jediwands

3.17

The opening with the Keith and Dan flashback as children with the Raven was so telling. First off, as a psychologist, a very telling finding sometimes is when children are cruel to animals.

Now, it doesn't mean that all children who have done bad things to animals turn out being serial killers. However, more times than not, a child who grows up being a violent criminal, usually has a history of animal abuse in some way.

The way Keith reacted to the raven, wanting to be gentle with it, wanting it to be saved is a very normal psychological reaction to seeing a wounded animal. Dan, on the other hand, thought nothing of dropping that stone on the raven and killing it... using "weakness" as an excuse for going there.

Very telling.

But where it gets so gray is Dan is immediately haunted by killing Keith... he starts seeing him as a child in his mind. If Dan was pure evil, he wouldn't have guilt but he does.

Brooke is back to being a terrible friend as usual. Why wouldn't she check in on her supposed best friend who almost died? Lucas and Karen are all that matters, not her best friend who was almost killed and who just lost her birth mother? You suck, Brooke.

Notice Lucas shows up to that party thingy and Brooke tells him if he has to do this alone, he can while he's looking at Peyton from the distance and then he goes off to find Peyton. What Luke needs is his soulmate, Peyton. That's what he needs to heal. Brooke is nothing but an annoyance. Lucas craves Peyton because she's the only one to truly heal him. Their library scene was perfect. They both love each other, they both know it, but they can't be together and Lucas will continue on with the delusion that he should be with Brooke. Of course, once again, this was AFTER Peyton once again told him they can't be together, he needs to be with Brooke, etc. Lucas, from day 1, always did what Peyton suggested they do. But Mark is so slick while writing Lucas/Peyton. You see it plain as day they are meant to be and will be together again. Like Mark said... in The Pilot Lucas said he'd be seeing Peyton... that was magic/code for we will be endgame, just wait for it.

Oh and also... notice that Peyton was the ONLY one to get Lucas to open up and even smile. Only Peyton. Not Brooke, certainly not Brooke or anyone else.

Next scene Lucas freaks out and all he wants to do is run away from Brooke. Hmm, he wasn't acting like that with Peyton in the library? Why the change? He wants no part of Brooke, he only feels comfort and security with PEYTON.

I loved the Lucas and Skills scene.

I also loved the Lucas/Whitey scene.

Of course Peyton has the rock star from Fall Out Boy romantically into her.

The worst moment of the episode, even over Dan spitting on Keith's grave is this one:

IS BROOKE FOR REAL?

After everything that has happened, she has the nerve to utter that line? WOW. That is the definition of needy, pathetic and SELFISH.

I could hardly get through this scene, it makes me so sick.

AND then to find out Brooke avoided Peyton after the shooting, after her almost dying, while still battling the loss of her birth mother, because she was jealous over Lucas saving Peyton? Seriously????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Wow, Brooke, you are disgusting.

I can't even with her. This is the worst she's ever been and yes, I was unaware of this storyline until now while watching it for the first time. GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is only one part of it that doesn't make me as mad and that's when Brooke admitted to Peyton that Lucas loves her, too. At least she admits it. Still, how is that Peyton's problem? She can't control what Lucas feels. Brooke had no right avoiding her after the school shooting because of this. Brooke also had no right making the shooting about her. Brooke made LUCAS reassure her after he just lost his uncle. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peyton even jokingly tells her she's something else, she gets shot and she needs consoling. That is classic Brooke!

Damn that Hilarie and Sophia chemistry though. I still want to shake Brooke but their chemistry is good. But Brooke... really? I can't get over it!

But... that scene when Peyton goes on Brooke's back is ALL Hilarie/Sophia. The laughing and having fun is not their characters... it is them, all them.

Still, BROOKE!

How adorable is Larry for making Peyton those shelves and encouraging her to listen to Ellie's albums? What a guy.

Betty, you're right about Karen. I felt nothing emotionally for her in this episode. I don't know if it's how the actress played the grieving fiance though I tend to believe it's not the actress... she's typically bang on. I guess it was the writing and what Mark wanted from Karen but I didn't like it. She comes across as almost a bully! She looks like she wants to attack Lucas almost, it's really weird, blaming him for the death of Keith, then getting ticked that Lucas decided to go to Jimmy's funeral. It's bad.

I do wonder if Mark deliberately wanted this reaction from us. What I mean is maybe he didn't want to show much sympathy in the direction of Karen because it took away from Lucas' pain and suffering? That's the only thing I can come up with. Otherwise, I felt nothing for Karen but wanting to yell in her face to grow up. People grieve in different ways but literally, she acted like she was bullying her own son.

Lucas is so awesome going to Jimmy's funeral. I love Lucas. He ALWAYS does the right thing. He might screw up along the way and make endless mistakes... but he always, always learns and does the right thing in the end.

How cool that all the guys from the River Court went there together and in that car.

One little nitpick I have about this episode... Why isn't Nathan more upset over Keith's death? I get that Nathan doesn't feel the same way about his uncle that Lucas does but he's still family. Why isn't Nathan more upset over Keith's death? That was his uncle. An uncle he could have really gotten to know in the future.

I will never get over Brooke's behavior in this one, though. She is a piece of work. Karen, too. Both Brooke and Karen were terrible in this one.