One Tree Hill

If the promos for next week's season finale of One Tree Hill are to be believed, Lucas will invite either Peyton, Brooke, or Lindsey on a wild trip to Las Vegas with him.  This bold move will hopefully mark the end of Lucas' merry-go-round of romantic indecision, which is the only issue he's dealt with in the past 17 episodes.  In my opinion, Lucas has become an extremely boring and unlikable character this year.  He's done absolutely nothing but remind everyone that he's in love with Lindsey, which he insisted upon even after she broke up with him for not being over Peyton.  For someone who spends much of his time writing from the heart, Lucas seems to have no idea what he wants.

While I enjoy a love triangle as much as the next guy, I'm praying that Lucas makes up his mind in the season finale.  The big question is: Who should he ultimately choose?

Peyton

Fans of "Leyton" had an atom bomb dropped on their heads at the end of last night's episode.  Lucas (Chad Michael Murray), in a move that certainly didn't make him any more likable in my eyes, told Peyton that he hated her.  He blamed her for ruining his life, insisting that everything would have been peachy if she had never returned to Tree Hill.  Maybe it was the booze talking, but even so, it was the cruelest thing he's done in a long time.

For weeks it seemed like we were moving toward a "Lucas + Peyton 4-Eva" finale, but now I'm not so sure.  If I were in Peyton's fashionable shoes, I would ignore Lucas for months after a comment like that.  Despite the CW promo that shows the two of them getting it on, I'm betting that Peyton (Hilarie Burton) will finally find the strength to move on from her obsession with Lucas.  Nothing could be better for her at this point.

Lindsey

I didn't care much about Lindsey at all while she was with Lucas, but she's been one of the smartest characters on the show since the 100th episode.  After all, she was the one who called off the wedding after realizing that Lucas was still hung up on Peyton.  If it had been up to him, they'd be settled down in a loveless marriage for the next 10 years, at which point Lucas would wake up, realize he wasted his life, and file for divorce.  She helped him avoid all of that drama.  While Lucas has sat around moping, Lindsey has wisely moved on with her life.

Will Lucas try to make things right with Lindsey by offering her a romantic summer in Vegas?  I certainly hope not.  At this point, after she's turned him down about 18 times, it would almost appear stalker-ish. She's already moved on.  Now it's his turn.

Brooke

One thing I've liked about this season is how slowly the bond between Lucas and Brooke (Sophia Bush) has grown.  It seems like the arrival of baby Angie has brought them closer than ever before, and now the two of them are practically acting like a married couple.  There haven't been any romantic sparks yet, but as they say in High School Musical, this could be the start of something new.

I think that Brooke will be the one that Lucas invites to Vegas, especially if she has to ship Angie back to her parents now that the surgery is completed.  Brooke will be left devastated, and Lucas will swoop in with the promise of a wild, sweaty summer in Sin City.  It seems like the most likely scenario, but I could be completely wrong.

While I do think that Lucas will choose Brooke, my secret hope is that he calls all three ladies and gets turned down by each of them.  Peyton could reject him for his cruel comment, Lindsey could turn him down because she has a boyfriend, and Brooke could ditch him because she wants to stay loyal to Peyton.  Not only would it be hilarious, but it would teach Lucas that there's no shame in being single for a while.


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)