Yeah, I watched it again. Mainly because people actually read the last post I wrote on OTH, so who I am not to give the people what they want?

One Tree Hill. What can I say? Well, first, allow me to recap- When last we left off a week ago, Julian had (finally) declared his love to Brooke after a whirlwind bi-coastal summer romance. He quit his job directing his new movie and moved to Tree Hill, and in with her. Brooke was very happy. Nathan was still without a contract and mysterious woman was threatening to go public with (what he claims are) bogus accusations that they slept together. Nathan was not happy. Haley was on her job being everywoman- good mom who planned a great birthday for Jamie, good friend who consoled (w/o judgement) her sister and offered her a place to stay when she appeared out of nowhere sans her hubby, a good wife to Nathan, you know her. But, in the final scene, (some might call it a twist), a music exec threatened to shut down Red Bedroom Records making Haley, you guessed it, not happy. Dan is still alive (!) and giving motivational speeches…who in the hell left the gate open?! Really. No clue as to whether or not he’s really a changed man, one who made a deal with the devil, or still is the epitome of evil. (full disclosure, Dan was an terrible guy, no doubt, but he had his moments…and he was funnier than a mug). Who else? Ah yes, Mouth was trying to oust Skillz from the apartment so he could get closer to Mille so he resorted to walking around naked. Skillz, unfazed, shed his clothing in kind. No sign of Nannie Deb. Karen and crew, Leyton and Peyton are all off traveling. And scene!

This week, I have to say I really wasn’t impressed and I can’t tell if it’s just me being negative or if the show is really not good this season. Here’s what happened- Julian’s dad came to TH to tell him that he was ruining his career by walking away from the movie to be with a harlot, basically. Julian revealed to Brooke that the one good memory he has of spending time with his father lives on in an ugly picture he has hanging in the living room. Yes, he is a scarred man with daddy issues…hmmm….where have I heard that before? In any case, she confronts his father (like he did with Victoria for her last season, only less angry) and father and son hug. They are happy.

Haley figures out a way to save Red Door Records with the help of Mia (hey Kate Voegele!) and is happy.

Jamie goes to the beach with Skillz and Ms. Lauren, buries them in the sand and spends some time with his aunt (Haley’s sister. Don’t know her name). He and Skillz are still doing the McCauley/Denzel thing and apparently no one works now (except for Mouth who didn’t get any face time and Mille). Perhaps Ms. Lauren isn’t at work because it’s summer, but I know Skillz has some houses to baby proof or something. What happened to all that creative energy and talent they had bursting at the seams last season? Did Leyton drive off with it, into the sunset. Skillz and Mouth are still doing the naked thing (which, for the record, they need to stop) and Millie wants them to work it out, preferably with clothes on. So Millie is not happy.

Speaking of Millie, she convinces Brooke to hire some model/actress-type to be the new face of Clothes over Bros, but in person she’s not quite what they had in mind. Chick is hilarious though. She’s like Brooke 2.0, before she was all pined-out over Julian and lost her spunk (we saw flashes of the old Brooke, but come on!) Model chick called Brooke fat, applauded her for making clothes for plus-sized girls and played her out to keep her job. (Brooke was going to fire her, model chick overheard and gave her some line about really needed the work and being inspired by COB which Brooke totally fell for.) We later learn that model chick was just repeating a line from a TV show she was in. She’s a little devious that one.

Nathan’s agent tries to get more info. on nathangate girl and agrees to meet her to talk. Nathan (having learned nothing from the previous seasons), shows up and has a tantrum at the restaurant, embarrassing himself and professional athletes accused of cheating on their wives everywhere. Agent boy chastises him, Nathan is like whatever. Turns out groupie girl claims Nathan fathered her baby and shows a sonogram (looked kind of big and developed for three months, but hey, I’m no MD…or WebMD, so what do I know.) Nathan still insists he didn’t sleep with her (although the night in question, he and agent boy were both wasted…cue Gucci). Both Nathan and agent boy are unhappy. Nathan (in a smart move) goes home to tell Haley, thus ruining her day and making her unhappy.  These two, I mean seriously. When the season started, all I could think of was, hmmm, Leyton is outtie, so how are they going to increase the drama quotient on this show? Naley has been through it all- teenage marriage, teen pregnancy, poverty, points shaving scandal, a secret sex tape, drug-addicted mother, murderous father, cheating, abandonment, he almost died after getting hit by a car, she almost died after getting hit by a car, the rise of superstardom and the fall from it (for both), paralysis, depression, crazy stalker tried to kill me and take my kid Nanny, a kidnapping, near divorce. I mean seriously, what.else.could.go.wrong? Insert groupie. eh..I’m not so sure I buy it. It’s going to take a whole lot more than that to break up this happy home. So how else is the CW trying to get you tune in? Why, by showing gratuitous nakeness of course! This time, though, it’s of the guys. Nathan and agent boy, for some reason, kept having meetings at the beach, shirtless and well-oiled of course. Skillz appeared naked again and there were two booty shots (Haley’s sister in a bikini and model chick in her panties). Yeah, I’m not buying that.

Oh, and in other news, Dan Scott is married…to Rachel Gatina…really. Can you say recovered addicted spouse 2.0? I’m still confused about how (and why) that happened. Dan appears to be a changed man, he gave a signed book and had a drink with a bum, but Rachel still seems schemy…

Questions I have:

What is up with Brooke?! Go design something! Stop laying up under Julian and…idk…be Brooke again! We miss ya, girlie!

And Julian giving up his career (I mean, let’s face it, we all say what happened the last time he tried to make a move in TH)…that doesn’t seem like a winning move. I see (relationship) problems ahead. Hey! Maybe he’ll branch Red Bedroom Records off into a film studio?

And is it just me, or does the chemistry (both between Brooke and Julian) and just in general seem off? These kids look like they’ve aged waaay more than the year the show leapt forward. Like say, they’re worried about their jobs and the series not being picked up for another season? I’d say that’s probably a lock.

Where is Nannie Deb? I miss Boozie 2.0!

Did I really see Kate Voegele in a commercial declaring that she is a student at the University of Phoenix? What is she supposed to be, the people’s champ?

How is Dan still alive? Did he kill Deb and steal her heart or what?

Nathan, if you and agent boy can’t handle groupie chick, get Haley to handle your light work…I hear she goes hard in the paint!

Speaking of Haley- I’m liking you more and more. Your impression of Leyton was on point. Now, who’s catching a beat down from you this season? You stay read to fight. Maybe Rachel, your new mother-in-law?

Brooke quotables-“Umm…I’m normal-size,” “That’s what she said” (used when someone says seeming vaguely sexual) You have to watch it to get it.

And that wrap-up was waaaay too long. I’ll have to work on being succinct.

I tried. Really, I did. But this is actually kind of painful to watch. I take that back. Not exactly painful, but…boring, achingly dull. I can’t even focus on the tons of nothingness that’s happening before me and we’re already 40 minutes in. This is tragic. What, pray tell, am I talking about?

Well, the One Tree Hill Season 7 Premiere, of course! Now, granted, I did briefly consider boycotting the CW for unceremoniously canceling The Game (after systematically setting the show up for failure by changing its air times, not promoting the show, etc) but, since I recently fell in love with One Tree Hill, I figured, I’d give them another shot. Well, lesson learned.

Now, I’m the first to admit, I was late to the One Tree Hill Party. I had a close friend who raved about it (“I can’t talk right now because One Tree Hill is on” style) but I had never watched an episode of the show until earlier this summer when I happened to catch a re-run on SoapNet (after Beverly Hills 90210, natch). I was intrigued so I went online to catch up. And I watched every.single.episode.of.every.single.season (ok, full disclosure- I kind of skimmed over some of season 2 and 3 b/c I wasn’t feeling the Lucas with anyone but Peyton plotlines) But I caught up. Completely. So imagine my surprise when I learned that Leyton would not be returning for the seventh season…”I felt impotent and out of control” (any Clueless fans out there?)…seriously, thought, I felt sucker punched. Just when I had grown to know them, love them, enjoyed seeing them get their happily ever after (and got put on to some very dope music)…they bounced, or were bounced.

But, I said that I would give the show a chance and just see if maybe it would still be interesting. I knew better, but I was hoping that the season premiere, “Apparently, They Were Traveling Abroad,” would pull me back in…it hasn’t. I’m typing this as I watch it (and check my email and am doing about four other things online, too) and I’m just not impressed.

Haley’s still singing. Yay! But her label is in danger of being shut down. (uh oh). She has a sister with some secrets who, for some reason, has been written into the show…not Taylor, the one who slept with Nathan, but some other one. Hmm…(Why is her family so random?) Jamie turned another year older. Yay! Is his cute little kid thing wearing off as he gets taller? (and where is Nannie Deb and why, pray tell, is Jerry Rice making a cameo?) Nathan is still playing ball, but doesn’t have a new contract. He seems as clueless (and susceptible) as ever. Really. What professional athlete takes pictures with random chicks at his son’s b-day party? Did we not cover “learn to detect a set-up” during training camp? His manager/agent guy is a newbie. Not sure what his deal is yet or why he (and his phone) are so prominent…oh wait. I know! They have to add some new characters to make up for the ones they’re missing! yeah. right. What else? Brooke’s love life seems a fluid as ever. Julian is in the picture, out of the picture, and back in again. Millicent is like Brooke 2.0. Mouth is still…Mouth and living with Skillz, who is surprisingly still on the show. I thought he got arrested for being an idiot some social security card theft scam? I’m sure he’ll disappear mid-way in, too, going the way of the other cast members…on a trip somewhere. I guess they got rid of the other randoms- Fergie and Junk. Oh, and Dan is (surprise!) still alive and giving motivational speeches?! Who let him around the children of our future? All I can say is that Leyton is missed terribly. I guess we could thank the writers for not killing Leyton (and Peyton) off in a car accident…that would be too, what’s the word? Oh yeah, predictable. Not at all like “they were traveling abroad.” See Karen, Andie, and Lily, who are also, presumably still abroad. What happened to all the sass and witty banter from seasons past? The bonds of friendship, the drama? Maybe they need time to set it up, but let’s get with it already.

Perhaps, I’m expecting too much from a season premiere, since they do have a fairly huge gap (year and missing central characters) to make up for but…I’m not impressed. At all. Did I say that already?

Will I be tuning in next week? I don’t know. Will you?

Oh, and before you ask, I do not stan for Gossip Girl. I have never watched an episode and nothing thus far has compelled me to start. So I have, effectively, changed the channel. If that decision is worth revisiting, let me know. I guess I probably should since it is set in nyc and this blog is about what? nyc chicks, but still…something about it reviles me.

anxiously awaiting Sons of Anarchy tomorrow (now THAT season premiere was hot!!!)