S06.E03: Songs Of Experience

[AmandaPanda]

Spencer investigates Charles and Aria seeks info about Andrew. Meanwhile, Emily and Alison each acquire a new friend; and Hanna wants her old pals to reunite and put the events of the Dollhouse behind them.

 

[raytch]

Charlie huh?

So he must have been pretty close to Jason given that he has a nickname for him.

[GaT]

"Songs of Experience", is there a reason for the "songs of" part? Last episode was "Songs of Innocence", what songs are they referring to? Since the first episode was "Game on, Charles" it doesn't seem like they have a "songs" theme going on this season, but it must mean something.

[lorikauai]

Songs of Stupid. I don't know, maybe we'll find uber A in a cellar wearing an Ali mask playing an organ?

[AmandaPanda]

Songs of Innocence and Experience is a famous collection of poems by William Blake. I don't know enough about the themes of the poems to analyze why they went with the titles, but they are definitely a reference to this collection.

[lorikauai]

Songs of Innocence and Experience is a famous collection of poems by William Blake. I don't know enough about the themes of the poems to analyze why they went with the titles, but they are definitely a reference to this collection.

 

Hmmm. Songs of Innocence is maybe connected to Ali's visit to church? The girls back under the care and protection of their mothers?

 

Songs of Experience contains The Tyger, which is the only Blake poem I really know. It is about evil in the world and where it comes from.

 

There is also a poem titled "London". Could be a Wren hint?

 

And this one, titled "The Sick Rose" seems the most connected to the storyline.

O Rose thou art sick.

The invisible worm,

That flies in the night

In the howling storm:

 

Has found out thy bed

Of crimson joy:

And his dark secret love

Does thy life destroy.

Edited June 10, 2015 by lorikauai

[GaT]

Songs of Innocence and Experience is a famous collection of poems by William Blake. I don't know enough about the themes of the poems to analyze why they went with the titles, but they are definitely a reference to this collection.

Hmm, that's interesting, now I really don't understand why the titles. LOL

[bettername2come]

That promo just makes me think from the tone of Jason's voice that he's talking to Charles as he says "Charlie." Probably just the way it's edited, but that would be interesting.

Edited June 11, 2015 by bettername2come

[SadieT]

Pretty Little Liars 6x03 Sneak Peek #1

 

 

 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Really, Spencer? You're changing your mind about Andrew being Charles because he was holding Sarah hostage and he couldn't have possibly done that while attending school with them? He could have just kept her door locked while he was at school. Given all the technology that A has been shown to use, why does it seem so far-fetched that he monitored her remotely during the day while he was at school? I am not saying that Andrew is definitely Charles, but it seems silly that Spencer's assumption is based on the idea that a kidnapper must supervise his victim 24/7.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Can we talk about the outfits in this clip? Ezra's Dwight K. Schrute shirt has sleeves that are too short and Aria looks like she drew a moustache over her boobs.

 

Why does he keep insisting that Aria write? Oh yeah, so he can get new material for his book! And why would she need to alphabetize the spy shelf? How are the books in that section arranged now, Ezra? Probably in some weirdo hipster way that makes sense only to him. ETA: I just realized that he said "spice shelf," not "spy shelf." Ha!

 

Man, how early do these girls wake up? When I was in high school, I could barely get up in time to get to school before the bell rang. These girls have time to go to the coffee shop, order stuff, and then loiter.

 

Clip #2:

 

Australian promo:

Edited June 12, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Giuliano Lanzilli]

Really, Spencer? You're changing your mind about Andrew being Charles because he was holding Sarah hostage and he couldn't have possibly done that while attending school with them? He could have just kept her door locked while he was at school. Given all the technology that A has been shown to use, why does it seem so far-fetched that he monitored her remotely during the day while he was at school? I am not saying that Andrew is definitely Charles, but it seems silly that Spencer's assumption is based on the idea that a kidnapper must supervise his victim 24/7.

 

Aren't you having Spencer confused with Emily?

[raytch]

Can we talk about the outfits in this clip? Ezra's Dwight K. Schrute shirt has sleeves that are too short and Aria looks like she drew a moustache over her boobs.

 

Why does he keep insisting that Aria write? Oh yeah, so he can get new material for his book! And why would she need to alphabetize the spy shelf? How are the books in that section arranged now, Ezra? Probably in some weirdo hipster way that makes sense only to him. ETA: I just realized that he said "spice shelf," not "spy shelf." Ha!

 

Man, how early do these girls wake up? When I was in high school, I could barely get up in time to get to school before the bell rang. These girls have time to go to the coffee shop, order stuff, and then loiter.

 

I always wonder the same thing! Does the sun come up at like 4 am in Rosewood? The girls always leave their houses looking perfect. Emily goes running before that, and after they all do a shit load of stuff before getting to school!

 

Also. Regarding to the Australian promo.

REALLY ALI? YOU THINK IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU JUST NOW?

[Giuliano Lanzilli]

I always wonder the same thing! Does the sun come up at like 4 am in Rosewood? The girls always leave their houses looking perfect. Emily goes running before that, and after they all do a shit load of stuff before getting to school!

 

LOL 

Edited June 12, 2015 by Giuliano Lanzilli

[Artsda]

Ezra's shirt is really bad. lol

 

 

Why does he keep insisting that Aria write?

Because he's trying to get her to not bottle it all in and avoid. For Aria she has used writing as the tool to let out her feelings in the past. She wrote a lot of things about Ali's disappearance/death. Good for him for trying and being there, her mother was severely lacking in that department last episode. 

Edited June 12, 2015 by Artsda

[AnJen]

So I was interested, and read about Songs of Innocence and Experience, and found the following explanations of the recurring themes in the poetry:

 

 

 

The Destruction of Innocence
Throughout both Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Blake repeatedly addresses the destruction of childlike innocence, and in many cases of children's lives, by a society designed to use people for its own selfish ends. Blake romanticizes the children of his poems, only to place them in situations common to his day, in which they find their simple faith in parents or God challenged by harsh conditions. Songs of Experience is an attempt to denounce the cruel society that harms the human soul in such terrible ways, but it also calls the reader back to innocence, through Imagination, in an effort to redeem a fallen world.

Redemption
Throughout his works, Blake frequently refers to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While he alludes to the atoning act of Christ Crucified, more often Blake focuses on the Incarnation, the taking on of human form by the divine Creator, as the source of redemption for both human beings and nature. He emphasizes that Christ "became a little child" just as men and women need to return to a state of childlike grace in order to restore the innocence lost to the social machinery of a cruel world.

Religious Hypocrisy
In such poems as "Holy Thursday" and "The Little Vagabond," Blake critiques the religious leaders of his day for their abuse of spiritual authority. The men who should be shepherds to their flocks are in fact reinforcing a political and economic system that turns children into short-lived chimney sweepers and that represses love and creative expression in adults. Blake has no patience with clergy who would assuage their own or their earthly patrons' guilt by parading poor children through a church on Ascension Day, as in "Holy Thursday" from both sections, and he reserves most of his sharpest verse for these men.

Imagination over Reason
Blake is a strong proponent of the value of human creativity, or Imagination, over materialistic rationalism, or Reason. As a poet and artist, Blake sees the power of art in its various forms to raise the human spirit above its earth-bound mire. He also sees the soul-killing materialism of his day, which uses rational thought as an excuse to perpetuate crimes against the innocent via societal and religious norms. Songs of Experience in particular decries Reason's hold over Imagination, and it uses several ironic poems to undermine the alleged superiority of rationalism.

Blake was not opposed to intelligent inquiry, however. In "A Little Boy Lost" from Songs of Experience, Blake admires the boy's inquiries into the nature of God and his own Thought, even as he sharply criticizes the religious leaders of his day for demanding mindless obedience to dogma.

Nature as the Purest State of Man
Like many of his contemporary Romantic poets, Blake sees in the natural world an idyllic universe that can influence human beings in a positive manner. Many of his poems, such as "Spring," celebrate the beauty and fecundity of nature, while others, such as "London," deride the sterile mechanism of urban society. Blake's characters are happiest when they are surrounded by natural beauty and following their natural instincts; they are most oppressed when they are trapped in social or religious institutions or are subject to the horrors of urban living.

The Flaws of Earthly Parents
One recurring motif in both Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience is the failure of human parents to properly nurture their children. The "Little Boy Lost" is abandoned by his earthly father, yet rescued by his Heavenly Father. The parents of "The Little Vagabond" weep in vain as their son is burned alive for heresy. Both mother and father seem frustrated by their child's temperament in "Infant Sorrow." This recurring motif allows Blake to emphasize the frailty of human communities, in which the roles of mother and father are defined by society rather than by natural instincts, and to emphasize the supremacy of Nature and of divine care in the form of God the Father.

Social Reform
While much of Blake's poetry focuses on leaving behind the material world in favor of a more perfect spiritual nature, his poetry nonetheless offers realistic and socially conscious critiques of existing situations. Both of his "Chimney Sweeper" poems highlight the abuse of children by parents and employers as they are forced into hazardous, and potentially fatal, situations for the sake of earning money. Both "Holy Thursday" poems decry the overt display of the poor as a spectacle of absolution for the wealthy and affluent. "The Human Abstract" points out that our virtues are predicated on the existence of human suffering. Although Blake is certainly more spiritually than practically minded, the seeds of social reform can be seen in the philosophy underlying his verses: innocence is a state of man that must be preserved, not destroyed, and the social systems that seek to destroy innocence must be changed or eliminated.

 

I'll be interested to see if any of those themes pertain to Charles; I would assume the focus on parents/society failing a child would be a reference to Charles, assuming he actually is a DiLaurentis. 

Edited June 12, 2015 by AnJen

[Giuliano Lanzilli]

Ezra's shirt is really bad. lol

 

Because he's trying to get her to not bottle it all in and avoid. For Aria she has used writing as the tool to let out her feelings in the past. She wrote a lot of things about Ali's disappearance/death. Good for him for trying and being there, her mother was severely lacking in that department last episode. 

 

But she specifically said times and times again that she doesn't wanna think about these "memories" being somewhere in her room, as in she doesn't wanna take the chance of "stumbling across" them and being forced to relive that traumatic experience. So why does he just not respect that and keep pressuring her into doing what HE thinks is best for her? Stupid (and useless) Ezra!

[Spencer Hastings]

He's pushing her to write her thoughts down so that he/A can steal the journal and use it to manipulate her further. She's been smart for once by not doing it (but I bet she will prove me wrong when this airs).

[mercfan3]

She doesn't want to write it down because she wants to block it out. Ezra's encouragement would be one of his only positive contributions to that relationship, if it wasn't so suspicious based on his past actions. 

[hqtextbook]

He's pushing her to write her thoughts down so that he/A can steal the journal and use it to manipulate her further. She's been smart for once by not doing it (but I bet she will prove me wrong when this airs).

100% with you on this one. Ezra, she isnt even your girlfriend anymore...leave her alone!!! Why doesnt he have any friends his own age to hang out with... 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, if I hadn't already thought this guy was a creeper last week, this would have convinced me of it. BACK OFF, DUDE.

 

[Artsda]

 

She doesn't want to write it down because she wants to block it out.

Exactly, writing is how Aria usually deals with her feelings so the fact she's not doing it is showing that she's suffering and Ezra's trying to help her express herself like she normally does and be there for her. 

[Mabinogia]

It says a lot about this show that we finally see Ezra acting like an actual supportive boyfriend and we suspect he has ulterior motives. Funny thing is, if Caleb had said the exact same thing to Hanna, I wouldn't give it a second thought, but Ezra, nope, he's got personal motives, clearly. Personally, it's just too late for him. I will never trust Ezra Fitz. Or half the characters on this show for that matter.

[superman1204]

Can we talk about the outfits in this clip? Ezra's Dwight K. Schrute shirt has sleeves that are too short and Aria looks like she drew a moustache over her boobs.

 

In the real world, I would have the same thought about Aria's shirt, but that is probably the closest thing to normal I have seen Aria wear (at least that I can remember).

 

Ha, if I hadn't already thought this guy was a creeper last week, this would have convinced me of it. BACK OFF, DUDE.

Yeah, I think Alison now has grounds for a restraining order if she wanted one.  I mean, there are dick-pics more subtle than that guy.

[dwmckim]

 

Why does he keep insisting that Aria write? Oh yeah, so he can get new material for his book! And why would she need to alphabetize the spy shelf? How are the books in that section arranged now, Ezra? Probably in some weirdo hipster way that makes sense only to him. ETA: I just realized that he said "spice shelf," not "spy shelf." Ha!

 

Well, of any character on this show were to have a "spy shelf", it would be Ezra.  I'm sure he has plenty but just in his apt, cabin, Ravenswood lair, but not at The Brew.

[mercfan3]

Just saw that new clip with Ali...it took that cop three episodes for his creep to show. That's actually a decent length of time for Rosewood. 

[Spencer Hastings]

Just saw that new clip with Ali...it took that cop three episodes for his creep to show. That's actually a decent length of time for Rosewood.

He wasn't in episode 1 of this season so technically...he's right on schedule.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Canadian promo:

[mercfan3]

He wasn't in episode 1 of this season so technically...he's right on schedule.

 

He was. He was the cop that told Toby to do his job. He started out his Rosewood career on a good foot..but he is male so...

[bettername2come]

He was. He was the cop that told Toby to do his job. He started out his Rosewood career on a good foot..but he is male so...

That scene was in episode 2. 

[hcs]

I knew it ! None of the girls were tortured the torture was thinking that they were betraying their friends. And hats off to Hanna for making the girls get together and  confront it. She has the best emotional IQ of any of them... I don't buy Andrews innocent act but that could just because he's male and I don't trust any male or adult in Rosewood.  I also am getting the feeling that Sara is a knowing participant with A.

[bettername2come]

I liked Dr. Sullivan returning and genuinely trying to help the girls. Yay for Hanna trying to fix things between the Liars. I know this sounds really twisted, but I wanted A to have really shocked them. 

 

#BitterAndrew made me laugh. He sounds so annoying in that scene. Who disappears for three weeks at the same time as missing classmates and thinks they're not going to be suspected? And did he find out anything useful? Because otherwise, what's the point of him?

 

More Allison/Jason teamups please. I enjoyed seeing them as a united front. 

 

I want Lorenzo to be good. That would be a shocking plot twist.

Edited June 17, 2015 by bettername2come

[Artsda]

Andrew seems really bitter, angry and hateful to the ones that were kidnapped and traumatized for weeks.And if he was just searching for them for those weeks, why not call or tell someone? Especially when he was all over the media. Instead he ran from the cops.

 

Hannah's the sanest and most stable and I think having Caleb and her mom be so great helps her with that. 

 

Aria's getting kind of better, it's good she has Ezra to help her try to get her to not keep things bottled up but try to express her emotions through art or anything she thinks about. Especially when her parents seem MIA a lot.

 

The wardrobe department dress Alli horribly. 

[MrsMommy]

Now that we know andrew isn't A I'm pretty mad -_- I was hoping we finally knew ugh

Andrew seems really bitter, angry and hateful to the ones that were kidnapped and traumatized for weeks.And if he was just searching for them for those weeks, why not call or tell someone? Especially when he was all over the media. Instead he ran from the cops.

Hannah's the sanest and most stable and I think having Caleb and her mom be so great helps her with that.

Aria's getting kind of better, it's good she has Ezra to help her try to get her to not keep things bottled up but try to express her emotions through art or anything she thinks about. Especially when her parents seem MIA a lot.

The wardrobe department dress Alli horribly.

Wouldn't you be angry if you tried to help someone and they put you in jail? I'd be bitter and angry to and wouldn't think twice about it

[Artsda]

 

Wouldn't you be angry if you tried to help someone and they put you in jail? I'd be bitter and angry to and wouldn't think twice about it

Andrew was being sought by police as the kidnapper before the girls were even found. The girls had nothing to do with why the police were after him, they were looking for him when Ali made her statement to the press. The girls were told it was Andrew when they came out because of  his shadiness of running off for 3 weeks and not contacting anyone or telling anyone where he was, was why the police were after him. 

[Writing Wrongs]

So Charlie looks close to Jason's age, but he's not a twin or he'd be Spencer's dad's kid too, right?

 

It's funny that Sasha is the youngest irl, but she's starting to look the oldest.

[Chairperson Meow]

The Jason actor pulled off "looking evil, but maybe not being evil" also known as acting. Bravo!

[bettername2come]

It's funny that Sasha is the youngest irl, but she's starting to look the oldest.

 

Because they dress her like she's 40. But it does make sense - she was 12 playing 15 in the pilot and is now 19 playing 17/18. Her aging is going to show more than the girls who've been twenty-something teenagers this whole time.

[AmandaPanda]

I loved Hanna's realization that the girls needed to get together to discuss everything that had happened to them. I figured they probably hadn't been actively getting shocked. The pure psychological torture of thinking they've been shocked is much more of Charles' MO. 

 

I do not trust this Sara girl as far as I can throw her. She is way too creepy. Who just sits in someone's room in the dark and waits for them to come home? It's just weird.

 

If making random calls like that is how Ezra found out information for his book, then people in Rosewood are total idiots. I can't believe he actually asked for a social security number over the phone. Have any of these people ever heard of HIPPA? If he was actually getting information that way for his book, the hospitals around Rosewood could have a class-action lawsuit on their hands.

 

I called the "imaginary friend" twist as soon as Jason said that Charlie wasn't real. I don't know if the writers are just getting more obvious or if I'm just used to the way they think now. I loved all of Hanna's references to Mr. Biscuit.

 

Of course Aria is the one that found the picture. She's just trying to divert attention because she's clearly evil. Sarcasm, but only kinda.

 

I am not looking forward to Spencer's descent into addiction. Though I thought Troian beautifully played that facial expression when she took the anxiety pill. You could see her visibly start to relax.

 

And how on earth are these girls about to graduate in 3 weeks? They've barely been at school this entire year. I know Andrew said they would probably just pass them all to get them out of the school, but come on.

[tldryolo]

Wait, didn't the cops supposedly find a manifesto penned by Andrew about how the PLL's were the worst thing ever and a symptom of the feminization of society?  One of the strongest pieces of evidence against him was that he apparently did have a vendetta against them this whole time... but it was completely forgotten this week.  So, did he write the manifesto or not?  If he did, then the PLL's seem awfully unconcerned about what he thinks of them and why.  If not, then the PLL's decided it wasn't him for... no reason whatsoever, as far as I can tell.

[Chaos Theory]

Just and interesting tidbit.  What Charles did to the girls making them chose which one to hurt may be a version of the Milgram Experiment.   I don't think any of them actually got injured but I think the idea was to torture them with the thought that they had.  I

 

Quoting my own post from last episode because I was right.  Ha!

 

 

Wait, didn't the cops supposedly find a manifesto penned by Andrew about how the PLL's were the worst thing ever and a symptom of the feminization of society?  

 

 

 

Well everyone has a manifesto in Rosewood.  Those technically aren't illegal and technically he is right.  The PLL are the worse things ever.  I love what he said about the girls.  "Other towns have nice toxic dumps.  Rosewood has you."

 

I thought Ezra was hilarious because yes he was acting like a supportive boyfriend....but wash;t he also like once a teacher and now he is telling his girlfriend it is ok to skip school?   "Lets ditch and hang at the brew."  

 

Dr. Sullivan returning to help is nice but its probably going to end badly.

 

I don't trust Sara at all.  She is up to no good.   

 

Hey Everyone Aria is finally acting like she belongs on the show.  

[Primetimer]

By pulling 'A' off the table for a hot minute, the show gets down with some gravitas. That's a good thing.

Read the story

[mercfan3]

I like how Andrew blamed the girls for being kidnapped and him being arrested. Like they had anything to do with it..if it was up to them, they'd be searching for Jason's imaginary friend. :P 

[resonance]

Andrew seems really bitter, angry and hateful to the ones that were kidnapped and traumatized for weeks.

Aria lied to the prosecutor to try and frame him. Being a victim doesn't give a free pass to hurt others. In a way, Andrew is also a victim.

 

Aria deserved it. The rest of the girls not so much. I don't think Andrew acted well but I'd be suspicious of anyone claiming that if they were actually in Andrew's position that they would not lash out at Aria and Toby. Being in a prison cell doesn't breed sympathy.

 

That's all assuming that Andrew's innocent, of course. Also, yeah, none of his actions like disappearing for 3 weeks made sense; but, this being PLL I'm not sure if we're supposed to read into that being suspicious or it's just bad writing.

Edited June 17, 2015 by resonance

[Spencer Hastings]

As soon as I heard that Charlie had to go away, I called "imaginary friend!" I also knew that they were all going to stand Hanna up at school as soon as she said they needed to do it together. I am as good as these writers. Or they're so pathetically predictable.

They should have let A slit Sara's throat. She probably let him in the house though.

I cackled when Spencer told Ali that Toby doesn't hate her. I wonder if Ali knows about his MLK tribute/free at last tattoo?

[luvly]

I felt like I was taking crazy pills when Andrew went off on them. Like others have said, the girls were kind of busy being kidnapped and mentally tortured when the deeply stupid Rosewood PD found whatever evidence they had on Andrew. How is that their fault? Andrew was named as a person of interest/suspect on the freaking news during the time they were missing but chose to stay hidden instead of turning himself in. So again, how is that their fault? I'll give him being upset that Aria said she saw him when she didn't but (1) the police shouldn't have given him a name in the first place and (2) that happened after he'd already been arrested. You know what, I just realized what rubbed me wrong about his little rant -- that he said he wanted to be the hero that saved them. His whole outburst came off like a manchild throwing a tantrum that he didn't get the glory of saving the damsels in distress. It just seems so bizarrely tone deaf to complain about the self-inflicted problems that befell you when you went outside of the law to the very people you claimed you were trying to save. Before I was sure that Andrew was just a red herring but now I wouldn't be surprised if he was an A helper of sorts.

[lunastartron]

This is also at least the second time that Aria has blatantly lied about life-altering concerns, the first being when she affirmed to all of the girls that she saw Ali's face when the hooded figure attacked her and nail-gunned her to the wall. The writing on this program unraveled a long time ago but it's as if the narrative intentionally positions Aria in as unsympathetic a context as possible.

[mercfan3]

From what he said, I bet that manifesto was his..

 

I don't know how Aria was unsympathetic in this situation. Teenager gets kidnapped and tortured, partially because of inept cops. Inept cops tell teenager person X was responsible. Inept cops then tell teenager that in order for that person to not walk free, person x needs to be identified. Hmm..wonder what teenager is gonna do...

 

Not only that, but Andrew shouldn't have known what Aria said. 

Edited June 17, 2015 by mercfan3

[GaT]

It's funny that Sasha is the youngest irl, but she's starting to look the oldest.

 

Because they dress her like she's 40. But it does make sense - she was 12 playing 15 in the pilot and is now 19 playing 17/18. Her aging is going to show more than the girls who've been twenty-something teenagers this whole time.

Not only do they dress her like she's 40, they've given her mom hair. All the other girls have hair that moves, & Ali's hair looks like it's perma styled on her head. Just because she's gained a few pounds is no reason to style her like a soccer mom. They can find stylish, age appropriate clothes, & a hairstyle that looks young.

 

I thought Sarah's hair was bad before, now it's ridiculous.

[Spencer Hastings]

When I was watching tonight I was distracted by how much they were trying to age Sasha. The other girls look like they are in their 20s and have for the entire series, but Sasha is starting to look like the high school senior that Alison is supposed to be. She's at least ten years younger than Troian. The difference is noticeable because she's changing so quickly. I think wardrobe is trying to make her look as old as the other girls/even them out by dressing her older but they don't realize that her face and body can't be aged. The other girls look like women, Sasha looks like a teenage girl who is dealing with a growth spurt. I wonder how they will handle the

time jump. I think part of the reason they are going forward in time is because the girls are looking their ages and it's getting ridiculous, but what about the actual teenager that they have? They can make 33 year old Bianca Lawson pass as a teenager but it's harder to make someone look as old as her 25-29 year old co-stars.

I don't think they considered this when Ali came back from the dead.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Spencer Hastings