It's that gosh darn Gavin DeGraw! He appears in a cold open and sings "I Don't Wanna Be" with Jamie. This was no doubt done to satisfy the fans who missed the theme song opening credits.
We get a montage of what the characters are doing right now. Brooke marks days off a calendar, in grim anticipation of Baby Angie going home. Lucas is still going on benders sleeping all day. Haley awakens to see Jamie's rabbit Chester staring at her. Depressed Peyton throws water balloons off the roof of Clothes Over Bros at pedestrians. As for Skillz and Debra...the less said about that, the better.
Lucas was suspended after his little incident at the game. Haley visits him, laughs at his new ridiculous mohawk hairdo, and promptly shaves it off. Then they go for a ride, where Haley asks Lucas to stop at a green light...and the windshield is hit by one of Peyton's balloons. Haley has herd of Lucas treatment of Peyton, and wanted him to see the outcome of his dickery. What will Haley do about Jamie's mohawk?
Mouth has been demoted back to the editing room. He also has to clean toilets and wash the news van. Obviously everyone at the station hates Mouth now, and he's too humble to admit it.
The student has become the teacher: Quentin trains Nathan. Quentin, now known affectionately as "Q" by Jamie, utilizes his usual charming approach. Basically he calls Nathan a washed up loser. But this time he's doing it out of love. Jamie tells his father that it's all right if he doesn't play ever again.
Haley attempts to soften Peyton's attitude toward Peyton: She shows Peyton her and Lucas' lunchbox of predictions, in which Lucas expressed desire to be with Peyton again. I'm guessing that was written before senior year? Anyway, this is a big violation of the "don't show the predictions to anybody else rule."
Lucas' book is finished, and Lindsay bids farewell, forever this time. SHe tells Lucas she made up that she was seeing somebody else.Damn, Lindsay, You deserve better than this.
Brooke has to return Baby Angie sooner than expected. So , she hands Angie back to her parents at the airport, and just like that it's over. Now, there's a big hole where Brooke's heart used to be.
Haley's meddling seemed to work. Peyton leaves a giant love message for Lucas painted on the river court. Lucas is still bummed over Lindsay, so he expresses desire to leave town for a while. Haley tells whiny Lucas to stop running away from his problems and be man. She says it in a much nicer way than that.
CLIFFHANGER(S)Being reduced to peon status has Mouth reconsider his move to Omaha.He quits his job. But first... the new sports caster knows nothing about sports and when he freezes up on air, Mouth saves the day by talking the guy throughon the headset. At least he went out on top.
Lucas decides to completely ignore Haley's advice, and leave Tree Hill for a while to go to Las Vegas. He makes a call to someone to ask them if they want to get married. We see Brooke, Peyton and Lindsay all receive a call, so we don't know which one he's talking to. That's diabolical!
Dan has been visiting the pastor, biding his time until the poor guy croaks.When it finally happens, our Big Bad can't even hide his joy and excitement. He's so happy he even helps an old man and lady across the street. Then he gets hit by A FUCKING CAR, just as his heart beeper goes off. I just realized: something Bad happens to Dan on every season finale! That's crazy.
And, lastly: Haley sings! This should be on the radio ALL THE TIME.
It's time for Baby Angie's surgery. Look at Brooke, she's so afraid. She's making the crying face again.
Nathan trains to get back into shape for a return to basketball. Cape wearing Jamie rides his scooter and motivates hid dear old dad. They're kind of like Rocky Balboa and Mickey.
Dan is second on the donor list due to his blood type and height. He is given a pager by the doctor which will alert him when his heart's current owner expires. The current owner is a pastor! Good grief. A little too on the nose.
Mia is back from wherever it was she went. On tour , maybe? She has sold 100,000 copies of her album, and is probably too rich to hang out with peons like Peyton and Haley. Just kidding.She loves them for making her a success. Anyway, she makes a commercial to encourage young people to vote.
Nathan walks in on Debra exposing herself to a webcam. She met someone on the internet, and is now..doing this.Has she no shame? Nathan is so distracted he misses Jamie leaving the house...
Jamie has discovered the card he mad for Dan in the trash. Haley threw it away instead of mailing it. She drives by just in time to pick him up. Haley tells the truth about the card, rather than lie about it. That's something.
Millicent calls Peyton saying that Haley got depressed and went up on the roof of the clothing store(former cafe.) But Haley's not going to jump, she just wants to throw water balloons over the edge onto the sidewalk. It makes her feel better. Peyton hurls one just as walks buy Dan after he buys a newspaper. Hey! He has a bad heart. Stop, laughing, Haley.
Lucas gets a call from Lindsay: she's seeing someone else now. He goes ballistic on the court during the game and gets ejected after yelling at the referee. The coach of the other team instructs a player to attack Quentin's broken wrist.The referee doesn't call it a foul. Therefore, angry Lucas.
Lucas goes to drinking. A Lot. Mouth has recorded footage of the tirade for his report, but he lies and tells his boss he missed it to protect his friend. Peyton scrapes Lucas off the bar with a comically oversized spatula and takes him home. She doesn't actually dot that. But it would be have been funny if she did.
Baby Angie's surgery is a success. I guess that means she'll be leaving soon. Debra goes to meet her internet "friend" and discovers that it's...Skillz. They are both surprised, but then start going at it. What is that I don't even....
Mia belts out the song "Hallelujah," as Peyton pines over Lucas. He wakes up momentarily from his stupor and tells her he hates her for ruining his life.
Dan prepares for his impending death by placing a ridiculously large tombstone in the cemetery. It bears a grinning portrait of him with the inscription "loving husband, brother, and father." But the worst part: his plot is right next to Keith. The man has no shame.
Upon hearing the news, Haley seems to relent: she thinks maybe Dan should get to spend time with Jamie. Nathan is still stubbornly against it. Haley tells Lucas: Lucas doesn't believe Dan is dying, but he decides to investigate anyway.
Lucas' investigation begins when he goes to Dan's house and taunting him. Way to gloat, there kid.
Haley's talk with Peyton about Dan leads to a revelation: Peyton has thought about seeking out her real father, but she feels the real person may not live up to her ideal. I'm guessing that's not just a one and done plot point. Story for next season?
Brooke gets the details of Angie's surgery. The baby's heart will be stopped for several hours during surgery and then restarted again with an electric shock. It sounds scary: but the alternative is worse: without the surgery, Angie will die within a year. Lucas asks the heart surgeon if he knows Dan's doctor. I guess he is "investigating" further.
Quentin realizes he has nothing to offer the team now, and he quits in a very petulant manner. Despite the fact that Quentin was such a dick to him earlier, Nathan offers to help Quentin "step up" his game. In the meantime, Skillz comes up with an offense, using terms I don't understand. I'm not a basketball person.
Mouth's on air debut is a complete disaster. He flubs his lines and is completely covered with flop sweat. Brooke and Millicent witness him as he goes down in flames. Hard. To.Watch.
Touchy feelies all over:Millicent cures Mouth's "camera fright" by going to the studio and having him focus solely on her as he gives his report. Of course it works! She's a genius. Quentin is convinced to stay on the team(by Jamie, of all people)and he finally apologizes to Skillz for that "Uncle Tom" comment a couple episodes ago.
Brooke takes Angie to her meeting to announce her new clothing line for babies. That's right clothing for babies. She's a genius.
Lucas' Columbo-ing reveals Dan is definitely Dan. He plans on just sitting back and waiting until the bastard croaks. It seems like a sound plan. Nathan agrees, despite Haley and her doe eyes(and Jamie's artwork.)
CLIFFHANGER: Lindsay can't have Lucas, but she makes sure Peyton does. She gives Peyton the manuscript of that powerful novel. The one that convinced Haley that Lindsay should not marry Lucas.
