Top Ten Musical Artists of One Tree Hill

I am going to be a bit more specific. I will be mentioning the top 10 Musical Artists to appear on OTH and play. In other words, Bryan, Bethany, Tyler, Kate, and any other musician who has a major storyline isn't going to be counted in this one. Don't get me wrong, I love all of them, but I wanted to make this more about musicians as musicians and not as actors. And yes, this does say alot about my own musical tastes, so it will probably be different from other people who have different musical tastes.

[10] The Noisettes (Episode 7.04)

[9] The Wreckers (Episode 2.13)

[8] Nada Surf (Episode 3.11)
[7] Fall Out Boy (Episode 3.15)

[6] Gavin DeGraw (Episode 1.10)

[5] Grace Potter (Episode 6.07)

[4] Sheryl Crow (Episode 1.16)
[3] Angels & Airwaves (Episode 6.10)
[2] Jimmy Eat World (Episode 2.22)
[1] Jack's Mannequin (Episode 3.15)

Tomorrow: favorite songs. Wednesday: Funniest Moments and "WTF!"/"OMG!" Moments

Best and Worst Storylines for One Tree Hill

I am not entirely sure I can do a complete list of 10 for each, but I'll see what I can do.

Best

[1] Naley Courting (Season 1)- Definitely my favorite storyline.  I have always loved the storyline of a bad guy (or girl) changing him (or her) self out of love for someone else.  I also loved how authentic the whole thing was.  Nathan didn't do some superhuman change overnight, instead he moved forward and back as he became a better man.  Haley also changed, and not always for the better.  But ultimately, this storyline brought us the best couple, Naley.

[2] The School Shooting- While not my favorite story, it was definitely among the best.  It was a story that was handled with a great deal of care and respect for all parties involved.  They didn't demonize Jimmy or the students who bullied him.  Instead, they showed what could happen when people forget about the power of words and actions.

[3] Luke's Investigation of Keith's death- This storyline laid the groundwork for the redemption of Dan Scott which I also liked (see 4 below).  Luke was doggedly determined to find out what exactly happened and to Keith even if it estranged him from his mom.  That took real guts and showed the depth of Luke's love for Keith.

[4] Redemption of Dan Scott- Obviously Dan can never been completely redeemed in the eyes of the people he has affected, but that didn't stop him from trying.  What I really liked about this storyline was that Dan didn't just become a weak-willed character, but kept the menace and danger that he had always had, just focused more constructively than previously.

[5] Deb and Dan's divorce- Especially the couple of episodes where they were pranking each other.  While most of the pranks were just downright petty, others were not so much, but they were all quite funny.  This story also brought us ultimately to the wacky Deb who was just great.

[6] Skillz and Deb's romance- This was just hilarious.  Skillz is such a cougar chaser.  I also loved the whole internet aspect of it (webcam anyone? <snerk>)  They were actually really good for each other, particularly after Q was killed.  I was sad to see the two of them breakup.

[7] Peyton and the Record Label- Mainly because it introduced Kate whose music I love, love, love!  It also gave Peyton's music obsession a useful adult outlet and showed us alot of really cool bands.

[8] Lucas' Investigation of Dan (Season 2)- This just showed that Lucas could play the same game as Dan, albeit not quite on the same level, although to be honest, who could?  I think it also gave Dan an idea of how determined Lucas can be to uncover the truth when he wants it.

[9] Nathan's Point Shaving- While I can't say I liked this storyline, it did show that Nathan is still a good guy no matter what he may do.  He started off the whole thing trying to provide for his family and then it got out of hand very, very quickly.  It also had impact in the 5th and 6th seasons.

[10] Haley going on tour- Again, not a favorite, but definitely an important plotline.  It introduced us to Chris, gave us rockstar Haley which would continue on even into the current season, and ultimately showed Naley's strength.

Worst

[1] Nanny Carrie kidnapping Dan- Hands down the worst storyline from One Tree Hill.  It never fit in and was just too weird to really be likable.

[2] Love Triangles- Take your pick.  I don't like love triangles because I see them as a crutch to real writing.  If you don't know what else to do, give us a love triangle.  They have also been overused and stretched out for far too long.  In addition, while they might have been ok in high school, in the post-college OTH, they were just annoying.

[3] Renee accuses Nathan of adultery- This one just seemed like drama for the sake of drama.  Never fond of that.

[4] Katie stalks Clay- Again, just a weird story which was basically a retread of FauxDerek.

[5] Nanny Carrie (Season 5)/Gigi (Season 6)- Basically these were two of the more annoying love triangles and again, just drama for the sake of drama.

Can't really think of anymore because #2 covers so many.  Tomorrow, I'll try to do Favorite Musical Artists and Favorite Songs.

My Review of The Secret Circle 1.10- Darkness

Ok, not liking the Elders.  Also not liking what Faye is doing to get her powers back.  Nice to see Melissa finally becoming her own person though.

Ok, so we all know Cassie is powerful.  Just how powerful is she is the question on the floor.  She can do single magic even though she is bound to the Circle, she can do magic when it is supposed to be contained, and she is powerful enough to overcome an Elder's magic.  Oh, and yes, she may be "the one" they are looking for to tip the balance between good and evil.  Not a good thing, particularly since her dark powers seem to come out if she is frightened or angry.  She dreams about killing Jake, nearly kills Adam, and bust out of a box meant to contain and kill her with explosive results.  To make matters even worse, she seems to like the dark powers.  Dark side of the Force anyone?  In other words, this is potentially a *VERY BAD* thing.

I don't like Diana's grandmother.  Anyone who would casually test a child in such a cold blooded and callous manner is not someone I can ever like.  She may have had good reasons for doing what she did, but still, she gives me the screaming willies.  At least the Elders know for sure that Charles has been using magic, and I suspect that they will figure out that Dawn is in on it too.

And Faye is seriously desperate.  Desperate enough to go to a voodoo practitioner to get her powers back.  And god help us all when she gets them back.  I am foreseeing a contest between her and Cassie and I suspect that without a serious power boost, Faye doesn't stand a a snowball's chance in hell.

I am glad that Melissa is becoming her own person and not just an appendage to someone else.  At least something good is coming out of Nick's death.  Standing up to Faye is a good first step.  Now, here's hoping she continues on the path.

And Jake is back.  Good thing?  Or not?

Next week, Faye starts on her quest to get her powers back with serious repercussions for the Circle.

My Review of Vampire Diaries 3.10- The New Deal

Welcome back from the long hiatus.  And what a welcome back we have, Stefan has gone over to the dark side which has Elena and Damon up in arms, Klaus is mightily pissed off, Tyler realizes what he is in for, Bonnie is put in the middle of Stefan and Klaus, Alaric suffers because of Stefan and Klaus, and Jeremy does something that shocks Elena deeply....

Wow, I cannot believe Stefan.  Kidnapping Klaus' family I get, but by refusing to release them, he is placing everyone in danger.  The worst part is that he doesn't care.  He is so focused on damaging Klaus that he no longer cares what kind of collateral damage happens.  That is truly scary.  If he is looking to drive Elena away, he is doing a bang up job of it.  But he has to realize that driving her away won't make her any safer, so I have to wonder if he has finally gone off the deep end.

And why oh why is he dragging Bonnie off with him?  I realize that he needs her power to mask the presence of the coffins, but seriously, That is just not cool.  And what is up with the unopenable coffin?  I wonder if it contains the Original Witch in it.  If so, can Bonnie open it?  My guess is that she'll need some sort of major power boost if it is her.  That and some sort of complicated spell or ritual.  Unless it is some form of primal magic in which case a complicated ritual wouldn't be needed.

Poor Elena.  First, Stefan takes the coffins which pisses off Klaus so he decides to go after Elena.  Seeing as he needs Elena to keep making his hybrids, he can't kill her, so he decides to go after the people she cares about.  Using Tyler to help him compel Jeremy is not a good thing.  Then she almost loses Alaric.  I wonder why his ring didn't fully heal him.  Is there some sort of limit on the number of times it can work?  Or does it simply need to be recharged?  To make matters worse, Jeremy beheads a hybrid right in front of Elena.  That was possibly one of the more horrific moments.  Not that we haven't seen worse, but just the fact that he did it so casually made it so bad.  So, she decides to have Damon compel him into leaving.  I do wonder if it will take or if Jeremy got his hands on some vervain between the time he was compelled by Klaus and the time Damon compelled him.  To top it all off, Stefan just doesn't seem to care about the damage being inflicted on her as a result of his revenge.  But, I have to say that the kiss was just, wow....

And Damon.  Boy, has he changed since we first met him.  He is now taking the role that Stefan had as Elena's protector.  I wonder if that has anything to do with Stefan's change of attitude.  Knowing that Damon will step up and protect Elena would free Stefan to focus all his energy on attacking Klaus.  But if Stefan isn't careful, he'll drive Elena into Damon's arms.  Good thing or not?  We'll have to wait and see.

Seeing Torrey play the doctor was just neat.  Her last name is Fell, so I assume that she is related to the Fell family who founded Mystic Falls.  So, does she know about the supernatural world or not?

Klaus needs to be a little more careful with Tyler.  Tyler seems close to trying to break away from Klaus.  I wonder if he can.  Also, I was shocked when Klaus redaggered Rebekah.  I get why, but I was still shocked.

Next week, Caroline's birthday!  Until then....

Top 10 One Tree Hill Episodes

Ok, this one was *REALLY* hard because there are so many episodes (174 as of the end of Season 8) and I love so many of them. But, I picked the ones I like the best. By each episode I will also put its season and episode number.

[10] All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Episode 4.21)- This was the final episode of Season 4 and would have been a great series finale had OTH not been picked back up. Between Nathan and Haley bugging Deb about Jamie, Mouth defending Erica's honor, the dance of the girls, and so many other little moments, this was just fantastic. And it ended perfectly, with the gang hanging out at the River Court.
[9] 4 Years, 6 Months, 2 Days/Racing Like a Pro (Episodes 5.01 and 5.02)- I am only counting both because they originally aired together. I liked the way we were reintroduced to our characters post-college. Watching Jackson having so much fun as Jamie was just cool as as watching how everyone related to him.
[8] The Wind That Blew My Heart Away (Episode 3.13)- You'll notice that there are several Season 3 episodes here, and that is mainly because Season 3 was far and away the best season of the show and this episode was a great example of that. Watching Ellie and Peyton bond, Lucas and Brooke fight and make up, and Naley work out their issues follow by making out in the storm, this episode just totally rocked.
[7] Pictures of You (Episode 4.13)- This episode brought us some good pairings that allowed our characters to look at their lives and see how things were going. I loved this episode so much, that I used some of it in an actual lesson when I was teaching. The individual pictures that they took and the group verbal collage at the end was just awesome.
[6] Screenwriter's Blues (Episode 6.16)- This episode was just flat out fun. Watching the casting for the movie, the faux-Brooke following the real Brooke around, the shirtless Nathans, Peyton "auditioning" to be herself, and finally James Van Der Beek as the asshat director was just a riot.
[5] Just Watch the Fireworks/Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them/When It Isn't Like It Should Be (Episodes 3.15, 3.17, and 3.18)- Ok, I know these weren't broadcast together, but they are the bookends to 3.16, so I am keeping them together. From the return of Jimmy Edwards and the concert at Tric (totally awesome!) in 3.15 to the healing that took place in 3.18 and the process of grieving in 3.17, they just work together so well that I need to include them together.
[4] The Tide that Left and Never Came Back/The Leavers Dance (Episodes 2.22 and 2.23)- My last multi-episode group, but like 5.01 and 5.02, they were broadcast together. I loved the first hour for the theme from the assignment and the second hour ended with an incredible last 10 minutes with the fire and everything. That set into motion events that still echo in OTH.
[3] To Wish Impossible Things (Episode 1.18)- AKA The Boy Toy Auction. This episode was just jam packed with hilarity. The dancing on the stage, the water balloon fight on the roof of Karen's Cafe, Nathan and Peyton playing around, and Tim and Deb (tiger striped briefs!) just left some great moments. Other great moments were Jake coming out on stage and the bidding war for Mouth. Greatest line goes to Peyton "Now that's a creepy threesome!" to Haley's bidding on both Lucas and Nathan.
[2] Over the Hills and Far Away (Episode 3.21)- Naley's "engagement" party. Do I really need to say much more? No, but I will. I loved all the little vignettes the Brooke wheedled out of Nathan and Haley. Having the different people play them at various points in their romance was just neat to watch. No matter how good it was though, it can't compare to...
[1] With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept (Episode 3.16)- This episode is by far the best hour of television I have ever seen. Watching a teen soap cope with a major storyline like a school shooting is normally like watching a train wreck, you don't want to watch, but you can't stop watching. This episode however, dealt with the whole idea with a delicate hand. Mark never got preachy, he just laid everything out and let us decide about the rights and wrongs ourselves. It would have been so easy to just villanize Jimmy, but that didn't happen. Rather, we were shown how we can affect the lives of those around us in a very non-preachy manner. I have said it before, and will say it again, One Tree Hill can really be divided int 2 parts, pre and post 3.16. The events of this episode have ramifications that still echo in Tree Hill.

Next time, favorite storylines.

Top 10 One Tree Hill Couples

I will refer to couples by their combined name when I know it, otherwise I won't. Also, some couples I list weren't actual couples, but they still make my top ten.

[10] Brucas- Lucas was never good enough for Brooke, IMNSHO. Hence, not fond of them as a couple.

[9] Leyton- Like Lucas and Peyton individually, I have never been as fond of this couple as other people have been. They make the top ten, but not much further than that. I do love them, but sometimes the drama got a bit much.

[8] Mouth/Rachel- While never an actual couple, these two were very close and had lots of fun together, and were fun to watch. I appreciated the way she treated Mouth (well, most of the time anyways) and he (with few exceptions) treated her well too.

[7] Dan/Deb- They would be higher, but there are others I like more. I loved watching these two go at each other, particularly in Season 3 when they were playing pranks on each other. That was great.

[6] Karen/Andy- These two are so good for each other. He is incredibly respectful of her and Lucas and she loves him a great deal. They also gave us a great reveal when Andy was talking about "little Lucas" and brought baby clothes. <snerk>

[5] Keith/Karen- The star-crossed couple of the series. They love each other tremendously and keep missing their chances until near the end, only to have it taken away when Dan kills Keith. At least Karen got a daughter out of the deal. Not the best obviously, but its something.

[4] Brooke/Julian- (Brulian?) When she was abandoned by Owen, Julian picked up the slack. He knew how important Sma was to her and he was so willing to work with her. She loves him, he loves her, and they both know about living in the shadow of Leyton and the expectations of parental assholes. Say no more.

[3] Mouth/Brooke- My dream couple that never actually occurred. These two would have been great together. Sadly, it never happened. I often wonder how OTH would have been different if they had happened.

[2] Jeyton- The one that got away and a major casualty of Leyton. I think Jake was a much better match than Lucas for Peyton. Sadly, with Nicky in the picture, this would probably not have worked. Still, my favorite couple other than....

[1] Naley- If you knew this one was coming, congrats, you know me really well. This couple is the emotional center of the show. Not the dramatic center, but the emotional center. They have helped each other to grow in ways that are hard to imagine. They have been through so much and only emerged stronger because of it. Married too young, but so in love. This is probably one of my favorite couples of all time.

Next, favorite (actually, best, not necessarily favorite per se) episodes.

Top Ten Favorite Characters of One Tree Hill

In 2003, when I was 25, I came across a show that is one of my favorite shows ever. Nine years later, the show is coming to an end. To commemorate and celebrate the preceding eight seasons of One Tree Hill, I wanted to mention and explain some of my favorite things about the show. I am sure people will disagree with me, and that is totally cool. Just know that I am not trying to slight anyone else's favorites, but just to talk about mine. I would love to hear what everyone else thinks.

Today, I am starting with my top ten favorite characters. I am only including characters who have been in the main credits or major recurring characters, not other minor characters.

[10] Peyton- While I do love Peyton, she has never been one of my favorite characters. She is way too mercurial in my opinion. I do love Peyton and I love that she chases her dreams, but she can get way too bitchy with people for my personal likes.

[9] Lucas- See Peyton above. He spends so much time brooding and in his own head that he is paralyzed and doesn't act the way he should.
[8] Rachel- Yeah, she's a total bitch, but she's so much fun. I didn't like the way she was treated post high school, but it did make a sort of sense given who she is.
[7] Karen- She is the mom of the show. She is the biological mother to Lucas and a major parental figure for Haley, Brooke, and Peyton and helps Nathan and Jake out when needed. I really miss her, but do think having her leave was great for her character.
[6] Mouth- I loved him as a character in high school. He is the everyman, the ordinary guy with no major skills who lets us ordinary schmucks have access to the extraordinary world of One Tree Hill. He has turned into a total flake post-college and I really hope they have him settle down more this season.
[5] Jamie- In the first few episodes of Season 5, he brought a totally new life and vibe to the show. His eternal optimism and wonderful spirit has been great for the show, Seeing the world through the eyes of a child has just been incredible.
[4] Haley- As one half of the emotional center of the show, mother to Jamie, teacher, singer, producer, inspiration, and so much more, she has more than earned her place here. Despite a few missteps, she has grown tremendously into a wonderful and caring mother and wife.
[3] Brooke- She has been one of the people who has grown the most over the course of the series. When introduced in the second episode, she was the sexualized party girl who couldn't care less about anyone else. Over the past 8 seasons, she has grown into a large hearted mother and wife, the founder and owner of a multi-million dollar corporation, and someone who always follows her heart. I am so proud of her.

[2] Nathan- Like Brooke, he was introduced as a bad guy who started dating Haley in order to get at Lucas. Within half of a season, he had already grown into a guy who was working his hardest to be the good guy who would be worthy of a girl like Haley. There have been some major falls along the way (Seasons 2 and 5), but he has evolved into an awesome dad, loving husband, and someone who is unafraid to change his dreams without any bitterness.

[1] Dan- It might be surprising that he tops my list, but he is easily one of the most inspired characters to inhabit television. He is the bad guy. He is seemingly soulless, bitter, angry, and a horrible father. And this description is not too far off. However, he does care about 2 people more than anything else: Nathan and Karen. He only transitions into a decent person after they completely reject him when they found out that he killed Keith. He never loses his edge, but he does learn how to be a decent guy and a good grandpa to Jamie.

Next one will be my favorite couples.