When Lucas discovers that newcomer Derek's interest in Peyton is more than brotherly, Derek becomes menacing. Haley feels Nathan slipping away after he receives a scholarship offer to attend Duke University. Meanwhile, as rumours of Brooke's pregnancy spread, Rachel uses the Internet to set Brooke up on a blind date with an older guy. And at Nathan's request, Deb tries to overcome her pill addiction.
Contains examples of the following tropes:
- Aesop Amnesia: Any lessons Rachel learnt about lying about her age to snag older guys after her relationship with Cooper ended specifically because of her doing so have been swiftly forgotten, as she’s back to her old tricks.
- Arc Welding: Peyton’s online stalker "WATCHMEWATCHU" from the Season 2 finale is confirmed to be Psycho Derek.
- Bait-and-Switch: When Haley visits Dan and informs him about her pregnancy, he acts like a proud grandfather-to-be and promises to talk some sense into Nathan; when he talks to Nathan, he tells him to declare for Duke and that Haley and the baby need to come second.
- Big Damn Heroes: As Psycho Derek attempts to rape Peyton, Lucas interrupts and tells her to run; when he briefly manages to incapacitate Lucas, the real Derek arrives by and together, the two boys manage to fight him off by throwing him out of Peyton’s bedroom window.
- Blatant Lies: Rachel and Brooke head to a bar, Rachel having lied about their ages (and Brooke’s name). Brooke goes along with it when she sees her blind date.
- The Cavalry: When Psycho Derek manages to incapacitate Lucas, the real Derek barges in and attacks his imposter.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: The moment he realises Peyton’s alone with her stalker, Lucas speeds across town and charges into Peyton’s house to save her.
- Everyone Has Standards: Rachel abandons her plan to seduce Nathan the moment she finds out that Haley’s pregnant, and instead reassures him that he and Haley are going to be great parents.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: When Lucas returns Peyton’s jacket to her and tries to warn her about Derek, he can be seen standing on the bridge in the background throughout the entire scene, long before the camera draws attention to his presence.
- History Repeats:
- Averted, as Nathan ultimately does what Dan refused to 18 years earlier, and puts Haley and their baby ahead of basketball.
- Haley and Nathan repeating Dan and Karen’s history is lampshaded by Karen, when she arrives at Karen’s home to watch Nathan’s press conference.
- Honor Before Reason: Nathan doesn’t declare for Duke University, but instead states that he needs to attend a college that will accommodate himself and Haley as parents.
- Internal Reveal:
- Nathan finds out about Haley’s pregnancy.
- Haley tells Dan about the pregnancy.
- After Brooke learns that Nathan knows, she wastes no time in revealing to the rest of Tree Hill High’s student body that Haley’s pregnant, not her.
- Ironic Echo: The real Derek introduces himself to Peyton by unwittingly saying the exact same Psycho Derek did when they formally met for the first time.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Lucas has this reaction when he heads to the police station to identify Derek and he sees that it’s a different guy in custody.
- Peyton has this reaction when Lucas calls to tell her the police have the wrong guy, and she turns around to find Psycho Derek by her car.
- The Reveal:
- Peyton’s brother Derek is actually biracial, and bears no physical resemblance to his sister.
- Psycho Derek is the person behind the "WATCHMEWATCHU" messages.
- Brooke’s date Nick is actually Tree Hill High’s new English teacher.
- Ship Tease:
- Lucas flirts with Peyton after she changes into her cheerleader uniform for Nathan’s press conference.
- When Lucas is called away by Tree Hill PD to identify Derek following his arrest, Peyton tells him to come over to her house once he’s finished.
- Shout-Out:
- The episode title is taken from the name of the band I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness.
- Derek and Lucas shoving Psycho Derek out of Peyton’s bedroom via the window, and his subsequent disappearance by the time Lucas, Peyton and Derek head downstairs and leave the house as police arrive is a reference to Halloween.
- Something Only They Would Say: Peyton realises that Psycho Derek is her online stalker when she finds out that his laptop types 'Y' twice - a tic she noticed on the most recent batch of creepy instant messages.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Brooke and Nick, albeit unbeknownst to either party as he’s Tree Hill High’s new English teacher and hasn’t started yet.
- Wham Shot: Principal Turner running into Brooke’s date Nick as he’s leaving Tree Hill High following his date with Brooke, and asking if he’s ready to start teaching tomorrow.
