M1977G

I have little doubt that Jennifer K is a rare dancer and person for her to have been bestowed so many DCC honors already. I liked her dancing and personality on the show last season, but I agree she's no dynamo in terms of social media presence (I wish Samantha was better at that, too!). Jennifer K blew away every dance professional on the show last season. I was glad to see so much of her dancing in her rookie season, but I'd like MTT to really show for a hot minute what she can really do, because it really must be extraordinary. Looks like we might get a brief chance in the second episode with the solos (all the vets shown looked great!). I find her getting the #1 solo spot more surprising than being appointed second group leader in her second season. Since I've been watching the show, the honor has gone to Nicole Hamilton, Justine Phillips, Trisha Trevino, Ally Traylor, Whitney Isleib, and Jackie Bob, and most if not all were going into their final seasons with the team. I think Jennifer K must be well liked by most of the girls to have been selected Rookie of the Year and second leader, but I wonder if Kelli and Judy showing so much favor to her is causing some resentment among vets, especially some of the more senior ones. (It would be understandable--they are human, after all, and they all bust their asses!) I would have thought Emma, Holly, or Sydney would have been chosen for the first solo. In the preview, Kelli told Jennifer to show everyone how it's done, and I guess she did, since they appointed her second leader after that. I noticed she was not front and center in Judy's Twitter pic of the squad photo setup, and I don't think she was one of the swimsuit cover finalists. She's very pretty, with a flawless figure, and of course a stellar dancer, but I don't think she's one of their premier glamour girls yet, like Brittany, Katy, or Emma. The editing was weird, but I recall last season that there seemed to be mixed reaction among the judges about her. Although the scene made it seem like they were talking about someone else, one of the judges said "she didn't make it with me," and when the camera cut to Judy and Kelli, one was holding Jennifer's head shot and Judy's draw was dropping in surprise as she looked at the judge. In the cameo shoot episode, again they didn't use names and it was edited in a way that makes it hard to tell, but when they showed Jennifer posing and then cut to Kelli & co, they were commenting on someone looking stiff in her pics. I think she will be one of those DCC who seems to get prettier every year as she grows into the glamour of it all, and gets more comfortable in front of the camera and in all the makeup and big hair. In other matters, I just rewatched a couple episodes from season 4 and I have to say, I'm struck by how the level of bling has risen on the rehearsals outfits. The last few seasons have gotten so bedazzled!

Agreed on the iTunes business, @bigskygirl. I hate watching the show on CMT because of the commercials and streaming complications, but did last year because I was too impatient waiting for iTunes to upload episodes (sometimes they took more than 48 hours, and I really needed to see who was cut and why before that, you know?). When I went to the CMT website yesterday to see if they had posted anything new about season 9, when I clicked on MTT, it said the page didn't exist because the website was under construction. Here's hoping at least CMT or iTunes comes through for us next week! I wonder if they're holding off on releasing new Twitter accounts til next week as part of the build up for the season premier? I agree that it would be nice for them to update the website, too. Show Group is ancient, videos hardly work, pics are old, and when I clicked on MTT (before I went to the non-working CMT page), the poster for season 8 popped up. Seriously, what's up with this? Kelli is very marketing savvy, so I don't understand why the website isn't better maintained, even if the DCC are on Twitter and Facebook too. At the very least, I'd expect to see a notice for the new TV season coming up (with pertinent info) on the home page, but it's nowhere on the site at all. I understand that the Cowboys may not give the DCC as much funding as the organization might seem to warrant given its prestige and ability to attract fans, but couldn't they get an intern to do some of this website stuff for free?

Ali definitely is sociopathic, and if she is Uber A, she's an escalating psychopath, too. Part of me loves this idea, and finds it somewhat plausible--desirable, even, since I don't want to see Ali be redeemed when all is said and done with the show. By going to jail and doing penance, maybe, but not being cleared as a scared girl who had to do bad things just to stay alive. The way Ali loves to play up her fears of danger is truly crazy, and goes way back, at least to that first Halloween episode when she made the girls think she was in mortal danger and then just laughed and assured them they'd passed her test. Now that she's returned, she has made a spectacle of herself to her dad and friends' parents, telling them of her dark years as a kidnap victim, which the girls know is a big old lie. And the way Ali touches her throat in this episode after A leaves the musical note (ha), looking so terrified at the memory of being choked and attacked in her house--or the way she fretted in the bathroom (without checking the stalls for listeners) about the scarf covering her bruises. These moments could be Ali just playing more of the same old damsel in distress, just escalated to higher and more twisted stakes. With Ali playing at "PTSD without a net" for Hanna's mom for the whole episode, I caught myself wondering how traumatized Ali really is. But her confession at the end of the episode, that she had Noel Kahn break in to fake her endangerment to support her lie about being kidnapped, reinforced my general belief that, however Ali might be a victim, she's very much an agent of her own peril who endangers those who love her--and conscience doesn't weigh that heavily into it. Speaking of Noel Kahn, what on earth does she have on him?! He better not be entranced by Ali's magical vagina. I will be beyond disappointed in him. I will be more disappointed though if he doesn't show his face back in Rosewood soon. Toby setting his eye on earning a badge is the writers' effort to make his character relevant the next few seasons. I LOLed when Spencer gave him the pep talk about, "if this is what it takes to end this thing, then do it. Graduate early!" I predict this is exactly what they're going to do. Toby will excel in the police academy for maybe half a season (that's like 2 weeks in Rosewood), and then he'll become a prodigy detective in 2 more episodes, giving him plenty of time to expose Beta A (surely not Uber A just yet!) in next season's finale (6A or 6B). Me? I prefer Spencer and Hanna as my detectives. And I loved Spencer in her detective mode this week! Not so subtle with the line of questioning, Spence, but good questions to see if Ali knew Bethany, and what her mom was up to at the stables and Radley. Too bad you nearly got blinded for your efforts. Guess Emily has a real reason to fear horses now.

Just saw some pics from episode 10. In at least one pic, it looks like Spencer is wearing

So, so true! These unanswered questions about an unethical high school teacher should be uppermost in people's minds. But here's Ezra, just showing up at Aria's house at night, as bold as you please. (Of course, he knows her parents are never home. Because why would they want to watch over their troubled teens?) As for the book Ezra wanted to write, yeah he's a whiny tortured writer and all, but I'm hoping there's more to it than that. If he started out wanting to write about (as he put it) what happened to him and his brother and who his parents really are, and he ended up writing about Ali, I'd like to think there is an actual connection between the families. This of course could make Ezra's being picked up by Ali in a college bar even creepier. But I really hope we find out what's up with his cray cray mom. She was awesomely sinister in that beautiful upper crust way when we did get to see her on the show, and I'd love for her to get more screen and story line time. Let's not forget that Ezra changed his name. He gave that crap lie about not wanting to try to be a writer with a last name like Fitzgerald, but I didn't buy it then or now. There's a big story behind his family, and I suspect it is tied to at least some of our Rosewood mysteries. Thinking along such lines makes me think it's likely that Ezra knows more than he's saying about why Eddie would reach out to him with Bethany's drawing, and that Ezra might have something to do with his mysterious no-show. Eddie didn't have to look up Ezra's number to call him after Aria left Radley. He didn't talk like he and Ezra were very familiar with each other (he asked for him by his full name), but how the hell did he know Ezra's number and where he lived? Maybe Mama Fitzgerald has a hand in Radley's weirdness?

Lol--that song is ridiculous, on so many levels. I thought the dancing looked great in the video above. I noticed that Sydney was not on the end for this routine, and she definitely was holding her own dancing behind and next to Jacie, which is so small thing. I'd love Jcie or Holly as point girl. It must be a close call for Kelli & Judy. It would be very interesting to see them discussing placement on the show, not just point girl, but also some discussion about leaders and how they put groups together. As for Brittany's article opener--"when I was approached by Kelli and Judy at the beginning of training camp to try the My Fit Foods 21 Day Challenge, I was ecstatic. Albeit for reasons I’m not too proud of (think yo-yo diets and down time), I welcomed the opportunity to try the My Fit Foods Challenge"--I bet this is only partly BS. Working to maintain DCC weight, and especially what must have been Brittany's rookie weight, must be incredibly tough, even for those who work out all the time and are reasonable about what they eat. Clearly, Brittany got put on blast, since she says they approached her for reasons she wasn't too proud of. I can think of at least two other vets I saw posting about this meal plan on Twitter, so there were at least 3 vets and probably more who got handed some version of the option, get in better shape or leave the team. When we saw Nicole get apartment ambushed last year, we got some hint of the emotional stress struggling with weight can be for these girls, so I bet Brittany actually was pretty ecstatic when they offered her this meal program. The girl loves being a DCC, and obviously puts so much into it, so I imagine she was very glad when they offered such an easy program at what I imagine is on the DCC dime. For sure this will make maintaining her weight and figure more manageable. I'd drop at least 8 pounds too if I had someone shop and prepare all my meals for me in the most healthful fashion, and I'd be ecstatic if someone else were paying for it. All that said, it's hard for me to imagine that Brittany needed to drop 8 pounds, or even that she looks her most attractive having done so. In past photo shoots, I've definitely thought she looked a little too thin and would look better with just 3-5 pounds more on her frame. I was definitely surprised when she got called out last year by Kitty, and disagreed with the assessment. I think B was in her mid-20s when she made the team, so that would put her near 30 now. No matter how active and fit she is, metabolism does start to change near and in our 30s, so doing the same things she used to do probably isn't enough. ITA. I think Kelli and Judy do want the girls to be healthy--albeit on the very, very, very low body fat side of healthy--and want to provide them with resources to help the cheerleaders meet their crazy standards. But a blatant product plug, for the diet and the show.

Ali's white blazer (S5 E7) was more ugly than last week's. It didn't work with that pastel Hawaiian shirt and flowery scarf. I guess the blazer and scarf are becoming the new Ali's signature wardrobe items? I enjoy her efforts to mix prints far less than Hanna or Aria's, and am disappointed to see Ali is the third Liar this season to don a goofy beanie. Hanna's grunge is working better for me than I thought it would. Loved that Emily told her to brush her hair before showing up for dinner...and that Hanna actually did it. And I loved Emily's black ankle boots in the scene with her mom in her bedroom. Spencer's dressed down hoodie, T shirt, and pony tail were a major improvement over her art smock from last week. But I'm ready for Spencer to get her fierceness back, and to put some energy into her wardrobe again. I get that she's rebelling from the Hastings family traditions, which probably includes wearing pearls and chignons, but come on, Spence. Put on some awesome equestrian boots and show Ali how a blazer is done!

I want to know how Ali either cleaned up the mess from her and Emily's fight with A without her dad noticing the broken stuff went missing, or how Ali explained the mess to her dad. Her determination to keep secrets is SO DUMB RIGHT NOW, even if it is necessary to the continuation of the plot. If Ali were really scared for her life, she'd freaking tell the cops what's up. I think the girl is as scared that her dirty deeds are going to come to light as she is of anything or anyone. I mean, she's probably committed multiple jail-worthy offenses, even before someone tried to bury her alive, and if everyone knew what she'd done, she couldn't play victim anymore and manipulate people with those sad baby blue eyes of hers. Everyone needs to lay off Hanna! Seriously, back off my girl. Especially Aria, who has no right to judge anybody. Ever. And how dumb are they to play into A's manipulations? Even if as much time hasn't passed for the Liars as for us, don't they know by now that A is the master of spin, and can misrepresent anything? That said, why would Hanna decide to trust Sydney in that moment (she wasn't that drunk), and won't she figure out that means that Sydney is somehow involved with A? She just blew her cover as a mouthy and nosy swim girl. Do the Liars figure this out? Btw, did this Hanna-Sydney-A text chain of events mean that Mona, Jenna, and Sydney are in direct communication with A? I was unsure if Mona was trying to go rogue from A and do her own Ali destruction thing, but this seems like they're in it together, at least for now.

Glad DeJennae and Jamie made the team! I'm a little surprised that Emily it, but happy for her nonetheless. She looked so awkward dancing on the show last year, she must have improved a lot, because the DMD are great dancers. Did Tampa Bay Megan make the team? There has to be something, because she's a far better dancer and performer than Emily. Maybe the coaches don't like what they perceive as some diva behavior, what with her special fan pages and all. (I won't pretend to know exactly what went on til we see the show, and even then I know that's a tightly edited version of events...) I do feel kind of badly for her. Based on watching her last season and what I've seen of this audition season, I think she is someone who loves to perform, and badly wants to be accepted by others. I hope she finds that acceptance in herself, and that she makes a team somewhere, but it must be hard to go down the audition line in Dallas like that. Very glad to see Holly as point girl, even if it is an audition period. The three together look great as the front and center girls, and whoever gets point girl I think will be a strong one. I like Emma a lot--I think she's a fantastic dancer (wish they'd show her actually dancing more on the show!) and a pretty girl--but I'm an even bigger fan of Holly and Jacie. They've both been among my favorites since their rookie seasons.

In a perfect world where I hold sway with PLL writers, there would be no Ali twin or multiple personality Ali. There can still be a twin, because this is basically an elevated soap opera, which is part of what I love about it in the first place, but it would not be Ali's. In this perfect PLL world, Ali would be dressed in different gear and skulking around backyards in the dark in hoodies and hats because she's a shady lady who can't or won't stop her lying and nefarious deeds, not because she has multiplied or broken with reality. I think multiple personalities would be as much of a cop out as giving Ali a twin, but I do think Ali is something of a sociopath, which I guess counts for some kind of mental health issue. Love the idea that Ezra somehow did harm to Eddie! I hate this redeem Ezra shtick, and would love to see Ezra's character stay on the shady side. Because he is the real slim shady. This certainly would make him interesting to the plot again, rather than just a creeper in it. And, it would make Aria a fool a thousand times over for having sex with him again and thinking him getting shot could make up for his years of half-explained stalking and spying on high school girls. Question: how can Noel Kahn chill out with Ali and hustle fugitives (ok, just CeCe) out of New York, be ready to pick Ali up from a train station in Jersey on a moment's notice, keep up with his class notes at Rosewood High, and maintain his air of mystery, all at once? What's up with Mona having his notebook? Is he a double or triple agent? And when is he going to show up? Dear writers, my perfect PLL world has Noel Kahn in it.

I can't help but be curious about the behind the scenes drama and happenings, but I agree with the post above that we can't really know what happens or why, only what Kelli & Judy allow us to see on the show. I do think that, while group leaders have to be strong performers (since part of their job is to help train younger DCCs to be better performers and dancers), there can be other qualities required of a leader than just being the best dancer on the squad. So, I can see some girls being well suited to one over the other, or preferring to devote time to one over the other, and I'm sure that there are more good candidates for group leader and SG than positions available, and someone deserving probably always gets overlooked. Must be an unfortunate reality of being on a team of gorgeous overachievers. I'm sure feelings get hurt all the time, but a lot of these girls are very admirable team players, and probably are able to keep it in perspective, even when they're disappointed. I'd like to think the girls who do get honored with SG, or Pro Bowl, leader, cover photos, special appearances, etc., also keep some perspective, knowing that many of their teammates are just as deserving and capable.

It looks like only 12 DCC went to Oxnard, so that leaves at least 4 members of SG who didn't go. I'm not yet convinced Brittany isn't on it. I don't see Jacie in the picture, and no way she didn't make it. I wish we could see more of her dancing on the show, as she seems to captivate everyone with her performing. Hopefully, we get more of her now that she's a 2nd leader. I would imagine that Angela would rather have time to be a newly wed than spend the extra time on SG. I would love to see Veronica, Jessica A, or Ashley M make SG. Wonder which rookies made it? I was nosing around on Twitter, and see that Ashley Michelle appears to be besties with Kathryn Dunn. Honestly, this makes her less interesting in me eyes. But I would like to see how she's improved his season, because she must have worked incredibly hard. She had no real dance experience before TC last year. That's a very steep learning curve, so good for her.

Favorite moment: when Mona says to Emily, "Don't call me an amateur." Hell yeah. Also loved when Bethany's roommate asked Aria what she was gonna do without any hands. Aria's face was priceless. Should have known something great and weird like that would happen right after the strange lady in black glided by the door. I think Aria might be the dumbest liar, though. The girl just doesn't think things through when she's doing shady stuff, and never covers her trails that well. Unimpressive, Aria, and it probably just got Eddie's ass beat, if not killed. Ali was in her full on manipulator mode this episode, and I was all about it, and wanting to smack Ali in the face. It was fascinating to watch because it was this mix of desperation (she knows people knows she's lying about what happened, and she knows she isn't the Queen Bee she used to be) with her old ruthless self. I thought this showed most intriguingly in her scene with Hanna on Emily's porch. Her advice to Hanna about Caleb was couched in terms of care for her friend (much like when she'd ask Hanna in flashbacks if she was going to eat whatever cookies, then say she's just being a friend). But obviously she was worried about herself and the problems Caleb could cause for her and her lies. One of these problems, to Ali, is that he isn't under her sway and doesn't buy her bullshit, and it makes her worry about her power dynamics with Hanna, which she tests on the porch, when Hanna asks if she's telling her not to see Caleb, and Ali just gives her that old Ali look...and then sweetly calls over her shoulder for Mrs. Fields to save her a popover. Classic Ali playing the cruel manipulator, who always seeks to keep Hanna down and under her thumb, and the charming innocent in the same moment. Loved it! Add this to the crazy dinner scene when Ali wobbled her lip and said she didn't mean for bad things to happen, but that in the dark, she had to ask, What have I ever done that was so bad to deserve this? The girl's narcissism knows no bounds! I mean, she milked it for all she was worth--saying she couldn't help but blame herself, and feel such shame...that she continued to ask her friends to lie to their parents and the police for her. Love that Mrs. F didn't buy any of it, and that Hanna could tell just by looking at her. As for this Ali twin thing, I'm holding out hope that this speculation is wrong (how boring to totally follow the book on this, and how wrong to lie outright to fans that they would not do it!). I get the obvious statement that she's wearing something different, but to my mind, I don't think it has to be a different Ali, and prefer to think that this is proof that Ali is still lying, still acting shady, and still stirring up shit that is causing serious danger to herself and others. To me, that's a way more interesting story line than Ali has a twin. I believe that someone has a twin, though, or some secret sibling attached to Radley. That picture Bethany drew of the girl chasing some monster carrying a child had Radley gates in the background. And it seems a good bet that Mrs. D had some close relation to the individual who smashed Ali on the head, and to Bethany. Speaking of, I guess this week's drawings of Mrs. D with demon horns and "liar" written all over her clears up any ambiguity I had from last week, since part of me thought the drawing Eddie left suggested Mrs. D was evil and the other thought the monster in it suggested she was in danger. But apparently, Bethany was not a fan of Mrs. D! As for Ezra, like everyone else, I loved his scenes with Spencer. He was so awkward scratching his head when Spencer commented on the amount of camera equipment, and he was all, what do you mean? Dude really doesn't know how creepy he is, only sort of senses it, which makes his behavior, for me, both more understandable and more disturbing. His confession that he wanted to write about his family fueled my longstanding wish that we get a lot more about the Fitzgerald crew as this story unfolds, and that it has to do with the whole Ali/A thing. I've said it before, I want some kind of backstory explanation for why Ezra is so f-ed up--and I think it has to do with his mommy.

Thanks for posting the Oxnard pics, y'all. It looks like Jessica Marie might be on Show Group this year--I think I spied her profile in the pics in the link just above. Good for her! I think she is charming and a great dancer. I could see Kelsey, Kinzie, Jennifer A, Emma, Holly, Jenna, Jennifer K, Ashley N, and I think that's Samantha next to Jennifer A. I know that's not the whole group, so I wonder who else made it. Hope they show it on season 9! As for Vivian, I know we'll see some of her story line, but I just hope it doesn't eclipse our chance to get to know some of the other girls. I hope that the first episodes address the girls who don't make it back, both the vets and former TCCs like Tessa. (My guess with Tessa is that her kicks still were too low. She had two major leg injuries to contend with. Otherwise she seemed like the "whole package"). Found a picture of group 3 on Ashley M's Twitter page (G3 is the pic in the bottom left--the girls holding up three fingers on the top are the 3rd year vets): https://twitter.com/DCC_Ashley/status/489980885597298688/photo/1

The poster (is this what we still call it in the digital age?) for season 9: https://twitter.com/ETRandall/status/491368649840947201/photo/1 I think all three girls look great, and love the combo especially because they are some of my favorite vets. Since Veronica and Brittany got looked over for group leaders or seconds, it's nice to see they still get to be two of the main faces of the show. I'm far more excited about MTT than actual football season. As far as the DMD auditions, I think Vivian is 100 times better dancer and performer than Emily or Kathryn Dunn. So, even while I'm pretty over the Vivian thing as far as the show goes, I'd like to see her have the dance team experience she has worked so hard for and clearly wants so badly. I feel much more whatever about Emily or Kathryn making the team. Sweet and cute girls but I did not enjoy watching either of them as dancers. I have no attachment to Megan P since I haven't "met" her on the show yet, but if she uprooted her life to give this a go, it would be nice for her to make the DMD, which I think is a great group of performers. I like their perseverance.

This is so twisted, and I totally love it. I just love Spencer in detective mode, and can't wait to see what Spencer digs up by secretly filming her family...with cameras borrowed from her somewhat sociopathic English teacher who spied on her and her friends "for years," however long that is in Rosewood time. My bet is the recording catches Mrs. H doing something shady. She just has to be in on this somehow, as she has the most motive, and is pretty much the only Hastings who hasn't come under serious suspicion by Spencer. Gotta love those Hastings!

I agree that the body standards for the DCC are higher than ever, with the show being in its 9th year and that unfathomably huge HD screen. If for nothing more than drama and product placement, I bet we get to see this diet Kelli puts at least some of the girls on. Someone mentioned Jasmine losing weight, and I have to say, she really has transformed her body since she first came to TC. She used to be very slim and in good shape, but Jasmine is truly a hard body now--her abs and legs are totally amazing. And I guess that is the point, and what Kelli and Judy want in the DCCs: a level of wow that most human beings will never even contemplate obtaining. Sometimes I think the wow K & J are looking for gets a bit too skinny, but for the most part, I think the girls are in incredible shape. Seems like just being in "great" shape doesn't count any more. It's like some result of our HD and hyper-photoshopped culture, that real women are expected to look like magazine cover models, while sweating on a football field, without the benefits of photoshop. I don't know about the weight postings and all their rituals (a bit over the top if it's true, I'm thinking), but I am sure these girls feel profound pressure on all fronts, including from the boss ladies and each other, to be as fit as possible. Have y'all read the horrid comments from some folks about the girls' bodies on their Facebook page? Unbelievable, but I guess people will always be cruel, and haters gonna hate.

I went back and watched the funeral episode, and that definitely jogged my memory about Mr. D and Jason. Somehow in all my obsession about Mrs. D and Mr. H this season, I kind of forgot that means Jason grew up in a house where his dad knew he wasn't his biological son, and that Mr. D raised a kid he knew was his neighbor's son. Duh. I'm thinking Hastings neighborhood block parties back in the day were either very strained events, or some pretty salacious fun.

ITA to the first part. But can you remind me about the second part? So freaking much happens on this show, and I never gave Mr. D much thought til this season, and frankly not that much even now. He's only been interesting to me this season because Ali obviously loves him, and he did the right thing by telling her if she'd been sexually assaulted she needed to tell somebody. Refresh my memory of his awfulness to Jason, please? I'm not doubting, mind you, just forgetful.

Most of the girls I liked in the audition videos made the squad, including my favorites (based on the dance videos-- not much to go on, I know). I, too, am noticing that there are only three black veterans on the squad now, and maybe no black rookies, but the squad is not without diversity, just less than I might wish. I feel very badly for Vivian, but I have to say that even though she has great stage presence, her dancing was not that clean. I remember being so underwhelmed by her audition video this year that I wondered if she would make it to TC at all, though I felt the same about Ashley Michelle. Her dancing should have been significantly stronger and cleaner than a year ago. Vivian has a similar body type to Kandi H, yes, but Kandi was one of the very best dancers on the squad, while Vivian is not even close. Now, none of this is to say that her body didn't factor in significantly, but I actually believed Kelli last year when she told Vivian that they were not only cutting her for her figure but also for her dancing mistakes. I believed her because I could see them, even with crazy MTT cameras that make it hard to watch the dancing. I hope this season of MTT isn't the Vivian Show, like the Morgan Show last year, or the Karissa Show before that. I'm all about rooting for the underdogs, but I would like the show to follow girls who actually do make the team. Very curious all this talk about voting for group leaders. I'm sure K & J must approve the choices, but I imagine that running the ship may go more smoothly if the cheerleaders feel that they had some voice in who's bossing them around besides K & J. Who knows? I hope they address group leaders this year on the show, especially given their unusual choice of a 2nd year vet. Can't wait for the MTT premier!!

Since upthread I said I may never trust Paige and her anger management issues, I feel I should also defend her a little by pointing out that I think her intense anxieties, competitiveness, and sexually closeted years seem to all relate to her dad and unhealthy home life. This is the dude who showed up at school to challenge Emily's place on the swim team because she is gay. (Standing up to him may have been the one time Ezra did something adult and morally decent!) For me, it wasn't just Paige's actions when she got upset, it was the incredibly intense look in her eyes and the set of her jaw that made me think, holy shit, this girl is not totally in control. As far as drama, I loved it, but as for a character I'm supposed to get behind romantically, I don't think so. So, like Ali, Spencer, Aria, and Hanna (her pops, not our beloved if sometimes morally ambiguous Ashley!), Paige has at least one problematic parent raising her. Ali being the most mentally twisted by her parental insanity, probably, but let's not dismiss Aria's recurring affair with her stalker teacher. I keep harping on it, but the parenting in Rosewood is seriously a joke, yet necessary to such much of the PLL plot. Perfect for a family channel. Where would we be if Mrs. D and Mr. H hadn't had at least one love child, and Ali hadn't started blackmailing her friends' parents over their affairs? Not visiting Rosewood on a weekly basis, I imagine. I'm hoping these next few episodes will give us more about some of the liars' parents, and more insight into family dynamics--especially with the DiLaurentis and Hastings clans, and most especially

I lost interest in Toby, and therefore Spoby, right here. Years later, I'm beyond tired of Spoby, and find his story line vague and dull, even though I do think the actors do have great screen chemistry. That chemistry isn't enough to make their story good, and I can't think of anything interesting they've really done with Toby as a character for at least three seasons, except have him take off his shirt. I just posted elsewhere (before I saw this awesome new thread!) that I'd like to see Noel Kahn become a little wedge between Spoby to liven things up and reveal some answers to our big mysteries. Noel doesn't have to be Spencer's love interest to drive this wedge between Spoby, but I wouldn't be mad at the writers if they leaned more towards Spencer and Noel than that Spencer and Andrew thing. Noel definitely rubs Toby the wrong way--they nearly came to blows on the A train, knocking "Ali"body out of the ice cooler-- and Spencer and Noel had some great chemistry in their earlier face-offs. I'd love to get some Spencer and Noel screen time with Spencer in detective mode and clashing with Noel in her search for answers. This season it's been revealed that Noel knows a lot of pertinent secrets, and he has become a character of interest again for me. It's still ambiguous whether he's trustworthy or what his motives are. He's been helping to hide Ali, but he also dated Mona and Jenna. I don't know that Noel's a more moral guy than Toby. My guess is not, but he is way hotter with that pretty face. My main points being, I guess, that I think Noel Kahn has answers and eye candy for us, and I want Spoby to be dunzo, or at least more interesting. I've never been a Paily fan either, mostly because I don't trust Paige. The girl had some serious anger management problems back in the day with Ali (not that she didn't have reason to be pissed, mind you), and exhibited them with Emily. I think Lindsay Shaw is awesome as Paige when she's in scary mode--shoving Emily's head under water, knocking over trash cans after seeing Emily with Nate, etc--but she's so good that she really creeped me out at a fundamental level. That kind of jealousy, threatening posture, and uncontrollable rage is potentially very sinister, and apparently for me, not to be forgotten easily. Yes. I'm not ready for Ali to be redeemed, and it would be a much more interesting story line if she's playing poor Emily, at least on some level. I think Ali has some real sociopathic tendencies (Sasha plays them with such charm!), and I don't think she's really changed. She may be truly scared, and traumatized, and so so sorry she's been so mean to everyone, but I don't know that the girl has fundamentally changed who she is, which is a lying manipulator and blackmailer who has a kind of dark charisma and sexual allure that draws people into her cruelty (hello, Hefty Hanna) and hurts people with her immoral games (hello, blackmailing neighborhood dads). One of my favorite flashbacks is the one where Ali is out to lunch with her mom and isn't getting her way, so she holds her breath until she nearly passes out. I think that girl still exists. To be fair, though, if her mom was as twisted as we are starting to think, Ali was bound to be all kinds of fucked up in the head, and that is bound to translate to her romantic and sexual relationships.

I snarked on the costuming for this week, but in general Hanna and Emily have my favorite liars' styles. I find the wardrobe on this show to be very hit or miss in terms of what actually looks good, but I agree with others that the costume designer and stylists do deeply develop themes for some of the characters. Sometimes, said themes just go awry. Like Hanna's descent into darkness this season via her grunge look and black streaks. I get what they're doing, and appreciate the desire to reflect character development through costuming, but they've been a bit obvious and heavy handed with Hanna. Loved Hanna's sparkly spiky black heels at Lucas's party, though! And a perfect Hanna shoe for the moment, I thought. Still ladylike Hanna, in black and with an edge. Conveys her edgy state of mind, but with a little more subtlety than black shredded leggings. One thing I do like about Hanna that I think her recent wardrobe change reflects nicely, though: she's pretty expressive about what she's thinking or when something's bothering her, even if she's not talking about it. ITA. I think Ali is wearing a lot of her mom's stuff, but I'm not entirely sure why. Is it about her conflicted grief over her mother's death? Is it a plot device? I'm thinking yes to both. I think the yellow scarf may have belonged to Mrs. DiLaurentis--Mrs. D was wearing one in the picture Eddie Lamb left Ezra, and Aria said she often wore scarves like that--and it also was necessary for the Hitchcock-esque choke scene. Ali also got rid of a lot of her clothes when she got back home, and when her father suggested she slow her roll on tossing all that stuff out, she said she'd grown out of the stuff and that she wasn't the same person she'd been. So perhaps this blazer/stewardess style she's sporting is about trying to look or feel more mature, even though she's still trying to outrun the consequences of her twisted girlhood games. I'm not enjoying these particular blazers, though.

Yes, please. Wren is totally a creep because he, like most adult males in Rosewood, is into teenage girls. But he was one of our first important links to getting inside Radley, and he makes a great mysterious bad guy. Getting handsy with Spencer, deceitful phone calls about Mrs. Hastings, allegedly getting back together with Melissa in London...this dude is a crucial link between the Hastings clan, Radley, and the DiLaurentis crew. So bring him back! And Noel. What can I say? He's hot, and got a bad boy vibe, but he risks his neck for others (even if it is Ali). He surely can give us more clues, as he's clearly involved big time. He's one of Ali's trusted minions, and he dated Mona and Jenna, and somehow was involved in hiding Maya, who ended up dead. Is he a good guy or a bad one? And can he take off his shirt? I'd love to see Noel become a triangle figure who wedges between Spencer and Toby. I'm tired of Spoby, but love Spencer, and I bet she would have awesome sparks with hottie Noel Kahn while playing detective and finding us some answers.

So really, a place like Radley is taking high school volunteers, and puts them in direct contact with unstable patients? I'm all for the sanitarium plot return, but the this is the least impressive way we've gotten inside of Radley yet. But I agree, it's nice that Aria will have something to do besides her high school teacher. This week I was reminded how underwhelmed I am by the Montgomery parenting system, which is to leave your troubled teenage son and daughter entirely alone with no adult supervision whatsoever after they break into houses and have inappropriate affairs. It's no wonder she has returned to Ezra--girl needs some daddy love from somewhere. At least she told him she thought it was weird that he still had security cameras up in his hall. Because, it does remain creepy. But Aria, WTF with offering up your attic to store Ezra's research on Ali/A, and Ezra saying, and I quote, "Good idea"? You must be wanting to leave a solid paper trail between yourself and Shana, and probably a half dozen other serious crimes in Rosewood. Props to Spencer for busting Aria's chops about screwing Ezra. I loved that she did it over school lunch. I'm not one to have a lot of faith in the Rosewood PD, but A's escalated aggression can't continue too much more without the girls telling the police what's going on. Caleb was the only one talking sense in this department. I was pleased to see Lieutenant Tanner on the trail this week, and am eager to see Detective Hottie Hollbrook again. Rosewood PD is plenty shady and slow, but I do like those two. They seem pretty sharp to me, and I loved Tanner making Ezra squirm, worrying if she knows he's got inappropriate and elaborate relationships with teenage girls and is withholding information about a number of crimes. I want to have faith this detecting duo will figure out what's going on, and I want them to be trustworthy and have integrity because, well, I need some adults in this town to have some. Agree that costuming was pretty ridunculous this week. I did like Hannah's J'aime shirt. It distracted me from her hair and was a cute nod to her love triangle. But the black beanie multiplied, Ali looked like a 1950s matron even before she put the scarf on, and what was with Emily's bra hanging all out in her muscle shirt? Poor Spencer. Aria may get the craziest outfits most times, but Spencer repeatedly gets the dorkiest.