keep the starlight

You speak such truths, Mel. I don't ever see it happening, sadly, but it would be a glorious day if they shelved those three elements. Foreverrrr.

Taylor/Lindsey owned the episode for me, absolutely. I loved the use of "Landslide" and "I Shall Believe" (even though it's been used before), because I just adore those songs to pieces. The funeral scene was totally heartbreaking, and I loved seeing Taylor being welcomed into the H/Q duo. Finally.

I could go on and on about Taylor's scenes, but I'll just say that she really stirred something within me and I would kill to have her around permanently or even semi-permanently. It's just not fair, bawl!

I cannot say how embarrassed I am by the faux!Sara/Clay storyline, but this show is not new to embarrassing things. Mouth/Millie/Skills/Lauren/etc ... didn't even watch. Can't lie.

LoVeJunkie

IMO 2 great characters died last night; Lydia and Brooke. Brooke is one of my favorite characters of all time but one thing she said last night was the last straw in my knowing the Brooke that I knew and loved is long gone.

"The man that makes my world turn."
THE BROOKE I LOVE MAKES HER OWN WORLD TURN. She does not need a man. I hate the misogony of this show that makes it seem like a woman always needs a man. I miss my independent, strong Brooke Davis

Jerry D

I completely agree with this, and I definitely think they'll make Fake!Sara into a psycho for the exact reasons that you said Brit. No matter what though, I'll never warm up to Clay and Quinn, and I'll always believe that he had a much better relationship with Sara than he has with Quinn.

sparethetragic

I know this has been echoed amongst various people in this thread but seriously, Bethany/Lindsey/Bess owned the episode last night! Loved them all and the acting between these three was superb!!!

The Taylor/Lydia scene was, hands down, one of the best of the episode and one of the best scenes of this season, IMO. I am so glad we finally got to see Taylor opening up for once, instead of this closing off your emotions and leaving town things that she does. My heart wept during that scene between Taylor/Lydia. I find myself now wanting Lindsey to be bumped up to contract status because I'm seriously not ready to give up Taylor James yet.

I also felt like last night should have been about the James family. I was extremely bored during the Mouth/Lauren scenes (why the hell are these characters wasting precious screentime anyway?!) and did not see the need for them in the episode at all.

BJu makes my skin crawl, so...really that's all that needs to be said about their reunion from my point of view. Alex, however, I adored. While she is in love with Julian (and I do believe she is in love with him, even though she knows he can never return that love the way she would like him to), she chose to let him go because she knows he's in love with Brooke. That is a true sacrifice and I loved her for it, even if I didn't agree with it. I felt so sad for her as she cried for what can never be last night and how she also needs a warm body to help her numb the pain.

I loved Brooke/Victoria (those two are seriously one of my favorite relationships on the show) and I found the thought of Victoria/Alexander icky. Why couldn't the show shack her up with Paul or Dan? Victoria/Alexander just make me want to find the nearest barf bag.

I was overly emotional during the funeral scene. Like some have said before me, "I Shall Believe" will always be a Roswell song to me. Whenever I hear it, I think of Liz/Future!Max and I just sob my little heart out for that alone. However, I loved how Haley was comforting Taylor while trying to retain her own composure. This show seriously needs more Haley/Taylor. Quinn can just disappear.

I'm extremely disappointed in this show's use of Amanda Schull. What was the point in even bringing the actress back? Clay/Sara were amazing and that couple can never be replaced. I feel like this whole storyline is just some cop-out in the show trying to prove that Clay/Quinn are endgame and forcing us to like them, which is something that will never happen for me. They could make Sara into a flesh-eating zombie and I would still choose to have Clay with Sara over CQ. Bring on the Psycho Not!Sara, is all I have to say about that subject.

Moonless Night

It makes me sad to think about scenes that were probably cut back to make room for the Mouth/Lauren drivel. This show is being killed by filler...I wish they could see that they have plenty to work with just by working with their core.

They could have completely removed Quinn from the ep and not only would I not have noticed, but it would have made room for more Taylor/Haley/Lydia, who were amazing. PLEASE bring Taylor back permanently!!!

sort of beautiful

Taylor James is a goddess.

No BH, Booooo.

BJu

I think that's it. Oh and Quinn? Up until that last scene with Clay, I was loving her last episode, then THAT happened.

Jerry D

I've actually been to the place in Wilmington where they filmed the funeral, and I also remember it from Dawson's Creek. It's a beautiful place.

Jamie

I agree and that's really too bad. This isn't going to make me fall for Clay/Quinn.

Jerry D

I didn't realize that Amanda Schull had been a professional ballet dancer. That is really cool! I hope they don't turn her into a psycho in these upcoming episodes, but they probably will. It was so obvious that her dark hair was a wig, and now they had her "dye" it so she'll look just like Sara, so it seems they're heading that way. It would be such a waste of her talent, and it does a real disservice to the memory of Clay and Sara in my opinion.

same old story

Eh, I don't think this show has EVER had a female character that didn't need a man.

broken crown

That's what I thought they were originally going to do.

same old story

But Amanda's too young to be Vivian (because we all know she's old). They should have just capitalized on the fact that Amanda and Lindsey look alike.

dreamywriter19

We can mourn her together I've finally come to terms with the fact that I've wasted seven whole seasons on this show, only to have my two favorite characters (Brooke and Peyton) ruined for the sake of their so called "epic" relationships. I watched Mark ruin Peyton for Leyton. I'm not going to sit around and watch him ruin Brooke for Brulian more than he already has. But hey, we should have seen it coming. Remember that episode in season 2 when Haley said something to the effects of "If we're not looking for the man we're going to spend the rest of our lives with, then what are we doing?" and Brooke and Peyton looked at her like it was some amazing revelation? (Let's not forget that Haley was sixteen at the time. )
One Tree Hill can rest in peace, as far as I'm concerned.

LoVeJunkie

Brooke didn't always need a man. Just look at 3.21, even though I think the episode and the reasoning for saying this is contrived as hell I still think this particular part says a lot "I'm pretty good company." She didn't "stop missing Lucas" she realized that she was a great person with or without a man. & Thats the way it should be. You don't need to be completely dependent on somebody to be in a relationship with someone. And Brooke never used to be, she used to be content with being independent and being who she was. I'm not saying she never needed Lucas, because I know that's not true. Everybody needs somebody that they can rely on. But they are going so far past that now, they are making it so Brooke needs Julian to exist. Not being able to function without a guy there is not the Brooke Davis I love. Saying a man makes your world turn is not the Brooke Davis I love. Theres a huge difference between needing somebody to rely on and needing somebody to do anything.

same old story

I was just a saying, it's not like she curled up into a ball after they broke up. She didn't mean she literally couldn't do anything without him. I think one line like that, ruining a character, is a little much. It was just an overdramatic throw away line