And the Award Goes to… • EP409

What drill rocks? Um? What was that? What was the even that sports announcer that used to talk like that Dick fatale by tell what was his name? Yeah? Sports, It's sports baby, sports spool Um. Guys, Welcome to season four, Episode nine, Some you give away. There was a lot that we love to this episode. This was beautifully done. Tell him the tell him the arch Sophia. What happened? Okay, okay? Well this This episode originally aired November two, six, and

case you were curious. As Whitey's last game approaches, the residence of Tree Hill feel the pressure of a looming state championship, Peyton reveals to Lucas she has feelings for him, and Haley learns the sex of her baby, Nathan and Lucas clash over personal and team goals, and and Karen shows deb tough love while Dan tries to strike a bargain with Dante Oho. This one was really good. This might be my favorite episode so far, unless I'm forgetting

about another one that I loved. But I loved this. It was so sharp, everything was right on and I and I said it when we were hanging out watching this episode is just as good as any of those Gray's Anatomy episodes. That one Emmy's, It's just as good as any of those great high profile UM Network TV shows. I just thought it was so so on point. You know what it is. It's anything that is geared towards teenage girls is totally devalued. Like it's like, oh it's

for it's for teenage girls. Oh that makes it bubble gum, that makes it soft. That's not that's not quality. And yeah it is. This is a great episode of television. It is my favorite episode. Anytime, like fans ask us at a convention, would you say this one? This one, I'm gonna start to say this one. Yeah you where's our emmy? This is great? Is that the title? It was it was sad. It was funny, said funny said, it's perfect combo. You know what I liked too, There

was a really cool kind of bookend. You really see how far all these characters have come, and they're they're so rooted in what is currently happening in their worlds. Everyone's getting a little more vulnerable. It feels like an opening this whole episode for some reason. It's the beginning of the end. Yes, and it's and it's book ended with these references to the beginning. You know, Lucas says to Nathan, we're gonna battle, and he references that first

River Court game. And at the end you actually see the flashback of Lucas and Peyton to the River Court game. And it's like the whole episode feels like it's carrying our whole series thus far inside of it. I Oh, I just love it. You love a great way to put it. It's all it's like in the bottle, We've built the little ship inside the bottle and it says Kemfetty snow Globe State championship at the side confetti. You

know what I really liked. I loved the mislead at the beginning, when you find out later that White he's playing the tape from the radio announcement of his eighteen

years ago. That yes, because we felt it the disappointment of the entire town, you know, and and to see everyone crying that that was kind of the mastery of our show, where you would get the mislead and then see like, oh my god, everything's okay, and you would forget all the trauma that you witnessed earlier, and then when it falls into your lap again at the end, it's just like, oh, how did I get tricked twice? Yes,

I was feeling so good for a moment. That was largely in uh, due to Greg Braine, who was the director of this episode and just did a fabulous job visually taking us on that journey. There was nothing that felt awkward or clunky to me. The whole thing just flowed like a nice little stream of story. Yeah, and everyone had so much going on. It's so refreshing when every single character has a great storyline. None of it

was lazy, none of it. In the last episode, we knew that there was that really weird turn for Brooke to be like, maybe I made a mistake with Lucas, just so that Peyton and Lucas could have their moment at the end of the episode. Like in this episode, everyone's moments makes sense. No one is is doing something just to get us over the bridge. Everyone's really on a journey and ah, I just I'm like, I'm tickled, guy, I'm tickled by this episode. How is this only episode nine?

Like I legit thought this was going to be the season for, you know, finale or feels like a finale. It was this episode nine. Yeah, I mean, this isn't even a mid season break where I wonder if we were taking a break for something, you know, Chris break well,

because this aired right at the end of November. But I'm wondering if maybe on our night, like was there some Christmas special happening on the CW or something that was going to take us off the air early, so they made episode nine feel like a mid season finale. You know. Well, I think our season always got cut up in two. It was like it would start in September or end of August September and then air right

up until the holidays. But then our show has never aired during Christmas and New Year's because everyone was like busy and they were like We're not going to waste episodes. If no one's gonna watch live, that was the only way to watch back then. Yeah, they would always do reruns over the over the holiday break. But I guess I'm just trying to figure out why this. This feels like the you know, second week of December episode and then you go off for three weeks. But this is

the end of November. So I'm just wondering if in in oh six, like the network had stuff going on, you know, like like when the Olympics are on your show, is just not all they're airing, like shot put or whatever. God, okay, wait, I have a question from the beginning. So the scene where we left off in the previous episode, Peyton says I love you, Luke, I love you, and then we come back and he's just telling it to Skills. He we don't. I was upset I didn't get to see

that scene. I was hoping for like a flashback we did. I did, and he says oh. He says, oh, oh really yeah, and it's good too because he plays so awkward. Going a note, I'm like, why did I get to see that scene? It's because my wife I knocked out and I had to try and catch up. Yeah, okay, he we definitely see it because Peyton's like, no, I love you like I'm in love with you clarifies it. I don't just love you, but I am in love with you and I've been holding this back a really

long time. And he says, oh oh, and I have just dealt with this situation in real life because my son's best friend at school it is a girl, and her mother called me and was like, hey, so my daughter just she's having a rough time and she just really needed a gust to know like how special he is to her, and was like telling him, like, you have been the one person who's consistently there for me and I really appreciate you so much and like, thank

you so much. And she poured her heart out to him, and my son said cool and like walked away, and I was like, no, he legitimately meant it, like he meant that was cool and also right in here. Um, And I guess this episode must have been in the back of my mind because I explained it to her like, yeah, that's how boys talk. They say one word and they're like and they made it. They say what they mean and they mean what they say, okay, oh oh, I

love it. Boys don't know, they don't know. And poor Lucas, I mean, come on, like he's just getting pulled in every which direction. I remember having a best friend in high school and he was like all the girls were all over him. He was totally a Lucascott type jock, soccer jock, and but also like into post sensitive and kind of poetic. He was, you know, he was like in youth group and like good guy, and so he had girls falling all over him, and uh yeah. I

remember that feeling of like can everybody just leave me? Like, can't I just be a normal teenage boy? And like sports? Can I just like play sports? Can you guys stop wanting me? Now? Can you stop sharing your feelings? I can't deal with your feelings about me. I can't live up to your feelings. So I kind of I get it.

I get by. Luke was like, okay, I mean have you had someone say I love you and you're just like yeah, And I've said it and had that reaction to like, oh yeah, it's a rough both ways for sure. You know what I liked. I liked that skills put it in perspective for Lucas. When Lucas is going, you know, I don't know, because he is, he's doing that thing and skills is basically like, grow up, dude, you chose this, he says, You've chosen to be there for Peyton. Peyton

has just been in those situations. You keep choosing to be there to rescue her. You keep not that. That's such a good friend to say. Yeah, I get that you're doing the thing where you're acting like this isn't a big deal to you. But I'm your best friend and I see you, and you're clearly in love with this person, So what are you going to do about it? Yeah.

I loved the frankness of it, and I I just I so appreciate the kind of friendships where people go, no, I'm not gonna let you see what's going on here. You're lying for me. The turn with Lucas like it happens too fast, like it has been years, like we're friends, were friends or friends, and over the course of like an afternoon to an evening, he's like, it's you Peyton, Okay, fine, Like fine, I pick you for me. That was a little like Jarry. But I also like to play Devil's advocate.

I'm like in my own head remembering times where my girlfriends would be like, you should like so and so, and I would just be like, okay, I like so. I had that once years ago with one of my best guy friends. We're homies, like in the in the most serious way, and every single person in our lives was like, you two are perfect for each other. Oh my god, you too, you too, you too, you too? And I remember we were like all on a trip and we finally both just lost it and we were like,

what is going on? Like we were like emotional and crying and talking about it, and he was like, I love you so much, but I do not want to be with you. And I was like, well, I don't want to be with you either, but going to break yeah, And he was like I don't know, it's weird, right, and I was like, yeah, it's super weird. And like literally the next day we sat some of our friends down because a group of us was away for somebody's birth thing. We were like, guys, we get why you

want us to date. We don't have it. We just don't have it, so stop it. It's creepy and it's weird and you're making our friendship weird. And all of our friends were like, it just feels like it would and we were like stop and everybody was like alright, fine and and truly like the anti romantic comedy, the anti romantic comedy. We laugh about it to this day. Like one of my best friends on Earth, who like we're talking about it, stressed us out. We were both like, no,

we can't even I don't want to kiss. You don't want to No, no, no, no, no no, And it's like, oh, man, I remember thinking about it laughing actually the weekend of my wedding because him and his girlfriend were there and we were just like, see, we've always been siblings and nobody else got it, but we got it ten years ago. Yeah, right,

is everybody making it weird? Man? I don't know, man, So there's all these weird There's so many ways relationships can go, and like I do think the influence of friends. Some times people see something before you do. You know, you got your wall up, you're not ready to be vulnerable, and it feels like that, especially when you think about it in the context of high school. It's almost like because they've screwed up early Peyton and Lucas have both

been really trying to absolve themselves of everybody's a martyr. Well, you know, it's like they're they're trying to absolve themselves of the way they betrayed their friend and their and their partner respectively. And I think, at least as a viewer, it feels like, especially for him, he got so obsessed with being like, I'm not that guy. I'm not that guy. I'm not that guy, and he needed some people to be like, yeah, well you're not that guy anymore, but

you are in love with her. Yeah, just because you had all that, you went through all that, doesn't mean you're not still in love with her. Yeah, it's so sweet that moment. The kiss is sweet, like it is a fast turn, and I do, I do get it. Man, Peyton worked for that man girl. I wish they had drawn it out, like they could have drawn it out a little bit more throughout the you know, when he's playing, he could have looked over at you a few times.

There could have been some kind of maybe he's having flashbacks at the two of you guys while he's playing, or just some some kind of something to give us the indication that he's remembering and feeling all the fields. Oh man, it was it was fun. I mean, I don't think it's a secret that I'm a competitive person. And like, storyline wise, it felt good to win because pain has been like and like dumped by literally everyone,

Like Nathan is a great guy, no cool story. Here was a dick with me, you know, like Jack and he dumped me. Pete Wentz was a weirdo, you know, like and then like you know, Paintement dumped like so much. Felt like a good win. And for what it's worth, Like Chad and I behind the scenes, like would squabble early on in our series. I was everyone knows I was like mean to chat. I was really rough on him and I'd like poke poke the bear and be like, what are you gonna do about it? Because I'm an

antagonistic person. And as we get into season four, we had fallen into a rapport that was I think he really always wanted to show up for me because he knew that I would call him out if he didn't. And so are scenes together. Chad's a great scene partner for me, you know, like he would cry on my coverage. He would show up and like really want to make me happy. And so this is the beginning of that

era for my character. And so where is last week when we watched the episode and I was like, yok, I watched this week's episode, and there's a feeling of like, oh, I'm gonna get to do some stuff where I actually like had fun at work, like we would have fun, you know. Like it's so nice to see her smiling, and I think especially to find some joy, you know, after a series of traumatic episodes for her, and when

there's still this distance with Peyton and Brooke. You know, we talked about this either last week or the week before that they've been best friends since like preschool. That's painful. And I love that there's there's that energy, like they can't give up on each other, even when they're mad, even when they say means to each other in the car, in the quiet at the hospital, they can't help but be there for each other. The sisters, Yeah they are, and I think the glimmers of that are so refreshing.

But knowing that, knowing that it isn't completely repaired, it's just so nice to see her winning somewhere. It's nice to see her getting some joy. It's the holding hands, It's the that moment, like each one of them wants the other one to win but knows it's at a personal cost. It's like, God, I'm Maddie, I'm so mad. I still want you to win, but if you win,

that means I lose. And they're both like feeling that. Um, I know we've got this big fight coming up, and I just can't even imagine how we get there after this, because this was like I can't either. Well, it's so tender and what I really didn't like, and I protested about it a lot at the time. I really really hate that the writer has kept making Brooke take swipes at Peyton about her mom. Yeah, that was dark. It's

just so ugly. And I do remember. I don't remember a ton about how we get into the fight on the front lawn, but I do know I remember that being the core of it, because when you started crying in that dialogue, saying like you made fun of my mom's death, Like I started crying, and I remember the director being like, you're not supposed to be crying right now, and I was like, this is really sad for both of us. So I know they're leading up to that,

and I I don't know. I I personally hate it, but I it's a device again, it's yeah, and it's and it's a step too far. But what I what I will say is this sort of moment of relief, you know, for me is when we're sitting in that hallway Peyton, you know, Brooke asking the question what did he say? Because she's just like, I know this idiot

screwed it up because my friend is sad. I can't help but asking, and Payton tells her, you know, oh, and they share when you go the step farther to say, you know, he's said it was you, Like I told him he doesn't want me, he said it was you. I think that I almost felt like I could see something like like a weight lift off Brooks shoulders. Because her the two people she loves the most have betrayed her.

So now betrayal is her core wound. And I understand that viscerally, like betrayal for me is a nuclear emotion. I will show up for just about anything. If you're in a bind, if you need to be abiled out of jail like whatever it is, I'm there. But if you lie to me like, I don't know how to get over that, and uh, you know, it's a thing I've worked on for close to twenty years, and the like route for betrayal is like white hot to me.

And I felt like, and maybe I was having a more personal experience than a character one watching that scene, but when you said it, it's like I felt like I saw the weightlift off her shoulders a little bit because suddenly it's no, you're not hearing me, like it's not about me, and then she lets it go. It's like once she knows she's not being betrayed anymore, it's it's healing. And in the end, when Brook looks at Lucas and says, go, it's okay, it's like she's absolved

or free. Yeah. It's like Peyton just wants to tell her the truth no matter what. I'll tell you the truth when it's bad. I'll tell you the truth. When I think that you'll think it's good. Like Lucas picking you, I'm telling you the truth. That should be a good thing for you. That's what you wanted, right, you know.

It's like it's following it up. It's consistency. It's I'm going to tell you the truth no matter what, and I love that And I think I think what's cool about the truth that you tell in that scene is that for Brooke. It's not about Lucas picking her for Brooke, it's about, Oh, you haven't betrayed me again. This has been really hard, but oh the thing I thought was happening isn't happening. So you're not lying, and that's where

the healing is possible. Yeah, she stayed consistent in her desire to really see see her friend Peyton, stayed consistent in her desire to see her friend close out that journey on her own things without Peyton's interference. She just was respectful enough to step back and let that happen in spite of everything she was feeling, which is the mark of such a good friend. And I think you guys have both been such good friends to each other

throughout this series. It's like you're constantly taking turns holding the weight. So it was nice to see that all resolved finally. Well, I like your anti friend behavior in this episode because you give Rachel every scene with you two ends with you be like I hate your face also the worst. It's so great because like the sweetie Pie with Rachel. Yeah, it's like, well, well that's the same kind of thing, like once you tried to sleep with my husband. I'm sorry, I have no like second

there's no second wind, hard pass. Yeah, I'll do the right thing for the principle of the matter, because that's who Haley is, Right, the principle of the matter is do the right thing. So you do it. But it's not because I like you or I want to or I'm feeling particularly generous or forgiving. No, no, no, I just want to win. I'm here to win. I'm a

better person in view forever. Also, though, like this whole, like the health part of Haley's pregnancy, you know, like the fear in your first pregnancy is a great storyline. You know, how did you feel about all that stuff? Like did you talked to Moira and Barbara, Like did anyone walk you through what happens to your body in pregnancy? No? Nobody did, And I well, I don't know that I really asked. I mean I think I did some. I

looked some things up and did some research. But um no, I think maybe I was like to I wanted to seem like I had it all together. I wanted to seem like I knew and I could do it on my own, So I think I didn't ask for help a lot then. Um, but I didn't do some research and read some pregnancy books and just kind of tried to gather it. But it's still no comparison to actually going through it. So I didn't know what I was. I mean, I was like, Okay, I've seen this happen

a hundred times on TV. I guess if I'm having cramps, I'll be on the floor and I would be I think maybe they had a medical advisor on the set. Now that I'm talking, I feel like I'm having a memory resurface where it was someone on set who was telling me what I would be, what I would look like, how my body would be hunched over, what part of my stomach I would be touching. I mean, it's all seems really self explanatory, but I don't know. I was

like twenty I mean, not for Peyton, guys. I'm so embarrassed about that scene where you're on the floor in the bathroom. So funny. I feel like the way it was shot, we didn't actually see. We were just told like, okay, camera's gonna be here. We have to fit the camera crew into this little bathroom, so Joy is not actually going to be here. So here's the time. Probably also like off getting my hair makeup done or something like they had told me to set because they were like,

here's the X on the floor. Just just ye think at this X on the floor and that's Haley and she's in pain, and all the girls were like, oh no, and Peyton's like, I see it did like my eyes out of my head, like in my mind, Haley's hemorrhagen. You know. Yeah, there's blood everywhere. It's awful. I was in a from movie in that scene. You guys you did, you had you had horror movie. Yeah, and the rest of us had like so much PTSD from all the dome that's happened in the last month that she was

like more trauma. No, I can't do it. I can't do it. But it got us into the hospital, which was one of our favorite scenes. It did. That was fun. Oh my gosh, you guys killed that. It's one of the best means on the internet. Are bitch slot horror, thank you, thank you so funny. Yeah, and I like that.

We bickered in the car, you know, like there was a divisiveness amongst us, and that experience is I think of really easy thing to relate to where it's like, oh, it's bad, look I'm mad at you, but circle the wagons girls back to the best of One Tree Hill, Like that was all the way back to the beginning. All of us piled into a car, and it reminds me of season one. It's just so fun, it really is.

And they gave Bevin great comic relief in this episode, like, you know, Rachel's suggesting the role playing, and you going after Rachel, and then Brooke and Peyton going after each other, and then Bevin with the one liner from the third row. It's just so I didn't even know there was a third row in the car until she showed up. I was like, oh, the car keeps going. And then the same vibe with you know, all of us getting mad at that intake nurse and and her saying thank you.

They really had found this hilarious like button niche for her. That was really great. I'm Rachel and I have red hair, did you guys? I had like a weird feeling watching that scene with how mean that nurse was about Haley because it about before. But that's exactly what our boss used to say about the cheerleaders, like, oh, the cheerleaders were ever nice to me. They were too good for me.

And I was like, we are we doing the same thing we did in the last episode, even the doctor who was like go go wait in the lobby and cheer for cheer for something on the Man, but you got a comment on it, the counselor who says the rude thing to Rachel about being a pretty girl who

can flirt away through life. And then these adults, uh, you know, saying that they never liked cheerleaders, and I don't know, it all just felt felt Yeah, it felt really pointed, even even the I'm so sick of this comment about chicken legs because and it started because I don't I mean, I don't know specifically the reason, but I do know that some time around here, Hillary had gained the reputation as having the best legs in the business,

which she does. You know, if you have not taken a look at Hillary Burton's legs, you really should because really incredible. Yeah, and um they were. It was it was like so we would always talk about it was it was like freely in our convert station all the time. If you were around, you look amazing, best leg in the business. And I think it was irritating to our boss and then started like putting in a little dig because he just couldn't manage to let us have anything positive.

He found out that my dad called me chicken. That was my nickname growing up, Like that's what my dad called me, and it had nothing to do with my legs. But our boss had to make it a dig. And so this thing, this thing that was sweet for me, got turned into something gross. The same thing with clean teen's. This thing that was like a sweet memory with me

and my friends got turned into something gross. And so this idea that I had had that I was working on something collaborative where we would all share our experiences the way people do in a writer's room. I was a little dummy that thought like, oh, I'm getting to be a part of the writer's room by sharing personal experiences. But they just kept getting manipulated over and over again. And so now I don't do that. Now I'm just do your job. You make some sure, Well, I'm gonna

keep my things. I think that's a really interesting thing in general for us because we didn't have mentors, We didn't have anybody watching our back. You. We never had someone say, maybe don't give the writers all your stories. We never had someone say, oh, if someone asks you a question in an interview that makes you uncomfortable, you can say, next question. No one ever did that for us.

So we we would always show up and be on the spot and and give and give and answer and try to be professional and to your point, Joy, try to really know and do the research. And and we didn't have anybody helping us create boundaries because they wanted us to be without Why would why would we give us the tools to Yeah, And like I didn't, I didn't learn that until so many years after our show.

And when you think about the first ten years of your career being in an environment where you're sort of constantly pulled from bye, who are supposed to teach you to be protective? Oh god, I don't all literally. Yeah, it's it's true. It's it's very It just it's uncomfortable. And I guess there's a version of it now, you know.

I love the comedy of us in the hallway in our cheer uniforms and I love the scene between you and I, But there's just like that as an adult, I see in these scenes that I didn't I didn't see then, and it I don't know, because when you're a kid, you're sharing your stories because it feels like family. You're all sitting around like summer camp. Yeah, everybody's just sharing and it feels like it feels like comfort and they're sharing stories back with you. And yeah, I mean

that's how it works. They manipulate, I say they. I'm having the people who turned things around and manipulated. They do that by getting you really comfortable, yeah, and then using everything against you. Yeah. I mean that's how any cult leader, meglomaniac works. Well the Master you say, we we definitely, you know, used our status with the fan base to get a ton of fans into that stadium,

Like this was an opportunity. We're Rather than gather outside of Karen's Cafe and not be a part of the scene, we just threw the doors open and we were like, literally, anybody that wants to come in here meet us and Raleigh. Yeah, and like, do you guys remember that field trip? Hey not, probably because it was Halloween weekends. That was the weekend right before Oh my god, I do. And I remember, you know, we had a thousand extras in that giant stadium,

and even that looked like almost no people. So we'd have to move the extras from one side of the stadium to the other side, so everybody had to have two changes of clothes. And then we had dummies that were like on the edges, the inflatable people on the edges of frame that they that they kind of left in you know, soft focus and all. It was amazing.

All those people really showed up to help, and they brought so much energy, like the cheering and yelling and the pom poms and the signs and and I just couldn't stop laugh when we were watching the episode, because I was like, how did we afford to pay a thousand extras? And chilies chili sweet Kelsey singing the baby back rib song. I was like, that's that's how we afforded a thousand extras. Got to make the cute girl do it. I love that I forgot this was Raleigh.

I remember that I didn't. I don't think I stayed with you guys. I feel like I stayed in a in an airbnb or something. We were in like a Hyatt or something like that, and there was a there was definitely a hotel bar, and usually at chain hotel bars,

it's all businessmen. And so if you're just like the traveling salesman or the traveling executive that normally hang bound the bar, and then the entirety of tree Hill High School descends on your Highatt Regions key bar with like one of our p a s Alex Ostapey had lost about that day and had to carry around an inflatable dummy the entire evening and so yes, just I remember like all the businessmen at the bar wanting to kiss our Pa Lasseter like they were all super but it

was it was like the carnival had come to town. We just made a scene. Yeah, well we can bring an inflatable dummy out on the town just so you can have next time. I want mediocre, bad mediocre cocktails and so far with a blow up mannequin, it'll be perfect. Honestly, you know who I bet would come out with us, Rick Fox, if we were like, dude, Rick Fox, we have this idea, and he'd be like, y'all are funny. I'm down. I really think he would Paul would come,

we could we could like gather the troops. Can we talk about the fact that, for the first time in four years on our show, Paul Johansson is acting opposite an actor who is taller than him. He has always been the biggest person in the room, and Dan has this stature and this imposing energy because Paul is so physically big. And then at the state championship, so Dante and Beart come up to Dan and he looks like a normal sized dude next, and it's like you can

really see it change the energy in the scene for Paul. Yep, I've seen that in real life too. It's it's interesting when Paul's around somebody who's taller than him. It's it's very unusual because it's so uncommon. Yeah, I think it's just it's he just gets a little uncomfortable. I think

he doesn't quite know what to do with himselves. Well, you know, I thought I really started to think about it watching because everybody's taller than us for the most part, you know, I think about the women, you know, just the number of times we'd have to do scenes with the boys and stand on apple boxes so that the camera could keep us all in frame and the tighter shots. And I really wonder what it would be like to walk around for your whole life being so big and

then suddenly to encounter someone bigger than you. It must really be shocking. Like you know, when like a big dog kind of freaks out when it sees a kid. It's just like what is that? Like they're you know, they're just like what is the small thing? I don't understand exactly, Like he must just be like, what is this us? Who's bigger than me? In this world? How am I supposed to feel about this? Yeah, it's and it's something I literally cannot imagine. That's true. Yeah, hurts him.

It puts him in this really different space. We all made a comment when Dan is leaving the game at halftime because it looks like they're gonna lose and he can't stand to watch it, and he whips that car around and comes back because he wants to be there for the good but also the fallout he knows is going to happen at some point. That was a great scene, Like, I loved that for Paul. Yeah, you know, this is the first time we've been seeing Dan take a turn for the good and hold onto it for us. Yeah.

I don't know what that means necessarily, because I'm still not sure quite where it's all going, but it definitely is the longest he's held on to the good side, the remorse side. Yeah. Yeah, he feels he does feel like a new person. And I'm really enjoying watching Paul play this version of Dan. Yes, and it is a relief. And and I realized how much of a relief it was in that scene at the end when you know, Dan says to Karen go home and I'll spend time.

I'll lock up and you know, clean up with our son, and and Dan and Lucas are having that moment and it's so nice. I was almost scared to admit how nice it felt. And then when Lucas brings up Keith, you go there it is and I thought it was really well played. Yeah, that was jarring for me because I'm just so conditioned to think, like Dan's telling Karen to go home because he's going to hire action with somebody that's threatening. And there wasn't an angle, it was

just to keep him there in protection of the kids. Um. Yeah, that was really unsettling and guys. Like the idea that Nathan finds out he's going to have a son in the same episode that like Paul is connecting with his other son. It's like, when we get the information that we've got this responsibility, how does it change our decision making processes? Like I loved the scene where you told him it's a boy. I loved that too. It changed everything because it was no longer just yeah, I'm going

to have a baby. It's this you know thing, and I'm so overwhelmed in the pressure and I've just got to do this for the money. It's like it personalized for him, this is your future. What kind of message do you want to send to your son who's probably going to play basketball one day? You know, especially because

we heard the old broadcast. It's like, if we're sitting here, are hearing the Dan Scott broadcast of the game that he let his team lose, and Nathan has to like listen to that, and he's heard about it his whole life, and it's made Dan a nasty person. The idea that like, oh god, am I going to repeat this generational drama. I'd rather have my knee broken and white, he says, it he says, it will stay with you, and then it goes to Dan and and all of the energy

of that old broadcast. It's such a good device, that announcer being our narrator in this episode. Even even when we are driving back from the hospital and the announcer in Dan Scott's game is talking about the Ravens coming apart of the seams. It's tragic. They've been through all these things together, thick and thin. And look at them now, you know, tearing at each other and that's about us and the boys are fighting and you see it and

you realize how tenuous these relationships are. And and it's really special in that scene with Haley and Nathan to see it all hit him and to see him realize he can either be a version of his father or he can be who he wants to be. He can set the example he wants to set. Those are the moments of life. There's the moments in life when you get faced with a decision that will impact the rest

of your future in some major way. And it's like, really hard, how difficult that must have been for him, But I love that it was also so easy, like no, I'm just going to do the right thing, that's the right thing to do. I loved the River Court Boys scheming. I loved just like we're going to free him out. It was so like, um, I don't know, you're right, Sophia. It brings us back to the pilot. The whole series to this point is in this bottle and that rivalry.

Although you know, like has been kind of fixed, it's always going to be there a little bit. It's always going to be a rich kid forever. We're not going to let that kid win. I love what white he said in the locker room. He said, the rest of your life is a long time. M hmm. If you lose, you lose, but don't lose this way. Yes, so great. It's beautiful because and then he references it even on

the court, he says, it's a moral victory. Yeah, you know, the way you've played as a team in the second half, and then you know, you get you get the competitive nature's enough for you get out. Just great, because that's that's real. But I love the lessons in it, and I love this for Whitey because it is the beginning of the end. We're not We're not going to watch him coach another high school basketball team or game. That's it. You know, he stays in our lives as the show

goes on, but not in the same way. And so it felt like a really honoring send off the fact that he got that Lifetime Achievement award at the episode before, at the banquet, and now letting him have this final win to set him off into the next phase of his life. I'm so glad that they took the time to do that and to honor the elderly community is so disregarded and so um ignored, especially in a TV show about teenagers. I thought it's such a great example.

I loved that. Yeah, there's a there's an element to it that kind of stung, because, like you know, when we do conventions and people will talk about like the post convention blues or like any kind of like post event blues, like when you wrap a movie or you finish a good book or whatever the morning after prom it because you spend so much time looking forward to it. And then it's why so many people like cry after their wedding. They're just like, wait, I've been working at

this for like a year. Yeah, I just have to be with you. And that white he's sitting all by himself really affected me because it was like, yeah, everyone's off celebrating and he's beginning that process of just dissecting it from his life. It's like, this is the first hour that it's not my identity, and tomorrow will be the first full day that it's not my identity, and the day after that, you know, like you're cutting a limb off. It's so much that makes me want to cry.

Hilary's such a beautiful way of putting that. That's like how I felt. You know. It's, yeah, he's losing a vital part of himself. And I mean we see Whitey a little bit in the future, but not really. No,

it's not the same. Yeah, it's not enough, that's for sure. Yeah, because we were class of two thousands, so many of my teachers retired right after we graduated, like they'd opened up my school in the late seventies, and so they're like two thousand sounds like an even number, Like we're out, and I remember just that kind of like morning of like, but then how am I going to find you? Like if we don't have this thing, this building or this you know, place to go where I know you've always

been there. I've always been able to go up to your classroom like what are you talking about? Um it? Yeah, I don't know. I just really affected me. I'm still friends with all my teachers. Guys. I'm such a dork for teachers, Like yeah, and I hate it when they stopped teaching. I know. It's like I think about the teachers that are still in my life who made such

an impact and yeah, like transformational human beings. And I don't know it, it's interesting to think about the you know, the nostalgia of that, the importance of place, And then isn't it weird like in this moment to think, like when you zoom out and you think about the fact that so many teachers are being told that they can't mentor their kids, that they can't talk to their kids about their families, that they can't even talk to kids about our actual history anymore. Yeah, I mean they have

to follow a core curriculum. Now can you imagine? Why are you trying to full follow up core coriculum? That's what I love about him, But like, how do you help foster the the longevity of the teachers like Whitey, you know, how do you how do you help there between those kinds of teachers. See, I don't know, I

had so many many. Yeah, me too. I mean my teachers were teachers, those the kinds of teachers who will like actually know about what's going on in all their students lives and really sit and talk with them about things. And I don't know, I don't know that there's a lot of those. My school was, like I think because all the teachers had already been together for thirty years.

They knew our parents, they knew our older siblings, they knew our cousins, they knew our enemies, they knew our ex boyfriends, like they literally knew every single thing about us. You know, that is my my kids school. My daughter's

school does have there. It's a tight knit group. And I do love those teachers and I love that they there's so much emphasis on personal responsibility and you know, just being good to each other and being kind Like, yes, they have a curriculum they need to follow, Yes there are some things on the checklist that need to be taught, But to be nurtured in a school is I think unusual these days. So it's it's always nice to see that. And we love our teachers. We love you guys, help

your teacher, and you're listening to our show. We love you, We love you. So for calculus teachers, just kidding. My calculus teacher was so cute. So yeah, what's what yammy? What's with the grade? Wammy? I don't know. That was so weird, and I mean I could see how in Rachel's world she thought she was doing Brooke a big favor. But it's like such a waste of time where Brooke could be Like Brooke could have gone and gotten tutored. Now she can't and she has to cheat. Does the

count really think that Rachel's failing? Like, I'm so confused by that whole bit. Yeah, it's all very It's a strange mister act for sure. When Hayley it was going over that math question with Rachel with the I was like, I started sweating. This is what my Maria brought home a question last night. It was like, what's more fifty leaders or fifteen gallons? And I was like, well, I don't know where's the key. So she gives me the key. And the key is not just direct translation from leaders

to gallons, it's leader to cubic centimeters. And so then you have to guess how you have to figure out how many cubic centimeters are in a gallon and then figure out how many cubic centimeters are in the leader and then double like multiply that for the leader to get to that. And I just couldn't I my brain. I looked at her. I was like, I love you so much. I'm so sorry. I wish that I can help you with this. I really do not understand what

this says to me. You're like, I'm going to find someone on the internet who can help on Tuesdays at four. That's right. I couldn't, dare my life depended on it. That's how Haley and I are very different. I love so much. But where we landed is bailed the end of the rough. Yeah. God, that was so intense. Okay,

so do we really think that Nathan actually killed Dante? No? No, but I think Dan was so desperate to do penance for murdering Keith that it was like just pouring out of him in some subconscious way, like, oh, good, a dead guy that I can take responsibility for so that I can actually pay off my debt. I mean, the idea that he punched the asphalt has always bothered me because like any crime scene tech is gonna be like,

that's your blood. None of your blood is on his face, none of his blood is on your hand, and you've got chunks of black top in your knuckles. Like why he was dead already? What difference doesn't make? He should have just punched him two times and been done with it and been like I did this seventeen times. Yeah, but god it's dark all So who was the stunt woman who took that hip? That was? That was? That was horrific? Yeah, I don't remember. Um, oh my god, I did not like that. I wish you did. I

wish I remembered her name. And the rolling over the car and the rolling on the ground. It was a lot that was very scary. Did they did they let you know that, like you were going to be okay? Or did you get that script and you were just like, am I dead? Like because they did that to a lot of people on our show, like sneak attack deaths. Yeah. I don't think they did tell me, but I probably just assumed because I because of the baby and stuff.

Well yeah, but also I had a contract. Yeah, I mean, unless they were just going to pay me out for the next like three years, and you know, half half a season. I don't know. I don't think it occurred to me that they would film me off at that point. I was too integrated into the show. I think earlier on season one, season two it was a little iffy.

But but yeah, no, um. I remember getting crutches for this though in the next episode of the episode after and I remember really liking being in hospital scenes because I just had to lay there and sleep. Half of Tree Hill isn't the hospital right now? Yeah, well, Blady getting hit, Luke is having a heart attack because he

didn't take his meds. Es Dante's dead. I mean, it is just like, it's a lot And yeah, Karen smuggled a good that's a good misdirect because at one point, do you guys remember we were watching the episode, I was like, why are they still driving? Everyone else is at the game, And then I went, it's an hour drive.

It's not that. Yeah, she's going out to Asheville. But again, in that whole gorgeous montage at the end of the episode where you watch Dan stepping in as a killer, where where Hayley's in the hospital, you know, rolling in Lucas is rolling in, Nathan's crying, and that announcer the game, all of that, all of that beautiful you know sports chat that that was written just to fit. It was so well done. It was a device I really liked. Sometimes the devices are and this device was. I loved it.

Um do we have fan questions? We've got some questions, guys. Oh, I like this from Vanessa. She asks, if One Tree Hill was cast now, as you being the mothers on the show, who would you play deb Karen, Victoria, Lydia Ellie. That's fun? Uh man, I would love Debor Ellie. Yeah. I mean Victoria is so fun too. Yeah, I would play Victoria. I don't have the moxie for Victoria. I'm so no. I'm so intimated by Daphne because she's just so like, she's so razor sharp and I'm so slouchy

and like awkward and I make dumb faces. I couldn't. I couldn't. You're an actress, but I couldn't do it. I'm what I'm saying. I got love. It's like she does the thing. I loved it. Yeah, she's got a different set of tools. You two can do that though, you two can go like Rais or Sharp. Yeah, I mean it's fun. I think that's that's the funnest, the funnest thing. It's the most fun thing about acting. I find all of all the places that you can't comfortably

sit in real life. Do that how interesting is? It's like I feel like my son sign is Ellie, but like my moon sign is Karen. Like okay, yeah, I was going to say that the character that feels the most obvious for me to play as Victoria, but I think I would have had a lot of fun playing Karen. Yeah, that's a good question. Valerie wants to know when young Keith is haunting Dan, he's always wearing the same outfit. That's true, tend to not change clothes. I think you

sort of. Yeah, if you had to choose one of your outfits from the show as a ghost outfit for your character, which question? Great question? Um, okay, the last episode I was in like a camel tan shirt with red lips and that a raid. I think that would be my ghost outfit. Super into it. Oh, I love that. You know what popped into my head? Which feels so random.

There was a really cute episode. I think it was in I don't know if it was season eight or nine, when Brook and Julian are having this like doable date day, they like go out on all these little adventures. And I had this really cute gray, like square neck striped dress with an a line skirt, and I just remember there's like a scene where we get on a vespa and I just remember feeling like so cute in that dress, and so much of what I had to wear on

the show was uncomfortable. Um, and I loved that dress, so that I it's kind of surprising. I guess it would be that. Also, I am just going to go ahead and caveat that by saying seeing us all in our full cheerleading uniforms with the pants under the skirts in the hospital is so funny. And I would love for the group of us to be like March of the Penguins and like be a cheer haunting. I'm just

gonna say that, right, haunting. So in the last episode, Um, we didn't talk about it on the podcast, but our wardrobe stylists like quit after that episode, like we had worn him out and fine, you know, wasn't the right fit. And you're being very polite, being super plate. We didn't get along, and um, it was the best thing that ever happened to us because we got Carol Cutshaw to come in and be our stylist. And what you'll see

from like this episode out is we look cute. And all of season five Carol had me and basically like nightgowns with a vest, Like I were a slip in a vest every episode and that did become your uniform. It still I'm still doing it. Yeah, the slip in a vest, that's the vibe outside of cheer hauntaut That's a great question, Valerie, thank you well. I loved this episode. I love it was perfect, the light spots in the dark spots. There's so many memes on the internet from

this episode. It was so much anticipation, so much stress and joy and ups and downs, and uh, I thought it had everything and had everything you want from One Tree Hill when you tune in from start to finish. We want to spin a wheel. What are we most likely we're most likely to win the state championship? Am I? Hey? What a we got? Oh? Who is most likely to have watched One Tree Hill Weekly when it aired? Chad? No,

I don't think so. Do you think? No? I thought, oh, yeah, Antoine, right, I was gonna say, because Chad was always like working on his act. He was always working on acting, so I feel like he would watch it back a lot because he would want to like dissect and study and fior what was good and what wasn't and how to make it improve it for next time. He was also just on set so much like I feel like we

were all tread so much. Who was ever home? Yeah, but you're right at Antoine because Antoine watches it as a fan. Antoine's like I didn't read the script, like crazy, Yeah, I didn't know that was happening. Haley got hit back car. That was always the best when he would come to work and be like, Yo, did you see the episode last night? I believe, And we're like, bro, we had that script like six weeks ago. You know, I don't read so funny which character from the show would be

a teen drama fanatic? And like, oh or Bevan yeah or Bevin? Yeah, g might have been watching watching sports, I think so. I think it's deb I think she's just like pilled out in her bed room, like I'm gonna watch these kids remember the good old days, like the darkness of like watching teenagers when you're a full adult, just like these are my glory days. Gons Well. The next episode of season four, episode ten Songs to Love and Die by again with the creepy titles. Can't wait

to see what happens. I hope nobody dies. I think Rick Fox maybe does. But other than that, Dante, Oh you guys, I love this. Hey, we did was the guys? Next week? Next week? Hey, thanks for listening. Don't forget to leave us a review. You can also follow us on Instagram at Drama Queens O t H or email us at Drama Queens at I heart radio dot com. See you next time. We all about that high school drama,

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