S07.E16: The Glove That Rocks the Cradle

[mac123x]

1 hour ago, apgold1 said:

What confused me about Lucas not being AD after all (and still a sucker for Hanna), was the last task that AD had Hanna do with the Japanese investors and the short kimono dress.  Had Caleb not been in the hospital, what would Lucas have told Hanna?  Guess, what, they really don’t exist?  I suppose she would find out eventually like she did tonight.

My headcanon on that is:

1.  Lucas bought that empty factory near Rosewood for Hanna's new sweatshop design facility with his own money (all of his assets apparently).  So he had 100% equity in the factory

2. He set up that meeting with the Japanese investors in hopes of off-loading some of that equity (by selling them part of the company) in order to reduce his risk.

3.  The meeting flopped due to Hanna's absence (and would have flopped due to her outfit), so Lucas is left holding the bag.

He should be solvent after he sells the factory, assuming he can sell it.  It's been sitting idle for a while, so he might lose some money on the deal trying to offload it.  Then again, he shouldn't have paid much to begin with since it was sitting idle.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Emily's final scene was so embarrassing to watch. It's like she needed Alison to explain to her with short simple words seven times and draw her a picture to finally get what was going on and Shay looked hilariously confused as usually. "What do you mean, together?". Gee, I wonder what she means, Emily. I don't like Alison but honestly at that moment I thought she deserved better than dumbass Emily. And then Alison was all "Well, I don't know why I tormented you in high school Emily, I guess I was bored with WebsitePage or something" and I was all "Well, you idiots sure deserve each other".

The most hilarious moment was Lucas denying he was A.D. and the Liars believing him... why exactly? I mean, we know he is a red herring because there are four more episodes but how can the Liars be sure?

Spencer has become so annoying. Come on Spence, you know this "Buy you were banging the suspect, detective" threat ain't gonna work in Rosewood.

I so don't care about Darth Aria's drama. So you destroyed a few toys. Big deal.

Shut up, Mona, if the people you tormented don't want to be your friends maybe you should take the hint.

Maybe someone should have told Caleb and Hanna that paper isn't sugar and does not dissolve instantly in water. I kept expecting most of the receipt to survive the flood.

Edited May 31, 2017 by Jack Shaftoe

[Peanut6711]

19 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Also, Hanna is a whining idiot. All she does is whine and whine, and it's now pissing me right off. Her initial reaction toward Spencer was way out of line. I'm glad Emily called her out on her hypocrisy. At least, when she found out the reason, she decided to help Spencer at whatever cost. But still, it feels like she's only doing it for herself and for Caleb, to alleviate the guilt with Hanna getting back together with Caleb and breaking Spencer's heart, not so much for Spencer herself. Hanna seems to just be helping out because SHE will be found guilty if Spencer gets caught. So yeah, that's basically my feelings toward Hanna.

I'm right there with you!

15 hours ago, kissedbyarose said:

Aria, having been in the same torturous plot to ruin her and her friends, decides to join in on the torture to save Ezra... from? If no one cared that he was banging his underage student before no one will care now. She is literally choosing a guy over her friends so much for besties before testes. She is THE WORST. 

Actually, they are all pretty terrible. I walked away from this feeling really bad for Lucas and Mona. (Did I really hear him say he lost all of his money?) I'm not surprised since we rarely see her (Hanna) work on anything.

Speaking of work, what do they do all day? Why are they still in Rosewood? Where are the parents? Spencer gets questioned and Olivia Benson is absent, the show apparently forgot that Aria has a whole family, etc...

Only four more episodes! Maybe the twist is that we were all hypnotized to continue watching this after it became pretty clear that the writers don't care and don't know what they are doing.

At this point, Mona is the only person I'm truly rooting for to get a HEA. The rest can suffer in their own miserable lives because it's their own stupidity for coming back and staying in Rosewood.  If A or AD doesn't text you when you live somewhere else, take a clue!

I'm still scratching my head over Lucas and his money situation. I thought Lucas had become the next Mark Zuckerberg and was loaded; thus he only invested some of his millions in Hannah's fashion. 

As for Aria and Ezra, I just want them both to get hit with a bus and die. I just can't w/them and their selfishness anymore.  And this whole book tour fiasco...what a PR nightmare and then Ezra just makes it worse.  They should have shown everyone sitting in the audience of his book talk with thought bubbles like "Why did I waste my money on this book? Dude doesn't even love the girl anymore; he's marrying someone else! Guess I'll go return it and wait for Nicole to write her own story."

[dwmckim]

11 hours ago, Froippi said:

Am I the only one that feels that Lucas could of been lieing to the liars

I'm on that Halloween Train with you.  Lucas just made too much damn sense for at the very least, an AD helper.  Been there since "The First Secret" (and earlier), game design, leaving the loft to Hanna which no doubt would be bugged to high heaven, connections to other characters, all the "dark side" stuff they role called last night.  I want so badly for him to have just given a cover story and still be part of AD's team.  But sadly they wrapped up his character arc with too tidy a bow this ep.

 

11 hours ago, Spencer Hastings said:

Melissa is probably AD because she'd be the easiest to explain away.  Out of sight, out of mind, so it's less complicated.  You haven't seen Melissa because she was the puppet master!  Surprise! Look at all the stuff she did off screen!  Black swan!  NAT Club!  Wren! IanGarrettWilden! 

But seriously, homegirl had the biggest pile of bodies around her and no ones even mentioned them in awhile.  She's the last red herring it could be.  I don't know if I'd be angry or stupified.

To me, she would be the most satisfying AD - she's a Hastings and is older than the PLLs so knows more of the secrets that have been kept from them, her toes with NAT, previous threats to Ali, all her varied alliances with others in the anti-PLL camp, and the fact that every single time she comes under suspicion throughout the entire show's history, she addresses stuff with vague answers and soon gets "cleared" by the next bright shiny suspect diverting their attention away from her.  Sketchiest character on the show that no matter what answers Show gives us, i'm going to refuse to believe she was an innocent in all the big stuff.

[Jack Shaftoe]

Something occurred to me - if Charlotte really was a genuine friend of Lucas, why didn't she stop Alison from bullying him? Remember, she was Alison's cool adult friend and a super genius to boot, I am sure she would have easily found a way to achieve that, had she bothered to try. But in reality, she encouraged Alison to bully people and taught her new tricks. Of course, the reason for that is that this Lucas-Charlotte friendship wasn't planned back in season 3 when the friendship between Alison and Charlotte was shown on screen but on a non-meta level this is just another example of how terrible of a person Charlotte was. "Hey, Lucas, let's make a comic, I'm sorry, graphic novel, full of dreams of vengeance against Alison. Same Alison who is my secret relative and thinks I am her coolest friend. But no, I can only help you with the comic, excuse me, graphic novel. Sucks to be you."

[Froippi]

Ok if Melissa is AD why so soft to Aria it don't add up unless she did not have a lot of dirt on her

[SadieT]

2 hours ago, Jack Shaftoe said:

Something occurred to me - if Charlotte really was a genuine friend of Lucas, why didn't she stop Alison from bullying him? Remember, she was Alison's cool adult friend and a super genius to boot, I am sure she would have easily found a way to achieve that, had she bothered to try. But in reality, she encouraged Alison to bully people and taught her new tricks. Of course, the reason for that is that this Lucas-Charlotte friendship wasn't planned back in season 3 when the friendship between Alison and Charlotte was shown on screen but on a non-meta level this is just another example of how terrible of a person Charlotte was. "Hey, Lucas, let's make a comic, I'm sorry, graphic novel, full of dreams of vengeance against Alison. Same Alison who is my secret relative and thinks I am her coolest friend. But no, I can only help you with the comic, excuse me, graphic novel. Sucks to be you."

Yeah, I thought about that too. Makes no sense but really, none of these last minute reveals make much sense because the writers can't or won't bother to fit them into the story we've already seen. But then again, Charlotte did have a weird way of showing her love for people so it's possible she did care for Lucas but was also totally cool with him being bullied for whatever reason. She supposedly loved Alison so much but also tried to strangle her in her house that one time and then had her beaten up in jail to intimidate her, so who knows, she's not the greatest friend. 

[tennisgurl]

There just aren't enough dramatically turning gophers in the world to describe the ridiculous twists on this show.

So Lucas isn't a bad guy, but he was friends with Charlotte? Yesh, Charlotte really played the long game, didn't she? She seems to have some weird connection to every person on the planet at this point. I did enjoy the reminder that Ali was a grade A Mean Girl back in the day, and the rest of the Liars were her willing Plastics who let her make peoples lives hell. I hope Lucas moves on from his massive unrequited Hannah crush. She just isn't that into you, dude, move on!

Aria and Ezra truly are a perfect match, they both SUCK. Aria could just tell her friends the truth secretly (I know A or whoever is basically all knowing, but still) but still she chooses her stupid creepy fiancé over her friends, and is willingly tormenting them. And yet I feel most of her angst is directed at Erza drama and his stuff with Nicole, and not willingly working with the Big Bad. Also, Ezra and his book is really a PR nightmare, no wonder his manager was trying to get him to downplay Aria. Who wants to buy a book about a guy who lost his girlfriend in the jungles of wherever, and moved on, only for her to return just in time for him to marry another woman, and says how he loves this new woman so much? Actually, he could probably get a deal with the actual story about how he slept with a teenager and became her teacher because he was obsessed with her also underage missing friend, then continued being with her and was super creepy and is now marrying her. Its...interesting I guess.

Marco actually being a good cop is probably the biggest twist of all. Spencer really lost out on one of the decent ones. I do like that Spencer is allowed to be tough again. tell that phone call where they can shove it!

[mac123x]

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Aria and Ezra truly are a perfect match, they both SUCK. Aria could just tell her friends the truth secretly (I know A or whoever is basically all knowing, but still) but still she chooses her stupid creepy fiancé over her friends, and is willingly tormenting them.

With no guarantee that AD won't screw her over anyway.  She really is eight kinds of stupid.

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Actually, he could probably get a deal with the actual story about how he slept with a teenager and became her teacher because he was obsessed with her also underage missing friend, then continued being with her and was super creepy and is now marrying her. Its...interesting I guess.

Well, we don't know, that could very well be the plot of his runaway first hit Ostenatto. 

Incidentally, what kind of book is this new one?  Autobiography, Current Events, novelization, fiction?  When Liam confronted him about his predatory nature, Ezra said, "you mean the character in the book?" which implies it's fictional.  The one sycophant at the book event in this episode asked if his next book will continue his and Nichole's love story, so that sounds autobiographical.  (Who would want to read that anyway, sounds worse than airport novel trash.  Just post updates on Facebook Website Page like normal people.)

I just realized that Ezra's books keep getting ruined when the victim resurfaces:

1.  Ali book that went unpublished because (among other things) she returned

2.  Ostenatto, probably about some other missing white girl case like The Runaway Bride[/url]

3.  This book, soon to be in the discount bin / pulped because Nichole is back and he dumped her

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by mac123x

[Froippi]

does anyone think it could be possible that Ad has something else in Aria's file that unpublish book he did in season 4 we never knew who grab that book on the ground we were assuming it was A at the time but we just don't know

 

i'm sorry but its hard for me to really care about this whole Emily and Alison love story maybe i prefer spoby, Ezria, and Haleb if i was going to ship some couples

 

ugh then i keep going back to how Bad Hannah been this season please can we stop lol i almost can't stand watch her anymore

 

I do like how spencer is blackmailing Marco but to be fair Marco is the most Honest cop on the this show now be reduced to blackmail

[KaveDweller]

7 hours ago, mac123x said:

With no guarantee that AD won't screw her over anyway.  She really is eight kinds of stupid.

Well, we don't know, that could very well be the plot of his runaway first hit Ostenatto. 

Incidentally, what kind of book is this new one?  Autobiography, Current Events, novelization, fiction?  When Liam confronted him about his predatory nature, Ezra said, "you mean the character in the book?" which implies it's fictional.  The one sycophant at the book event in this episode asked if his next book will continue his and Nichole's love story, so that sounds autobiographical.  (Who would want to read that anyway, sounds worse than airport novel trash.  Just post updates on Facebook Website Page like normal people.)

I think it is fictional, but based on his life. So when Nicole was found and that story got media attention, the publisher did a bunch of press releases about how the book that just happens to be coming out is based on the real life story of one of these newly famous hostages. So the readers are reading it as though it is true. Kind of like how people read the Devil Wears Prada thinking it was real stories about Anna Wintour.

Ezra strikes me as someone who wouldn't bother to give his fictional version of Nicole her own name. For some reason people on TV who are supposed to be writers can only ever write about things in their real life, but usually they use slightly off versions of their names. Like the fictional Aria could be Ariel, and fictional Hanna could be Anna, etc.

[SadieT]

9 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

I think it is fictional, but based on his life. So when Nicole was found and that story got media attention, the publisher did a bunch of press releases about how the book that just happens to be coming out is based on the real life story of one of these newly famous hostages. So the readers are reading it as though it is true. Kind of like how people read the Devil Wears Prada thinking it was real stories about Anna Wintour.

Ezra strikes me as someone who wouldn't bother to give his fictional version of Nicole her own name. For some reason people on TV who are supposed to be writers can only ever write about things in their real life, but usually they use slightly off versions of their names. Like the fictional Aria could be Ariel, and fictional Hanna could be Anna, etc.

Pretty sure the male protagonist's name in Ezra's book is Ezra. We've seen it in glimpses of the book's pages. I'm not even sure if the book is supposed to be a fiction novel based on true events or a memoir, but either way, Ezra's a terrible writer. If it's a work of fiction that's based on his life, then he should have given the character a different name because not doing so just makes him look like an ego-maniac. If it's a memoir, he's just a self-important douche who apparently refers to himself in the third person throughout. 

[mac123x]

Broswatchplltoo discussing the book launch thing where the woman asked if the next book would continue Ezra and Nichole's "journey".

Benjamin Light:  What journey?  What happens in the sequel, does she get kidnapped again?"

 

Apparently the Nichole book is titled Then and Now.  What the hell does that even mean. 

[DigitalCount]

"Why are you here?" the Liars demanded imperiously of Lucas, forming a half-circle in the area between his kitchen and his sitting-room to block him from escaping his apartment

[AftermathTV]

22 minutes ago, DigitalCount said:

"Why are you here?" the Liars demanded imperiously of Lucas, forming a half-circle in the area between his kitchen and his sitting-room to block him from escaping his apartment

Didn't you hear? Princess Hanna owns that property now and it's where her and Caleb will start a family together. Lucas is totally cool with paying its rent for the rest of his life, because what are best friends for?

[Spencer Hastings]

6 hours ago, mac123x said:

Apparently the Nichole book is titled Then and Now.  What the hell does that even mean. 

Not a thing besides a play on words for Marlene's previously most successful project, Now and Then.

[Lady Calypso]

10 hours ago, mac123x said:

Apparently the Nichole book is titled Then and Now.  What the hell does that even mean. 

Well, then, Nicole and Ezra were together and she got kidnapped. Now, she's not kidnapped anymore and Ezra's engaged to Aria. Duh. 

[insubordination]

I am really balking at finishing this show, even though there is only a handful of eps left.  I was hoping for more scares, but bits and pieces popping out of a board game and Aria's 'scary' video calls are not cutting it. I also didn't like Hanna being tortured in her underwear earlier in the season or this whole 'eggs' nonsense.

I watched the first two minutes of this episode and pressed 'stop'. It is just too frustrating.  I really should have stopped watching a long time ago or at least at the CeCe/Charles crap.

My thoughts at the first two minutes:

1. Why didn't Spencer have a lawyer present for questioning? Hanna and Ali have both been to prison and Spencer has been in shit with the law before. Best she says nothing. Call one of you mother's friends for your own self-protection.  I know Spencer appears to be smart, but is usually does dumb things and is often wrong, so it is in character. But please, please no Twincer!

2. Why is Furey allowed to be involved in this case when he's sexually involved with Spencer? (I know...I know addressed above. Rosewood PD MO). "I'm throwing you a rope" sounded ominous - not like a salvation from quicksand (oh the dialogue!).

The annoying thing is that both actors seem competent and try to rise above the spurious (sounds like a 'ship name)  material.  I will try to watch the rest of the episode, but it sounds like too much Ezria from the comments.  I can barely even remember who Nicole is.  Did 'A' orchestrate the Colombian kidnapping too?

The 'A'-come-lately really sucks. Is there going to be an Uber alles 'A' who has been bankrolling this all along? The high school principal and his secret men's society who has dirt on everyone and blackmails them into torturing young girls? Ezra's mother in an oedipal thing.   Surely there is someone better pulling the strings.  I just can't see how this show can end in a satisfying and logical way because this 'A' is too lame. Twin Peaks makes much more sense than this show.  

I guess I will try to force myself through this ep and the next few.  I have developed much resilience due to watching the final season of 'Dexter' and surely the PLL finale can't be worse than that one, can it?

Edited June 3, 2017 by insubordination
Double negatives

[Chinspinner]

2 hours ago, insubordination said:

I am really balking at finishing this show, even though there is only a handful of eps left.  I was hoping for more scares, but bits and pieces popping out of a board game and Aria's 'scary' video calls are not cutting it. I also didn't like Hanna being tortured in her underwear earlier in the season or this whole 'eggs' nonsense.

I watched the first two minutes of this episode and pressed 'stop'. It is just too frustrating.  I really should have stopped watching a long time ago or at least at the CeCe/Charles crap.

My thoughts at the first two minutes:

1. Why didn't Spencer have a lawyer present for questioning? Hanna and Ali have both been to prison and Spencer has been in shit with the law before. Best she says nothing. Call one of you mother's friends for your own self-protection.  I know Spencer appears to be smart, but is usually does dumb things and is often wrong, so it is in character. But please, please no Twincer!

2. Why is Furey allowed to be involved in this case when he's sexually involved with Spencer? (I know...I know addressed above. Rosewood PD MO). "I'm throwing you a rope" sounded ominous - not like a salvation from quicksand (oh the dialogue!).

The annoying thing is that both actors seem competent and try to rise above the spurious (sounds like a 'ship name)  material.  I will try to watch the rest of the episode, but it sounds like too much Ezria from the comments.  I can barely even remember who Nicole is.  Did 'A' orchestrate the Colombian kidnapping too?

The 'A'-come-lately really sucks. Is there going to be an Uber alles 'A' who has been bankrolling this all along? The high school principal and his secret men's society who has dirt on everyone and blackmails them into torturing young girls? Ezra's mother in an oedipal thing.   Surely there is someone better pulling the strings.  I just can't see how this show can end in a satisfying and logical way because this 'A' is too lame. Twin Peaks makes much more sense than this show.  

I guess I will try to force myself through this ep and the next few.  I have developed much resilience due to watching the final season of 'Dexter' and surely the PLL finale can't be worse than that one, can it?

My arse made a cameo in the last show. I assume you tuned in for that?

Edited June 3, 2017 by Chinspinner

[WhosThatGirl]

Yes it is getting harder and harder to finish the show I agree. Then again.. I'm barley paying attention. I'm bored enough with a lot of what happens that my mind drifts off and I'm on my computer/phone. And then when I look up to pay attention I'm grossed out enough with Emily and Alison's epic love story that now involves violations beyond anything else this show has done in my opinion. And everyone was rightfully grossed out about it.. for like one episode and now Emily's all like "let's keep it and be mommies" and Ali's saying I Love You. Ugh. I need to start drinking while I watch this show.

[Perfect Xero]

I feel ... sympathy for the Rosewood PD in their war against the Liars? What is going on here?

[insubordination]

15 minutes ago, Perfect Xero said:

I feel ... sympathy for the Rosewood PD in their war against the Liars? What is going on here?

Me too. The Liars must have generated a hell of a lot of paperwork.

I

[WhosThatGirl]

12 hours ago, Perfect Xero said:

I feel ... sympathy for the Rosewood PD in their war against the Liars? What is going on here?

Ha. I remember a line from Andrew from last season when he was being released due to a red herring and he was like "I hate you all! I can't wait hnt we graduate and I never have to see you again" and the liars were like "we might not able to graduate" and Andrew was like "no you will. The town will be happy to be rid of you" I mean.. that's like the truest thing ever been spoken on this show.  Even that detective lady said something to Emily when Charlottle first died about the five years being quiet in Rosewood and now it isn't anymore. 

[Lady Calypso]

23 minutes ago, WhosThatGirl said:

Ha. I remember a line from Andrew from last season when he was being released due to a red herring and he was like "I hate you all! I can't wait hnt we graduate and I never have to see you again" and the liars were like "we might not able to graduate" and Andrew was like "no you will. The town will be happy to be rid of you" I mean.. that's like the truest thing ever been spoken on this show.  Even that detective lady said something to Emily when Charlottle first died about the five years being quiet in Rosewood and now it isn't anymore. 

Heh. It's so true, though. I bet by now, everyone in the town hates that the Liars returned to Rosewood. "Oh no! They're all back! I guess we're going to have to hire more law enforcement, hospital staff, and prepare ourselves for the Liarpocalypse!"

[waving feather]

Or you could say the Liars are "creating jobs" for the local townsfolk. They may have to hire more nurses and police force just to deal with their aftermath. That's not even counting all the toys and gadgets AD buys just to torment the Liars. Also the amount of alcohol they consume among the four of them, business must be booming for red wine.

Edited June 4, 2017 by waving feather

[eXiled]

On 5/30/2017 at 10:09 PM, marinaalexis said:

That drives me crazy. Alison was horrible to her so-called friends, and has never owned up to it or apologized. She drove Hanna to an eating disorder, constantly taunted Emily's sexuality, tried to blame Spencer for the Jenna Thing, etc. etc. etc. I will forever hate the fact that Ali is considered their friend now and is totally in their elite little group, regardless of Mona or anyone else. She doesn't deserve their friendship and I hate that she's present for all of the "Liar bonding" moments now.

I agree with everything you say, except . . . I still *heart* Emison.

It's like all those genre shows where the antihero/vampire takes the heroine through IT!!! -- and yet she pines for him, and usually, the audience pines with her. I can't help it. My heart wants what it wants.

But I agree those girls (including Emily) should ostracize Alison and ignore her. When they're forced to deal with her, it should be perfunctory at best, hostile at worst.

[NutMeg]

On 6/5/2017 at 6:16 AM, waving feather said:

Or you could say the Liars are "creating jobs" for the local townsfolk. They may have to hire more nurses and police force just to deal with their aftermath. That's not even counting all the toys and gadgets AD buys just to torment the Liars. Also the amount of alcohol they consume among the four of them, business must be booming for red wine.

As to the red wine, the parents were probably better clients :)  

[CurlyATX]

5 hours ago, NutMeg said:

As to the red wine, the parents were probably better clients :)  

This makes me think of Bros Watch PLL Too... Ashley + wine = OTP

Now I think they all drink because of all the craziness with Peter Hastings.  Dude needs to just keep it zipped.