Best Season-Ending Cliff-Hangers

11 02 2009

There’s one thing we simultaneously love and dread about our beloved teen dramas: the cliff-hanger.  While these plot twists guarantee drama to the nth degree, we’re left hanging–jaws dropped, hands in the air and heart palpitating–to see what will happen next.  And when the powers that be decide to use these cliff-hangers as season finales, we spend three months with baited breath, wondering how these stories will conclude.

Starting today I’ll take a look back at the most memorable season-ending cliff-hangers.  If these didn’t get you screaming at your TV, I don’t know what will!

5A. One Tree Hill: The Games That Play Us (Season 1)

5B. One Tree Hill: The Leavers Dance (Season 2)

5C. One Tree Hill: The Show Must Go On (Season 3)

Think I’m missing a very important OTH cliff-hanger?  Stay tuned!





News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill

10 02 2009
  • JustJared has a peek at the cover of Tori Spelling’s (Donna, Beverly Hills 90210) new book, Mommywood, which will be released in April.
  • Philly.com has a story on the “coincidence” that both 90210 and Gossip Girl have long-lost sibling storylines.
  • In the February 16, 2009 issue of PEOPLE, there is a column called “3 Reasons I Love Dorota, Gossip Girl Domestic.”  The rest is pretty self-explanatory.
  • Are these the real Twitter accounts of Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill), Hilarie Burton (Peyton, One Tree Hill) and Mark Schwahn (Max/creator, One Tree Hill)?  Debate!
  • More stunt casting coming to OTH: Nick Lachey will play himself in an upcoming episode.




Let’s bring a OTH character back!

9 02 2009

As the longest-running teen drama currently on the air, One Tree Hill has amassed a huge backlog of characters.

They’ve all come and gone by now, but most left the door open for a return.  Just look at Chase and Gigi who popped back up this season!

So I ask you, which character would you like to see return?

Vote in the poll below.  Choices are listed in descending number of appearances already made.





No new episodes tonight!

9 02 2009

Neither Gossip Girl nor One Tree Hill are airing new episodes tonight.

Instead, this is what you’ll find:

GG: It’s A Wonderful Lie

OTH: You Have To Be Joking (Autopsy of a Devil’s Brain)





YouTube Video of the Week

8 02 2009

What would happen if you combined The O.C. and One Tree Hill to make an entirely new series?

You’d have Tree Hill County, of course!

Check out the promo below and then click here to watch this amazing YouTube series.





Biggest Character Transformations Pt. 4

7 02 2009

SUMMER ROBERTS (The O.C.)

Who She Was: A narrow-minded stuck-up bimbo focused on tanning, shopping and partying.

summer-roberts

Who She Became: When Summer began college at Brown her focus changed to activism. She completely changed her lifestyle by protesting injustices and taking a job with a global environment organization.

NATHAN SCOTT (One Tree Hill)

Who He Was: The school’s most popular basketball player with a big-man-on-campus attitude and a reckless lifestyle.

nathan-scott

Who He Became: Nathan continued to struggle with his temper but softened significantly through his relationship with Haley and his dedication to his young son, Jamie.

Come back tomorrow for one last character transformation!





Biggest Character Transformations Pt. 2

5 02 2009

My look at the Biggest Character Transformations continues…

RYAN ATWOOD (The O.C.)

Who He Was: Ryan’s life seemed to be headed nowhere when he joined the Cohen family after being arrested for stealing a car.  He couldn’t go a week without getting in a fight and struggled to control his anger, regardless of what was at stake.

ryan-atwood

Who He Became: Well, for starters, by the second-half of the last season, he was no longer getting in fights.  In fact, I don’t think he threw any punches from that point on.  He improved his relationships with those in his life, especially his formerly-estranged parents.  In the series finale’s glimpse into the future, we saw him working as an architect and befriending a young troubled boy, much like Sandy did for him.

BROOKE DAVIS (One Tree Hill)

Who She Was: Brooke was known in high school for her promiscuity, adversity to studying and love of parties and shopping.  The only glimpses we saw of the respectable woman she would later become was in her fledgling fashion line and her term as student government president.

brooke-davis1

Who She Became: Brooke took her small clothing company, Clothes Over Bros, and turned it into a national, multi-million dollar company.  Recognizing there are more important things in life than wealth, she cared for an ill foster baby and took in a troubled teenager.

TOMORROW: Gossip Girl and 90210





News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and More

5 02 2009
  • Tuesday night’s 90210 scored in the ratings by achieving double-digit growth in all the key demographics.
  • PEOPLE confirms that Shannen Doherty (Brenda) will be back on 90210 later this season but no clue as to what the storyline will be.
  • As teased during last night’s episode, the Jonas Brothers will give a sneak peak of their new movie during next week’s 90210 and give a special performance.  Jessica Lowdnes (Adrianna) says she hopes the Jo Bros will actually be on the show at some point.
  • The New York Post has an interview with Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights) about her new role as Rhonda on 90210.
  • E!Online is reporting that AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi, 90210) could be cast in the Twilight sequel.
  • Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl) is the new face of K-Swiss sneakers.  You can see one of the ads here.
  • Ausiello is reporting that, in an Anne Hathaway-like storyline, Serena (Blake Lively, Gossip Girl) will fall for a European guy who turns out to be less than genuine.  This will eventually lead to Georgina’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) return.
  • Hilarie Burton (Peyton, One Tree Hill) has cast Austin Nichols (Julian, One Tree Hill) in a movie she’s making, and he hijacked her blog to tell you all about it.
  • Instead of watching the Superbowl, one writer created Dawson’s Bowl 2009 after, yep, Dawson’s Creek.
  • Closing The Ring, starring Mischa Barton (Marissa, The O.C.) has been released on DVD.




News Roundup: 90210, Gossip Girl, The O.C. and More

4 02 2009
  • E!Online has video of Tori Spelling (Donna) filming with Jennie Garth (Kelly) and Jessica Stroup (Silver) on the 90210 set.  Nothing revealing.  They also have semi-revealing scoop about Gossip Girl (but nothing new if you read the spoiler post from earlier today!).
  • Don’t usually post tabloid gossip but this is interesting, considering there’s been rumors for months: US Weekly has a photo of Ed Westwick (Chuck, Gossip Girl) and Jessica Szohr (Vanessa, Gossip Girl) kissing.  Or at least it seems to be Ed.  Honestly not 100 percent sure it’s him.
  • But if you want to spot Chuck himself in real life (or someone like him), you should read this post from Jossip.
  • Or you can see Westwick at the upcoming Comic Con, where he’ll promote S. Darko.  The film also stars James Lafferty (Nathan, One Tree Hill).
  • Maureen Ryan from The Chicago Tribune has a cool interview with Josh Schwartz on the role music will play in the Gossip Girl spin-off.
  • I don’t watch Big Love but apparently it improves upon what The O.C. got right in–and only in–the show’s first season.  (For more on what The O.C. got right and then got wrong, as alluded to in the article, check out my own piece here!)




Monday Night Reaction

3 02 2009

GOSSIP GIRL

  • Q1: “I’m serving a week of hard time.”–Blair
  • Since when does high school detention mean doing community service?
  • Q2: “Miss Blair, your martyr act?  Not good.”–Dorota
  • Calling a teacher by her first name is never a good sign.
  • Did Chuck get a haircut?
  • Is that a tattoo?  That’ll be very hard for continuity.  Just see Prison Break!
  • Q3: “I made friends with a family of squirrels.”-Blair
  • Q4: “Do you need a refresher?  I say, you do.”–Blair
  • Impressed to see Blair’s “minion” stand up to her.  Too bad it didn’t last.
  • No cell phone use during school isn’t that uncommon.  Never see anyone actually pre-emptively take phones away, though.
  • Q5: “I think it’s withdrawal.  She hasn’t checked Gossip Girl for an hour.”–Penelope
  • Q6: “Is a scandal a scandal if you can’t text about it?”–Hazel
  • Love Dorota trying to be stealth in her glasses!
  • Q7: “Thank you, Jesus!”  “No, thank you, Blair!”–Hazel and Blair
  • Q8: “Please, I need to check the DOW!”–Nelly
  • So are those new phones?  Or their phones?
  • Q9: “…the Chuck Bass version of Naria.”–Vanessa
  • Q10: “She’s the Midwestern Mother Teresa.”–Hazel
  • Never saw a bathroom with a double-door like that.
  • Q11: “Once again the world has proven that anything you can do, I can do better.”–Blair
  • Q12: “I have a friend in cyberspace who’ll know just what to do.”–Blair
  • Q13: “Lonely Boy and Ms. Carr? Mary Kay Letourneau alert!”–Blair (How many viewers actually knew what that was referencing?
  • Q14: “I’m glad you’re not wearing that raccoon makeup anymore because you looked like one of The Incredibles.”–Dan to Jenny  (Who was only in one scene again!  Yes!)
  • Q15: “And I thought I was the bad seen in the family.”–Jeny
  • Q16: “Is Lonely Boy giving a certain new teacher more than just an apple?”–Gossip Girl
  • Wow, did Dan really just go into the girls bathroom??
  • Q17: “I knew you and Serena were having problems but I had no idea they were anatomical.”–Blair
  • Why didn’t Dan react to that dig at him and Serena?  Bigger fish to try?  Or because he knew it was true?
  • Q18: “Maybe you should write a short story about it and have Rachel give you notes.  Naked.”–Blair
  • Q19: “It’s a website where a girl posts gossip.  At least we think it’s a girl.”–Serena
  • Elle is a very sexy name, no?
  • Can see why Constance “turned a blind eye” to GG in the past and can’t now.  Now it’s actually school-related.
  • Glad to see Gossip Girl as a blog, and its place in this society, is being explored more.
  • Go Nelly!
  • Expulsion!  Yes!  (C’mon, I can’t be the only one that wants to see Blair suffer a little and get what she deserves.)
  • Q20: “This is my darkest hour.”–Blair
  • Guess this could be a slander case. (At least that’s what my law and ethics of journalism class leads me to believe!)
  • Q21: “The moment Blair involves me in her schemes, the bofriend of the BFF clause is officially null and void.”–Dan
  • Saved by the bell?  Really, Vanessa?  Cliche and didn’t even make sense.
  • Serena’s logic in defending Blair to Rachel fails because of one important factor: Blair brought this all on herself!
  • Q22: “Gossip Girl is just a stupid website.”–Serena
  • Um, perhaps teachers and students shouldn’t be friends in the first place?
  • Is the dog really named Handsome?
  • How would a homeless person care for a dog when they can’t even care for themselves?
  • Q23: “I can’t believe we’re all here on a Saturday night.  That’s a lot of cancelled resturant reservations.”-Lily
  • Rufus versus Harold, yes!
  • Q24: “I’m late for my chiropractor.  She’s double-jointed.  Makes the kama sutra seem new again.”–Chuck
  • Knewwwww Dan and Rachel would be caught in some “compromising” position.
  • Q25: “The whole Eyes Wide Shut mystery has been fun.”–Chuck (I was thinking of that film, too, but again, how many teen got that reference?
  • And is this story also Eliot Spitzer-inspired?
  • Q26: “The face, Serena. Try to pretend it’s not totally tragic.”–Blair
  • Who signs their text messages?
  • The Gossip Girl debate was probably inspired by real-life controversies about similar blogs.
  • Q27: “I love Damages.”–Blair (Again, do teens watch that??)
  • If Rufus was so pissed, why didn’t he make Dan leave with him?
  • Q28: “I saved myself and Gossip Girl.”–Blair
  • “It’s over, isn’t it?” has to be one of the most common teen drama phrases.
  • Q29: “Sometimes the only thing to do is to wrap your arms around each other one last time…and just let go.”–Gossip Girl
  • Rufus makes a good point: Rachel wasn’t acting professionally and that does lead to fair suspicions.
  • Why do students know where their teacher lives?
  • Blair’s dad finally saw her real side!
  • Figures the dog is going with Harold.  Shows never keep the dog around.
  • Was Elle killed?
  • That storyline is becoming more interesting now that Bart is involved and could have reprecussions.
  • But Vanessa and Nate were so not necessary for this episode.
  • OMFG!  Did not expect Rachel to kiss him!
  • When Serena says she wants to put the Rachel issue behind them, does that mean she also wants to get back together?
  • OMFG x 2! They are moving fast!
  • Weirddddd promo!
  • No new episodes til March!

    ONE TREE HILL

    • Loved that they referenced Andy and Karen.  Let’s hope we see them again soon!
    • Q1: “Were you allowed to date in prison?”–Jamie
    • The “you like her!” exchange between Jamie and Dan was quite adorable.
    • Q2: “Lucky for you, women have never been able to turn the Scott men down!”–Dan
    • Q3: “Sex did not make me popular.  I made it popular.”–Brooke
    • Q4: “It’s Peyton Sawyer.”  “Actresses!”–Peyton and casting lady
    • Q5: “Too old but she’d make a great Deb.”–Dixon on Peyton
    • Cute that Peyton read “Peyton”‘s lines.
    • Q6: “Why are you so good to me?–Lucas (Peyton’s response was great but I didn’t get to write it down in time!)
    • Q7: “She said yes!”–Jamie on asking a girl to come over.
    • Q8: “Is that how you got Nanny Deb?” “That and gin.”–Jamie and Dan
    • Q9: “Sweet!  Snow day!  Later, teach!”–Mia
    • Q10: “You’re kidding, right?”  You’re Italian, right?”–Mia and Peyton
    • Brooke’s reaction to the shirtless guy was hysterical!
    • Q11: “…And the guy playing Whitey.  He was just so cute.”–Julian (BRING WHITEY BACK!)
    • Q12: “Now I know how people must feel when they’re meeting me for the first time.!”–Brooke
    • It was cool seeing the actresses read.  Trying to remember if that’s another thing Dawson’s Creek did…
    • Q13: “There’s something about that one.”  “She wants to sleep with you?”  “That’s it.”–Dixon and Lucas
    • Q14: “Audiences like boobs.  I did not make that up.”–Dixon  (Are they calling him Adam Reese now?  WTF?!)
    • Q15: “Should I just go ahead and put her in pasties?!”–Broke
    • Q16: “You totally have a type!  He looks like Lucas!”–actress “Brooke”
    • Q17: ‘That’s another part of me you should know.  I lash out sometimes.”–Brooke
    • Haley answering the phone and reacting like she did = so unprofessional!
    • Jamie looked adorable in his suit!
    • Q18: “It’s very becoming.  Shall we?”–Jamie
    • That new principal is a bitch!  Bring what’s-his-face back!
    • Q19: “When you stop to think about it, where does the sidewalk end?”–Jamie
    • Q20: “Back off!”–Jamie to Dan
    • Surprised/kind of impressed Dan knows of The Time Traveler’s Wife.  Guess he read a bit while in jail!
    • Q21: “Who brags about being a baby proofer?”–Skills (So glad he’s back!)
    • Never expected Devon had a kid/family.  But that doesn’t excuse his prior behavoir.
    • Q22: “Wedding. Wedding.  Baby!”–Peton
    • Q23: “Made-of-honor?  Really?”  “It shouldn’t be a surprise.  “But it’s so nice to hear!”–Brooke and Peyton
    • Q24: “Oh, so there were 11 of you bitching and moaning?”–Brooke
    • Q25: “He was in prison!”–Jamie
    • Fergie’s appearances are always so random!
    • Q26: “Peyton’s a love interest.  Think about it with your other head.”–Dixon (One of the most risque lines ever, no?)
    • Q27: “Which one do you think Lucas will like?”  “Whichever one you’re naked in.”–Peyton and Brooke
    • Q28: “Come again?”  “That’s what she said?”–Peyton and Brooke (TOO FUNNY!)
    • Q29: “Girl code was shattered years ago.”–Peyton (But I like that Brooke was still worried.)
    • Q30: “You know that’s like three guys we’ve shared?”–Peyton (Love the sex tape reference.)
    • Q31: “High school Brooke did letter in sex.”–Peyton
    • Q32: “You know Tree Hill better than anyone else.”–Haley
    • Q33: “They should name an anti-depressant after you.”–Lucas to Haley
    • Q34: “Go away. You’re mean.  That’s why Daddy and Uncle Lucas don’t like you.”  “That’s true.”–Jamie and Dan
    • Q35: “You’re my best friend.  Don’t you know that?  Actually you’re my only friend.  I don’t even have an imaginary one.”–Dan
    • Amazing how sincere Dan is with Jamie…and no one else. Think he’ll ever repair things with Nathan and Lucas?  Or would that not be true to the character? (That’s a hint on a series of posts that’ll start Wednesday!)
    • Signature move stuff was kind of funny.  Can see why Brooke’s upset.
    • KNEW Lucas didn’t write that break-down.  Because, after all…
    • Q36: “You called me your pretty girl and told me I was gonna change the world.”  (Brucas fans must be quite happy with that part!)
    • Q37: “You want high school Brooke?  I’ve got news for you.  I’m not that girl anymore!”–Brooke
    • Q38: “Jamie used to take naps in the dryer.”–Haley
    • Q39: “What else does a baby get into?”  “Your heart.”–Peyton and Haley (Funny AND sweet!)
    • The Team Peyton onesie was odd.  It seems like a reference to Peyton versus Brooke, but that’s so over and done with so why would Haley give that to her?  Team Mommy would’ve been a lot better.
    • Loved that Brooke put Sam’s essay on the fridge.  I love how much of a mom she’s turning into.  Perfect for my spin-off idea!
    • The teacher left a faint kiss mark on Jamie’s cheek!
    • Q40: “Next time I think I should date someone my own age.”  “Or younger.”–Jamie and Dan
    • The Junk insult, though somewhat funny, was pretty unncessary.
    • Wonder if they’re foreshadowing a post-partum depression storyline?
    • Q41: “And I’ll totally sleep with you.  You, too.”–girl auditioning for Peyton
    • Q42: “No problem.  She was Peyton last night.  And I was Lucas.”–Dixon
    • Lucas’s script is good.  The actors are bad.
    • My guess on Haley’s upcoming storyline: she’ll be fired or suspended but then get people to rally against her before the school board.  Been there, done that.
    • Q43: “Were you really a mathlete?”  “I was THEE mathlete!”–Brooke and Julian
    • Yes!  Lucas showed up!  Hope he actually knew and Haley didn’t tell him.
    • I was totally expecting there to be a second heartbeat (twins) but I’m glad there wasn’t.  Whew!
    • Q44: “Let’s make a movie!”–Lucas
    • Great references to early episodes tonight.
    • Bethany did a good job directing but like I said with CMM’s episode, there wasn’t anything distinct about it.
    • No promo—>also no new episodes for more than a month?  UNACCEPTABLE!