"To Wish Impossible Things" is the eighteenth episode of One Tree Hill and originally aired April 13th, 2004. The episode was written by Mark Schwahn and directed by Billy Dickson.
The Tree Hill Ravens are auctioned off to the highest bidder in the annual "Boy Toy" auction, and the night leads to surprising developments for Lucas, Nathan, Jake, Peyton and Haley... and Tim being used as cheap labour around the house by Deb. Meanwhile, Brooke is forced to settle for Mouth when she misses out on the auction, and she gives him a night to remember.
Contains examples of the following tropes:
- Butt-Monkey: Tim walks onto the stage to general indifference from the audience, who were getting into bidding wars over Lucas, Nathan and Jake, and is ultimately bought by Deb out of pity for a total of... eight dollars.
- Continuity Snarl: A minor example; during her conversation with Nathan in the pool, Peyton dismisses the idea that they were good together by noting they just had sex a lot. Towards the end of the conversation, Nathan gets all smug and claims Peyton said he was good in bed, before a mortified Peyton submerges herself in the pool again out of embarrassment - except Peyton never commented on Nathan's skills in that department, just that they did it a lot.
- Contrived Coincidence: The girl Lucas drunkenly hooked up after Peyton ended their relationship is Jake's ex and the mother of his infant daughter.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Mouth, who spends the night with Brooke after the auction.
- Did Not Think This Through: Haley decides to bid on Lucas at the auction, since it's been a while since they hung out together. Only afterwards does she realise that this leaves Nathan free to be bid on by everyone else.
- Dramatic Irony: Immediately after Karen assures Larry that there's nothing going on between her and Keith, she answers the door bell to find Keith on her doorstep, proposing.
- Like Brother and Sister: Lucas and Haley are both uncomfortable with the prospect of having to kiss one another.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Lucas misinterprets Nathan and Peyton's midnight kiss as being more romantic that it actually was.
- Oblivious to Love: Upon finding an old photograph of her and Dan from their teenaged years, Karen notes that she'd never noticed Keith in the picture before and Larry points out that the guy in the background (Keith) is clearly in love with the girl in the foreground (Karen.)
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Jake gives one to Nikki, calling her out for abandoning Jenny.
- Really Gets Around: Deconstructed when Brooke kisses a random guy after arriving at a club, only to find out they've previously slept together in the past. Brooke is clearly upset by this revelation, and doesn't seem to have previously considered the implications of constantly hooking up with random guys.
- The Reveal: Jenny's mother is revealed to be Nikki, the girl Lucas had previously hooked up with at the bar.
- Ship Tease:
- Peyton initially tries to bid on Jake, before being outbid out by Nikki.
- Lucas is clearly jealous when he witnesses Peyton and Nathan sharing their midnight kiss.
- Titled After the Song: The episode title is taken from the song "To Wish Impossible Things" by The Cure.
- Wham Line: Brooke meeting Lucas the River Court at the end of the episode.Brooke: I spent the entire night trying to avoid this or ignore it but I can't, so I've just gotta say it.
Lucas: Brooke, what's up?
Brooke: I think I'm pregnant.
