The Leavers Dance(Season 2, Episode 23)

(In the previous review, I erroneously stated that Andy left Dan's ledger to Lucas. He actually left the video of Dan revealing the ledger was in a safe. Chandler Marlowe apologizes for this.)

Lucas only needs the combination to get into the safe, and he actually figures it out rather quickly: it's jersey numbers! He now has the ledger. The thought that this all seems a bit too easy never seems to occur to him. 

Peyton has been receiving some slightly unsettling chat room messages. She believes that they may be coming from a woman named Ellie Harp, a music reporter who is interested in writing about Peyton. Peyton calls the paper to postpone the interview, and they've never heard of Ellie Harp. Ellie is still hanging around town, so Peyton confronts her about this. After some prodding, Ellie tells shocked Peyton that she's her mother. PEYTON'S DEAD MOTHER WASN'T HER REAL MOTHER! GASP.

Debra is out of the rehab. She seems more resolute than ever to get Nathan away from Dan. She isn't pleased to learn that Nathan has moved back into the house of horrors. She pressures Nathan to get out with her, and says Dan can "burn in hell." Foreshadowing!

Lucas tells Debra about the ledger.  She attempts to blackmail Dan, but...Dan reminds Debra that the car dealership is owned by her, so they will both go down if she goes to the authorities. Dammit! Debra(apparently) makes some kind of drastic decision, because she tells Nathan to go to that basketball camp as soon as possible.

Dan threatens to remove Whitey from his coaching job! He also mocks Whitey's recent health issues. Whitey tells Dan "he shouldn't play with fire." Another fire analogy!

PLOT TWIST: The money and the ledger were both fake. It was all a test by Dan to test Lucas' loyalty. Oh, and Dan is cutting off the heart medicine that Lucas needs to survive. Dan hid the fake duffel bag of money and fake ledger in the ceiling. Lucas finds it and involves Andy. Dan puts the ledger in the safe, and installs security cameras made by a company that Andy owns. He allows Andy to use his access to the cameras to see him put the ledger in the safe. Then he allows Lucas to find the ledger using an easily found out combination. Dan did all this as a game. It's mind boggling really.

CLIFFHANGER(S)! Dan is very proud of winning his latest game of human chess. That is, until he drinks from a bottle of booze that's poisoned with something that makes him woozy. Before he passes out a mysterious figure dressed in black sets the whole dealership ablaze. CAN FIRE KILL DAN?

CLIFFHANGER(S)! Karen goes to New Zealand to find Andy. FOR LOVE!  Brooke leaves for the summer, but first, Lucas ruins her life again by telling her he wants to be with her.  Debra is in a rush to leave with Nathan(suspect number one). Nathan opens the door...and THERE'S HALEY! She only has one line: "Hi."That's unacceptable to me. Look at her standing there, all sad and lonely, with just a tiny glimmer of hope. She don't need to sing to convey those emotions!

Lucas voice over:

We all live in a house on fire. No fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it. (Tennessee Williams)