TV Fan

With the "Previously On" recaps played with a song as backup, it immediately became clear that this was going to be one of "THOSE" episodes of "One Tree Hill." The deep ones that culminate in Lucas in goth makeup or a stalker being pushed out of a window. Mouth's opening monologue as we saw random shots of Tree Hill HS (something about "real stories..." or something?) confirmed my suspicion, at least until the camera panned to Kate Voegele, the girl with two-too-many e's in her last name, and she started to sing! Well, dear reader, at this point I did a spit take with my Sunkist and screamed "Oh my God! One Tree Hill the Musical!"

 Alas, it turned out dear Kate...er...Mia was merely performing a scene from her music video, which is being directed by Peyton, because somehow in the timelapse she learned to direct music videos. I was let down, if only until the next commercial break, when...oh wait, let's recap all the other boring subplots that had marginal movement in the first 15 minutes of the show first. Skank-nanny gave her two weeks notice, which means she has two episodes to seduce Nathan at the exact moment Haley walks in. Near the end of the episode Nathan decided to tell Haley Shank-nanny kissed him, but since he did not, I'm guessing he isn't going to. Oh, and Lucas and Skills had some big basketball game to play, like anyone cares anymore.

 Let's get back to the girls getting locked in the library because "the door handles are being replaced over the weekend," said Brooke as she read from a clipboard. Because, after all, this is Tree Hill, and putting a sign on the door warning you that you will be locked in would be too much. No matter though, once the girls were caged (anyone else think of that episode of "Popular" where all the girls were locked in the bathroom together?) the claws sort-of came out. Peyton and Lindsey started arguing immediately, though in ways much less catty than what I thought given the bleeping in the previews. It somehow turned into Brooke getting beat-up about her wanting her mother in her life and not wanting mushrooms on pizza, or something. Tim came back, which was a welcome surprise, and the payoff of the three years of his Nathan obsession of him naming his son after Nathan was priceless.

And then the show turned into an ACTUAL musical for about a minute-and-a-half as Mia found a random guitar in the library and started singing, causing all the characters in the library (and Mouth, off by himself against lockers) to sing along. It was kind of anti-climactic, but still made me giggle.

The episode was surprisingly filler, with the only major development a half-baked truce between Peyton and Lindsey. But it was funny (even when inadvertently so), and it's great to see Sophia Bush embrace her comedic side.