Review of One Tree Hill's Final Season Premiere "Know This, We Noticed" -- Great Set-Up to the End!!
Another year and another show I love is coming to an end
. However, like other shows before it I feel it is the right time for One Tree Hill to call its final curtain call. The show's final season premiere doesn't rank high on my list of the series' season premiere. It wasn't overly outstanding nor was it gawd awful. Having all that said I think the premiere had one of the best set-ups I have seen in setting up a season, and that is due in large part to the beginning montage.
Epic Beginning Montage!! - The first two minutes of the episode was outstanding!! The cinematography and editing of that montage was top notch. It would make any speculating savy viewer guess what the heck is happening to all of the characters. I mean you have Chase in the back of a police car. Julian getting the crap beaten out of him (
). Brooke trashing Karen's Cafe. Clay and Quinn having a major argument. Haley crying in the morgue. Dan and Chris Keller talking about guns and people gunning for Dan. The only piece of the montage that happened in present time was seeing Dan's small diner dive being burned to the ground. Which makes me think every piece of that beginning montage will be spread out through the season. I will just say that montage was freakin' awesome especially hearing Nathan's voiceover over it:
"People say hell is endless. They say it’s our worst nightmare, the face of our darkness. But whatever it is, however it is, I say hell is empty, and all the devils are here."
We hear Nathan's quote twice in this episode and for good measure. This season is going to be dark, brutal, intense, and all the devils are here to play with our favorite characters. If anything the montage made me even more excited about the season. I just finished watching season eight, and the previous season wasn't uber-dark. It was a great season to see the characters have a breather and live life. So to go into a dark season as their final season is honestly quite fitting. One Tree Hill, at least in my opinion, has done some of the best dark seasons I have seen in my television viewing.
Brooke & Julian: Need Sleep, Parents, & New Opportunities - I've been dying to see this subplot for a while now lol. I really loved how they did these sleep-deprived parents. I loved Julian's run-on jokes on what they can do with Jude and Davis by either sending them to an orphanage or China
. Of course, we know he doesn't mean it, but I just always loved Julian's humor. I also loved seeing Brooke drive around Tree Hill at night reflecting upon her life before and after her marriage and babies, and she went to Sonic
. I loved seeing all smiles, but I can't help be scared when the devils come play with them.
So I was more than happy to see Haley being a godmother of the twins. I'm not quite sure about Papa Davis being a godfather, but perhaps Brooke is right. If Victoria can change why not her father, but a part of me doesn't count on it. There is a reason why Brooke is trashing Karen's Cafe in her flashforward. Though I gotta admit I'm so loving the banter between Ted and Victoria
. They have great chemistry, and do actually believe they were once married. I loved how awkward Haley was standing between them lol. I couldn't help but melt when I saw Victoria with Lydia, Jude, and Davis. She was just too adoreable with all three of them, and Jude and Davis are now totally "The Fabulous Baker Boys" to me.
Julian's new career move about renting that warehouse is going to be interesting to see how it plays out. I would love to see Julian make another movie in that warehouse because he was smiling for reason at the end of the episode. I'm kinda hoping we get to hear what happened to his documentary he made in season eight though. I just loved those documentary monologues in the previous season.
Chris Keller Returns - I don't know about anyone else, but I always enjoyed Chris Keller. He can be that person who can just rub you the wrong way, but you can't help but laugh at him when he does it. We definitely needed some Keller action in the final season. His character just brings so much to the show, and the chemistry he has with the cast is top notch. Keller still talks in the third person, but he still knows his musical stuff. He was right on about Alex's song. It was all wrong, and I'll totally admit I rather have Alex with Chris than with Chase. I can't stand Chase with Alex. It was too forced, rushed, and I want Chase with Mia lol. Plus I thought Alex and Chris some great chemistry going on. I loved when he pressed the voice button so not to hear Alex's rants about him lol. I'm curious about Chris' flashforward with Dan. The only way I see Chris and Dan work together is if it involved Naley. We already know Chris has a soft spot for Nathan and Haley, and he would do anything for his Hales. What if it is Chris that dies?!
The Scott Family - We didn't get to see Naley in a scene together, but I still loved seeing their phone conversations. I loved how they teased each other, but that is going to be short lived because Dan is living with them. The expression on Nathan's face said it all at the end of the episode, however; Hales couldn't get Nathan on the phone and Dan needed an answer right away. As a viewer I will never completely forgive Dan for what he has done to Keith, Lucas, Nathan, Karen, Deb, and etc. However, I do think he has been on the road of redemption for a long time now and everything will come circle in this season for this character. Plus if season eight is any indicator Nathan needs to work on his daddy issues. This storyline is a must for the final season. Plus I just love seeing Paul once again. He has such a precense on the show, and has great chemistry with the cast. Dan's monologue in the chruch was fantastic!!
Dan:[to Haley] "Do you know what it’s like to have a beautiful granddaughter and have no expectations of holding her? Or to accept that you’ll never be apart of your son’s family? Either son. I know what I’ve done. I know what I’ve created. I just need a little help."
Dan did a ton of harm, but he did a lot of good too. He has saved everyone one time or another both financially and physically over the course of the show from Lucas in S1 to making Quinn realize murder is not the answer in S8. I'm so looking forward to the Scott family storylines this season. Plus my heart just melted when Dan held Lydia, hugged Jamie, and Nathan bringing his daughter a purple elephant. I am also wondering if the intruder at Karen's Cafe and the Scott House was Dan, or do we have someone else to look out for....hmmm.....
Clay & Quinn: Sleep-Deprived & Adoreable - The couple's heated argument is so intense it looks like they might break-up! I don't think they will end the show broken up, but I was waiting for something to happen for a long time now. I'm glad they referenced Clay's PTSD from being shot. I do think it is related to that. In season eight we received more insight on Quinn than Clay last season, and it is the perfect time to focus on Clay. Just because a traumatic incident happened a year and half ago doesn't mean you processed and moved on from it. Heck, Clay could be addicted to the painkillers they gave him. He was in far worst shape than Quinn was physically.
I loved how they did the sleep-deprived scenes between Clay and Quinn. The cinematography in regards to Clay sleep walking were outstanding!! I loved the whole montage of Quinn watching Clay sleep to make sure he was okay from online shopping to accidently dropping popcorn on Clay during a horror movie
. One of my favorite things about OTH is the cinematography. They will be things in front or behind characters, and this time it was a sleeping Quinn in Clay's car as they drove passed Brooke and Julian's chruch. Speaking of sleeping I couldn't help, but laugh at a sleeping Quinn and an envious Clay at his doctor appointment
. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this couple goes this season, and what is wrong with Clay. Btw, Robert Buckley has been working out
.
Too Much Chase & Alex - I'm biased, but I felt there was too much of them. Don't get me wrong I loved seeing Chase shirtless
, but I would have liked to hear more substantial discussions between them instead of skin. Such as, why is Chase not at base at the moment? Is he on leave? Will Alex and Chase ever fully discuss why Alex never wrote to him while he was training and at school to become an Air Force pilot? 'Cause that still totally bugs me. What I'm surprised about is that I really loved Chase and Chris Keller's interaction. I couldn't help, but laugh at the boys' interaction. There is a triangle has so begun, but at least the boys' interaction is something to look forward to.
Jamie Scott was only seen once, and Mouth and Millie were no where to be seen. In fact, their whereabouts weren't even referenced once throughout the episode. I guess their reveal will either be this week or next week. I can't wait for the next episode this Wednesday. Overall, the season premiere was pretty solid and set-up the season terrifically!!