Racing Like A Pro(Season 5, Episode 2)

In previous seasons, the opening credits(with the Gavin DeGraw theme song)was replaced with a simple title screen for "important" episodes, such as the school shooting one. Now, the replacement seems to be permanent. Just as it was beginning to grow on me...

Brooke attempts to surprise Lucas in bed, but finds Lindsay instead! Lindsay makes a good impression, because she's wearing Clothes Over Bros. The moment is spoiled when Lucas does enter and makes a bad joke.  This hasn't happened to me since college!" Har de har har.

Mouth's got a new job, which gets off to a bad start when his boss finds him on the set fantasizing about being a reporter. She informs him that his task is just editing footage, not reporting, and he doesn't really have the face to be on tv anyway. She is a bi....I mean a very unlikeable person.

It's Haley's first day as a teacher! She doesn't do too well, either. One of the students, Quentin Fields, begins sexually taunting Haley. The other students laugh and Haley leaves tearful and humiliated! Hard...to...watch.

Haley isn't the only one to have trouble with Quentin. He's the new guy on the basketball team, and he wants to be the center of attention, much to the chagrin of Lucas and Skillz.

Brooke and Peyton playfully taunt Nathan over his new scruffy look, but it's not enough to break him out of his funk. Nathan's near catatonia means his fatherly duties have to be done by others: Brooke looks after Jamie while Haley's at work, and Lucas and Skillz construct a race car for Jamie's soapbox derby race. Brooke is an awesome fairy godmother! Imagine being a kid and having someone rich enough to give you anything you wanted.

Speaking of the race car, it's time for the test drive! The wheel quickly comes off, the car crashes and the dummy's head pops right off! Jamie goes wide eyed! Lucas grabs his neck, as if in fear that his own head might come off! Comedy.

Haley has hired a nanny to take care of Jamie. Everyone remarks about how hot she is. Brooke thinks that having a hot nanny around maybe isn't such a good idea. 

Nathan refuses to go to Jamie's race. But at least he's got a new racing suit, courtesy of Brooke. See? Rich Fairy Godmother.  Jamie is too afraid, though, as he imagines the head popping off the dummy. Fairy Godmother Brooke assures the kid it's all right.

Haley chastises Nathan for not being around for their son. Scratch that: she's angry. Angrier than that time she beat up Rachel. She raises her voice to an apocalyptically scary level.

 

Haley applies this in her class when Quentin tries to assert dominance again. She threatens to fail Quentin if he disrupts, which would disqualify him from basketball. Quentin leaves the classroom. As least she got rid of him. Lucas kicks Quentin off the team.

Nathan, completely fucking terrified of  Haley, wakes up Jamie late at night to finish his race. So, that happens. Just kidding. Nathan's finally had enough of feeling sorry for himself. I'm sure being terrified of Haley was only about sixty percent of it.

MORE PLOT DEVELOPMENTS: Peyton and Lindsay have an awkward first meeting. There appears to be mutual jealousy. Those two are going to be rivals. Also, Brooke is adamant to stay in Tree Hill, despite the constant calls from her company people in New York.

The show seems to have transitioned to the time change pretty well so far.