An Unkindness of Ravens 2.16.08: One Tree Hill 5x07 Report

Posted by Andy Clark on 02.16.2008

Carrie pounds shots, Quentin pounds K-Fed, and Peyton and Lucas...kiss? Featuring performances by Kate Voegel and The Honorary Title, all in this week's edition of One Tree Hill!

Man, sorry guys, can I get any later with these reviews? My timetable was already screwed up with the show getting bumped to Wednesday in favor of ACC basketball, and then I forgot my girlfriend’s place doesn’t have internet access so it didn’t get up late Friday night like I planned, so my apologies. But hey, I did get to see a little bit of James Lafferty tearing shit up at the Celebrity Basketball Game on Friday night. I only watched a little bit of it because I’m only a glutton for so much punishment, but for the little bit I had it on Nathan Scott himself was pretty impressive out there. Anyhow, let’s get on to the show!

“In Da Club”
Airdate: 2/12/08

I never thought I’d see a 50 Cent song be the title of OTH episode. We get the cold opening and the gang (old school plus Lindsey) all do shots at Tric. It’s apparently quite disgusting and Brooke informs everyone that she had the bar mix the most popular liquor with the sweetest, making a “Brooke Davis.” Owen the bartender informs them its tequila and grenadine. I don’t drink so I’m out of my element here, but that doesn’t sound like a pleasant combination. Lucas and Lindsey talk and Lindsey isn’t sure she fits in with the old gang. Nathan and Haley chat at the bar and Nathan isn’t drinking tonight, he’s being good, although he is a bit disappointed he wasn’t invited to Jamie’s sleepover at Skills’. We see Quentin at Tric and he asks for a Jack and Coke…which the bartender actually gets for him until Haley takes it from him. At least before they explained the underage public drinking on fake IDs, Quentin didn’t even show a fake one. Turns out they are there to see The Honorary Title play, and Peyton ambushes Mia with the fact that she’s going to open for them. Brooke and Owen flirt at the bar and we find out that Brooke has set Millicent up on a blind date with Mouth. Nathan sips on his water at the bar when Carrie shows up, flirts with Nathan, and starts downing shots. Peyton tries to give Lucas her rent check and when Lucas tries to get Lindsey to say something to Peyton she does…as she tells Peyton she doesn’t like her either.

Brooke reintroduces Mouth and Millicent while Mouth receives texts from Alice. Haley and Lindsey try to talk about Lindsey’s issues with Peyton but Peyton interrupts them to get Haley away for business. Quentin tries to order some shots but is caught by Lucas, but Nathan covers for him. Nathan and Lucas discuss Lucas’ women problems and Nathan notes that Lucas seems more concerned about Peyton then Lindsey. Owen brings a “drink” over to Lucas but it turns out it’s just Peyton’s rent check again. Nathan gives the Quentin-intended shot to Carrie and Carrie is now openly flirting with Nathan. She’s getting less and less subtle as the show goes on. Mouth and Millicent continue on their date and Mouth is telling a story about a girl he was with that wore and cape and tried to get him to wear a cape in bed too. O-kay. Alice continues to text Mouth while he’s on his date. Brooke continues to flirt with Owen but Peyton is there to salt her game and inform Brooke that Victoria is at Tric partying it up.

Brooke confronts Victoria about being there and says that it is embarrassing. Peyton and Haley find Mia playing pool (quite well) in a backstage office. Mia is afraid of failing and Haley gets in what may be the line of the night, “People fail, look at Peyton.” Millicent teaches Mouth an interesting version of Paper, Scissors, Rock in the form of Hunter, Bear. Mouth, playing the bear, turns around to see Alice at Tric watching him. Mouth goes to see her and Alice says she’s OK with Mouth having fun without her. Nathan remains seated at the bar playing with the top of his water bottle. Haley and Brooke visit him briefly but soon leave him alone again. Lucas tries to give Peyton her check back and Lindsey sees and is obviously annoyed. Brooke vents to Owen about Victoria and it turns out he has been serving her at the bar and says that a future version of Brooke. Carrie visits with Nathan at the bar and Nathan mentions her skinny dipping. He plays if off coolly and just tells her to watch out around Haley, trying to give her a friendly warning. “Haley doesn’t need to know everything,” he points out.

Lindsey and Lucas have a brief spat about Peyton and she storms off. Brooke asks Peyton if she really dances like Victoria and Peyton asks Brooke to call Lindsey a bitch. Brooke asks if there is anyone that she hasn’t called a bitch tonight. When Brooke brings up the “you came back for Lucas” argument Peyton turns on her and not only calls her a bitch but says that she dances exactly like Victoria. Mouth and Millicent talk but Mouth gets a text from Alice that tells him that if he kisses her he is fired. Millicent tries to kiss him but he stops her. Flustered, Millicent leaves and Owen provides his two cents, claiming that he hates when hot girls try to kiss him too. Peyton and Haley have almost calmed Mia down when Jason (K-Fed) arrives at Tric, freaking her out. Jason tries to hit on Carrie but Nathan chases him off. Carrie says that she’s never seen his jealous side before and Nathan says that she still hasn’t. Carrie goes to find Jason to test that theory. Quentin approaches Nathan and Nathan asks him how dumb he is to try and drink at the same club as his coach. Quentin asks how dumb is it to flirt with his hot nanny in the same club as his wife. Since Nathan had Quentin’s back Quentin will have his, but he knows flirting when he sees it. Great scene with Nathan and Q.

Peyton and Haley finally get Mia calmed and Peyton admits that she invited Jason as a test. Once Mia heads out on stage she confesses to Haley that she totally lied about that. Jason yells at Mia from the crowd but is again silenced by Nathan. Mia performs and does perfectly fine. Lucas approaches Brooke for help to be an intermediary between Lindsey and Peyton but she declines, siding with Peyton and noting that Peyton definitely came home for Lucas. At the bar Peyton sends Victoria a “Bitter Shrew.” Mouth and Brooke discuss Mouth’s situation with him coming clean about Alice, even saying he was staying with her to get that reporter job. Brooke yells at him for sleeping his way to the top and writes Millicent’s phone number on a napkin. Mouth can either use the napkin or use the phone number. The Honorary Title takes the stage and the lead singer of the band looks a lot like Jimmy Jacobs. Haley and Jason have words and Jason even slaps Haley’s ass. This sends Nathan into a rage but he is restrained by Haley. Nathan says that Jason is lucky…BAM! In comes Quentin with a punch right to K-Fed. “But not that lucky.” Awesome! Brooke confronts Victoria (again) and they argue over the value of Tree Hill. Victoria says that if Brooke wants her out of the company she’ll have to do it herself, but she won’t only be out of a C.E.O. but she’ll be out of a mother. Haley yells at Nathan for his actions, saying that she’s not a damsel in distress and that he is not invincible, especially given his last incident. Well now that he knows not to be a jackass there really isn’t much that can happen to him at this point that would really be that detrimental. I guess she’s forgetting that whole “I’ll be a bad person if I have to be to protect you” speech from Season 4.

Lindsey finally confronts Lucas about Peyton and she says that she saw his car at Peyton’s office last week. She says that she knows Peyton is Lucas’ inspiration and she refuses to be another chapter in his book. Lindsey storms off. As the scene unfolds I recognize who The Honorary Title are as the oft-played “Stay Away” plays in the background. I remember being pleasantly surprised when CBS used that song to break to commercial during the AFC playoffs. Mouth confronts Alice and she says that their sex is what is keeping Mouth employed. Mouth quits to stay true to himself and takes the napkin from Brooke. A pissed off Lucas storms Peyton’s office and asks why she hasn’t moved on when he has. Peyton admits that she should have said yes to his proposal and says that she came back to Tree Hill for him. The two of them kiss and Haley sees them from the doorway, disgusted look and all. Those two should really know better then to sneak around when hound dog Haley is around. Lucas retreats to Lindsey as Peyton has renewed hope. Peyton finds Brooke to admit that she still loves Lucas and that she came back for him. Funny moment as Brooke jokes that she came back for Lucas too and that the game is on. Haley, Nathan, and Carrie return home and Haley is still pissed. Carrie doesn’t apologize for being so inappropriate and openly admits that she was hoping Nathan saw her skinny dipping. She says he can see better with the lights on and she turns on the outside lights as she head for the pool. Nathan is a good boy and turns the lights off once she’s outside. Owen and Brooke discuss Victoria and Owen says that Brooke won’t be like her because she has friends. Brooke tries to get Owen to ask her out but she’s “too young.” Yeah, right. Nathan tries to get Haley to forgive him and she says that she’s just disappointed, in him and “other people.” She says at least he isn’t sneaking around with another woman. With that Nathan starts thinking about a naked Carrie. I’m not sure if Nathan thinks Haley is suspicious of him or if he’s just got Carrie on his mind. A confident Peyton goes to Lucas’ house to find a teary eyed Lindsey opening the door. Peyton begins to apologize only to find out that Lindsey isn’t crying because she’s sad, she’s crying because Lucas proposed to her.

Also, thanks to all those that sent in feedback to last week’s column. In my wrestling column I normally print all the e-mail I receive but I wasn’t sure if you guys would be as interested here. Still, thanks for reading everybody and I hope you continue to enjoy the column.

The 411: One of my readers said shortly after this episode that One Tree Hill had finally found their groove this season. I think I would have to agree with that assessment as they’ve put out three quality episodes in a row. Of the core cast Nathan was probably the best character of the week, and Brooke continues to be a surprisingly strong character this season. Mouth even stepped out of his Season 5 funk by being pretty entertaining. I REALLY enjoyed Quentin in this episode and I hope we see some more of the Quentin-Nathan and Quentin-Lucas dynamic soon. I’ve seen some photos of episode 12 and the countdown to that episode (which is also the series 100th) is on. I do wonder how 4-6 additional episodes of the post-Writer’s Strike period will affect the flow of the end of the season (and possibly series?). In any event they’ve gotten on a very interesting path and I look forward to what the next few months bring. While I’m here I’d also like to recommend the OTH podcast on iTunes and you kind of get in the head of Mark Schwan as he does commentary on some of the latest episodes.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]