The tree hill gang must learn that to live an exceptional life doesn't end once you've achieved your goals. With Lucas and Peyton gone, Nathan's a year into his NBA career, Haley has taken over Red Bedroom Records, and has to deal with the return of her free-spirited 26 year-old sister, Quinn. Brooke is still happy with Julian.

After losing his place on the Charlotte Bobcats Nathan reaches breaking point with Clay and fires him but this ends up causing a rift between Haley and Quinn with Quinn moving out to a hotel. Dan takes it badly that Clay messed up and tries to teach him a lesson by nearly drowning him in the surf. Later Clay is fired by his boss for stuffing up Nathan's contract. Victoria arrives unannounced and takes a liking to new TRIC bar manager Grubbs. Meanwhile, Brooke tells Julian that it is doubtful that she will ever be able to get pregnant and he promises to get different opinions and they will work it out. Elsewhere, Millicent's increased drug taking alarms Mouth and her model like tendencies and demands disgust Brooke. It prompts Victoria to call the police when she sees Millicent driving drunk. Millicent calls Brooke from jail but Brooke tells her she cannot help her.

Victoria bails Millicent out of jail the morning after her arrest and tells her to get herself together before she shows herself again. But Victoria is doubtful that Millicent has learned her lesson and proceeds to keep an eye on her and she is proved correct when Millicent steals a dress from Brooke's new collection to give to her model friend Makenna is exchange for a packet of blow. Mouth is distraught at the change in Millicent and they break up. Clay tries in vain to hold onto his one client but it is not to be and so he packs up his apartment much to Quinn's dismay. Nathan is told by his agents that he won't play NBA this season and his only option is to play in Spain and be ready for the next season but this move coincides with Haley's planned record tour of the US. Skills records a video with the help of Jamie for a new job in L.A. Elsewhere, Julian mistakenly tells Alex that Brooke cannot have children which further deepens the rift between Brooke and Julian after Alex tries in her own way to help Brooke. Despondent after being told to stay away from Julian Alex slits her wrists in the bath and leaves Julian a voice-mail telling him she won't bother him anymore.

Clay gets his mojo back with some help from Quinn and which might mean that Nathan can stay in the US and play in the NBA with the his old team the Charlotte Bobcats instead of going to Spain. Skills gets offered and takes the job in Los Angeles and brings Mouth along for the ride. Dan goes against Rachel on his television show and tells his audience that this is his last show and also serves with divorce papers. Julian rescues Alex from her near suicide bid and tells her the film deal is back on. Brooke fires Millicent from her model contract and tells her to get immediate help for her drug problem but her stay in rehab is brief. Victoria hires a new designer, Alexander Coin, for the menswear collection without telling Brooke.