One Tree Hill 8.02 Review
One Tree Hill 8.02 Review
Ever since I watched the episode, I just haven't been in the mood to write a long review as I usually do. So this one will most likely be shorter.
Compared to the premiere, this episode didn't really do it for me. I don't know why exactly… but I'm going to guess it was the excessive focus of Clay/Quinn. I just don't understand these writers sometimes. They know who our fanbase cares about (Nathan/Haley/Brooke), and yet they choose to ignore this and say things like "the minor characters are fan favorites" and then put insane focus on a couple that will always have a small fanbase. There… the CQ fanbase isn't non-existent, but compared to the NH and Brooke fanbase their numbers aren't really significant. I'm really sorry if this is making the CQ fans angry, but it's just my opinion and the way I see things.
I am also getting WAY over the "life after death" and "between life and death" on this show. Ghost Keith talking to Lucas after his heart-attack, Ghost Quentin having random conversations with Nathan about making a comeback, Ghost Sara telling Clay to get with Quinn… and after all of this Mark Schwahn says "OTH will be more reality based this season". Really? That's why you started this season with Clay/Quinn being "in-between"? This isn't "The Lovely Bones"! It's One Tree Hill! Well, I guess this is what has become of this show. Ghosts are just it.
A continuation of the "Why go there?" rant… Millie/Mouth. Is this necessary? Does anyone care?
Okay… moving on to the episode.
I really liked how Haley said all the people she missed. Especially that she went on and said "Karen" and "Keith" because they were like a second home for her; which ties into another thing that was said in a scene in the episode. Quinn/Haley putting on plays when they were younger is cute (I remember putting plays/dances with my sister, too. Oh, good childhood memories!) But I kind of wish they would stop bringing up stories from their childhood because none of them mention Lucas. Let's face it, Haley spent most if not all of her time with Lucas and Karen since like first grade (or was it when she was eight? I really need to look that up again). Bottom line is, where do all these cute plays and Quinn/Haley photoshoots, and Quinn/Haley/Taylor being inseparable thing tie into Haley being at Luke's all the time? I just really want a line from Quinn about how Haley "abandoned them" to be with Luke. Because on one hand they're having Haley writing Lucas letters because they were inseparable, but on the other hand you have Quinn/Haley reminiscing about being together and putting on shows etc etc. As an LH fan, I just want a mention of their friendship from Quinn.
Okay… moving backwards (sorry this review is all over the place!)
I'm really glad that Haley didn't tell Mia what was wrong. Sure, they're close music-wise but I just don't see Mia and Haley as good enough of friends for Haley to be like "I need you Mia!!!" I'm glad that instead she decided to lean on Brooke. And although some of their scenes (BH) and friendship in general has been very unbalanced before, BH are still a friendship I love. And Sophia and Joy still rock it together after all these years.
Brooke worrying for Haley and the baby's sake was very sweet. Their "I love you"s and Haley thanking her for being there with her… it's just so nice to see. Even if this friendship has a tendency to disappear for entire episodes and then all of a sudden come back. But I'm just glad for the times we do have these two on-screen together. Kind of reminds me of season three, too.
And I really, really, enjoyed the Brooke/Haley/Nathan scene. It was balanced, Brooke brought up her arrest, Haley her concern… Brooke congratulating them properly on the pregnancy. But the best part was Brooke's "If you really like the new baby, can I have Jamie?" and her face after Nathan tells her about the sex talk: "Already?! It's like yesterday-" and makes a holding a baby thing… though Brooke was never there when Jamie was a baby (well, when he was born before she went off to college I suppose). Still, it was a cute scene.
Another Brooke line/moment I liked "Explain it as if I was a 12-year old" and then walks back and forth pretending to understand "Okay, how about as if I was 8?" :lol: . Because, to be honest, I didn't even understand what they were talking about. And I consider myself to be smart =P.
I actually really enjoyed the Jamie/Julian moments. It's like Julian's the sensitive artist type, and Jamie is just… Nathan Scott's son (still cocky and a bit high on himself at times). And I'm glad Jamie has baseball. Yes, the foundation of this show is basketball… but I like that he's good at baseball, too. Not to mention that Nathan spoke before about playing "little league baseball". And I also wouldn't mind if Jamie chose baseball over basketball at a certain point.
Oh, and my family and I totally do the "making stories about people" thing. Haha.
The part at the beginning where Jamie refused to go with anyone "considering his past" was really funny. Thank you writers for remembering that he was kidnapped!
Nathan talking to Clay sounded too much like déjà vu for me. Like they were using the same exact words and structure of sentences as when Nathan was talking to Haley in 4x10… like "You know how you're always telling me…" (With Haley: "You're not going anywhere"/With Clay: "I'm a hero") "Well…" (With Haley: "I need to hold you to that right now"/With Clay: "the truth is I'm not. You are"). I don't know. That kind of pissed me off. I think that if there is a danger of a season coming across like a scene that already played on the show, then do some research and make sure you're not reusing lines. And I know it's season eight, and things like this are "inevitable", but I felt like the writers were being absolutely careless with this.
But I did like that although Nathan was there for Haley with her sister, his best friend was there, too. I've always enjoyed the Clay/Nathan friendship. And it's really the first friendship of Nathan's that I enjoy.
The whole "It's all my fault" montage fell a little flat to me. I really didn't like the way it flowed. Because it just didn't… maybe they were trying to use repetition, but it just didn't work.
I liked the way they had Haley telling Quinn she wanted her to be the new baby's godmother. I mean ordinarily, I wouldn't understand it. Because there's Brooke again, there's Taylor, there's… a bagillion other options. But she said "having you back in my life has meant the world to me". It just made SENSE the way she said it. So I'm not going to go on the anti-Quinn as a godmother boat.
So when I first saw Nathan going into the chapel (is it called a chapel?), I feared feeling alienated a bit. I'm an atheist, and a lot of the times I feel like they ALMOST cross that line with this show… you know, alienating their atheist fans. I don't feel alienated with other shows or movies if you have a religious couple/character or whatnot… but with this show it has already been established in my mind that the Scotts aren't religious and aren't devout believers. And all of a sudden having them "pray" was beginning to worry me. But at the end my fears were put to rest because nothing like that happened.
Haley trying to be kind and sympathetic "for whatever illness or sickness a person can have to do something like this" was such a beautiful, Haley thing to say. It's just her… even if someone were to do something like this… Haley will try to understand and find the kindness in her heart to give people a second chance. Just because she believes in the goodness in people. It is just such a pure and beautiful thought.
I'm starting to really enjoy that BJu are there for NH. Julian helping with Jamie, and Brooke helping out with Haley. I don't know, it just ties them all… and they're just good friends. Now I'm wishing for a meeting over dinner kind of like Lucas and Lindsey had with Nathan and Haley in season five. :lol:
The promo was horrendous. I mean what is going through the CW promo department? This is "One Tree Hill" and not "Gossip Girl". It has already been established that while the other CW shows are all about shock value, OTH has a little more heart than that (even though a lot of the times it is hidden behind its own dramatic storylines). But I don't even understand why someone would cut a promo like that for OTH. People won't tune in because of it. And if they do, they will quickly realize that OTH isn't what the promo is making it out to look like. So the audience the promo is being aimed at isn't even the type of audience that would be interested in this show.
That is all for now. Hopefully the next episode will be a lot better than this one.