How many antagonists can a storyline have in a one-hour show? Monday night's continuation of "One Tree Hill" starred several enemies from the past. One of Peyton Sawyer's former flames came back to haunt her, while Lucas Scott continued to struggle with the motive behind Dan Scott's murder. Can people change for the better, or will they always be a devil in disguise?

After meeting Julian Morris last week, Lucas received the golden opportunity to write his own screenplay for his novel, An Unkindness of Ravens. His struggle to write Keith's murder scene led him to ponder the motive behind Dan's actions. Why did he kill Keith? What went on during his Uncle's last moments? As Lucas searched for the truth, Dan confronted his son and told him to write the story the way it was meant to be: with Dan as the villain. Is Dan coming to terms with the person he has become, or is he continually trying to change? Will Lucas and Dan create a new relationship?

Peyton's past with an ex-boyfriend surfaced as he arrived in Tree Hill to produce Lucas' upcoming movie. While last week's episode hinted to a steamy hook-up between the two, Monday night revealed the two had a full-fledged romance together. Not only did the two declare their love for each other, but Julian moved into Peyton's apartment. While I still get the creeps at times from Julian, he hasn't given me any reason to hate him. If anything, he's been (thus far) mature and honest with Peyton. He very well could have blown the secret between the two of them and informed Lucas, but he chose not to. Unfortunately, Lucas found out on his own after stopping by Julian's hotel room and finding a picture of the two together. Any troubles that arise now stem from the fact that Peyton was not truthful with her fiancé. If Lucas can be honest about his relationship and feelings for Lindsey, Peyton should have been comfortable telling Lucas of hers. What's done is done, right? Her relationship with Julian may not be the most comforting secrets to hear, but as long as she was honest from the start, Lucas would have nothing to be upset about.

Nathan Scott may not be able to forgive his father for his evil actions, but enough to allow him to spend time with his son, Jamie. This week, Nathan's brush with the devil came in a different format: Slamball. Years prior to his near fatal accident, Nathan robbed a player of his Sweet Sixteen dreams at the final play of the game. Both players back on the same court, Nathan's archenemy sought revenge. After Nathan won the game for his team to lead them to the Championship, his rival charged after him sending Nathan straight through glass. Interestingly enough, it mirrored the exact same incident that landed him in a wheelchair. Fans all around the nation must have held their breath as we waited for Nathan to admit he was fine. As much as Jamie longed for his father to have a big trophy, after another scare he made his dad promise to quit Slamball. During a heartfelt moment, Nathan held his wife and his son in his arms, telling them they are the only trophies he needed in his life. The NBA scout may not have made an appearance at the game, but that doesn't mean he has not see Nathan's progress. Who knows if he's been to other games or seen footage of Nathan play Slamball. My fingers are crossed!

While at work, Mouth continued to battle the sexual moves from Gigi, his former high school girlfriend and current assistant. What began as innocent flirting and sexual connotations have now developed into Gigi getting drunk at work and making moves on Mouth. After Mouth chose to call it a night, Gigi suggested the two of them hook-up and keep it a secret. While we never found out what Mouth decided, it was obvious to viewers that Mouth was fighting the temptation. Personally, I truly hope he took Nathan's advice last week and fought off Gigi. Why not fire her? Has she really been that much help anyways? If anything she's merely a distraction and a nuisance. Time to kick her to the curb.

Stay tuned to next week's episode as Lucas confronts Julian about his past with Peyton and an exciting USO show is kicked off!

Cast: Chad Michael Murray / Sophia Bush / James Lafferty / Hilarie Burton / Bethany Joy Lenz / more

Story by Kathryn Sparks

Starpulse contributing writer