"With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept" is the sixteenth episode of Season 3 of One Tree Hill and originally aired March 1st, 2006. The episode was written by Mark Schwahn and directed by Greg Prange.
A student humiliated by the time capsule leak brings a gun to campus, and things take a deadly turn. Lucas and Nathan try to protect their friends and loved ones, whilst Brooke reflects on her past behaviour.
Contains examples of the following tropes:
- Axes at School: Jimmy Edwards brings a gun to school, and winds up firing it in a crowded hallway.
- Artistic License – Law Enforcement:
- Two civilians - no matter how well connected they were - would not be able to sneak into a school in the midst of a shooting as the police force would have every entry point into the building under surveillance in short order.
- The police reaction to the situation is dated, even by the standards of 2006, as protocol was revised following the Columbine shooting in 1999 to provide a swifter response to such a scenario.
- Big "NO!": Keith yells out a "NO!" when Jimmy finally turns the gun on himself.
- Cain and Abel: The adversarial relationship between Dan and Keith comes to a head, as Dan kills Keith in cold blood, believing that Keith was the one who set the dealership fire.
- Character Death:
- Jimmy Edwards turns his gun on himself as Keith tries to talk him down.
- Keith Scott is fatally shot by Dan.
- Chekhov's Gun: Jimmy letting Abby Brown leave the Tutor Center becomes much more significant in the final episodes of Season 4.
- Code Silver: Principal Turner invokes “Code Black” and orders an immediate evacuation of the school following Jimmy’s gun being fired.
- Damsel in Distress:
- Peyton is shot in the leg by Jimmy, and winds up hiding in the library.
- Haley and Rachel are among the hostages in the Tutor Room, along with a girl named Abby Brown.
- The Dog Bites Back: Jimmy only reaches for the gun when he sees his locker has been broken into and trashed by the guys he insulted in the time capsule.
- Driven to Suicide: Despite Keith’s best efforts to talk him down, Jimmy ultimately chooses to turn his gun on himself.
- Dying Declaration of Love: Peyton finally tells Lucas she loves him whilst in the library as she thinks she won’t make it due to the blood loss.
- Failed a Spot Check: Mouth is busy editing together footage of a Ravens basketball game with his commentary from his podcast when Jimmy pulls the trigger; as such, he’s completely oblivious to the shooting until he finds the school abandoned upon heading to class.
- Frame-Up: As Keith mourns Jimmy, Dan picks up the gun and shoots Keith in the chest, killing him and framing Jimmy.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Jimmy Edwards. Lampshaded in conversation by the kids in the Tutor Room.
- Left for Dead: After Jimmy fires his gun in the hallway, Brooke is helped up by another student and they rush out of the building; however, no-one notices or stops to help Peyton, who had been shot in the leg.
- Locked Out of the Loop:
- Lucas, Nathan, Whitey and the rest of the basketball team only arrive at the school as everyone is fleeing the building, due to the team practicing at the old gym off-campus. It’s only when Brooke sees them that they find out.
- No-one outside the school knows that Jimmy is the shooter, or that he was acting alone, until Nathan sends a text message to his father.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": When Jimmy pulls out his gun and fires.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Jimmy, when he realises that he just fired the gun.
- Never Trust a Trailer: Trailers for the episode hyped the Tonight, Someone Dies aspect of the episode. They just misdirect the viewer to think it's one of the students (Specifically, Peyton) who dies, with absolutely no hint that it's Keith who dies.
- No Theme Tune: The episode drops the opening title sequence, instead opening on a black and white title card. Additionally, the episode forgoes the use of any licensed music until the end of the episode to further set the tone.
- Now or Never Kiss: Peyton kisses Lucas after admitting that she’s in love with him, thinking that she’s probably not making it out of the library.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Whilst some of the students try to talk Jimmy down, both Jimmy and Marcus point out that no-one’s going to forget that Jimmy shot up the school.
- Parental Substitute: Karen serves as one for Brooke, as the school refuse to release her from the gym until a parent or guardian collects her, despite Brooke’s parents now living in California.
- Pet the Dog: Jimmy lets Abby Brown leave the tutor center, as she’s diabetic and her condition has clearly taken a toll on her in the time spent as a hostage.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The episode was directly inspired by the Columbine school shooting in 1999.
- Rule of Symbolism: Jimmy shoots himself through the heart after his friends broke it.
- Titled After the Song: The episode's title originated from the song "With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept" by Explosions In The Sky.
- Tonight, Someone Dies: Promos for the episode focused in on this element of the episode, and ultimately served as a misdirect - trailers heavily imply that a student, specifically Peyton, would be killed off during the episode.
- Wham Episode: Peyton is shot and nearly dies, leading to her admitting to Lucas that she’s in love with him; Jimmy Edwards turns his gun on himself, before Dan uses it to fatally shoot Keith and blame the troubled teen.
