"Unopened Letter to the World" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of One Tree Hill and the 37th produced episode of the series. It was broadcasted on February 22, 2005. When Tree Hill High does a time capsule project, the gang confesses their most intimate secrets to an anonymous video camera. Nathan's anger over Haley's absence continues to grow, landing both Lucas and Nathan in jail. Peyton and Jake's feelings for each other heat up, while Felix throws Brooke a party to celebrate her new gig as student body president. Meanwhile, when brought to court, Lucas opts to live with Dan and Deb rather than Karen.
Synopsis[]
Nathan is first to make a recording for the time capsule
Nathan Scott comes on screen with a black background, he tells the camera that trust is a lie and nobody ever knows anyone. In class, all the high school friends, except Haley who is on tour, are watching a time capsule, made by Whitey when he was in school. He tells the camera how he enjoys sports and even though most of the boys are chasing girls, he hasn't as he has Camilla, showing then that this is what Nathan was also recording, a time capsule. Whitey tells the class they are making a time capsule and forces everyone to participate including an unwilling Nathan. Whitey assures the class that no one will see their addition to the capsule until 2055. The bell rings and Whitey tries to hold Nathan back but he refuses, Whitey checks if Lucas is looking after him and Lucas says he is trying. Jake tells Peyton he wants to move out and Peyton is shocked by the news. She asked if it is because they kiss and Jake confirms her worries. But then he tells her he wants to ask her out on Friday night, the two flirt and Peyton agrees to go on the date. After, Peyton does her tape and talks to Jenny who will be 50 something and tells her that Jake is quite the fox. Meanwhile, Karen tells Andy that the courts need to have some time before she can take Dan to court for Lucas' custody. Karen wants to be calm at court, and Andy tells her he made some calls and his 'guy' should have some dirt on him. Lucas meets up with Brooke as they walk into school, she now realizes she has duties as a president as isn't to happy about it. Lucas has a present for Brooke, a book on leadership. Brooke pretends to be overjoyed but Lucas also got her some magazines which makes her even more happy.
Dan and Karen battle for custody of Lucas
Felix and Anna return from their cruise and Felix is not very happy about the present Lucas has just given her, and in an act of jealousy, Felix tells her he is throwing a party for her. Anna does her time capsule addition confessing to being a bisexual as the tape won't be revealed till 2055.
Keith shows Jules around a house that he has bought for her. Jules is shocked and refuses it, but Keith insists. Dan sees Nathan at work and apologizes for his behavior the other day. Nathan finds out that Lucas is working there too, and Nathan quits after Dan tries to get him to work with them together. Back at the apartment, Lucas finds Nathan painting the wall pink and hanging a clown on the wall, as Haley hates pink and clowns. Lucas tells him to call her, but he has, and he gets her voice mail, which leads him to continue his slot on the time capsule saying he hopes they don't have voice mail. Brooke sees Peyton and asks if she is having sex and prepares Peyton for the date. She asks if taking it slow is crazy, but Brooke says it isn't. Dan, Karen and Lucas are at court and Dan is twisting all the court case and Karen goes mad calling him an ass. The lawyer turns to Lucas and asks what he wants.
After Lucas' decision, Karen storms in as Andy watches Jenny. She tells Andy he chose Dan over her at the court case and breaks down. Andy promises to fix it. Brooke and Felix are at the party, she doesn't know anyone there, except Mouth. As she explores the party, she finds Erica drinking, unlike her normal behavior.
Mouth and Anna break into Tree Hill High
Nathan arrives but he only came as he ran out of alcohol. Tim, Lucas, Mouth and Anna are talking about the time capsule, Tim reveals that he left a message about sex, when his addition is shown, he claims to have slept with most of the school and says he is currently dating Brooke. As Brooke joins the conversation, Brooke says whatever they said doesn't matter as they will all be old by then. Mouth disagrees as sometimes the capsule is opened sooner if something changes about the school. This worries Anna due to her confession. Lucas sees Nathan and as he sees if he is ok, he gets insulted and left alone. Anna tells him that Nathan has been going through his jacket pockets. As Lucas leaves, Anna finds Mouth and asks him if he can erase part of the time capsule for her, she asks for his help to break in the school, but knowing that he has done something he wished he could have erased, Mouth agrees to do it.
Outside, Lucas tries to stop Nathan from driving while drunk. But it is too late and Lucas is forced to get in the car with his brother. As they drive, he throws the beer on the police and as they chase, Lucas tells him to pull over, but Nathan tells him he will go to jail as he has already been arrested once. As they pull over, the police go to the car, to find Lucas in the driver's seat, trying to save his brother from going to jail. Jake and Peyton are on their date having a good time as Lucas and Nathan get put in a cell. Lucas is annoyed at Nathan as he calls someone to bail him out, Nathan tells him to call Haley, but then laughs it off. Mouth and Anna break into the school, Mouth in the balaclava for safety, they get into the school but it might take sometime. Karen and Andy are trying to think of ways to get Lucas back in the house. She asks what is next, whether it is a life of crime, as the phone rings with Lucas in jail. As Karen answers and finds out where he is, she asks if he has a quarter in his pocket, and Lucas says yes, and she tells him to call his father and hangs up on him.
Brooke takes a drunken Erica home
Mouth gets the capsule on his laptop and watches Tim tell the camera that Anna is so into him. Then they switch onto Brooke who says she will probably be married to Mouth, the two are in shock at the additions to the capsule and they both agree it is wrong to watch people's entry's, but they let themselves have two minutes. Peyton tells Jake her date was perfect and she gets Jake to stay and move back. Brooke finds a drunken Erica being dragged out the house by a boy, she gets her off the boy and takes her home with her. Nathan is laughing at Lucas and his life, and for chasing after a father who doesn't want him. The two begin to argue as Nathan accuses Dan of liking Deb better than Karen and then Lucas agrees, and says it is like Haley liking Chris better, the two begin to fight as the jail alarms sound.
Mouth and Anna continue to watch Brooke's addition to the tape. As she talks about love and how hard it is, but worthwhile it is. Lucas and Nathan are handcuffed to the cell walls, he tells Nathan that Dan wanted revenge for Keith sleeping with Deb and how he hired Jules. That's the reason he is staying with Dan. Nathan tells Lucas Haley left to be with Chris as they kissed. She said she needed time to figure out, but Nathan doesn't know whether to believe that she still likes him.
Peyton and Jake decide to take their relationship slowly
As Peyton and Jake kiss, he goes in her drawer to get some matches. As he does, he finds a big roll of condoms but confesses they've been there since Nathan. She tells him that she's been with one boy, Nathan, and sex is still a big deal to her. Jake shows he understands and asks to take things slow with her and Peyton agrees. Dan goes to the chapel to see Jules there, she tells him she has decided to tell Keith the truth. Dan says she might not have to as has decided to let it go and not tell him. As Jules doesn't believe him, he tells her he has kept his word so far.
Mouth has got Anna's tape, he hasn't watched it, but Anna tells him she is bisexual. Mouth leaves her to delete her tape. Erica wakes up to find Brooke looking after her, she tells her about losing all her money. Erica gave her an idea, a proposal, a safe rides program, to get high school students back home if they can't get home any other way. Dan picks Nathan and Lucas up after bailing them out. Nathan loses his temper with his father and reveals that he knows about the deal they have. As Nathan storms off, Dan shows he isn't mad at Lucas and lets him go off with Nathan for the night. As Lucas leaves he turns and thanks Dan, addressing him as Dad. As Lucas walks off, Karen watches from the sidelines showing she was still worried about her son.
Lucas and Nathan make up over a game of basketball
Peyton tells the time capsule recorder that she was mislead this year but found hope with a boy, but that also comes with trust issues. Lucas arrives at Nathan's and tells him Haley still loves him, and tells him their marriage trumps Chris' kiss. He also says that he should remember Haley even if she is acting like a lesser person, as she did with him. Felix goes to see Brooke, who tells him she didn't like the party. She says it was because she perhaps felt she was there for something more, she quotes J.F.Kennedy and Felix is proud of her for her decisions. Lucas reuses the phrase Nathan told him about how to get normal, after his crash and then throws him a basketball. Karen gets home to Andy who has found something on Dan. Mouth promises not to say anything about Anna, as long as she doesn't hit on Brooke he says jokingly.
Jake announces on the time capsule that he is falling in love with Peyton. Lucas gets on with Nathan playing basketball and tells the capsule that he wishes he could do more for Nathan and do more for his mom as he wants her to be happy more than anything. He also admits that if he can't get closer to his father he can get back at his father, and possibly beat him. Whitey watches himself on the time capsule in tears as he hears all his wishes for Camilla, to have sons to help to teach, which happen to have turned out to be the Raven's team.
Memorable Quotes[]
- "So you want me to tell you something about myself? I don't have anything to say. Even if I did, you'd be wrong to believe me. Trust is a lie, nobody ever knows anyone."
- "Okay, first off, I want to say, happy 67th birthday to Peyton Sawyer, you were pretty cool back in the day. And to Jenny Jagielski, who is wow, like in her 50s now. Your dad totally loves you, plus he's a total fox."
- "What's up Ms. President?"
- "Please don't remind me. It was really fun to win and all, but now I actually have to do something"
- - Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis
- "My name is Anna Taggaro, and I'm a junior at Tree Hill high. And since it's 2055, I guess it's okay to say that, I'm bisexual. Although, if I still haven't found the nerve to come out to my friends and family by 2055, surprise!"
- "My best friend Haley left town recently, and it's been hard, you know, until this year it's always been us against the world. We pretty much grew up together, and now she's just gone. I understand the leaving part, trust me, I just wish she could of called me before she left, I wish I could of talked to her about it, not to change her mind, or tell her what to do. But just to say, I love you, and I'll miss you. Just to say goodbye"
- "50 years huh? Well if you're young, and you're watching this, you guys know what you're up against. Especially for you girls, it's sex right. Even 50 years from now, I'm guessing it's still a really big deal, you know, it's awkward and threatening and thrilling. But in a way, it's like sex is the easy part, it's giving your heart to somebody, that's the scary part"
- "He chose his father"
- "Ok, so I'm a single father, and until recently a high school drop out and I'm going on my first date since my daughter was born. Am I a great catch are what?"
- "Lucas? listen, are you ok?"
- "Yeah, we're fine"
- "Ok, you got a quarter in your pocket?"
- "Yeah"
- "Good, call the father you love so much"
- Karen Roe to a jailed Lucas Scott
- "Lets see, in 10 years, I'll probably be married to someone like Marvin McFadden...Of course, you all probably call him Senator McFadden or something, but we just call him Mouth"
- "So you're probably looking at this and making fun of my outfit right? Anyway, here's all you really need to know about today. If you're fat, dumb, sexual, and a guy, you're okay. If you're a girl, not so much. Please tell me that's changed in the future. Somebody tell me they've got love figured out, because I've got news for you, it's pretty darn messy right now, but I guess it's always been that way. Wanting to be loved, to find somebody that makes your heart ache in a good way, to feel understood. So if you're robots, or aliens, or something and you're watching this right now and that feeling no longer exists, well, you missed it and I feel sorry for you. For as far as I can tell, that's what it's all about, and that's what it should be about"
- "Is this your room?...it's nice"
- "Well it was until my parents sold everything. Last week they sold one of the O's in my first name, so now I'm officially Broke Davis"
- "My name is Anna Taggaro, and I'm a junior at Tree Hill high. And...I'm gay and straight, and a Latina, and I hate labels. And I hope by the time you see this, those things won't be an issue. For now, all you need to know is this, I'm Anna, and I'm just trying to find my way, like most kids. I guess that part is timeless."
- "I lost my way a little bit this year, but lately, it's been better, you know. It's pretty amazing how temptation can be silenced by a ray of hope. But when the face of that hope is a boy's face, I guess for me, hope comes with trust issues to"
- "She still loves you, you know. Look, it sucks that she kissed Chris, but she married you, I kind of think that wins out over some confused kiss."
- "Maybe I was the confusing part for her"
- "Nathan, Haley fell for you when you were a different guy, a lesser guy. Maybe you should remember the real Haley even when she's lesser too"
Voiceover[]
- "My brother's been going through a tough time lately, I wish there was more I could do to help him. I mean just getting along is kind of new to us, but I guess that's how brothers are. Better and worse to each other than anybody else. I also wish I could make things easier for my mom, I mean even though it's been a tough year for us, I want her to be happy more than anything. But that doesn't change the face that I need to get closer to my father, because if I can get closer to him, maybe I can find a way to beat him once and for all and set the people that I love free, I just hope I have the chance to tear him down for good."
- Lucas Scott (closing voiceover)
Music[]
- "Where Happiness Lives" - Magnet
- "Genius" - Inara George
- "I Predict A Riot" - Kaiser Cheifs
- "Club Foot" - Kasabian
- "Do You Feel Love" - People People
- "Enjoy" - Teen Machine
- "Flying High" - Jem
- "Looking For Love" - Michelle Featherstone
- "Deep" - Citizen Cope
- "You've Changed" - Bettie Serveert
This episode's title originated from the song Unopened Letter To The World, originally sung by The Ataris.
Trivia[]
- This episode is dedicated to show runner and creator Mark Schwahn's father. The dedication reads "In Loving Memory of My Father, Richard Schwahn 1943-2005."
- Haley and Deb do not appear in this episode
- This is the first episode in which Haley doesn't appear.
- As Nathan goes to leave the party he is holding a blue cup, but when he's seen getting in the car, his cup is red.
Episode References[]
The Desperate Kingdom of Love • Truth Doesn't Make a Noise • Near Wild Heaven • You Can't Always Get What You Want • I Will Dare • We Might as Well Be Strangers • Let the Reigns Go Loose • Truth, Bitter Truth • The Trick Is to Keep Breathing • Don't Take Me for Granted • The Heart Brings You Back • Between Order and Randomness • The Hero Dies in This One • The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows • Unopened Letter to the World • Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking • Something I Can Never Have • The Lonesome Road • I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning • Lifetime Piling Up • What Could Have Been • The Tide That Left and Never Came Back • The Leavers Dance