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
C+
