S06.E11: Of Late I Think Of Rosewood

[ElectricBoogaloo]

After years of tormenting and numerous shocking revelations, the Liars finally uncovered the true identity of “A” in the summer finale of season six. Now, five years later, the girls have each pursued their own paths and have started adjusting to a life without “A,” when something happens in Rosewood that forces them to go back to where it all started. Torn between their old habits and their new lives, the events in Rosewood compel the Liars to join forces once again, as relationships are put to the test and secrets are revealed. Having matured over the past few years, these are not the same girls who left Rosewood. As new lies emerge – how will they push forward without going back?

 

Promos:

Australian promo:

 

Canadian promo:

 

 

[superman1204]

I feel like this might have come up in one of the other threads, but is anyone else bothered that the Lairs haven't all been together since they left for college.  I mean I get that people drift apart, there are a ton of people I haven't seen since high school, but my core group of friends still gets together every couple of months to hangout and the only thing bonding us together is the fact we have been friends for 15 years.  I would imagine after everything that happened with A the girls would have stayed in touch, if for no other reason than needing a support system after everything that happened to them.

[Shangrilala]

I can see it going either way - in this case, once apart, they don't want to be back together. It's easier, healthier, safer, etc.

[jjjmoss]

Well, I was super bothered by the ending of

Will and Grace

for that reason - the whole show revolves around their diehard friendship, and apparently they don't see each other for several years just cuz of, like, normal life stuff. 

 

At least here they have a good excuse - their high school friendship probably reminds them of their being mentally/sometimes physically tortured by two psychos for years for dumb reasons.

[CloudySky]

I think they've kept somewhat in touch (the comment about Hanna's engagement ring) but just not gotten together as a group...or at least not in Rosewood. Well, Hanna apparently spent some time in Europe, Emily is keeping secrets and Spencer and Aria are thriving professionaly so I can buy that their schedules haven't allowed them to meet up regularly considering they're spread all over the country.

 

I'm excited for the show to come back, but apprehensive too. Seems like a lot of big stuff has already been spoiled which makes it less exciting to watch and there will be a lot of new characters that nobody cares about (+ some old ones that we never cared about like Shower Harvey and Lorenzo). Feels like a continuance of the suckage of 6A.

 

The promise of a big bad that's bigger and badder than ever before doesn't help...Charlotte was a killer too so the hype about the new bad that's not afraid to kill is a load of crap. This isn't Buffy...the new big bad doesn't have to be more powerful than the last and we don't need an apocalypse every season. Just give us the characters we love being their loveable selves and actually dealing with their crap.

[Lii]

The constant killer forgiveness on this show has me ready to peace out, finally, and I've been watching since day one. I'm up for all types of fuckery, but if this Charlotte business is handled as poorly as it was in the finale to where I'm shouting at the tv, I might need to be done. Grrrrr.

[Kate213]

6x11 sneak peek:

[raytch]

Am I the only one who's not very excited about the rest of the season?

I thought I'd be over the finale by now but I can't say I am...

At this point I think I'll keep watching just so I can join in on the snark with you guys!

This said, happy new year and see you after the episode airs!

[Cranberry]

I'm not all that excited, either. At some level I knew the big A reveal would be disappointing, but I wasn't prepared for just how disappointing (and worse, insulting) it'd be.

[SadieT]

I'm not  excited for 6B either but my lack of excitement isn't due to disappointment of the A reveal in the finale, although that was horribly disappointing and I'll never get over how truly ridiculous it was or be able to comprehend the level of incompetence the writers displayed there.

 

I can't really get excited because I'm not seeing anything worthwhile or appealing in all the previews and promos. I don't care about the girls' romantic lives and it seems like that's going to be a major focus in 6B. The girls' close bond as friends was always one of my favorite things about the show and seeing that they fell out of touch over the 5 years is kind of disheartening and honestly lessens my enthusiasm about the show. Plus Alison seems to be isolated from the group again which is annoying, and Sara Harvey is somehow still relevant and I can't deal with that.

 

And while I was somewhat willing to suspend my disbelief and accept that a group of fairly intelligent teenagers would conduct themselves so stupidly in the face of a dangerous threat, I don't know if I can bring myself to do the same for the girls as adults. I know the actresses are getting older and despite the show's best efforts, they couldn't stay in high school forever, but the premise of the show is too silly to apply to adults so I don't really think the time jump is going to be all that great. But I'll still watch because I've already sat through 6 seasons of this nonsense. 

Edited January 9, 2016 by SadieT

[Bort]

I'm moderately excited, but just to see how the girls are in their 20s. I expect that the all new A plot will be more of the same and the novelty of the time jump will wear off in three or four episodes.

[superman1204]

I'm moderately excited, but just to see how the girls are in their 20s. I expect that the all new A plot will be more of the same and the novelty of the time jump will wear off in three or four episodes.

That's probably what is bothering me the most about the new season. The writers have spent the past couple of seasons doing things that felt more like stunts that actual solid story arcs. They always have something really big for the season beginning but then everything settles into similar filler story lines. For example, they revealed that Alison was alive, which seemed like an interesting setup for the upcoming half season but then they really did not do anything with it, at least until the last two or three episodes when the Lairs final went to New York and got her. The same goes for when they brought Alison back and again when they reintegrated her into the group. Nothing really changed about the Lairs or the mystery and the show just ended up being padded out with a lot of filler.

I am hoping that since the show only has a season and a half left (hopefully), the writers will actually develop the characters and resolve mysteries and story lines, instead of sending the girls around in circles for entire seasons.

Edited January 10, 2016 by superman1204

[dwmckim]

I'm still interested in the show and seeing where it's going. Either it's going to be a grand clusterfrell and it'll be enjoyable to watch in that irresistible trainwreck gawking kind of way or there may be some grand payoff that plays into a lot of the unanswered questions and that some of the plotholes and inconsistencies were purposeful. I've seen some good theories making use of this kind of thing and if the show goes along the route that some of these fan theories are proposing, i really think it will be worth all the prior frustration.

At any rate, i'm still in. As long as there's still characters like Melissa or Jenna or Lucas or Wren and especially Mona on the periphery, i'm onboard.

Edited January 10, 2016 by dwmckim

[Lii]

Well, no matter what happens, we can be sure there will be filler red herring love interest characters and side quests galore to all sorts of unrelated and unnecessarily-filled-with-old-things-places in order to assure that absolutely nothing plot-related or character-developing occurs outside of the pilot, finale, or possibly episode 2 if they're feeling ambitious. Also Mona will be amazing.

I have high hopes that when Tanner returns from her space-time training quest fully leveled-up and Mona gets her hyper-space-time-reality-altering-mindfuckengine booted up we can get the Terminator crossover in full gear, though. The previews for that look good so far.

[CloudySky]

I am hoping that since the show only has a season and a half left (hopefully), the writers will actually develop the characters and resolve mysteries and story lines, instead of sending the girls around in circles for entire seasons.

Me too. Really hope they learned their lesson. The first 2 seasons were pretty solid when they knew endgame was Mona for that arc so I hope it'll be similar this time because they have a clear end date for this mystery. Hope the relevant recurring actors are locked in and they don't have to deviate too much with irrelevant characters.

I also hope - especially now that the girls are adults - that they are far more proactive and smart about solving the mystery. They deserve a few wins rather than A giving up because it's the season finale.

Thirdly, they used to be so good with the casting. I don't know what happened there but their new characters Sucked. Hopefully these new guys Rollins, Liam and whatever that other guy's name is are charismatic and good actors because we need some new Noel, Ian, Caleb type people rather than Lorenzo/Sara/Johnny/Shana/... trash.

Edited January 10, 2016 by CloudySky

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Clip:

[Bort]

"I'm staying at Spencer's. Spencer Spencer Spencer." Yeah, Caleb, you're staying INSIDE Spencer, could you make it more obvious?

[WhitneyWhit]

I'm sure they'll make me regret this (and change my mind) but I liked the premiere and I'm actually interested in seeing the rest of the season unfold.

 

Oh, and five years and these still haven't figured out how to appropriately dress for a funeral.

Edited January 13, 2016 by WhitneyWhit

[mercfan3]

Really disappointed in Marlene right now. 

 

Made fun of the mentally ill, and finished off her trans tropes with a trans murder. Awesome. 

 

I'm sure I'll continue watching this show because I love the friendships, and lets face it..two years left, might as well. But it's amazing how someone who was so spot on in some ways is absolutely oblivious in others.  The issues with Charlotte could have been resolved with a Mona like redemption, but I've always been bothered by the way she handles mental illness. This one though, takes the cake. 

Edited January 13, 2016 by mercfan3

[Watt]

Well I'm glad Charlotte's dead. I'm kind of turned on by Spencer and Caleb, Ezra's a drunk, and Ali is just as annoying as ever. The only thing about Emily I liked was her scene with Toby, and also the fact that Shay is really pretty, and I'm pretty excited for the new characters. Shower Harvey was annoying as always, I wish she have been turned into Jenna instead. Like her story was given to Jenna. Did something happen to her hands that I forgot?

[KaveDweller]

Did they do something to Sarah Harvey last season that I'm forgetting, or is that a mystery from the time jump? I can't remember where she ended up...she left Emily to stay with her friend, right?

[tennisgurl]

So, when does Ezra`s totally not dead girlfriend come back from her "death" in some vague part of South America? The second Aria and Ezra start making out again?

 

I would watch a whole show about the Hastings creating a dysfunctional political dynasty.  

 

I`m in this, I`ll see to what new levels of "WTF" it takes us to. 

[Writing Wrongs]

God, I don't know if I'm up for this new "mystery".

[fitzcarraldo]

Ali is something else sending a "Great news!" text to Aria after her testimony. Selfishness is so embedded in her nature that "good Ali" is just like "bad Ali". I hope Toby stays as just Emily's buddy. He's more human to her. I hope they play out that Emily doesn't seem to relate to the liars anymore. I like shady Mona. I also like that Aria, at least, learned from their past.

[Writing Wrongs]

So Ali marries Dr. Rollins?

[AmandaPanda]

Maybe it was because I had the beginnings of a migraine while watching it, but I didn't totally love this. I did like the reimagining of the slumber party from the pilot. I'm also hoping that Spencer and Caleb are together. 

[WhosThatGirl]

I don't know how I feel about this. I liked some stuff, but other stuff I didn't like. The one thing that intrigued me is Spencer and Caleb. That should be interesting. Ali is still Ali, I don't think I'll ever like the character. Why the need to bring Sara back, have no idea. 

[KaveDweller]

So Ali marries Dr. Rollins?

 

I was wondering if he was only letting CeCe out because of Ali or if the marriage is so one of them can't testify against the other.  It's kind of sketchy for them to be together.

[superman1204]

Ok I will be nice to the writers for once, I liked the premiere, at least everything happening with the characters.  Emily and Toby had their first scene together since season three.  We got Caleb and Toby guy bonding.  The Lairs friendship is as enjoyable as ever.  I don't even mind Ezra right now; he has a real reason to be emotional now.  Emily's mysterious pills will hopefully be something she is prescribed and the reveal there is that she has depression instead of substance abuse story line number 4.  Lastly Spencer and Caleb have crazy chemistry as friends and it seems like Caleb and Hanna had already broken up when him and Spencer got together, so for now I am ok with the story line.

 

 

"I'm staying at Spencer's. Spencer Spencer Spencer." Yeah, Caleb, you're staying INSIDE Spencer, could you make it more obvious?

Hey, hey, I was expecting them to make out in the lobby of the hotel Hanna was staying at, so the show could have been worse, but, yes this show is never subtle.

 

The only thing I did not really like was the setup for the new mystery.  I feel like I have no reason to care.  We barely new Charlotte, so the only reason I care that she is dead is because I thought they were going to redeem/develop her character.  Its not like Ali where they could develop her through flashbacks and her relationship to the Lairs.  For suspects we have Mona, Sara, and the Lairs.  The Lairs did not do it.  Mona was already the big bad, and Sara is way to obvious, so the answer to the mystery already looks like it is going to be pulled out of someones ass.  Also I really am not interested in what this is going to do to Ali.  She already spends so much time acting completely serious that the character has not been any fun in at least a season.  Maybe if Charlotte had stayed alive, Ali could have gone back to her old ways to keep Charlotte off the list of suspects, but now it looks like more mopping for at least half a season.

[mac123x]

I too am glad Charlotte is dead.  For once, the PLLs are legit suspects in her murder rather then being drugged and framed and manipulated into it. 

 

I liked Aria's story to the judge, but the whole time I was thinking "of all the four of them to break ranks, why her?  She was the least victimized of all of them." 

 

God help me, I thought scruffy-beared Ian Harding was hot.  Then he started talking and that passed.

[Chaos Theory]

My crazy ass show is back!

Although lite on the crazy mainly to introduce (or reintroduce) the character 5 years later. I was actual surprised that Charlotte was killed off so soon but then the liars need an incendiary event to keep them in town and possibly bent murderes is a good a reason as any.

I know the liars will end up not being guilty but it would be fun if one of them was. I do however expect at least two of them to have done some hinky shit that night.

[Lady Calypso]

You know....after the mess that was that finale, I liked this premiere. The thing for me is that they're trying to make this a 'fresh' start, with the time jump and everything, but most of the girls feel like they're still in high school. I feel like I wanted a bit more change, you know? Sure, they broke everyone up and paired half of them with new people, but why the hell would any of these girls stick in Rosewood, especially with Charlotte's death? They didn't like Charlotte and for good reason. I know they technically have to stay for a few extra days to be questioned, but realistically, they can't stay for six months or however long it takes to solve her murder.

 

I loathe Ali a lot. Like, really loathe her. She's completely selfish and she's been so gung ho with the sister who tortured and ruined lives for years. Her wanting Charlotte out on the streets, apparently right from day 1 when she was put into the institution, just makes her an awful, awful person. I don't want to feel any sympathy for her, but I have a feeling this show wants me to.

 

There are things that I liked. I like that Spencer, Veronica and Mona are in politics. I like that Emily and Toby are still friends (I always forget that they met first and were friends long before Spoby happened). Oddly...I liked Toby a lot more now. I know Keegan Allen isn't a great actor, but....I guess I've accepted that he won't be super awesome and have accepted him. I like that Aria flat out said 'no, I don't feel safe with A/Charlotte, just because Ali wants her out'. It's an acceptable reaction, that's for sure. I know it's been five years for them, but I don't want anyone to be buddy-buddy with Ali. Ever. Ali drags this show down so much. 

 

I also loved the girls getting back together. It's odd, but I also like that Ashley turned Radley into a bar. I also like how the show is now acknowledging that Caleb/Spencer have crazy awesome chemistry and having them interacting more is a plus. I guess time jumps really do help.

 

I hope Ezra killed Charlotte. Actually, I hope it was one of the Liars, just because I would laugh for days. Personally, I could go for it being Emily. But seriously, Marlene, you think killing off the trans character is going to not only make up for the shitty finale you created, but also that another murder mystery is what this show needs? Seriously? The fact that Marlene can't think of anything new to do, even with grown up characters now, is ridiculous. They basically just remade the pilot, which can work in certain cases, but I loathe that trope.

 

But hell if I'm not intrigued by Spencer's storylines, and I'm also semi intrigued by the other girls. But not Ali. I even tolerate Ezra and Toby more than I do with Ali. 

 

Honestly, they should just kill off Sara Harvey next. 

[fitzcarraldo]

It makes sense it was Aria considering she was the least pushed around by Ali to begin with. I don't know why that never translated to her standing up to her friends, though.

[CloudySky]

The Lairs did not do it.  Mona was already the big bad, and Sara is way to obvious, so the answer to the mystery already looks like it is going to be pulled out of someones ass.

Well obviously it's Dr. Rollins because he wants to isolate Alison so he can manipulate her into marrying him because he's writing a groundbreaking case study ;)

 

That Sara Harvey entrance was hilarious. Suddenly I was watching a daytime soap opera...She's no Jenna Marshall, that's for sure. Wtf did they do to her?

 

Pretty sure Emily is taking anti-depressants or something. But should she be mixing that with alcohol? At least she didn't end up at a grave this time.

 

The setup of the episode was pretty much what I expected. They gave most of it away beforehand and there were the usual callbacks to the pilot. And as annoyed as I get with this show it's like Spencer said: I missed and love those beautiful faces.

[tennisgurl]

Really, its not a terrible set up. I`m glad that they seem to be setting up a new mystery. I was worried we would find out that Charlotte was yet another A minion, and the real A was still lurking around. 

 

Did anyone watch Scream Queens? Because near the end of the season, the whole towns police force gets fired for being so terrible at their jobs. All I could think was "why the hell has no one thought of that in Rosewood"? 

[superman1204]

Well obviously it's Dr. Rollins because he wants to isolate Alison so he can manipulate her into marrying him because he's writing a groundbreaking case study ;)

You're right of course, and this will all be revealed the night before Alison's wedding, with the Lairs present and wearing gorgeous brides maid dresses.  The Liars will then spend the next half season tracking down Dr. Rollins, but when they finally corner him, plot twist, he did not kill Charlotte, only isolate and manipulate Alison so he could write a groundbreaking case study.  Now the only things left to figure out is who really killed Charlotte and the over-under on Alison forgiving Dr. Rollins.

You know....after the mess that was that finale, I liked this premiere. The thing for me is that they're trying to make this a 'fresh' start, with the time jump and everything, but most of the girls feel like they're still in high school. I feel like I wanted a bit more change, you know? Sure, they broke everyone up and paired half of them with new people, but why the hell would any of these girls stick in Rosewood, especially with Charlotte's death? They didn't like Charlotte and for good reason. I know they technically have to stay for a few extra days to be questioned, but realistically, they can't stay for six months or however long it takes to solve her murder.

Two words: time warp.  I am sure they plan to have the last 35 to 60 episodes take place in the course of week.  That or the Liars will be in possession of another shovel and and spend the rest of the season on parole.

 

God I missed snarking on this show.

[WhosThatGirl]

Did anyone watch Scream Queens? Because near the end of the season, the whole towns police force gets fired for being so terrible at their jobs. All I could think was "why the hell has no one thought of that in Rosewood"?

 

Also Toby is a cop in Rosewood. And thought he would be getting a promotion, at least that's what he told Emily. 

[SadieT]

That was ok, I guess. They gave away so much leading up to the episode that I felt like I knew everything that was going to happen before it happened. Doesn't help that the writers are just not very imaginative so it was pretty predictable in the first place. 

 

I don't understand this show's take on mental illness. They make such a joke out of it (how many different ways did Hanna say nut house?) but then they also try to use it as an excuse to make certain characters sympathetic. Like, is it a serious thing that seriously impacts a person's life or is it just a big joke to them? 

 

Another thing I don't understand is the girls' friendship with Alison. They talk like they're all friends and say they have to be there for each other because they're best friends who have been through so much together and blah blah blah, but they don't really treat Ali like their friend. They leave her out or talk shit about her when she's not around but then they show up to her dead sister's funeral like they care so much. It's weird. If they don't want to be her friend, don't be her friend. I wish we got to see more of Ali with the girls this season but it looks like she's going to have her own thing going on with Dr. Rollins. 

 

ETA: I can't believe Sara Harvey is relevant. That character's existence is so ridiculous. Whenever she comes on screen it actually make me roll my eyes. 

 

Also I think I could get on the Spencer/Caleb train. I found Haleb kind of boring and on their own Hanna and Caleb annoy me a bit, but Spencer and Caleb have some good chemistry. 

 

Mona's still shady AF and I love it. 

Edited January 13, 2016 by SadieT

[ottoDbusdriver]

Am I the only one who that thought it was inappropriate that Charlotte's funeral was in the same church where her suicide was faked ?

 

Of course, Charlotte isn't dead -- that was her identical twin that was killed.  The identical twin was hidden in a bunker in yet another state park for the last 5 years, Charlotte gets out, kills her and then throws her body from the church steeple.

 

How did Sara Harvey turn into Alexis Carrington from Dynasty with that dramatic funeral entrance ?

 

I was waiting for Lorenzo to tell the PLLs not to leave town.  Because that is such tropey cop thing to say.

 

At least they somewhat improved the fake Washington CGI backdrop when Spencer was reading her letter from Ali.  In the first preview for this episode, it was terrible.

Edited January 13, 2016 by ottoDbusdriver

[WhosThatGirl]

Alison really is the worst. There are times where I want to like her but I don't think she has any sort of empathy for her friends, for what they went through. I've felt this way since  part A of this season when Ali sat around and cried about how the police were going to hurt her brother and he was her brother and why couldn't anyone understand! They shared cake one time while playing arcade games. Thank god Hanna said the very same thing in the scene. I also don't understand why the girls are "friends" with her, either. They don't really owe her anything and I doubt they will be hanging out with her much this season, probably only doing small stuff out of some forced obligation like this episode. The very first scene with the original four, they were taking pictures and drinking without her. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to hang out with Ali either and also, she cannot read an audience or has no social cues, because why would she send Aria that "Charlotte's going home" text? What..?

 

What I find funny is that at the end of part a last summer, there was an article about the final episode and Marlene talked about the final scene with the five girls saying goodbye and Mona being absent from it and how the five girls shared a bond that Mona was not a part of and that's why. And I remember thinking, 'But Ali was hardly apart of the four girls bond'. But hey, they share a bond or something. I get the connection with Aria, Spencer, Emily,and Hanna. But with Ali there, I don't. 

 

I just like the character of Caleb. I liked Haleb. But then again, I'm just happy one of the two best liars gets Caleb as a boyfriend. He is the best boyfriend out of the three. I couldn't care less about Ezra being all dark and depressed, that is going to be SOOOOO FUN. Not. 

 

Also I didn't mention earlier, but the Mom's did get out of the basement!

Edited January 13, 2016 by WhosThatGirl

[Artsda]

I liked the episode a lot. Seeing where they are and the new story.

 

Great idea to create the hotel set. 

Mona sure changed her tune fast from the conversation with Spencer to the hearing, so she's my first thought as to who did it. She wanted Charlotte out for her own reasons.

 

Was Ezra in love with the girl who got killed in South America? Interesting that Byron actually encouraged Aria to go to Ezra. It was odd he showed up at the hearing and then he and Aria were missing by the time Mona's testimony. Where did they go?

I loved the scene of Toby and Emily drinking beer outside together. I loved their friendship/relationship from since season 1 and always enjoyed/wanted them in scenes together.

 

Ali's so selfish wanting them to lie, I'm glad Aria wouldn't lie and told the truth.  Aria should tell the cops that she didn't want Charlotte out, so she should be free to go.  Also liked everyone calling people out on running back to town to lie for Allie. Like Toby's "bat signal" comment or Hannah's mom lecturing Hannah on coming to town because of Alison and not to do what Alison wants. Spencer showed some backbone at the group meeting then caved at the court hearing.
 

[GaT]

The only thing I did not really like was the setup for the new mystery.  I feel like I have no reason to care.  We barely new Charlotte, so the only reason I care that she is dead is because I thought they were going to redeem/develop her character.  

I agree, I really don't care who killed Charlotte or why, she doesn't interest me at all. It's like the writers exhausted all possible deaths/disappearances for Ali, so they moved on to her sister. We're going to get the same plot as when the series started, just with a different sister. 

 

ETA: I can't believe Sara Harvey is relevant. That character's existence is so ridiculous. Whenever she comes on screen it actually make me roll my eyes. 

She was just another girl for Emily to lesbian after, why is she back? I know she was red coat & black widow, but so what? 

[Spencer Hastings]

I need to pace myself with this one.

1. I could not have rolled my eyes more when the girls first got back together. It was so obvious that the writers threw in tons of boring "grown up" jargon to clearly establish that it was FIVE YEARS LATER. Just in case we missed it in the finale, all over break, and in the first five seconds of the episode. Same with the constant drinking. We get it. There's a time jump. These girls are only playing half a decade younger, rather than a full decade.

2. I'm glad CeCe was killed off so quickly. I don't care if she was trans and that killing her off could be considered as a negative social statement. The character sucked and her being A almost ruined the show for me.

3. As soon as they woke up hungover and then went in that church for the funeral, I knew that they were going to rehash the pilot. Wake up, someone walks in the room, someone goes missing, skimpy black dresses, mysterious person is escorted into the church, cop starts making ominous threats. Total pilot rehash. I swear if this entire season is just a redo of season 1...

4. The age gap between Sasha and the other girls was really evident in this episode. They just seem so much older than her in all of their scenes together. The classroom scene in particular was really jarring. She's supposed to be convincing them to vouch for CeCe but she really did seem like a little girl going up against Spencer. Troian is 11 years older than Sasha and it shows in all of their interactions. It worked in the first season because Sasha was the right age but it's hard to age the character when she's so much younger than the others.

5. I am not here for another round of brooding Ezra. He was bad enough without a dead girlfriend.

6. Finally....how dare the writers make me like Aria for standing up for herself? Ugh.

[SadieT]

4. The age gap between Sasha and the other girls was really evident in this episode. They just seem so much older than her in all of their scenes together. The classroom scene in particular was really jarring. She's supposed to be convincing them to vouch for CeCe but she really did seem like a little girl going up against Spencer. Troian is 11 years older than Sasha and it shows in all of their interactions. It worked in the first season because Sasha was the right age but it's hard to age the character when she's so much younger than the others.

 

I've noticed the same thing with Sasha last year. She may have looked mature for her age when she was 12 or 13 but now she looks her actual age while the others look (close to) their actual age too, which is around 10 years older, so like you said it could be jarring seeing them together. And they can slap all the heavy eyeliner on Sasha they want, she's still 19 vs. Troian's 30 and it shows. But in a weird way it's made me more sympathetic towards Alison because she comes across as much younger, which reminds me that she was so young when she went through all this traumatic stuff and even younger when she was doing her own bullying. It kind of softens her. But I remember watching the Alison/Spencer scenes last half season (6a) and getting like a little sister-big sister vibe from them, because it often seemed like Alison was looking for Spencer's approval or acceptance, which I kind of love because it was such a departure from how their relationship started and really reversed their roles. 

Edited January 13, 2016 by SadieT

[dwmckim]

Missed opportunity:  When Hanna made the exorcist joke with her mom, that would have been a nice place to insert a line about Pastor Ted and what ultimately happened with them.

 

So after all the Five Years Later hype, which actor was best at actually making it seem like they were actually five years older?

Surprisingly, rather than any of the girls, i'd give the award to Chad Lowe. 

[Chaos Theory]

Did anyone watch Scream Queens? Because near the end of the season, the whole towns police force gets fired for being so terrible at their jobs. All I could think was "why the hell has no one thought of that in Rosewood"?

That was the funniest part of Scream Queens and so made me think of Rosewood and I would love it if it happened to the Rosewoud PD:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I am still sad/mad/disappointed that they killed off Emily's dad. He was one of the only adult males in Rosewood who wasn't a creeper, a pedo, or a murderer.

Speaking of awesome guys, I awwwwwwwed when Caleb showed up at Hanna's hotel room. But then I started getting creeped out at how he kept mentioning Spencer and then he met her downstairs in the lobby. Are Caleb and Spencer secretly dating? Is that why Spencer asked Toby if he still keeps in touch with Caleb? Say it ain't so, show!

I like angry Ezra better than mopey Ezra and schmoopie Ezra, but to be honest I wish he would go back to South America and get kidnapped by half-baked revolutionaries. When they said that Nicole had disappeared, I wondered if that was going to be the new mystery. A has gone international! Then I remembered that no one cares about Nicole so A wouldn't bother having her kidnapped.

How perfectly pretentious are the titles of Aria's and Ezra's books? Majority of None and Ostinato - ugh. While part of me was glad that Aria had the guts to admit to the judge that she didn't want Charlotte released, I was cracking up because her treatment from A was always far less severe than the other girls. I don't mean to minimize her PTSD at all because if nothing else, she should be traumatized by being trapped in that house of torture for months with the other girls. I just found it interesting from a plot point of view that the other girls who were bullied, blackmailed, chased, and threatened far more often were able to lie to the judge and say that they were okay with Charlotte being released.

I get that Ali wanted to have a family, but it was incredibly insensitive and selfish of her to ask the other girls to blatantly LIE to the judge and say that they were not afraid of Charlotte so that she could be released. These girls were psychologically tortured by her for years, but they should all disregard that because Ali wants her sister to come home. I was really hoping that Mona would tell the judge that Charlotte should stay institutionalized forever. And what was the point of Ezra showing up? He didn't testify and we didn't see him talk to anyone else. Is this just going to be a thing now where Ezra stumbles into scenes angry and drunk in the background?

I loved that Toby flat out told Spencer that when Ali snaps her fingers, they all go running. I think that both he and Ashley pointed it out because they know what a shitty friend Alison is and they hate seeing the girls continue to be manipulated by her. I felt bad for Toby when Spencer said that she and the girls aren't just "dinner and a movie" friends but "I saved your life, now you save mine" kind of friends. Uh, HELLO, how many times as Toby saved your collective asses? But hilarious that he followed that up by asking if he could take her to dinner.

When Charlotte asked Ali, "Do you think they're still upset with me?" I just laughed. It's been five years since the last time she tried to kill them so the girls shouldn't be mad anymore, right?

I'm surprised that Veronica is running for office. I guess she figures that all of their family secrets are already out there though.

I paused the episode but I couldn't make out what was written on Emily's pill bottle. I'm guessing by her sketchy replies about the Salk Institute that she isn't actually working there. I love that we got a scene with her and Toby. It sucks that the writers abandoned that for so long, but it was nice to see their friendship again.

Sara's grand entrance into the funeral was hilarious but it would have had more impact if it was someone who I loved or hated. For me, Sara is just meh because she is so boring. At first I thought maybe she was blind but refusing to wear dark glasses because she just stared straight ahead (and had that guy helping her). I hope she gets killed next (and by next I mean NEXT WEEK - do not make me deal with her all season).

I love drunk Spencer.

Did anyone watch Scream Queens? Because near the end of the season, the whole towns police force gets fired for being so terrible at their jobs. All I could think was "why the hell has no one thought of that in Rosewood"?

Whenever I see the police do anything on this show, I think about the mayor telling Buffy, "In case you haven't noticed, the police of Sunnydale are deeply stupid."

On a shallow note, I feel bad for Sasha. Why is the makeup department slathering her makeup on with a trowel? Her foundation looked so splotchy and didn't match her skin tone well. And on top of that, they put way too much eyeliner and mascara on her. She is such a pretty girl and I hate to see them do that to her.

So what exactly was Ashley's role in turning Radley into a hotel? In S1 she worked at the bank. Last season she was Jessica's (and then Jason's) assistant. How do either of those jobs translate into any kind of job involving turning a sanitarium into a hotel? Did she do PR? The interior design? Later Hanna said, "My mom runs this joint." So she's the manager? I need more information!

And where was Ella?

You'd think that the girls would at least have seen each other at Christmas since all of their parents still live in Rosewood. I am much older than they are and I still visit my parents for the holidays every year.

Edited January 13, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[mac123x]

Also Toby is a cop in Rosewood. And thought he would be getting a promotion, at least that's what he told Emily. 

 

I don't know if it was Keegan Allen's typical bad acting, but Toby seemed drunk when he was talking to Emily.  I noticed quite a few set-ups for plotlines that will be irrelevant to the mystery (i.e., filler to pad out the season):

 

1.  Toby the heavy drinker

2.  Emily is working at a sea-side bar instead of the Salk Institute, and evidently taking pills.  I thought I also saw a packet of needles when her purse dumped out at Hanna's suite.

3.  Hanna still has the feelz for Caleb.  When he left the hotel room, she immediately looked at that giant rock on her finger.  Not subtle, though I guess I should give the director credit for not zooming the camera in.

4.  Caleb and Spencer have something going on.

5.  Broody Ezra brooding about his missing and semi-dead girlfriend broodily.  (This set up Aria yet again to be in her own show separate from the other PLLs).

 

I thought of a nice twist that they'll never do:  Toby is building a house for someone unnamed, and he's still in contact with Caleb.  It'd be great if they were a couple.

 

I love drunk Spencer

 

That was enjoyable (though I kept getting distracted by the cocktail glass she was holding because it looked weird).  The problem is, Spencer is supposed to be a recovering addict.  We had that story line, repeatedly.  Are we in for another round of that, or are they just going to brush her previous substance abuse under the rug and give that story (filler) to Emily?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Emily is working at a sea-side bar instead of the Salk Institute, and evidently taking pills.  I thought I also saw a packet of needles when her purse dumped out at Hanna's suite.

There were definitely needles when Emily knocked all that stuff out of her bag so she's on at least two kinds of drugs.

[gesundheit]

Well, I turned the episode off after A got released for no reason and the Liars actually toasted to Charlotte. I mean I watched adolescent girls get threatened, terrorized, blackmailed, abused, kidnapped, traumatized, and tortured in every way possible for years but now I'm supposed to shrug it off because the evil Machiavellian super-villain who did it all (and knew the difference between right and wrong, obviously, and just didn't care) got mistreated as a child and her sister feels bad for her. "Upset with me?" Ugh.

 

Point being that I didn't finish it, but from the posts here it looks like Charlotte is most blissfully dead, so at least there's that.

 

I'm with those of you who found Ali's treatment of her sister's victims to be completely unconscionable. (There should have been about 50 other people giving statements at that hearing, by the way. Mona and the Liars were far from the only ones affected.)

 

Anyway. The time jump is a fun idea, but I'm not sure I really care anymore. I worry that we'll see even less of the parents since the Liars are adults now, and the parents are my favorite characters by a country mile.

Edited January 13, 2016 by gesundheit