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What's up with Nathan: Inspired by his chat with Q from the great beyond, and a talk with Jamie, who tells him to just do his best, Nathan suits up to try out for the basketball level just below the NBA. When he arrives, he encounters all kinds of setbacks -- first, he's almost turned away at the door, but the coach who recruited him a few episodes back for coaching saves his skin and offers him a chance. Then one of the players mocks Nathan for not being good enough, for wearing his special green shoes, and for being too short.

But this Nathan is no quitter. With Q and Jamie's words in his head, Nathan shows the other guy who's boss -- his jumps soar and his shots swish through the net.

What's up with Haley: She's helping Jamie prepare for his big piano recital. But Jamie is less than thrilled -- he'd rather tell jokes than play the piano. Haley doesn't have much to do this week, but she does get to wear a truly fabulous dress and brooch. Still, we'd like more Haley next week, please!

What's up with Brooke: She opens Sam's door to find a half-naked guy trying to squeeze out Sam's bedroom window! Brooke is furious and lets Sam have it, but Sam fights back -- wasn't Brooke a wild and crazy fifteen-year-old? Brooke has to admit that she was, but she kind of wishes she hadn't been quite so out there -- she can't take any of it back now. Later, she breaks down a bit and reveals that she was attacked a few months ago, and that's why she's been so closed off around men and dating. She's still scared. Sam is sympathetic, and they bond. She reveals that her friend John (Jack) Daniels was coming over because his brother beats him up sometimes and he just wanted a safe place to stay.

As if one unwelcome visitor wasn't enough, Brooke gets two! Julian shows up at her store, wanting her to design clothes for Lucas's movie. Brooke's skeptical (can you blame her?) and denies him, but to her surprise, he doesn't bug her anymore and accepts her answer.

What's up with Peyton: She's wrestling with two big pains: one is in her side, and one is standing in front of her -- Mia. Mia's gotten a bit of a diva 'tude and has no interest in recording the label-provided songs; she wants to write her own. Peyton pushes, and the two clash. Meanwhile, Peyton's totally stressed because she's awaiting results from the doctor. She's freaking out, thinking she has cancer. When she and Mia can't resolve their issues, Peyton tells Mia that maybe this label isn't the place for her. Mia doesn't like hearing that, but Peyton just tells her that life is too short.

What's up with Jamie: He manages to turn his piano recital into a comedy routine. The kid spices up each group of notes with a punchline, and he's quite a hit with the crowd -- especially Mom and Dad.

What's up with Mouth and Millie: It seems like Gigi's been throwing herself at Mouth for years, doesn't it? It's getting old. Actually, it was old three weeks ago. But Gigi doesn't care what we think -- she only has eyes for Mouth. She pressures him to come to her going-away party, so he stops by with a gift for her: the shirt of his she slept in when she crashed at his place. Later, Gigi sends Mouth a sexy pic of her half-naked... but it's Millicent who finds the pic. Mouth swears nothing's going on, but Millie's had enough. She storms off to the bar to drink away her sorrows.

What's up with Sam: Sam asks Julian if she can send him some stuff she's been writing, and he seems to be okay with it, but he wants Brooke's info in return. Later, Sam's hanging out with her friend John (Jack) Daniels and she mentions Brooke in a positive light. He's surprised -- doesn't she hate Brooke? He remembers when she had her first run-in with Brooke at Clothes Over Bros and said that Brooke was a rich bitch who deserved to be put in her place. Right? RIGHT?

He looks at Sam pointedly, and suddenly she realizes that his friends were behind the attack -- it happened because of her! Sobbing, she confesses to Brooke and runs off. Brooke is too stunned to really react, but then she goes after Sam in hot pursuit.

First, Brooke tries the bar, where she clashes with Owen and Julian. Owen says the exact wrong thing at the wrong time about how Sam will turn up just like she always does (though how could he have known that this time was different?). Brooke lashes out at him and leaves. Then, at the diner, she asks the woman behind the counter, and she tells Brooke someone else just asked about a girl with the same description. It was that guy right there! The server points toward Julian. He didn't want Brooke to know, but he's definitely looking for Sam, too. And Brooke sees him in a whole new light.

Alone at the bar, Millie and Owen face each other with somber expressions. Owen, the former alcoholic, tells her he's going to have a drink after eight years. And Millie says that she's been a virgin for 22 years... until now. They sip their drinks and share a smoldering, desperate gaze...

Outside in the rain, Sam gets into a car. We see her pal in the front passenger seat, and then we see his brother. It's the same guy that killed Q. To say that his face is the epitome of evil is putting it lightly. Did we mention that during this entire montage, Jamie's reading a story about death with his sweet voice? We're kind of freaked out.

And with that, Sam rides off into the night with these extremely questionable characters.

What did you think of the episode? Were you as shocked by some of the twists as we were? Which character surprised you the most? Let us know what you thought in the comments!