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One Tree Hill 9X11: Danny Boy
🕑 Added 2025-01-24 19:00:07 +0000 UTCOn the plus side, I had tissues. On the downside, the fucking box wrestled me for every damn one. (Yes, I do yell at the tissue box at one point. I should probably be embarrassed, but meh).
I have very complex feelings about this. On one hand, I do think that in the aftermath (although, much later aftermath than it should have been), Dan really did try to make amends as best he could. And really, that just meant going away and leaving everyone alone. Once he made that decision, he didn't contact Nathan until Nathan showed up at the diner with Jamie's baseball and pictures of Lydia. But, he still was Dan Scott. Even if we pretend he didn't murder Keith (although I don't know how you do that), he was still an awful person.
And yet, like Haley reminded us, he did save both Jamie and Dan from crazy kidnappers. He was there when it counted, I guess. But still it's really hard to reconcile.
All that said, the river court scene was something else. At first, I couldn't figure out how they got there, but then I just went with it. Then, I was confused as to why Nathan was attributing his success to Dan. Then, I was even more confused when he told Dan he didn't owe him an apology. But it all made sense when we realize this is Dan's mind before he dies.
God I missed Keith. I think I said that the last time he came back too. He was such a calming presence on a chaotic show. I'm not sure how I feel about him welcoming Dan with open arms, but I do understand his sentiment. Dan's dead, if not now, when?
Also, while not nearly as dramatic, I fucking wanted to kill Brooke's dad. I HATE the fact that both her parents just use her for her talent. She the biggest fucking heart and it kills me that the people who are supposed to care for her the most, don't see it (or, if they do, use it as a weakness against her). Thank god she found Julian. I'm not sure I've ever seen a girl who needs someone who loves her for her, than Brooke.
Remember when she very reluctantly told Julian about Xavier attacking her? She was just concerned about Nathan, her own health be damned. Stupid S1 Dana had her all wrong. I'm so embarrassed.
And then we've got Clay trying to see Logan. This would have been a sweet bit if we weren't dealing with the other stuff. I guess we needed it to soften things a bit, and honestly, this kid is pretty cute. But, I would have enjoyed this so much more if we got it last season instead of the Chuck storyline.
Also, thank you guys for checking on the Hulu finale for me. I really appreciate that. I didn't even wanna see the thumbnails!
Comments
Dana Licciardello
Yeah. I've been screaming for 9 seasons about how much I hate him, he should die, and get no redemption. But, there really is a lot of nuance here. And even if there wasn't, I'm big enough to admit that the show was better when Dan's in it. It's been about a week since I watched this episode. I still don't know how I feel about Dan. And I think that's the mark of a really amazing character.
Dana Licciardello
Ugh. I wish so badly that Nathan had had a different father. He turned into such an amazing man. Imagine how much sooner that could have happened if he'd had anyone else for a father.
Dana Licciardello
Understood.I hated the fact that Nathan only really got to be Dan's son for a brief period before he died. He deserved so much better. Plus, Jamie really loved him. But also didn't know him, so add that to the complicated feeling Nathan and Haley must have about this.
Dana Licciardello
Oh, I love this perspective. I have such complicated feelings about Dan (I imagine we all do), but I'd love this moment for Nathan if nothing else. Also, I love that they didn't keep score. It's so refreshing after their whole relationship was about whether Nathan could score more points than Dan did.
Dana Licciardello
Dude. Right? I spent so many seasons wishing death upon Dan and now that we're finally here, I'm like this! But also, god I loved Keith. Hardcore agree on Brooke. I'm so ashamed for how much I yelled at her earlier in the series. 😳
The great mist of Gaming
If you would have told me in season one that I would be crying at Dan’s death I would not have believed you given how much I hated his character but here we are and I was sooo sooo happy seeing Keith’s surprise appearance. I absolutely loved Nathan and Haley’s reunion it was just perfect. Brooke deserves better parents because she is a really amazing person but they keep letting her down time and time again.
Heather
I agree. People interpret Dan's arc differently. For me, I wouldn't say he had a redemption arc, but he found redemption/forgiveness from his immediate family. Maybe that's all he needed. While I may hate Dan as a person for all he's done, he is still one of my favorite characters. This show would not have been the same without him.
Heather
Yeah, I agree. The conversation between the two really happened. It was not just wish fulfillment on Dan's end. It was something shared between the two of them. Haley told Nathan to go get closure. This was closure for both of them. Nathan got his answers about Dan and Keith and he got to play basketball for the first time with his dad without keeping score. Sure they could have shown most of that conversation in the hospital room, but having it on the Rivercourt just seemed really appropriate despite the logistics.
sandrinegeller
I’ve always imagined that the river court conversation did really happen and he did tell Nathan all of that, but it just happened in the hospital room and Dan was imagining it and the basketball stuff in the river court
Mira
I love Nathan, he has been nothing but an amazing husband, father and man. But in this episode you can see in the scenes with Dan how he immediately turns into a boy with his dad. The moments he never had with Dan, and how innocently he wants to have them for a few hours before Dan dies.
C. J. Ramirez
I still hate Dan idc I only felt bad for the kids
sandrinegeller
One of the best episodes of the show because it represents the amazing character they built in Dan. He’s so morally complex that even at the end you aren’t sure how to feel but you just get to experience it through the other characters. No one can ever be sure if he’s evil or redeemed or redeemable and that’s the beauty of his character. Every person will see Dan how they want to and based on what they believe about people and good and evil and it’s just great.
