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Hi Friends, welcome back. We have Amanda Shule today and we're talking all about episode seven one. What's in the ground belongs to you? We have a synopsis. Here is it in the chat? Amanda, Amanda, do you want to do the honors and read the synopsis for us?
Oh? Nathan struggles to reach an increasingly despondent Haley, while Quinn leads Jamie on this is an in it, but what an epic Tree Hill treasure hunt? Oh yeah, holy col Julian shows his finished film to Brook and Clay is for to deal with deranged.
Katie after he spent the whole Q and A trying to humanize her.
Yeah, de ranged. This was directed by Peter Kowalski. Yeah, let's get into it, guys. Wow, where do we start?
What a fun episode.
It really was. I have to say I was all here for this treasure hunt that this was my favorite thing in the episode. I just kept waiting for these scenes to come back. I was. I loved watching Chantelle and Jackson run around Wilmington. You could tell Chantelle was having the time of her life. Jackson clearly was too. It was such a great idea, and as a parent, I'm like, oh, what didn't I think I hire yes, my kids.
And the choice to open up though on the shot of her digging in the woods by herself and having the camera at a low angle, Oh yeah, I was like, miss is she bearing a body?
Yes, she preparing to marry a body? What is going on?
That was a great, great little teaser.
M Oh yeah. I really enjoyed because she I did believe everything that Chantal was saying. I believe it, and I loved how she like led him along with it. She never did like a wink wink you know. Yeah, it was she was at his level, just playing, having fun, and that was really enjoyable. But every single time they appeared, I was like, she waded into a fountain earlier that day for this ye holy cow, she dug She went on like a creepy boat, almost like like this is like the Aunt of the Year award.
Yeah, that is so chantal too, by the way, I mean one hundred percent her personality. She would do that without hesitation for anyone she leaves.
It's so sweet. She goes full out. But it was it was so good. We were talking about this last episode because there was a scene where Skills took Jamie, just the two of them, to have lunch, and I was saying, as a parent, it means so much when you see another adult actually invest in your child and show up for your child, And so I was saying it was for me as a viewer and as a dad.
I watched it, and I because I've been sort of upset with Skills lately from some of his behavior in the way he's treating his friends and Lauren, and then that scene happened. I was like, well, Okay, you're all right, I guess.
Isn't it interesting how it colors everything you see now as a parent, like you see the world through a different lens. You're watching television that's not children's television or like anything specifically kid related. Either you're watching it and seeing it and appreciating it differently, and now you have like a new fondness for a character of your own offspring.
And to see that Quinn put listen. It would have been enough if she just showed up with goonies. Yeah, yeah, it was like, Hey, this is something important to me that I think you might like. Let's have this experience together. That would have been great. But the fact that she did, I mean, let's be honest, that's about a whole day's worth of work. Yeah, prior to give him that experience,
because that's what kids remember, you know. It's not so much the gifts as is the experience is like he's going to remember that for the rest of his life. That was just I mean, what a great way to show a character's character. M Yeah, I loved it, and I agree. It was also fun as heck, I love the movie or the Goonies personally, so like you, I was on board for all of it.
Yeah, epic, epic treasure hunt, Quinn saving the day.
How about the opposite of Quinn. Yeah, I think we're falling apart. That was another shade of it was that it wasn't just Quinn being a great mom. It was her taking the temperature of the room and realizing that she needed to kind of step in and you know and be there while while Haley was sort of absent, Yeah.
Not needing to talk about it either. That That's also kind of something lovely that I noticed. It wasn't like, hey, so let's sit down and talk about your mom, you know which kids. I mean, he's a little bit older, but kids don't want to talk about the thing. You know. She let him just be a kid, and then he guided her back, you know, at the very end, and then that beautiful sweet note you know where we all just kind of broke a little bit, you know, But
but it is, it is. It is really different to watch it as a parent now, to see an adult showing up and not needing it to show up because of the thing. I'm just showing up because I love this movie and we're just gonna watch this movie. You know.
That's so true. Kids don't want to talk about the thing, and they don't necessarily need to, Like I learned that just being a parent. You know that I'm such a problem solver. I love to dive into things and dissect things and figure out the thing and having a having a kid really gave me a new ability to just step back and like, we don't have to solve everything
right now. We don't have to dissect everything right now. Like, if there's something you want to talk about, what's the what's the most efficient least amount of talking that we can do. We can say one or two things to each other and then move on. If I've got a point to make, I better make it quick, because she jumps on me too. She'll be like, Okay, Mom, I'm lost, you're boring me. I don't. I'm it's too much. Okay. So it takes it's a skill to learn how to
do that. And I love that Quinn has that skill without even being a mom. She she just has that instinct to no, we're pals, let's just let's just hang. Things get worked out Sometimes just by being in someone's presence, you don't always have to talk about it.
Yeah, I think it don't like to talk about it, and kids can work through it more easily. I've noticed that with my son. First of all, something I've learned from him is how to just get over stuff. He doesn't dwell on stuff, and he's taught me kind of the art of not just forgiveness, but of just yeah, people do some creuddy things sometimes, and then it's up to you to get over it, you know, And he'll just get over it and if he wants to talk about it a little bit, you know, and I'll say
I'm sorry that I got upset earlier. I was really frustrated and I was in a rush or you know, whatever it is, and he's like, it's okay. Where rather than just dwelling on it and being like, yes when you got up, you know, he's just he's a kid, and these little things happen and you just move on.
Do you think it's partially because of what we were talking about earlier about how people, you know, the very human nature to want to compartmentalize and reduce people down in the moment to whatever the worst moment is that as as adults, we feel the need to explain ourselves so that we don't get reduced down. And kid kids don't have that instinct. It's just like they they can see you as a whole picture, and that one little
thing doesn't follow the whole picture. The way that we are we overthinking things like what is that.
All the time we are all the time we are. I mean think I try to remind myself it's like, whatever happens, it's all just information, and it's the narrative that I choose to hang on it that makes it painful or joyful. And I think the thing with kids is they're just they're they're not putting a narrative on things. It's like that happened, I'm going to feel it and then it's gone. Whereas adult it's like I got cut off in traffic. What's because that person thinks their time
is more valuable than mine. They don't care about me. They probably think they're better than me. It's like I will my brain is a meaning making machine and it is constantly telling me a story, and I offer because of that story, not so much because of what actually happened, you know. And I think kids just they haven't had that drama yet, they haven't had whatever had to develop the coping mechanism yet, so they're just like, cool, you did that thing, it's dunk. Great, what do we have to lunch?
Yeah?
And they take you at your word too, like if I do something that is, if I am dismissive or I don't pay attention to her in a moment when she is asking me to and then I forget what she said. When I apologize, they it's okay, okay.
Thank you some of your apology, accept it and move on. Yes, man, Hey, hey, can the three of us make a pact that we are going to accept apologies and move the f on? Yes, at least the next month. Let's work on the next one. Can we do that?
Guys, we're like the emotional goonies. Okay, we're going on our own adventure hoping to find serenity in peace. Yes, Like, let's check back in a month. I'm so in for that. I'm in it. And I have a note in my phone. I have two notes that I keep at the bottom of my to do list so I see them every day, and one of them is just don't take it all so seriously, which I need to remind myself of all the time and stop assuming you know how this is
supposed to go. Yeah, good, because it's like, but the kids, you're right, It's like, just don't take it so seriously because in my head it's like, come on, we're gonna you know, this isn't when we do bath times. It's like it's bath time. It's just a bath like it's the steaks couldn't be lower. You're just tired and you haven't had a meal in eight hours. Have a snack, take a breath.
It's all okay, the stakes couldn't below.
I see it. But it really grows in us the older we get. You know, my daughter's thirteen. Now I can see in her and her friends the fear around school around you know, even if something as simple as raising your hand in a classroom, that fear grows in us. It's not that wasn't there when she was five and six in kindergarten, first grade. If she had a question, you just raise your hand and you just shout it out.
And it's the repetitive squashing of curiosity, I think, and that grows this sense of fear around oh maybe I.
And judgment and yes, right, squashing of curiosity and also the judgment like, well, people might think I'm silly or stupid for asking this question, or you know this, my son will just hear music and just break into dance. Yeah, probably won't do that his whole life, right, No, because he's going to feel self conscious at a certain point.
And the sense of with good classroom stuff with worrying about am I am I going to get a good grade? Am I going to do well in the test? And there's so much pressure and there's so much stress, and I'm like, it's six's and it's eighth grade. Like this is when you're learning how to. You can't no one's
expecting you to do perfectly. This is what life is for right now, is learning how to how to make mistakes and be okay with it and forgive yourself and forgive other people, and like this is what we should be learning. But this standard of perfection that they're always trying to hit.
But that's also I mean, kids are sponges and they reflect everything we do. So they'll see I mean once they get out of the home and they see other adults doing that too, but they just want to mimic everything, right, So if they see us judging things, and if they see us, you know, second guessing our behavior, they're going to do the exact same thing. Yeah, my son is like the most resilient human I have ever seen in my entire life. And I would love to take credit
for it, but I can't. It's like he's not Kids are naturally resilient, you know, yeah, like, oh I messed up on this, but that's okay. I can still do this and he'll turn it into something else. Is it'll drawing or whatever it is, Like maybe all have that outlook on our own lives, you know.
Yeah, and we're seeing it in Jamie in this episode too. He's just well bouncing back, but isn't it.
It was so heartbreaking though, because so he walks out when Haley sort of just despondent by the pool, and he says, MoMA, I made my own breakfast and cleaned everything up, and I don't even think Haley makes eye contact with him. She just says, what do you want a gold star? And it was so sad on two fronts. One that obviously you know that he's just being admonished,
you know, and discarded, is so sad. But it's also sad because at that young of an age, I don't know where the line is between caring about someone and feeling responsible for someone else's feelings, because a child should never feel responsible for their parents' feelings. Yeah, like it is not my kid's job to regulate my mood and
my feelings. My child is not responsible for my happiness, and so there was a pot So I think just because I also had that in me, I watched it and I was like, ooh, I love that you love your mom. But I also it's a bummer that you're eight and you are trying to fix her happiness. Yeah, that's a that's a weight a child should never carry, you know.
I think it's such a natural inclination that and that has to be taught because empathy is I mean, that's what grows in us as we get older. So I think it's beautiful that he was feeling that way. But that would have been the moment if Haley was in her right mind to say, hey, but you don't have to do things to make me feel better. And I hope you know that, you know, because the instinct for him to do that because like I care about my mom. What do I think would make her happy? It's the
same thing I do for my friends. Like if my friends having a bad day, I'm like, what would make her? What would make her happy? Like I'm going to send her a little juice delivery. Maybe I'll just pick her up and take her to the taker shopping or whatever like you know, So those but there is a line and those are the teachable moments, and it was heartbreaking that Haley wasn't able to acknowledge that in that moment and actually kind of go the opposite direction.
Yes, and you're right, because kids they're just they sort of repeat the behavior they've been modeled. And obviously Nathan and Haley are a good couple. They're in tune with each other, and so, yeah, you're right, and that's probably just what it was, was him doing what he has seen happen in the household, in the family. But yeah, that she she shut it down, because you're right, it would have been a perfect teachable moment.
Yeah, like it's okay to do things too, but just as long as you're not doing it so that I'll be happy, Like that's that's and that's the moment. But yeah, she just couldn't. And I was thinking, I was like, oh, that hit me so hard, and thinking about what frame of mind would Haley be in, Like where did I go to justify that? And I think it was I think it was the idea that it's like, you're why
is everyone expecting? Like I can see it from where Hayley's brain was in that moment, the idea that you're supposed to clean your room, Like, why are you coming to me for accolades for doing your chore?
Like?
Just do what you're supposed to do. I'm not justifying her answer. I think it was appalling, but also appropriate for the character in the moment and good for character flaws. Well.
Sometimes as a mom though, you feel like everyone expects something from you. Yeah, and they could also be that it's like, yeah, great, you're supposed to do that. What do you want? What do you want from yeah?
The exhaustion? Yeah, yeah, I think maybe I relate to that, Like I feel that in life sometimes do you guys ever feel that when people somebody you can tell somebody is just really trying to gain your approval. It's like, what do you want from me?
And when you're emotionally tapped out, all you want is to have people not need stuff from you. Yeah, So even if they do you reporting back something favorable when you know they are also looking for a response, that in itself can be just tiring and frustrating. Yeah.
It's like, oh, so you did the dishes so that you could get me to congratulate you for doing the dishes, So you still need something from me. It wasn't just you doing something to make me happy or to like make my life easier. You're looking for something in it, which is an adult relationship issue, not apparent child relationship.
God, people are such jerks. What a bunch of jerks we.
Are speaking of jerks. I loved the way that both Nathan though and Jamie really tried to rally around Haley, and to the point where when they are in traffic Nathan and Haley. By the way, I had forgotten that Nathan had bought the red Porsche episode. So when you when Haley take car in Tree Hill, true, yes, But when you did the episode prior, I think at your music video when you got in the red portion took off, I thought, oh my gosh, she got in the like
prop car and peeled out. I didn't realize it was your own car. That makes a lot more sense. But when you guys are in traffic and you Haley just randomly gets out of the car and and Nathan doesn't even think twice. He's like, Okay, this seems like the responsible thing to do. Two lane road. I'm just gonna leave my Porsche right in the middle of it.
It's so good. It's such a great husband, like here, moment, move, that's it.
And he didn't even go like, I'm leaving my car, you know, like he he didn't burden her. He was like, cool, this is what we're doing, and I'm here for it.
I think he said, you're right. It's it's a nice say for walks something. Yeah, you're right, good idea, let's stretch those legs.
They have an exchange later in the episode where I think Nathan says to Jamie something to the effect of, you know, mom is our everything and right now we need to be the everything for mom, or something to that effect, and it was very very sweet. You know. So the whole time, it's I just feel like everyone is seen, and especially Haley because that's who the kind of the focus is on right now. But it was nice to see like an attentive, loving partner. He's not
forcing it, he's giving it space. He's just being there for her, a son who's emotionally attuned enough to go, my mom's a court low, I'm gonna see if I can help out. Yeah, you know, and then Quinn rallies around, Brooke comes by the house. It was really nice to see people rally around someone that they loved going through a really difficult season.
Actually, in consideration of the Nathan storyline arc since season one, it's really beautiful to see the level of maturity that he's reached because younger Nathan, even earlier in their marriage, when when things got hard, Nathan freaked out, he didn't know what to do. He would act out, he would go like, that's how he got himself ended up in a wheelchair, that's how uh.
And then.
Well the whole thing with the him not being able to go to Duke because of the cheating, like there was there were so many moments throughout this the history of the show where Nathan freaks out and can't handle it and makes bad decisions when things are bad. So I especially really loved seeing him step up to the plate and made me happy to see his level of maturity. People grow all he grew up. Yeah, what's the other
what's next? We got We got Clay and Katie, we got Brooke and Julian, we have Josh and alex we have have Alexander and Victoria.
Let's do Josh and alex because I feel like that one we can we can wrap up pretty quickly, but I I there was so I love the dynamic of the scene where they're about to go on the talk show, and it's it's that perfect thing where we get to see that public perception is so often not an indication of reality, and in this case it's the happy couple that is quietly under their breath, absolutely roasting each other,
just vitual. What was interesting, though, was that I did not feel like there was an an equality to the severity of their burns.
Oh yeah, makes a horrible comment to her, and her retort is, you have bad breath, And I thought those two are not in the same league.
Not okay, and then and then they go. Then My other comment was there, they are already promoting a movie that has not even been color timed, finished editing, like it.
Didn't even get into the festival yet.
It's conceivably like six months away from being locked, and they are on a talk show promoting it.
Those publicists are working.
But aren't they aren't they also doing damage control from the other movie?
Yeah they are. It's just funny that the host is like, these love birds have a movie coming out, and they also have a movie already out, and it's like Ross I don't know when promoted a movie that they wrapped four days prior, But my god.
Did you guys also talk about last week that the moment where Alex tells Julian I released the tape because I wanted you to know that I support you and I did this come up? Please tell me you guys addressed this.
Gosh, yes, I had a huge we both we both went in on this.
Okay, Okay, I'm glad. I'll listen to it. I haven't heard it yet. I don't want to rehash everything for people who've already listened.
But yeah, it was terribly misguided. There was a lot of Alex falling on the sword that just didn't make sense, and a lot of downplaying of what happened to Alex in that tape that got was treated lighthearted, as if it wasn't a big deal. So yeah, we spent a good amount of time, okay, talking about how that didn't quite sit right.
Yeah, so now we're still dealing with the aftermath of that. In a sort of tongue in cheek ha ha. Well let's make the best of it kind of way. But I do enjoy watching the two of them. I mean it's really it's really fun to see them, to see any couple that has chemistry, watching them hate each other and then play like they love each other. It's kind of a fun device.
Also to your point about how it was the way, it's just sort of the whole tape thing got like laughed at and downplayed. There's a scene in the episode where it's after the talk show appearance. Alex goes to trick Chase, our favorite bartender, apparently the only bartender outside of Grabs and Olive Tree Hill. But that's great, I'll take all the Stephen Clady I can get. But it's like, can we get him in a scene outside of the
bar soon? But anyways, he's there and he's sulking because we find out me I broke up with him over text message bummer, and Alex is sulking and she says, you know, I'm having a bad day.
You know.
He's like, you're in a relations what do you have to complain about? And he's like, the talk show's currently on, and she's like it's fake. It's all because of the sex tape. And Chase doesn't even look up at her and goes, yeah, seeing it, you're prettier in person, dude. What First of all, Chase has been a sensitive guy. He has showed a lot of heart up to this point, and I just thought that was the most inappropriate dismissive comment.
How you could casually say no, Yeah, I watched the sex tape you're in and it's like I had to pause it and rewinding because I thought for sure I misheard what he said. Nope, with the subtitles on, that's what he said, the subtitle song. What is that?
I mean?
This is the stuff that frustrated me behind the scenes on our show is when they started giving lines of dialogue like that. Our boss would start giving lines of dialogue like that to actors who were not series regulars and who didn't really have the ability to say, you know what, this doesn't feel right, like this not only does this not connect with my character, but it's degrading and like, I don't think that's what we're trying to do on this show. Is there something else I can say?
Is there another way we could phrase this? They those actors weren't in a position to speak up and say anything like that because there was this looming threat of like, oh, if you say anything other than exactly what's on the page, or even have a question about it, like we'll just replace you. We don't need you on this show. We'll bring in another person to fill in our huge cast.
May I say, as a guest star, not necessarily on this show, but I have been lucky enough to be a guest star on a lot of other shows. You're you're just sitting at the table for the day. You know, it's not your class, you know, you're just it's somebody else's house, and you just kind of do what you're told.
And I know I, personally, especially at that point in my career, wouldn't have felt comfortable if I had had the opportunity to, you know, to have dialogue that felt dismissive or unkind or sexist or bigoted or you know whatever, you know, fill in the blank. I wouldn't have felt comfortable just because maybe that is the tone of the show and I just don't understand maybe that is where they want to go. And for the reason that you just said, also, you know the retribution personally that you
you my face. But there were definitely times when I was a guest on a show and I'd be like, well, not what I would say personally, But it's their show. Yeah, just show up, stay my langes lines, stand on my mark.
I find that so unfortunate though, because the nature of acting is exploration and play, and there should be a space for everyone to come to the table with their own ideas rather than just showing up and sitting there
and saying the lines. And I understand the pace of TV that we don't have a lot of time to sit and explore everyone's thoughts and ideas, but also like you should have the phone number of the person who is in charge, to the director or the producer whoever, And hey, I'm just thinking about this, Like there should be a space of, I mean, an attitude of creativity and collaboration on every set. I think it would be so much more healthy and you'd probably get better performances
from everyone across the board any show. And if the answers no, the answers no. But to not be able to ask a question, to not be able to like raise the idea of could this go a different way? Like I'm wondering about this. I'm wondering about that. I know I've been a guest star too, I know how that feels. It's like, oh, it's uncomfortable, but I think people should feel like they they can do that because the work turns out better when you do. But it's
usually a power trip, you know the thing. It's hard to find that it's.
And it's so hard to do when you're the guest star because, like Amanda said, you are a visitor at the dinner party. You're a guest. Yeah, you don't live there. And it's also it's kind of not barring something like wildly egregious. You know, it's it's not really the response. It's not fair for the responsibility to be on the guest star because you don't know what's been happening in all of the episodes prior that haven't aired. You don't know if there's been a tonal shift lately. So it's
it's hard. It's hard for you to be the one sort of deciding whether it's too far or not. Like that that's the case when you know the onset producer in an ideal world who has a firm grasp on the tone and the stories goes yeah yeah, Like as the guest are you're kind of like the best question you can ask is this seems a little harsh. Yeah, you know, and Hope the director who's also just a guest star, you know, goes, yes, here's why, you know, But it's TV. When you're making it's different when you
do like a movie. Right, it gets collaborative with the right crew because it's a short sprint. When you're doing twenty four episodes a year, it very quickly turns into a factory where every directors are just trying to make a day. People are just trying to do it, and so it's not an environment at all that's conducive to going. Can we circle up and talk about this, you know.
Yeah, yeah, that's fair. But Stephen COLLETTI was and maybe that's true for you're popping in for one episode, like I get that, but Stephen was around. I mean, he was a staple on the show. He wasn't a series regular, but he was technically a guest are recurring. But also still in this position where I don't think there was a culture on our show of collaboration, especially unless you were a series regular, and then you could, you know,
you had the space to push back. So I hope anyway, I'm just saying, I hope that that culture of collaboration and creativity is something that there are producers out there who are looking for and trying to create in their environments. And I bet that's why lines like this slipped through the cracks, because it isn't in keeping with Chase's character. I don't know why, you know, it's the only thing I could come up with with. Why Stephen wouldn't have changed it?
Yeah, who knows. Maybe he did change it and that's just not the take they used.
Oh that's true too, Yeah, you know what that often happens. Just yeah, try it your way. Just let's do it for you.
Let's do one is scripted, and then we can let's go with what you have. Ye did I have a roll on the second tape. Let's get to some of the real fun, juicy stuff involving yourself. I had this thought, so when Clay sees the grape juice in the fridge, because this is one of the things I vaguely remember because at first I thought, why is Clay looking at the grape juice like it's a childhood bully? And then
I remembered, and I thought, listen. And then there's the next scene where he comes home and Katie's doing dishes. No one wants a stalker, obviously, Yeah, horrendous, But hear me out, a stalker who makes your favorite drink, so it's ready for you chewing in the fridge when you come home and does your dishes, you know. So it's not all bad that storm cloud houses silver lining on it.
Yeah, thoughts, I'm not arguing that.
I wondered for a minute if Clay was going to buy it only a little like you were so convincing, Amanda, you're very good. I did wonder if Clay was going to be like, am I crazy?
Well, there's a mislead at the very end, not to jump ahead when we as an audience are supposed to think that he did buy it, right, Yeah, yeah, that's it's my wife, you know. And and so there is that that that at the very end. But in that moment, Yeah, I can see if you come home a little unsettling. The door isn't broken somehow, master lock bicker, but in there doing the dishes and like frying up eggs or you know whatever, not the worst thing to come home too.
Yeah, she didn't make a mess. She tied it up. You pay people to do that. Yeah, he's a bit ungrateful, is what I'm saying. I mean, she didn't have a stalker buddy, could show a little gratitude.
You know.
I had this conversation with Sophia last week where it's this really funny thing that our show does, but also I think a lot of shows and movies do where there is this weird thing that happens when a character goes off the deep end. They not only go a bit cracker Jacks, but they also simultaneously become an expert lock pick, lock picker and cat burglar. Where it's like, with with You're crazy, is gonna come some incredible sleuthing
and lock picking. Because all of a sudden, Katie is scaling second story balconies, she is expertly getting into the house undetected. She's getting back an alarm system the art gallery. It's like, I don't know how a tennis player is suddenly new, but I just like that we all make this leap in logic where it's like, well, guys, she's she's gone cuckoo for cocoa puff, so clearly she can pick a lock and hack an alarm system.
I appreciate that you're seeing it so one sidedly you're not her first victim.
Play was her first and only room.
Sorry, that's fair.
It's a fair point to Clay. Wow, hard truths being shared on this episode of Drama Queens. You played it great, though. I mean there's some really awesome scenes in seven twenty between you and Quinn at the art gallery where you're just there. I think there's there is a an inexperienced actors choice when they're told to play a character who's unhinged to do more and to be bigger, and I think there's a power and doing less. And that's what you did in the art gallery with Quinn, especially when
you kind of corner her in the back room. There is a real ominous feeling throughout that whole scene where she's sort of the trapped prey and you're the predator, and your stillness works so well for creating such an uncomfortable, tense feeling.
Oh well, thank you. I think that people who are more contained are way less scarier than those who like somebody like a fighter, you know, like a physical fighter who can channel and focus all of their energy, so their outbursts are like a viper. You know, you don't expect it as opposed to somebody who shows their cards, you know, and is flailing all around. It's way scarier to have the rage simmering, you know, and where it's not on display and you don't know what the next move is going to be.
Yeah, there's an unpredictability.
That's the better word for it.
So let's continue then with it, because it does not disappoint. The crazy train stays on the rails, picks up some speed. Clay gets a phone call and I was very confused as to why that phone call wouldn't be because it's from the police, obviously saying this. Gal says she knows you. She's hanging from a bridge, which, by the way, a bridge that is definitely not high enough to do bodily harm. At worst you would sprain an ankle or get a
really bad belly flog. Yeah, but I love that all of the police in tree Hill have shown up for this potential sprained ankle.
I don't Also, by the way, that was way lower than the bridge that you and I jumped off.
Yes, it wasn't the same bridge, No, oh no, because the one we jumped off was a proper bridge. This was a pier.
Oh right, Why didn't they send you guys to the same bridge. Wouldn't that have been kind of the point with Katie?
Yeah, but she would have survived that one. I guess maybe the thought is that she'd time it with the tide so that it would be it would wash.
But if that's the case, don't show the whole pier in a master shot. Yeah, never show us that, just and let us fill in the blank, and we will paint a much higher peer in our imagination. So the fact that you would be hanging the outside of it and anyone would be like, ma'am, you could hurt yourself falling fifteen feet into water, are you okay? You know, like it was so confusing. But the fact that Clay gets a call from all of the police departments saying
you gotta come quick. This gal's twenty feet up in the air above water, and he doesn't go no, yeah, yeah, she's my stalker. Absolutely not.
Yeah, good luck, guys. Bye.
He wants the notebook back, okay.
See that's fair. And I also think it's one of those moments of just getting to see Clay's character and that he sees beyond the unhinged behavior and he sees a person underneath and he's choosing to show up for that person, which I thought very compassionate. Right, So he plays along, he does the ruse. Katie is supposedly gonna get help, but when they yeah, but when then they cut to the master and you can see that the
pier is like, at best twenty feet above water. I was like, what if it is low tide, then why not have her go on the ledge of a building?
You know?
It was just it was odd, it was.
Pretty, it was pretty. There was something sort of sadly romantic about the whole thing. I really it broke my heart. I mean, when you let her go into the arms of the police and you're like, it's gonna be okay, They're going to help you. I guess I felt maybe maybe he felt the the sting of having to send Sarah, like he knows it's not Sarah, but she looks so
much like him. Is there a part of you that felt like you had to or that Clay had to wrestle with that, or were you in full like she's fully crazy the whole thing, And I was just putting my own interpretation on that.
I think it was Clay was grieving, and I think there is one form of grieving, which is just avoidance. So I don't know, Uh, I just remember thinking that it's it's not easy for Clay because he's not actively facing it every day, like he's sort of doing a slow grieving, But having to play this game with Katie is really bringing it right up to the forefront and having to say things aloud like Sarah died, She's not
here anymore. Oh, He's like he is having to echo the painful truths that he may not wanting to be facing every day.
So Katie is actually facilitating his recovery.
Keisha, I'm telling you, did I not say five minutes ago? He should have a little more gratitude for Katy.
Yeah, she does the dishes and she helps with mental health on your side, not so much hers.
For her, she's selfless. She's a really good friend if we think about it. She makes his favorite juice, she cleans his house, she helps his emotional and mental well being. And how does he say thank you? He gets her locked up.
Yeah, Clay's the.
Villain in this story. I think we're finding out guys clearly.
Yeah, this is a plot twist we're just discovering now.
I can't wait for the spinoff of Katie in her roommate just doing whatever they do.
The things we did for those ungrateful men.
It's going to be good.
Ye.
Speaking of good, I loved Alexander and Victoria's storyline the whole episode.
Yeah, that was fun.
They have been so fun to watch. And I was worried that when Brooke called out Victoria last episode and she goes, oh, so you're not ashamed of this, I thought that was going to be the end of it. I thought, as soon as the cat's out of the bag, the fund's gone.
Yeah.
But the fact that she's into him and he's into her and now they're talking about doing clothes or excuse me close four bros in New York together. I love it.
Yeah, it's really sweet.
The only thing I didn't like about it was that it makes me sad because does that mean we're going to be seeing less Victoria in future episodes?
You know? I think so? I think it does. I know. She's so good. Oh man, I remember doing that scene with her too, The scene.
Oh that was a beautiful scene and her bros where she just sits me down and talks about my mother and what my mother would want for me as Haley.
I remember shooting that scene with Daphne. Daphnie and I were getting close at the time, like we were really spending a lot more time together off behind the scenes as well, having dinners and just running errands together, and she was becoming a mentor for.
Me, and.
Which I desperately needed at that time in my life. And so that scene holds a special place in my heart because I remember it feeling very similar to a lot of conversations as she and I were having offline, you know, off screen. She's such a wonderful woman, like really deep, soulful, brilliant woman, and I love seeing that come out in Victoria finally too, who we never expected that from.
I also really appreciated that your character didn't respond, that it wasn't just a sudden light bulb moment where she writers felt compelled to make you say, Okay, I get it now, because her words were so sage that another script could have the light bulb moment you get it and then be just fine, you know, and that's not what it was. You processed it, but you were still angry at the world, you know.
Yeah, Yeah, it still gives us somewhere to go.
The softer side of Victoria has been so much fun to watch come to light and the way she has shown up for Brook throughout the season and then Millie and now Haley, and it was the perfect thing. It's kind of like Amanda saying there was such a finesse to the scene in that it wasn't forced. Victoria started by being like, you want to snap at each other,
I can play this game. I'm better than you. In fact, sit down, And then when she sits down, she's like, Okay, now I'm gonna hit you with some mom truths and some love, you know. And it's not a hard cell. She's just telling her what is and then she's not looking for a response, and to the scene's credit, she doesn't get it. Yeah, there's nothing forced. Also, before anyone comes from me in the comments, I apologize it was
not grape juice, Clay's favorite drink. Apparently it was grape kool aid, because I surely would have been roasted for that, So that's right, noted fixed.
Also seeing Brooke respond to Victoria, just emotionally being able to watch her mom be a mom, like show up as a mom for somebody else. It looked like it was really healing for Brook's heart to know that her mom has that capacity, and you know, to see the arc of their relationship over the course of the last few seasons that she she also has grown and arrived in this place where she's much more open hearted and willing to be vulnerable. I really loved that, And I
think Brooke is getting so much right now. It's really nice to see after her struggling through so many things that finally all the pieces are starting to fall into place relationally for her. That does my heart good as a fan to watch. It's really cool.
Huge. We talked about this last episode that was saying, it's so nice to get a whole episode of Brilliant just being happy, yes, and just delighting in each other and having cute date nights and fun bantern being back because I'm with you. I'm a big fan of the two of them, and yeah, they have just been through it. We got an episode without Sophia crying, and I was like, it's about I know, and.
Even though he's made some bad decisions and she's had some misunderstandings and reacted poorly to things without asking the right questions or whatever, like, it's just normal relationship stuff.
But I really loved being able to see that work through those things instead of what teenagers do, which is what we saw for so many years on the show, which is just blow up at each other and then you break up or you disappear like they're really having a very mature adult relationship and not reducing each other down to their worst qualities and making space for I accept you for who you are. This part of you really bothers me, but I can manage it, and we're
going to grow. We'll grow through it. It's just so adult.
I love it. Yeah, and the way she is showing up for him as a teammate when yes, he's waiting to hear about the festival and she's just kind of calming and cheering him on.
You know, well she's also already plugged the name of the festival into her phone. I know.
So sweet.
She's willing it.
She is.
Did we talk about India and grubs yet? Or no, Miranda un grubs yet?
Let's talk about Miranda and grubs.
That was not the travel outfit I would have chosen for an international fight.
That was the thing that was like, that's perfect.
No, But that was literally the first thing I thought, I was like, that's possible for like a like an international that's a long that's a long time to be I think.
Miranda strikes me as the kind of person who also travels with folded, like carefully folded cashmere pajama sweatsuit in a silk bag that probably is in her carry on, so she'll dip into the first class lou and change.
Look at you using the lingo.
I mean, I feel like this is her vibe. Man. I like the device of this as a way to get Grubs and Mia together. I don't know if they have a romance or if they just start making music together. And I can't remember, but I do like this this piece of the puzzle. But it's kind of sad. It's like, does this also mean India's leaving?
Is? Yeah? I mean I hope not. But is she doing is she pulling a Harry in the Henderson's Is she doing the thing with him where at the end when she's like, because I don't want you to come, because he's like, you didn't ask if i'd go, and she screams at him really harshly.
Yeah, that was intense.
Is she doing the Harry and the Henderson thing where she really likes him, but she she just knows what's better for him.
I don't.
Purpose would they send him back out into the wilderness.
Yeah, the ending scene is Casablanca. Like, I feel like we've got Harry and the Henderson because A I've already used it on the show, so people have probably googled it or they already know it too.
I have so little original material.
They went to their local Blockbuster and got their VHS and watched it.
That's right.
It's the end of it where John Lithgout takes the Bigfoot out to the woods because he realized he can't have the life he's supposed to have, living a domestic life with his family, and Bigfoot's like, what are we doing here? And he's like get out of here? Bigfoot? Of course it is like no, we're best friends, and he's like get and then he goes he hits him, and he goes, don't you see we don't watch you here? Go in Bigfoot? Of course, it's like, what the hell
just happened? Fine, and he walks off in nature and then Liftgout turns to Cameron and he's a tear rolling down his cheek and he's like, goodbye, my friend.
I don't ever want to watch this show. That sounds terrible.
Oh you want to hear terrible news. I just found out this is India's last episode. What oh on? This is how we send her off being rude to sweet sweet Grubs.
Boom is I bet she had something else she was going off to do.
I'm sure she did.
Yes, she's a very busy working actor, so I'm sure that that was the device that exit.
Yeah had to have been. Yeah, well, I think it was that she was just pushing him away, like I don't want you to go. I don't I she knew that he'd be better off there. He's not gonna he's not going to build a whole new start, a whole new life, a whole new career in England. And yeah, she was.
She was John Let though he was Harry. She was the Harrison.
Ugh, you have such dated references, Amanda. Couldn't you've used like Casa Blanca or something younger and hipper?
Gosh, okay, boomer asa Blanc of younger and Hipper. I know, oh, I know, that's the magic of your comedy.
But getting Mia and Grubs into the same room having that intro happen. Also a little I was like watching her walk in when she just broke up with Chase on text message and she still passes through the bar like, hey, sorry, I broke up with you, but I do need to get into the office, Can I can? I can? I just go into the recording.
Studio real quick?
Sorry?
And also wasn't the whole text like, Hey, this isn't fair to either of us. I'm not around, like I'm busy away doing stuff. And then she shows up and she's like, gotcha, I actually done. Just don't want to be your girlfriend. Yeah. It was odd because she when they go outside to talk basically just says this is better for you. Why you're here now?
Yeah. Also, the text message on his phone was clearly written on the phone on the phone on his phone because it had a cursor at the end of it. That I was like, are we not Are we supposed to believe that this is the message that Mia sent because it's clearly something that he just wrote on his phone.
He's just writing it over and over again self punishment.
It did lead to a wonderful scene though, with Julian, Alex and Chase where they all come in pretty salty and just sort of throwing like barbs at each other.
And it's no, I'm in more pain.
The pity pool was crowded that day. And I also love though, how it turned into Alex giving Julian a reality check sort of a prospective shift and helping him see that like, no, man, this is a this is a monster win and it felt very genuine and believable.
Yeah. I liked it too.
And then did we find out that he got in? At the end? He got a call? Didn't he?
He said hello? And then that was it?
Right?
Or did I miss something?
I think That's all I remember is that she goes, well, look who it is or something like that, and he answers it. Yeah, but I'm assuming he gets in because isn't that why we went to Park City?
Yes? It is, that's right.
Yeah, okay, spoiler he got in?
Alert. Yeah, didn't you all go? Shoot? There? You all went on location, didn't you? We did? Yeah? I remember, I was. I was disappointed that I wasn't. The more pivotal part in.
That she follows she breaks out of the psychiatric hospital and follows him.
There you go? Yeah, No, I remember you all getting ready to go. Oh bummer for.
Me, I'm excited to see where the Katie stuff goes. I remember some of the broad stroke endgame things, but I don't. I don't remember the road to getting there.
I don't either. I don't. This has actually been fun for me to watch because I definitely did not watch these episodes, and especially with everything going on in my personal life and then with Katie, I mean sorry, not Katie, with Lydia dying and Haley's whole storyline revolving around depression, I just was not. I wasn't aware of really anyone else's storyline. I would get the scripts at this point and read my scenes and make sure that I wasn't.
You know, whatever I was connected to I understood, but everything else I just I didn't have the capacity.
For during that time. Did you didn't read the scripts holistically?
No? I was going through such a I don't know if you know. I wrote a book about being in a cult. So I was the New.
York Times best selling book about being in a cult.
Thank you, Darling, Jennifer Vampire, excuse me King, I was about to say, please, thank you.
Yeah. So yes, that was at the sort of pivotal time in my life when everything was really at its absolute worst and I was just surviving and on autopilot. So I would get the scripts and just didn't I didn't have the capacity. I didn't know how to invest myself in other people's storylines. I just had to like get my scripts, learn my lines, and do enough to be professional to show up and still keep my job, and then I would get offset and go deal with
my personal life. And so this has been really fun to watch back. I didn't even know about this, this scavenger Hunt storyline with Chantelle and Jackson. No, I know very little about what's coming up with Katie and Clay, except for this big fight in the rain, because Chantelle and I were friends and talking and so I would she'd come have a coffee with me after work and be still in her bruises and cuts and scrapes and from whatever you guys were doing together. So I know, something crazy we did.
That was one of the first scenes, one of the first like people do stunts, actors do more of the action, And that was one of the first times I ever did like an action fight with another actor.
Wow, I think that's fun.
When you do ventions. Or when you're out in public and you get approached by a fan, how much like what's the ratio of they talk about Katie versus they talk about Sarah. Who if you had to say, who's the fan favorite? Is it Katie or is it Sarah.
Katie's not a fan favorite, but she's a fan fascination. You know. People don't like Katie, but they like to not like her, you know, yea, And people were already invested in Clay's storyline at that point, so they are sort of mad. I think. Also, I don't know whether you've talked about this a lot, but I have been on a few shows as the mean woman.
Or okay, you did pretty Little Liars after.
That, Pretty Little Liars, But on other shows my character has taken a turn, and women really love to pile on the the judgment and the the anger to other women. And I've had a lot of confusion between Haiti and Amanda. And at first it was so strange, hurtful, and then it was actually quite complimentary.
Yes, I'm that good.
Well, it was more just like there was during that time, it was, you know, Twitter was just starting to get big, and I I started a Twitter account, kind of just around the time that I was doing these, around these episodes, and somebody started to say some really unkind things to me on top on Twitter. And at first, you know, I would vacillate between like either not responding or just doing like a little you know, short response or whatever. I never like, I don't read member really engaging, but
and they would have to. I think they would get shut down because they would change their address quite a bit, their handle. And then it was like I just had this shift, this mental shift where I was like, thank you, thank you so much for being confused, because that means I did my job and I appreciate you. Yes, And once I kind of said that, and I said if you ever want to I think I do remember saying if you ever, you know, want to get together to
discuss it. Once I called out this person and said that I would engage face to face, it was like game over, you know, yeah, because nobody wanted to step out behind the safety of the computer screen. But it was like people people did love to hate Katie, you know.
And that's just one example, Yeah, fear of the unknown.
Maybe that person just needed a little touch of lithium, just like this.
Little little lithium in the kool aid.
That's it. Yeah, it is people. People are People are afraid of things that they don't understand. Speaking of fear of things that we don't understand, we have a listener question tani is asking when you were younger, what is an irrational fear that you had that you thought was an extreme issue. I love this.
Cause this is such a good question.
Absolutely, the Bermuda triangle I thought was a really big problem that we had to solve.
A lot.
Oh yeah, but there was the other thing too, Like remember the tags on the furniture that say do not remove. I was absolutely terrified. I remember one day I ripped the tag off. Like I played on my furniture all the time. I was always climbing around on things, and I remember we spilled something on the cushion and had to flip it around, and I ripped the tag off. And I look at the tag and it says like it's like FBI or some.
Kind of did people like descend from them? I was afraid of your living room for like a week.
I was like, Oh my god, is someone going to come arrest me for taking the tag off of this couch?
I definitely thought that there was something under my bed kind night, Oh certain of it.
I spent way too much time worried about quicksand than was probably necessary.
The Princess Bride ruined us.
I don't know why. As a kid growing up in suburban southern California, quicksand was at the forefront of my fear list. But yeah, things like quicksand acid rain, Oh, rain, acid rain. I might drown if I don't wait thirty minutes after I eat before I sway.
Quicksand. I did sink into mud about this high ones on a hike when I was really young.
So WHOA listen, Quicksand is an issue. It's a serious problem.
Not to reignite any dormant concerns.
They're rob but listen. If there had been a political candidate in nineteen eighty four whose platform was I am going to fix the quicksand issue the world, I would have had my vote.
So fast, your four year old vote.
Yep, so good. Oh, Amanda schul you are a delight always.
I'm so happy that I got to be here this morning with you. What a lovely way to spend the sunrise. Thank you for being here with me.
Well before we say goodbye, because I just wanted to get in some preliminary compliments before I really hit you with the whole barage of them. Afterwards, we do spin a wheel and we do an honorable mention. So we're not quite done yet. Let's spin that wheel.
So the wheel is most likely to Amanda. So it's like in your high school yearbook, you've got most likely to become president, most likely to know join a tennis club or whatever. Anyway, Okay, here's what we have, most likely to get locked out of their own house. So you have to pick a cast member and then the character a character on the show.
Okay, I'm going to say this. Here's the person who is lee likely to ever get locked out of their house. It's clearly Katie because she can pick locks.
Pro Yes, absolutely most likely to get locked out of their house. I mean, I've been locked out of my house multiple times, so it might be me in real life.
I'm going to say you Joy, because you sort of have a tendency to just like leave things behind occasionally.
Yeah, I'm really absent minded. I'm such an absent minded professor.
I would say your character, you know around this time, is absent minded.
So yeah, yeah, Haley right now, might be, but Haley in regular life definitely not. Haley's the one who's got copies of everyone else's keys and they come to her when they lock themselves out of their house.
Are we discussing this particular point or in general?
Could could be any time?
Oh? Okay, oh okay, okay, listen.
If it's at this particular point, I agree it's Haley. If it's in general, I'm going to also throw Clay's hat in the ring, because, as we will see, he's pretty good at forgetting things.
Yeah, yep, he's a little spacey right now too, trying to stressed out.
Do you have an honorable mention? It's sort of just one thing that stood out to you for the episode.
You want to shout out an honorable mention? Uh? Well, can we just discuss all the women's skin for just a split second? Yes, because I was just the skincare routine was on point, your like, the lady's skin was just a dewy kiss of perfection, and I just want to honorably mention your skin, Sophia. Well, listen, everyone's skin was just absolutely beautiful.
Skin was great. I wish we had somebody to help us with our eyebrows, because that was rough. Eyebrows were real rough for me back then.
Eros didn't stand out to me. Your skin stood out to me.
I'm so glad, thank you. Honorable mention for me will be Paul Tiel until he's done. I just love watching him. I also remember, I think he was twenty when we did this, so all of us were older than him, So he came in at twenty years old playing this, you know, hot shot movie star, working with Janna, and this might have been his first on camera role too.
I have to double check that. But he he just was so great and so committed and had really great instincts and I love I love watching him and always will. So yeah, that's.
A great one. My honorable mention is Aunt Quinn, who clearly wins Aunt of the Year. Oh yeah, we heard Goonies inspired treasure Hunt with Jamie. That was awesome.
Agreed, So good?
What have we got next episode?
Joy? Well, the next episode Rob is season seven, episode twenty two. Almost everything I wish I'd said the last time I saw you. That's a very long time a mouthful. It just certainly is. I wonder how the episode will.
Be tune in to find out.
Thanks everybody, Thank you Amanda for joining us. It's so good to see you. That's your contribution today.
I'm so happy to be here with you all right.
Bye, guys, you're the best buddy. Bye everyone, Bye friends.
Hey, thanks for listening. Don't forget to leave us a review. You can also follow us on Instagram at Drama Queen's ot.
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