Sunday, August 7, 2011

My Review of Life Unexpected 2.04- Team Rebounded

Cate and Kelly become friends (sort of), Ryan and Cate come to and agreement (sort of), Baze comes to a realization, and Tasha returns....

Well, Cate had an eventful night.  First, whe has to make nice with Kelly.  Not sure if sharing that much personal information is wise when you're drinking though.  That is just begging for a badly timed share.  I will just say that I have no clue why they didn't discuss this issue *BEFORE* the wedding.  Seriously, that is just something that a couple should talk about.  Not to do so is just totally moronic.  While I am glad that they did finally talk about it, Cate then goes and (predictably) spoils it by then taking contraception.  I am not at all surprised she did it (and actually I figured out it was going to happen), I am disappointed.  I was so hoping that she was going to rise above herself and work with Ryan.  This is not a male thing, this is a keeping your word thing.  Period.

And finally Ryan lays everything out for Cate to see.  While he loves Lux and wants to be like a dad, he knows it will never happen and wants a child of his own.  Totally understandable.  Unfortunately he cannot seem to trust Cate about this.  Hope this doesn't get too messy, although I am totally exepecting a major blow out, probably around mid-season time.

Lux, honey, Cate said that she would take Tasha in as a last resort (ok not exactly those words, but that was the idea).  That doesn't mean that you go and ruin the house of a woman who is fostering Tasha to get her to move in with you.  And what exactly happened with Lux and the woman (Wendy?)?  Lux said to Tasha that it was bad, but from what the social worker said and what I saw in the letter, it seemed to be a great placement.  Really curious about this and so hope they go into this soon.  I wonder if this has anything to do with her bad grades.

Cate, part deux.  Marriage means making *JOINT* decisions about the big things.  Learn this and your life will be a helluva lot easier.  I do have to say that I loved how they handled the whole thing with Tasha though.

Baze got an interesting revelation tonight.  I will say that I think his cushioning the blow to Math was the best way to handle it given the circumstances.  Paige totally should have manned (womaned ?) up and done it herself, but like a little coward she passed it onto Baze.  And Baze tried to let Math down easy and not bruise his ego too badly.  Unfortunately, given the misunderstanding of the kiss, Math wouldn't be let down nicely and Baze had to hit him with the brutal truth.  Not fun, but the best that could be hoped for all things considered.  And the basketball team celebrating over scoring 3 points was totally cute.

Next week, an OTH-LUX crossover.....

My Review of Life Unexpected 2.03- Criminal Incriminated

Cate gets high, Lux sinks lower in my estimation, Baze starts his job, Ryan and Cate have fights, and Baze gets a new roomie....

Oh, and Lux gets a tutor......

And Lux sinks lower in my estimation. Stealing answers is bad enough, but then going out on a date in order to secure answers to another exam. I am glad she came clean (only after getting caught though) though. And she wonders why Cate thought she might have taken the money? And then going off and blaming Cate and Baze for what she did is total bull$h!t. I am so glad that Math called her on it. I get that there is pressure, but there is NEVER an excuse for cheating. EVER. One more time for emphasis: *NEVER*!!! I do have to say that her getting Eric as a tutor ought to be interesting......

Watching a high Cate was just too d@mn funny. At first, I thought that the peppiness was a facade because she was a producer. But then as she kept chattering away, it was just funny. Then the open mic insults of "fake virgin Barbie" (i.e. Kelly) was hilarious. I so loved that.

Poor Ryan. He defends his sister who keeps screwing up. First she sleeps with Baze and burns down his bar. Then she overstays her welcome. Which is followed by her making banana pot bread. All of this he could forgive. But lying to his face about stealing from Cate was the last straw. And I feel bad for him given how he found out about Paige and Baze. Speaking of Paige, if anyone watched Gilmore Girls, you may recognize her as Dean's wife Lindsay.

Wow, Baze can really pull it out when he has to. His job appears to be on the chopping block and he manages to charm his way out of the problem. Am I seeing a possible romance between Baze and his boss? Seeing him try so hard to keep it all together and do well hurts a bit. I am glad that he is managing it all though.

Can I say how much I LOVED the basketball game in the end? Seeing the four of them together and enjoying each other was really nice. I was especially pleasantly surprised by how Ryan and Baze are coming closer together. This is an interesting family unit. I feel pity for any women Baze dates. She will have to adjust to a very interesting situation.

Next week, Lux plays basketball about as well as I do.....

My Review of One Tree Hill 8.03- The Space In Between

Good episode with a twist or two I didn't see coming and one I saw. But before that, can I say that I was NOT fond of this version of "I Don't Want to Be".......

Was it me or was this version of the theme by Fall Out Boy (or at least I think it was the lead singer)? Honestly, not fond of how it sounded. Just sounded wrong. Maybe it's just me.....

Speaking of songs, does anyone know who sang the song playing the first time Quinn went to see Clay? I love that sort of music and so want to know who that was and what song it was.

First, we get another reason to love Nathan. We get an answer about his doctor's visit in the first episode. His back is degenerating and he might have a season or two to play. So, he chooses to go out on his own terms and help a friend at the same time. I feel bad that he couldn't help Clay out, but his heart was definitely in the right place. And his reaction to the strong possibility of losing Clay was just heartbreaking. Nathan doesn't break down that often and seeing him fall apart was not the easiest thing. His talk with Haley in the chapel (I think it was a chapel anyways) was just lovely.

I am really loving the way they are opening the shows with Haley writing to Lucas. Speaking of Haley, it was nice to see her be the support for Nathan this week. He needed it and like the couple we (well, most of us anyways) know and love. She supported and helped Quinn when she needed it and was there supporting and helping Nathan. Good Haley, you get a cookie.

Wow, I cannot believe what Victoria did. I am seriously impressed with her. Totally taking responsibility and doing whatever she has to do to ensure that Brooke gets to keep Clothes Over Bros. I was so not expecting that.

I loved the use of Mouth's voiceovers as narration for the scenes. Very nice. Really hope he gets a job soon.

Brooke and Julian didn't do much this week. Watching Jamie was cute. Brooke definitely knows that Victoria loves her. If there is any doubt about her in Brooke's mind, it should be totally erased at this point.

Watching Clay and Will together was cool. I have to admit that I was wondering if Will was supposed to be an Angel of Death or something. Weird, I know, but you never know sometimes. I knew that Will's kidney was going to Clay when I saw the Code Blue in the ICU. Clay was not going to die (obviously), so that was sort of an obvious twist.

Next week...well, not sure actually....hafta wait and see....

My Review of Life Unexpected 2.02- Parents Unemployed

Cate and Baze go on a job hunt, Cate and Ryan have words, and Lux is told she is close to failing out of school.

Ok, I am going to start in on Lux. Girl, I am pissed at and severely disappointed in you. Cheating on an exam? I am foreseeing nothing but trouble out of this. I do understand that she is under a lot of pressure to preform, but cheating by stealing and photographing the answer key is so beyond the pale that I cannot even adequately express my disgust with her. My one consolation is that she seems to feel very guilty about it and I so hope that she learns and grows from this experience.

The other story with Lux tonight was the continuation of her romantic night with Eric. I appreciate that it was that night that gave her the ability to do the right thing about the engagement, but she so needs to stay away from Eric. He is trying to stay away from her, and she is not making it very easy. You have to admire his determination to avoid any situation with her; at least initially. By the end of the episode, he started to cave. I worry about this....

It was nice to see Baze really go out there and get something he wants. He finally seems to be doing something because HE wants it, not because his dad does or does not want it. Seeing his determination and perseverance was really cool. I do wonder how he will deal with this type of job. I really hope he succeeds. I do wonder if the bar will come back. His meeting Paige and realizing who she was was great.

I feel for poor Cate. Getting released last week was bad enough. Then finding out that Ryan wanted her to come back on as a producer was definitely humiliating; at first. Once we heard his reasons, we realized that it was so not humiliating. Did she overreact? Yes, but understandably so. I hope that taking this job will somehow result in the firing of the other girl (Kelly?).

Next week, Ryan finds out about Paige and Baze. Uh oh.......

My Review of One Tree Hill 8.02- I Can't See You, But I Know You're There

Everyone deals with the aftermath of the shootings of Quinn and Clay, Brooke deals with the aftermath of Millie and Victoria's lies, and Mia deals with the aftermath of her choice to break up with Chase.

Well, that was an interesting episode. Perfect title for the episode. Does anyone know who sang the theme? It was definitely different and I liked it. I wonder if they are going to do a different person singing every week.

I found the Clay and Quinn out of body experiences to be interesting. While not what I would expect from the One Tree Hill universe, it is not wholly implausible. I did like the way it allowed them to hear what everyone was saying. And from the previews for next week, it looks like Clay will continue in this world. Do wonder how that will go. I am very curious as to how they survived this long, but I am willing to suspend my unbelief for a bit.

Poor Haley gets it in the gut again. She is the one who finds her sister and her friend on the floor shot and bleeding. So not what she needs right now. Sending Mia to get Jamie was amusing since he was (understandably) suspicious of people trying to pick him up. More on this in a bit. I think it was neat when she confessed that she wanted Quinn to be her new child's godmother. I also am loving the opening with Haley writing to Lucas. That friendship has been important from the beginning and it is nice to see it continue to pay off. I am proud of Nathan for coming back. Not at all surprised, but still proud. He is always there for the people he loves.

I loved watching Jamie and Julian together. The batting cage was hilarious. Watching Julian fail, then seeing Jamie succeed and listening to Julian's excuses was funny. To finally see Julian succeed after coaching from Jamie was really amusing. Then listening to the list of things that Jamie beat Julian in was hilarious. And trying to pull something over Jamie does not work very well, particularly he knows how things are going to be. Watching him with Quinn was nice. He is such a good kid....ok, with a few notable exceptions....

Poor Brooke is caught in a bad situation because she trusted Millie and Victoria too much. I refuse to say that she trusted the wrong people because I honestly think that both of them are the right people and wanted to give her the best chance they could. Unfortunately, the way they chose was illegal. And as much as I hate to say it, Brooke is partially at fault. She should have kept a closer eye on what was going on. I know that she appointed people she thought she could trust, but I do think she should have kept a closer eyes on things. I hate to say that, but there it is. It was nice to see her there with Haley. Again, not unexpected, but nice anyways. I loved Victoria's speech and think Victoria was being totally honest.

Mia and Chase getting Jamie was funny. Given his history with Carrie, I found his reaction understandable and totally amusing. Listening to him question how Mia could be a close friend to Haley and not be in Denver was interesting. And then to see him totally reject Chase was just funny. Mia's little confrontation with Alex was interesting. Wonder how long this little war will last.

Next week, Clay sees dead people.......

My Review of Life Unexpected 2.01- Ocean Uncharted

Interesting welcome back. Cate is fired, Baze gets burned, Bug and Lux are on the outs (again), and Ryan apparently got himself some on the side when he and Cate broke up.

Let me start with Lux. Small smack for accepting the proposal in the first place, but it was totally understandable. She is amazingly mature for a 16 year old, but Bug so should not have proposed to her. But he did, and she accepted in a moment of thoughtlessness. Once she got herself out of that situation and able to think, she realized that she made a mistake and tried to figure out what to do. So, she went off with a nice guy and kissed him. Or he kissed her actually. I think. Then she tells Bug that she wants to be with him but is not ready to be engaged. He, in typical Bug fashion, massively overreacts and turns into a major league @$$hole. Again, understandable, but his nasty comments ("What makes you think you could ever be normal?" as an example) and general immaturity (particularly compared to Lux) make me dislike him.

Poor Baze lost Cate (his fault) and then his bar (not really his fault). And irony of ironies, the new bartender he hooked up with and who then burned his bar, is Ryan's sister. Waiting for the fireworks when that information is revealed. Glad to see that his dad is less of a jack@$$ then he was last season. Maybe there is hope after all.

Cate and Ryan are happy with each other, but tension is sure to quickly mount. Between Cate being fired and Ryan (apparently) sleeping with someone named Julia (who sent them a gift!) and not telling her about it, I am waiting for massive fireworks. And may I say that the new co-host of the radio show is like Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives, but with less class. I so hate her already.

I admit, I didn't see the whole Eric being a teacher thing until the end when we got the shot of Lux walking up the stairs. That is when everything hit me. Oh boy.....

Next week, Lux and Eric have sparks flying.....

My Review of One Tree Hill 8.01- Asleep at Heaven's Gate

First, welcome back my fellow OTHers. Second, sorry this took a while, but I just finished the episode. And since this episode was on yesterday, I will do no spoiler space. My Life Unexpected review will be in about an hour or so as soon as I watch it.

Before the characters, may I say I LOVED the credits! When I heard the first few notes, I instantly teared up. I was so nice to hear the theme song and see the credits again. Very nice!

Let us start with Brooke and Julian. Engaged and loving it, obviously. And Julian, you are such a girl....planning your wedding since you were 9! Wow....but that just makes him that much more adorable. Loved the Grease 2 scene. Poor Haley comes in to announce her pregnancy, Julian comes out to invite Brooke to be with his "greased lightning" and Haley puts two and two together and we get the "Oh, my god, my two friends are about to have sex!" reaction. Hilariously amusing. And the buried headline as she leaves was great. Followed by Julian and Brooke venting a little and Brooke getting arrested. She gets released after a thorough....uhh.....examination and goes to Victoria and Millie and is informed that they exaggerated the profits to get investors for the men's line followed by Brooke losing everything in the store. Good thing she still has Julian. She'll get through this and hopefully get some of her integrity back. And she also knows that now she needs to take a more hands-on approach to the business.

Second, Haley and Nathan. Sex=Basketball? Nathan, seriously?!?! Granted, having that particular conversation with your 8 (or is it 9) year old son cannot be comfortable, but the analogy just didn't work. Followed by Haley babbling about Chester. No wonder Jamie wants to figure out what is up with "the S-E-X". Love the spelling of the word by the way. And doing a search for "lady rabbit sex" was guaranteed to bring up some interesting results. I had to pause my DVR and get my breath back after that scene. And Jamie gets the punishment and clear reasons behind it. The dual doctor's visits were interesting. Think I should be worried, but for now I will reside in the land of denial. Inviting Jamie and Haley to travel with him was totally romantic and totally Nathan. And thank you for having Haley write to Lucas. Now, just have Brooke write to Peyton.

Our love triangle of the season= Mia/Chase/Alex. Given Alex's tendencies and the look on her face, this could be really dirty and bad. I laughed at Alex doing the cherry stem knot with her tongue. I sort of feel bad for Mia, but she did dump Chase and he found someone else. Sucks, but can we be really surprised?

Finally, Quinn and Clay. At first, I was slightly confused. But around the time of the phantom phone, I had it figured out. It was nice to see the two of them so happy and in love. And may I say that wardrobe had a REALLY easy day with these two. Wonder what will happen with them.....

Next week, Quinn and Clay are in the hospital and do some sort of ghost type thing. Until then.....