Lifetime Piling Up

Season 2, Episode 20, Aired

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8.7
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Lying in a coma after his race car accident, Nathan dreams of what life would have been like if Dan had stayed with Karen and Lucas instead of marrying Deb and raising him. In this imaginary world, Lucas would have been raised with the Scott wealth and stature, and Nathan would have been the one growing up on the wrong side of the tracks.moreless
  • A One Tree Hill, "What If" Episode

    9.0
    "Superb"
    Nathan is in surgery and dreams of a life where everything is reversed. Dan married Karen instead of Deb. Deb doesn't drink and runs a business called "Deb's Den" in the location of Karen's Cafe. Nathan and Haley are best friends. Haley is tone deaf. Lucas is the town jerk and is dating Peyton. Keith owns the car dealership and Dan works for him. Karen is rich and owns several cafes. Dan is still all about basketball and still kind of a bad guy, but he is a bit of a wuss. He is also asst. coach of the Ravens. Dan is the boozy one instead of Keith.

    This is a bit of a filler episode. Instead of having the whole episode be everyone just waiting around the hospital while Nathan is in surgery they had it be a dream of Nathan's. It was a really good episode. The "alternate reality" that Nathan dreams about is really good and really funny. It's interesting to see what life could have been like for everyone if Dan had married Karen instead of Deb. I love all the references to "real life." With Nathan and Haley at the dock with the cracker jack. He gave her the bracelet and she talked about finding a tattoo of a random number in one which was a reference to her "23" tattoo. I love that the dream ended with a one-on-one game and had them saying the same lines from the pilot and having the same song play when Nathan makes the winning basket.

    I also love how it transitioned at the end to the point where Nathan realized he was dreaming and calling out for Haley. I wish when he called her he didn't tell her to stay away. She needs to come home so they can be a family again.

    I love that Lucas was there when he woke up just like in season 1 after Lucas' accident when Nathan was there when he woke up.moreless
  • Fortunately OTH didn't choose this way.

    4.2
    "Poor"
    I believed this episode could be really great but I guess I misunderstood...

    Clearly James Lafferty had to be Nathan and Chad Michael Murray Lucas. This episode was a dj-vu, all was the same. Peyton, Brooke etc... Karen was a bit***, sleeping with keith, Dan was a jerk and Deb was ... Deb...

    Nothing happened... and I can't believe that if you change your life, you can have the same than an another person... c'mon, if Nathan was not rich, would he be a total jerk like Lucas was? I can't believe it... Is Lucas a bad guy? Nah can't believe it. You are who you are. Period. That can't change so much even if you have a different life.
    Peyton was the same! And no kidding, she was going out with Lucas because he was popular? Hey c'mon Lucas is not Nathan, why does she go out with him? She'd rather like Nathan right... and Brooke? She never had a crush on Nathan so why would she go out with him, naked in a bathroom. Ahhaha. I can't believe it :p

    Well this ep had no sense... (and you could see some drawings that Peyton made when she was with Lucas like the shooting on the heart, some mistake I guess).moreless
  • this was a good ep

    9.0
    "Superb"
    in this ep of the show one tree hill nathan is still lying in a comer after hitting the wall really hard with the race car and so he is lying there dream if dan would of stayed with karen and lucas would of been raised by the two of them with health and the status that nathan gets when he steps on the court and nathan would of just been raised by deb a pill addict and gone down the wrong side of the tracks this was a good ep i thougth and it was very interesting to see how things would play out in that dreammoreless
  • Season 2, Episode 20.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    Wow, I really like the idea for this episode. Nathan is in a coma and dreams about what life would be like if Dan married Karen and raised Lucas, and ditched Deb and Nathan. I liked when Keith called Dan "Boozy." Haha. Deb's Den. I like it. Hehe. I liked seeing Nathan and Haley as just friends. I liked when Deb said, "You two are gonna end up married one day." Could Mark Schwahn be foreshadowing something for the series finale? I love Nathan a lot more than Lucas. I don't really like Lucas, so I didn't really mind that much when Nathan was picking on him, but in reverse, it's sad and cruel. Hehe, great episode.moreless
  • Love it

    9.9
    "Superb"
    Lying in a coma after his race car accident, Nathan dreams of what life would have been like if Dan had stayed with Karen and Lucas instead of marrying Deb. In this imaginary world, Lucas would have had the wealth and stature and Nathan would have been the one growing up on the wrong side of the tracks. After waking up, Nathan phones Haley and tells her he doesn't want her to come home. This episode is named after a song by Talking Heads What if? Unconscious after his racetrack crash, Nathan dreams of how like could have turned out: He is the abandoned illegitmate son... and Lucas in the pampered, attogant star of the Ravens basketball team. Another great episode, I really like the parts with Lucas and Nathan. Loved it.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (9)

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    • After Nathan awakens, Brooke and Peyton both kiss him goodbye. He mentions to them that he knows they both want him. Brooke says "In your dreams." This is an obvious reference to the fact that with Nathan taking Lucas's place in his Alternate Universe dream, he would have ended up in the love triangle with Brooke and Peyton, as opposed to Lucas.

    • Karen's CafĂ© is, in this episode, Deb's Den.

    • The license plate on Lucas' car says it's from Keith Scott Motors.

    • Deb's own last name is Lee, which Nathan also used in this episode.

    • In the dream, when Nathan finds the bracelet in the crackerjack box, Haley says "score, last time all I got was a tattoo with a random number on it". This is a reference to the tattoo that she got on her back of Nathan's jersey number.

    • Rest in Pieces by Saliva is played when Nathan shoots the winning basket. This is an elegant mirror to the Pilot episode when the same song plays as Lucas shoots the winning basket against Nathan.

    • Spoiler alert!: During the scene where Lucas and Nathan face-off at the river court, Lucas dunks the ball. But in the shot where his back is turned, it can clearly be seen that this isn't actually Chad Michael Murray (Lucas) but a body double.

    • During the scene when Lucas and Peyton are in her room fighting, look at the door to her closet. There is the picture of her, Lucas, and Brooke shooting the heart, which probably wouldn't have happened in this reality.

    • In the scene where Lucas is driving in his car with Peyton, he nearly hits Nathan who is walking across the street. If you look at the driver's seat when the angle is in front of the car, it is obviously not Chad Michael Murray (Lucas) who is driving the car but a stunt double.

  • QUOTES (15)

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    • Deb: Nathan, I... Nathan: I love you Mom. I mean that. And I know I've been a jerk lately to you, to everybody else. I'm sorry. Deb: You've been hurting. Nathan: It doesn't matter. I know you're just trying to be a good mother. Deb: I haven't been a good mother Nathan. But that's going to change now. Nathan: What are you talking about? Deb: I need to be stronger for you, and for myself. So while you're healing from this, I'm healing too. I promise you. Nathan: Whatever it is, I got your back. Do you ever wonder what life would be like, if Dan married Karen and just stayed out of our lives? Deb: All the time. Why? (Door opens and Dan enters) Dan: Glad to see you're awake, son.

    • Nathan: Wanna hear something really messed up, though? I thought I died, and went to heaven. Lucas: No kidding. Nathan: Yeah. Only heaven was a place where Dan chose your mom over mine. And Haley was tone deaf. Turns out it was only a dream. I did kick your ass in one-on-one though. Lucas: Well, I guess it was a dream then, huh?

    • Deb: You know you two are gonna end up married someday. (looking at Haley and Nathan) Nathan: Stop it. We've known each other forever. We're just friends. Deb: Hmmm good place to start. Nathan: Keep dreaming.

    • Keith: Ah lemme guess... dog ate your work ethic? Dan: Nah, I had to go by the uniform place sign off the new Ravens logo. Keith: Like Whitey's actually gonna let you make the decision. Dan: C'mon Keith, it's early. Don't start. Keith: I'm the boss here. Maybe you should have married Deb. You might have gotten her parents' money. Things will be different. Dan: Can we just leave the past in the past? Keith: Yeah, that's what you're best at, isn't it?

    • Alternate Reality Peyton: Why do you have to treat him like that? It could easily have been you, you know... if your dad had married his mom instead of yours. Alternate Reality Lucas: Like that was ever gonna happen.

    • Nathan: Don't come home, Haley. Haley: Nathan, I have to come home. Nathan: No. You don't. You have to go after your dream, just like I have to go after mine. Cause if we don't, then we're just gonna end up regretting it. And we're gonna end up resenting each other. Haley: Nathan, I wouldn't... Nathan: No, we don't know that. Nobody knows what's gonna happen. Whatever choice you make today is gonna affect the rest of your life. So, don't come home, Haley... cause I don't want you to.

    • Haley: I'll save you the trouble faux-dilocks. He's not into cheerleaders.

    • Peyton: You're a tutor right? Haley: You're jackass' girlfriend right?

    • Haley: Dude, nothing is ever gonna happen for you if you don't put yourself out there. You gotta shoot for the stars.

    • Haley: You and Brooke Davis. Captain of the Cheersluts! That's hard to picture. Nathan: Yea, I'd say hard's the right word.

    • Dan: Oh hey, I gotta cut out early for basketball practice okay? Keith: Just about the time the bars open up, right boozy?

    • Skills: Nate, uh, I'm your best friend right? So I feel like I can tell you this. Stop being so damn modest and come out here so we can keep you humble.

    • Whitey: Oh and uh, be sure to let the door hit you (Dan) in the ass on the way out.

    • (After Lucas almost hits Nathan with his car) Nathan: Daddy teach you how to drive? Lucas: Yeah, he sends his love. Now get out of my way, loser.

    • Nathan: Douglas Adams once wrote, "He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream, and he sometimes wondered whose it was, and whether they were enjoying it."

  • NOTES (4)

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    • Original International Air Dates: Turkey: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 on CNBC-e

    • James Lafferty (Nathan) provides the voiceover in the beginning of this episode, which is typically done by Chad Michael Murray (Lucas).

    • Featured Music: "Transform" by Aeon Spoke "Holdin" by Billy Livesay "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional "Hard to Love a Man" by Magnolia Electric Co. "Rest In Pieces" by Saliva "What It Is To Burn" by Finch "Hold You In My Arms" by Ray LaMontagne

    • There are a lot of similarities between this episode and the pilot episode. Exact lines are used from the pilot episode only the character who says them is changed. Some of the same music was used and some of the clothing styles were the same.

  • ALLUSIONS (1)

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