Not long after the Brooke-beater dramatic arrest, the following "One Tree Hill" storylines seem to have something more in common with two-week old bread than elapsed time: a stale taste.

Stale story #1: Mia and Chase's Relationship.

I admit, I like this new couple as much as the rest of us, but honestly, where did it come from? Chase decides to help out Owen at Tric by picking up his shift, only to find out he has no bartending experience. Why would Mia, an underage musician, know anything about making a Long Island Ice Tea? Sure, she's probably had a few drinks here and there while on the road, but her innate knowledge of drink recipes sure seemed a bit out of the ordinary. The romance seems to be heating up, but in reality, where is it leading? Could this be another Nathan and Haley setup?

Stale story #2: Peyton and Lucas.

Yes, these two are meant to be together, this is a well known given. Many fans probably wiped away tears of happiness as Lucas surprised Peyton at their special spot and got down on one knee with a gorgeous diamond in hand. Peyton accepted the ring at the time, but eventually returned it to Lucas in exchange for Keith's former wedding ring. Alright, we get it. They are in love. What about wedding plans? All we know so far is Peyton will need a third wedding gown. What about Baby Scott? There is absolutely no drama? Far be it from me to lecture someone on the responsibilities of having a child, let alone being married at a young age. Somehow, though, I'm not seeing the reality in all of this and maybe that is simply because it's well, a TV show. But just in case the OTH writers do happen to come across this article in hopes of finding a breath of fresh air for the show, my advice is to throw in a bit of exciting reality! (And no, that doesn't have to be an oxymoron!) Maybe the only semblance of reality is the cheating factor, which Millie and Mouth have experienced first hand. The show has lasted this long with an insane amount of creativity. Make it happen, writers!

Stale story #3: Brooke's Mom Role.

It was great while it lasted. I loved that Brooke finally set aside her selfish ways and gave up a lot of herself to care for a young baby. It was truly at this moment that the OTH world got a glimpse of the second side of Brooke Lucas wants to portray in his movie. Unfortunately, I'm just not feeling it this time around with Sam. Now that the teenage rebel has come to some sort of a compromise with Brooke, the story seems to be a lot calmer. Yet, I still can't believe that a 22-year-old would turn down a night with a hunk like Julian just to prove her motherly ways. We all have a little rebellious side to us and while Brooke has maintained a professional and diligent work attitude these past few weeks, we'd all be lying if we said the old Brooke no longer existed inside of her. I'll admit, I'm starting to miss that scandalous side of her.

There may have been a few stale stories molding, but one story continues to grow with progress. Nathan is proving he's not going to make it back into the NBA without a fight. He's teaching his son that with hard work comes success. He's come across adversity, failure and misery all in a matter of one year, but somehow has remained resilient through it all. That'a boy, Nate!

In two week's, the newest episode looks to be an exciting and hilarious feature: An Unkindness of Raven's Casting Call! Looks like all Brooke, Peyton, Haley and other Tree Hill character wanna-be's will be invited to audition for the movie. Who's playing who and what drama will come from it? Don't miss this one on Feb. 2nd!

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



Story by Kathryn Sparks

Starpulse contributing writer