"The Same Deep Water as You" is the first episode of Season 4 of One Tree Hill and originally aired September 27th, 2006. The episode was written by Mark Schwahn and directed by Greg Prange. This was also the first episode to premiere on The CW.
The aftermath of the post-wedding car accident unfolds. While Haley and the Scotts are deeply affected by Nathan's attempt to rescue his uncle Cooper and Rachel Gatina from the underwater wreck, a ghost from Peyton’s past resurfaces with unexpected news, and Brooke confronts Lucas with some home truths about their relationship. Also, rocked by the knowledge that someone knows he killed Keith, Dan threatens Deb.
Contains examples of the following tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: The police arriving at Dan’s beach house, as he’s in the midst of trying scrub the "MURDERER" graffiti from his wall - they’re just there to inform him that Nathan is in the hospital.
- Call-Back: Peyton is messaged by "WATCHMEWATCHU" again; this being the same screen name that started messaging her in the Season 2 finale.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Upon arriving at the scene of the crash and learning that Nathan dove off the bridge to try and get Rachel and Cooper but none of them had resurfaced, Lucas follows Nathan’s lead.
- Contrived Coincidence: Peyton just happens to pull out the record from Ellie’s collection that contains a letter telling her that she has a half-brother.
- Free-Range Children: Brooke moves in with Rachel, having nowhere else to go after moving out of the Sawyer home after ending her friendship with Peyton.
- The Gadfly: Peyton is quite happy to assume this role when Brooke finds her and Lucas in his bedroom.Brooke: Nice job not hitting on him.
Peyton: Luke, I’ll get those CD’s later. [Beat] Thanks for the sex. - Green-Eyed Monster: Brooke acts this way when she arrives at the hospital after Nathan and Haley’s accident and sees Peyton is already there warmingly hugging with Lucas.
- Long Lost Sibling: Peyton learns that she has a half-brother by way of her biological father.
- Off the Wagon: Dan’s threats towards Deb frighten her enough to cause a relapse of her drug problem.
- Not Me This Time: When Nathan thinks Lucas helped him get Rachel and Cooper out of the submerged limo, Lucas has to point out that all he did was help get them to shore and Nathan was the one who got everyone out of the limo.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Antwon Tanner and Danneel Harris are added to the main cast.
- The Reveal:
- Peyton has a half-brother by way of her biological father.
- It really wasn’t Ellie messaging Peyton as "WATCHMEWATCHU" in the Season 2 finale.
- Ship Sinking: Lucas and Brooke break up.
- Ship Tease: Lucas and Peyton happily hang out as they were used to do before all the recent traumatic events, even underlining how much they missed it. While they are together, they also both act in a very flirty way. Besides, when Brooke breaks up with Lucas underlines how it’s always her he goes to when he needs help, to talk, he has problem or for basically everything and how he spends much more time with her, despite him going on to claim she is just his “best friend”.
- Shout-Out:
- Lucas and Peyton are shown playing a game of musical Jeopardy!, in which they make reference to the following songs and artists:
- Someone to Remember Him By: Lucas notes that Karen’s surprise pregnancy means that they kinda get part of Keith back.
- Spotting the Thread: The detective investigating the limo crash is immediately sceptical that Cooper, a former professional race car driver, lost control of a car and correctly suspects that the drunk high schooler in the passenger seat had something to do with the crash.
- Stylistic Suck: When Lucas jumps off the bridge after Nathan, Rachel and Cooper, he does it in an ungraceful manner with his arms and legs flailing as he falls to the water. This directly contrasts the professional dive that Nathan did in the previous episode, although Lucas’ dive is in fact more realistic for the situation than Nathan’s was.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Haley delivers one to Rachel after running into her at the hospital, warning her to stay away from her family.
- Titled After the Song: The episode title is taken from "The Same Deep Water as You" by The Cure.
- Trashcan Bonfire: The first time Peyton is seen, she’s going through pictures of her and Brooke before throwing into a burning trash can.
- Trauma Button: Nathan looking at a water lamp in the the apartment makes him suffer a flashback to being trapped in the limo.
- Wham Shot:
- A nurse at Tree Hill hospital is shown informing a patient that they are "definitely pregnant" and the camera pans to show Haley and Brooke.
- Peyton being messaged by "WATCHMEWATCHU" again, after both Peyton and the viewer assumed it was Ellie.
