All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone(Season 4, Episode 21)

MUSIC MONTAGE!  Haley is rushed to the hospital and gives birth, while Lucas gets the news about his mother. Dan turns himself in to the cops! Haley already has the name for her son chosen: James Lucas Scott. The song accompanying this montage is called "Lightning Crashes" by Live. Not bad.

Karen dies(briefly)and has a vision of the afterlife, where she is reunited with Keith. Keith introduces Karen to their daughter. The girl wants Karen to back with her so Karen lives. Keith promises he will wait for the both of them. Keith doesn't seem like the type who would want to hang out in a field of flowers all the time, but oh well. At least his troubles are over.

We skip ahead to an unspecified time later(probably a few days.)Karen visits Keith's grave with their daughter, Lily. Debra watches little James while Haley and Nathan go to a graduation party. Which sounds completely insane, but who am I to judge?\

Brooke is thrilled to discover that the party is hosted by Rachel! Rachel and Haley have put aside their differences from that last time. In fact, all the girls all getting along for a change. Must be the booze.They even dance to the freakin' Spice Girls. Sadly, Brooke does NOT do the robot this time. Shelley is there too, which sort of throws Mouth.

Haley picks Brooke as James godmother. Brooke will take this task very seriously, because she wants to avoid repeating her mother's mistakes. Haley chooses Lucas as the godfather because...he's her best friend. Lucas is sticking around Tree Hill. He's going to coach at the high school! Haley has second thoughts about leaving her baby with a pistol packing drug addict, and rushers home fast. But everything's all right.

A couple of punks start harassing Shelley. Mouth comes to her defense and ends up punching one of them out. I guess things will end amicably for those two. Mouth is on top of the world, and takes advantage of his euphoria by planting a kiss on Brooke. Which he has wanted to do for about three years now.

Brooke gives Rachel her diploma. Rachel is finally happy to have accomplished something meaningful. It's nice to see Rachel have her moment of redemption, even if it's completely ruined later on. Spoiler.

Lucas and Nathan debate whether to visit Dan in prison.They finally decide not to. Karen does visit him however, and her final rejection finally breaks him. He attempts to hang himself with a bed sheet, but it doesn't hold and he falls to the floor. Dan cries out in sheer anguish and torment.

All the kids gather on the river court. Lucas predicts that everyone will meet there in four years. Brooke thinks they will all be friends forever! If only real life was that easy. Lucas and Nathan play a game of one on one.This scene has a sense of finality to it. It probably would have served as an end to the series, had it not been renewed for a fifth season. But it was renewed and I get to write about it. Yay!

The Birth And Death Of The Day(Season 4, Episode 20)

Lucas fired a shot in the wall! He claims he missed Dan on purpose. The Pee Wee Herman  "I meant to do that" excuse! He was probably just squinting too hard. Lucas forces a worried Dan to leave Karen in her unconscious state.

Did I say unconscious? I meant coma. Yep, another character in a coma. Debra isn't too happy that Lucas stole her gun to commit attempted murder. However when Lucas tells her Dan killed Keith, she believes him straight away. That's irony, right? The only person that believes him is the crazy drug addict. Debra warns Lucas to stay away from Dan. Goes without saying.

It's graduation day for our heroes! But that doesn't stop everyone from being preoccupied. Nathan is thinking about his future without basketball. he asks Skillz to put in a good word him at the factory(where Skillz dad works.(Nathan is unaware that Whitey has been making calls to find a college that will accept him.)

Brooke is overwhelmed with guilt that Rachel won't be with her to graduate. She turns herself in to the principal for stealing the calculus exams. She also gives him(and us) a narration of how she's changed over the past few years. It works, although the principal is happy that Brooke has chosen a profession that doesn't require her to learn calculus. You know, a fashion designer! Is he saying that Brooke is dumb? He better not be.

Skillz' father is a nice guy who works Nathan hard. Nathan comes home \covered in dirt and exhausted, which causes Haley to nearly break down at the sight of him .It's a little(unintentionally)comical to tell the truth.His hair isn't messed up, for crying out loud.

Karen's baby girl must be delivered by caesarean. Karen remains in a coma. Haley gives Lucas a graduation present form his mother: a leather bound copy of his novel(titled "An Unkindness Of Ravens.")Inside is a quote from Julius Caesar, the novel Karen and Haley gave to Lucas in Season One! A touching moment.

There's a comical subplot in which Bevin is afraid to introduce Skillz to her parents because he's black. Of course the parents meet and immediately like each other! Ha! Ha! They're not racist, like she thought they might be.

Debra drops the bomb on Nathan about Keith's murder.  Once Nathan gets the awful confirmation from Dan, he swears that his father will never know his grandson. Haley's having a boy! He's going to be the best musician/scientist/president ever.

Whitey visits Nathan at Keith's grave! Whitey has a new coaching job at a nearby college, and he wants Nathan to play for him. Yeah! No more factory and almost crying Haley.

We see all the students get their diplomas! Look at Brooke, all happy when the principal announces Rachel's name. He's not so bad after all!  Haley makes her big speech, but has to cut it short when she goes into labor! Top that, next year's valedictorian! Cue Goofy freeze frame.

CLIFFHANGER:  Karen is flat lining! She's dying. We see Dan at the hospital nursery, holding her baby.

The Ashes Of Dreams You Let Die(Season 4, Episode 19)

 Lucas barges right in on Dan and his mother making out and socks Dan right in the face! Dan swats Lucas away like an annoying fly. Karen assumes Lucas is angry about the kissing, but Lucas lets the cat out of the bag right away. Karen isn't ready to hear the truth just yet. The cops aren't ready, either" the detective rejects Lucas' story out of hand. Even worse, Dan arrives and the cop chides Lucas for disrespecting his father.

SQUINTING CONTEST!

The dick principal tells Haley she won't be able to make her valedictorian speech because of the mess with Rachel. It doesn't matter that Haley is at the top of her class and spends all of her time cheerleading and tutoring and stuff! Because it's good drama. 

Whitey gives Nathan bad news: Duke has rescinded the scholarship offer. Whitey inspires  Nathan by giving him a "phoenix rising from the ashes' speech. Whitey is clearing out his office. He really is retiring! Sob.

Brooke wants to get back together with Chase, but first she wants to see what he will write in her yearbook. The yearbooks have just been distributed, and Brooke is super excited, more than a normal person would. Mouth, on the other hand, is distressed that Jimmy has been completely redacted. Mouth attempts to tells the dick principal that history shouldn't be forgotten, dammit. Paraphrasing. Mouth would not say dammit. Gigi gives Mouth a copy of Jimmy's yearbook and he prepares to give it to Jimmy's mother.

Karen thinks Lucas needs psychiatric help. Lucas seems ready to take matters into his own hands, as he sneaks into Haley and Nathan's and steals Debra's pistol. Haley tells Lucas of Debra's exploits at a shooting range. He easily finds the gun hidden in a cookie jar. Who does that? Who would let a recovering drug addict like Debra have a weapon? Especially after that incident at the cafe where she shot out the window.

Mouth takes matters into his own hands, too: He gets all the students to sign Jimmy's yearbook. Gigi has added all the photos that the principal ordered taken out.A touching moment.

CLIFFHANGER(S) Chase has written a very platonic message in Brooke's yearbook. BUT WAIT! He's really still in love with her. There they go again! His feelings are tool cool to be written down accurately! That's really something.

Peyton is offered an internship at a record company in Los Angeles. Ohh, This is setup for next season!

Nathan convinces the principal to let Haley give her darned speech. I hope she makes it all the way through without giving birth! Hint, hint.

" This is my respect face. It's the same as my suspend Peyton for wearing a DYKE t shirt face."

Lucas holds Dan at gunpoint to force the truth out! Karen can't take the pressure and collapses. Dan thinks she may be having miscarriage. he moves toward her and Lucas fires the gun. FADE TO BLACK.