A complete rewatch: One Tree Hill

Near Wild Heaven is the third episode of the second season of One Tree Hill. The plot largely centres around Brooke organizing a bridal shower for Haley, complete with limo and lingerie, and Tim hiring a stripper for a belated bachelor party for Nathan. Dan is about to get discharged from the hospital and asks Lucas to help him through rehab. Finally, Keith is trying to find his feet at the dealership, where he has taken over his brother's spot for the time being.

BEHIND THE TITLE.

The title, Near Wild Heaven, comes from a song by American rock band R.E.M. It was originally released on their 1991 album Out Of Time, which includes their most famous song, Losing My Religion. Near Wild Heaven deals with the twilight of a relationship, knowing something is wrong and you are reaching the end of what's good. Though it doesn't tie directly with the largest part of the episode, which is lighthearted, it can be linked to Karen and Keith. They have been tiptoeing around each other since the near-misses and almost departure to Charleston, and, after knowing something was not right between them, in their limbo, they have reached their ending.

GENERAL OPINION.

As always, I have a soft spot for the lighthearted episodes, and what could be more fun than a bridal shower? The girls' side of the night, planned, prepared, but still fun when things go awry, is always a lot of fun to watch- though the question remains: how did teenagers under the age of eighteen manage to hire rooms in strip clubs and adult dancers? One of the biggest stars of the episode is Dan, as often. His character evolves in many ways, and, from a viewer's perspective, it's fantastic to watch. How are we being tricked? The second season of the show has a mediocre reputation among the fans. However, it holds its spot in my heart, and this episode highlights why.

SOUNDTRACK

- Bridge The Tunnel - The Honorary Title

- Satellite - Junk

- Keep Your Receipt - Cobalt Party Revolution

- C'Mon - Go Betty Go

- Word Up - Korn

- Shake Dat S**t - Shawnna feat. Ludacris.

- Bang Stranger - MC G-Nutz

- Let's Get It Started - The Black Eyed Peas

- Fit But You Know It - The Streets

- Bad Habits - Michael Tolcher

- Mirror - Erica C.

- Roll With Dub - Double Owe

- Kill - Jimmy Eat World.

Due to the plot revolving around parties and social events, the soundtrack is more upbeat and oriented towards rap and R'n'B music than it usually is, featuring huge names of the genre, such as Ludacris and The Black Eyed Peas, who were blowing up at the time. (Their breakout album, Elephunk, came out in 2003, and they were everywhere for a few years.) However, the soundtrack in this episode holds a space in my heart because my favourite band, Jimmy Eat World, is featured for the first time. Throughout the first seasons, their music (mostly songs off their 2004 record Futures) was heavily featured on the show, which is the reason why I found them. Every time I hear the opening notes of Kill, it makes me so ridiculously emotional.

THE BEST BITS: KAREN AND DEB.

It is no secret that Karen and Deb's unlikely friendship is one of my favourite parts of the show. They grew from strangers with a complicated history to fast friends, and they seem to be unconditionally present for each other. Deb did not hesitate before taking over the café while Karen went to cooking school in Italy, and Karen is loyal and supportive through Deb's divorce process. Their short scene together, almost an afterthought, manages to stand out in an episode focusing on the kids having fun. Deb explains her problems, her situation, freely and openly, and Karen answering "Who's taking care of you?" makes me stop in my tracks every single time. The concept of putting oneself first and putting your needs below someone else's, especially those of someone who hurt you, is important to learn and remember, and I love seeing Karen as the voice behind the message. Her encouraging Deb to take care of herself and only do things for herself is the biggest testament to their friendship.

QUOTES

Focusing on teenagers having fun allowed the episode to give us plenty of comedic moments. Tim, Nathan's best friend, was often involved. He remains the picture-perfect image of one of the 2000s biggest tropes: the American Pie-inspired, sex-obsessed high school kid.

My three favourite funny lines of the episode were:

- Haley's furious "What's next, lapdances for world peace?" when Nathan announced Tim had hired a stripper for his bachelor party.

- Lucas and Nathan's conversation where the former arrives. "Don't take it personally. He thought you were the stripper." "We prefer to be called exotic dancers." Lucas is often a pensive and broody boy. He reads serious literature and listens to sad songs. Seeing him play along with the boys is always a pleasure.

- Finally, the scene where the boys were reading a quiz in CosmoGirl was hilarious. "You know you're supposed to be answering this as a girl." "Yeah, and I'd want a boyfriend who isn't afraid to go under my shirt." "And hopefully, you'll find him someday." Again, watching Lucas having the snarky comeback is fantastic.

THE LITTLE THINGS.

There are only a few in this episode, and they mostly revolve around early 00s pop culture.

Let's go to the scene when the car pretend-breaks down, only for a stripper dressed as a mechanic to give the girls a show.

Peyton and Brooke, in the know, act along, then compliment each other by calling themselves Cameron and Gwyneth. They are referencing two famous actresses who were at the height of their fame in the early 2000s: Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow. (Both are still some of the most famous people in the world, and I have only just found out that Cameron Diaz had retired from acting.) At the time of filming, she had just been one of the main characters in the Charlie's Angels reboot, alongside Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. When the show aired, Gwyneth Paltrow had started taking time off from filming following the birth of her first child. Paltrow remained an Academy Award-winning actress, known for films like Shakespeare In Love and The Royal Tenenbaums.

I had previously heard of Girls Gone Wild but misguidedly thought it was something on MTV and never researched the reference. It was an adult entertainment company that made videos at parties or clubs. In these films, women would take their clothes off, participate in wet t-shirt contests, or engage in sexual activities. Lovely stuff.

Brooke, usually the brains behind the pop culture references, dropped another one to Haley: "You've got your Nick and Jessica thing going on." She refers to Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, one of the best-known couples of the early 2000s. Jessica Simpson was a bubblegum pop singer à la Britney and Christina, and Nick Lachey rose to fame in the boy band 98 Degrees. (Who I found out last week are featured on one of my favourite Mariah Carey songs, Thank God I Found You) After a couple of twists and turns, the couple got married in October 2002. The following year, Newlyweds, a reality TV programme following their life, aired on MTV and was a smash hit.

THE MOST 00s MOMENT.

While the pop culture references originate in the early 2000s, and many people nowadays are not as invested in Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson as they used to be twenty years ago, I have chosen a different one for this category. When Haley visits Lucas at the start of the episode and asks him to keep an eye on Lucas at the bachelor party, she is wearing a miniskirt printed with hibiscus flowers, one of the staples of fashion at the time. It was the kind of skirt sold by surfing brands such as Quicksilver and Billabong, and we all wanted them after watching one of the most iconic romantic comedies of the times, Blue Crush. I remember having a surfing magazine and reading it relentlessly, dreaming about the clothes on the fashion pages. Does it matter that I have never set foot on a surfboard? No. I'll live my Kate Bosworth fantasy someday.

FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

What's going to happen with Brooke's brand new money problems? Are the Davises finally going to appear in Tree Hill?