Greetings, My Pretties! Happy New Year, and welcome back! It sure has been a long cold winter, without any nefarious texts from “A,” sneers from Blind Jenna, obligatory Ali flashbacks, or Pretty Little Couple’s Makeout Sessions.
Fortunately, Pretty Little Liars is back with a vengeance. And if this mid-season premiere episode is any indication, we are in for quite the wild ride.
So slip into that fashionable orange jumpsuit, practice your right hook, and prune your garden hoe, because it’s time for another Pretty Little Recap . . .
GIRLFIGHT!
We open on a completely random shot of little girls jumping rope to some Pretty Little Liars’ themed rhyme. You know, because little girls are scary . . . especially ones who jump rope. Then again, perhaps I only think this because I was a particularly unathletic child.
Anywhoo . . . it’s been one month since our fabulous foursome was caught fondling the Big Fat Shovel That Killed Now-Dead Ali. The time jump conveniently ensures that we can skip over all that Boring Legal Stuff the girls likely had to endure for being the MAIN SUSPECTS IN A MURDER!
Thank goodness for that! And, while we’re at it, thank goodness for Spencer’s Mom! She must be the best criminal attorney EVER! Step aside, Guy Who Represented O.J. Simpson (Johnny Cochran, R.I.P.). There’s a new sheriff in town!
But lest you think our pretties got off scot-free, this is NOT the case. They had one month of community service, which basically entailed picking up trash on the highway. (Take that, Lindsay Lohan!)
At first blush, this doesn’t sound so bad, right? I mean, aside from being a very environmentally conscientious “green” thing to do, they get to do it together. So, here I am expecting a nice, fun-filled, scene filled with snarky one-liners, community service hijinks, and maybe even a chain gang sing-a-long a la Glee. But, alas, it is not to be. Something stinks in Rosewood. And it’s not the trash on Highway 16 . . .
Suddenly Emily is TOTALLY sticking it to Spencer for not wanting to go in on her “Big Plan.” She even goes as far as to suggest that Spencer’s rich, fancy parents would throw the rest of the girls under the bus for Ali’s murder, if they had the chance . . .
Cue Spencer Face . . .
Ugly Horse Sweater not included . . .
Next thing you know, Spencer is tossing her garbage bag at Emily, and the girls are throwing down, Fight Club-style . . .
The moment that launched hundreds of M-rated Spemily Slash fanfictions . . .
Things get so intense between the two growling, grunting, hair-tugging teens, that the local sheriffs have to intervene. (But not, Police Boy Garrett . . . whose sole function on the police force seems to be to sit in his car and suck face with Blind Jenna twirl his non-existent Evil Mustache and plot World Domination). The altercation results in two extra weeks of community service for each girl. Oh, and Spencer’s dreams of an Ivy League education are pretty much shot to hell. But, hey, I hear the Women’s Wrestling Federation is hiring!
But Spencer isn’t the only one who seems to be hating on Emily. Back at La Casa de Marin, Hanna is also giving her the cold shoulder. AWK-WARD . . . especially considering that, last I checked, these two were sharing a bedroom. Emily doesn’t mind too much though.
After all, she got a Really Cool and Mysterious Fax. Maybe it’s from the Womens’s Wrestling Federation. Meanwhile . . .
Frowny Fitzy and Avoidant Aria
Aria’s skipping through town with her used-to-be-crazy for about three episodes Little Brother Mike. (By the way, does anyone else think Little Brother Mike kind of looks and acts like Little Brother Jeremy from The Vampire Diaries? Just wondering . . .)
Little Brother Mike tells Aria that he’s happy he has a nice new therapist, and that people don’t look at him like he’s a Bobble Head anymore. This caused me to wonder how exactly people look, when they are looking at a Bobble Head. Do they just nod a lot?
The Montgomery duo run into Fitzy in town. So, Aria, being super slick, and not-at-all obvious . . .
. . . tells Little Brother Mike to go throw out her coffee cup in the Trashcan Far, Far Away. Little Brother Mike complies, but not without looking at Fitzy, like he’s a Bobble Head. (See what I did there? ;)) Apparently, Aria’s been giving Fitzy the Big Freeze, ever since Wacky Jackie threatened to have her former honey fired from Hollis College, if Aria continued to see him.
This probably would have been a REALLY good time for Aria to tell Fitzy that his latent-onset psycho ex-fiance will most likely come after him with an axe screaming, “If I can’t have you, NO ONE CAN,” if the two are seen together. But hey, Pretty Little Liars wouldn’t be Pretty Little Liars if all the characters didn’t keep completely unnecessary secrets from one another. And besides, Little Brother Mike is back from his trek to the Trashcan Far, Far Away. So, it’s hasta la vista, for now, Dear Fitzy . . .
“Toodles!”
Elsewhere . . .
We’ll get you, Policeboy Garrett! (And your creepy blind girlfriend too.)
Clearly having picked up a thing or two about creepy fortune-cookie-esque taglines from “A,” Spencer confronts the traitorous Police Boy Garrett. She does this, pretty much just to make fun of his now-public relationship with Blind Jenna . . .
(If by “interesting” you mean “stomach-turning” and “vomit-inducing,” then, yes, they certainly are “interesting,” Spencer.)
Spencer also wants to freak to Police Boy Garrett out, by making him think that she’s on to his involvement in their frame-up and/or Ali’s murder, and/or A’s antics . . .
I’d say her intimidation tactics were successful, but it’s really hard to tell. After all, Police Boy Garrett only seems to possess one facial expression: the “I Just Got Laid by a Minor” look . . .
Given that, it’s often difficult to determine whether he is scared, angry, smug, or just really has to pee . . .
GIRLFIGHT: Part Deux
Things continue to go from crappy to crappier for Poor, Newly-Outcasted, Emily Fields. We find out that the fax she received earlier in the episode was actually a clean bill of health from that time “A” put steroids in her skin cream.
Don’t do it. NOOOOOOO!
An excited Emily approaches her athletic advisor with the results, hoping that she can finally rejoin the swim team. The problem, of course, is that Emily is a murder suspect. And I guess the thought that one of your teammates might bash your head in with a shovel in the locker room is “bad for team morale,” or whatever. Then again, that Paige chick ALMOST DROWNED SOMEONE. And she still got to swim. Lame . . .
To make matters worse, Emily almost comes to blows with Spencer in English class, when the two knock into one another, conveniently sending one another’s books flying across the floor. (Wink, wink.)
This prompts “A” to send Emily a text message . . .
. . . and Emily to respond, in a way that would only make sense if “A” happened to be in the same English class . . .
After class, Emily is at her locker, when she comes upon a book she accidentally/ on purpose took from Spencer. (It’s The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. I’m not really sure that’s relevant. But I figured, it couldn’t hurt.) Inside the book is a note instructing Emily to meet SOMEONE at 10:30 p.m. that night. Emily complies. And, SURPRISE! It’s the rest of the girls.
Apparently, all this “Hating on Emily” was just a Big Ole Ruse to make her look like the Weakest Link, and get “A” to meet her. Clever, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so either. But it did give the actresses a chance to wrestle! So, yay to the writers for that . . .
Lucas Flirts with Hanna / Has an Online Gambling Problem (?) / Gets His Heart Broken
Though I love me some sexy Haleb action just as much as the next girl, I’m still a Lucas / Hanna shipper at heart. So, of course, the nerd girl inside of me did a little Happy Dance, when I found out that Lucas has been keeping Hanna company, while his bromantic buddy, Caleb, is soaking up the sun in California with his Rich Bio Mom . . .
Apparently, Lucas has been spending whatever time he’s not actually with Hanna, combing the internet for pictures of her in her prison jumpsuit . . . which, to him, is probably almost (but not quite) as good as porn. I think it’s super sweet that Lucas is willing to take down all these pictures to spare Hanna’s “pristine” image.
But Lucas is no dummy. He knows an opportunity for flirtation when he sees one. And so, he cleverly manages to sneak into the conversation the fact that he thinks Hanna looks “pretty,” even in prison garb . . .
You’ve got to admit, the Dude’s got game. Speaking of game, this was the Super Mysterious Website he had on his screen, before Hanna sat down next to him . . .
It looks like some sort of online sports gambling site. Perhaps, in addition to a successful eBay Auction career, and expert finder of Hanna Marin pictures, our adorkable, innocent, chlorine intolerant, Lucas is also a bookie. Who knew?
It recently occurred to me that Lucas is not only a Mini Seth Cohen from The O.C.
He also may very well be the future lovechild of Leonard and Penny from The Big Bang Theory. (Yes, I watch way too much television.)
How else would you explain his feeble attempt to interest Hanna in the fascinating world of comic books and graphic novels?
But alas, this little foray into geekdom will be short-lived. Not long after the the Beauty and the Geek duo return to Hanna’s house, they find Mr. Sexy Pants, himself, Caleb, right there waiting for them.
It becomes immediately apparent that the Caleb / Lucas bromance is starting to sour, when Lucas not-so-subtly implies that he liked Caleb much better when he was living in California, as opposed to regularly boning their mutual dream girl.
Lucas then wryly lectures Caleb on possibly leading Hanna on, if he plans on staying in California, for the long term. It’s a nice gesture, on Lucas’ part, but, at the same time, a bit self-serving. And I say this as a Lucas Fan . . . (Please don’t let him be “A” or Ali’s killer . . . pretty please, Writers! I beg you!)
Elsewhere, in Unrequited Love Land . . .
Spoby on the Rocks . . . with a Rocking Chair
Apparently, Spencer took A’s thinly veiled threat regarding Abs Toby’s safety VERY seriously . . . so seriously, in fact, that she hasn’t said a word to him, since she unceremoniously dumped him in his car, one month ago. But when the going get dumped, the dumped build rocking chairs. And that’s exactly what Toby does for Spencer . . . you know . . . because she’s secretly an 80-year old woman with a bad back and arthritis . . .
But Spencer doesn’t want anything to do with Toby, or his senior citizen gift (or, at least that’s what she wants him to think). And she tells him as much . . “Forget about me,” she tells him, coldly. “Worry about your sister and that cop boyfriend of hers,” she concludes, before stalking into her house.
Poor Abs Toby. I blame the rocking chair . . . if he had only taken off his shirt, instead, things might have gone differently . . .
GIRLFIGHT III: Now with more Liars . . .
At the school swim meet, Abs Toby confronts his pal Emily, to ask her why Spencer is suddenly acting like such a Raging Biatch. Emily, of course, has to pretend that her and Spencer aren’t friends anymore, so that they can keep up their ruse with “A.” And she too, blows off Toby.
After the match, the girls stage their Big Fight for “A.” During it, Emily asks Spencer for the box that Jason gave Aria, which purportedly contains Ali’s things, and a “Big Clue as to A’s Identity.” Backed by the other girls, Spencer angrily refuses to tell Emily the location of the box. And Emily threatens to find it, and steal it. Moments later, Emily receives yet-another text from “A.” It says . . . (drumroll please) . . .
Those watching the altercation include Lucas, Caleb, Garrett, and Toby . . . along with . . . well . . . I guess the rest of the school, just to narrow it down for ya!
Ezria Comes Out of the Closet / Gets a Fat Lip
Under the guise of returning a book to Ezra, Aria sneaks into his office at Hollis College, while he’s teaching a class, in order to leave him a love note of some sort. Of course, who should walk in to witness this but Wacky Jackie . . .
And she’s ANGRY! Aria has DISOBEYED her, and now SHE WILL PAY! Or will she? Because Fitzy just so happens to have heard the WHOLE THING! And he is not amused by his batsh*t crazy, faux-tanned, ex’s antics. This discovery prompts Aria to FINALLY come clean about why she dumped Fitzy in the first place, which, in turn, prompts Fitzy to decide that he and Aria should come “out” to her parents, ASAP . . .
Oh, the awkwardness of this moment! I was squirming in my seat, as Fitzy, looking like a frightened child faced down Aria’s parents. All he really had to do was tell them that he and Aria were dating now. Or better yet, a t-shirt might have sufficed . . .
But noooooo! Fitzy had to be all honest. He just HAD to tell Aria’s parents that he LOOOOOOVEED Aria, and that he’d been dating her the WHOLE TIME he was her teacher. Now, I’m not saying, they would have taken the news better, if it was a bit more edited down, but it certainly would have been worth a shot.
That said, I was proud of Aria for having the courage to stand up, walk over to Fitzy, and hold his hand. It was a nice moment of solidarity between these two. Plus, I’m pretty sure her brave actions kept poor Fitzy from pooping in his pants . . .
Now, we all know how Mama Montgomery reacted, when she thought Fitzy was diddling Spencer. So, the fact that she took news of her own daughter’s May/December romance with the English teacher badly was no surprise.
But Papa Montgomery? Mr. I Made Out with a Student Young Enough to Be My Kid in Front of my Own Daughter and Made Her Promise Not to Tell Her Mother? You would think that he, of all people, would at least pretend to be a bit more understanding . . .
*cough* douchebag *cough*
Yet, things are about to get worse for Fitzy. Of course, Daddy Hypocrite promptly kicks him out of the house. But before he can go, Little Brother Mike dashes down the stairs to give his sister’s not-so-new lover a little parting gift. I’ll give you a hint. It’s something that rhymes with “lunch.”
Sayonara, Poor Man’s Megan Fox Wacky Jackie
Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, hey, hey, hey, GOOOODBYEEEEEE!
Understandably, Fitzy heads back to Hollis to lick his wounds and get faded on that fancy Scotch he supposedly doesn’t like to drink. Then, in walks Jackie with her smug face that I want to reach into the screen and pound into a flat pancake . . .
Apparently, Fitzy feels the same way, because he threatens her with the awesomest one liner to ever emerge from his mouth . . .
He even manages to add a hint of Crazy Eyes to the line delivery, which just makes the statement all the more awesome. Suddenly, I have this great image of Fitzy going all Terminator on Wacky Jackie’s ass . . . Now, that’s an episode I’d want to see . . .
As for Hobag’s now completely useless threats against Aria, Fitzy had these final words to say . . .
Balls . . . Fitzy has them . . . who knew?
The Return of Dipsh*t Daddy, Evil Kate, and (Slighty Creepy Again,This Week) Abs Toby . . .
Poor Emily . . . she’s got no luck this week. Here she is FINALLY waiting at the greenhouse to confront A, and NONE of her friends are on time meeting her. First there’s Aria, who’s grounded for having a teacher boyfriend. Interestingly enough, she ends up getting a helping hand out of the house, from none-other-than Little Brother Mike, who offers her an escape route, as a way of apologizing for beating up her boyfriend. Apparently, he only did it, so that his father wouldn’t get a chance. Way to stick it to the Man, Little Brother Mike . . .
Then Hanna has to meet with her Douchey Daddy, who tells her that he’s moving his whole new family, including that beast of a stepdaughter Kate to Rosewood, in order to punish Hanna for stopping the wedding help the Marins become one big happy family again. Ugh! KATE! I thought we were rid of that evil wench . . .
Spencer can’t leave, because Toby has accosted her in her home, once again. Oddly enough, he seems to have taken Emily’s side, in their faux-fight, after the swim match, and is accusing Spencer of turning into Ali. Woah! Tobster, comparing a woman to a dead b*tch is not exactly the way to win back her heart! Just sayin . . .
Spencer pushes past Toby, promising him that she will explain everything, tomorrow, provided he promises to let her go, and not follow her.
And if you believe he kept his promise, I have a bridge to sell in you in Brooklyn for a dollar . . .
“A” Does Some Gardening with Emily’s Face, Hanna Gets Revenge, and we get a cliffhanger . . .
Ugh! I know this was an exciting scene. And it had a great final payoff. But this was the part of the episode that frustrated me the most. You ever watch one of those cartoons, where the super villain has this GREAT opportunity to kill the main protagonist? But he mucks it up, by taking like FIVE MINUTES to explain his entire master plan, before pulling the trigger?
That’s how I felt about Emily, when she confronted her black-hoodie wearing nemesis in the greenhouse, in the final moments of this episode. Now, granted, perhaps, she was just stalling, while waiting for the rest of the girls to arrive. But really, there were so many ways she could have unmasked “A” in this scene.
Annoyance aside, the smug expression on Emily’s face, when she revealed to A, that she FINALLY got the upper hand on him or her, by getting him or her to come all the way out in the middle of nowhere, just to look inside, what ended up being an empty box, was full of win. Kudos to Shay Mitchell for an excellent perfomance in this scene.
And yet, really, did she have to SHOW “A” the box? Wouldn’t it have made sense for Emily to ask “A” to reveal him or herself, BEFORE giving up the information? Or, perhaps she could have told “A” to “come and get” the box, and ripped the hood off his or her head, once she got close enough to do it.
Another option would have been to stall, until all the girls got there, and had them all jump out and tackle “A” together, ripping off his or her hoodie, before the villain knew what hit him or her. Of course, my favorite option, by far would be for the PLL’s to install a camera inside the box, so that it snapped a picture of “A,” once he or she opened it, and sent a picture of the culprit to one of the PLL girl’s cell phones.
But alas, Emily did none of these things. And this gave “A” the opportunity to ATTACK HER WITH NUMEROUS GARDEN TOOLS, BREAK GLASS OVER HER HEAD, and TRY TO STRANGLE HER . . .
Folks, that’s not good . . .
Luckily, Aria and Spencer arrived just in time to prevent “A” from KILLING Emily. But they didn’t get their fast enough to catch “A”, before he or she managed to escape the greenhouse on foot. You know who DID sort-of catch A, though? HANNA . . . WITH HER CAR! Seriously, how great is that? (Payback’s a b*tch!)
Of course, in any normal world, getting hit by a car, while wearing a hood, would cause one’s hood to fall off, thereby revealing the victim’s identity. But no such luck here, as “A’s” sweatshirt is apparently made of Kryptronite or some other supernatural material that renders it impervious to impact by cars. Additionally, it is important to note that while Hanna nearly lost HER life from being hit by “A’s” car back in season one, “A” managed to get up and run away, without so much as a scratch on him or her. Go figure!
But Hanna’s not all that upset about this. She just wants to know if any of her pals managed to figure out A’s sex, while fondling the perpetrator in the greenhouse . . .
Silly Little Liars! They had “A” right in their clutches, and no one thought to try and get to second base . . . pity! And yet, there is a silver lining to this cloud. You see, the impact of Hanna’s car might not have caused “A” to lose his or her hood. But it did cause “A” to lose a CELL PHONE . . .
Uh oh, “A”! It looks like you really do have something to be afraid of, now . . .
The final moments of the episode, show a rather frantic, and pissed-off “A” looking desperately for his or her cell phone, which we know the girls have already stolen. He or she then breaks the window to (I think) Hanna’s car, which, honestly, I’m not sure why she left there. It seems like a particularly boneheaded thing to do, under the circumstances. But hey, what do I know?
Next week’s Pretty Little Liars’ promises lots of cell phone hacking antics, an in-car smooch, and a whole lot of yelling . . . You can check out the promo here. (I haven’t managed to find the Canadian promo yet. But as soon as I do, I will most certainly be sure to share.)
So, what did you think about the Mid Season premiere? Were you fooled by the girls’ faux fighting? Are you happy that Caleb is back, and that Ezria is finally out of the closet? Have any new theories as to who “A” might be, based on the clues we received in this episode? Oh, and where the hell was Blind Jenna or Mona, during all of this? And, more importantly . . . WHERE’S MY WREN?
Until next time, my Pretties . . .
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So glad PLLs is back! 🙂 And just as Merlin, the Closer, Ringer and just about everything else I watch is ending too.
I don’t think Hanna left her car at the greenhouse, probably at her place. The phone I’m going to say has no useful info on it (or a very small hint to who A is), and A will just get another phone, while telling the girls A wants the phone back.
Now it could be just me (I saw a rock as shoes – it was dark) but I thought I saw Caleb, under the hood? Can’t believe no one bought a gun (abundant in the US, as opposed to banned unless you’re on a farm here)… a realistic toy would have worked? And if A figured they could have always knocked them out with it…
Kate is back 😦 It’s funny though, how in tv world you can just move from school to school, like they all have the same standards and are all the same.
Suppose in a way Ezra did what was best, they’ll be upset but get over it (I think perhaps more in the long run, due to Aria’s dad’s affair), that was a scary scene XD, I heard it’s better they hear it from the party involved, but sometimes it could be better if someone else told?
Hey Ana! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. 🙂 It would seem weird for Hanna to have left her car by the greenhouse. On the other hand, it’s uncertain how long after the girls found the phone it was that “A” doubled back to the spot where he or she last had it.) It’s possible that it was mere minutes after. If so, perhaps, Hanna merely left the car there temporarily to go searching the area with the girls on foot, to see if they could find “A’.
You also bring up an excellent point about the gun. There is a moment, during the episode, where we see Spencer looking around her house contemplating bringing some sort of weapon. But then, I guess Toby distracts her, and she ends up heading out empty handed. (Silly Toby!) If any of the four PLL girl’s parents own a gun, my money would be on Spencer’s dad. He just strikes me as the vigilante type. 🙂
I guess we all should have assumed Kate would end up in Rosewood. That would just be Hanna’s luck! 🙂 But you are right. It really shouldn’t be so easy to switch schools in the middle of a school year. And you would think that a probably popular (but only because everyone is afraid of her) and snooty girl like Kate wouldn’t want to leave all her friends, in order to do that . . . no matter how much she might hate Hanna.
I also think you might be right about the whole Ezria thing blowing over, in terms of the Montgomery family’s acceptance of it. We already saw Mike starting to come around to the idea. Plus, in her conversation with Byron, Ella definitely seemed more sympathetic to the situation than she had initially, when she thought Fitzy was screwing Spencer. In that sense, I guess it was good that Fitzy came right out and told Aria’s parents that he loved her. This way, they wouldn’t think he was just using her for sex . . .
I don’t think that was Hanna’s car… A searched in his pockets first for a key, and then had to break the window to get in after discovering everything had fallen out when Hanna hit him. Why would A have had Hanna’s car keys in his pocket?
The hooded A was definitely a guy. You could hear him grunt in the fight scene in the greenhouse. And he looked way too strong to be a girl. My bet’s on Garrett. But then again he’s the obvious choice right now, which means there’s probably still come huge twist coming to make someone else the number one suspect.
And I agree – there are many things Emily and the other girls could have done better in the greenhouse to try and find out A’s identity, but then the show would be a lot shorter :p This is also why I think the phone won’t create any leads. A’s identity isn’t supposed to be revealed until the end of this season. So the phone will probably be secured, or A will steal it back before the girls have a chance to take it to someone who can trace it back to him.
Can’t wait for next week’s episode!
Hey Maria! Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your insightful comment. Hmmmm, interesting point about “A” and the Mystery Car. I sort of assumed that “A” was digging in his or her pockets for the missing cell phone, not car keys. I know the few times I’ve misplaced my cell phone, the first place I always check is my pockets, as a matter of habit. I do this, even though I know full well that, if the cell phone was actually in my pocket I would feel the bulge. It’s a form of wishful thinking. 🙂
I also assumed that “A” arrived at the Greenhouse on foot, or was dropped off by someone else. Because, you are right, if “A’s” cell phone fell out of his or her pocket when the car made impact, car keys probably would have fallen out too. But if that happened, the girls would have likely found A’s car keys along with his or her phone. In fact, the car keys, in some ways would have been a better clue to A’s identity than the phone would, because it might lead them to the actual car, or, better yet, the car’s registration documents.
My interpretation of the final scene currently is that, shortly after Hanna arrived on the scene and they found A’s cell phone, the foursome took one final look around to see if they could find “A.” Moments later, “A” realized that he or she had lost his or her cell phone and went back to the place it would most likely be . . . near Hanna’s car. When “A” found the cell phone missing, he or she assumed the girls had taken it, and was furious. “A” then broke the window to Hanna’s car out of anger, and out of the subtle hope that perhaps, upon finding it, Hanna locked it in her car for safekeeping.
Another hint that this might be the case, is that the scene where “A” puts his or her fist through the window of the car is shown in the promos for “A Hot Piece of A,” signifying that the action will play a role in next week’s episode. If “A” did it to his or her own car, most likely no one would know about it. But Hanna would certainly know “A” bashed in her window, if she came back from searching the grounds, and found her car like that.
As for “A” being a man. You are right. The build of hooded figure definitely seemed masculine. And the way he so easily attacked Emily, and ran away from the girls, suggested someone who’s much more athletic than the average girl (or, at least, any girl we’ve met on the show).
On the other hand, it’s possible that the person who came to pick up the box was not “A” at all, but rather someone who “A” sent to do his or her dirty work. Remember a few episodes back, when Ian paid off that random guy to accept the blackmail money on his behalf for that video of him and Ali? This scene made me think of that.
Of course, I could be wrong. 🙂 I guess we will have to wait and see!
KJEWLS! I am SOOOOOO happy to be posting comments on your wonderful recaps again. And with SUCH a good episode to recap, too! Was it worth waiting five months for! HECK YES IT WAS!
Now, I got this email when I woke up this morning and I only had four hours of sleep because my Ian Harding mind was on hyperactive, So I read it before leaving for school. Awesome as always, my good Eeyore! I’ve been AWOL from this blog so long, it was sooo nice to set back into my old routine. Did you know I started reading your recaps about this time of the year? I think the first one i read was when you posted the recap for ‘Careful Wat You Wish 4’. It’s been a good year with this blog in my bookmarks, thats for sure!
Anyways! Let’s begin with the girls baiting -A. It was a shocker when I heard that line: “-A took the bait” It was jaw dropping, suspenseful and so amazingly done. I was not expecting that and I’ve been reading spoilers for five months.
Now on to Spoby. You know, during the way too long hiatus I realized that I am not as big of a Spoby shipper as I was when they first started out; I just like Wren too much. Toby is a good guy, don’t get me wrong, but I am more for Angry & Creepy Toby than Sweet & Romantic Toby. Plus, I get tired of my sister talking about him.
Haleb was limited this week but Lucas made me smile as he always does. He’s so adorakable, its so cute. Then Caleb and his friendship is going bad. I liked their bromance, but I honestly didn’t think that it would last with Hanna between them.
Off to my favorite parts of EVERY episode: Ezria. There was so much of them and so much wonderful acting between Ian and Lucy. I was sobbing uncontrollably. I could not contain myself. Once Ezra showed up on my screen, I knew that my life had OFFICIALLY returned. When he walked in on Aria and Jackie arguing, I knew that it was almost time for the truth to come out.
And I must say that the way that they came out of the closet was PERFECT. I couldn’t have seen anything better. (Though the Mr. Fitz shirt was a good idea and that could have worked!) Now, you know that being the die hard Ezria fan I am, you could imagine that I was freaking out when Ezra said these words: “I wanted to clarify something. We wanted to tell you something important….I’m in love with your daughter. I LOVE ARIA.” My heart bounced out of my chest and rolled underneath my couch. I cannot explain how SCARED yet EXCITED I was to see them finally out in the open. Excited for nameless reasons but scared for one: Byron and Ella’s reactions.
I understand that finding out that their daughter is dating her old English teach must have been shocking for them. I don;t blame Ella for being upset; she befriended Ezra and trusted him before the whole thing with Spencer and then now with Aria. We knew what was coming with her. But all I can say to Byron is this (Yes I made it myself :)): http://ianhardingfanatic.tumblr.com/post/15067505436/my-new-reaction-pic. He had an affair with his student and then makes Aria swear not to say anything. Now Aria and Ezra have finally come forward and then he’s like, “You need to leave this house.” I was FUMING. Mike, though I was mad at first when he punched my poor baby, probably won the Best Little Brother of the Year award. “I’m sorry I punched him, but when I saw Dad’s face, I thought it was better me do it than him.”
Now for my favorite scene of the ENTIRE EPISODE. I’ll admit, when it comes to Ezra Fitz, I am very biased; everything in my eyes that he does is perfect. He’s sweet, funny, sensitive, looks good without his shirt (tee hee), he’s the boyfriend every girl wants (besides Wren of course!). Last night topped off my infatuation with him by A LOT more. He told Jackie, the coo coo ex who’s more obsessed with destroying Ezra’s relationship than I am with Ezria’s relationship staying together, Ezra told Jackie about how stupid she was to mess with him. Or in his words, “Bad idea to wake a sleep walker.” <<<<———Best one liner ever! Then he told her: "Get out. I don't want anything from you. I will not let you do anything to her. So, get out." I wish I could give Ian Harding a hug on how WONDERFUL his acting was (its always great!) but it has improved so much from the Pilot. ALL OF THE AWARDS TO MY FUTURE HUBBY.
Ezria is obviously going to face some turmoil after coming out to the world and going public, but if any couple can do it and still be stronger in the end, it's them. They have been through so much bull, its made them so much stronger and closer. I know they can made it through this mess, I just know it!
If you want to read my full Tumblr recap on Ezria, here's the link: http://ianhardingfanatic.tumblr.com/post/15256043168/my-ezria-recap-of-2×14. I know how much you love the GIFs I use, so I know you'll enjoy this recap of mine 🙂 Plus I use a Damon dancing and drinking gif from season 1. I don't think you'll reject that 😀
So, I will be back for TVD on Thursday, as I have missed it's drama, humor, suspense, Alaricness, and Delena loving. I will talk to you then! Again, as always, great job on this recap! Can't wait for the rest of the PLL season to recap with you 😀 See ya, pal!
Hey Tigger! SQUEE! I am so incredibly excited for you about your SHIP coming out of the Parent Closet! There’s just something so life affirming about your OTP having a beautiful, relationship-defining moment with one another. (I can’t even imagine what state I’m going to be in when Damon and Elena FINALLY share a real, passionate, kiss on TVD
hopefully this ThursdayAnd I just absolutely adored your recap. Some of my favorite gifs were, of course, the Damon one, the Tigger one, and the Seth Cohen one. YAY! Seth Cohen! 🙂 For whatever reason, watching this show makes me think of him . . . maybe it’s because he’s I’m convinced he’s Lucas’ long lost older brother. 🙂
I love that your favorite scene in the episode was Fitzy’s Jackie smackdown, as opposed to the actual love declaration itself. On one hand, that’s surprising, but on the other, it makes a lot of sense. I feel like Fitzy gets a lot of flack in the PLL fandom for not being strong or aggressive enough. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily. He’s just always been more of a peace-loving poetic kind of guy.
That said, it was very cool to see Fitzy “man-up” in a big way, this week. He took charge of the situation with Jackie, as soon as he learned about it. Aria was keeping the blackmail from Fitzy to protect him. But I thought it was super cool of Fitzy to say, “Hey, I don’t need protecting. Let’s call her bluff, and take her power away.” It took a lot of guts for him to put his life and career on the line in that way.
In the confession scene, it was Aria’s turn to be strong. Fitzy had to make the initial confession. But it was Aria who made sure he wasn’t standing alone, when he said it, and really stood up to her parents, in that moment. She recognizes that he has a lot more to lose in this than she does.
But that scene with Jackie was the first time I think that we’ve seen Fitzy genuinely angry . . . not jealous or hurt, as we’ve seen him be with Aria in the past . . . not annoyed and a bit frightened, as we saw during the Noel blackmail scenario, and the time when “A” messed with Fitzy’s car, but 100% pure PISSED OFF. And that “don’t wake a sleepwalker” line was just filled with win. I do wonder if Fitzy will find some way to get revenge on Jackie for what she did. Part of me hopes so . . .
Like you, I was a bit annoyed by Spoby this week, as well, though I do think the way both characters behaved was consistent with who we know them to be. As for Spencer, I’m frustrated by her continued insistence on not telling Toby what’s going on, when he, of all people would probably understand it better than any of the other boyfriends on the show, and be best able to help. I also think she’s putting him in MORE danger, by keeping him in the dark, not less.
As for Toby, he just doesn’t know how to give a girl space. The way he was skulking around Spencer the entire episode (even going as far as to break into her house) despite the fact that she was being a total and complete b*tch to him, was borderline creepy, and very Old Toby-esque. And . . . a rocking chair? Really? 🙂
I also thought the comment he made comparing Spencer to Ali was really out of line. I know the fight scene at the pool was fake, but I didn’t see Spencer’s “part” in it as being like Ali at all. If anything, Emily came off as being the more aggressive and manipulative one. And the fact that Toby used JENNA’S words to support his point made it even worse.
MY WREN WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO SPENCER! 😉
Regarding Hanna, you know as much as I like Caleb, I’m probably more a Lanna fan, than a Haleb one. I just think the Lanna relationship would be more interesting to watch, since Lucas brings out a dorky, sweet side of Hanna that the super cool and hot Caleb never could. My only concern is that the writers might ultimately make my Lucas into some crazypants wackadoo. And that would make me very sad, indeed.
I’m super psyched to spend another half-season talking PLL with you Tigger. We always have so much fun!
I’mmmmm Baaaaackkkk! 🙂 Before I start i wanna say how much I have missed your recaps analogous to the amount of the show itself! I am sorry to say your beloved Lucas has lost it….check out the Canadian promo.
Toby.
As much as i loooooveeee Toby…even his season one creepiness, i really was annoyed with him this episode. As a viewer i knew for a fact that the girls were playing a game…but here comes Toby tryna save the day and ruin plans for everyone. Speaking of Toby, which then leads to Spencer, who is played by Troian Bellisario….SHE WAS PHENOMENAL! her acting has spot on especially in this clip…. (near the end…the whole “i can’t believe this”)
The Clip ^^^
Everything you pointed out in your recap was the utmost truth…but i would disagree with (perhaps she could have told “A” to “come and get” the box, and ripped the hood off his or her head, once she got close enough to do it) IDK bout you but the last time i checked A is cray cray….and being that close would have been an easy “steal” for A, especially when dealing with Emily..at least Spencer would put up a fight. Anyways in the clip, around 2 minutes, A’s sweatshirt rides up a little and the skin that is exposed is of a light tan color….Garret?!?!?! Plus in the clip, the hooded freak was not as tall as Emily, or roughly the same which cancels out Caleb and Toby…and leaves Lucas and Garrett (looking at the Canadian promo…i might say Lucas).
Lucas
Something is going terribly wrong with this child, and i would hate to believe that his behavior is ONLY because of his devoted love for Ms. Marin. There has to be more…explaining the creepy website he was on before. For some reason, his laptop made me remember the weird behavior of Mike. IDK if you remember, but at one point, Mike was on his laptop looking at something suspicious online….which ended up concerning his mother…thus her being slammed to the wall. We never actually figured out what he was looking at…..mysteriooooousss dun dun DUN! Anyways back to Lucas. I honestly think he is doing some dirty work for A, and i know he has it in him….recall PLL 1×08 when he broke ALi’s memorial. He has a few loose bolts in his cranium, and yes he is an adorable nerd…but in reality it is always those braniacs that are the worlds worst serial killers. In conclusion, i believe that Lucas made a deal with A in the beginning as someone who is suppose to get close to Hannah (hopefully explaining that there is more than one A), but in the process he fell in love with her, and his duty and love are in a clash….explaining the line Lucas said in the promo “I never wanted to hurt anybody….”. Either way he is bad news to me, and i am happy to say that i always had a feeling he was a bad boy 😉
Jackie…and i guess Ezria
Am i literally the only person who feels bad for Jackie!!!! I understand that her intentions were not to stop an illegal relationship, but only to have the satisfaction of knowing no one else can have him. Yet, at the same time i feel bad that she lost her man to a 16 years old teen 🙂 teehee. Day-ummm that has got to sting like a biatch! Anyways, I have never been a huge fan of the Ezria relationship, but i was happy that they were finally out of the “closet”. Hopefully the producers can now give them a real storyline that isn’t the bogus cliche
“OMG i am a minor, and ur my teacher….but i love you so” or “IDC if i go to jail.. i love you”
After watching shows it begins to be redundant…and pathetic.
Mike
HE WILL NEVER BE MY SMEXXYYY JEREMY!
The Swim Coach?
what happened to the sista? they replaced her 😦 She will always be remembered, but I do have to say that this new coach is a meanie..and when she basically said that the decision was not hers to make..my mind fluttered to PAIGE and her crazy father possibly influencing her decision.
THE PsYcHo Paige
where was she at? You think that a swim meet had Paige written all over it…but do not get me wrong i was happy to not see her (yayyy Maya), but it also made me wonder if she was also a hidden witness to the girls fake fight outside the gym…plus it would make sense with her involvement as part as A’s minions (Samara is officially out, TVD took her instead..which i have to admit i love Bekka..and her sexii brother Klaus) 🙂 anyways it would make sense (Lucas = Hannah, Paige = Emily) I still do not know who exactly is working against Spencer, and especially Aria since she still has not been targeted. Back to Paige… if you have seen this clip of her
it explains her light tan skin…and the height is there….Plus her motive can be (theory) that she was dumped by Emily…and we all know Paige has some anger issues, so she was reached by A and started the attack. And what better way to attack your competition, than adding a little steroids in her system. That is something she would do especially since that was her goal in the first place (to become captain). Also since she was dumped by Emily, so she could start dating Samara…it makes sense to why Paige would feel the need to end the short lived relationship. It is all about revenge. >:) <<<—evil face.
The book?
When i saw the name Carson Mccullers… i literally thought it was paiges dad (sometimes i get lost in the show that i forget that it isn't reality) hehe. So when i looked up the book it has something to do with oppressed and rejected people as a main plot. i still do not see the meaning behind the novel, but if u figure it out please do inform me.
The Black Car…
First off the car was not Hannah's she has a silver vehicle that you will notice in the clip, and two he/she broke the car side window because she/he was furious for making such a "natural mistake when hit by a car". The hitting of the car made me think back to Lucus smashing the memorial…coincidence? i say not 🙂 The black car also reminded me of the car that was placed in the barn PLL 2×12…idk if that is anything significant but i am definitely keeping my eyes open to who has a black car and who does or doesn't have a phone.
The rulings against who is A….in my opinion.
Dr. Sullivan (obvious), Maya (drives a blue car), Samara (kidnapped by TVD), Ian (that MF***** is dead), Wren (he is too cute), Toby/Caleb/Ezra (they are just for the romance…plus Caleb is homeless and cannot afford a car, Toby drives a truck, and Ezra rides a bike…teehee), Mona (i think the producers said they are not following the books), Noel (not too sure, but i believe he doesn't really have any motives to do so…lemme know if you think so). Jason (why would this pot head even consider attacking these girls…no motive? plus he is too busy tryna shag Aria), Ben (he been gone..lol).
That leaves…
Melissa, Lucas, Paige, Jenna, Garrett, Melissa's potential omen baby, Jason 1.0 (avenging his rightful role), Lucas, Lucas, and possibly Lucas!
Thanks for continuing to write fantastic recaps, i hope my response does not bore you. Always try to "keep it Realzzz"
🙂
Hey :)! I had so much fun reading your comment! So many awesome theories! And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the Canadian promo. Wow, they really are always ten times better than the American ones, aren’t they? The Canadian promos have this way of making PLL seems REALLY scary. They did it with the premiere promo, and they did it again here. This was spectacular . . . like something straight out of a slasher movie.
OK. Here’s the thing. I don’t think Lucas is “A”. But I do think “A” has something on him, and has gotten him to do his or her bidding. This trailer actually reminds me a lot of the one Much Music made for Toby’s character, during the dance. They made him look like a crazy killer too. And while many of the things he did during the dance, were definitely creepy, I don’t think Toby is crazy. Same goes for Lucas. I also think that Lucas will be the one who “goes missing” this season.
Of course, I’m kind of sad that they are going this route with Lucas, considering that, in the books, he was Hanna’s boyfriend for a good deal of time. On the other hand, I’m psyched that they are giving the actor “more challenging material,” because he’s been a bit underused, as of late.
It’s funny you mentioned the swim coach, because I was confused by her too. I thought, what happened to the awesome coach who was willing to throw Paige off the team, when she gay bashed Emily? I just assumed that this lady was more of an athletic advisor or guidance counselor of some sort. I hope so! Because the other coach was a much better actress . . .
I agree with you about Toby. I still like the character, and the actor. I just don’t like the way he’s been written these past few episodes. Whether or not it was Toby’s fault, I found myself yelling at him, during his kitchen scene with Spencer. I kept saying, “GO AWAY, Tobs! Em’s in TROUBLE! 🙂 And, like I said in my earlier comment, comparing Spencer to Ali is just wrong on so many levels, especially when the accusation comes from BLIND JENNA!
I also agree with you about Steven R. McQueen being hotter than the actor who plays Mike. (Have you seen the former’s body lately? WOO!) On the other hand, I think the actor who plays Mike might be a bit younger than Steven R. McQueen. And if you look at picture of Steven from, say, the Disney movie, Minutemen (when he was about “Mike’s” age), the two could practically be twins. If Steven is any indication, I see big things for this guy’s future. 😉
Sorry the clip is this one..
That’s a very good point, the timing, I didn’t think of that… (ref to Hanna’s car)
I like it how in the series the girls are friends, unlike in the books, where it’s just Hanna vs Kate, and she’s queen bee till Kate comes along.
I still think A is a girl, perhaps it’s a team of As? When I read that Coach Beast (Glee) came to mind, and I do believe she grunts, and is very strong too. Though when A smashed the window I think it was a guy. How many girls would smash a window with their hands, rather than using something?
Julie, your idea of a hired man might explain why we’re not certain on A’s gender.
“around 2 minutes, A’s sweatshirt rides up a little and the skin that is exposed is of a light tan color” – So I did see something! 🙂
🙂 – Ezra drives a $$$ car, as seen in that rain scene in a past ep.
Omgosh It took me forever to find the comment box I thought I was going to have to write you to send me a link LOL. I loved your recap as always. It so cool the way you see different things than what I do. You emphasize stuff I look over and vice versa……..solidarity sister LOL. I thought Ezra was going to lose it as he tried to decide what to say to the “parents” but he did good. It’s too bad they are both so freaking hypocritical. I would say Ella but Byron is just as bad considering his past he shoulda been more understanding that guy is a piece of work I tell you. Oh my gosh that stupid Jackie witch …..I was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo glad that Ezra told her off you have no idea. He finally showed he is a man standing by his woman……….go team Ezria I think is what you called them LOL OH and Hanna and Caleb are so cute I could never see her with Lucas at all. She is just so vain and snarky love Hannah. Well love all the girls. I am looking forward to Maya coming back for Em; I hope she treats her right and yeah I did read spoilers on that though I try hard not too do it. I know I am naughty. Spencer and Toby are breakin’ my little black heart I tell you. *shakes head* I think they will make it though if your Wren doesn’t get in the way LOL. Love your post, Babe……………..talk soon. 🙂 Oh and do send what ever you find no worries xoxo
Hey Sassyfran! You are absolutely right. We do both bring distinct perspectives to the show, which is why I always have so much fun reading your recaps. (That . . . and your recaps are AWESOME, of course.)
I too was extremely proud of Fitzy for taking charge of the situation with Aria, as well as owning up to their relationship, and his love for her. It showed real courage on his part . . . courage that we haven’t really seen from the character up to this point. Maybe it isn’t always such a bad idea to wake a sleep walker, after all. 🙂 Now, maybe our feisty females can have some strong men (and women, in Emily’s case ;)) to support them, when things get particularly messy with “A.”
I thought it was interesting that, in the last episode, the girls were PRETENDING to have a falling out over how to handle the “A” situation, whereas, based on the trailer, it seems like that falling out will turn into a very real altercation, next week. It was interesting seeing how much Hanna’s declaration that Spencer was treating them like trained monkey’s (or something like that) sounded suspiciously like the things Emily was saying to Spencer, as part of her “act” in this episode. So, I guess there is always some truth to fiction.
I also thought it was interesting that the rest of the girls were so quick to have Hanna get Caleb involved in hacking A’s cell phone, when Spencer and Aria each went to great lengths to keep their respective boyfriends sheltered from A’s wrath. I wonder what sort of repercussions this will have for the group down the line .. .