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Guys. I'm super amped, deeply in my feelings because we're getting towards the end and it makes me want to sob but also excited because I think we're in a juicy place in the story. We are here for season nine, episode two, in the Room where You Sleep. The original air date was January eighteenth, twenty twelve, and we have a family member guest friend of the pod here with us today.
Take it away, Stephen, excited to be here, you guys. Wow, that's season nine. You guys made it. We did it finish line as you could. It's it's there in the distance, you could see it. I mean, we only did about I don't know seventeen eighteen episodes. Actual viewing episodes with some Q and as for the Lagoda Beach Podcast, but you guys, I don't know what what number episode you're on, but honestly, bravo, bravo.
Oh no, it's a lot because there were one hundred and eighty seven episodes of One Tree Hill. Yeah, and we've done a recap for every episode and Q and a's with you guys, and like special live shows, the live show, and.
How isn't seeing it? Everybody grew up before your eyes, like from season one to oh my gosh, she's nine. I mean that's a it's almost ten years.
It's kind of crazy. Also, God, this show started in a time where the fashion was just so bad, right, it was so bad, like where were the tops of our pants? We were just missing inches. It was wrong.
But I'm glad.
I'm glad we are where we are today. Do you concur guest of honor, want to read this ynopsis for the folks at home?
Oh? Sure, alright, you guys, Welcome to season nine, episode two. Here is the synopsis. Brooke discusses a new business venture with her father, as Julian stresses about his own investment, Quinn convinces Clay to get help, and Millie struggles to be honest with mouth. Meanwhile, Chris Keller the makes Alex an offer she may not be able to refuse, and Nathan volunteers to scout in Europe, leaving Dan with Haley and Jamie.
This episode it was great because there was stuff I really liked. There was stuff I really disliked. Oh well, it's easy because there's only like one real source spot for me, and that is, like, what the hell are we doing to poor Lee Norris? And what is this offensive, lame, half baked attempt.
At a storyline.
I remember it happening and even and being like what's going on? And Lee was just sort of like, I don't, I don't, I don't know, and I'm now watching the episode it is. It's just so we're getting a little ahead of ourselves a bolt. Let's just jump in because now I'm hot in the biscuit about it. I I don't understand because first of all, the first like Jerry and uh Millie are talking about the station like it's
some huge thing. And then he for first of all, he walks into his first shot and he is he's double fisting a hogie. I just thought like it was so hat on a hat, like he's already in a in like the air quotes like a fat suit.
But here's the thing.
I thought, It's like he's why is like, so he gained some weight. He didn't look like morbidly obese or like he was unhealthy. He just looked like a guy who had gained some weight.
And like it was this just.
Weird, stupid, like and the bit apparently is that he's gained weight. Like that's the punchline and we can't talk about it with it. I just Lee's so good and the character of mouth is so interesting and unique, and the best we could do was put him in a fat suit.
Yeah, it's a real weird choice. And I don't know if this bumped you, but when Millie's talking to Jerry and is like, I'm worried for his health and this, that and the other, and Jerry basically alludes to how like, well, you know, we've all struggled, like because she went to rehab, and I'm like, well, wait a second, wait a second, what is this? And truly I wonder did they just run out of storylines? Did they run out of creativity?
Because these two having a super highly rated morning show together is adorable and a whole universe that we could be exploring, but the gag is that he's eating ice cream on TV and saying he's not going to share with his girlfriend and got fat, like.
And there is no connective tissue between what's happening now and anything that we have established with Mouth over the previous eight seasons. It's not like we've alluded to maybe him having a thyroid issue or like he's battled weight his whole life. It's just it's like apropos of nothing. This thing just happens. And it's what's so jarring about it is Season nine opened so hot, like the teaser was everyone like, the steaks literally couldn't have been higher.
Mouth's not even there. Okay, fine, but then we go into episode two and there is so much about this episode that is really masterful storytelling. Yeah, the Dan Scott of it all.
You know, these things that.
Are happening, Clay and Quinn, you know, Alex and Chase, and then it's just like it's completely off kilter. And then there's Mouth and what I remember I remember back then, I honestly remember asking Lee is uh is our boss?
Is he pissed at you?
Is with you? Like? What's because it was it was because clearly our writer's room was very good at storytelling. They provided pretty awesome stories for everyone so far this season, and it was just like, which one of these does not belong?
And yep, I didn't get it, man. And it's so funny because there's some some moments where I'm watching where and it is nice throughout this season where there's some lighter stuff with with the Chris Keller and Chase of
it all. It's a little bit of kind of like a Buddy Cup thing that they that she have going on, and if sometimes I'd be like, does this kind of is it taken out of some of these like really again well written stuff that good storylines, what's going on with Clay Quinn and with Brooke as well, and and and of course with with Dan and and Nathan in and it's like there's some there's some intense stuff and then all of a sudden it goes pops over to one of these scenes and I'd be like, oh, it's
kind of a little silly, but maybe it's fun to have a little bit laugh here. But then I also felt that when you get into the scenes with with Lee and his suit and it was just like I thought, my mind was like, this feels like an idea that came up when honestly somebody might have been like drunk, and it's somehow stuck and and and sod and it just kind of made it much further that it shouldn't have.
And especially yeah, when you think about Lee and his character in the show, and I mean it's kind of a it's ultimately, I think, a complimentally because it's like, all right, he can handle this, you know, let's let's have Lee do it because he's professional and he'll do it, and he'll and he'll he'll rise to the occasion and he'll commit. Yeah, it's and it's just unfortunate because it does feel like it doesn't it doesn't belong well.
And part of why it bothers me and I don't I remember having the same feeling men, like what fight did you get in with the head hauncho to deal with this? And I think what irked me watching it is there is no drama currently in Brook and Julian's world, and there we have great buddy comedy stuff as characters, and so I'm watching how well they're writing for us and how just sort of baseless the writing is for Lee and Lisa, who are credible comedians, And I'm like,
so obviously you know how to tell a joke. Why can't you just tell jokes for both couples? What are we doing here?
And that was the up. They would have like three lines and then the scene, the scene would be over like this is yeah, I don't I don't get it. It's so brief. It was very very odd, very very odd.
And you're saying like it's a credit to Lee, and you're right, I mean, because Lee sold it, he committed, But it was a disservice to the show and to the fans because you took the character of Mouth, who is so integral to the show. He's like the moral compass in a lot of ways, you know, and you
made him a punchline that wasn't even funny. And then unfortunately, you tied Milly to it because she's his partner, so now she's stuck in these like very like lopsided scenes that don't make sense where there are no steaks or no.
It's just like it's because I.
Love both of them as actors, and I just I just found myself every time we had to cut back and watch them, it was like watching good actors do their best with really material.
Yeah, I will say hats off to Lee because I was so shocked at how funny the moment was where he kissed her on the cheek and goes, what got a little mail on you?
Yeah, it was like.
And I don't know if it was scripted or not, Like I don't And and that's exactly it. Like the the level of leaning into it. It's such a testament to them. But when you have actors as good as those two, just write them better.
So anyway, watching Lee over the years in that show, like there was never a day where if I caught some of his scenes that that dude was ever offe Like, nothing fades him. He's such a vet, such a pro. I always enjoyed watching him because he came so prepared. He was never really phased by any that you know, whether it's it's a ton of people in trick a lot going on, or just you know, him and Millie's you know, sitting together. Yeah, he just was nails all
the time. And so I that's what I was thinking watching I was like, man, they give it to him, they I get you could handle it. Yeah, he would rise to the occasion, but yeah, it was, Yeah, it was. It was interesting And don't rememberactly how that came about or what the story was, but I'm curious to know who's bad idea continue to push through and actually make it into the script.
Yeah, it's It feels like it had to be someone higher up pushing it through, because I just find it hard to believe that with the talent in our writer's room that no one thought they couldn't beat that storyline. You know, it's like the best joke wins. There's no way that that talented group of writers went can't top that. Nope,
that's that's it. That's the pinnacle of creative storytelling. Yeah, no, no, So that was That was kind of my main My main gripe is just like, yeah, they deserve better and they're so good, and yet we're having him do this and.
I don't remember where it goes, but my goodness, I hope it doesn't stay for too long.
Same and I thank you because I lost my train thought. That's what I was gonna say is I don't remember where this goes, so I I so hope that in a few episodes I'm able to go I was wrong. It actually was a great foil for something else. I hope, I hope I get to eat Crow on this, But because I don't, I'm just reacting to what I know, which is like just this episode, and I'm like, oh, come on, guys.
Yeah.
Also, I remember Lee kind of like because I know it's gonna go on for a couple episodes. I didn't watch ahead too much, but I remember that. You know, he has to go to work now a couple hours earlier, his first up, and the call time is six thirty for everybody. He's in there at like four thirty in the morning. Because a lot of our days are club together.
It's like if you see the scenes between Millie and Mouth, like they're gonna shoot all that in one day, and so you know they're gonna be there all day and they're gonna start early, and Lee's going to work. I mean, honestly, yeah, he's going. He's first, probably one of the first people to the yeah, to the studios to do all that.
That's another reason why it was confusing, you know, because it wasn't as though they just realized, oh, we're over budget and we need to find what's a storyline that will cost us zero dollars. No, they had to design a custom suit around his body, which is not cheap.
And make prosthetics for his face and neck.
So it's actually it's a storyline that's going to cost more than a normal storyline. So again, it just it didn't make sense because it's it wasn't like, well, we're saving a ton of money here, so it's actually sort of a necessary band aid. It's like, right, no, this is costing more than arguably all of the other storylines because those are just locations.
Yeah, it's weird.
Listen that said, The rest of the episode was a banger.
Agreed, loved it.
One of the things that that caught me was like, man, what a perfect kind of grenade to throw into this last season with the arrival of one Harry Johnson, mister Chris Keller. Uh you know, watching him, it's he's so good, so fine. I've heard, you know, I'd heard over the years we've never worked together, and heard all the stuff about him, and to have the opportunity to work with him in this season and see him up close a lot.
What a fun character. Yeah, what a great character that he just he rocked and he's nothing like Chris Keller. So it's what's so cool just I mean, he's such a sweetheart, such a good dude, and Chris Keller is such at douche, and he knocks it out of the park.
I think sometimes that that works best, like someone who's so kind playing someone who's not it. There's something that happens in the energetic alchemy where the jokes get funnier. And what killed me about this episode in particular the way he comes in in nine oh one is so good. But the best gag in this episode is that even though he's the worst, he's making everyone around him better.
He's making Alex his music better. He's alone with Chuck for five minutes and he has scored Chuck's show tune like every single time you leave him and hope he gets what's coming to him when you get back to him. He's made someone's day. And it's just it's it's comedic poetry. I love it. And Tyler again commits to the bit so hard that you can't help but love him even though you kind of want to, like give him the double eyepoke that my kids used to do to each other in the fifties.
And this is.
Another testament to just how well written and well thought through this episode was that, Yeah, they did this amazing twofer that started off with a hilarious joke, which is that Chris Keller wrote the freaking toaster pastry jingle that n was singing last year.
He's saying, so that blew my mind. That alone.
I just thought, like, this is so funny that, like this infamous song, we're actually finding out this infamous character wrote, which is like perfectly on brand, right, And I thought that was it. But no, because then that actually became the device for Alex to sort of take a cheap shot at him, for us to get a glimpse at
the actual vulnerability of Chris Keller. And that was such a good moment because Tyler is such a good actor that how do you not love getting to see him drop his guard and be honest.
Yeah, him getting to be vulnerable and speak about regret and to own it kind of veneer off of No, everything I do is great, and that you know that pays my rent and dea da da da to drop it and be human. It plants that little seed that you see in Alex. For the rest of the episode, she goes back to Julian for advice, which we haven't
seen her do in Why you Know. It's this thing where you get what's germinated in her mind based on his vulnerability, and it's a better device than if he had just been like the cocky guy saying some you know, passing off some shtick and making her self conscious. It's the vulnerability about the opportunities he let go that make her afraid to let something go. And I thought, like, how refreshing and new that moment.
Rob.
I'm glad he brought that moment up because I'd written down as one of my favorite moments of the show was that right when you're saying the guard comes down, and yeah, you see the vulnerability. It really gives it out a layer to the Chris Keller of it all, which was really really well done.
And they did such a good job of actually making him three dimensional, you know, the fact that he is good at his job, and they show us how he does it, you know, so he demonstrates value. He's not just there to be an asshole. And then we see this glimpse into his vulnerability and him actually sharing his mistakes, you know, hopefully for the betterment of Alex all of that just fleshed him out so much, which makes him that much more lovable and just awesome as a character.
Yeah, and he's just so funny. He's just so damn Yeah.
Like I called him, I was like, Buddy, I'm loving watching you on this show because like, like like you said, Steven, he is one of the sweetest men in the world.
He's the best.
He's nothing like Chris Keller. But oh my god, does he play a douchebag so believable and just so well.
And make him so likable you can't mean there of course, there's those moments where you're like, oh the can Chris Keller, Like what an ass? What an ass? But then there are these other moments when show that vulnerability or I mean even at the end you listening to him sing as we're getting out of the episode. What a really really cool way to tie put a bow on the episode him singing and just having that little intimate moment,
very very cool. It's like, if you were already sold on Chris Keller, you see that at the end of the episode, like, oh man, I love this character. I love watching him.
And what I thought was so smart too, is the more human he's getting and even you see how enamored with him Chuck is, and he wants to do his hair like Chris. And then he's calling himself Chuck Skolnik and the third person like Chris Keller does, and you're gold that. I just I love him, even though I want to hit him. And then he shows up at Nathan and Haley's and just undercuts all the good he's been doing. And James played it so perfectly because he was so deadpanned a joy and just said my wife
doesn't tell me things anymore. And I was like, this, it's just so well done.
What does James say at the door? How that line written down? He's like, why do I say these things? He says something right before he opens the door and it's Chris Keller there. He says to himself that really it was a great delivery.
Yeah, speaking of funny things, let's just rewind real quick to the start of the episode. So, first of all, the panic, the opening shot of Brooke and Julian waking. Brooke really wakes up in the path. He's like because she doesn't hear the kids, and as a parent, I was like, that is so real and so freaking funny. But cut to we find out it's Victoria has the
twins in the kitchen. My new favorite thing is watching Austin House Food because his delivery when he said he says, oh my god, I love coffee cake while he's just in hailing it, and of course Brooke is not okay because why is Victoria in their house with the babies and he just can't be bothered to address it as day next time is quiet babies, coffee cake?
Amazing?
It was. He was just so funny, man. Yeah, it killed me.
I loved like getting to do physical comedy in this way was always my favorite part of the show. And just the fact that we were able to have that the panic, what's going on? There's there's the humor in the sit up, in the look around, run into the room, you know, somebody fuck them. They're gone back into each other.
He's on the ground. He tells me to hit him, and I slibb him across the face, all because we can't understand the picture of Victoria Davis in like a nineteen fifties housewife, apron and two perfectly behaved babies in the high Trick. It it just kept getting better and it's like, that's the joke you want to build. It's the opposite of the hat on the hat that they threw it at Lee and Lisa unfortunately. And I was like, man, this is this is exactly what I want to be doing.
All yeah, you guys killed that. It was I was just saying, it was so far watching that you had to pop up and a run around the house him sliding it into the other rooms, that somebody stole them, and that you guys bump into each other. It was like, very well executed. I really really enjoyed that part.
Oh so well. When at first I thought it was a bit right. I thought he was sensing that Brooke and Victoria were about to get into it, and he was trying to like distract and deflect.
But then what was.
Funny about it is you realized that's actually not the case. He is just so happy to have fresh coffee cake and quiet babies. Yeah, it was so smart and so funny.
Man, it's so great. It's so great, and that the funny thing is like it was clearly funny then, but I was thinking about you watching the episode, Rob, because I was like, oh my god, now we both live in a house with two toddlers. Like, I know Rob's having the same experience I'm having right now, because it's like you wake up to quiet and you go.
I don't want to move.
I don't want to move, I don't want to breathe, I don't want to risk And it's just the stuff you don't know until you know it. And I I was giggling thinking about you watching that scene.
Oh, as soon as you have kids sleeping, like everything, as soon as the house is quiet, it becomes like the hurt locker.
Oh, you're like, don't you make a single sound, gently, don't shake the floorboards of the house.
Oh my gosh. With our son, he was not a good sleeper, and so like as soon as he was actually down, and it was that like that that thing where it's just like if one of us made a sound, you're like like whisper fighting because you were just so afraid of protecting this small window of peace.
Yeah, it's incredible. I also love that as they're so confused by the fact that they've gotten sleep and the fact that the babies are quiet, and what the fuck is going on? Why is Victoria baking? I loved Daphne's delivery of you don't see your father doing any of this, and it's like, oh, oh, I see what you're up to, lady, Okay, it's perfect.
Thank god dance back. You know, you don't realize how much I was aware of he wasn't in season eight, but like, I didn't realize how much I missed him until he's back and he is just that like drama. Umami, yeah, like, oh that's it.
I also love the flip of Julian this is so good, Victoria, and it cuts to Nathan going, this is not good, Hales, and it's like, it's all the parents. It's just parental drama, and no matter how old we get, we need it. We need the parents in the show.
And there's not really any inherent comedy with what's happening between Nathan and Dan, but they built in this really great comedic device where Haley and Nathan are talking in their bedroom and she she was like, listen, I realized you weren't here. I didn't know what to do, and she basically says, I told him, if you want him to go, he has to go, and it smash cuts too Nathan's standing over Dan in bed, going you.
Have to go. It was just such a great device, you know.
Yeah, and that whole storyline, you know, like it's great. Dan Scott is the ultimate joker card. He's he's the wild card, like you just don't know what he's up to, And several times in this episode, because he's so believable when he's when he's I don't know air quotes pretending to be sincere. But then you have moments like why is he evesdropping on Nathan and Haley's private conversation in
their bedroom not cool boundaries. Also at the end of the episode, when Nathan leaves and he basically tells him like, hey man, you can be here for right now, but you need to have an exit strategy in place, very very soon. And as soon as Nathan goes and Dan has like that line to Jamie or he's like, don't worry, I'm going to be here for a while.
See yeah, you're like, what is it? And the device of Jamie like having a kid old enough to have their own relationship with someone, to have their own desires and running commentary also in a weird way, adds to both the tension and the comedy of the Scott House Right Now because as soon as you get that jump
cut to Nathan saying you have to go. There's sweet little Jamie being like you didn't set a place for grandpa, and he starts moving the dishes around on the table and you're just like, oh shit, they're going to have to eat their words now, and then boom, Dan's at breakfast. It's it's all.
It's really well Dan Scott. I mean, he's he's the character where I mean, you're gonna stick around for that guy. They're like, I want to see what this extra is going to do next because he is just in't here causing chaos, and uh yeah, he's such a great character.
Can I pitch my fan theory that I came up with while I was watching this, Yes, it's going to be out there, right, But I don't remember all the specifics, but I do know obviously that Nathan is he's on the cusp of being kidnapped. Right, You're right, is there a world in which Dan Scott, who I know ultimately
is the savior is arranged so the perpetrator? I'm just saying because here's why, right, Remember in the episode nine oh one, there was like there was a couple creepy instances of like Karen's cafe front door was left open, there was someone jiggling the handle at at the James House and we were like, was it the gangster thing? Okay,
it couldn't have been gangsters. It had to have been Dan Scott because Nathan wasn't even supposed to be in Europe at this at that point in the storytelling, because Clay was the one who was supposed to go, it was an eleventh hour decision for Nathan to step in for him. So I just thought, I just found myself when I watched that shot of Dan standing there with Jamie watching the car drive away. And because Dan Scott is Dan Scott, it is not outside the realm of
possibility for him to orchestrate. I mean, listen, the season started with him setting his own place of work on fire, his own home and business. So I just thought, wouldn't And so I'm just putting that out there because I don't remember the specifics and that might be disproved very soon, but I just thought, like, wouldn't that be so Dan Scott to have your own son kidnapped so then you could be the hero and the good guy again.
And by the way. You know why I like where you're going with this because near the end of the episode, when Haley and Nathan are talking, she oh, no, no, it's when she's talking to Date and she essentially is saying, I am angry at you for what you did to Keith every day, and then she repeats that to Nate, saying, you know, he took Keith from us, but he also saved our son's life. So it's like her feelings about
him are on a seesaw. There's the most horrible thing and the most amazing thing waited on opposite ends, right, So how do you make the most horrible thing maybe go away? You have to do another one of the most amazing things, which is save the other person.
Yes, and the conversation you're referencing was that the one that we pulled out from and saw that he was in the hallway listening, Yes, yes, yes, saying.
We're aw by me in it. Oh, detective work over here. I'm impressed you are, Stephen.
All the fans are clamoring for Rob to start watching the show from season one because of his reactions to the things he learns, like the fact that Brooke and Chase dated in high school, and now I'm like, should you be should you be going back and starting or are you gonna, like, are you going to write the fan fiction? Are you like, I don't know, You're not a lot of opportunities.
I'll wear a couple of hats, guys, Let's do it. Okay, Yeah, I'll be I'll recap and fan fixed. Let's do it.
I love it. Uh, Poor Quinn, oh man, you know so heavy. You know what really was a shot to the heart for me was that beautiful scene with you and Chantelle where you're fighting her on therapy and she doesn't understand why and she has to stop you by saying, this is happening to me too.
Oh.
It just like it was like an emotional gut punch in a good way, because it's the perfect way to explain what it is like to love someone who is in some version of danger.
Yeah.
And when that like, you know, when you're looking at your person and they're suffering, you're suffering too. And I thought it was really beautiful.
She is exhibiting an olympic level of patience and grace with the situation because Clay is being real up to some sort of I think just selfish and self involved and thinking it's not having repercussions when she's having to just pick him up from the Pollee station in random parks in the middle of the night. I mean, that's yeah, that's crazy, so scary behavior because think about it, that means your partner could be getting hit by a car
like they don't, Well, that's it. It's it's nuts. So she has handled it so so so well, and especially that it's like it's just therapy, you know, it's not like it's a it's a serious medication that's going to change who you are is a person.
You know what I mean.
That would be a little it would make a little more sense to be stubborn about it, but it's I felt for her that she was having to fight so hard for something that seemed incredibly reasonable.
I did too. And then what I loved was we had the same aha moment in the Vulnerable reveal with Clay that we had with Chris Keller in their own ways, when you finally say, closer to the end of the episode, it if medication fixes me, then then I'm sick. If it's in my head, then I'm crazy. And I went, oh, okay, I understand why. I understand that he is experiencing such deep fear about what this could mean, that he's terrified to know the answer. And Ah, he's not dismissing her feelings.
He's not being dismissive of his own safety. He's really really scared to know what's wrong. And it was a really nice moment to see for you.
Yeah, because without that, he just seems like he's being selfish and unreasonable, and yeah, that makes and then you hear that, and also given his history, you're like, fair enough, you've gone through some serious traumas that you haven't really done the work around.
It was a great scene with you, Rob Chantelle, James and Jackson when you're like, you told Nathan and she's like, of course I did. And you're all in the room going back and forth. And again, Jamie serves for the comedic device in the heavy situation, just like he's doing in the house with Nathan and Haley and Dan with you guys, him getting so amped that Clay might be a werewolf. He's just it's like chef's kiss. It's the perfect levity to let some of the pressure out of the valve.
And again, great writing because they also found a moment to show the friendship and the care and the love between Nathan and Clay. Yeah, that Nathan was about to make a really big sacrifice that wasn't going to be easy on his family, and he didn't think about it twice. So it was just like everything worked on multiple levels, you know, and Haley being bummed but getting it, you know because like she also cares for Clay.
It was it was all of it was great, man, it was all really good.
Okay, let's talk about Brooks dad, how charming is.
So charming and the sexual tension between Ted and Daphney, how much they hate each other but like it's a and the way they know because nobody throws a barb like Victoria Davis except for Ted Davis. And seeing them go in a Ted a Ted, I'm obsessed with it.
Also, no one dramatically pounds a Martini better than Daphne's Zuniga.
No, incredible.
That was such a great moment. But yes, the way he plays with her, Oh, the way he just sort of sits back with that smirk and just lobs just grenades at her is so good. And this scene with uh Brooke and what's his name Ted.
It's Ted. Yeah.
This scene with Brooke and Ted when he's very late for lunch, imber I noted that it's it is. He presents just the right amount of ick to be noticeable and slightly concerning, but not enough to be red flaggy.
Yeah. And there's a really interesting thing because Brooke and Victoria have made it through their stuff. It makes sense that Brooke excuses the red flags about Ted because they're always coming out of Victoria's mouth, and she's like, well, of course you hate him, but look at us. You changed, he could change, so in a weird way, Victoria, it's like she could be his foil, but she can't be because she unfoiled herself. And it's it's really good. It's
a good tug of war that they've given. And I love that Victoria tries to go to Julian for help and he's just like, uh uh, I just want Brook happy, let me alone.
As he's finishing the last phrase of the coffee cake, which was such a smart choice to have him with that like nearly empty plate of food. The runner is so and it gives us great opportunity for us to see that Victoria really cares about Brook. It's not just about being petty with her ex husband. It's also her showing up to say like, don't don't burn her, you know, which made what I thought was going to be her getting stood up at lunch so much more painful.
Yeah, yeah, it's good. I also just hats off to Daphne because I have so much fun working with her and they give us that, they give us our own version of a seesaw. And when she when Brooke asks what's wrong, and Daphne just rattles off that list. I'm not getting any younger, I'm not having any sex my conniving ex husband. And it's just like it's so it's so so great, and I love getting to see the dynamic they give to us where I get to be sassy with her and say, first of all, ill second,
and then we're into the thing. It's just like, ah, it's an energy that I miss and very much like when you see Dan Scott and you go god, I missed that guy, Like whenever I see Brooke and Victoria kind of go at it. I want more.
My favorite line of the episode, first of all, you so good.
You guys worked so well together. I remember watching it. I remember taking acts of being on set and see whenever you guys work together, it always kind of stopped me to hang out and watch a little bit more of what you guys were doing because it was such
a good dynamic between the two of you. So just to what you're saying right there had the like acknowledgement of something and then get to what Brook needs to get to right like, all right, I'm gonna deal with that later, like clearly if you could just you can see the history and the baggage between the two of them, and uh, it's yeah, it's it's deep, and it's it's when you guys are on screen together. Really, it really pops.
Thanks Pal.
I also love there's things that I think I've realized through you know, our adulthood and like another ad for better help therapy, like so many people in our sort of age range have had to deal with the ramifications of being you know, parentified children. And I was watching that argument and I was like, oh my god, look Brook literally has to parent her mom. Like they get into it and then she's like, do you know how ridiculous it is that I can only get you to
to pay attention to me if I'm making clothes. I just want parents that want to spend time with me. And it's so it's so spot on because they're her parents, but she has to parent them all the time. Makes me get go.
Let me ask a question. Is it romantic or bold or inappropriate to move someone in without having even asked them first?
Mate, I have the exact same question. I was waiting for you guys to bring it up, but I was just like, I'm just gonna sit back. Of course, someone's gotta mention because this is not this is not normal.
This is not not normal behavior.
No, no, no, it's it's I was even I was asking my fiance. I was like, this is this would you find the sway? Which you find it creepy? He's like, well, how long they had been dating? And she asked all these questions on Alexi, You're having to ask a lot of questions. It's not an easy Yes, it's weird, it's.
All okay, Yeah, I thought so as well.
So here's the thing. And we've talked about this a lot. We talked about this last week. You know, in the first episode of the season, we were like, God, poor Steven and Jana. I just had to be in a bed and half naked. And but you guys are so good together. You have such great natural chemistry as co stars that you make things that could feel icky really enjoyable to watch. And so the notes I wrote, I was like, wait a second, Cha's talking to Chuck about this.
It sort of seems adorable. And then they get there and they're packing up her stuff. She's being given a choice, she's not her opinion is not asked. It's actually really an overreach and kind of creepy. And yet you and Jana make it so sweet and her kind of overwhelm and you were like, here's your glasses in your picture and I knew you'd need these things. And here's where I did all your toilet trees. And it's you guys are so sweet that you make a creepy situation less creepy.
But I still think if someone did it to me, I might be like, oh, we're like two steps away from put the lotion in the basket. Really, what's happening here?
What I felt watching it was and I don't remember this as much when we were shooting it. I remember like, okay, this is what topic. When need to commit to this, Like you know he Chase is really just trying to put his best foot forward and trying to display his love for her, which, by the way, before he tells her he is in love with her, he tells Chuck that the first person he tells about it, which is just kind of a little odd for me as well.
I mean, it's weird, but it's sweet.
Yeah, you're right, and I think at the undercurt of it all is like he is trying to be sweet, right, and it comes from a sweety place, but yeah, the delivery is not quite smooth, and it just not Yeah, I don't think it would be accepted by by most folks. I feel like somebody like, you know what, that's cool.
I love that he took that. That's great. But for me, the problem I have with it is that it was like he was not going to give her a chance to say no, even after the fact, because when we get into him like I've got the surprise for you, she comes over and then he is showing her you know, your your your pictures on the wall, right, your glasses are on the night stand, the makeup is in the bathroom.
You don't have a choice. You cannot say Ei, there's no way you can say I'm not ready for this or I'm a little creeped out, like so that was like, oh man, like she she has to be okay with it. But yeah, it was. It was an odd, odd, odd display of love. But you know what, maybe fan fiction rob can but can we say he was just so drunk on love trying to you know, he needed to get it out and he had set it yet and he decided to take action by moving stuff.
That's that's how I can make sense of it. Right. I still think it's a huge misstep because you're not inviting someone to cohabitate.
You are.
You are making a decision, a unilateral decision, and then you are choosing where they get to take up space. It's no, it's really bad, right, that's it.
It doesn't feel like collaboration. It feels like claiming yes.
And but here here's why, because you. Chase also has a line that really bummed me out in a big way, which is after you say I love you and you guys have sex, you're laying there an apropos of nothing. You just go or Chase goes it's okay, you didn't say it back, and she's like, huh, it's okay, you didn't say I love you back, And I'm like, if this isn't the most no therapy backwards way to try to get into the conversation you want to have. But the reason why you're that's why I think it works.
If we're gonna why I would argue that it's fine. The way it is is everything you did that Chase did is born of good intention. I don't think Chase did it to be controlling. I think Chase did it because he loves her and he wants to show it. And I think then he also this the circling back on that didn't say I love you. He's insecure, you know,
and he's trying to sort of feel that out. And because you play the role with such sincerity, that's why I think it works, Because exactly, I buy a twenty five year old dude whatever you're supposed to be at this point, who is putting on his adult pants for the first time. It's awkward and it's clumsy, and so yeah, I understand all of it.
Yeah, So this feels like the relationship to Chase is one that he does not and again it could sound creepy at first, but he does not want to let go. He does not want to let this one go. He doesn't want to lose it after you know, considering what's happened in his past relationships and which is kind of
ultimately you know where we know the sends up. Which is so tragic about it all is because him coming off of having this relationship with me and what she meant to him, and really not wanting to screw up the next one and really wanting to make the next one work. You know, I feel like when you see it with the little like love triangle that they're in, like Chase was out of his league and it was like he did not want to be in this situation. It's not you know, that's not something that like he
found himself in often. And so now that he's got a girl that he feels struggling about, he feels like it's reciprocated. He's like, Okay, like let's like let's make the steps for her to one hundred percent know that I'm all in, and hopefully that'll want her to maybe stick around, right or any opportunity that she might have to question the relationship, question his love for her, or go somewhere else, she would be she would not be able to take it, because man, what a great thing
that we have. And that's the way I felt about it, like for seeing him as like I can't let anything come between this, so like let's let's just get you know, let's get this train rolling. And you know, there's something to be said about, you know, moving too quick or being too eager. And I think in that situation, you know, while it's coming from a good place, you're you're you're seeing him too eager, and ultimately it's gonna buy it.
But well, I think that's a really astute observation because especially when you're younger, you know, if you think about like a pendulum swing, if you think you've made a mistake, the way to do it differently is actually to come to center. But so often people go like, oh, I did this dumb thing. Let me go do this thing over here, And it takes, you know, time to learn not to do that, to to not failing on both hard in the other direction, to try to course correct.
May or may not be saying that from experience, you who knows.
Are we all? Are we all?
Are we all? I think that's a real thing, and and I think that's what you're observing, and that's what makes it feel really grounded. And to Rob's point, you're really genuinely excited about it. So it doesn't it doesn't feel creepy coming from Chase. But I also think as adults were like, oh, a bad call man. No, no, we know better, and that's not the vibe.
And as someone who likes Chase and roots for Chase, one thing I will say is that he has good instincts because we learned last season from his little confessional with Julian when when he was stuck in the middle level love triangle, he made the surprising decision of saying no to both of them. Yeah and it so it had he stuck with what his gut told him, Like he was right, you know what I mean, Like his gut, his gut was right. So I feel like and then like we see the stuff with Chuck, it we are
just watching a young man grow up. But at his core, like all of the right things are there, you know, his like his morality, he's there. His instincts are good and seem to be on, you know, and like, so we're just watching him go through the trial and error of figuring it out. But he's a good guy. You know, he's going to get there. We're just watching, you know, some rough drafts.
Yeah, you know, I felt it's like I remember thinking about this with with with Chase.
With to what you're.
Saying, I think you hit it on the head, Matt. It it feels like he always he wanted to do the right thing, did have a good set of morals and values around him, but would find himself experiencing life where it's like, I don't care who you are and how perfect you you aspire to be in life, like you're going to You're going to step in s h I T at some point, you know, and and you're going to have your issues and your problems with with certain people, or you're gonna some people are gonn align
with you and how you handle that. And so I think that that's why I see it's like that, you know, Chase his core, he really does mean well, but it's just the execution is not always smooth.
Yeah.
I think that's really which is great, but it breaks my heart because at the end when she goes and says to Chris, I want to go on the tour, I was like, good, too much, too much, too much to blow and parachute oh god, yep, yep.
There's especially like when you see someone has completely dropped their armor and they're like, yeah, well nothing here but vulnerability, and then that they're about to get just completely caught off guard.
Yeah, I'm sad for you. I'm nervous for next week.
It was a yeah, I remember it was. It was kind of a shocking I mean, look where it's it's TV the stuff. It's like, right when you get the bow on the present and it's ready to go that it's you know, someone's gonna steal it, right or it gets ripped apart like it. That's with the journey and for Chasing and Alex. You know, all right this you think, And I I remember going like, all right, that's cool. Let's see how they interact as a couple that is
feeling secured together. How are they going to take out on the world together? But what are they going to have to navigate together as a as a couple. And we don't really see that, We don't really get that because it's you know, the rugs pulled out from underneath it and and that's it. And uh, I remember being disappointed that all of a sudden all right, we're going to you know, see Alex as much anymore.
So Yeah, I know it's hard.
But and I want to, you know, circle back to the questions we have before night. The question I get often when where iver at a convention or something, which is where Chase. Where I feel Chase's is best suited
between the Mia and Alex at all. And I really did screw up by like kind of like give it a half baked answer about Oh, I think Mia would be a good one because watching this and watching some of the end of season and seeing what Alex and Chase had together, and seeing how Janna plays Alex, like really really some some great stuff. But it's bringing back a lot of good memories of working with Channa. She's a fantastic actress, and her Alex is so good that
the character she's she's so good on screen. So there there is a strong, strong case for what could have been one hundred percent with Chase said Alex. Yeah, I agree, I listen.
I having you know, I have no idea how the rest of the season wraps up. I'm assuming because I thought you and Mia were like always in game that it's going to be you and Mea or chasing Mea. And if that's the case, boy, I just sure hope there's a good reason for it, and it's not just well you're the last girl left in town, you know?
But I agree, I love I love Chasing Alex. I have been so pleasantly surprised that it has gone on for as long as it did, because, like I said, I I thought you guys had like a one episode thing and that was it.
So you are in for a curveball. I do know what comes next, and I wish I could see I wish I could see you watch it.
I'll text you. I'll text you after it. I'm sure i'll know the episode.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a doozy, my friend, it is a doozy.
Well.
We have a listener question, which is interesting because we are talking about how things wrap up, and Chris wants to know going into the final season, was there a sense of pressure or responsibility to give longtime fans the ending they deserved.
I feel like that pressure was more on the writers, don't you.
That's what I was going to say. I think it's really tricky when you are an actor, because yes, of course you want things to be beautiful and everyone knows how hard it is to you know, wrap up a whole series in a perfect bow. But I think it would be so much harder, you know, to be like a Quinta or someone who writes and stars in their own show. I think I would have like a nervous breakdown for a series finale if I had to write it.
And I agree with you, guys, I think it's it's definitely all it's the writers are the real heroes in this right They are the ones that are putting that story down and then we show up to play it. But I would feel, you know, I would not feel
appropriate answering that question. I feel like, soph you would be the one just because you've been there from the beginning, you know, and I'm curious because you you I actually like I speak for you, but I would I would feel like maybe if I was in your shoes, I was it from the beginning and I knew the impact that this show had that were you going into the last season just hoping and praying that they were going
to do right by your character? And did you did you at all feel the pressure of like, oh no, what's like? How are they gonna you know, put a bow on on the on the book of it all. What's it going to be? Were you very curious to ask them even going in or at the end of season eight.
I mean, I thought the end of season eight was really beautiful. We talked a few weeks ago about how it really did feel like a series finale because we all thought it was gonna be. You know, I remember
even like an amazing conversation I had. I went out to dinner with two of the writers in like the last few weeks of season eight, And I won't say who they are because I don't want to blow them up on the internet, but like there were things where they were like, oh my god, now we can finally tell you this story, or we da da da da, And then we all came back and we were like, I mean, we'll be friends forever, but it is also really awkward that now we know these things and we're here,
we have to like work with that person or whatever I think for me, you know, to Rob's earlier question, like about Lee's storyline, we obviously like our boss was an incredibly talented writer who ran an incredibly talented writer's room and also a vindictive, unkind person in some really
terrible ways at terrible times. And what I think was hard about knowing we were going to wrap up and seeing some of the things happening for people was like people were getting really amazing stuff that it did feel like the characters deserved, and then people were getting dunked on in really unkind ways, and I just remember thinking, like, I really hope those things can stop by the time we get to our thirteenth episode, because this show means so much to so many people, to all of us,
to the crew, but to the people who watch it, and I hope it's great. And I remember near the end, you know, spoiler alert if you haven't watched it, speed up. But I remember near the end, when Julian builds the high school on the sound stage, we had this scene in the hallway, and the scene just didn't feel great like it was. It was a very normal conversation between Brooke and Julian, and I remember saying to you know, the wonderful Greg Prange, like can I just have a second,
Can I just talk for a second. And I just talked about our show and us in this place, and they put everything that I had lived in the episode and like that for me felt to answer Chris's question,
like that's where I felt it. I was like in this moment, like I can't be Brooke Davis standing in front of Peyton's locker with nine years of history and like not say more, and they let me try one and then it made the episode and like that that was the moment where I was like, Okay, I got I got to sprinkle a little bit more for me and for our for our.
Fans too, and it's also special, super cool and I and you used the word hope multiple times in that explanation, and that's what I was going to say is I didn't feel a sense of pressure or responsibility, I mean beyond the normal responsibility of you know, trying to play the characters as well as I could.
I would say I had a sense of hope of just really crossing my fingers that we were going to land the plane and we were going to stick the landing. And I think by when we were shooting episode thirteen, especially like that the real kind of the wrap up of it feeling like Okay, this feels like we're in the right sandbox with giving that sort of like the respectful, happy ending to this world that we've created, and hopefully the fans feel the same way.
Yeah, especially after the potential of a few seasons ending and being like this could be very well could be the last episode where everyone was, you know, convinced that maybe it was, and that it would come back, it would come back again, come back again.
I also just remember, you know, it was a mix of emotions for all of us, right, like everyone was ready to be done, but also we didn't know what was coming next, and it's sad to think about leaving your friends and whatever hit me in our last episode. I mean I cried for two straight weeks every time I looked at any of you, every time I looked at like Maddie Doll on the camera, I just I just kept sobbing. And Tim was like, you have to stop crying. Your makeup hop and I'm like, god, I'm sorry,
Like I don't know. It was so it was like a really special bit or sweet thing.
It was important. It was a very important part of
all our lives during that time. I mean, at least for me, it's something I look back and think about, you know, A good chunk of my twenties growing up with you guys out there, and you field so fortunate to not only the experience work wise, the experience just with the people you guys, and the times that we had offset together were always so fun, and those memories I cherished the dearly, dearly to have, especially you know, to get growing up in southern California, to find myself
in a little town on the East coast, not just for four years of college or something like that, but you know, for for a good chunk of you know, of a decade and making something that we were all so happy to actually have the opportunity the dream job, a job that we always hope that we'd get. So cherish those moments, even though you know, I think, yeah, by the time we get to season nine, a lot of people were like, all right, we've been doing the show for a very long time. Maybe it's time to
move on to something else. But you know, for me, it was like I popped in season six and then you know, getting to see nine, I was around a lot more. But I also felt even at that point, like, you know what, it's it feels like it's time. It's it's been a great run, and it does feel like it's time to put this down.
To set it down, not put it down like an injured horse.
Guys, just to be yes, yes, humanely, yes, frame it and put it on the show. There you go, yes, yes, jet Lee, gently set it down.
Steven wanted to take one tree hill out behind the barn and.
I didn't even realize put it down. What I was saying, Oh, man, send it to pasture. Well you want to spend a wheel with us, buddy, Okay, yes.
Most likely too, Let's do this most.
Oh my, oh my gosh, I've never seen this before.
Watch it's going to be most likely to cry through the workday.
I'm like me, most Stephen, you read it, most likely to binge watch an entire season of a show in one day. Rob Buckley easily three kids. Yes, well, because you you would have it just on in the background, Like you wouldn't sit there and watch a show all day, but you like to just have I remember this when we were roomors, you would have like VP would always be on the background, maybe New Girl, like a great comedy.
It's just like sometimes the music you have in your house, or at least it was when we were living together, which I loved. So it's like any you know, you kind of pop interview from time to time, but I would I would put you on theirs ass. And maybe it's not the true, you know, sitting down and watching every minute, but yeah, you're like, if we had to go through the log of like all right, how many times has this season been watched by the three of us?
Just just from the loop that you would have on a TV, It's like it's got to be.
Rob Yeah, yes, especially how many years did we live together? I was trying to do this math because it started on one I poached you from James. You were living with James at the beach initially.
Yes, and then in this final season, which I'm surprised we really talk about because like, man, the fun we had like being such nerds video gaming, like just like like with candy, like going out, like just having candy then like just like wandering the streets like we're like it's so funny, Like we would just go out like and I honestly would be like a sugar high half the time, and I like we were just kind of mosier out yeah, and be like you know what we
need at at two in the morning, Like where is there a coffee? Joint that's open because we want to like play video games for another like two hours, Like let's go to a CVS. It's twenty four hour, get some, get some like uh, you know, espresso shots.
You were getting like energy and choco, talking.
Like muddy buddies.
And then we remember our brief kick as being graffiti artists.
Oh, I didn't know if you're to go like yeah, because that's kind of illegal and illegal, but we don't have to admit to anything.
We just really liked street art for like four weeks yep.
Yeah.
And did we maybe target like construction sites that like stuff was gonna be painted over? Yes, we we we talked about that. We talked we talked.
About the reponsible vandals.
Yes, exactly.
We also had a we we would have index cards. Of course, we were coming up with brilliant ideas, just the most profound ideas the word has the world has ever seen. And usually sometime they're just like a picture of like a cartoon character or there were an idea, we'd write it on an index card and we'd stick it to the wall. And we have this giant collage of like two hundred index cards on our apartment wall. With like some of the most stupid.
Ideas, that's right, or just if someone said something funny, like a funny line, we would write it down. Oh my gosh, I remember that well.
Oh yeah, Living Together season nine, what's a special season? It was all right, buddy, I love you. Thank you so.
As well. To hang out with us, dude, it's always the most fun.
I appreciate it. This is this is a treat, and you know, such fond memories, as I said, with you guys, and I just I look up to you guys so much, and I'm so grateful for the way you guys treated me on the show whenever we were out there from the beginning of course, so to as a roommate and a buddy out there rock like we we had so much fun. So I adore you guys, one hundred percent. Feelings mutual. Dure you.
Next episode, guys, season nine, I can't believe it. I see that I'm going to get a emotion. Season nine, episode three, Love the.
Way You Lie. Finally a song title that I actually know.
It took us nine seasons, but we got there. Who's the Who's the artist?
Rihanna Oh featuring Rate Born Right, So yeah, it's a good one, all.
Right, everybody. Thanks for tuning in. Steven, thanks for joining us, said, thank you, guys, 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.
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